Wayne Winegarden
Business & Economics
Empower Patients, Not ICER
An obscure institute that most people have never heard of threatens to impose unwarranted restrictions on medically-advised treatments for patients. The Institute for Clinical and Economic Review, or ICER as it is commonly known, assesses whether medicines are cost effective, based on ICER’s definition, of course. These assessments are intended ...
Wayne Winegarden
May 11, 2017
Business & Economics
It’s Time To Switch Our Pharmacy Benefit Manager
Click here to read PRI’s new issue brief, The Economic Costs of Pharmacy Benefit Managers Express Scripts, the largest pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) in the nation, is discovering just how much customer service matters. It may also be discovering that suing your biggest customer in court is generally not considered ...
Wayne Winegarden
May 9, 2017
Business & Economics
Drug Importation Will Not Improve Health Care Affordability
The growing problem of health care affordability requires prompt and effective policy solutions. However, just as the wrong medical diagnosis will not cure a patient, and may make the patient even sicker, the wrong policy solution will not address the U.S. health care affordability problem, and may even worsen the ...
Wayne Winegarden
April 27, 2017
Business & Economics
New PRI Study Finds That High Prescription Drug Costs Are Not Driving Up U.S. Health Care Costs
A more realistic evaluation of U.S. prescription drug prices shows that high drug prices are not actually driving up health care costs overall, and reflect the higher U.S. health care costs compared to the rest of the world, according to a new report released today by the Pacific Research Institute. ...
Wayne Winegarden
April 25, 2017
Drug Innovation
ISSUE BRIEF: Nevada Proposal To Regulate Excess Costs Are Price Controls By Another Name
Click here to download a copy of PRI’s Issue Brief Senate Bill 265 would require pharmaceutical firms to reimburse insurers for any “excess costs” associated with drugs for diabetes, which are defined as the excess costs over the highest price in other developed countries. The Fiscal Notes on SB 265 ...
Wayne Winegarden
April 24, 2017
Business & Economics
New Study – Beyond the New Normal Part 4: Policy Mix Theory and Historical Evidence
America’s economy can return to the days of 3 percent and higher annual growth rates if Washington embraces pro-growth economic policies, concludes the latest installment of Pacific Research Institute’s Beyond the New Normal series released today. “Nothing impacts America’s economy more than government economic policy,” said Dr. Wayne Winegarden, PRI ...
Wayne Winegarden
April 19, 2017
Business & Economics
How Hasty Obama-Era Rules Are Doing More Harm Than Good
In a flurry of activity during its waning hours, the Obama administration hastily approved far too many ill-conceived regulations that will affect the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of Americans. In this rush to regulate, the outgoing administration violated regulatory procedures on vitally important issues, and, as a consequence, the ...
Wayne Winegarden
March 24, 2017
Business & Economics
Can The Government Afford Economic Growth?
Despite the Federal Reserve’s latest interest rate increase last week, interest rates remain low by historical standards. While rising interest rates are an indication that the economic outlook is improving, the slow climb back to normal rates is a significant risk to the government’s budget. 50 years ago, about 10 ...
Wayne Winegarden
March 22, 2017
Business & Economics
Reform Pharmacy Benefit Managers (Pbms) To Improve Pharmaceutical Affordability
Imagine if you never had to directly pay for your morning cup of coffee again. Instead, a coffee insurer guaranteed that, for a small co-pay, you could enjoy a cup of coffee every morning. Sounds good? The catch, and there is always a catch, is the caveat “directly pay.” In ...
Wayne Winegarden
March 7, 2017
Commentary
Hidden ER Costs Undermine Health Markets
Imagine you’re traveling in a different state when, suddenly, you begin to feel severe abdominal pain. Being unfamiliar with the area and wanting to avoid hefty out-of-network bills, you call your insurance company to find an in-network hospital. After receiving some medication and a few routine tests in the emergency ...
Wayne Winegarden
March 6, 2017
Empower Patients, Not ICER
An obscure institute that most people have never heard of threatens to impose unwarranted restrictions on medically-advised treatments for patients. The Institute for Clinical and Economic Review, or ICER as it is commonly known, assesses whether medicines are cost effective, based on ICER’s definition, of course. These assessments are intended ...
It’s Time To Switch Our Pharmacy Benefit Manager
Click here to read PRI’s new issue brief, The Economic Costs of Pharmacy Benefit Managers Express Scripts, the largest pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) in the nation, is discovering just how much customer service matters. It may also be discovering that suing your biggest customer in court is generally not considered ...
Drug Importation Will Not Improve Health Care Affordability
The growing problem of health care affordability requires prompt and effective policy solutions. However, just as the wrong medical diagnosis will not cure a patient, and may make the patient even sicker, the wrong policy solution will not address the U.S. health care affordability problem, and may even worsen the ...
New PRI Study Finds That High Prescription Drug Costs Are Not Driving Up U.S. Health Care Costs
A more realistic evaluation of U.S. prescription drug prices shows that high drug prices are not actually driving up health care costs overall, and reflect the higher U.S. health care costs compared to the rest of the world, according to a new report released today by the Pacific Research Institute. ...
ISSUE BRIEF: Nevada Proposal To Regulate Excess Costs Are Price Controls By Another Name
Click here to download a copy of PRI’s Issue Brief Senate Bill 265 would require pharmaceutical firms to reimburse insurers for any “excess costs” associated with drugs for diabetes, which are defined as the excess costs over the highest price in other developed countries. The Fiscal Notes on SB 265 ...
New Study – Beyond the New Normal Part 4: Policy Mix Theory and Historical Evidence
America’s economy can return to the days of 3 percent and higher annual growth rates if Washington embraces pro-growth economic policies, concludes the latest installment of Pacific Research Institute’s Beyond the New Normal series released today. “Nothing impacts America’s economy more than government economic policy,” said Dr. Wayne Winegarden, PRI ...
How Hasty Obama-Era Rules Are Doing More Harm Than Good
In a flurry of activity during its waning hours, the Obama administration hastily approved far too many ill-conceived regulations that will affect the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of Americans. In this rush to regulate, the outgoing administration violated regulatory procedures on vitally important issues, and, as a consequence, the ...
Can The Government Afford Economic Growth?
Despite the Federal Reserve’s latest interest rate increase last week, interest rates remain low by historical standards. While rising interest rates are an indication that the economic outlook is improving, the slow climb back to normal rates is a significant risk to the government’s budget. 50 years ago, about 10 ...
Reform Pharmacy Benefit Managers (Pbms) To Improve Pharmaceutical Affordability
Imagine if you never had to directly pay for your morning cup of coffee again. Instead, a coffee insurer guaranteed that, for a small co-pay, you could enjoy a cup of coffee every morning. Sounds good? The catch, and there is always a catch, is the caveat “directly pay.” In ...
Hidden ER Costs Undermine Health Markets
Imagine you’re traveling in a different state when, suddenly, you begin to feel severe abdominal pain. Being unfamiliar with the area and wanting to avoid hefty out-of-network bills, you call your insurance company to find an in-network hospital. After receiving some medication and a few routine tests in the emergency ...