Kalese Hammonds
Kalese Hammonds joined the Texas Public Policy Foundation as a Health Care Policy Analyst in November of 2007.
Thursday, September 11, 2008Insuring the UninsuredBy Kalese HammondsCategories: TexasThere is a lot of talk these days about expanding government programs to eliminate the uninsured population, but research from the Texas Public Policy Foundation indicates that state-provided health insurance can only make a tiny dent in the percentage of uninsured Texans. According to Arlene Wohlgemuth, former state representative and Visiting Research Fellow in the Foundation’s Center for Health Care Policy, "Removing these three uninsured populations from the calculation (those in the country illegally, those making over 200% FPL and those eligible but not enrolled in state programs) leaves only 4.7 percent of the population. Therefore, even if we insured every person eligible through a public program, Texas would still have almost 20 percent of its population uninsured. Clearly, the objective should be to provide access to health care for the uninsured in the most efficient way possible. The answer will not be easy. But Texas should look for new ideas and innovations and also promote what is already working here." In expanding programs and trying to put more people on the government’s tab, the state of Texas misses the point. Recent reports show the government has been very successful at putting people onto government coverage, but it has done very little to actually reduce the number of uninsured or improve the public's access to health care.
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Monday, August 11, 2008Universal Health CareThe Democratic Party's platform By Kalese HammondsCategories: Single-Payer FolliesOn Saturday, Paul Krugman touted the health care reform platform of the Democratic Party, which promises “that Democrats are united around a commitment to provide every American access to affordable, comprehensive health care.” Krugman sees this as a rallying cry for universal health care, and even, he hopes, a signaling toward a single-payer system. He points to Medicare as a sign that Americans really are fine with the government providing their health care. He even promotes Medicare as the platform upon which we could build the new system. But if Medicare is the Democratic Party’s model for our health care system, we are in deep trouble. Medicare is projected to exhaust its trust fund by 2019, leaving future generations a tax burden of $85 trillion, according to Joseph Antos at AEI. Krugman also highlights the Massachusetts plan as an example of the great success of universal coverage. He gracefully sidesteps the fact that the program went more than $100 million over budget in its first year, and that expected costs for the program next year are $144 million more than anticipated, putting the price tag for the program at $869 million. Of course, Krugman didn’t even acknowledge the trouble that enrollees in both programs have finding a doctor. I certainly hope that neither of these programs are a preview of our country’s health care future.
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Friday, July 18, 2008State Employee BenefitsBy Kalese HammondsCategories: TexasWith almost 560 state employees per 10,000 Texas residents, the increasing cost of health insurance benefits means state lawmakers must allocate considerable funding for these benefits. The state covers the entire cost of the monthly premium for state employees only, and half of the cost of dependent coverage. The monthly premium cost for employee-only coverage has increased from approximately $200 in 1999 to $360 in 2009. While health insurance benefits are an appropriate benefit for state employees, there are things lawmakers can do to help control these costs, such as offering HSAs as an option for state employees.
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Tuesday, July 15, 2008Consumers Need More ChoicesBy Kalese HammondsCategories: TexasTexas has the highest ratio of uninsured residents in the country. With nearly one in four Texans uninsured, legislators and other stakeholders tirelessly look for the silver bullet to guarantee that everyone has access to health care. The results, however, have been less than stellar.
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