An Academy letter to congressional leaders regarding negotiations to combine House and Senate health care reform legislation was quoted. The Academy said that financial penalties in both Senate and House bills are fairly weak compared to the coverage costs and that lower-risk individuals could be more likely to pay the penalty and forgo coverage, putting upward pressure on premiums.

The Academy's Jan. 14 letter to congressional leaders regarding merging House and Senate health care reform legislation was cited. The Academy expressed concerns regarding the ability of the individual health insurance coverage mandate to effectively limit adverse selection.

Academy Medical Professional Liability Subcommittee Chairperson Kevin Bingham discussed the potential consequences of legislation to repeal an antitrust exemption for medical professional liability insurers. Bingham said the repeal could preclude data collection and aggregation across companies, which could reduce competition and potentially increase premiums. Audio available. 

The Academy was cited from its Jan. 14 letter to congressional leaders regarding merging House and Senate health care reform legislation. The Academy said that as currently structure, the Community Living Assistance Services and Supports (CLASS) Act is likely to suffer from severe adverse selection, which could lead to high premiums and threaten the viability of the program.

Academy Senior Health Fellow Cori Uccello explained the basics of determining health insurance premiums. She said it begins with ensuring that total premiums collected are adequate to cover claims and expenses. Audio also available.

The Academy's May 2009 monograph on consumer-driven health plans (CDHPs) data was cited by Sen. John Cornyn during Senate session (minute 75). According to research studies reviewed by the Academy's CDHP Work Group, these plans can save as much as 12 to 20 percent in health care costs.

An Academy report reviewing consumer-driven health plan (CDHP) studies was cited by an on-air guest, who said the Academy found that CDHPs can save as much as 12 to 20 percent in health care costs in the first year.

Academy Senior Pension Fellow Frank Todisco warned future retirees that there are significant risks that they must appropriately plan for and insurance against.

Academy Senior Health Fellow Cori Uccello discussed how to strengthen an individual health insurance coverage mandate. She said that a coverage mandate could be strengthened by providing non-financial incentives to purchase coverage, such as offering health insurance only during an annual open-enrollment period so that people cannot wait until they are sick to purchase insurance.

The Academy was cited in an ongoing, interactive Web feature that tests one's ability to parse through headlines and sound bites to find the truth about health care reform. The Academy was a source on reform components such as an individual health insurance coverage mandate and the Community Living Assistance Services and Supports (CLASS) Act.