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Thursday, April 17, 2014

Health Care

News                                                                                                                             
Politico | Right outraged at Census change
Conservatives are crying foul over changes to the U.S. Census that will affect data on the effects of Obamacare, though the Census Bureau insists the changes have been a long time coming and are not political.
National Journal | Cuts to Medicare Advantage Top $1,500 Per Senior
The federal Medicare agency recently backed off a proposal to make additional cuts to Medicare Advantage—the second year in a row it has proposed and then abandoned such reductions. But the AAF analysis says the reductions mandated in the Affordable Care Act will still affect benefits for most seniors who use the program.

Econ Comments & Analysis                                                                                            
Bloomberg | Health-Services Spending Jumps as Obamacare Takes Hold
Nancy Beigel has known since September that she would need hernia surgery. She couldn’t afford it on her $11,000 yearly income until she became eligible for Medicaid in January through President Barack Obama’s signature health care law.
Mercatus | The Unfolding Fiscal Disaster Behind ACA Enrollment Figures
Earlier this month there was tremendous press attention to new data indicating that enrollment in the Affordable Care Act (ACA)’s health insurance exchanges had surpassed 7 million. The White House took a victory lap while much of the press, desperate to write something positive after months of reporting on website glitches and insurance plan cancellations, characterized the milestone as good political news for ACA supporters. Our national discussion, however, is missing the truly significant story here; what is unfolding before our eyes is a colossal fiscal disaster, poised to haunt legislators and taxpayers for decades to come.

Blogs                                                                                                                             
Heritage Foundation | GOP Governors Hit Obama Administration on Medicare Advantage Rates
Three Republican governors yesterday blasted President Barack Obama over changes to next year’s Medicare Advantage rates, writing in a letter that the Obama administration’s recent rate announcement was “little more than political theater.”