Bill Daley is the Federal Issues Policy Director at The Alliance for a Just Society.
On November 21st, the co-chairs of the Joint Select Committee of Deficit Reduction, aka the “Super Committee”, issued this statement: “After months of hard work and intense deliberations, we have come to the conclusion today that it will not be possible to make any bipartisan agreement available to the public before the committee’s deadline.” What does failure mean? What happens next? Continue reading
A financial transaction tax (FTT) is one proposal being debated by economists as a solution to the national budget deficits both in the US and in Europe. The FTT would place a small tax on stock and commodity trade, and a version of it has been introduced in the Congress by Representative Peter DeFazio (D-Oregon) and Senator Tom Harkin (D-Iowa). A similar proposal is being considered by the European as well.
Many provisions of the Affordable Care Act are designed to overcome health outcome disparities caused by social factors associated with race, ethnicity, language, and culture. Will they work? Continue reading
What would you think about a rule designed to give translation of important insurance documents to those who do not speak English well, if that rule required this service in nine counties in New Mexico, but excluded the entire City of Albuquerque? Continue reading
As I write, the U.S. Senate has just passed the debt deal that was negotiated with the President over the weekend. It got 269 votes in the House yesterday and 74 votes in the Senate today. It was opposed by both the most progressive and most conservative members.
The immediate effect is a cap on spending that will produce a savings of $1 trillion over the next ten years. There are no new revenues in the deal. There is to be a vote on a balanced budget amendment by the end of the year. Continue reading
Community clinics are an indispensable component of the health care infrastructure in the United States. They are widely regarded as a cost-effective way to provide basic care, saving the health care system billions of dollars every year. Clinics serve over 20 million people in America, and one out of three people in poverty rely on them for their medical needs. Community clinics are also critical for access to care for immigrants, many of whom have been shut out of health insurance coverage post-reform. Continue reading
On Monday, January 31st, a second federal court ruled against the Affordable Care Act (ACA). A Florida judge opined that the individual responsibility provision was unconstitutional and therefore made the entire Act invalid. The White House and reform supporters were quick to point out that two other courts and numerous judicial scholars hold a contrary opinion. Nevertheless, the ruling, even if eventually reversed, will give added hope to the Tea Baggers and other opponents of reform. Health care advocates must continue to stand by the ACA because it is the law of the land. Continue reading
The average cost of mainstream health insurance plans is approximately 40% greater than the Indian Health Service (IHS) funding level for American Indian and Alaska Native people. This funding gap limits health care services and contributes to the lingering disparities of death and disease among Indians. The first step needed to redress this shortfall was achieved this year when Congress permanently re-authorized funding for the Indian Health Services Act. Now the push is on to get the Congress to provide increased funding. Continue reading
