• Menu
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Before Header

  • About Us
  • Lexicon
  • Contact Us
  • Our Store
  • ↑
  • ↓
  • ←
  • →

Balloon Juice

Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

How do you get liars to care about the truth?

Consistently wrong since 2002

We can agree to disagree, but i’m right.

The house always wins.

I’m going back to the respite thread.

Fuck these fucking interesting times.

All your base are belong to Tunch.

Something seems odd about that, but i have been drinking.

You are either for trump or for democracy. Pick one.

I can’t take this shit today. I just can’t.

What fresh hell is this?

We still have time to mess this up!

Deploy the moving finger of emphasisity!

Wow, you are pre-disappointed. How surprising.

We are aware of all internet traditions.

Reality always lies in wait for … Democrats.

Just a few bad apples.

If you tweet it in all caps, that makes it true!

Wetsuit optional.

Our job is not to persuade republicans but to defeat them.

An almost top 10,000 blog!

JFC, are there no editors left at that goddamn rag?

The cruelty is the point; the law be damned.

Four legs? good! two legs? we’re not so sure…

Mobile Menu

  • Look Forward & Back
  • Balloon Juice 2021 Pet Calendar
  • Site Feedback
  • All 2020 Fundraising
  • I Voted!
  • Take Action: Things We Can Do
  • Team Claire, and Family
  • Submit Photos to On the Road
  • BJ PayPal Donations
  • Politics
  • On The Road
  • Open Threads
  • Topics
  • Nature & Respite
  • Information As Power
  • COVID-19 Coronavirus
  • Authors
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Lexicon
  • Our Store
  • Politics
  • Open Threads
  • On The Road
  • Garden Chats
  • Nature & Respite
  • Look Forward & Back
You are here: Home / Anderson On Health Insurance / Staffing matters

Staffing matters

by David Anderson|  January 21, 20217:00 am| 24 Comments

This post is in: Anderson On Health Insurance

Facebook0Tweet0Email0

To put a finer point on this: we’re going from an administration that championed work requirements in Medicaid to an administration that has hired Ben Sommers—who’s led the best research in recent years on these work requirements—to be Deputy Assistant Secretary at ASPE.

— Adrianna McIntyre (@onceuponA) January 20, 2021

 

Dr. Ben Sommers is both wicked smart and going into the Administration to work on the Department of Health and Human Services internal research and data team.

Nine of his ten most cited papers are Affordable Care Act and/or Medicaid papers.  His research on Medicaid work requirements and the implicit administrative burden in Arkansas was critical evidence that partially led to the federal courts to be extremely suspicious of Medicaid work requirements.

Staffing matters.

Dr. Sommers is just one example.

There are a number of people going into HHS (which is where I have a professional interest in knowing who is whom) that have an active interest in making insurance accessible, affordable and usable for as many people as possible.

The staff transition at the deputy undersecretary and deputy assistant levels is going to be a whiplash in what plans can even be discussed much less implemented.

Facebook0Tweet0Email0
Previous Post: « Thursday Morning Open Thread: What A Difference A Day Makes
Next Post: Proud to Be A Democrat Open Thread: Sisters Are Doing It (Inauguration Day Edition) »

Reader Interactions

24Comments

  1. 1.

    OzarkHillbilly

    January 21, 2021 at 7:07 am

    Good.

  2. 2.

    lowtechcyclist

    January 21, 2021 at 7:13 am

    Our long national nightmare is really over, isn’t it?

    It’s taking a bit of getting used to.

    It’s so good to know that, even before we’re able to pass any laws extending the reach of the ACA, this Administration will be reversing all the actions by the previous Administration that tried to hamstring it as much as possible, and will be doing their best to extend its reach administratively to the maximum that the law allows.

    That alone is a real blessing.

  3. 3.

    wvng

    January 21, 2021 at 7:22 am

    I watched last night as Biden administered the oath (via zoom) to hundreds of appointees. I suspect that David’s story of his tiny corner of the puzzle is being repeated across government. I slept so well last night.

  4. 4.

    Matt

    January 21, 2021 at 7:40 am

    active interest in making insurance accessible, affordable and usable for companies able to fleece as many people as possible

    We’d save a lot more money if we made insurance obsolete, but the people who’d benefit don’t write million-dollar checks to campaigns.

  5. 5.

    Baud

    January 21, 2021 at 7:50 am

    @Matt:

    Plus people oppose banning private insurance completely.

  6. 6.

    VOR

    January 21, 2021 at 8:15 am

    Wait, hiring people who want to make the program work. Instead of people who want to subvert it and make it fail. “It’s a bold strategy, Cotton, let’s see if it pays off for them.”

  7. 7.

    satby

    January 21, 2021 at 8:16 am

    @Baud: Unhappiness with the UK’s NHS was what a lot of UK people I know cited as one of the reasons for Brexit, and these are UK POC. Private insurance exists in almost every country, so we may as well work toward effective public and private options instead of tilting at the windmill of no private insurance at all.

  8. 8.

    Chyron HR

    January 21, 2021 at 8:22 am

    @Baud:

    Great leaders like Bernie and Mao don’t let themselves be hamstrung by what the common man thinks.

  9. 9.

    zhena gogolia

    January 21, 2021 at 8:22 am

    Good people are working in the government. Good.

  10. 10.

    VOR

    January 21, 2021 at 9:09 am

    @satby: The promise was Brexit would mean more money for the NHS. There was a big red bus with that slogan “‘We send the EU £350 million a week. Let’s fund our NHS instead’ written on its side, which Nigel Farage happily posed in front of. Boris Johnson also made the claim.

  11. 11.

    Barbara

    January 21, 2021 at 9:15 am

    I hope the ghost of Seema Verma’s signature policy dies a quick, permanent death, with no funeral. Work requirements for Medicaid is her reason for being, and it has always been an odious policy.

    ETA: So long as there is a Medicaid program, Congress should consider amending the Medicaid statute to prohibit work or equivalent requirements as a basis for eligibility.

  12. 12.

    Cheryl Rofer

    January 21, 2021 at 9:16 am

    [Insert name] is both wicked smart and going into the Administration

    Works for many people, across all the agencies.

  13. 13.

    sheila in nc

    January 21, 2021 at 9:18 am

    @Barbara: It is also ass-backward. How many people are kept from seeking work by ill health? How many of those people could be productive if they were more healthy?

  14. 14.

    R-Jud

    January 21, 2021 at 9:28 am

    @satby:  Unhappiness with the fact that it has been criminally underfunded since Thatcher, maybe.

  15. 15.

    Barbara

    January 21, 2021 at 9:28 am

    @sheila in nc: Don’t get me started. It has always been a way of reducing the number of receiving Medicaid by throwing up a constant and recurring hurdle to getting coverage.  Anyone who claims to espouse some other policy objective is just lying.

  16. 16.

    David Anderson

    January 21, 2021 at 9:29 am

    @Matt: Please tell me how to get to 218-51-1-5 on this policy fantasy.

  17. 17.

    Anonymous At Work

    January 21, 2021 at 9:32 am

    Dr. Ben Sommers is both wicked smart and going into the Administration to work on the Department of Health and Human Services internal research and data team.

    You mean, “he’s very smart, impressive to Bostonians, and going into the Administration…”, right?

  18. 18.

    Mai Naem mobile

    January 21, 2021 at 9:49 am

    So, David, when you’re  some bigly HHS mucky muck in the second term of the Harris presidency  we can all say we got to know him when he wrote at BJ.

  19. 19.

    David Anderson

    January 21, 2021 at 9:49 am

    @Anonymous At Work: precisely, he is fahking smaht

  20. 20.

    David Anderson

    January 21, 2021 at 9:50 am

    @Mai Naem mobile: Please google the phrase “Skull fuck a kitten”

    That may disqualify me from positions requiring Senate confirmation.

    And there are many things I’m good at; managing large complex organizations and big teams is not one of them. My highest and best use is as an advisor or a special projects person.

  21. 21.

    Jerry

    January 21, 2021 at 9:56 am

    Easily solved: just change your name to Richard Mayhew

  22. 22.

    MisterForkbeard

    January 21, 2021 at 10:11 am

    @Jerry: What ever happened to that Mayhew guy? :)

  23. 23.

    Freemark

    January 21, 2021 at 10:45 am

    They are also getting my Health Secretary from Pa. Dr. Rachel Levine which is all kinds of awesome. But I will miss having her in charge here in Pa.

  24. 24.

    David Anderson

    January 21, 2021 at 10:45 am

    @MisterForkbeard:  Last I heard redheads and whiskey are what happened to him….

Comments are closed.

Primary Sidebar

Do Something!

Call Your Senators & Representatives
Directory of US Senators
Directory of US Representatives

I Got the Shot!  (Month 2)
I Got the Shot!

 

🎈Ways to Support Our Site

Become a Balloon Juice Patreon
Donate with Venmo, Zelle or PayPal
Shop Amazon via this link to support Balloon Juice ⬇  

Recent Comments

  • Baud on Squishable Early Morning Open Thread (Mar 3, 2021 @ 7:21am)
  • raven on Squishable Early Morning Open Thread (Mar 3, 2021 @ 7:21am)
  • Baud on Squishable Early Morning Open Thread (Mar 3, 2021 @ 7:20am)
  • germy on Squishable Early Morning Open Thread (Mar 3, 2021 @ 7:20am)
  • debbie on Squishable Early Morning Open Thread (Mar 3, 2021 @ 7:18am)

Team Claire, and Family

Claire Updates
Claire is Home!

Balloon Juice Posts

View by Topic
View by Author
View by Month & Year

Featuring

John Cole
Silverman on Security
COVID-19 Coronavirus
Medium Cool with BGinCHI
Furry Friends

Calling All Jackals

Site Feedback
Submit Photos to On the Road
Nominate a Rotating Tag
Meetups: Proof of Life
2021 Pets of Balloon Juice Calendar

Culture: Books, Film, TV, Music, Games, Podcasts

Noir: Favorites in Film, Books, TV
Book Recommendations & Indy Recs
Mystery Recommendations
Netflix Favorites
Amazon Prime Favorites
Netflix Suggestions in July
Longmire & Netflix Suggestions

Twitter

John Cole’s Twitter

[custom-twitter-feeds]

Site Footer

Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

  • Facebook
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • Comment Policy
  • Our Authors
  • Blogroll
  • Our Artists
  • Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2021 Dev Balloon Juice · All Rights Reserved · Powered by BizBudding Inc

Share this ArticleLike this article? Email it to a friend!

Email sent!