State Budget
California
California’s Dangerous Dalliance with Single-Payer Continues
Californians better get comfortable. The wait time to see a doctor in the Golden State may be about to skyrocket. Last week, California Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon and a select committee of representatives held two days of hearings in Sacramento on Senate Bill 562 — the Healthy California Act — ...
Sally C. Pipes
October 30, 2017
Blog
Gov. Brown’s Rolling Stone Interview is a Must-Read
As much as we have criticized Gov. Jerry Brown, we have to acknowledge that on occasion he will act as the senior statesman of his party, beating back its most mindless impulses. The most recent example: his judicious counsel on single-payer health care. Of course Brown has been a supporter ...
Kerry Jackson
October 12, 2017
Commentary
Sanders’ Single-Payer Fairy Tale
Earlier this month, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., unveiled his plan for extending Medicare to all Americans. Sanders’ proposal would provide more generous coverage than Medicare currently does. Private insurance would be a thing of the past, as would premiums, deductibles and co-payments. Dental, vision, and hearing coverage would be included. ...
Sally C. Pipes
September 29, 2017
Health Care
Statement from Sally C. Pipes on Sen. Bernie Sanders’s New “Medicare-for-All” Bill
Pacific Research Institute President, CEO, and Thomas W. Smith Fellow in Health Care Policy Sally C. Pipes today issued the following statement in response to Senator Bernie Sanders’ announcement of his new “Medicare-for-All” bill: “Sen. Bernie Sanders’s new ‘Medicare-for-All 2017 Act’ released today would be disastrous for taxpayers, doctors, and ...
Pacific Research Institute
September 13, 2017
Business & Economics
Enriching Lawyers Is Not the Solution to the Opioid Crisis
Effective health care reforms must reduce the excessive costs imposed by frivolous lawsuits. Studies have shown that medical tort reform could reduce total health care premiums between 1 and 3 percent. As estimated by the American Action Forum, this could mean “roughly $15 billion” in savings from effective (but partial) ...
Wayne Winegarden
September 13, 2017
California
Don’t let California prove how single-payer fails patients
Is single-payer health care dead in California? There were a lot of headlines to that effect in late June, after Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon shelved the Healthy California Act, which would have abolished private insurance and established the state as the sole provider of health coverage in California. But advocates ...
Sally C. Pipes
August 20, 2017
Commentary
Beware The Trojan Horses For Single-Payer Health Care
Republicans left Washington this month having failed to repeal and replace Obamacare. Many Democrats and their ideological allies are using the congressional recess to crow about the GOP’s defeat — and dream about replacing Obamacare with a bonafide single-payer system. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., has promised to introduce a single-payer ...
Sally C. Pipes
August 14, 2017
Business & Economics
Despite Budget Action, Much Work Remains to Solve State’s Pension Crisis
Anyone worried about an earthquake plunging California into the sea should be more concerned about what is really sinking the state: the cost of public-employee pensions. In the just-enacted 2017-18 state budget, about $8 billion of the state government’s $183 billion spending package will go to the California Public Employees’ Retirement ...
Kerry Jackson
July 7, 2017
California
Is The Horror Story Of Single-payer Health Care Coming Soon To A Theater Near You?
Hollywood loves a sequel. This summer, studios are releasing a fifth Pirates of the Caribbean, a third edition of the Despicable Me franchise, and yet another Spiderman. But warmed-over ideas are not the sole province of the film industry. Progressive lawmakers are launching a reboot of their own — Single-Payer ...
Sally C. Pipes
July 2, 2017
California
Single-Payer Health Care Is Dead — For Now. Californians Shouldn’t Let It Come Back
Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon, D-Paramount, has shelved Senate Bill 562. The bill aims to create a government-run, single-payer health care system in California. But, as Rendon noted, “This action does not mean SB562 is dead.” The California Legislature is still in the first half of a two-year session. The Senate ...
Sally C. Pipes
June 29, 2017
California’s Dangerous Dalliance with Single-Payer Continues
Californians better get comfortable. The wait time to see a doctor in the Golden State may be about to skyrocket. Last week, California Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon and a select committee of representatives held two days of hearings in Sacramento on Senate Bill 562 — the Healthy California Act — ...
Gov. Brown’s Rolling Stone Interview is a Must-Read
As much as we have criticized Gov. Jerry Brown, we have to acknowledge that on occasion he will act as the senior statesman of his party, beating back its most mindless impulses. The most recent example: his judicious counsel on single-payer health care. Of course Brown has been a supporter ...
Sanders’ Single-Payer Fairy Tale
Earlier this month, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., unveiled his plan for extending Medicare to all Americans. Sanders’ proposal would provide more generous coverage than Medicare currently does. Private insurance would be a thing of the past, as would premiums, deductibles and co-payments. Dental, vision, and hearing coverage would be included. ...
Statement from Sally C. Pipes on Sen. Bernie Sanders’s New “Medicare-for-All” Bill
Pacific Research Institute President, CEO, and Thomas W. Smith Fellow in Health Care Policy Sally C. Pipes today issued the following statement in response to Senator Bernie Sanders’ announcement of his new “Medicare-for-All” bill: “Sen. Bernie Sanders’s new ‘Medicare-for-All 2017 Act’ released today would be disastrous for taxpayers, doctors, and ...
Enriching Lawyers Is Not the Solution to the Opioid Crisis
Effective health care reforms must reduce the excessive costs imposed by frivolous lawsuits. Studies have shown that medical tort reform could reduce total health care premiums between 1 and 3 percent. As estimated by the American Action Forum, this could mean “roughly $15 billion” in savings from effective (but partial) ...
Don’t let California prove how single-payer fails patients
Is single-payer health care dead in California? There were a lot of headlines to that effect in late June, after Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon shelved the Healthy California Act, which would have abolished private insurance and established the state as the sole provider of health coverage in California. But advocates ...
Beware The Trojan Horses For Single-Payer Health Care
Republicans left Washington this month having failed to repeal and replace Obamacare. Many Democrats and their ideological allies are using the congressional recess to crow about the GOP’s defeat — and dream about replacing Obamacare with a bonafide single-payer system. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., has promised to introduce a single-payer ...
Despite Budget Action, Much Work Remains to Solve State’s Pension Crisis
Anyone worried about an earthquake plunging California into the sea should be more concerned about what is really sinking the state: the cost of public-employee pensions. In the just-enacted 2017-18 state budget, about $8 billion of the state government’s $183 billion spending package will go to the California Public Employees’ Retirement ...
Is The Horror Story Of Single-payer Health Care Coming Soon To A Theater Near You?
Hollywood loves a sequel. This summer, studios are releasing a fifth Pirates of the Caribbean, a third edition of the Despicable Me franchise, and yet another Spiderman. But warmed-over ideas are not the sole province of the film industry. Progressive lawmakers are launching a reboot of their own — Single-Payer ...
Single-Payer Health Care Is Dead — For Now. Californians Shouldn’t Let It Come Back
Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon, D-Paramount, has shelved Senate Bill 562. The bill aims to create a government-run, single-payer health care system in California. But, as Rendon noted, “This action does not mean SB562 is dead.” The California Legislature is still in the first half of a two-year session. The Senate ...