John R. Graham
Commentary
Obama’s Unhealthy Start: SCHIP Explosion, Medicaid Bailout, COBRA’s Bite
Things are changing fast in American health care. Last month, we examined Tom Daschle’s health care vision, in anticipation of his enthusiastic reception as President Obama’s Secretary of Health and Human Services. Mr. Daschle is now gone, and as yet nobody is at the controls, but that has not stopped ...
Health Care
If Eight Is Enough, Why Isn’t $60 Billion?
Nadya Suleman and her eight babies are much in the news, with good reason. There are lessons here for everyone, and they extend beyond the fertility debate. Ms. Suleman is the divorced mother who gave birth to eight babies on January 26. Kaiser Permanente clearly viewed the event as a ...
Commentary
Taxes bite into Health Savings Accounts
In an article full of left-handed compliments, the San Francisco Business Times noted that Kaiser Permanente, the mother of all HMOs, has 12 percent of its members in “deductible plans” at the end of 2008 (“New health for HSAs,” Jan. 16-22 issue). The traditional Kaiser Permanente deductible is zero. Of ...
California
How Federal Health “Reform” Will Devastate California’s Budget
Last June California politicians claimed to have “fixed” the budget but according to a November 18 report from the non-partisan Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) California now faces a budget deficit of $20.7 billion from the present until 2010-2011. Unfortunately, something’s coming down the pike that will make today’s budget shenanigans ...
Commentary
Charge health insurance equally
January President Barack Obama and his new health czar, former U.S. Sen. Tom Daschle, have promised big changes for our health care system. In a number of states, though, many of their government-heavy ideas have already been tried — and failed. Paramount among the proposed changes are “guaranteed issue” and ...
Commentary
Chicago Hospital Pricing: Is a 40% Discount Enough?
The Chicago Tribune reports that area hospitals are giving discounts of up to 40% to uninsured patients, or even “anyone who asks”. This may be a result of a law passed last year that attempted to compel some transparency and common-sense pricing for Illinois hospitals. As I’ve noted before (p. ...
California
Free(ing) Health Insurance in California?
State senator Sam Aanestad is still rolling out good health-care legislation in the Golden State. A few months ago, he introduced a bill that would improve California’s high-risk pool for health insurance, by allowing its beneficiaries to buy low-premium, consumer-driven policies, and allow different premiums for smokers and the obese ...
Commentary
Taxpayer-Funded Lobbying for State Take-Over of Health Care?
Last January, governor Schwarzenegger’s expensive and unwieldy proposal for so-called “universal” health care finally gasped its last breath, after a long year of lobbying and coalition-building by the governor’s team. Good thing, too, as I wrote at the time. But those who advocated it are more active than ever. Daniel ...
Commentary
Government Planning Makes Long-Term Planning Impossible
I envy the good people of Massachusetts at least one thing: (in my humble opinion) the Boston Globe has the best coverage of local health policy. (Pity me, I’m stuck with the Los Angeles Times, and its kin.) Prompted by the BoGlo’s coverage of out-of-control health-care spending in the wake ...
Commentary
Lessons from States with “Universal” Health Care
Last January, governor Schwarzenegger’s expensive and unwieldy proposal for so-called “universal” health care finally gasped its last breath, after a long year of lobbying and coalition-building by the governor’s team. A year later, in 2009, legislators should attempt to learn from two states that have legislated “universal” care. Hawaii imposed ...
Obama’s Unhealthy Start: SCHIP Explosion, Medicaid Bailout, COBRA’s Bite
Things are changing fast in American health care. Last month, we examined Tom Daschle’s health care vision, in anticipation of his enthusiastic reception as President Obama’s Secretary of Health and Human Services. Mr. Daschle is now gone, and as yet nobody is at the controls, but that has not stopped ...
If Eight Is Enough, Why Isn’t $60 Billion?
Nadya Suleman and her eight babies are much in the news, with good reason. There are lessons here for everyone, and they extend beyond the fertility debate. Ms. Suleman is the divorced mother who gave birth to eight babies on January 26. Kaiser Permanente clearly viewed the event as a ...
Taxes bite into Health Savings Accounts
In an article full of left-handed compliments, the San Francisco Business Times noted that Kaiser Permanente, the mother of all HMOs, has 12 percent of its members in “deductible plans” at the end of 2008 (“New health for HSAs,” Jan. 16-22 issue). The traditional Kaiser Permanente deductible is zero. Of ...
How Federal Health “Reform” Will Devastate California’s Budget
Last June California politicians claimed to have “fixed” the budget but according to a November 18 report from the non-partisan Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) California now faces a budget deficit of $20.7 billion from the present until 2010-2011. Unfortunately, something’s coming down the pike that will make today’s budget shenanigans ...
Charge health insurance equally
January President Barack Obama and his new health czar, former U.S. Sen. Tom Daschle, have promised big changes for our health care system. In a number of states, though, many of their government-heavy ideas have already been tried — and failed. Paramount among the proposed changes are “guaranteed issue” and ...
Chicago Hospital Pricing: Is a 40% Discount Enough?
The Chicago Tribune reports that area hospitals are giving discounts of up to 40% to uninsured patients, or even “anyone who asks”. This may be a result of a law passed last year that attempted to compel some transparency and common-sense pricing for Illinois hospitals. As I’ve noted before (p. ...
Free(ing) Health Insurance in California?
State senator Sam Aanestad is still rolling out good health-care legislation in the Golden State. A few months ago, he introduced a bill that would improve California’s high-risk pool for health insurance, by allowing its beneficiaries to buy low-premium, consumer-driven policies, and allow different premiums for smokers and the obese ...
Taxpayer-Funded Lobbying for State Take-Over of Health Care?
Last January, governor Schwarzenegger’s expensive and unwieldy proposal for so-called “universal” health care finally gasped its last breath, after a long year of lobbying and coalition-building by the governor’s team. Good thing, too, as I wrote at the time. But those who advocated it are more active than ever. Daniel ...
Government Planning Makes Long-Term Planning Impossible
I envy the good people of Massachusetts at least one thing: (in my humble opinion) the Boston Globe has the best coverage of local health policy. (Pity me, I’m stuck with the Los Angeles Times, and its kin.) Prompted by the BoGlo’s coverage of out-of-control health-care spending in the wake ...
Lessons from States with “Universal” Health Care
Last January, governor Schwarzenegger’s expensive and unwieldy proposal for so-called “universal” health care finally gasped its last breath, after a long year of lobbying and coalition-building by the governor’s team. A year later, in 2009, legislators should attempt to learn from two states that have legislated “universal” care. Hawaii imposed ...
