Commentary
Commentary
Why Can’t Doctors Tell Patients How Much Meds Cost?
Although the health plans don’t pay doctors to help patients “shop for medicines,” I have learned that they do pay doctors to switch their prescriptions from branded to generic. Of course, this entire struggle between health plan and brand-name drugmaker is entirely invisible to the patient, and, therefore, likely results ...
Business & Economics
Art Laffer: Jerry Brown was California’s best governor
Jerry Brown had fantastic economic policy, Laffer said. “He did a great job implementing Proposition 13. He indexed personal income tax in the state; put in Gann spending limit under his tenure; and killed the estate tax. He was one of the best governors California ever had.” Of Brown’s presidential ...
Commentary
State’s new legislators should take cue from Florida on schools
California’s new education boss, Tom Torlakson, has his work cut out for him. He might start by explaining to parents why Florida, a demographically similar state, continues to outpace California in student achievement. On that score, the Golden State still sputters around the bottom of national rankings. California apologists of ...
Commentary
Who’s Qualified to Run New York City Schools? Pitfalls From a Lack of Knowledge
Lacking an official background in public education is different than a lack of knowledge of critical educational issues. An education leader can succeed without the former, but not the latter. As a business executive, Joel Klein brought useful management ideas to the job of chancellor. He knew that employees have ...
Commentary
U.S. Health Care and U.S. Productivity
Furthermore, we don’t hear Mark Zuckerberg complaining that Facebook’s health-care costs are preventing him from competing against foreign social-media businesses. Indeed, while all Americans complain about health costs, the argument that our health “system” reduces our competitiveness versus other countries with “universal” health care is actually quite weak. Indeed, the ...
Commentary
The government’s waning support of breast cancer?
Breast Cancer Awareness month, which wound down last month, appeared to get plenty of government support. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius held a teleconference in recognition of national mammography day. She and Thomas Frieden, director of the Centers for Disease Control, touted a new program to promote awareness. ...
Commentary
O-Day is January 1, 2014
What are the best tactics to prepare for repeal before that potentially catastrophic date? I contribute to a discussion over at National Review Online .
Commentary
Obamacare’s Popularity Hits All-Time Low
The survey also confirms that “health care voters” were central to the Republicans’ overwhelming victory in the midterms. Such voters – defined by Kaiser as “those who named health care or health care reform as one of the top two factors in deciding their vote for Congress” – overwhelmingly supported ...
Commentary
American Health Care and American Productivity: An International Comparison
Key Points Domestic critics claim that U.S. health care is a drag on productivity, but the United States is the world’s most productive nation. American productivity leads to much higher national income than in other countries, suggesting that our high health spending as a share of GDP is not out ...
Business & Economics
Puerto Rico’s epic tax blunder
Let’s say you’re an elected leader faced with a tough decision about how to revive the lagging economy. Your predecessors had tremendous success spurring growth by making the local tax environment exceptionally friendly to investment. However, in recent years, as the global economy has contracted, so has yours. GDP has ...
Why Can’t Doctors Tell Patients How Much Meds Cost?
Although the health plans don’t pay doctors to help patients “shop for medicines,” I have learned that they do pay doctors to switch their prescriptions from branded to generic. Of course, this entire struggle between health plan and brand-name drugmaker is entirely invisible to the patient, and, therefore, likely results ...
Art Laffer: Jerry Brown was California’s best governor
Jerry Brown had fantastic economic policy, Laffer said. “He did a great job implementing Proposition 13. He indexed personal income tax in the state; put in Gann spending limit under his tenure; and killed the estate tax. He was one of the best governors California ever had.” Of Brown’s presidential ...
State’s new legislators should take cue from Florida on schools
California’s new education boss, Tom Torlakson, has his work cut out for him. He might start by explaining to parents why Florida, a demographically similar state, continues to outpace California in student achievement. On that score, the Golden State still sputters around the bottom of national rankings. California apologists of ...
Who’s Qualified to Run New York City Schools? Pitfalls From a Lack of Knowledge
Lacking an official background in public education is different than a lack of knowledge of critical educational issues. An education leader can succeed without the former, but not the latter. As a business executive, Joel Klein brought useful management ideas to the job of chancellor. He knew that employees have ...
U.S. Health Care and U.S. Productivity
Furthermore, we don’t hear Mark Zuckerberg complaining that Facebook’s health-care costs are preventing him from competing against foreign social-media businesses. Indeed, while all Americans complain about health costs, the argument that our health “system” reduces our competitiveness versus other countries with “universal” health care is actually quite weak. Indeed, the ...
The government’s waning support of breast cancer?
Breast Cancer Awareness month, which wound down last month, appeared to get plenty of government support. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius held a teleconference in recognition of national mammography day. She and Thomas Frieden, director of the Centers for Disease Control, touted a new program to promote awareness. ...
O-Day is January 1, 2014
What are the best tactics to prepare for repeal before that potentially catastrophic date? I contribute to a discussion over at National Review Online .
Obamacare’s Popularity Hits All-Time Low
The survey also confirms that “health care voters” were central to the Republicans’ overwhelming victory in the midterms. Such voters – defined by Kaiser as “those who named health care or health care reform as one of the top two factors in deciding their vote for Congress” – overwhelmingly supported ...
American Health Care and American Productivity: An International Comparison
Key Points Domestic critics claim that U.S. health care is a drag on productivity, but the United States is the world’s most productive nation. American productivity leads to much higher national income than in other countries, suggesting that our high health spending as a share of GDP is not out ...
Puerto Rico’s epic tax blunder
Let’s say you’re an elected leader faced with a tough decision about how to revive the lagging economy. Your predecessors had tremendous success spurring growth by making the local tax environment exceptionally friendly to investment. However, in recent years, as the global economy has contracted, so has yours. GDP has ...
