Monthly Archives: August 2005

Since Congress created Medicaid 40 years ago in 1965, clients have had the ability to sue in federal courts to enforce their rights to eligibility and benefits. This has been an essential way for poor clients to compel recalcitrant states … Continue reading →

For some time, we’ve talked about how Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) are scams. Sometimes we call them “faith based health insurance” (you’re supposed to pray you don’t get sick), or “Houdini health insurance” (keep your eye on the hand offering … Continue reading →

HCFA’s crack webmaster, John Lin, pointed me to this frightening story from last week’s Guardian. Briefly, an area in western Siberia with size of France and Germany combined, covered with permafrost since the Ice Age (about 11,000 years ago) is … Continue reading →

More than one-third of the U.S. Latino population in 2004 lacked health insurance, and one-fourth received coverage only through public health insurance programs, according to a new study by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Latinos make up 15% … Continue reading →

A new issue brief from the Commonwealth Fund includes valuable new insights into the extent to which medical debt is becoming a pervasive national problem. CF reports that “77 million Americans age 19 and older—nearly two of five (37%) adults—have … Continue reading →

Special elections can be handy. Because candidates need to appeal directly to voters, their opinions present a window on current public attitudes. The special Second Middlesex State Senate race (primary August 30th) is such a window. Two leading candidates, former … Continue reading →

Yesterday, about 40 people gathered at HCFA to discuss the new regulations proposed for the Uncompensated Care Pool (for a basic summary, scroll down to the August 2 entry; for more info, check out our pool page here). For a … Continue reading →

Today’s Wall Street Journal contains a rosy-toned article on how the rate of growth in health insurance costs are moderating. Here are some tidbits from “Insurers Expect Slowing Growth in Medical Costs”: “Major health insurers continue to see stable or … Continue reading →

Today’s Herald has a column by Wayne Woodlief debunking the assertion in last Saturday’s Boston Globe that Democrats in the Legislature will kill health reform to avoid giving Gov. Romney a political win he can use in his upcoming presidential … Continue reading →

Sixteen initiative petitions — some for laws and some for constitutional amendments — were filed by yesterday’s 5pm deadline. You can see the fill list and view the actual language of each submission by clicking here for the Attorney General’s … Continue reading →