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The New Bipartisan Consensus for an Individual Mandate
Although those opposing the Affordable Care Act have decried the burdensome nature of the individual mandate, a recent proposal developed by Republicans seeks to address the same problem as the ACA's mandate and would impose strong penalties on the uninsured.
The individual responsibility requirement, most often referred to as the individual mandate, included in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has perhaps been the most controversial feature of the law since its passage. It requires most Americans to maintain minimum essential coverage (as defined in the ACA) or pay a tax penalty.
The ACA includes the individual mandate to avoid the consequences of individuals waiting until they are sick or injured to obtain coverage, because the act also prohibits insurers from discriminating against those with health problems. If people did not enroll in coverage until they knew they would need care, premiums would increase tremendously and health insurance markets could become unstable.
Although those opposing the ACA have decried the burdensome nature of such a mandate, a recent proposal (the Patient Choice, Affordability, Responsibility, and Empowerment Act, or PCARE) developed by Republican Senators Orrin Hatch and Richard Burr and Representative Fred Upton seeks to address the same problem as the ACA’s mandate and would impose strong penalties on the uninsured.
Read the research brief from the Urban Institute: http://urbn.is/1xFjaze
What We’re Reading: Abortion Privacy Rules; Alzheimer Drug Hurdles; Nursing Home Staffing Overhaul
April 23rd 2024New health privacy rules aim to protect patients and providers in an evolving abortion landscape; some physicians express concerns about efficacy, risks, and entrenched beliefs in treating Alzheimer disease; CMS addresses longstanding staffing deficits in nursing homes.
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Navigating Health Literacy, Social Determinants, and Discrimination in National Health Plans
February 13th 2024On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we're talking with the authors of a study published in the February 2024 issue of The American Journal of Managed Care® about their findings on how health plans can screen for health literacy, social determinants of health, and perceived health care discrimination.
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Drs Raymond Thertulien, Joseph Mikhael on Racial Disparities in Multiple Myeloma Care Access
December 28th 2023In the wake of the 2023 American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting and Exposition, Raymond Thertulien, MD, PhD, of Novant Health, and Joseph Mikhael, MD, MEd, FRCPC, FACP, chief medical officer of the International Myeloma Foundation, discussed health equity research highlights from the meeting and drivers of racial disparities in multiple myeloma outcomes.
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