ACA: Who Was Helped Most

The Affordable Care Act: Who Was Helped Most Glad to see groups who needed the most help were the ones who got it. 

A Formula to Find the Uninsured Around the Country

14 Facts About The Obama Presidency That Most People Don’t Know

As Election Nears, Polls Tighten And GOP Plans For Senate Control Take Shape

A Perfect Fit for Some, but Not Others

WellPoint, Aetna Raise 2014 Forecasts

States Ask Congress to Intervene on Drug Prices

Miami Herald Papers Rarely mention Medicaid Expansion’s Relevance To The Hispanic Community

The Impact of Hospital-Acquired Conditions on Medicare Program Payments  

 Using Housing to Improve Health and Reduce the Costs of Caring for the Homeless 

Unable to Meet the Deductible or the Doctor   

Next Open Enrollment for A.C.A. Approaches, but Few Notice   Hope this changes soon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Low-Income Adults Support Medicaid Expansion

Low-Income Adults Support Medicaid Expansion, View Program Favorably

Challenges for the Next Obamacare Open Enrollment

7 Charts That Prove Obamacare Is Working

The Best Possible Day. An excerpt in the New York Times explains two key lessons of Atul Gawande's new book, Being Mortal. http://nyti.ms/1s2r0y9   This article states the issues very well.  Hospice in particular has been a very valuable provider for over 30 years in the U.S. and even longer in some other countries.

The Road to Accountable Care: Building Systems for Population Health Management

Easier Time in Health Marketplace Is Promised

Secret Deficit Lovers   A well written editorial by Paul Krugman on the reduction in the deficit which is being ignored by the deficit hawks.

Will Employers Favor Private Exchanges Over Coverage Sponsorship?   This posting suggest that many will.

U.S. Says Consumers Must Renew Health Insurance Policies  

Determining Household Size and Income for Premium Tax Credits and Medicaid
Presentation Slide Deck

Key Facts You Need to Know About Income Definitions for Marketplace and Medicaid Coverage
This collection of key facts explains Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI) and what counts as income in determining eligibility for premium tax credits, Medicaid, and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).
View Key Facts


Compare the U.S. Health System to Its International Peers with a New Interactive Tool


 

Radio Show: Investment Implications of the ACA

On July 30, I participated in 2 radio shows on the URBusinessnetwork.  I know the host, Ray Rondeau, from AAII (American Association of Individual Investors).  These shows were recently posted to the web.  The second show on financial planning is discussed later on this blog. The entire first show which is on the Investment Implications of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) can be listened to at:
http://urbusinessnetwork.com/obama-affordable-care-act/

The introductory writeup to the first show includes a summary and bio for both shows. This link will take you directly to the broadcast http://tinyurl.com/marketmavens073014ACA

In the first part of the show, I gave some bio info, an overview of the ACA, some of the myths, some of the latest successes and failures, and related ideas.  This section can be found at http://tinyurl.com/ACAradiointro

In the second section of that first show, I discussed the investment implications of the ACA.  I will cover this portion in more depth below as I did not have time to discuss all the market sectors that I had in mind.  Here is what I said or planned to say.

Investment Highlights

S+P health care index up 9.7% this year thru 6/30, vs s+p 500 by 3.6% 

Several billionaire investors have invested in drug stocks, and dialysis companies

Excellent article in WashPost – 7/3/14 Jonelle Marte

What Obamacare means for your investment portfolio

Cautionary note: Each investor needs to do their own analysis.  The following companies have the potential to do well.   

•          Health Care Mutual Funds and ETFs

•          Health insurance companies

United, Aetna, Cigna, Wellpoint  

United is entering many more state markets in 2015.  In the radio show, Rondeau discusses technical aspects of this stock.

•          Enrollment systems

Deloiite – successfully built Connecticut and Kentucky’s systems.

•          Electronic Health Records (EHRs)

Cerner, Epic systems, Allscripts, Athenahealth, Nextgen, GE

More EHR standards are being developed which will increase the use of EHR systems.

• ·          Drugs

Barron’s 7/22 issue has a very positive article on 9 drug stocks.

Here are 3: Merck,  Gilead Sciences, Amgen

In the radio show, Rondeau discusses technical aspects of Gilead stock.Very positive. 

Other stocks mentioned in Barron's are Roche, Vertex, Astrazeneca,

-------------------------------

This section was not discussed on radio show due to time limitations

•        Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs)

                 Caremark, Express Scripts

•          Retail pharmacies

CVS, Walgreens. Both have retail clinics. 

•          Shopping tools: Castlight

•          Telehealth

No specific stocks mentioned

•          Medical supplies

Bastion, Covider, Johnson and Johnson

•  Medical Devices  

Medtronics, Illumina, Edward Lifesciences 

•        For Profit Hospitals

No specific stocks mentioned

•          Physician Hospital Organizations

No specific stocks mentioned

•          Home Health Agencies

 Chemed , Almost Family, LHC Group, Lincare holdings, Amedisys, Gentiva Health Services

•          Nursing Homes

Manor Care , Golden living, HCP, Beverly Enterprises, Mariner Health, Kindred Healthcare

•         Accountable Care Organizations

Hopkins (not a stock)

•          Urgent Care

Concentra

•         Post acute care organizations

No specific stocks mentioned

•          Dialysis

 Davita, Fresnius

-----------------------------

Here is a link to the second radio show which covered financial planning, asset allocation, limitations in target date funds, and the need for basic investment courses (investment 101). 

http://tinyurl.com/marketmaven073014keyinvestment 

This is the background info I provided for the second show

• Became a serious investor 32 years ago and developed my first financial plan

• Became a member of AAII in 1998

• DC Metro Chapter:  Past president and Program Co-chair for past 10 years

• With National AAII organization: Lead for chapter leaders committee

Relevant Websites: aaii.com  and aaiidcmetro.com

Uninsured Rates Fall for Young and Latinos +

Survey: Uninsured Rates Fall Sharply for Young and Low-Income Latinos

The Affordable Care Act’s First Report Card
 

The Payment Reform Landscape: Value-Oriented Payment Jumps, And Yet …

For Many New Medicaid Enrollees, Care Is Hard to Find, Report Says   

Auto-Renewing Your Health Plan May Be Bad for You, and for Competition 

What We’re Learning About Drug Company Payments to Doctors   

Can a Company Reimburse Employees Who Buy Their Own Health Insurance? Maybe

New Federal Database Details Medical World’s Financial Links to Drugmakers 

Taking Stock and Taking Steps: A Report from the Field after the First Year of Marketplace Consumer Assistance Under the ACA