Most people do not understand the role of the Individual Mandate in the reform of our healthcare system–the pros, cons, and legality of the mandate. We hope to put this issue to rest (though it may have to wait until the Supreme Court makes a final ruling).

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This posting is about the role of the Individual Mandate within a health exchange. What exactly does it accomplish and is it essential to the proper functioning of a health exchange? If it is not essential, then is it desirable from an economic and/or public policy perspective? Your comments and suggestions are welcome.

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Though the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) was signed into law by President Obama in March 2010, the debate over its implementation and the future of health reform in the United States rages on. PPACA may yet be revised, repealed, defunded, or declared unconstitutional. Here are some of the more salient issues, with information that will allow you to make your own informed judgments…

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Gov. Romney had an opportunity to boost his position as the front-runner for the Republican nomination for President, but his explanation about Massachusetts health reform came up short. Here’s the truth about RomneyCare and what he should have said.

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Change is coming to our healthcare system, and if you haven’t yet heard of health insurance exchanges, you soon will. As a consumer of healthcare services (and sometime patient), it is a concept that you should learn more about.

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I wanted to share with you an article that was published in the Philadelphia Business Journal on Jan. 7 called “Obamacare Needs Fixing”.  This is the short version that was prepare to fit into the available space of an Op-Ed column in the PBJ. It is true that the devil is in the details.  So, [...]

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In March 2010, the President signed into law the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, followed by the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010. Together, these two pieces of legislation constitute what is commonly referred to as “Obamacare,” representing the most significant restructuring of our healthcare system in decades. Everyone agrees that the healthcare system in the United States needed (and still needs) fixing—it costs too much, quality is inconsistent, and outcomes oftentimes vary inappropriately and based on an individual’s economic status. So does Obamacare fix what is broken? To a certain degree it does, but from the political left to the political right, most Americans (including the President) are saying that Obamacare itself needs to be fixed.

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We actually saw bi-partisan action to fix our healthcare system this week. But, it was NOT on Thursday, February 25, when President Obama convened Democrats and Republicans to discuss health reform. Real bi-partisan action took place the day before, on February 24.

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In January 2010, while speaking to GOP Congressman at a planning retreat, President Obama asked for ideas on how to improve health care without spending lots of money. Here’s one suggestion—we should fix Medicare Advantage NOW!!

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As we go to press, House and Senate conferees are working (behind closed doors) to create a final health reform bill. Regardless of the result, I believe we will be dealing with this issue for years to come. If a bill passes, there are massive regulations still to be written, and the next Congress will undoubtedly seek to recast the legislation. On the other hand, if a merged bill fails to pass both houses of Congress, the country still needs to pass a reduced version of health reform in which the parties can agree.

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The House of Representatives Has Spoken; Can We Do Better in the Senate?

If we are to effectively reform healthcare in the United States and keep the system private, there is one critical concept that needs to be accepted and respected—that is, we must properly apply the general principles of insurance to healthcare. Insurance is meant to provide individuals with financial protection against large, unexpected losses. When used in that way, insurance works, such as in the markets for automobile and fire insurance. When insurance is used to pay for smaller, routine, day-to-day expenses, insurance doesn’t work—it is an inefficient and wasteful financing mechanism. If we want to fix healthcare in this country, preserve choice, and keep the system private, there is a way and it doesn’t have to bust the federal budget.

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If you have a position on healthcare reform that you’re comfortable with, you can keep it. If not, we’ll give you information on the choice of a “public option” — a position on health reform that you can communicate to your members of Congress — if you choose to do so. Here are a set of resources to help you understand and participate in the debate.

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As Americans, we are facing one of the greatest challenges of our lifetime — how to fix our broken healthcare system. There is widespread agreement on the following set of goals: address the cost of health insurance, improve access to care, and reduce wasteful spending. We face a choice of protecting our children’s future with constructive health reform or behaving like them and achieving nothing. President Nixon tried National Health Insurance reform in the early 1970s and failed. Twenty years passed until the Clintons tried again in the early 1990s — and failed. After 15 more years of the status quo, we can ill afford to fail again.

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Sure, the American healthcare system needs to be fixed, but there’s a risk that curing the system will harm the patient. Will reform bankrupt our country or saddle future generations with enormous debt? Will we curtail or end access to services and healthcare providers of our choosing?

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Washington lawmakers are hard at work on a variety of healthcare reform options. And, we’ve seen our share of commentary both for and against the reforms. That’s why we’ve compiled a group of links covering different sides of the issue — from the impact of reform on small businesses and the uninsured, to how to understand and gauge the potential reform program costs.

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