The Affordable Care Act has turned out to be remarkably durable, despite years of sustained political attacks and self-inflicted wounds — and that's especially true of its expansion of Medicaid.
Why it matters: Expansion is inching forward even in the deep red states that have so far been the biggest holdouts.
The labor force has fallen significantly in places with high concentrations of opioid prescriptions over the past 15 years, meaning that employers often have a direct interest in combatting the opioid crisis.
Between the lines: As the economy continues to strengthen and more jobs go unfilled, the business impact of those out of the workforce and struggling with opioid addiction will become only more noticeable.
We still have an uninsured problem in the U.S., but we have a far broader health care affordability problem that hits sick people especially hard.
Why it matters: It's time to think more broadly about who's having trouble paying for the health care they need. The combination of lack of insurance and affordability affects about a quarter of the non-elderly population at any one time, but almost half of people who are sick.
