Sally C. Pipes
Commentary
Private insurance exchanges thrive while Obamacare’s falter
The federal government is desperate for Americans to enroll in Obamacare’s exchanges. But most people have refused. When the exchanges officially closed in February, the U.S. Treasury estimated that there were still some 6 million people who would have to pay the penalty established by Obamacare for going without insurance. ...
Commentary
Ordinary consumers are paying for Obamacare’s ‘savings’
Federal programs rarely come in under budget. Consider Medicare, which will soon celebrate its 50th anniversary. In 1967, lawmakers projected annual spending in the program would reach $12 billion in 1990. The actual tab that year? A cool $110 billion. A new report from the Congressional Budget Office says that ...
Commentary
Numbers raise doubts about Obamacare spin
The Obama administration has counted everyone who signed up for health coverage through its exchanges this year. Unsurprisingly, they’ve declared the law a success. As of late February, some 11.7 million people enrolled — 8.8 million on Healthcare.gov and 2.9 million via state marketplaces. That’s nearly 30 percent more than ...
Commentary
Reconciliation can solve GOP’s irreconcilable differences with Obamacare
“It’s time to embrace reality.” That’s what President Obama said about Obamacare on its 5th anniversary in late March. He meant it as a warning to critics — Obamacare is here to stay, so quit “belly-aching.” But after five years of false promises, massive disruptions to the healthcare marketplace, enormous ...
Commentary
Medicare Part D saves money and lives
Federal officials recently set off budgetary alarm bells with new data on Medicare prescription drug spending. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services pegged Medicare Part D’s 2013 price tag at $103 billion. That’s a large number — and largely misleading. A closer look at Part D reveals a program ...
Commentary
Obamacare will make U.S. doctor shortage worse
Need to see a doctor? It might take a while, thanks to Obama-Care. A recent report from the Association of American Medical Colleges projects the United States will lack as many as 31,000 primary-care physicians by 2025. For specialists, the shortage could exceed 63,000 by then. That’s not what the ...
Commentary
Drug importation is a dangerous idea that won’t die
A federal judge just struck down a program in Maine allowing state residents to import prescription drugs from foreign countries. The reason: it’s against federal law — and justifiably so. The importation of price-controlled foreign drugs severely undermines research into future cures, hurting patients in the long run. And more ...
Health Care
Looking at Obamacare, five years on
Obamacare turns five years old March 23. But don’t break out the cake and candles. There’s not much to celebrate. When he signed his signature piece of legislation into law, President Obama guaranteed lower health costs, universal coverage and higher-quality care. Five years later, the health law has failed to ...
Commentary
GOP is ready for Obamacare’s downfall
This week, House Republicans released their proposed budget, which would repeal Obamacare “in its entirety.” This time, though, they have a plan for replacing it. Reps. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), John Kline (R-Minn.), and Fred Upton (R-Mich.) recently offered a proposal that will move the United States away from Obamacare toward ...
Commentary
We all deserve better than single-payer health care
A new report from the Government Accountability Office has confirmed that the Department of Veterans Affairs can’t take care of those it’s supposed to serve. The GAO has placed the VA’s health system on the “high risk” list of federal programs that are vulnerable to “fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement.” ...
Private insurance exchanges thrive while Obamacare’s falter
The federal government is desperate for Americans to enroll in Obamacare’s exchanges. But most people have refused. When the exchanges officially closed in February, the U.S. Treasury estimated that there were still some 6 million people who would have to pay the penalty established by Obamacare for going without insurance. ...
Ordinary consumers are paying for Obamacare’s ‘savings’
Federal programs rarely come in under budget. Consider Medicare, which will soon celebrate its 50th anniversary. In 1967, lawmakers projected annual spending in the program would reach $12 billion in 1990. The actual tab that year? A cool $110 billion. A new report from the Congressional Budget Office says that ...
Numbers raise doubts about Obamacare spin
The Obama administration has counted everyone who signed up for health coverage through its exchanges this year. Unsurprisingly, they’ve declared the law a success. As of late February, some 11.7 million people enrolled — 8.8 million on Healthcare.gov and 2.9 million via state marketplaces. That’s nearly 30 percent more than ...
Reconciliation can solve GOP’s irreconcilable differences with Obamacare
“It’s time to embrace reality.” That’s what President Obama said about Obamacare on its 5th anniversary in late March. He meant it as a warning to critics — Obamacare is here to stay, so quit “belly-aching.” But after five years of false promises, massive disruptions to the healthcare marketplace, enormous ...
Medicare Part D saves money and lives
Federal officials recently set off budgetary alarm bells with new data on Medicare prescription drug spending. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services pegged Medicare Part D’s 2013 price tag at $103 billion. That’s a large number — and largely misleading. A closer look at Part D reveals a program ...
Obamacare will make U.S. doctor shortage worse
Need to see a doctor? It might take a while, thanks to Obama-Care. A recent report from the Association of American Medical Colleges projects the United States will lack as many as 31,000 primary-care physicians by 2025. For specialists, the shortage could exceed 63,000 by then. That’s not what the ...
Drug importation is a dangerous idea that won’t die
A federal judge just struck down a program in Maine allowing state residents to import prescription drugs from foreign countries. The reason: it’s against federal law — and justifiably so. The importation of price-controlled foreign drugs severely undermines research into future cures, hurting patients in the long run. And more ...
Looking at Obamacare, five years on
Obamacare turns five years old March 23. But don’t break out the cake and candles. There’s not much to celebrate. When he signed his signature piece of legislation into law, President Obama guaranteed lower health costs, universal coverage and higher-quality care. Five years later, the health law has failed to ...
GOP is ready for Obamacare’s downfall
This week, House Republicans released their proposed budget, which would repeal Obamacare “in its entirety.” This time, though, they have a plan for replacing it. Reps. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), John Kline (R-Minn.), and Fred Upton (R-Mich.) recently offered a proposal that will move the United States away from Obamacare toward ...
We all deserve better than single-payer health care
A new report from the Government Accountability Office has confirmed that the Department of Veterans Affairs can’t take care of those it’s supposed to serve. The GAO has placed the VA’s health system on the “high risk” list of federal programs that are vulnerable to “fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement.” ...
