The United States remains the world leader in medical innovation, having produced more than half of the world’s new medicines over the last decade. But our edge is slipping away because of crippling domestic regulatory and tax policies. A new report by Battelle, an international science and technology company, found that other countries are working aggressively to lure research facilities and … [Read more...] about Though The U.S. Is Healthcare’s World Leader, Its Innovative Culture Is Threatened
Archives for May 2012
Tom Miller: Entitlement reform for the highly educated
Former OMB factotum (let’s make that “health policy adviser without fixed portfolio”) Zeke Emanuel has returned to academic life, but he opines periodically in a New York Times opinion column. On Sunday, the improbable happened. He proposed an idea for entitlement reform that should not be rejected out of hand—graduated eligibility based on lifetime income for Social Security and … [Read more...] about Tom Miller: Entitlement reform for the highly educated
Shawn Tully: Even with a High Court win, Obamacare won’t work
The Obama administration maintains that its Affordable Care Act is a complex construct that's endangered if the Supreme Court finds its central feature -- the requirement that all Americans buy health insurance -- unconstitutional. It's certainly true that eliminating the "individual mandate" will immediately expose the plan as unworkable. It can only succeed by creating a broad, universal … [Read more...] about Shawn Tully: Even with a High Court win, Obamacare won’t work
Jim Capretta: Testimony Before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee
James C. Capretta, fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, testified before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee on May 16 at a hearing on "Identifying Opportunities for Health Care Delivery System Reform: Lessons from the Front Line." Jim's testimony expands on these three points: "1. The source of many of our problems in health care delivery is the dominant Medicare … [Read more...] about Jim Capretta: Testimony Before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee
Don’t Contaminate the Drug-Approval Process
Members of Congress, working outside the harsh glare of politics, are very close to bipartisan agreement on a bill that would help fund the Food and Drug Administration’s work on drug approval and take much-needed steps toward modernizing the process. Under the legislation, pharmaceutical, medical-device, and biotech companies would agree to pay at least $6 billion in user fees over the next … [Read more...] about Don’t Contaminate the Drug-Approval Process
Kevin Sack: Unintended Consequence for Dialysis Patients as Drug Rule Changes
A shift last year by the federal government in how it pays for drugs to treat dialysis patients may have had an unintended and potentially dire consequence, according to new research: a significant jump in blood transfusions for patients who now may not be getting enough of the medications. The findings are seen by some experts as a stark illustration of how the government’s reimbursement … [Read more...] about Kevin Sack: Unintended Consequence for Dialysis Patients as Drug Rule Changes
Avik Roy: Are House Republicans Caving in on Repealing Obamacare? Doubtful.
Politico is reporting that House Republicans are preparing for the possibility that the Supreme Court upholds the law by drafting new legislation. “When the court rules, we’ll be ready,” House Speaker John Boehner (R., Ohio) told the House Republican Conference on Wednesday. But what’s surprising about alleged GOP plans is that they involve preserving significant—and damaging—aspects of the … [Read more...] about Avik Roy: Are House Republicans Caving in on Repealing Obamacare? Doubtful.
David Hogberg: ObamaCare May Hurt Medicare Advantage Plans For Poor
Many low-income seniors could lose access to their preferred Medicare Advantage plans due to ObamaCare changes. A new report released by the conservative American Action Forum on Tuesday argues that changes made to the five-star rating program for MA plans may reduce plan choice and direct Medicare resources away from low-income areas. The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services rates MA … [Read more...] about David Hogberg: ObamaCare May Hurt Medicare Advantage Plans For Poor