Sebelius: ‘Help us speed up’ health care rollout

[WestVirginiaRebel]

Washington Times:

President Obama’s health care law is “here to stay,” but cannot fulfill its promise if states do not expand Medicaid and the uninsured do not take advantage of the benefits designed to put coverage within reach of millions more Americans, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said Monday.

Addressing the National Health Policy Conference in downtown Washington, Mrs. Sebelius said the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 remains the “law of the land” after the Supreme Court upheld its key provisions in June and Mr. Obama won re-election in November, but several moving parts must sync up before the reforms can be fully effective.

“So my challenge to all of you today, and actually my plea to all of you … is help us speed up the rate of change,” she said.

The administration got a piece of welcome news Monday when Ohio Gov. John Kasich, a Republican who has criticized the president’s health reforms, announced he will accept federal money to finance a Medicaid expansion in his state so that 365,000 poor Ohioans will have coverage in 2014 — setting up a potential clash with the Republican state legislature.

State lawmakers in some Republican-led states have said they fear they cannot afford the expansion, even though the federal government will pick up 100 percent of the tab for three years before scaling down its contribution to 90 percent by 2020. But Mr. Kasich joins Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer and at least three other GOP governors in accepting the federal Medicaid funds offer from Washington.

Emphasizing the key tenets that led to the health care law’s passage, Mrs. Sebelius said affordable coverage for millions more Americans will result in a more efficient and cost-effective health care system.

“It’s good for all of us,” Mrs. Sebelius said. “We all benefit when our premiums are no longer inflated with tens of billions of dollars in added costs for uncompensated care.”

________

 

"You vill cooperate with us, da?"

[Valin]

@WestVirginiaRebel

 

CBO: 7 million Americans to lose employer insurance under Obamacare

Philip Klein

2/5/13

 

President Obama famously promised Americans that if they liked their health care plan they could keep it, but a new report from the Congressional Budget Office estimates that 7 million Americans will lose employer-based insurance as a result of his national health care law.

 

“In 2022, by CBO and JCT’s estimate, 7 million fewer people will have employment-based health insurance as a result of the Affordable Care Act,” the CBO announced in its new budget outlook released on Tuesday. This is up from an estimate of 4 million last August, mostly reflecting the effects of tax changes.

 

(Snip)

[Valin]

Five Health Care Takeaways from CBO’s Report

Alyene Senger

February 5, 2013

 

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released its Budget and Economic Outlook for 2013–2023 today. Here are five major takeaways:

1) Health care entitlement spending is bypassing all other spending

2) Obamacare still costs well over a trillion dollars

3) CBO anticipates a delay in Obamacare exchange operation.

4) More Americans lose employment-based insurance.

5) Medicare cost projections are unrealistic.