Ever since Obamacare became law, my colleagues and I have been writing about a race to the bottom in the exchanges – where health plans try to attract the healthy and avoid the sick. The result: people with serious health problems are being denied access to the doctors and hospitals they desperately need.
Author: John C. Goodman
Does Medicare Advantage Save the Government Money?
Matthew Holt at The Health Care Blog writes:
Critics (notably ex CMS veterans Berwick & Gilfillan) claim that risk adjustment games played by the private plans who run Medicare Advantage have cost up to $200bn over 10 years. Medpac (the independent body that advises Congress) estimates that “Medicare spends 4 percent more for MA enrollees than it would have spent if those enrollees remained in FFS Medicare” …. However data from the Medicare Trustees and other research from ACHP & the trade group Better Medicare Alliance suggests that Medpac’s analysis is incorrect and that Medicare Advantage saves the government about 9% per enrollee.
George Halvorson says the Medpac report is “fake news”.
Ivermectin
Scott Sumner on Ivermectin: https://www.econlib.org/trust-but-verify-2/
David Henderson on Ivermectin: https://www.econlib.org/ivermectin-and-statistical-significance/
Matt Yglesias on the real problem: No one has an incentive to do really thorough testing on generic drugs.
April 2022 Health Care News is now available
April 2022 Health Care News is now available:
- Congress Turns to the Think Tanks for Help
- Democrats Go After Short Term Plans
- California Punts on Single Payer Plan
- Fauci’s Secret War on Great Barrington Declaration Authors
- Insurers Ordered to Cover Sex Changes
- Vaccine Skeptics Listed as “Terrorists”
- Mark Cuban Launches Online, Low-Cost Generic Pharmacy
- Military Data on Vaccine Adverse Effects Disappears
- FDA Advisor: Agency is Ignoring Vaccine Side Effects
- Sweden’s Approach to the Virus Wins Accolades
- Johns Hopkins Study: Lockdowns Don’t Work
- Goodman: Seniors Deserve an HSA
- Blase: Subsidies Make Health Care Cost More