Wages Are Up, But Whittled Down by Rising Healthcare Costs

Wages are up 3.2% for 2018, according the Bureau of Labor Statistics. So, why don’t we feel 3.2% richer? It’s because relentless healthcare cost increases are eating up one-quarter of our gains. Gross annual pay increased $1,507, but one-quarter of it was taken right out of our paychecks to pay our healthcare premiums. This … Continue reading Wages Are Up, But Whittled Down by Rising Healthcare Costs →

W. Va. Settles Teacher Strike But Not the Problem of Healthcare Cost

West Virginia teachers settled their strike March 6 when they reached agreement with the Governor and Legislature giving them a 5 percent pay raise. But according to State Senate president Mitch Carmichael and Craig Blair, Senate Finance Committee chair, at least some of the $110 million yearly cost of the contract would come from … Continue reading W. Va. Settles Teacher Strike But Not the Problem of Healthcare Cost →

Could the Oregon Health Plan Help West Virginia’s Strikers?

West Virginia teachers are keeping their schools closed in all 55 counties March 1, bucking their union and the governor, with no end in sight. The sticking point is the teachers’ healthcare costs, according to Huffington Post and others. Could a health reform plan like Oregon’s help West Virginians reach agreement and get schools reopened? … Continue reading Could the Oregon Health Plan Help West Virginia’s Strikers? →

How Could Oregon-style Healthcare Reform Satisfy Liberals, Conservatives and Libertarians?

Can Liberals, Conservatives and Libertarians find common ground on an approach to reforming healthcare? - If you are Libertarian, click here. - If you are Liberal, click here. - If you are Conservative, click here. Jump to Summary Conclusion For Libertarians For Libertarians For Libertarians Americans are divided politically, now perhaps more so than at … Continue reading How Could Oregon-style Healthcare Reform Satisfy Liberals, Conservatives and Libertarians? →

Segment 6 – Why Healthcare Cost is a Problem

This segment reviews the impact of relentless increase of U.S. healthcare spending on the economy, politics and society. In Segment 4, we showed some statistics on relentlessly rising healthcare spending. And in Segment 5 we looked at the Perfect Storm -- how rising costs are literally built into the system as it is now. In … Continue reading Segment 6 – Why Healthcare Cost is a Problem →