“The American people rejected strict managed care in the late '90s. Government regulation, like the kind in other industrialized countries, is opposed by powerful industry forces and is not in the cards politically. So we're stuck with a bunch of halfway measures.”
“It is low-wage workers who are being hurt the most by the steady drip, drip, drip of coverage draining out of the employer-based health insurance system,”
“There is some good news, I suppose. The rate of growth is slightly lower than last year. The bad news is that's the only good news, because premiums are still going up three times faster than wages.”
“More than nine years into our longest economic expansion on record, more employers are now using health insurance coverage to attract and keep workers, and are absorbing rising costs rather than passing them on to their employees. But this may change if the economy cools down, and the bigger challenge that still remains is how to help the 44 million Americans who are uninsured despite the robust economy.”
“The good news for the ratings system is that many parents are using the ratings and find them helpful. But they do not always understand the system, and there are changes they'd like to see made.”
“Seniors still are having a hard time. Seniors still aren't really prepared, and they're going to need a lot of help to make the choices they need to make under the law.”
“Don't be fooled by the moderation we've seen this year. History has told us that when it comes to controlling health care costs, we've achieved some temporary successes, but the rate of increase always bounces back.”
