Obamacare law says that health insurance at work is “affordable” if the employee has to pay no more than 9.5% of his wages for self-only coverage. If it is affordable, neither the worker nor his family is entitled to subsidized insurance in the (Obamacare) exchanges. The Biden administration wants to change that rule administratively (without Congress) to deem health insurance “unaffordable” if the premium for the entire family is greater than 9.5% of wages.
Category: Health Economics & Costs
Who Does the AARP Represent?
The AARP, the legendary advocacy for seniors aged 50 and above, has come under increased scrutiny in recent years for its marketing partnerships. Much of AARP’s revenue comes from licensing its name and logo to sell a wide range of goods and services targeted to seniors. The AARP is undoubtedly a senior advocacy, but it is also a marketing juggernaut that sells insurance.
Aging Colons a Goldmine for Private Equity Investors
Private equity investors are increasingly buying gastroenterology practices. Around 1,400 of the nation’s gastroenterologists are employees or partners in practices backed by private equity. According to a recent whitepaper, acquisitions of gastroenterology practices by private equity grew by 28% last year. As one investment manager noted:
We are in the Golden Age of older rectums—from a supply side, at least. Elderly people will make up 20% of the population by 2030, and health care costs are projected to approach 20% of the nation’s gross domestic product—the highest in the world, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. It would seem a boom time for gastroenterologists.