Insight, analysis & opinion from Joe Paduda
Katrina and the federal government’s reaction to same will put Medicaid reform and other health care measures on the back burner for the foreseeable future. And, two of the key Senators on the Senate Finance Committee charged with finding $10 … Continue reading Katrina’s impact on health care reform measures
Read More...It’s official, United HealthGroup intends to acquire Pacificare, increasing their membership to 25.7 million and tripling their Medicare insured business. This will also strengthen UHG’s west coast operations, long a sore spot for the company. With the announcement came protests … Continue reading United acquiring Pacificare
Read More...Hard market, soft market, transitional market – all are terms that insurance industry veterans have used to characterize the various stages of the “insurance industry underwriting cycle”. Simply put, a hard market is when insurers are backing out of the … Continue reading Hard markets and Soft markets
Read More...AIG is still in trouble. The latest announcement indicates the firm is still unable to unravel the complex financial transactions that are causing distress in Mr. Spitzer’s offices, and thus will be unable to report their audited results (as previously … Continue reading AIG’s problems continue
Read More...A number of Governors are considering working together on Medicaid reform in an effort to present a united front to the Bush Administration and Congress. As we have been reporting here, Medicaid reform, a major goal of Bush et al, … Continue reading Medicaid Reform, round 4
Read More...In what may prove to be a critical indicator of the future of Medicaid funding, a bipartisan group of senators has introduced an amendment that would restore the $14 billion in Medicaid funding cuts in the President’s budget proposal. The … Continue reading Medicaid Round Two
Read More...Testifying before Congress, Fed Chair Alan Greenspan (free registration required) noted that while Social Security is indeed at risk, Congress must address “far larger shortfalls in Medicare”. However, Greenspan also noted that we are not yet ready to take on … Continue reading Greenspan on Medicare
Read More...Just when we thought the holiday season was over, the CMS Actuaries gave their biggest gift of the year to the White House, Senate, and House – an accounting change that reduced Medicaid expenses by $73 billion over the next … Continue reading A miracle on Capitol Hill
Read More...A California legislator has announced plans to introduce legislation authorizing implementation of a universal health insurance system run by the State. California HealthLine reports that Sen Sheila Kuehl (D-LA) and an unnamed number of co-sponsors are working on plans to … Continue reading CA move to universal coverage?
Read More...The National Governors’ Assn is mounting a surprisingly united front in the battle with the federal government over Medicaid funding . Governors are complaining that the sum of currently proposed and possible federal changes to Medicaid may leave states unable … Continue reading Governors fight Medicaid cuts
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