Commentary
Commentary
States that Use SCHIP to Cover Adults Face Funding Shortfalls
Government Accountability Office (GAO) report finds states that use the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) to cover adults are more prone to funding shortfalls than those that only cover children. Health care policy analysts say the report provides more evidence the SCHIP program is in need of extensive reform. ...
Commentary
Judge: San Francisco ‘Play or Pay’ Measure Violates Federal LawFunding Shortfalls
A U.S. district judge has ruled a controversial expansion of a city health care plan violates a federal law addressing government regulation of employee benefit plans. Judge Jeffrey White’s ruling halted the city of San Francisco’s attempt to expand its government health care program through a mandate requiring employers to ...
Commentary
Public Outrage Throttles California Plan to Control Home Thermostats
Powered by a wave of public outrage that transcended party lines, California citizens have forced regulators at the California Energy Commission to abandon plans to control thermostat settings in private homes. ditioning system would be required by law to include an FM receiver that would allow the Energy Commission to ...
Commentary
Colorado Commission Proposes More Government Intervention
The Colorado Legislature’s Blue Ribbon Commission on Health Care Reform has approved a package of recommendations for comprehensive reform of the state’s health care system. Health policy analysts criticized the commission’s recommendations, saying they would damage the market and decrease consumer choice. Calling for Government Action The Blue Ribbon Commission ...
California
“Thinking Small” on California Health Reform? Not Small Enough!
Using a very appropriate headline, the features editor of the California Healthline points out that California’s “health reformers try again on a smaller scale”. Unfortunately, they are not trying small enough. Although the Schwarzenegger-Nuñez Health Care Deforminator Model ABX1_1 failed in the Senate health committe last month, after a year ...
Business & Economics
A Tribute to William F. Buckley, Jr.
The cause of freedom suffered an irreplaceable loss when National Review founder and intellectual decathlete William F. Buckley passed away at 82 on February 27. Mr. Buckley’s prodigious accomplishments are well known to PRI supporters, and in December, 2000, he teamed with Milton Friedman as keynote speaker for PRI’s gala ...
Commentary
Teachers unions are the big problem
TEACHERS are in a never-ending Groundhog’s Day situation when they rely on the same old union strong-arm tactics to get a few extra crumbs from the Legislature. The citizens of West Virginia have always honored teachers and willingly allowed their elected representatives to pay teachers the maximum the state can ...
Business & Economics
Why California’s “Budget Wolf” Has Returned
SACRAMENTO – On February 16, Governor Schwarzenegger approved the California legislature’s plan to deal with the “fiscal emergency” that the governor declared on January 10, two days after he said that the “budget wolf” that California had managed to avoid for two years was now back at the door. The ...
California
Healthy San Francisco: Wouldja Like An Employee Voluntary Waiver with Those Fries?
I’ve not only criticized the Healthy San Francisco employer “pay or play” mandate that has dropped a payroll tax of $1.17 to $1.76 per hour on the city’s struggling businesses; I’ve actually proposed an alternative. But…..they went ahead and did it anyway. Pending the Golden Gate Restaurant Association’s legal appeal ...
Commentary
Health Net’s Arbitration Verdict: A $9 Million Reward for Carelessness
Time, once again, to defend the indefensible….. Health Net is reeling from a one-two punch. Last Wednesday, Rocky Delgadillo, the Los Angeles City Attorney filed civil suit against the for-profit health insurer, alleging unfair business practices and false advertising. Then, last Thursday, an arbitrator gave over $9 million to a ...
States that Use SCHIP to Cover Adults Face Funding Shortfalls
Government Accountability Office (GAO) report finds states that use the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) to cover adults are more prone to funding shortfalls than those that only cover children. Health care policy analysts say the report provides more evidence the SCHIP program is in need of extensive reform. ...
Judge: San Francisco ‘Play or Pay’ Measure Violates Federal LawFunding Shortfalls
A U.S. district judge has ruled a controversial expansion of a city health care plan violates a federal law addressing government regulation of employee benefit plans. Judge Jeffrey White’s ruling halted the city of San Francisco’s attempt to expand its government health care program through a mandate requiring employers to ...
Public Outrage Throttles California Plan to Control Home Thermostats
Powered by a wave of public outrage that transcended party lines, California citizens have forced regulators at the California Energy Commission to abandon plans to control thermostat settings in private homes. ditioning system would be required by law to include an FM receiver that would allow the Energy Commission to ...
Colorado Commission Proposes More Government Intervention
The Colorado Legislature’s Blue Ribbon Commission on Health Care Reform has approved a package of recommendations for comprehensive reform of the state’s health care system. Health policy analysts criticized the commission’s recommendations, saying they would damage the market and decrease consumer choice. Calling for Government Action The Blue Ribbon Commission ...
“Thinking Small” on California Health Reform? Not Small Enough!
Using a very appropriate headline, the features editor of the California Healthline points out that California’s “health reformers try again on a smaller scale”. Unfortunately, they are not trying small enough. Although the Schwarzenegger-Nuñez Health Care Deforminator Model ABX1_1 failed in the Senate health committe last month, after a year ...
A Tribute to William F. Buckley, Jr.
The cause of freedom suffered an irreplaceable loss when National Review founder and intellectual decathlete William F. Buckley passed away at 82 on February 27. Mr. Buckley’s prodigious accomplishments are well known to PRI supporters, and in December, 2000, he teamed with Milton Friedman as keynote speaker for PRI’s gala ...
Teachers unions are the big problem
TEACHERS are in a never-ending Groundhog’s Day situation when they rely on the same old union strong-arm tactics to get a few extra crumbs from the Legislature. The citizens of West Virginia have always honored teachers and willingly allowed their elected representatives to pay teachers the maximum the state can ...
Why California’s “Budget Wolf” Has Returned
SACRAMENTO – On February 16, Governor Schwarzenegger approved the California legislature’s plan to deal with the “fiscal emergency” that the governor declared on January 10, two days after he said that the “budget wolf” that California had managed to avoid for two years was now back at the door. The ...
Healthy San Francisco: Wouldja Like An Employee Voluntary Waiver with Those Fries?
I’ve not only criticized the Healthy San Francisco employer “pay or play” mandate that has dropped a payroll tax of $1.17 to $1.76 per hour on the city’s struggling businesses; I’ve actually proposed an alternative. But…..they went ahead and did it anyway. Pending the Golden Gate Restaurant Association’s legal appeal ...
Health Net’s Arbitration Verdict: A $9 Million Reward for Carelessness
Time, once again, to defend the indefensible….. Health Net is reeling from a one-two punch. Last Wednesday, Rocky Delgadillo, the Los Angeles City Attorney filed civil suit against the for-profit health insurer, alleging unfair business practices and false advertising. Then, last Thursday, an arbitrator gave over $9 million to a ...
