Relevant and even prescient commentary on news, politics and the economy.

Say hello to XBB.1.5: The Red/Blue COVID Death Rate Divide is no more

This commentary by Charles Gaba was up earlier this year. What Charles is doing is issuing a warning about this batch of Covid. People have tossed caution to the wind, not boosting for less than adequate reasons, not practicing safe social practices, and not making up in public crowds. “Say hello to XBB.1.5: The Red/Blue […]

December Update: COVID Death Rates by Partisan Lean & Vaccination Rate

ACA Signups blog and healthcare author, Charles Gaba does a rewrite of an earlier commentary at his site. If you missed it, Angry Bear blog featured “33 Months of COVID In One Image” also. Recently, this writeup’s stats was used by Prof. Paul Krugman in his recent NYT article, “Will 2024 Be a Vaccine Election?” […]

33 Months Of COVID In One Image: One More Look At The Red/Blue Death Rate Divide

“33 Months of COVID in one image: One more look at the Red/Blue Death Rate Divide,” ACA Signups, Charles Gaba. Charles lives in Michigan, one county over from where I lived. While my County head Democrat was touting me for a great knowledge on healthcare to Slotkin, I was pushing Charles. He knew more about […]

Affordable Healthcare in Oregon? Maybe . . .

Oregon becomes the first state to make Affordable Healthcare a fundamental right. May 2021, the Oregon Legislature referred the proposed amendment to the voters. Known then as Senate Joint Resolution 12, it passed on a near-party-line vote. Democrats supported it. Republicans opposed it (what-a-surprise). Then-Democrat Betsy Johnson, who was running for governor as an unaffiliated candidate, […]

What? Biden Strengthens Medicare with Policies Simplifying Enrollment and Expanding Access?

How can that be? Something the Biden administration did made access to Medicare easier by providing quicker access to Medicare. The Medicare improvements incorporate no delay in coverage, better access (SEPS), and eliminates late enrollment penalties for Part B under certain conditions. According to CNN news and other news outlets, Biden has taken credit for […]

2023 ACA Open Enrollment Period

November 1st is the start of the official 2023 ACA Open Enrollment Period (OEP) for anyone who needs quality, affordable healthcare coverage. Charles Gaba at ACA Signups has a very detailed rundown on what is happening this year. Because of President Biden, there have been improvements to the ACA. What I have done below is a brief […]

Do Republican Counties have Higher Covid Death Rates than Democratic Counties?

Some seem to think so. A recent paper by Jacob Wallace, Paul Goldsmith-Pinkham, and Jason L. Schwartz appears to backup this claim up with some numbers exclusively of their own. “Excess Covid Death Rates for Republicans and Democrats During the COVID-19 Pandemic,” NBER, © 2022 by Jacob Wallace, Paul Goldsmith-Pinkham, and Jason L. Schwartz “Political […]

September Update: COVID Death Rates By Partisan Lean & Vaccination Rate

September Update: “COVID Death Rates by Partisan Lean & Vaccination Rate”| ACA Signups, Charles Gaba As always, here’s my (Charles Gaba) methodology: County-level 2020 Population data via U.S. Census Bureau’s 2020 Census County-level 2020 Trump vote data via each state’s Election Commission or Secretary of State websites County-level Case & Death data via Johns Hopkins University Center […]

ARP Medicaid Postpartum Coverage Expansion

I believe it was 2019 when I was asked to write on women’s healthcare issues. I was not asked because I was an expert. They were asking me because they wanted a male’s perspective on women’s healthcare issues. In particular, the topic was maternal healthcare and mortality. “A Woman’s Right to Safe Healthcare Outcomes” – […]

How Much Does The ARP/IRA Lower Health Insurance Premiums Now?

In 2020, after Democrats had retaken control of the House of Representatives, the third version of the larger bill managed to actually pass the House under the more reasonable title of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Enhancement Act. Of course, it didn’t even get a vote in the Senate. In early 2021, a temporary version of this bill by […]