Sally C. Pipes
Commentary
Open Enrollment Numbers Hide Obamacare’s Expensive Failures
It’s beginning to look a lot like . . . open enrollment. On December 15, the Affordable Care Act’s sign-up period will officially close for coverage that takes effect January 1. The Biden administration has already begun crowing about how many people have signed up. In mid-November, Health and Human ...
Sally C. Pipes
December 5, 2022
Commentary
The VA is failing America’s heroes — again
“If I’d gone to the VA, I would have died.” That’s what Marine veteran Chinaza Duson told Atlanta NBC affiliate 11 Alive after she nearly died of a heart attack this summer waiting to be seen at her local Veterans Affairs medical center. Sadly, veterans across America utter similar words ...
Sally C. Pipes
December 4, 2022
Commentary
Medicaid Expansion Is Never Cheap
A South Dakota ballot measure expanding the state’s Medicaid program passed with 56% of the vote earlier this month. Expanding Medicaid may sound like a smart way to get more people insurance coverage — especially when the federal government is picking up most of the tab, as it will in this case. ...
Sally C. Pipes
November 29, 2022
Commentary
Bernie Sanders seeks new role to push Medicare for all
Last week, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) announced his intention to chair the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee in the next Congress. He’s promised to “focus on universal healthcare.” In other words, the senator’s long-standing quest for “Medicare for All” has new life. We can expect hearings featuring an array of ...
Sally C. Pipes
November 25, 2022
Commentary
Divided Congress Doesn’t Have to Mean Gridlock Over Healthcare
As a result of the recent midterm elections, and as of this writing, it looks like the 118th Congress, which will be seated Jan. 3, 2023 will be split, with Democrats set to retain a slim majority in the Senate and Republicans taking control of the House by just a ...
Sally C. Pipes
November 22, 2022
Commentary
A New Plan Brings Clarity To Healthcare Price Transparency–Finally
In health policy, there’s nothing quite as opaque as price transparency. Insurance companies and hospitals tend to say there’s no place for it in the healthcare sector, since medicine is more complicated than cars or groceries. Other skeptics say that implementing transparency rules is too hard. Hospitals have largely flouted a two-year-old ...
Sally C. Pipes
November 21, 2022
Commentary
Declaring a “Right’ to Healthcare Feel-Good Symbolism Only
Will Oregon’s voters declare a “right” to healthcare? Voters nationwide took to the polls this week not just to select a new Congress but to settle a number of healthcare policy questions, from curbs on medical debt in Arizona to regulations on dialysis providers in California. Oregonians were asked to amend the ...
Sally C. Pipes
November 14, 2022
Commentary
What might the new Congress do on healthcare?
The outcome of this week’s midterm elections is still unclear, but Republicans appear headed for a narrow majority in the House of Representatives. Divided government means that legislation must have bipartisan appeal if it’s going to have any hope of advancing. On healthcare, there are a few policy initiatives that could attract ...
Sally C. Pipes
November 13, 2022
Commentary
Dems Pose Biggest Threat to Medicare — GOP Will Save It
In a last-minute bid for undecided voters in the run-up to the midterm elections, Democrats are loudly claiming that a Republican Congress will be bad for seniors. As President Joe Biden put it at a campaign rally this week, “They’re coming after your Social Security and Medicare, and they’re saying it ...
Sally C. Pipes
November 7, 2022
Commentary
Healthcare Competition Isn’t Just A Republican Messaging Point
The midterm elections are tomorrow. Polling suggests Republicans have a shot at winning back both the House and Senate, as voters are coalescing around the GOP’s ideas for reducing inflation and crime. While those ideas might lead to electoral victory, they’re not the only policy priorities on conservatives’ list. Republicans have also promised to ...
Sally C. Pipes
November 7, 2022
Open Enrollment Numbers Hide Obamacare’s Expensive Failures
It’s beginning to look a lot like . . . open enrollment. On December 15, the Affordable Care Act’s sign-up period will officially close for coverage that takes effect January 1. The Biden administration has already begun crowing about how many people have signed up. In mid-November, Health and Human ...
The VA is failing America’s heroes — again
“If I’d gone to the VA, I would have died.” That’s what Marine veteran Chinaza Duson told Atlanta NBC affiliate 11 Alive after she nearly died of a heart attack this summer waiting to be seen at her local Veterans Affairs medical center. Sadly, veterans across America utter similar words ...
Medicaid Expansion Is Never Cheap
A South Dakota ballot measure expanding the state’s Medicaid program passed with 56% of the vote earlier this month. Expanding Medicaid may sound like a smart way to get more people insurance coverage — especially when the federal government is picking up most of the tab, as it will in this case. ...
Bernie Sanders seeks new role to push Medicare for all
Last week, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) announced his intention to chair the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee in the next Congress. He’s promised to “focus on universal healthcare.” In other words, the senator’s long-standing quest for “Medicare for All” has new life. We can expect hearings featuring an array of ...
Divided Congress Doesn’t Have to Mean Gridlock Over Healthcare
As a result of the recent midterm elections, and as of this writing, it looks like the 118th Congress, which will be seated Jan. 3, 2023 will be split, with Democrats set to retain a slim majority in the Senate and Republicans taking control of the House by just a ...
A New Plan Brings Clarity To Healthcare Price Transparency–Finally
In health policy, there’s nothing quite as opaque as price transparency. Insurance companies and hospitals tend to say there’s no place for it in the healthcare sector, since medicine is more complicated than cars or groceries. Other skeptics say that implementing transparency rules is too hard. Hospitals have largely flouted a two-year-old ...
Declaring a “Right’ to Healthcare Feel-Good Symbolism Only
Will Oregon’s voters declare a “right” to healthcare? Voters nationwide took to the polls this week not just to select a new Congress but to settle a number of healthcare policy questions, from curbs on medical debt in Arizona to regulations on dialysis providers in California. Oregonians were asked to amend the ...
What might the new Congress do on healthcare?
The outcome of this week’s midterm elections is still unclear, but Republicans appear headed for a narrow majority in the House of Representatives. Divided government means that legislation must have bipartisan appeal if it’s going to have any hope of advancing. On healthcare, there are a few policy initiatives that could attract ...
Dems Pose Biggest Threat to Medicare — GOP Will Save It
In a last-minute bid for undecided voters in the run-up to the midterm elections, Democrats are loudly claiming that a Republican Congress will be bad for seniors. As President Joe Biden put it at a campaign rally this week, “They’re coming after your Social Security and Medicare, and they’re saying it ...
Healthcare Competition Isn’t Just A Republican Messaging Point
The midterm elections are tomorrow. Polling suggests Republicans have a shot at winning back both the House and Senate, as voters are coalescing around the GOP’s ideas for reducing inflation and crime. While those ideas might lead to electoral victory, they’re not the only policy priorities on conservatives’ list. Republicans have also promised to ...