Published on RealClearHealth.com | It wasn’t so long ago that Bernie Sanders (I-VT) comfortably occupied the left flank of health care policy. His Medicare For All bill was sufficiently costly, coercive and utopian to set him apart from the pack. Times have changed. When it comes to drug pricing, Bernie faces unexpected intruders on his left: Republicans. In recent months, Bernie … [Read more...] about GOP May Outflank Bernie on Drug Price Controls
‘Medicare for All’ vs. ‘Medicare for Less’?
The liberal talking point is inaccurate. But there’s a reason it resonates with the public. The 2020 presidential race will pit the Democrats’ “Medicare for All” proposal against the Trump administration’s “Medicare for Less.” At least that’s how the Washington Post and some Democratic political operatives suggest it will play out. According to the Post article, … [Read more...] about ‘Medicare for All’ vs. ‘Medicare for Less’?
Trump Blames the Wrong Government for High Drug Prices
Published on RealClearHealth.com | Medicare-for-All enthusiasts gaze wistfully at government-run health care systems abroad and see much to admire. When it comes to drug prices, the Trump administration seems to share that admiration. The Department of Health and Human Services is preparing to launch a massive demonstration program that would link Medicare reimbursement for … [Read more...] about Trump Blames the Wrong Government for High Drug Prices
Examination of International Drug Pricing Policies in Selected Countries Shows Prevalent Government Control over Pricing and Restrictions on Access
Report Extract: The Trump Administration has proposed using its demonstration authority under section 1115A of the Social Security Act to test a method of reimbursement for physician-administered drugs based on prices in 14 countries. The proposal is controversial, raising constitutional questions about the agency’s authority to modify Medicare reimbursement absent congressional action, as well … [Read more...] about Examination of International Drug Pricing Policies in Selected Countries Shows Prevalent Government Control over Pricing and Restrictions on Access
The Costs of Government’s Benevolent Coercion
Critics cried sabotage when political leaders took action to repair some of the damage done by the Affordable Care Act. They saw sinister motives behind the decision by the last Congress to repeal the individual mandate and in Trump administration regulations that made more affordable health insurance options available to individuals and small groups. But a new study by the … [Read more...] about The Costs of Government’s Benevolent Coercion
Medicaid Work Requirements Could Help the Poor
Recipients lose a lot by not working. More than 12 million nondisabled, working-age Americans are enrolled in Medicaid. They receive medical care that is virtually free, and in most states they are under no obligation to work or seek work. Sounds like a great deal. Until you consider how much these “free” benefits may cost a recipient over the course of a lifetime. That could … [Read more...] about Medicaid Work Requirements Could Help the Poor
The Risks of Medicare for All
Planting one health-care system requires uprooting another. Critics of American health care often ask why ours is the only highly developed country without a taxpayer-funded universal health-care system. It is a question meant to answer itself: There is no good reason, so the U.S. should fall in line with European financing methods. That is the view of advocates of “Medicare For … [Read more...] about The Risks of Medicare for All
A Judge Will Likely Rule Against Obamacare. Here’s What Should Happen Next.
A federal judge is expected to rule soon on whether Obamacare’s individual mandate is constitutional without a tax penalty to enforce it, and if it is not, whether the rest of Obamacare’s provisions (including its insurance regulations) are no longer operative. If the judge rules against Obamacare, as many predict, brace yourself for a tsunami of hysteria. Washington’s chattering class will … [Read more...] about A Judge Will Likely Rule Against Obamacare. Here’s What Should Happen Next.