Econ Comments & Analysis
Kaiser Family Foundation | Analysis of 2015 Premium Changes in the Affordable Care Act’s Health Insurance Marketplaces
The map and 50-state table are updates to our September analysis, which examined premium changes for the lowest-cost bronze plan and the two lowest-cost silver plans in 16 major cities. The second-lowest cost silver plan in each state is of particular interest as it acts as a benchmark that helps determine how much assistance eligible individuals can receive in the form of federal tax credits. Although premium changes vary substantially across and within states, premium changes for 2015 in general are modest when looking at the low-cost insurers in the marketplaces, where enrollment is concentrated.
Wall Street Journal | Shunning ObamaCare
Among the Affordable Care Act’s many economic and political disruptions, the law has unintentionally encouraged employers to convert full-time jobs into part-time jobs. ObamaCare mandates that employers offer health insurance to employees who work more than 30 hours a week, or pay a penalty up to $3,000 an employee. But employers have no such obligation for employees who work less than 30 hours a week, making part-time employment less costly.
Wall Street Journal | Saying Goodbye to Third-Party Medical Payments
The Affordable Care Act is raising costs, restricting patient choice and doctor freedom, and putting bureaucrats in the treatment room. It isn’t good—but it’s here to stay, largely intact, at least until a Republican president can work with a Republican-controlled Congress.
