New report: The Long-Lasting, Negative Consequences of the Minimum Wage
We have a new report today: The Long-Lasting, Negative Consequences of the Minimum Wage. Briefly: High labor costs hurt a state’s economic competitiveness. In Washington, these costs include the nation’s highest minimum wage. Unlike the federal minimum wage, Washington’s is indexed to inflation and has no tip credit. HB 1355 would increase Washington’s minimum wage […]
February 18 , 2015 - Emily Makings
At end of open enrollment, Exchange goals were not met
Open enrollment for health insurance ended Sunday. The Washington Health Benefit Exchange (HBE) has only provided approximate enrollment numbers: “Nearly” 160,000 renewed coverage or enrolled for the first time during the open enrollment period. Of those, “more than” 66,000 were new enrollees, meaning that renewals were not more than 94,000. They did get a bounce […]
February 17 , 2015 - Emily Makings
February 11 , 2015 - Emily Makings
February 10 , 2015 - Emily Makings
February 06 , 2015 - Emily Makings
Remainders: liquor, apples, jobs
As we wrap up the week, here are some items of interest: The Office of Financial Management released a paper on the impacts of I-1183 (liquor privatization). Sample line from the report: “Thus, pre-privatization, the LCB mission was achieved: to induce and maintain a liquor market characterized by allocative inefficiency, inhibiting full market demand.” Good […]
February 06 , 2015 - Emily Makings
Washington Exchange enrollment through January
The Washington Health Benefit Exchange (HBE) has released some enrollment numbers through January. I say “some” because they only include numbers for new and renewed qualified (private) health plans (QHP) and for new Medicaid enrollees under the expansion. They do not include numbers for Medicaid renewals or enrollments in Medicaid by those who were previously […]
February 05 , 2015 - Emily Makings
"Too few people" buying insurance through the Healthplanfinder
The Seattle Times has a good article from Lisa Stiffler about enrollment issues at the Washington Health Benefit Exchange (HBE). I wrote last week that enrollments are well short of the HBE’s goal for this year’s open enrollment, which ends Feb. 15. Stiffler provides more details: The trouble for the Washington Health Benefit Exchange, which […]
February 05 , 2015 - Emily Makings
Teen unemployment rate is higher in Washington than in Idaho
As Jim Camden at the Spokesman-Review reports, yesterday the Senate Commerce and Labor Committee held a hearing on bills that would allow for a lower minimum wage for teenagers (SB 5421 and 5422). One part of the hearing stood out to me, and Camden notes it in his blog post: Democrats on the committee criticized […]
February 04 , 2015 - Emily Makings