Within the next few weeks, the Senate is expected to vote on whether to allow the federal government to negotiate prices for prescription drugs offered through the new Medicare drug program. The House already has passed a similar bill that advocates say would bring lower drug prices to seniors. That sounds nice, doesn't it? Who in the Senate could possibly be opposed to "negotiations" and "lower … [Read more...] about The Consequences of "Negotiation"
The Consequences of “Negotiation”
Within the next few weeks, the Senate is expected to vote on whether to allow the federal government to negotiate prices for prescription drugs offered through the new Medicare drug program. The House already has passed a similar bill that advocates say would bring lower drug prices to seniors. That sounds nice, doesn't it? Who in the Senate could possibly be opposed to "negotiations" and … [Read more...] about The Consequences of “Negotiation”
Toward Free-Market Health Care
Our health care sector must change to meet the challenges of a 21st century economy. Consumers, not just in the United States but in all developed countries, are demanding a much greater role in decisions involving their health care. People can find on the Internet a wealth of information about diseases, diagnoses, and treatment options, but all too often, they must fight bureaucracies and … [Read more...] about Toward Free-Market Health Care
Toward Free-Market Health Care
Our health care sector must change to meet the challenges of a 21st century economy. Consumers, not just in the United States but in all developed countries, are demanding a much greater role in decisions involving their health care. People can find on the Internet a wealth of information about diseases, diagnoses, and treatment options, but all too often, they must fight bureaucracies and … [Read more...] about Toward Free-Market Health Care
Medicaid Advantage: A medical home for dual-eligible beneficiaries
Grace-Marie Turner of the Galen Institute and Bob Helms of the American Enterprise Institute have proposed creation of a new Medicaid Advantage program that would integrate acute and long-term care benefits for seniors who are eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid into a single program, managed by the states, to provide a medical home and better coordinated care for these beneficiaries. The … [Read more...] about Medicaid Advantage: A medical home for dual-eligible beneficiaries
Making Choices
The Census Bureau has reported that more Americans have health insurance than it had previously reported. It says about 1.8 million more people had health insurance in 2005 than it reported last August, bringing the uninsured number down to 44.8 million. It turns out that the undercount was largely for dependents. Our colleague Doug Badger points out that these new numbers should be discussed in … [Read more...] about Making Choices
Medicaid Advantage: A medical home for dual-eligible beneficiaries
Grace-Marie Turner of the Galen Institute and Bob Helms of the American Enterprise Institute have proposed creation of a new Medicaid Advantage program that would integrate acute and long-term care benefits for seniors who are eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid into a single program, managed by the states, to provide a medical home and better coordinated care for these beneficiaries. The … [Read more...] about Medicaid Advantage: A medical home for dual-eligible beneficiaries
The Nexus
We have sent you two reports about government programs -- my commentary in The Wall Street Journal on SCHIP and an important Fact Sheet on Medicare Advantage, which I co-wrote with 16 of our colleagues. Why this focus on government programs? Because they are the nexus of important decisions being made about the future of our health care system -- decisions that are setting the stage for the … [Read more...] about The Nexus