Sally C. Pipes
Commentary
Hold the Applause, Biden Shouldn’t Take an Obamacare Victory Lap
President Joe Biden has finally figured out how to get Americans onto the Obamacare exchanges — by paying them. The administration recently congratulated itself after 2.5 million Americans signed up for plans through the government-run marketplaces during a newly created Special Enrollment Period that closed August 15. But these figures don’t reflect newfound ...
Sally C. Pipes
August 19, 2021
California
Gavin Newsom Is Bad For California’s Health
On September 14, the people of California will have the chance—in a recall election—to oust Governor Gavin Newsom. His record over his more than two and a half years in power is checkered. Nowhere is that clearer than on health policy. Early in the pandemic, Newsom instituted some of America’s ...
Sally C. Pipes
August 16, 2021
Commentary
Hospitals need to comply with price transparency
Imagine you’re in the market for a new car. You go to the dealership, take a few models out for a test drive, and ultimately choose the one that has the features and driving experience you’re looking for. But now imagine that there’s no sticker price. You just tell the ...
Sally C. Pipes
August 16, 2021
Commentary
The Real Vaccine Skeptics Work at the FDA
Demonstrators in 50 cities across the country took the streets last month to demand a government takeover of America’s health system. The Democrats who control Washington are trying to give those activists what they’re asking for, albeit in piecemeal fashion. In recent weeks, they’ve proposed lowering Medicare’s eligibility age and adding dental, vision and hearing benefits ...
Sally C. Pipes
August 13, 2021
Commentary
Infrastructure bill’s ‘buy American’ provision inflates healthcare costs
The Senate is poised, on Tuesday, to pass a $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure package. According to the latest estimate from the Congressional Budget Office, the new spending will increase the deficit by over $250 billion. The 2,700-page bill appropriates an avalanche of funding for everything from electric vehicle charging stations ...
Sally C. Pipes
August 10, 2021
Commentary
Let’s Not Repeat Canada’s Healthcare Mistakes
Demonstrators in 50 cities across the country took the streets last month to demand a government takeover of America’s health system. The Democrats who control Washington are trying to give those activists what they’re asking for, albeit in piecemeal fashion. In recent weeks, they’ve proposed lowering Medicare’s eligibility age and adding dental, vision and hearing benefits ...
Sally C. Pipes
August 5, 2021
Commentary
Medicare And Medicaid Turn 56 Today. That’s Not Exactly Cause For Celebration.
Today, Medicare and Medicaid mark their 56th birthday. They were signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson to ensure that seniors and the poor had access to quality, affordable health coverage as part of his Great Society. They’ve grown far beyond what their creators envisioned. In 1967, the House Ways ...
Sally C. Pipes
July 30, 2021
Commentary
Warning: COVID-19 Lockdowns May Cause Cancer
During the depths of the COVID-19 pandemic, the most vocal proponents of aggressive lockdowns often framed the issue as a trade-off between personal freedom on the one hand and public health on the other. Stay-at-home orders may have prevented some people at the margin from congregating and spreading the virus. ...
Sally C. Pipes
July 29, 2021
Commentary
It’s time for hospitals to make pricing transparent
Many hospitals are refusing to comply with a Trump-era requirement that went into effect on Jan. 1 to publish the prices for more than 300 “shoppable” medical procedures. This intransigence is alarming – and expensive. The rule could save American patients and insurers up to $27 billion annually, but only ...
Sally C. Pipes
July 26, 2021
Commentary
This Medicare change should concern seniors
Earlier this month, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced plans to cut Medicare’s payment rates to physicians by nearly 4%. The announcement comes just days before the program turns 56 on July 30. The pay cut, which has received intense pushback from several physician groups, is slated to ...
Sally C. Pipes
July 26, 2021
Hold the Applause, Biden Shouldn’t Take an Obamacare Victory Lap
President Joe Biden has finally figured out how to get Americans onto the Obamacare exchanges — by paying them. The administration recently congratulated itself after 2.5 million Americans signed up for plans through the government-run marketplaces during a newly created Special Enrollment Period that closed August 15. But these figures don’t reflect newfound ...
Gavin Newsom Is Bad For California’s Health
On September 14, the people of California will have the chance—in a recall election—to oust Governor Gavin Newsom. His record over his more than two and a half years in power is checkered. Nowhere is that clearer than on health policy. Early in the pandemic, Newsom instituted some of America’s ...
Hospitals need to comply with price transparency
Imagine you’re in the market for a new car. You go to the dealership, take a few models out for a test drive, and ultimately choose the one that has the features and driving experience you’re looking for. But now imagine that there’s no sticker price. You just tell the ...
The Real Vaccine Skeptics Work at the FDA
Demonstrators in 50 cities across the country took the streets last month to demand a government takeover of America’s health system. The Democrats who control Washington are trying to give those activists what they’re asking for, albeit in piecemeal fashion. In recent weeks, they’ve proposed lowering Medicare’s eligibility age and adding dental, vision and hearing benefits ...
Infrastructure bill’s ‘buy American’ provision inflates healthcare costs
The Senate is poised, on Tuesday, to pass a $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure package. According to the latest estimate from the Congressional Budget Office, the new spending will increase the deficit by over $250 billion. The 2,700-page bill appropriates an avalanche of funding for everything from electric vehicle charging stations ...
Let’s Not Repeat Canada’s Healthcare Mistakes
Demonstrators in 50 cities across the country took the streets last month to demand a government takeover of America’s health system. The Democrats who control Washington are trying to give those activists what they’re asking for, albeit in piecemeal fashion. In recent weeks, they’ve proposed lowering Medicare’s eligibility age and adding dental, vision and hearing benefits ...
Medicare And Medicaid Turn 56 Today. That’s Not Exactly Cause For Celebration.
Today, Medicare and Medicaid mark their 56th birthday. They were signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson to ensure that seniors and the poor had access to quality, affordable health coverage as part of his Great Society. They’ve grown far beyond what their creators envisioned. In 1967, the House Ways ...
Warning: COVID-19 Lockdowns May Cause Cancer
During the depths of the COVID-19 pandemic, the most vocal proponents of aggressive lockdowns often framed the issue as a trade-off between personal freedom on the one hand and public health on the other. Stay-at-home orders may have prevented some people at the margin from congregating and spreading the virus. ...
It’s time for hospitals to make pricing transparent
Many hospitals are refusing to comply with a Trump-era requirement that went into effect on Jan. 1 to publish the prices for more than 300 “shoppable” medical procedures. This intransigence is alarming – and expensive. The rule could save American patients and insurers up to $27 billion annually, but only ...
This Medicare change should concern seniors
Earlier this month, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced plans to cut Medicare’s payment rates to physicians by nearly 4%. The announcement comes just days before the program turns 56 on July 30. The pay cut, which has received intense pushback from several physician groups, is slated to ...