Medicaid
Health Care
The Federal Government’s Deeply Flawed System For Controlling Medicare Costs
Medicares hospital trust fund is set to be exhausted by 2024, according to the latest report from the programs trustees. Federal officials are understandably looking for easy ways to cut spending in the entitlement program in hopes of shoring up its finances. They believe theyve hit on one with a ...
Sally C. Pipes
December 12, 2011
Commentary
Shopping for Health Coverage Versus Shopping for Health Care
As I read the spirited debate over whether Obamacare will drive health insurers out of business (here and here), I wonder if we need to bring the discussion back to fundamentals: The key problem with U.S health insurance is that there is too much of it whether provided by ...
John R. Graham
December 8, 2011
Health Care
Just Say ‘No’ To New Health Insurance Taxes
This month, consulting firm Oliver Wyman released a new study revealing that surprise, surprise health insurance premiums will increase by several thousand dollars over the next ten years. Thats bad enough news for consumers. Even worse? The study only looked at the cost impact of Obamacares new tax ...
Sally C. Pipes
November 21, 2011
Health Care
The Medicare Auction Design and Incentives for Research and Development
Key Points: Government has incentives to focus far more heavily upon budget outlays than patient wellbeing in the operation of its health programs. So as to obtain medical devices and equipment for the beneficiaries of Medicare and Medicaid, the federal government uses auctions that are poorly designed, resulting in prices ...
Benjamin Zycher
November 18, 2011
Commentary
ObamaCare’s Substandard Health Care Subsidies
Last week, Ohios voters amended their states constitution to say that they wouldnt be bound by the federal individual health insurance mandate. The Buckeye State is now the 13th state to reject the mandate. Ordinary Americans arent the only ones incensed by the law. State officials are uncovering a laundry ...
Sally C. Pipes
November 14, 2011
Commentary
Perry’s Texas: Creating jobs, not Medicaid dependents
In a crowded field for the Republican presidential nomination, only two candidates have real records of achievement on healthcare reform: Gov. Rick Perry and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. Romney fell for the conventional wisdom that Americans believe it is the government’s responsibility to ensure “universal” coverage. This resulted in ...
John R. Graham
November 3, 2011
Commentary
Health Spending and the “Supercommittee”: Seven Items from President Obama that Republicans And Democrats Should Embrace
Key Points: Congress has a unique opportunity to make a clean cut in government health spending by Christmas. President Obama’s deficit-reducing proposal contains seven items that shift Medicare and Medicaid spending closer to the people. Although these items represent a small fraction of President Obama’s deficit-reducing proposal, they offer the ...
John R. Graham
October 31, 2011
Health Care
Seal the Borders Against Canadian Health Care
Gov. Brian Schweitzer (D-Mont.) recently announced his aspirations for bringing universal health coverage to Big Sky Country. Schweitzer is not the first U.S. governor to stump for a state-funded health care system. Earlier this year, Gov. Peter Shumlin (D-Vt.) signed Green Mountain Care into law and began moving his state ...
Sally C. Pipes
October 17, 2011
Health Care
Part D Price Controls Kill Jobs
Washington faces two pressing tasks getting a handle on escalating federal debt and addressing the country’s unemployment crisis. Unfortunately, the White House, thanks to its usual ideological blinders, has come up with a plan that will actually cost jobs even as it achieves only trifling savings. The proposal, ...
Sally C. Pipes
October 12, 2011
Health Care
Higher Health Insurance Premiums This Year? Blame ObamaCare
Most Americans saw their insurance bills jump this year, according to a new study from the Kaiser Family Foundation. The average employer-based premium for a family increased a startling 9% in 2011. Over the next decade, rates are expected to double. The Kaiser report is only the latest piece of ...
Sally C. Pipes
October 10, 2011
The Federal Government’s Deeply Flawed System For Controlling Medicare Costs
Medicares hospital trust fund is set to be exhausted by 2024, according to the latest report from the programs trustees. Federal officials are understandably looking for easy ways to cut spending in the entitlement program in hopes of shoring up its finances. They believe theyve hit on one with a ...
Shopping for Health Coverage Versus Shopping for Health Care
As I read the spirited debate over whether Obamacare will drive health insurers out of business (here and here), I wonder if we need to bring the discussion back to fundamentals: The key problem with U.S health insurance is that there is too much of it whether provided by ...
Just Say ‘No’ To New Health Insurance Taxes
This month, consulting firm Oliver Wyman released a new study revealing that surprise, surprise health insurance premiums will increase by several thousand dollars over the next ten years. Thats bad enough news for consumers. Even worse? The study only looked at the cost impact of Obamacares new tax ...
The Medicare Auction Design and Incentives for Research and Development
Key Points: Government has incentives to focus far more heavily upon budget outlays than patient wellbeing in the operation of its health programs. So as to obtain medical devices and equipment for the beneficiaries of Medicare and Medicaid, the federal government uses auctions that are poorly designed, resulting in prices ...
ObamaCare’s Substandard Health Care Subsidies
Last week, Ohios voters amended their states constitution to say that they wouldnt be bound by the federal individual health insurance mandate. The Buckeye State is now the 13th state to reject the mandate. Ordinary Americans arent the only ones incensed by the law. State officials are uncovering a laundry ...
Perry’s Texas: Creating jobs, not Medicaid dependents
In a crowded field for the Republican presidential nomination, only two candidates have real records of achievement on healthcare reform: Gov. Rick Perry and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. Romney fell for the conventional wisdom that Americans believe it is the government’s responsibility to ensure “universal” coverage. This resulted in ...
Health Spending and the “Supercommittee”: Seven Items from President Obama that Republicans And Democrats Should Embrace
Key Points: Congress has a unique opportunity to make a clean cut in government health spending by Christmas. President Obama’s deficit-reducing proposal contains seven items that shift Medicare and Medicaid spending closer to the people. Although these items represent a small fraction of President Obama’s deficit-reducing proposal, they offer the ...
Seal the Borders Against Canadian Health Care
Gov. Brian Schweitzer (D-Mont.) recently announced his aspirations for bringing universal health coverage to Big Sky Country. Schweitzer is not the first U.S. governor to stump for a state-funded health care system. Earlier this year, Gov. Peter Shumlin (D-Vt.) signed Green Mountain Care into law and began moving his state ...
Part D Price Controls Kill Jobs
Washington faces two pressing tasks getting a handle on escalating federal debt and addressing the country’s unemployment crisis. Unfortunately, the White House, thanks to its usual ideological blinders, has come up with a plan that will actually cost jobs even as it achieves only trifling savings. The proposal, ...
Higher Health Insurance Premiums This Year? Blame ObamaCare
Most Americans saw their insurance bills jump this year, according to a new study from the Kaiser Family Foundation. The average employer-based premium for a family increased a startling 9% in 2011. Over the next decade, rates are expected to double. The Kaiser report is only the latest piece of ...