Tag Archives: Medicaid

Unnecessarily Uninsured

Posted on October 21, 2015

This picture, from the Kaiser Family Foundation, shows that many people who lack health insurance in the United States right now are actually eligible for either Medicaid or federally subsidized private insurance.

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Is It Fair to Reward Medicaid Patients for Doing What They’re Supposed to Do?

Posted on October 7, 2015

Most conservatives agree that Medicaid costs are too high. Most liberals agree that Medicaid patients should receive necessary medical care for free. And both conservatives and liberals agree that we should embrace ways to encourage Medicaid patients to obtain important … Continue reading →

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Look What Obamacare Has Done Now

Posted on September 10, 2015

The percent of Americans without health insurance has dropped precipitously in the last few years, thanks in large part to the Affordable Care Act, a.k.a. Obamacare. This is especially true in those states that, in accordance with the law, expanded … Continue reading →

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The Outlier Problem of Healthcare Spending

Posted on June 9, 2015

We have an outlier problem when it comes to healthcare spending. Sure, there are some services we provide far too often for far too many people. And in the United States, at least, most of the healthcare services we provide … Continue reading →

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When It Comes to Controlling Healthcare Costs, the Government Outperforms Private Industry

Posted on June 4, 2015

When I think of the federal government, “efficiency” is rarely the first thing on my mind. But when it comes to controlling healthcare costs, we need to consider the possibility that the federal government is better at this job than … Continue reading →

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How Generously Does Your State Reimburse for Medicaid?

Posted on January 30, 2015

A while ago, I wrote a post on how hard it can be for Medicaid recipients to get medical appointments, because so many physicians limit the number of Medicaid patients they see. They limit the number because Medicaid reimbursement is … Continue reading →

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Should North Carolina Expand Medicaid?

Posted on January 22, 2015

My home state of North Carolina is one of a number of states that refused to expand Medicaid, even though the Affordable Care Act stipulates that the federal government will cover the majority of expenses associated with such expansion. Here … Continue reading →

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Does the Name “the Affordable Care Act” Bias People Against the Affordable Care Act ?

Posted on January 8, 2015

The always informative Jonathan Cohn at the New Republic recently wrote about an opinion poll that seems to show significant support for at least one part of The Affordable Care Act. It showed a majority not only of Democrats and … Continue reading →

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Medicaid Expansion is Good for Hospitals

Posted on December 9, 2014

The ever reliable Sarah Kliff recently posted a nice graphic, showing a dramatic decline in the number of hospital visits for which hospitals received little to no money, because the patients have no insurance. But this decline occurred almost exclusively … Continue reading →

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Here’s Why Funding Medical Education Helps Vulnerable Patients

Posted on November 7, 2014

An article in the New England Journal of Medicine in June (no one accused me of being a timely blogger!) shows that academic medical centers often provide poorly-reimbursed services that other healthcare institutions avoid. Where more general hospitals might avoid … Continue reading →

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