Health Care
Health Care
What If ‘Comparative Effectiveness’ were applied to cheeseburgers?
The Examiner (Washington, D.C.), February 6, 2009 A shocking new provision was discovered today in the $825 billion stimulus package recently passed by the House of Representatives. Hidden half-way down page 538 is a clause that would provide $1.1 billion to help government bureaucrats compare the effectiveness of various cheeseburgers. ...
Commentary
Health care myths obstruct reform
As a retired physician and a conservative, I sometimes feel like a voice in the wilderness in this era of liberalism. Our nation is an enigma. When times are good, we do all we can to get government out of our lives; but when times are bad, we jump back ...
Commentary
International Medical Tourism Is on the Rise
Health Care News – Heartland Institute (Chicago, IL), February 1, 2009 More Americans than ever are traveling abroad for medical treatment, according to a study released by the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions, a Washington, DC-based organization that researches health care and public health-related issues. Approximately 750,000 Americans traveled abroad ...
Commentary
Grassley Seeks Probe of Unapproved Drugs
A longtime member of Congress is asking the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to investigate nearly $200 million the government has spent on unauthorized drugs for Medicaid enrollees since 2004. The drug purchases were discovered during an investigation conducted by the Associated Press. Policy analysts say the lack ...
Commentary
Jindal Proposes Sweeping Medicaid Overhaul
Health Care News – Heartland Institute (Chicago, IL), February 1, 2009 Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) has unveiled a proposal for overhauling the state’s Medicaid program, altering both its funding and delivery. “It is time for us to do something different, and dramatically different,” said the state’s Health and Hospitals ...
Commentary
Consumer-Directed Health Care Plan Falls Short in Arizona
Health Care News – Heartland Institute (Chicago, IL), February 1, 2009 EMaxHealth, February 1, 2009 After a lengthy post-election ballot-counting process, the Arizona Secretary of State’s office announced Proposition 101, a groundbreaking initiative proponents say would have enshrined consumer-directed health care into the state’s constitution by preventing government from forcing ...
Commentary
Charge health insurance equally
January President Barack Obama and his new health czar, former U.S. Sen. Tom Daschle, have promised big changes for our health care system. In a number of states, though, many of their government-heavy ideas have already been tried — and failed. Paramount among the proposed changes are “guaranteed issue” and ...
Commentary
Health-care budget realities
Before President-elect Barack Obama attempts to overhaul America’s health-care system and put us on the road toward “universal” coverage, he should have a chat with his new budget director, Peter Orszag. As former head of the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the agency responsible for estimating the cost of federal legislation, ...
Business & Economics
Don’t let trial lawyers overdose on drug suits
President Barack Obama shattered some old paradigms for how to finance a campaign. But he and his Democratic colleagues stuck to the script when it comes to leaning on trial lawyers for campaign cash. During this last election season, federal Democratic candidates collected more than $136 million from lawyers, the ...
Commentary
Chicago Hospital Pricing: Is a 40% Discount Enough?
The Chicago Tribune reports that area hospitals are giving discounts of up to 40% to uninsured patients, or even “anyone who asks”. This may be a result of a law passed last year that attempted to compel some transparency and common-sense pricing for Illinois hospitals. As I’ve noted before (p. ...
What If ‘Comparative Effectiveness’ were applied to cheeseburgers?
The Examiner (Washington, D.C.), February 6, 2009 A shocking new provision was discovered today in the $825 billion stimulus package recently passed by the House of Representatives. Hidden half-way down page 538 is a clause that would provide $1.1 billion to help government bureaucrats compare the effectiveness of various cheeseburgers. ...
Health care myths obstruct reform
As a retired physician and a conservative, I sometimes feel like a voice in the wilderness in this era of liberalism. Our nation is an enigma. When times are good, we do all we can to get government out of our lives; but when times are bad, we jump back ...
International Medical Tourism Is on the Rise
Health Care News – Heartland Institute (Chicago, IL), February 1, 2009 More Americans than ever are traveling abroad for medical treatment, according to a study released by the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions, a Washington, DC-based organization that researches health care and public health-related issues. Approximately 750,000 Americans traveled abroad ...
Grassley Seeks Probe of Unapproved Drugs
A longtime member of Congress is asking the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to investigate nearly $200 million the government has spent on unauthorized drugs for Medicaid enrollees since 2004. The drug purchases were discovered during an investigation conducted by the Associated Press. Policy analysts say the lack ...
Jindal Proposes Sweeping Medicaid Overhaul
Health Care News – Heartland Institute (Chicago, IL), February 1, 2009 Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) has unveiled a proposal for overhauling the state’s Medicaid program, altering both its funding and delivery. “It is time for us to do something different, and dramatically different,” said the state’s Health and Hospitals ...
Consumer-Directed Health Care Plan Falls Short in Arizona
Health Care News – Heartland Institute (Chicago, IL), February 1, 2009 EMaxHealth, February 1, 2009 After a lengthy post-election ballot-counting process, the Arizona Secretary of State’s office announced Proposition 101, a groundbreaking initiative proponents say would have enshrined consumer-directed health care into the state’s constitution by preventing government from forcing ...
Charge health insurance equally
January President Barack Obama and his new health czar, former U.S. Sen. Tom Daschle, have promised big changes for our health care system. In a number of states, though, many of their government-heavy ideas have already been tried — and failed. Paramount among the proposed changes are “guaranteed issue” and ...
Health-care budget realities
Before President-elect Barack Obama attempts to overhaul America’s health-care system and put us on the road toward “universal” coverage, he should have a chat with his new budget director, Peter Orszag. As former head of the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the agency responsible for estimating the cost of federal legislation, ...
Don’t let trial lawyers overdose on drug suits
President Barack Obama shattered some old paradigms for how to finance a campaign. But he and his Democratic colleagues stuck to the script when it comes to leaning on trial lawyers for campaign cash. During this last election season, federal Democratic candidates collected more than $136 million from lawyers, the ...
Chicago Hospital Pricing: Is a 40% Discount Enough?
The Chicago Tribune reports that area hospitals are giving discounts of up to 40% to uninsured patients, or even “anyone who asks”. This may be a result of a law passed last year that attempted to compel some transparency and common-sense pricing for Illinois hospitals. As I’ve noted before (p. ...
