December 8, 201612:02 AM ET
Heard on Morning Edition
One of the fundamental ways scientists measure the well-being of a nation is tracking the rate at which its citizens die and how long they can be expected to live.
So the news out of the federal government Thursday is disturbing: The overall U.S. death rate has increased for the first time in a decade, according to an analysis of the latest data. And that led to a drop in overall life expectancy for the first time since 1993, particularly among people younger than 65.
“This is a big deal,” says Philip Morgan, a demographer at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill who was not involved in the new analysis.
“There’s not a better indicator of well-being than life expectancy,” he says. “The fact that it’s leveling off in the U.S. is a striking finding.”
Now, there’s a chance that the latest data, from 2015, could be just a one-time blip. In fact, a preliminary analysis from the first two quarters of 2016 suggests that may be the case, says Robert Anderson, chief of the mortality statistics branch at the National Center for Health Statistics, which released the new report.
Lindy Washburn , Staff Writer, @LindyWa5:59 p.m. EST December 5, 2016
About 224,000 New Jersey consumers can get tax credits for plans through the Affordable Care Act in 2017.
The federal government drew attention Monday to the millions of Americans, including nearly 224,000 in New Jersey, who are eligible for subsidies to buy health coverage but apparently don’t know it.
By Susan K. Livio | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
on December 05, 2016 at 5:35 PM
TRENTON — The seven-year effort to crack down on surprise out-of-network medical bills was delayed again Monday, the same day a group of doctors urged lawmakers to consider an alternative proposal they say won’t force them out of business.
Sen. Joseph Vitale (D-Middlesex), who sponsored the leading legislation that would cap the amount out-of-network doctors and hospitals are paid for emergency treatment, announced Monday he had pulled his bill from a the committee’s agenda for the day. Vitale said is working with the New Jersey Hospital Association to make changes to the bill (A1952) and wants that work to continue.
“I remain confident that efforts of working to build consensus will result in the strongest consumer protection out-of-network bill in the country,” Vitale said in a statement.
By Anjalee Khemlani, November 23, 2016 at 10:53 AM
Rutgers University’s Certified Health Care Manager program starts in February. – (NJBIZ FILE PHOTO)
Though the future of the Affordable Care Act is currently unknown following the presidential election, Rutgers University is staying the course in the rollout of a Certified Health Care Manager program — which the university is touting as the first of its kind in the country.
The 30-module course, which will only span three semesters for those interested, is geared to train health care managers to understand the ACA, as well as other changing trends in health care administration.
We still haven’t seen the economic recovery that we were promised after the financial crisis of 2008 left so many people with no job, no savings, and no hope for the future.
Immediately following the crisis, big government sprung into action and made things worse. It spent more money, created more onerous rules and regulation, and did nothing to fix the broken tax code.
Bailouts and stimulus spending added trillions of dollars to the national debt, Dodd-Frank and ObamaCare created more costly regulations on the American people, and Washington special interests continue to seek out carve-outs and favors in the tax code. The cumulative result of these actions is the slowest and weakest economic recovery we’ve seen in decades.
People are taking jobs that pay far less than they used to make, Millennials live with their parents because they can’t start their careers, and families are worried about their financial future. We cannot continue down this path.
A strong economy can only be built on a strong foundation that grows from the bottom-up. Main Street—not Washington or Wall Street—needs to be empowered to drive this economy. Here’s how I’m working to help:
Cut wasteful spending – With our national debt quickly approaching $20 trillion, it’s clear that Washington has a spending problem. My amendment to the budget that called on the House to find an additional $30 billion in spending cuts was the only one that passed this year.
Limit the rules and regulations coming from Washington – This year alone, over 80,000 pages of new regulations were added to the federal registry, costing each family thousands of dollars in compliance costs. I support the REINS Act that would force a vote in Congress on any regulation that would cost more than $100 million. Additionally, the Financial Services Committee where I serve has introduced the Financial CHOICE Act to make it easier for people to reach their financial goals.
Fix the tax code and special interest carve-outs – The tax code is broken and needs to be fixed. Special interests continue to seek carve outs through their connections in Washington while average Americans suffer the consequences. I support a plan that would simplify the tax code, close loopholes, and keep more money in the pockets of New Jersey families.
Economic recovery doesn’t start in Washington—it starts right here in New Jersey. Given the choice, I’ll choose the hardworking people of this state over any of the bureaucrats in Washington, and I’ll continue to fight to put the people here back in control of their financial future.
Ridgewood NJ, Josh Gottheimer and the rest of the Hillary Clinton Democrats on Column Two continue to support this disastrous Obamacare plan that has sent both premiums and deductibles skyrocketing.
Meanwhile, businesses in New Jersey face continued uncertainty about the future and have responded by reducing full-time workers to 29 hours to avoid the ACA mandate.
The only way to end ObamaCare is with your solid support for Donald Trump and Mike Pence for President and Vice President, and by keeping Scott Garrett in Congress. Who are all strongly in favor of repealing Obamacare .
Some users of Obamacare are finding the medical care they need to be too expensive to use due to high deductibles and high out-of-pocket costs.
Michelle Harris is one of those people. Harris, a 61-year-old retired waitress in northwest Montana, has arthritis in both shoulders but is doing everything she can to avoid seeing a doctor due to the $4,500 deductible and $338 a month in premiums under her Blue Cross Blue Shield plan.
“It hurts, but we don’t have that kind of money,” Harris said to Bloomberg Politics. “So I deal with it.”
Some insurance plans under Obamacare are designed not to kick in until patients have spent thousands of dollars in out-of-pocket costs, which put many healthcare services out of reach for patients.
Even though the uninsured rate in America is at a record low, a study from the Commonwealth Fund found that four out of 10 adults in Obamacare plans aren’t confident that they can pay their medical bills if they got sick, Bloomberg Politics reported.
“Lack of transparency is a huge political advantage. And basically, call it the stupidity of the American voter or whatever,” Jonathan Gruber, a professor at MIT and an architect of Obamacare
Rep.Scott Garrett :Time find solutions that will increase actually make health care more affordable and accessible for everyone.
“While we were promised affordable prices and increased competition with ObamaCare, we’ve only seen premium prices spike and insurance companies exit the unworkable exchanges. You’ve probably heard a number of news reports this week about the increased healthcare costs many people are facing as a result of this disastrous law. Unfortunately, New Jersey is no exception.
If you are one of the thousands of residents here in the Garden State expected to participate in ObamaCare open enrollment that starts this week, chances are you’ve been hit by massive sticker shock. You’ve probably also noticed that you’ve had less choice than you had in the past as only two insurance companies remain in New Jersey’s exchanges. It’s obvious that ObamaCare isn’t working for New Jersey’s families.
Supporters of ObamaCare told us that it would save the average family $2,500 a year on premiums. Instead, we are finding out that premiums will increase by an average of 25 percent. We were also told, “if you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor.” Instead, at least 76,000 New Jerseyans are now forced to switch insurance providers. And these families are quickly finding out that switching insurance providers is difficult. New plans may mean leaving the family doctor you’ve seen for years and interrupting ongoing medical treatment.
The Affordable Care Act is not affordable and it is forcing American families to make unwanted compromises about their healthcare.
New Jerseyans shouldn’t have to pay the price for ObamaCare’s broken promises. That is why I will continue to fight to repeal ObamaCare and work in a bipartisan manner to find solutions that will increase actually make health care more affordable and accessible for everyone.”
Since March of 2010, the American people have had to suffer under the incredible economic burden of the Affordable Care Act—Obamacare. This legislation, passed by totally partisan votes in the House and Senate and signed into law by the most divisive and partisan President in American history, has tragically but predictably resulted in runaway costs, websites that don’t work, greater rationing of care, higher premiums, less competition and fewer choices. Obamacare has raised the economic uncertainty of every single person residing in this country. As it appears Obamacare is certain to collapse of its own weight, the damage done by the Democrats and President Obama, and abetted by the Supreme Court, will be difficult to repair unless the next President and a Republican congress lead the effort to bring much-needed free market reforms to the healthcare industry.
But none of these positive reforms can be accomplished without Obamacare repeal. On day one of the Trump Administration, we will ask Congress to immediately deliver a full repeal of Obamacare.
However, it is not enough to simply repeal this terrible legislation. We will work with Congress to make sure we have a series of reforms ready for implementation that follow free market principles and that will restore economic freedom and certainty to everyone in this country. By following free market principles and working together to create sound public policy that will broaden healthcare access, make healthcare more affordable and improve the quality of the care available to all Americans.
Any reform effort must begin with Congress. Since Obamacare became law, conservative Republicans have been offering reforms that can be delivered individually or as part of more comprehensive reform efforts. In the remaining sections of this policy paper, several reforms will be offered that should be considered by Congress so that on the first day of the Trump Administration, we can start the process of restoring faith in government and economic liberty to the people.
Congress must act. Our elected representatives in the House and Senate must:
Completely repeal Obamacare. Our elected representatives must eliminate the individual mandate. No person should be required to buy insurance unless he or she wants to.
Modify existing law that inhibits the sale of health insurance across state lines. As long as the plan purchased complies with state requirements, any vendor ought to be able to offer insurance in any state. By allowing full competition in this market, insurance costs will go down and consumer satisfaction will go up.
Allow individuals to fully deduct health insurance premium payments from their tax returns under the current tax system. Businesses are allowed to take these deductions so why wouldn’t Congress allow individuals the same exemptions? As we allow the free market to provide insurance coverage opportunities to companies and individuals, we must also make sure that no one slips through the cracks simply because they cannot afford insurance. We must review basic options for Medicaid and work with states to ensure that those who want healthcare coverage can have it.
Allow individuals to use Health Savings Accounts (HSAs). Contributions into HSAs should be tax-free and should be allowed to accumulate. These accounts would become part of the estate of the individual and could be passed on to heirs without fear of any death penalty. These plans should be particularly attractive to young people who are healthy and can afford high-deductible insurance plans. These funds can be used by any member of a family without penalty. The flexibility and security provided by HSAs will be of great benefit to all who participate.
Require price transparency from all healthcare providers, especially doctors and healthcare organizations like clinics and hospitals. Individuals should be able to shop to find the best prices for procedures, exams or any other medical-related procedure.
Block-grant Medicaid to the states. Nearly every state already offers benefits beyond what is required in the current Medicaid structure. The state governments know their people best and can manage the administration of Medicaid far better without federal overhead. States will have the incentives to seek out and eliminate fraud, waste and abuse to preserve our precious resources.
Remove barriers to entry into free markets for drug providers that offer safe, reliable and cheaper products. Congress will need the courage to step away from the special interests and do what is right for America. Though the pharmaceutical industry is in the private sector, drug companies provide a public service. Allowing consumers access to imported, safe and dependable drugs from overseas will bring more options to consumers.
The reforms outlined above will lower healthcare costs for all Americans. They are simply a place to start. There are other reforms that might be considered if they serve to lower costs, remove uncertainty and provide financial security for all Americans. And we must also take actions in other policy areas to lower healthcare costs and burdens. Enforcing immigration laws, eliminating fraud and waste and energizing our economy will relieve the economic pressures felt by every American. It is the moral responsibility of a nation’s government to do what is best for the people and what is in the interest of securing the future of the nation.
Providing healthcare to illegal immigrants costs us some $11 billion annually. If we were to simply enforce the current immigration laws and restrict the unbridled granting of visas to this country, we could relieve healthcare cost pressures on state and local governments.
To reduce the number of individuals needing access to programs like Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program we will need to install programs that grow the economy and bring capital and jobs back to America. The best social program has always been a job – and taking care of our economy will go a long way towards reducing our dependence on public health programs.
Finally, we need to reform our mental health programs and institutions in this country. Families, without the ability to get the information needed to help those who are ailing, are too often not given the tools to help their loved ones. There are promising reforms being developed in Congress that should receive bi-partisan support.
To reform healthcare in America, we need a President who has the leadership skills, will and courage to engage the American people and convince Congress to do what is best for the country. These straightforward reforms, along with many others I have proposed throughout my campaign, will ensure that together we will Make America Great Again.
TRENTON — New Jersey residents will only be able to choose between two companies this year in the federal health insurance marketplace created by the Affordable Care Act.
Open enrollment for 2017 begins on Tuesday and lasts through January. New Jersey residents can choose between plans from Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey or AmeriHealth New Jersey.
He’s back ….Obama’s lying Obamacare “stupid Americans” creep/expert, Jonathan Gruber raises his ugly head once again so he can add insult to injury because he says that 2500 dollars a year mandate penalty is not enough for people who are struggling, that cannot afford Obamacare, do not have health coverage and literally have nothing left to pay the government for doing NOTHING! Joe Killian
POSTED AT 5:31 PM ON OCTOBER 26, 2016 BY JOHN SEXTON
Jonathan Gruber is making the rounds on television again to tell us Obamacare is “working as designed.” Today he appeared on CNN to argue that, despite the 25% rate hikes for states using the national exchange, there wasn’t a problem with the law.
“Is Obamacare imploding?” CNN’s host asked Gruber. “No, Obamacare’s not imploding,” Gruber replied. Asked about the coming premium hikes for 2017 Gruber said, “First of all, the 22% increase, let’s remember who that applies to. That applies to a very small fraction of people who have to buy insurance without the subsidies that are available.” He continued, “Eight-five percent of people who are buying insurance on the exchanges get subsidies and for those people this premium increase doesn’t affect them.”
Here again is the Obamacare proponent’s favorite statistic. Normally, I would give someone the benefit of the doubt on something like this but not Gruber. He demonstrated a long time ago that he’s not an honest broker. “Call it the stupidity of the American voter or whatever but basically that was really critical to getting the thing to pass,” Gruber once said when defending the tortured way in which the law was written. Gruber applauds deception in the selling of Obamacare:
New Jersey workers paid an average of $4,900 for family health coverage last year, up from about $3,000 in 2006, a new report from the Commonwealth Fund said on Tuesday.
That increase came even though the growth of health premiums slowed in the years after the Affordable Care Act — Obamacare — was enacted in 2010.
Ridgewood NJ, Today, Independent Women’s Voice announced that Rep. Scott Garrett (R-NJ) has signed the ObamaCare Repeal Pledge. Garrett currently represents New Jersey’s 5th Congressional district.
As it turns out, pretty much nothing that Obama and his healthcare “experts” predicted about Obamacare actually came true. With 2017 rates now finalized across the country, in fact, Obamacare premiums are expected to increase an average of 25% nationally according to data from the Kaiser Foundation. Meanwhile, the 10 hardest hit states will see premiums increase an average of 62% while Arizona is officially the biggest loser with rates in Phoenix soaring 145%
Reg. Scott Garrett’s signature on the Pledge is a clear demonstration of his commitment to the full and complete repeal of ObamaCare and to end the harm that it is inflicting upon American families,” said Heather R. Higgins, President and CEO of Independent Women’s Voice.
“Scott understands that ObamaCare is hiking insurance premiums, diminishing quality of care, and reducing our choice and control in health care decisions,” added Higgins. “He understands that ObamaCare means bigger government and less freedom. For these reasons, and many more, it must be repealed.”
“ObamaCare has unequivocally failed,” said Rep. Scott Garrett. “Many Americans have lost their health insurance, and premiums and deductible costs have increased for families. I believe healthcare choices need to be in the hands of patients and doctors. I want to encourage innovation and competition while giving people more freedom and flexibility to make their own healthcare decisions. I want to take concrete steps to replace ObamaCare to achieve these better results for all Americans.”
“The Repeal Pledge was designed as a litmus test to help the American public understand which candidates and office holders are serious about repeal, versus those who claim to be but won’t actually take action,” continued Higgins. “With this commitment, Cong. Scott Garrett passes that test.”
The Repeal Pledge is a project of Independent Women’s Voice, a 501(c)(4) nonpartisan, nonprofit organization.
For more information on The Repeal Pledge, including a complete list of signers, please visit www.TheRepealPledge.com.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Premiums will go up sharply next year under President Barack Obama’s health care law, and many consumers will be down to just one insurer, the administration confirmed Monday. That’s sure to stoke another “Obamacare” controversy days before a presidential election.
Before taxpayer-provided subsidies, premiums for a midlevel benchmark plan will increase an average of 25 percent across the 39 states served by the federally run online market, according to a report from the Department of Health and Human Services. Some states will see much bigger jumps, others less.
Moreover, about 1 in 5 consumers will only have plans from a single insurer to pick from, after major national carriers such as UnitedHealth Group, Humana and Aetna scaled back their roles.
“Consumers will be faced this year with not only big premium increases but also with a declining number of insurers participating, and that will lead to a tumultuous open enrollment period,” said Larry Levitt, who tracks the health care law for the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation.
Republicans pounced on the numbers as a warning that insurance markets created by the 2010 health overhaul are teetering toward a “death spiral.” Sign-up season starts Nov. 1, about a week before national elections in which the GOP remains committed to a full repeal.
“It’s over for Obamacare,” Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said at a campaign rally Monday evening in Tampa, Florida.
Casino magnate Steve Wynn expresses his disappointment at the lack of discussion of the economy during the course of the presidential election in an interview on Thursday’s Hannity. Wynn also weighed in on the debate describing it long on negativity and short on substance.
Wynn said the printing of money by the U.S. Treasury under the guidance from the U.S. Federal Reserve and the national debt have not been properly addressed albeit a short segment at the final debate.
“We take in $3.1 trillion and we spend $3.7 trillion,” Wynn said Thursday to guest host Eric Bolling. “And that $600 billion deficit is at the rate of $50 billion a month. Our government is printing money and it’s degrading the living standard of every person in America. It’s the cause of frustration, anger and confusion. I was disappointed we didn’t get in a real substantive conversation about that last night.”
Wynn also addressed health care and said the more than 10,000 people he employees “paid more money but did not get more coverage” under Obamacare.
