The Great American Hospital Pricing Scam Exposed

By Rick Ungar – For the very first time, the federal government is publicly releasing the “rate card” (the full charge before insurance company discounts) prices hospitals throughout the nation charge.

While hospitals have long been required to share this data with the CMS—raising questions as to why the federal government has been willing to participate in keeping this data secret for so long—hospital providers have traditionally guarded this information from the public as carefully as the launch codes required to start a nuclear holocaust.

Until today (May 08).

Take a look at this fascinating graphic provided by The Huffington Post showing the comparative pricing for treating chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in the New York area – $99,690 (New Jersey), $7,044 (Bronx). more> http://tinyurl.com/c3p4q4l

8 Ways Washington Could Really Help Small Business

By Geoffrey James -

If politicians really wanted to help small business, they’d do the following:

1. Stop making ‘small business’ meaningless.
2. Punish large companies that defect elsewhere.
3. Be honest about ‘free trade.’
4. Create a progressive business tax.
5. Make corporate campaign contributions public.
6. Legalize (and tax) the drug trade.
7. Implement size-neutral health insurance.
8. Educate more engineers.

Sometimes it seems like the higher education system in the United States is geared exclusively towards the creation of MBAs. With all due respect, small businesses don’t need more MBAs–but they do need more engineers. more> http://tinyurl.com/cn8vkrx

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Supreme Court Rules on Health Care Law: What Now?

By Sheehan Phinney Bass – Justice Roberts held that Congress has the authority under its constitutional taxing power to impose a fine on those who do not buy health insurance. Thus, Congress cannot regulate the inactivity of not buying health insurance, but Congress may tax that inactivity.

Business owners should have at least a basic understanding of the key provisions of the law, particularly those provisions that are already in effect and those that will go into effect in 2013 and 2014. Following is a summary of key provisions of PPACA that should be of interest to every business owner. more> http://tinyurl.com/brchx7n

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The ObamaTax Ensures Extraordinarily Expensive ObamaCare

By Michael Strain – The fine for not buying health insurance under ObamaCare is quite small — the greater of $695 per year or roughly 2.5 percent of income for a single person. Put more simply, the fine is much less than the cost of an insurance policy for the overwhelming majority of Americans. But many of the law’s supporters have been very optimistic that a large number of the currently uninsured will comply with the mandate and purchase insurance.

Given the small penalties, will people comply with the individual mandate?

The Supreme Court explicitly states (pdf) that noncompliance with the mandate is lawful. This changes the psychology completely.  People’s desire to obey the law will allow them to choose the cheaper option and pay the tax. more> http://tinyurl.com/87l2n6u

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Ruling allows healthcare changes to proceed

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By Kim Geiger – Beginning in 2014, adults with preexisting conditions will be guaranteed coverage and won’t have to pay higher rates than healthier people. Annual dollar limits on essential services will be prohibited.

Also starting in 2014, state-based insurance exchanges will offer people a way to comparison shop for individual health policies that meet minimum government standards. The government will subsidize these purchases for millions of people. Individuals who don’t get insurance would be required to pay a penalty of at least $95 in 2015; the fee increases to at least $695 in 2017. more> http://tinyurl.com/7dgf326

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