Joshua Cohen
@joshuapcohen.bsky.social
Health economist, writer, political junkie but allergic to extremes, sports fanatic and music enthusiast
Economics
58%
Public Health
15%
While it's done for effect, I assume, I do wish American politicians on both sides of the aisle would understand that a social democratic system for healthcare (presumably this is what Bennet wants) is not socialism. Nor is socialism the same as communism. Nor is communism necessarily Bolshevism.
Sometimes? I'd say all the time.
Thanks for sharing the picture.
Thanks for sharing the picture.
Sticker Shock As Insurance Costs Rise In ACA And Commercial Markets
Premium increases of 9% are expected in the employer-sponsored health insurance market in 2026. Millions more in the individual market will see an even higher spike.
www.forbes.com
Sticker shock also applies in the commercial, employer-sponsored market. This isn't the price of eggs we're talking about. No, many people will soon be faced with thousands of dollars annually in increased health insurance premiums across ACA and commercial markets. www.forbes.com/sites/joshua...
As Open Enrollment Begins, Data Show Obamacare Premiums Increasing 30%
What may exacerbate the 30% increase in premiums is if ACA subsidies expire, as they’re due to Dec. 31. The rise in monthly premiums could then be much greater than 30%.
www.forbes.com
"Going to get sticker shock?" Huh? There is already sticker shock. The notices have been sent to many people already and the premium increases are huge. www.forbes.com/sites/joshua...
Sticker Shock As Insurance Costs Rise In ACA And Commercial Markets
Premium increases of 9% are expected in the employer-sponsored health insurance market in 2026. Millions more in the individual market will see an even higher spike.
www.forbes.com
As we've entered open enrollment season, there's sticker shock in both the ACA/Obamacare and commercial health insurance markets.
www.forbes.com/sites/joshua...
www.forbes.com/sites/joshua...
Trump's Price Cuts For Obesity Drugs Raise More Questions Than Answers
How much impact the obesity drug price cuts will have on patients remains to be seen. What's been publicly released raises more questions than answers.
www.forbes.com
The price deals cut on obesity drugs will have a negligible effect on Medicare beneficiary access. Same holds for other patients. And the agreement raises a series of unanswered questions which we won't find answers to, given the confidential terms of the negotiations.
www.forbes.com/sites/joshua...
www.forbes.com/sites/joshua...
And what's stunning to me is how Republicans successfully framed the 2024 elections around things as unimportant and trivial as the price of eggs. Yet Democrats at the national level can't effectively frame elections or the political debate around existential, critical issues such as healthcare.
And it's not just ACA. It's Medicaid, too. And indirectly, it's the entire framework of our already fragile healthcare system. Healthcare is an extraordinarily important item for household budgets. 100 million Americans have medical debt (many go bankrupt); a situation unheard of outside the U.S.
I'm not fond of the word brand. But it's apt when it comes to describing the problem with many Democrats in Washington DC. Right now, their brand is being unbranded, generic opposition with no charm, initiative, or backbone. I've never seen anything quite as meek as the Jefferies/Schumer duo.
Agree.
More political parties and some kind of system of proportional representation.
Murkowski and Lee don't belong in the same party.
Likewise, Sanders and Fetterman don't belong in the same party.
Having 4 parties would better reflect the electorate: trad democrats, trad GOP, dem socialists, MAGA
More political parties and some kind of system of proportional representation.
Murkowski and Lee don't belong in the same party.
Likewise, Sanders and Fetterman don't belong in the same party.
Having 4 parties would better reflect the electorate: trad democrats, trad GOP, dem socialists, MAGA
Republicans’ Plan To Redirect Obamacare Subsidies Takes Shape
If implemented, a Republican plan to redirect Affordable Care Act subsidies to individuals who can use them for health savings accounts could erode the law's foundation.
www.forbes.com
Republicans appear to have more than just "concepts of a plan" on healthcare. A GOP plan taking shape to redirect Obamacare subsidies to individuals who can use them for health savings accounts could erode the foundation of the Affordable Care Act.
www.forbes.com/sites/joshua...
www.forbes.com/sites/joshua...
USAID dismantling is a criminal act. Period.
If we have something like a Truth and Reconciliation Commission in the U.S. once President Trump is no longer in office, I hope that we hold those responsible for crimes against humanity accountable. This includes the names you list, but also Tom Homan.
If we have something like a Truth and Reconciliation Commission in the U.S. once President Trump is no longer in office, I hope that we hold those responsible for crimes against humanity accountable. This includes the names you list, but also Tom Homan.
Trump's Price Cuts For Obesity Drugs Raise More Questions Than Answers
How much impact the obesity drug price cuts will have on patients remains to be seen. What's been publicly released raises more questions than answers.
www.forbes.com
The Trump administration's announced price cuts for weight loss drugs are certainly interesting. But what's been released to the public raises more questions than answers.
www.forbes.com/sites/joshua...
www.forbes.com/sites/joshua...
States’ Pursuit Of Own Public Health Policy Reflects Federalism
Now that national public health authority appears to be eroding, there's a revival of state autonomy, in the form of coalitions of states establishing their own policy.
www.forbes.com
As states form coalitions to counter what they view as detrimental public health policy emanating from the Trump administration, I'm reminded of one of our nation's founding principles: Federalism. This piece is about that, using the state alliances as an illustration.
www.forbes.com/sites/joshua...
www.forbes.com/sites/joshua...
Mamdani was elected to be mayor of a largely progressive city. Likewise, Mayor Wu governs liberal Boston. Wu and Mamdani share certain policy positions. I don't think either Wu or Mamdani have much national appeal in places Dems must get votes to win. By contrast, I think Spanberger does.
Agree.
Never liked Cheney's foreign policy, but think it's important to pay respects to those who died, particularly public officials.
It's also for the family's sake.
Never liked Cheney's foreign policy, but think it's important to pay respects to those who died, particularly public officials.
It's also for the family's sake.
U.S.-U.K. Negotiations Could Lead To Higher Drug Spending In Britain
Whatever cost-effectiveness threshold level NICE adopts in future, it will reflect a policy choice that appropriately balances societal “health, fairness and innovation.”
www.forbes.com
The British government is considering raising the level of a cost-effectiveness threshold used as a benchmark to determine whether a healthcare intervention provides value for money for the National Health Service.
www.forbes.com/sites/joshua...
www.forbes.com/sites/joshua...
Dems Seek Repeal Of Orphan-Only Drugs Exemption From Price Negotiation
The Democratic Senators say their goal is to preserve incentives for “genuine rare-disease innovation” while ensuring that “blockbuster drugs can still be negotiated.”
www.forbes.com
Democrats introduced a bill that would repeal the orphan-only drugs exemption included in the One Big Beautiful Bill. As is almost invariably the case with legislation, this repeal effort as well as the orphan-only drugs exemption itself entail tradeoffs.
www.forbes.com/sites/joshua...
www.forbes.com/sites/joshua...
FDA Simplifies Biosimilar Approvals; Patents And Payment Issues Remain
FDA Commissioner Makary wants to expedite biosimilar approvals. But in the U.S., the greater impediments to access have been patent disputes and payment hurdles.
www.forbes.com
Biosimilar access in the U.S. is improving. But barriers have prevented these lower-priced versions of originator biologics from truly flourishing. FDA is addressing approvals, but two often bigger hurdles - patent disputes and payer reimbursement - remain.
www.forbes.com/sites/joshua...
www.forbes.com/sites/joshua...
Cigna’s Rebate-Free Pharmacy Model Holds Promise For Some Patients
Cigna says it will “transition toward a new model where discounts negotiated with drug companies are available upfront to Americans buying their medications.”
www.forbes.com
I sense some skepticism in the commentary around the health insurer Cigna's policy announcement this week. While I'm not sold on the idea that this heralds the end of rebates that don't get passed through to patients, it's a step in the right direction.
www.forbes.com/sites/joshua...
www.forbes.com/sites/joshua...
Wonderful!
Private And Public Health Insurers Depend On Government Subsidies
The most prevalent form of health insurance in America, employer-sponsored coverage, is subsidized in absolute dollars to a substantially greater extent than Obamacare.
www.forbes.com
On health insurance, the media and politicians in Washington DC tend to focus on federal government spending in programs such as Medicaid and Obamacare. This ignores, however, the much larger subsidies given in the commercial sector.
www.forbes.com/sites/joshua...
www.forbes.com/sites/joshua...
Sticker Shock As Insurance Costs Rise In ACA And Commercial Markets
Premium increases of 9% are expected in the employer-sponsored health insurance market in 2026. Millions more in the individual market will see an even higher spike.
www.forbes.com
Like many Americans, I found out this morning how large the spike in health insurance premiums will be in 2026. In my case, 16% (over $100 per month more than in 2025). Americans are paying much more in premiums each year for worsening coverage. It's absurd.
www.forbes.com/sites/joshua...
www.forbes.com/sites/joshua...
As Open Enrollment Begins, Data Show Obamacare Premiums Increasing 30%
What may exacerbate the 30% increase in premiums is if ACA subsidies expire, as they’re due to Dec. 31. The rise in monthly premiums could then be much greater than 30%.
www.forbes.com
It's that time of year again: Open enrollment, when many Americans select health plans for the upcoming year. Across the Obamacare exchanges, monthly premiums are rising by as much as 30% on average. And this doesn't account for the expiring subsidies.
www.forbes.com/sites/joshua...
www.forbes.com/sites/joshua...
C'est vrai.
Le vin est le sang de la terre.
Le vin est le sang de la terre.
What Will the Trump-Era Crackdown on Drug Ads Accomplish?
The federal government announced a new approach to regulating pharmaceutical ads. Consumers may not see a difference.
undark.org
Direct-to-consumer advertising of prescription medications is ubiquitous. The Trump administration is addressing what it sees as a "public health crisis." But will things change with respect to these commercials?
undark.org/2025/10/27/d...
undark.org/2025/10/27/d...
Fall colors are my absolute favorite.
He will go for a 3rd term. And he will find a way to win.
The mistake was: a. Letting him run (given what happened, it's inexplicable that the American political and judicial systems would let him do this; b. Re-electing him.
Once a and b occurred, our political system was irreparably damaged.
The mistake was: a. Letting him run (given what happened, it's inexplicable that the American political and judicial systems would let him do this; b. Re-electing him.
Once a and b occurred, our political system was irreparably damaged.
Off the charts ignorance.
And now that humanities and liberal arts programs are being further eroded, people will be even more ignorant about the history of so many things.
And AI does NOT replace it. 1, One needs to learn and engage with history. 2. AI is often inaccurate: Garbage in, garbage out.
And now that humanities and liberal arts programs are being further eroded, people will be even more ignorant about the history of so many things.
And AI does NOT replace it. 1, One needs to learn and engage with history. 2. AI is often inaccurate: Garbage in, garbage out.
Excellent.
Research coordinators and assistants are critical assets.
Research coordinators and assistants are critical assets.