Satisficing is one of my favorite concepts and words. Yes, my name is Richard Mayhew and I am a nerd of unusual size. And in a just world, satisficing and the related concept of bounded rationality would have made Milton Friedman a very smart, very interesting thinker who had some excellent things to say about the …
I’m being oppressed and made better off
Conservatives are having fun with stories like the following: Ian Hodge, 62, is one of nearly 13,000 central and eastern Pennsylvanians who will soon need to shop for health insurance because Highmark Inc. is discontinuing their coverage at the end of the year. Highmark has announced it is withdrawing five of its insurance plans that …
Time to make the donuts
The Donut Hole in Medicare Part D (the prescription drug benefit) is slowly going away. Medicare Part D has four tiers of coverage. Here is the 2013 benefit design: Deductible phase where Medicare pays 0% (2013 $325) Basic coverage where Medicare pays 75% ($325.01 to $2,970) Donut hole where Medicare pays 2.5% ( $2,970.01 to …
The rates are in
Health and Human Services has released the rates for the federally run Exchange marketplaces in 36 states. They are really good: http://aspe.hhs.gov/health/reports/2013/MarketplacePremiums/ib_marketplace_premiums.cfm Here are the big take-aways: $145 a month for the cheapest Bronze plan for a 27 year old making $25,000 a year is definately affordable Family coverage at either 2nd cheapest Silver or cheapest …
Does that network make my wallet look skinny…
One of the pleasant surprises of the Obamacare exchange roll-out has been reported premiums are coming in significantly below CBO projections. That means two things. The first is that more people will be able to afford coverage as the sticker price is lower, and the subsidy should drop out of pocket coverage costs even more. …
Does that network make my wallet look skinny…Post + Comments (54)
No means No
Via Paul Krugman, a quick link and thought as I scramble elsewhere: The red line is Medicaid spending over the past decade. Everything else is increasingly rapidly, while Medicaid spending stayed flat. And it stayed flat because Medicaid says no. Second thought from Time Magazine on Las Vegas hotel economic structures as an insight …
Same old Song and Dance
The House Republican Study Committee is offering a “repeal and replace” plan for Obamacare. If we assume that this is purely a marketing document aimed to fulfill the check box that there is a “plan” to “replace” Obamacare that can get 218 votes in the House, then this document aces that evaluation. However, my therapist …