- Over the entire 2026–2036 period, federal subsidies for health insurance total $33.6 trillion.
- Americans are more obese that citizens in other developed countries.
- Chris Jacobs explains why paying cash for drugs “could end up saving you a bundle of money.”
- Unleash Prosperity Hotline: Deborah Birx was worse than Anthony Fauci.
- Montana adopts “right to try.”
- Turns out “Medicare for all” means “Medicaid for all.”
Category: Single-Payer/Medicare-for-All
Tuesday Links – 21 July 2026
- From 2010 to 2024, healthcare visits for symptoms of depression and anxiety increased by 66% among girls and women and 54% among boys and men.
- Why physicians are perpetually underpaid by Medicare.
- Why building luxury housing is good for the poor.
- Radical idea: the Promise Act would require Congress to do something about the fact that Social Security is running out of money.
Saturday Links – 18 July 2026
- Where does AARP get its money? What difference does that make?
- Is sunlight really an antidepressant?
- Coming soon: betting on clinical trials and regulatory approvals. (Statnews)
- 2027 Marketplace Rule: bronze plans will be allowed to have Out-of-pocket exposure of up to $15,600 for an individual and $31,200 for a family beginning in 2027.
- 25 health care systems are dropping Medicare Advantage plans.
Should Health Insurers Count Copay Assistance Against Plan Deductibles?
An acquaintance complained to me that a drug she needed for was available for a $5 copay, but not if you’re on Medicare. She wondered why Medicare beneficiaries did not qualify for the low copay. I already knew the answer. Copay assistance is sometimes touted as a way to help people afford costly medications. However, it is also a way for drug companies to charge higher prices by blunting patients’ incentive to choose cheaper generic drugs.