Health Care

20 Million More Americans Have Health Insurance, Compared to 2010

By The Fiscal Times Staff

When President Barack Obama signed the Affordable Care Act in 2010, about 48.6 million people lacked health insurance in the U.S. In the first half of 2018, 28.5 million lacked insurance – a decrease...
The Growth of Medicare Advantage

By Michael Rainey

Enrollment in Medicare Advantage plans – which provide more comprehensive coverage than Medicare parts A and B and are managed by private insurers – has more than tripled since 2005, according to a...
States Spent $2 Trillion in 2018. Here’s Where It Went.

By Yuval Rosenberg

The 50 states spent more than $2 trillion for the first time in fiscal 2018, according to a report released Thursday by the National Association of State Budget Officers. At the same time, as the...
America’s Couch Potato Problem Costs $117 Billion a Year

By Yuval Rosenberg

The Department of Health and Human Services on Monday issued new guidelines for Americans’ physical activity for the first time in 10 years. The updated recommendations call for people to people to...
What’s Behind Soaring Drug Prices in the US?

By Michael Rainey

Forty years ago, spending on pharmaceuticals was about the same in the U.S. as in other wealthy countries. That began to change in the 1990s. By 2015, Americans were spending about $1,000 per person...

Democrats Won on Health Care. What Do They Do Now?

By Yuval Rosenberg

Democrats rode a health care message to their Election Day takeover of the House. Now that the election is (mostly) over, how will they follow through on that campaign focus? The party is still...
Chart of the Day: How Taxes and Transfers Affect US Incomes

By Michael Rainey

A new analysis of the distribution of household income by the Congressional Budget Office shows how taxes and means-tested transfers such as Medicaid and food stamps affect US incomes. “The combined...
The $65 Billion Superbug Threat to the US

By Yuval Rosenberg

Antibiotic-resistant superbugs are a deadly and expensive health threat — one that could largely be addressed for just a couple of dollars per person a year, according to an OECD report released this...
What the Exit Polls Revealed on Taxes and Health Care

By The Fiscal Times Staff

Here's what exit polls told us about some key issues: 45 percent: NBC News’ exit poll found that 45 percent of voters said the Republican tax cuts had no impact on their personal finances, compared...
Fiscal Mayhem Ahead in 2019 — and 5 Other Takes on the Election Results

By The Fiscal Times Staff

Prepare for budget mayhem: “The budget bottom line is simple: Senate Republicans will have a very different fiscal agenda than House Democrats, and both houses’ tax and spending to-do lists will be...

Drug Industry Prepares for 2019 ‘Doomsday Scenario’

By Yuval Rosenberg

Nancy Pelosi recently gave the pharmaceutical industry a taste of what might lie ahead if Democrats win control of the House in 2019. When Pelosi with the board of directors of PhRMA, the drug...
GOP’s Latest Campaign Punch on Health Care Relies on Classic Hook: Medicare

By Julie Rovner, Kaiser Health News

Once again, Medicare is front and center in this fall’s campaigns. Democrats throughout the election season have been hammering Republicans over votes and lawsuits that would eliminate insurance...
Transfer Payments Hit $3 Trillion Annual Pace

By The Fiscal Times Staff

Total government transfers reached $3 trillion on an annualized basis for the first time in September, according to data released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis Monday. Transfer payments include...
Paid Family Leave: The Leading Democratic and Republican Proposals, Explained

By Emily Zeppieri, The Fiscal Times

Since 1993, the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) has provided workers with the right to unpaid time off and guaranteed job security following qualified medical and family events, including...
Americans Are Spending More on Health Care Out of Their Own Pockets

By The Fiscal Times Staff

Americans are spending more and more on out-of-pocket health-care costs. A report released this week by the JPMorgan Chase Institute finds that annual growth in out-of-pocket spending has accelerated...