2013

State Advocate To-Do List for 2013

With the health insurance marketplaces opening in October, we know 2013 is going to be a busy year for advocates as they prepare, to educate, and enroll consumers. Health policy experts and state a...

Deficit Reduction Achieved, Health Care Protected

On Tuesday, Congress passed a deal to avert the “fiscal cliff.” It passed both the Senate and the House with large majorities. The deal did not cut Medicaid or Medicare benefits. For weeks, we�...

Americans Favor Moving Forward on ACA Implementation

The next couple of months are going to be pretty busy for Congress as they work to reach a budget resolution and avert a government shutdown. Like a broken record, opponents of health care are pushing...

Setting the Standard: Consumer Protections in New Insurance Marketplaces

You may know that the Affordable Care Act creates new health insurance marketplaces (often referred to as exchanges) that will make it easier to shop for coverage. But did you know that the new market...

Forever Young?

In the past, women, people in less-than-perfect health, and older people were all charged much higher premiums than others—in fact, many were priced out of care. But, Obamacare changes that. The l...

Rate Shock for Young Americans: Debunking the Myth

Recently, there has been heated debate about the “rate shock” that some say young adults will experience as a result of the change in age rating under the Affordable Care Act. Today, insurers typi...

House Budget Threatens Access to Health Care for Millions of Americans

Paul Ryan's budget, which was passed in the House of Representatives, includes nearly $2.6 trillion in cuts to health care programs that millions of poor and middle-class Americans rely on, while pro...

Would You Rather Pay Pennies More for a Burger or a $1,000 More on Health Coverage?

Lately, some employers, such as Wendy’s and a Five Guysfranchise in North Carolina, have started to grumble about having to pay a penalty if they do not provide quality, affordable health coverag...

The President’s Budget Offers a Pragmatic Approach to Deficit Reduction while Protecting Health Care

Today President Obama released his proposed budget for the 2014 fiscal year. Unlike the austerity budget passed by House Republicans last month, his proposal protects and strengthens our nation’s h...

Great Graduation Gift for Grandchildren: Health Coverage

With spring comes another crop of college graduates. For many, graduation can bring a flood of widely varying emotions. On one hand, there’s the fist-pumping, cap-in-the-air celebration of a diploma...