Obama Versus Obamacare

"NEW YORK – The US Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, President Barack Obama’s signature 2010 health-care reform, has succeeded in extending insurance coverage to millions of Americans who would not otherwise have it. And, contrary to critics’ warnings, it has not pushed up health-care costs; in fact, there is some hope that the cost curve may finally be bending downward...

...India’s current policies allow drugs to be sold at a small fraction of the monopoly prices commanded by patent holders. For example, the Hepatitis-C drug Sovaldi is sold for $84,000 per treatment in the US; Indian manufacturers are able to sell the generic version profitably for less than $1,000 per treatment. The generic price is still a huge expense for people living on a few dollars a day; but, unlike the US price, it is manageable for many governments and aid organizations..."

http://www.project-syndicate.org/co...dia-generic-drugs-by-dean-baker-et-al-2015-02
 
Last edited:
Premiums Remain Competitive in 2016; Consumers may be able to keep increases small by selecting a low-cost silver option

A new analysis from Avalere finds wide geographic variation in 2016 premium increases for individual market exchange plans, based on proposed rate filings in eight states where complete data is available.

"Specifically, premiums for silver plans will increase 5.8 percent on average across the states analyzed, ranging from a 12.0 percent average increase in Oregon to a 5.3 percent decrease in Michigan. More than two-thirds (68 percent) of 2015 exchange enrollees picked silver plans.

“While recent public attention has focused on a subset of plans that filed for premium increases of 10 percent or more, these data reveal that most plans are proposing more modest increases,” said Caroline Pearson, senior vice president at Avalere. “Notably, final premiums could be even lower than those proposed.”

"Based on proposed rates, average premium increases for low-cost silver tier plans are likely to be smaller than silver plans as a whole, if the states analyzed are representative of the broader market.

"Indeed, premiums for the lowest and second lowest cost silver plans in the eight states analyzed will increase on average 4.5 percent and 1.0 percent respectively, compared to a 5.8 percent across all silver exchange plans. Accessing these low cost plans may require enrollees to change carriers in some regions; however, the data suggest that low premium options may remain available for those consumers who are selecting plans based primarily on price. In 2014, two-thirds of consumers who chose a plan on the silver metal tier picked the lowest or second lowest cost option available.

“The good news for consumers in many states is that they may be able to keep premium increases low, depending on the plan they choose,” said Elizabeth Carpenter, director at Avalere. “However, low-cost plan options in 2016 may not be from the same insurers who offered these plans in 2015. In these markets, consumers will need to balance continuity of care with lower monthly premiums when comparing their health insurance options.”

Methodology: http://avalere.com/expertise/manage...remain-competitive-in-2016-consumers-may-be-a

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avalere_Health
 
what the heck is this baloney - remaining competitive with what? you are comparing recently jack up rates to future jacked up rates.
 
"NEW YORK – The US Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, President Barack Obama’s signature 2010 health-care reform, has succeeded in extending insurance coverage to millions of Americans who would not otherwise have it. And, contrary to critics’ warnings, it has not pushed up health-care costs; in fact, there is some hope that the cost curve may finally be bending downward...

...India’s current policies allow drugs to be sold at a small fraction of the monopoly prices commanded by patent holders. For example, the Hepatitis-C drug Sovaldi is sold for $84,000 per treatment in the US; Indian manufacturers are able to sell the generic version profitably for less than $1,000 per treatment. The generic price is still a huge expense for people living on a few dollars a day; but, unlike the US price, it is manageable for many governments and aid organizations..."

http://www.project-syndicate.org/co...dia-generic-drugs-by-dean-baker-et-al-2015-02
why don't the generics just develope their own drugs and get their own patents?
 
typical Karl Marx. They know what to do with it after it has already been created. But they don't know how to create it.
That's exactly what Mark Levin said last night regarding the ongoing theft of our tech by China (and a few other countries).
 
Back
Top