Health Care
Commentary
Democrats in Fantasyland on Health Care Reform
While Harry Reid, the Scrooge of the Senate, forces a health care vote on December 24, Americans are commencing their Christmas celebrations. Across the continent from Washington, one popular destination, Disneyland, is decorated with Christmas splendor in anticipation of hundreds of thousands of people visiting it over the holidays. There ...
Commentary
Give Me Liberty, or Give Me Obamacare
Obamacare would require Americans to buy government-approved health insurance. It would make it illegal to offer choices in insurance plans beyond the handful of very similar ones that the government would allow. It would become illegal to offer new and innovative plans. Under any of the government-approved plans, it would ...
Commentary
Health Care Legislation Turns Medicare Into Slush Fund
President Obama has repeatedly pledged never to sign any proposal that would add one dime to the federal deficit, yet he and Congress are finding it impossible to cover millions of uninsured Americans without increasing deficit spending or taking the money from the current Medicare system. Finding money to achieve ...
Health Care
The Federal Government’s Regulatory Burden on American Health Care Has Increased By More Than Half in a Decade
Politicians who want to increase the federal governments control of Americans access to medical services under the banner of reform describe the status quo as some kind of Wild West, where nobody has protection against greedy insurers, incompetent doctors, or dangerous hospitals. The facts show otherwise. As I have described ...
Commentary
Cutting Medicare Advantage hurts seniors
President Barack Obama has promised time and again that his health reforms won’t force Americans to change insurance plans if they like what they already have. He’s willing to break that promise. A key provision of the Democrats’ reform plan would cut benefits in the Medicare Advantage program by as ...
Commentary
Hike In Long-Term Care Benefits Is Really Just Low-CLASS Trickery
The extent of smoke and mirrors in both the House and Senate health care bills is frightening. Much mischief is easily concealed in each 2,000-plus-page bill. One part of the health reform bills that has not garnered much attention is Congress’ expansion into long-term care. Just a few months ago, ...
Commentary
Federal Regulatory Burden on Health Care Increased By Over Half in Ten Years
So, I thought that I would find a decrease, or no change, in the relevant regulatory pages. I focused only on Medicare and Medicaid, regulation of private health insurance, and regulation of providers. However, I did not address the regulation of drugs or medical devices for safety and efficacy. The ...
Commentary
Electronic Health Records: Blah, Blah, Blah
An example of this just crossed my path. Back in September 2000, the Canadian and provincial governments committed to a nationally consistent EHR-system. The province of Ontario, which runs a government-monopoly, single-payer, health system for its 12 million residents, got to work developing a province-wide EHR system, eHealth. Under state ...
Commentary
Reduced Medicare Benefits Will Increase Cost of Private Insurance
However, the government will undoubtedly be successful in driving private insurers out of the Medicare Advantage program, threatening about 11 million seniors’ access to this valuable alternative. The key difference between Medicare Advantage and traditional Medicare is that the latter operates according to a Soviet-style, centrally determined schedule of fees, ...
Commentary
Even a ‘scaled-down’ health bill is dangerous
Last week, Democratic leaders in the Senate caved to Sen. Joseph Lieberman’s demands and stripped away some major provisions from their health reform legislation, including the public option and a plan that would have allowed middle-age Americans to “buy in” to Medicare. With Connecticut independent Lieberman’s support seemingly secured — ...
Democrats in Fantasyland on Health Care Reform
While Harry Reid, the Scrooge of the Senate, forces a health care vote on December 24, Americans are commencing their Christmas celebrations. Across the continent from Washington, one popular destination, Disneyland, is decorated with Christmas splendor in anticipation of hundreds of thousands of people visiting it over the holidays. There ...
Give Me Liberty, or Give Me Obamacare
Obamacare would require Americans to buy government-approved health insurance. It would make it illegal to offer choices in insurance plans beyond the handful of very similar ones that the government would allow. It would become illegal to offer new and innovative plans. Under any of the government-approved plans, it would ...
Health Care Legislation Turns Medicare Into Slush Fund
President Obama has repeatedly pledged never to sign any proposal that would add one dime to the federal deficit, yet he and Congress are finding it impossible to cover millions of uninsured Americans without increasing deficit spending or taking the money from the current Medicare system. Finding money to achieve ...
The Federal Government’s Regulatory Burden on American Health Care Has Increased By More Than Half in a Decade
Politicians who want to increase the federal governments control of Americans access to medical services under the banner of reform describe the status quo as some kind of Wild West, where nobody has protection against greedy insurers, incompetent doctors, or dangerous hospitals. The facts show otherwise. As I have described ...
Cutting Medicare Advantage hurts seniors
President Barack Obama has promised time and again that his health reforms won’t force Americans to change insurance plans if they like what they already have. He’s willing to break that promise. A key provision of the Democrats’ reform plan would cut benefits in the Medicare Advantage program by as ...
Hike In Long-Term Care Benefits Is Really Just Low-CLASS Trickery
The extent of smoke and mirrors in both the House and Senate health care bills is frightening. Much mischief is easily concealed in each 2,000-plus-page bill. One part of the health reform bills that has not garnered much attention is Congress’ expansion into long-term care. Just a few months ago, ...
Federal Regulatory Burden on Health Care Increased By Over Half in Ten Years
So, I thought that I would find a decrease, or no change, in the relevant regulatory pages. I focused only on Medicare and Medicaid, regulation of private health insurance, and regulation of providers. However, I did not address the regulation of drugs or medical devices for safety and efficacy. The ...
Electronic Health Records: Blah, Blah, Blah
An example of this just crossed my path. Back in September 2000, the Canadian and provincial governments committed to a nationally consistent EHR-system. The province of Ontario, which runs a government-monopoly, single-payer, health system for its 12 million residents, got to work developing a province-wide EHR system, eHealth. Under state ...
Reduced Medicare Benefits Will Increase Cost of Private Insurance
However, the government will undoubtedly be successful in driving private insurers out of the Medicare Advantage program, threatening about 11 million seniors’ access to this valuable alternative. The key difference between Medicare Advantage and traditional Medicare is that the latter operates according to a Soviet-style, centrally determined schedule of fees, ...
Even a ‘scaled-down’ health bill is dangerous
Last week, Democratic leaders in the Senate caved to Sen. Joseph Lieberman’s demands and stripped away some major provisions from their health reform legislation, including the public option and a plan that would have allowed middle-age Americans to “buy in” to Medicare. With Connecticut independent Lieberman’s support seemingly secured — ...
