Bureau of National Affairs

If the burden of health care costs is not lifted, middle-class jobs will go overseas, according to Len Nichols, director of the health policy program at the New America Foundation. “It is not written in the Constitution or the Bible that we will be a middle-class society,” said Nichols, who spoke at the Health and Welfare Benefit Plans conference sponsored by the American Bar Association Joint Committee on Employee Benefits. LINK (subscription required)

Reform proposals that advocate selling health insurance across state lines would negatively affect premiums and benefits for most people, according to a report released Oct. 8 by the New America Foundation.

The report, Across State Lines Explained: Why Selling Health Insurance Across State Lines is Not the Answer, analyzes what it calls the myths surrounding the "across states line" (ASL) approach, which is included in health reform proposals put forth by members of Congress, as well as by presidential… more

The number of uninsured Americans decreased by 1.3 million from 2006 to 2007, a change largely attributable to an increase in government-sponsored coverage, the U.S. Census Bureau reported Aug. 26.

The Census Bureau's annual report on income, poverty, and health insurance found that the number of uninsured people decreased from 47 million in 2006 to 45.7 million in 2007, or 15.8 percent to 15.3 percent of Americans.

However, during that time period, the percentage of people with private insurance decreased while the… more

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Employer health costs put U.S. firms at a competitive disadvantage compared with certain trading partners, highlighting the need to separate health coverage from employer financing, according to a report scheduled for release May 7.

The report by the New America Foundation found that, while U.S. manufacturers pay $2.38 per hour for health benefits, five of the country's major trading partners pay an average of $0.96 per hour. The report looked at health… more

BNA News | Poor Health, Shorter Lives of Uninsured Costlier Than Providing Coverage, Study Says

The economic costs caused by the uninsured are at least as great as the public cost of providing coverage, according to a report released March 26 by the New America Foundation.

The report, Cost of Failure: The Economic Losses of the Uninsured, found that the poor health and shorter life spans of the uninsured cost the United States between $102 billion and… more

If the U.S. economy falls into recession, or avoids it but has an extended period of very slow growth, it will be tougher to fight off protectionist policies that will hurt the economy in the long run, analysts said Oct. 30.

This was one concern voiced at a conference on U.S. growth challenges sponsored by the New America Foundation, a Washington think tank. There was also general agreement on those challenges including the immediate ramifications of the housing slump, the trade… more