Photo: The B’s via Flickr
Making cities more age-friendly means getting those in charge on board with the idea. The Milken Institute is asking mayors throughout the United States to pledge to make their cities welcoming environments for older adults to age in place.
So far, some 150 mayors of cities of all sizes have promised to support neighborhoods that promote inclusivity and are sensitive to the physical, social and economic well-being of older adults. Continue reading
Photo: Doyle Saylor via Flickr
The aging population is a key driver of increased health spending, according to a new report from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
Total health care spending growth is expected to average 5.8 percent annually from 2015-2025, but population aging is anticipated to contribute to faster overall growth in national health spending from 2020 to 2025. However, projected spending growth remains lower than the average over previous two decades before 2008 (nearly 8 percent). Continue reading
Photo: Charis Tsevis via Flickr
“Across state lines.” That’s shorthand for what many GOP politicians see as part of an acceptable replacement for the Affordable Care Act.
They see the approach as reducing barriers, so insurers can base themselves in one state, but sell in other states without having to include all the coverage mandates and benefit rules in those other states. Continue reading
Photo: Living-Learning Programs via Flickr
Here’s a story worth looking at in the states, particularly in the midst of a pretty heated campaign season: health care for those living in the United States without legal permission.
The Affordable Care Act, as you may remember, did not cover people living in the country illegally (though some conservatives insist otherwise). In fact, they can’t even buy a plan in the ACA exchanges with their own money – with no subsidy. (They can purchase insurance outside the ACA with their own money, and some who are employed do get covered through jobs, although there is some disagreement over how many.) Continue reading
We have reams of data showing that people’s views of the Affordable Care Act largely align with their political view – Republicans hate it, Democrats like it (but by and large don’t love it.) That’s been a consistent finding in national polls and it’s particularly clear in the monthly Kaiser Family Foundation tracking polls.
What about doctors? Are their personal politics also coloring their view of the law passed six years ago? Apparently – yes, at least among primary care doctors and nurse practitioners. Continue reading
Many of us spend time fact-checking what political candidates say during the debates.
But sometimes we need to fact-check the moderators (or perhaps the TV producers who help create questions outside a moderator’s area of expertise).
Witness the last month’s debate among candidates for the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination. Most of it was focused on foreign policy, but there were a few health care questions. At one point, moderator Martha Raddatz noted that health insurance premiums had risen 27 percent in five years. She then asked Hillary Clinton how she would fix the Affordable Care Act: Continue reading