Posted on 09/02/2010 2:13:50 PM PDT by Oshkalaboomboom
The smart folks at RAND — an actual real-life think tank, as opposed to an ideological group masquerading under the think-tank name — have taken a look at what’s likely to happen to health insurance coverage as a result of the health-care reform package signed into law earlier this year.
Among other things, the RAND study published in the New England Journal of Medicine finds that work-based insurance will grow in importance under the reform, a prediction that “is very robust to variations in modeling assumptions.”
In other words, they’re pretty damn sure about it.
“Although the model allows employers to drop coverage in response to the reform, we estimate that the law will result in a large net increase in employer-sponsored insurance offers. We predict that the number of workers offered coverage will increase from 115.1 million (84.6% of the approximately 136.0 million U.S. workers) to 128.7 million (94.6%) after the reform. This increase is not driven by penalties levied on employers with more than 50 workers. In fact, the probability of being offered coverage increases proportionately more for workers at small firms than for workers at large firms, even though small firms are not subject to penalties….
The large increase in offers provided by small businesses is driven primarily by two factors: greater demand for coverage by workers due to individual penalties for being uninsured and the availability of new, often lower-cost insurance options (because of administrative savings, for example) for small businesses that offer coverage on the exchanges.”
The folks at RAND further believe that insurance plans offered through exchanges set up under the law will be particularly appealing to business, “owing to wider risk pooling, low administrative costs, and expanded choices.” In fact, the study predicts, “firms making decisions on the basis of costs and benefits of their insurance options, including new subsidies and penalties, will frequently choose to offer insurance rather than to drop coverage and allow their workers to buy individual coverage.”
Of course, that’s not quite the health-care Armageddon that political opponents of the proposal have predicted. But hey, why listen to research conducted by non-partisan, highly trained experts in health care analysis when you can believe people such as John Boehner instead?
Atlanta Urinal Constipation
There are no positives to “Obamacare”. It’s a power grab and that’s all it is. It has nothing to do with healthcare.
Herman Kahn would be proud to know what his former employer is studying.
Deluding himself about Obamacare?? Or Deluding himself that he’s a JOURNALIST?
I’m leaning toward BOTH.
” The smart folks at RAND — an actual real-life think tank, as opposed to an ideological group masquerading under the think-tank name “
“Our” think-tanks - much like ‘our’ msm - are always wise and neutral — whereas ‘yours’ are profoundly biased......
/channelling Libs sarc.....
Screams of idiocy. The current health care reform act will wipe out employer based insurance. It is cheaper for companies to pay the fine than provide the insurance.
They get huge government grants to waste money doing studies designed to bolster Democrat talking points. This is just like the study plastered on every Democrat paper today about less illegals. They have been busy wasting our money and will probably have a study a day to try and help the Crats.
Just so y’all know, I think this is refering to RAND Corportation, which doesn’t appear to have any philosophical ties to Ayn Rand or the Ayn Rand institute, www.aynrand.org .
I’m sure that’s pretty obvious, but someone will undoubtedly think otherwise.
From 1961 (cold war)
Oh, the Rand Corporation’s the boon of the world,
They think all day long for a fee.
They sit and play games about going up in flames;
For counters they use you and me, honey bee,
For counters they use you and me.
It’s so nice to know we have Rand on our side,
We’ll always have good old Rand around;
A zillion will be fried out, but in some neat hideout,
Rand will be safe under ground, praise the Lord,
Rand will be safe under ground.
With a stroke of the pen, they can change us from men
Into numbers that flash on the wall.
These brainy heroes transform us to zeros,
So who gives a damn if we fall, after all,
Who gives a damn if we fall.
Their superior genes will be safe behind screens,
With the rest of our line doomed to die;
We’ll be all sorted out, past a shadow of doubt,
By the all-wise electronic eye; bow down
To the mighty electronic eye.
They will rescue us all from a fate worse than death
With a touch of the push-button hand;
We’ll be saved at one blow from the designated foe,
But who’s going to save us from Rand, dear Lord,
Who’s going to save us from Rand?
It's your basic ignant Democrat plan to make everybody miserable.
That has the sound of hyperbole to it, but I think it’s probably the most accurate statement to be made regarding Obamacare.
Copywrite Malvina Reynolds 1961 renewed 1989
(just checking to make sure all is OK)
Hyperbole is the best thing ever!
I have at least one bowl full every morning.
= :-)
Yeah, and I prefer John Stewarts journalism ethic too....Most libtards think if its in the NY Times, its TRUUUUUUEEEEEEE!!!! And if one of their thinks pukes it out, then its gospel. Secular-Humanist gospel that is.
Sorry, that’s n earlier study. Couldn’t find this one on their site.
BTW, this study was funded under U.S. Department of
Labor contract
DOLJ089327414
per NEJM.
RAND Corporation (Research ANd Development[2]) is a nonprofit global policy think tank first formed to offer research and analysis to the United States armed forces by Douglas Aircraft Company. It is currently financed by the U.S. government, a private endowment,[3] corporations [4] including the healthcare industry, universities[5] and private individuals.It's seems to me like they could have a conflict of interest.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.