<p><a href=“Decoding The High-Stakes Debate Over Medicare Advantage Cuts | KFF Health News”>http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Stories/2014/April/07/Decoding-The-High-Stakes-Debate-Over-Medicare-Advantage-Cuts.aspx</a>
We discussed this earlier in the thread. Both sides should be happy there will be better oversight. Headlines are an iffy way to look at this one.</p>
<p>The Rand survey is out. It says that on net, 9.3 million adults have gained health coverage through mid-March. That does not include any children, and it also does not include the uninsured people who signed up for coverage in the last two weeks of March.</p>
<p><a href=“Survey Estimates Net Gain of 9.3 Million American Adults with Health Insurance | RAND”>http://www.rand.org/blog/2014/04/survey-estimates-net-gain-of-9-3-million-american-adults.html</a></p>
<p>No, CF. Some are still going to say it’s smoke and mirrors. Manipulation. Lies. A nasty, mean trick. And they can “prove” it, too, because they think so. Not because they have some legit stomping point. </p>
<p>Personally, I’m not paying much attention to the flat-earthers anymore. They’ve been wrong SO many times on this.</p>
<p>Hmm. Wrong about what? All of the worst case predictions have occurred. Interesting.</p>
<p>Not getting sucked into the same old Henny Penny stuff, but “worst” case? </p>
<p>Plan. Doctor. Hospital. Quality. Cost. Of course, If the only measure of success is insuring more uninsured while spending a trillion dollars then it’s a winner. Sure.</p>
<p>Hmm. But I got all those. My doc is happy, my hospitals are still humming, the insurer answers my calls. And we had two sunny days, this week.</p>
<p>Yay you! We also have sunshine, here. </p>
<p>Health plan premiums are skyrocketing according to new survey of 148 brokers, but as Bob Marley and some of the cheerleaders would say…don’t worry, be happy.</p>
<p><a href=“Health Plan Premiums Are Skyrocketing According To New Survey Of 148 Insurance Brokers, With Delaware Up 100%, California 53%, Florida 37%, Pennsylvania 28%”>http://www.forbes.com/sites/scottgottlieb/2014/04/07/health-plan-premiums-are-skyrocketing-according-to-new-survey-of-148-insurance-brokers-analysts-blame-obamacare/</a></p>
<p>Make sure you look at the chart in the second article to see the increase in individual and small group market prices by quarter.</p>
<p><a href=“Here's How Much Health Plan Premiums Spiked Over The Last Four Years Of Obamacare's Rollout”>http://www.forbes.com/sites/scottgottlieb/2014/04/07/how-much-have-health-plan-premiums-spiked-over-the-last-four-years-of-obamacares-rollout-heres-the-data/</a></p>
<p>Interesting findings:</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>[Expanding</a> Medicaid Doesn’t Erode Access to Care, Report Says](<a href=“http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/823292]Expanding”>Expanding Medicaid Doesn't Erode Access to Care, Report Says)</p>
<p>ETA – And in the non-expansion states, where low-income people find themselves unable to get the same coverage that their brethren across the state line can get, this is becoming a potent issue.</p>
<p>Medicaid envy? That’s just so sad.</p>
<p>I’m not finding anything from Morgan Stanley- everyone is copying Gottlieb/Forbes. So, how do we judge this? Rate requests for 2015 have not been made yet, in my state, So, brokers wouldn’t know, going forward. </p>
<p>As for envy, I hope this is empathy, Flossy. </p>
<p>LF - That was a reference to Lasma’s post. It’s not about me. More people on Medicaid is not imho an appropriate measure of compassion. Some, I know, will disagree.</p>
<p>I knew that. If someone needs Medicaid and cannot get it because their state stayed with the prior limitations, chose not to expand, I do feel for them. Many in this country don’t have a desert, mountains or massive forest separating them from neighboring states, to see how things may work next-door. </p>
<p><a href=“Here's How Much Your State Is Losing If It Didn't Expand Medicaid | HuffPost Latest News”>HuffPost - Breaking News, U.S. and World News | HuffPost;
<p>We are in Pa. we are losing so much money by not having expanded Medicaid. Our wonderful Governor wants to make a name for himself and create his own version of the health care plan.</p>
<p>funny, during the time I posted (2 minutes) Pa was taken off the list so I now need to go check this out.</p>
<p>well, here we go. We are not only arguing but want to muck the whole thing up worse(tecnical term)</p>
<p><a href=“Pennsylvania Considers Navigator Bill That Could Sabotage Affordable Care Act Enrollment”>http://rhrealitycheck.org/article/2014/04/07/pennsylvania-considers-navigator-bill-sabotage-affordable-care-act-enrollment/</a></p>
<p>tried to edit above. I know these are not the best references but they are a glance into what is happening here</p>
<p>Hey GP, I bet you’ll like this, because you want more transparency. So do I. Medicare has released data on what they are paid each doctor in 2012! One doc is getting more than 20 million smackers a year. The NY Times gives you a graphic so you can look up what your own doctor is getting from Medicare.</p>
<p><a href=“Sliver of Medicare Doctors Get Big Share of Payouts - The New York Times”>Sliver of Medicare Doctors Get Big Share of Payouts - The New York Times;
<p>Since ACA is not going away: :-)</p>
<p>[10 Recommendations For Future Enrollment Periods](<a href=“http://familiesusa.org/product/10-enrollment-fixes”>http://familiesusa.org/product/10-enrollment-fixes</a>)</p>
<p>Awesome link, CF. A real insight. Our docs I checked are in the range of tests and frequency I’d call far, far from abuse. Even my mother’s cardiologist (there’s a sick group of elderly for you) has what I consider a reasonable number- and the highest frequency/charges is the use and analysis of testing equipment. Her gerontologist’s detail is quite low. These two docs are next town over, where the medicare demographic is higher. </p>