Obamacare
Commentary
Insurance red tape is delaying care for millions of Americans
Few things frustrate patients more than the insurance paperwork that stands between them and the care they need. A new poll from KFF shows just how serious the problem has become. Nearly seven in ten Americans say insurer prior authorization requirements are a “burden.” Beyond costs, more than one-third call ...
Sally C. Pipes
March 30, 2026
Commentary
Republicans did not cut Medicaid. They slowed its growth
Democrats have made a striking claim central to their midterm message: that Republicans have “cut” Medicaid by as much as $1 trillion. It’s a powerful line. It’s also misleading. According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, Medicaid spending is projected to rise every year for the foreseeable future, totaling more ...
Sally C. Pipes
March 27, 2026
Commentary
States are pushing Medicaid beyond its intended limits
Democrats have not given up their push to expand publicly funded health coverage to illegal immigrants in this country. In California, the state Senate is considering legislation that would allow all undocumented residents ages 19 and older to enroll in Medi-Cal, the state’s Medicaid program. This year, California froze new ...
Sally C. Pipes
March 17, 2026
Commentary
GOP Can Deliver Affordable Healthcare Americans Demand
Two-thirds of Americans worry about being able to afford healthcare, according to a recent KFF poll. And they’re looking to Washington to do something about it. Republicans have an opportunity to meet that demand — and turn healthcare from a political liability to a policy success. Read the op-ed here.
Sally C. Pipes
March 13, 2026
Commentary
Republicans already have a plan for making health care affordable in 2026
Affordability is on the lips of lawmakers these days — and with good reason. Nearly half of Americans say they’re struggling to pay for basic necessities like rent, groceries and health care. The good news is that Congress is weighing several reforms that could help make health care in particular ...
Sally C. Pipes
February 27, 2026
Commentary
Stop Catastrophizing Catastrophic Plans
Earlier this month, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services proposed a rule to expand access to catastrophic health insurance plans on the exchanges established by the Affordable Care Act. The move may appear modest. In reality, it addresses one of the central design features that has made exchange coverage ...
Sally C. Pipes
February 23, 2026
Commentary
House GOP must promote commonsense health care reform
Nearly half of Americans struggle to pay for health care, according to recent polling from independent health policy research organization KFF. If congressional Republicans hope to maintain their majority in the midterm elections this fall, then they need to address those concerns with credible, patient-centered reforms. They have already begun ...
Sally C. Pipes
February 6, 2026
Blog
Healthcare Reform Should Take Aim at Hidden Prices
Effective healthcare reform should address the persistent problem of a system that hides prices, shields middlemen like pharmacy benefit managers and insurers from accountability, and leaves patients with little real leverage. Reforms can lower healthcare costs by increasing transparency, expanding competition, and reducing the influence of middlemen whose practices operate ...
Anthony Velasquez
February 3, 2026
Commentary
Enhanced Obamacare subsidies are gone. They deserve to stay that way
House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith (R-MO) took to the chamber’s floor last week to voice his opposition to legislation that would extend the pandemic-era enhanced premium subsidies for Obamacare plans for three years. Unfortunately, his wise counsel fell on deaf ears, as all Democrats and 17 Republicans ...
Sally C. Pipes
January 20, 2026
Commentary
What America Needs from a GOP Healthcare Package
The U.S. House just passed legislation that will help make health insurance more affordable — without extending the enhanced premium subsidies for exchange coverage that Democrats enacted during the COVID-19 pandemic. The House action comes on the heels of votes on two measures in the Senate: one from Democrats that ...
Sally C. Pipes
December 24, 2025
Insurance red tape is delaying care for millions of Americans
Few things frustrate patients more than the insurance paperwork that stands between them and the care they need. A new poll from KFF shows just how serious the problem has become. Nearly seven in ten Americans say insurer prior authorization requirements are a “burden.” Beyond costs, more than one-third call ...
Republicans did not cut Medicaid. They slowed its growth
Democrats have made a striking claim central to their midterm message: that Republicans have “cut” Medicaid by as much as $1 trillion. It’s a powerful line. It’s also misleading. According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, Medicaid spending is projected to rise every year for the foreseeable future, totaling more ...
States are pushing Medicaid beyond its intended limits
Democrats have not given up their push to expand publicly funded health coverage to illegal immigrants in this country. In California, the state Senate is considering legislation that would allow all undocumented residents ages 19 and older to enroll in Medi-Cal, the state’s Medicaid program. This year, California froze new ...
GOP Can Deliver Affordable Healthcare Americans Demand
Two-thirds of Americans worry about being able to afford healthcare, according to a recent KFF poll. And they’re looking to Washington to do something about it. Republicans have an opportunity to meet that demand — and turn healthcare from a political liability to a policy success. Read the op-ed here.
Republicans already have a plan for making health care affordable in 2026
Affordability is on the lips of lawmakers these days — and with good reason. Nearly half of Americans say they’re struggling to pay for basic necessities like rent, groceries and health care. The good news is that Congress is weighing several reforms that could help make health care in particular ...
Stop Catastrophizing Catastrophic Plans
Earlier this month, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services proposed a rule to expand access to catastrophic health insurance plans on the exchanges established by the Affordable Care Act. The move may appear modest. In reality, it addresses one of the central design features that has made exchange coverage ...
House GOP must promote commonsense health care reform
Nearly half of Americans struggle to pay for health care, according to recent polling from independent health policy research organization KFF. If congressional Republicans hope to maintain their majority in the midterm elections this fall, then they need to address those concerns with credible, patient-centered reforms. They have already begun ...
Healthcare Reform Should Take Aim at Hidden Prices
Effective healthcare reform should address the persistent problem of a system that hides prices, shields middlemen like pharmacy benefit managers and insurers from accountability, and leaves patients with little real leverage. Reforms can lower healthcare costs by increasing transparency, expanding competition, and reducing the influence of middlemen whose practices operate ...
Enhanced Obamacare subsidies are gone. They deserve to stay that way
House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith (R-MO) took to the chamber’s floor last week to voice his opposition to legislation that would extend the pandemic-era enhanced premium subsidies for Obamacare plans for three years. Unfortunately, his wise counsel fell on deaf ears, as all Democrats and 17 Republicans ...
What America Needs from a GOP Healthcare Package
The U.S. House just passed legislation that will help make health insurance more affordable — without extending the enhanced premium subsidies for exchange coverage that Democrats enacted during the COVID-19 pandemic. The House action comes on the heels of votes on two measures in the Senate: one from Democrats that ...