Econintersect: Every day our editors collect the most interesting things they find from around the internet and present a summary “reading list” which will include very brief summaries of why each item has gotten our attention. Suggestions from readers for “reading list” items are gratefully reviewed, although sometimes space limits the number included.
- Americans Stick With Obamacare As Opposition Burns Bright (Mike Dorning, Health Insurance Exchange) Support for Obamacare is increasing with 64% supporting it outright or saying it needs only small changes. However, 54% are unhappy with President Obama’s handling of the implementation of the new law. That is better than the 60% disapproval in December. A majority (51%) want “small modifications” to the law and 13% support it as is. Total repeal is favored by 34% of the public. According to Wikipedia 29% of the electorate is registered Republican so it can not be only Republicans who oppose the law.
- Obamacare Co-Ops Defy Forecasts to Win Market Share (Alex Wayne, Health Insurance Exchange) The analog of Credit Unions for health insurance, insurance co-ops are doing well.
Obamacare opponents predicted early on that insurance co-ops created by the law would fail, and that much of the $2.1 billion they were loaned to get started would be lost. Instead, the 23 co-ops that now exist nationally have enrolled about 300,000 people in health plans by combining low premiums with a certain homespun appeal, according to company executives.
- With Deadline Looming, All Eyes on Young Enrollees (Bruce Shutan, Health Insurance Exchange) The ACA and the plans offered by insurance companies require a broad demographic of enrollees. If only older persons and the sick enroll then the costs are higher than planned and the income is missing the anticipated (lower) premiums from younger and healthier people. In insurance language that is called “adverse selection“.
The articles above are late additions to the comprehensive coverage of ACA (Affordable Care Act, aka Obamacare) ‘behind the wall’ two days ago.
- Senate reaches bipartisan deal on unemployment benefits extension (Paul Kane, The Washington Post) Filibuster avoided as 5 Republicans join 55 Democrats to support the bill. What can be done in the House, however, is “up in the air”.
- Puerto Rico Gets a Break With Rates on Its Bonds (Michael Corkery and Mary Williams Walsh, DealBook, The New York Times) Serious budgetary problems in Puerto Rico did not discourage bond buyers from bidding up $3 billion in new debt.
Today we discuss 10 more articles ‘behind the wall’. The first four address the U.S housing market.
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