Comments on: The Temporary(?) Decline In The Number Of Uninsured http://healthaffairs.org/blog/2008/09/30/the-temporary-decline-in-the-number-of-uninsured/ The Policy Journal of the Health Sphere Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:45:09 -0500 hourly 1 By: John Goodman’s Health Policy Blog » Blog Archive » The Rich Go Bare http://healthaffairs.org/blog/2008/09/30/the-temporary-decline-in-the-number-of-uninsured/comment-page-1/#comment-23578 John Goodman’s Health Policy Blog » Blog Archive » The Rich Go Bare Tue, 21 Oct 2008 19:20:22 +0000 http://healthaffairs.org/blog/2008/09/30/the-temporary-decline-in-the-number-of-uninsured/#comment-23578 [...] Full post is here. [...] [...] Full post is here. [...]

]]> By: Michael D. Miller, MD http://healthaffairs.org/blog/2008/09/30/the-temporary-decline-in-the-number-of-uninsured/comment-page-1/#comment-23437 Michael D. Miller, MD Tue, 30 Sep 2008 16:03:36 +0000 http://healthaffairs.org/blog/2008/09/30/the-temporary-decline-in-the-number-of-uninsured/#comment-23437 Very nice synopsis of the situation and the rhetorical problems. Just to clarify the situation in Massachusetts, the costs have been higher than initially projected because more people got insurance coverage than projected - many of those without any government funding, but because the new Connector enabled them to buy less expansive, good insurance. Also, from what I recall, the new Census numbers show that a bit over 1 million more people have insurance in 2007 than in 2006 - so the Massachusetts contribution comes in closer to 1/3 than 25%. And it is also worth pointing out that Massachusetts now has the lowest rate of uninsured in the country. While what Massachusetts has done can’t be exactly replicated by other sates, it does show that a reasonable combination of government subsidies and market-place reforms can dramatically reduce the number of uninsured - which is EXACTLY the position that Sen. Obama has put forward. In contrast Sen. McCain’s proposal for putting the responsibility to buy insurance with the individual would increase total administrative costs by increasing marketing costs for insurance companies, and would also undermine the parts of our health care financing system that are working, i.e. health benefits provided by employers who understand the value they receive from healthy and productive employees. (See my comments about this at http://www.healthpolcom.com/blog/2008/09/22/the-granularity-of-employer-provided-health-benefits/ ) Very nice synopsis of the situation and the rhetorical problems. Just to clarify the situation in Massachusetts, the costs have been higher than initially projected because more people got insurance coverage than projected – many of those without any government funding, but because the new Connector enabled them to buy less expansive, good insurance. Also, from what I recall, the new Census numbers show that a bit over 1 million more people have insurance in 2007 than in 2006 – so the Massachusetts contribution comes in closer to 1/3 than 25%. And it is also worth pointing out that Massachusetts now has the lowest rate of uninsured in the country.

While what Massachusetts has done can’t be exactly replicated by other sates, it does show that a reasonable combination of government subsidies and market-place reforms can dramatically reduce the number of uninsured – which is EXACTLY the position that Sen. Obama has put forward. In contrast Sen. McCain’s proposal for putting the responsibility to buy insurance with the individual would increase total administrative costs by increasing marketing costs for insurance companies, and would also undermine the parts of our health care financing system that are working, i.e. health benefits provided by employers who understand the value they receive from healthy and productive employees. (See my comments about this at http://www.healthpolcom.com/blog/2008/09/22/the-granularity-of-employer-provided-health-benefits/ )

]]> By: Blogtica.com » The Temporary(?) Decline In The Number Of Uninsured http://healthaffairs.org/blog/2008/09/30/the-temporary-decline-in-the-number-of-uninsured/comment-page-1/#comment-23436 Blogtica.com » The Temporary(?) Decline In The Number Of Uninsured Tue, 30 Sep 2008 15:34:17 +0000 http://healthaffairs.org/blog/2008/09/30/the-temporary-decline-in-the-number-of-uninsured/#comment-23436 [...] post by Jeff Goldsmith and software by Elliott [...] [...] post by Jeff Goldsmith and software by Elliott [...]

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