To put a finer point on this: we’re going from an administration that championed work requirements in Medicaid to an administration that has hired Ben Sommers—who’s led the best research in recent years on these work requirements—to be Deputy Assistant Secretary at ASPE.
— Adrianna McIntyre (@onceuponA) January 20, 2021
Dr. Ben Sommers is both wicked smart and going into the Administration to work on the Department of Health and Human Services internal research and data team.
Nine of his ten most cited papers are Affordable Care Act and/or Medicaid papers. His research on Medicaid work requirements and the implicit administrative burden in Arkansas was critical evidence that partially led to the federal courts to be extremely suspicious of Medicaid work requirements.
Staffing matters.
Dr. Sommers is just one example.
There are a number of people going into HHS (which is where I have a professional interest in knowing who is whom) that have an active interest in making insurance accessible, affordable and usable for as many people as possible.
The staff transition at the deputy undersecretary and deputy assistant levels is going to be a whiplash in what plans can even be discussed much less implemented.
OzarkHillbilly
Good.
lowtechcyclist
Our long national nightmare is really over, isn’t it?
It’s taking a bit of getting used to.
It’s so good to know that, even before we’re able to pass any laws extending the reach of the ACA, this Administration will be reversing all the actions by the previous Administration that tried to hamstring it as much as possible, and will be doing their best to extend its reach administratively to the maximum that the law allows.
That alone is a real blessing.
wvng
I watched last night as Biden administered the oath (via zoom) to hundreds of appointees. I suspect that David’s story of his tiny corner of the puzzle is being repeated across government. I slept so well last night.
Matt
We’d save a lot more money if we made insurance obsolete, but the people who’d benefit don’t write million-dollar checks to campaigns.
Baud
@Matt:
Plus people oppose banning private insurance completely.
VOR
Wait, hiring people who want to make the program work. Instead of people who want to subvert it and make it fail. “It’s a bold strategy, Cotton, let’s see if it pays off for them.”
satby
@Baud: Unhappiness with the UK’s NHS was what a lot of UK people I know cited as one of the reasons for Brexit, and these are UK POC. Private insurance exists in almost every country, so we may as well work toward effective public and private options instead of tilting at the windmill of no private insurance at all.
Chyron HR
@Baud:
Great leaders like Bernie and Mao don’t let themselves be hamstrung by what the common man thinks.
zhena gogolia
Good people are working in the government. Good.
VOR
@satby: The promise was Brexit would mean more money for the NHS. There was a big red bus with that slogan “‘We send the EU £350 million a week. Let’s fund our NHS instead’ written on its side, which Nigel Farage happily posed in front of. Boris Johnson also made the claim.
Barbara
I hope the ghost of Seema Verma’s signature policy dies a quick, permanent death, with no funeral. Work requirements for Medicaid is her reason for being, and it has always been an odious policy.
ETA: So long as there is a Medicaid program, Congress should consider amending the Medicaid statute to prohibit work or equivalent requirements as a basis for eligibility.
Cheryl Rofer
Works for many people, across all the agencies.
sheila in nc
@Barbara: It is also ass-backward. How many people are kept from seeking work by ill health? How many of those people could be productive if they were more healthy?
R-Jud
@satby: Unhappiness with the fact that it has been criminally underfunded since Thatcher, maybe.
Barbara
@sheila in nc: Don’t get me started. It has always been a way of reducing the number of receiving Medicaid by throwing up a constant and recurring hurdle to getting coverage. Anyone who claims to espouse some other policy objective is just lying.
David Anderson
@Matt: Please tell me how to get to 218-51-1-5 on this policy fantasy.
Anonymous At Work
You mean, “he’s very smart, impressive to Bostonians, and going into the Administration…”, right?
Mai Naem mobile
So, David, when you’re some bigly HHS mucky muck in the second term of the Harris presidency we can all say we got to know him when he wrote at BJ.
David Anderson
@Anonymous At Work: precisely, he is fahking smaht
David Anderson
@Mai Naem mobile: Please google the phrase “Skull fuck a kitten”
That may disqualify me from positions requiring Senate confirmation.
And there are many things I’m good at; managing large complex organizations and big teams is not one of them. My highest and best use is as an advisor or a special projects person.
Jerry
Easily solved: just change your name to Richard Mayhew
MisterForkbeard
@Jerry: What ever happened to that Mayhew guy? :)
Freemark
They are also getting my Health Secretary from Pa. Dr. Rachel Levine which is all kinds of awesome. But I will miss having her in charge here in Pa.
David Anderson
@MisterForkbeard: Last I heard redheads and whiskey are what happened to him….