On September 27, the Kaiser Foundation published a report on employer health benefits. Annual premiums now exceed $15,000 per year per worker.
On September 20, the Centers for Disease Control published new data on health insurance coverage.
On September 16, the National Council on Aging published a survey of boomers and seniors. It finds that there is a great deal of ignorance and misunderstanding about the nature of the Medicare program.
In a September 16 commentary, economists Dean Baker and Jagdish Bhagwati argue that Medicare beneficiaries should be permitted to receive treatment in other countries where costs may be lower.
On September 14, the Government Accountability Office issued a report on problems resulting from the shift of manufacturing many of the prescription drugs consumed in the U.S. to foreign countries.
A September 14 Bloomberg poll found that only 34 percent of people favor repealing the Affordable Care Act, with 60 favoring leaving it alone or making minor modifications.
On September 8, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration published a survey on drug use between 2008 and 2010. It finds a rise in marijuana use, but a decline in hard drug use.
On September 8, the Commonwealth Fund published a study which found that higher fees for physician services are a key reason why U.S. health costs are higher than in other countries.
I last posted items on this topic on September 14.
Bruce Bartlett is an American historian and columnist who focuses on the intersection between politics and economics. He blogs daily and writes a weekly column for The Fiscal Times. Bartlett has written for Forbes Magazine and Creators Syndicate, and his work is informed by many years in government, including as a senior policy analyst in the Reagan White House. He is the author of seven books including the New York Times best-seller, Imposter: How George W. Bush Bankrupted American and Betrayed the Reagan Legacy (Doubleday, 2006)
