Author Jim Kahn Frequently asked questions. 90 items Stand-Up for Simple Health Insurance April 20, 2025 In just 90 seconds, this highly entertaining comic conveys the absurd complexity of health insurance out-of-pocket costs. It’s a potent tragi-comic case for affordable, simple health insurance. Finally, the difference between HSAs and FSAs is clear! MA Insurers Reap $60 Billion from Premium Boost & Inflated Diagnoses April 13, 2025 The 2026 CMS premium increase and a new study together highlight how Medicare Advantage plans fleece tens of billions from the government. Trump’s CMS raised premiums by $25 billion from Biden-era plans, and diagnostic up-coding generates $33 billion in excess payments annually. DOGE to Merge Federal Healthcare Funding Programs April 1, 2025 In pursuit of budget savings, Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency has decided to combine disparate government health care financing programs into one streamlined operation using a standardized provider payment model. DOGE claims $250 billion in annual savings from this “unified financing”. Hobbling Health & Human Services March 29, 2025 The federal health department, DHHS, just announced major cuts and organizational consolidation, claiming improved efficiency and effectiveness. We see dangerously shifting priorities and a refusal to engage with the real causes of our ailing health system. Looming Medicaid Cuts & Pushback February 28, 2025 The House of Representatives budget resolution suggests massive upcoming cuts to Medicaid, likely via reduced eligibility. Voters of both parties are surprised and worried, expressing disapproval. So are potent media voices. The public values government-funded health care; imagine how popular single payer would be! Ambitious Reforms of Current System: A Path to Single Payer? January 24, 2025 Prominent health policy experts propose an ambitious set of reforms to improve coverage and affordability, streamline payment, bolster primary care, and reduce the corrosive influence of profits. But without fundamental reform, can these changes succeed? Can they lead us to single payer? Estimated US Deaths Associated with Health Insurance / Access to Care December 28, 2024 The US has far higher mortality than other wealthy nations. Yet the fraction associated with health insurance issues and impaired access to care is difficult to estimate, due to elevated disease risk factors. This analysis estimates 200,000 annual deaths after adjustment for high-burden US diseases, potentially representing insurance-related mortality. Deaths due to Willful Systemic Failings are Violent, Too December 10, 2024 The shooting a few days ago of a UnitedHealthcare insurance CEO generated, predictably, horror at interpersonal violence. It also unleashed widespread rage at the pain and harm inflicted by private health insurer practices. More than just prior authorization denials, our corporate insurance approach constitutes systemic violence, annually killing tens of thousands. US Seniors Experience Worst Cost Barriers to Care December 4, 2024 The Commonwealth Fund just published a ten-nation survey of health care affordability for seniors. Guess who had the highest financial barriers to care? Yup, the US. Medicare helps (beats being young & uninsured or having massive deductibles), but needs lower cost-sharing. HJM with the US Political Shift November 13, 2024 HJM is refining its mission in light of political realignment in the U.S. Posts pagination 1 2 3 … 9 Older
