I'm a research associate at Duke University Margolis Center. I used to be Richard Mayhew, a mid-level bureaucrat at UPMC Health Plan. I started writing here and have not found a reason to stop.
Medicaid Expansion took another step forward in Kansas. BREAKING: Kansas House gives first-round approval to Medicaid expansion in a 70-54 vote (story will be updated)https://t.co/vPpvWpD84H #ksleg — Jonathan Shorman (@jonshorman) March 20, 2019 We know from 2017 that the Kansas House and Senate had a working majority to pass Medicaid Expansion. Then Governor Brownback (R) […]
Monopolies are usually a bad thing. They lead to higher prices. They lead to poor service. They lead to rent extraction to pay for hookers snorting the finest blow. All of that is true. But given price linked subsidies for the 100% to 400% Federal Poverty Level, monopoly insurers have the ability to choose the […]
I contend that monopolistic insurers in the ACA market are able to shape their risk pool. They have multiple means to implement a strategy. They can use networks. They can use benefit design. They can use formularies. Starfish made a good comment: In Mississippi, you cannot play a lot of the games that can be […]
In 2019, 1,058 counties had only a single insurer on Healthcare.gov. 1,056 of those counties had the insurer offer at least one Silver and one non-Silver plan. I am curious about what we can figure out about the monopoly insurer strategies. I’ve contended for years that a monopolistic insurer can effectively choose their enrollee pool […]
From yesterday: Azar and Wyden getting snippy at the @SenFinance hearing: Wyden asks why insurance coverage has gone down by 7 million, Azar responds that "I thought the ACA was taking care of it." Wyden shot back that its "kind of hard with all the sabotage." — Robert King (@rking_19) March 14, 2019 I am […]