Commentary

Commentary

Trump’s Drug Pricing Order Is A Costly Mistake

On Sunday, September 13, President Trump signed a “most-favored-nation” executive order to reduce U.S. drug prices. It instructs federal officials to set pharmaceutical reimbursements under Medicare Parts B and D equal to the lowest prices paid in other developed countries, including Canada, the United Kingdom, and France. The high cost of medications is a ...
Commentary

California should not get into the drug manufacturing business

In an attempt to lower Californians’ prescription drug costs, lawmakers just passed a bill that would allow the state government to contract with pharmaceutical manufacturers to produce generic drugs. Gov. Gavin Newsom’s signature is all but guaranteed before the end of the month. Golden State politicians aren’t the only ones ...
Commentary

Medicare for none – these are the reforms we need to keep program solvent

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden is proposing to expand Medicare by lowering the eligibility age from 65 to 60. But the program can’t afford the bill for its existing crop of beneficiaries, much less the $100 billion that would be required to enroll 22 million more under Biden’s plan. That’s among the conclusions to draw from a ...
Commentary

Blanket lockdowns for coronavirus are poor policy

Hundreds of health professionals recently urged government leaders to “hit the reset button” on Covid-19 by shutting the country down a second time. These blanket lockdowns pose a greater health risk to most people than the virus itself. Many Americans are so scared of Covid-19 they’ve stopped seeking medical care ...
California

Keep the government out of pharmaceutical drug manufacturing

Earlier this month, the California legislature passed a bill that would make the Golden State the first in the nation to establish its own line of generic drugs. Gov. Gavin Newsom is expected to sign the bill into law by the end of the month. The measure’s architects argue that ...
Blackouts

Wildfires, Global Climate Change, And The Policy Environment

California is suffering from raging wildfires that, as of September 10th, have burned over 3.1 million acres, caused 12 fatalities, and destroyed over 3,900 structures. Residents are also enduring rolling electricity blackouts and unaffordable energy, yet California’s greenhouse gas emissions are now rising while the long-term national decline in emissions continues unabated. Connecting ...
Blackouts

Put a quarantine on California’s bad policy ideas

Los Angeles Times readers might think the first night of the Republican National Convention was nothing more than a non-stop attack on California. In its coverage of the first evening’s events, the paper posted the headline “RNC speakers paint California as a dangerous dystopia.” Missing from the report were rebuttals to ...
Commentary

COVID-19 Vaccines Must Be Fully Vetted For Safety And Efficacy Before Release

There is widespread anticipation of the availability of vaccines to prevent COVID-19 infections so that Americans can get their lives back to some semblance of normal. About four dozen, made with a variety of technology platforms, are now in clinical trials, nine in large-scale safety/efficacy testing. It was hardly a ...
Commentary

Pharmaceutical Companies Ruin Prospects for COVID-19 Vaccine “October Surprise”. That’s a Good Thing.

There is widespread anticipation of vaccines to prevent COVID-19 infections so that Americans can get their lives back to some semblance of normal. About four dozen, made with a variety of technology platforms, are now in clinical trials, nine in large-scale safety/efficacy testing. Vaccines have also assumed unprecedented political importance. The ...
Commentary

Coronavirus lockdown benefits remain dubious as costs continue to mount

Roughly four in ten Americans report that they experienced reduced access to medical care because of COVID-19, according to a new survey from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The report is just the latest evidence that, from the standpoint of public health, the lockdowns that public officials have ...
Commentary

Trump’s Drug Pricing Order Is A Costly Mistake

On Sunday, September 13, President Trump signed a “most-favored-nation” executive order to reduce U.S. drug prices. It instructs federal officials to set pharmaceutical reimbursements under Medicare Parts B and D equal to the lowest prices paid in other developed countries, including Canada, the United Kingdom, and France. The high cost of medications is a ...
Commentary

California should not get into the drug manufacturing business

In an attempt to lower Californians’ prescription drug costs, lawmakers just passed a bill that would allow the state government to contract with pharmaceutical manufacturers to produce generic drugs. Gov. Gavin Newsom’s signature is all but guaranteed before the end of the month. Golden State politicians aren’t the only ones ...
Commentary

Medicare for none – these are the reforms we need to keep program solvent

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden is proposing to expand Medicare by lowering the eligibility age from 65 to 60. But the program can’t afford the bill for its existing crop of beneficiaries, much less the $100 billion that would be required to enroll 22 million more under Biden’s plan. That’s among the conclusions to draw from a ...
Commentary

Blanket lockdowns for coronavirus are poor policy

Hundreds of health professionals recently urged government leaders to “hit the reset button” on Covid-19 by shutting the country down a second time. These blanket lockdowns pose a greater health risk to most people than the virus itself. Many Americans are so scared of Covid-19 they’ve stopped seeking medical care ...
California

Keep the government out of pharmaceutical drug manufacturing

Earlier this month, the California legislature passed a bill that would make the Golden State the first in the nation to establish its own line of generic drugs. Gov. Gavin Newsom is expected to sign the bill into law by the end of the month. The measure’s architects argue that ...
Blackouts

Wildfires, Global Climate Change, And The Policy Environment

California is suffering from raging wildfires that, as of September 10th, have burned over 3.1 million acres, caused 12 fatalities, and destroyed over 3,900 structures. Residents are also enduring rolling electricity blackouts and unaffordable energy, yet California’s greenhouse gas emissions are now rising while the long-term national decline in emissions continues unabated. Connecting ...
Blackouts

Put a quarantine on California’s bad policy ideas

Los Angeles Times readers might think the first night of the Republican National Convention was nothing more than a non-stop attack on California. In its coverage of the first evening’s events, the paper posted the headline “RNC speakers paint California as a dangerous dystopia.” Missing from the report were rebuttals to ...
Commentary

COVID-19 Vaccines Must Be Fully Vetted For Safety And Efficacy Before Release

There is widespread anticipation of the availability of vaccines to prevent COVID-19 infections so that Americans can get their lives back to some semblance of normal. About four dozen, made with a variety of technology platforms, are now in clinical trials, nine in large-scale safety/efficacy testing. It was hardly a ...
Commentary

Pharmaceutical Companies Ruin Prospects for COVID-19 Vaccine “October Surprise”. That’s a Good Thing.

There is widespread anticipation of vaccines to prevent COVID-19 infections so that Americans can get their lives back to some semblance of normal. About four dozen, made with a variety of technology platforms, are now in clinical trials, nine in large-scale safety/efficacy testing. Vaccines have also assumed unprecedented political importance. The ...
Commentary

Coronavirus lockdown benefits remain dubious as costs continue to mount

Roughly four in ten Americans report that they experienced reduced access to medical care because of COVID-19, according to a new survey from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The report is just the latest evidence that, from the standpoint of public health, the lockdowns that public officials have ...
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