Healthcare.gov Turns Three!

November 1st marks the third open enrollment period for the Healthcare Insurance Marketplaces (aka Obamacare). That means we are only one week away from millions of Americans being able to log into Healthcare.gov and either buy insurance for the first time or choose from new plans if they enrolled for health insurance coverage last year. Before the launch …

Mississippi: Why Not Try Bryantcare?

Phil Bryant holds the fate of more than half a million Mississippians in the palm of his hands as key health care policy decisions hang in the balance. He is the Governor of the great state of Mississippi and has the power to make two major decisions. #1 – Expand Medicaid up to 138% of …

An Exchange by any other Name…

In Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet, Juliet surmises that, “Romeo would, were he not Romeo call’d, retain that dear perfection which he owes without that title.” So in the same sense would not Health Exchanges by any other name still be just as confusing? “’Tis but thy name that is my enemy” A recent survey …

A Dialogue w/ Mayor Dinkins

June is Men’s Health Month. The Health & Wellness committee of One Hundred Black Men spent the past 27 days raising awareness of preventable health problems and health concerns disproportionately impacting the African-American community. Louis Baldwin and I had the amazing opportunity to sit down with Mayor David Dinkins and discuss these activities on his Saturday …

CO-OPs – Healthcare’s $1.9 Billion “Solyndra” Experiment

A late addition to Obama’s healthcare reform bill was $6 billion worth of funding for Consumer Operated and Oriented Plans, or put more simply: CO-OPs. Conceptually, these are non-profit member-driven health insurance companies designed to compete against the larger, for-profit carriers. The end vision is a more effective, competitive marketplace. The History Originally a Republican idea, …

#9 The Republican “War on Women”

This “war” refers to a series of legislative and public actions that put the Republican Party at odds against women advocacy groups and Democratic lawmakers. The tone and political positioning of party leaders hit a fever pitch as candidates running for office faced public scrutiny in wake of their off-color comments. Below is a sampling …

#7 The Year of Mergers and Acquisitions

With 30 million Americans entering the health insurance market, Obama has touted that his healthcare reform bill will increase competition amongst carriers. As the many provisions of the bill have been released, the insurance industry has quickly reacted with a series of mergers and acquisitions. Across the country, health plans have looked for ways to find …

#6 Restaurants Refuse to Add Obamacare to Menus

In 2014, companies with over 50 employees working 30 hours or more (per week) will be required to offer health coverage to all eligible employees.  Otherwise, the employer will face penalties ranging from $2,000 to $3,000 per employee per year. In the fall of 2012, Darden Restaurants, the parent company of Olive Garden and Red …

#4 Romney Doubles Down on Repealing Obamacare

In probably the most interesting political theatre match of our time, we saw two Presidential candidates grapple with health care positions that left both political parties at odds. Obama, having pushed for a very centrist healthcare reform bill actually modeled after Romney’s plan for Massachusetts, had to urge Democrats to fight for a bill that …

#1 PPACA Supreme Court Decision

Leaving a footprint in history, President Obama’s landmark legislation was deemed constitutional by the United States Supreme Court, granting 30 million more Americans access to affordable healthcare coverage. No President since Lyndon Johnson had been able to pass such a substantial piece of healthcare legislation. The Supreme Court case started the day of the signing of …