By Brian Blase, Casey Mulligan and Doug Badger | Three former White House economic advisers warn in a paper released today by the Galen Institute that Congress would delay the recovery if it extends the $600 weekly increase in unemployment insurance (UI) benefits scheduled to expire July 31. In their paper, “Getting America Back to Work and Hastening the Recovery,” they estimate that … [Read more...] about Getting America Back to Work and Hastening the Recovery
It’s time to ban balance billing
Negotiations to end surprise billing have been at an impasse for nearly a year. Discussions between the White House and congressional leaders over another coronavirus bill offer an opportunity to finally end this practice that defrauds millions of patients every year. The lobbying battle lines are well defined. On one side stand the private equity firms that have bought medical staffing agencies … [Read more...] about It’s time to ban balance billing
Potential Long-Term Economic Consequences of the Federal Response to the COVID-19 Lockdowns
Government imposition of widespread lockdowns in response to the COVID-19 pandemic have produced profound economic dislocations. Congress has sought to mitigate this economic damage by enacting a series of bills that have raised federal spending, deficits, and debt to extraordinary levels. Current deficits and debt are instructive, but insufficient, measures of a government’s financial … [Read more...] about Potential Long-Term Economic Consequences of the Federal Response to the COVID-19 Lockdowns
Responding to the Coronavirus Crisis and Building a Stronger Health Sector for the Future
An open letter to the American people from 83 participants in the Health Policy Consensus Group and other health care leaders The COVID-19 crisis has highlighted the need for flexibility in our health sector and for public officials to do more to empower medical professionals and health care innovators to provide the care and coverage people want and need. Those goals must guide our … [Read more...] about Responding to the Coronavirus Crisis and Building a Stronger Health Sector for the Future
Incentives and Data Matter: An analysis of the left’s coronavirus relief plan
Galen Senior Fellow Brian Blase concludes in an important new paper that the formula being proposed by leading House Democrats to provide coronavirus relief to states would exacerbate Medicaid’s already-serious problems and provide a huge incentive for states to keep their unemployment rates high. His analysis shows most states would receive $19 in federal money for every $1 they spend through … [Read more...] about Incentives and Data Matter: An analysis of the left’s coronavirus relief plan