Brown, Sharfstein say exchange should keep moving forward in face of Supreme Court case

Originally Published on Gazette.Net

By Sarah Breitenbach, Staff Writer
Published on Friday, November 18, 2011
As the Supreme Court prepares to consider the constitutionality of President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul, officials in Maryland say they’ll keep pushing forward with plans to implement portions of the law.

HEALTH INSURANCE: Premiums in Maryland keep rising, study says

Originally Published on DelMarVaNow.com

By Emily Hooper, Capital News Service
Published on Thursday, November 17, 2011
Although Maryland has been a leader in implementing health care reform, family health insurance premiums in the state rose by 51 percent over the last seven years, more than the national average, according to a report released Thursday.

Is Cancer Screening Bad for You, and Obamacare?

Originally Published in the Herald-Mail

By Thomas A. Firey
Published on Wednesday, November 16, 2011
It’s been a tough autumn for the nation’s new health care law, known as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act inside the Beltway and “Obamacare” everywhere else.   

Annapolis Report 2011

By Gabriel J. Michael
Published on Wednesday, November 09, 2011
Unlike legislative report cards, The Annapolis Report is not dominated by a single issue, nor does it evaluate the performance of individual legislators. Rather, it considers the actions of Maryland’s General Assembly as a whole. The bulk of the report is made up of brief yet cogent analyses of selected legislation. Its goal is to act as an issue guide for Maryland’s citizens, taxpayers, and residents, by explaining policy and grouping related legislation together.  

ObamaCare Denying Insurance Subsidies to Workers’ Families

Originally Appeared on Heartlander.org

By Marc Kilmer
Published on Thursday, September 22, 2011
In the midst of the debate over the Affordable Care Act, then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi famously declared, “We have to pass the bill so you can find out what’s in it.” Now that the legislation is law, policymakers are discovering it did not provide clear guidance in some key sections.

State Health Care Reforms Speed Toward Uncertainty

Originally Published in the Rockville Patch

By Ashley M. Latta, Capital News Service
Published on Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Federal officials have praised Maryland for leading national efforts to implement health care reform, but critics caution against spending limited funds on a law in jeopardy of repeal.

Make health insurance affordable by choice, not mandate

Originally Published in the Baltimore Sun

By Marc Kilmer
Published on Friday, August 12, 2011
Do you need a mandate to force you to buy something you want or need? This question isn't asked by those who support a health insurance mandate, such as Dr. Edward Miller and Scott A. Berkowitz of Johns Hopkins ("Hopkins leaders support health insurance mandate," Aug. 9). The reason we have so many uninsured Marylanders is that health insurance is either too unaffordable or it doesn't offer a good value to those who can afford it. A mandate won't solve either of those problems.

The federal government's fiscal problems can't be fixed unless Medicaid is reformed

Originally Published in the Baltimore Sun

By Marc Kilmer
Published on Thursday, July 28, 2011
While Rep. Chris Van Hollen may wish that a deal to fix the federal government's fiscal problems could leave Medicaid untouched, the reality is that if the federal deficit is to be addressed, entitlement programs like Medicaid must be fundamentally reformed ("Debt crisis could hurt Maryland," July 17).

What Maryland Can Learn From Other States

By Marc Kilmer
Published on Tuesday, June 28, 2011
With Medicaid taking an ever-growing share of the Maryland state budget, the time is here for state policymakers to reform the program to ensure its affordability. If not, Medicaid will continue its unchecked growth, guaranteeing budget problems for years to come. Other states have enacted Medicaid reforms that seem to have produced spending restraint and improved service for Medicaid recipients. Maryland should learn from these states and consider the following remedies: Establish a task force to evaluate the variety of options that exist for restricting the state's Medicaid program. Demand greater flexibility from the federal government so the state can tailor its Medicaid program to better fit the needs of Marylanders in the program. Reform and expand the state's managed care system so that it offers better service and provides greater budget predictability. Provide health care coverage in different ways to many who currently receive or who will soon receive Medicaid. Other states have applied these measures and subsequently improved their Medicaid systems. Maryland policymakers should learn from innovations in other states and use these reforms to help slow the growth in Maryland's Medicaid spending and improve health care services.

Myths about Social Security and Medicare

Originally Published in the Herald-Mail

By Thomas A. Firey
Published on Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Last month, with the quiet of a mouse, the Obama administration released a pair of reports on the financial health of Social Security and Medicare. The programs’ Obama-appointed trustees (half of whom sit on his cabinet) oversaw the reports’ preparation, which led some observers to believe they would give reassuring assessments. A few partisans may have even hoped the documents would discredit Bush administration claims that the programs face problems. If so, those folks were disappointed. The Obama reports show Social Security and Medicare are in worse shape than even the Bush administration had projected. No wonder Obama officials tried to keep things quiet.