Even as President Obama accuses Mitt Romney and Representative Paul D. Ryan of trying to privatize and “voucherize” Medicare, his administration crows about the success of private health plans in delivering prescription drug benefits and other services to Medicare beneficiaries. More than a quarter of the 50 million beneficiaries receive coverage through private Medicare Advantage plans, mostly … [Read more...] about Robert Pear: Despite Democrats’ Warnings, Private Medicare Plans Find Success
More Obamacare Fiction
President Obama said during his weekly radio address Saturday that he wanted that he wanted to share “some actual facts” about “a lot of accusations and misinformation flying around” about Medicare. Let’s look at the “facts” that he highlights in his address: We’ve extended the life of Medicare by almost a decade. He “extends the life of Medicare” by paying Medicare providers less and less … [Read more...] about More Obamacare Fiction
Bipartisan Health Reform
The Galen Institute will host a briefing on Tuesday, August 28 at the Republican National Convention in Tampa. We have a terrific lineup of speakers to explore the question “Can we have a bipartisan conversation on health reform?” The Galen Institute believes it is important to demonstrate to political leaders there is bipartisan agreement on key policies. Both sides agree there are problems in … [Read more...] about Bipartisan Health Reform
Obamacare: Wrong for Women
The White House is making a special push to win women’s votes in November, among other things by proclaiming that Republicans are waging a “war on women.” But President Obama’s signature health-care overhaul is an assault on women’s freedom. It will drive up their health-care costs, deprive them of choices, and make it harder for them to find doctors for their families. Here are ten reasons why … [Read more...] about Obamacare: Wrong for Women
David Hogberg: The Next Exodus: Primary-Care Physicians and Medicare
In late 2009 the highly respected Mayo Clinic grabbed national headlines when it announced that one of its primary-care centers was no longer accepting Medicare. Henceforth, Medicare patients visiting its family clinic in Glendale, Arizona would have to pay cash. In 2008 Mayo lost $120 million on Medicare patients at all of its Arizona facilities. At the Glendale clinic, Medicare had covered only … [Read more...] about David Hogberg: The Next Exodus: Primary-Care Physicians and Medicare
Sally Pipes: Gov. Deval Patrick’s New Health Law Is Flat-Out Dangerous
Beacon Hill was the scene of great fanfare earlier this month when Governor Deval Patrick signed controversial new healthcare reform legislation into law. The governor proudly proclaimed that Massachusetts was “the first to crack the code” on the problem of ever-increasing healthcare costs. The mood outside the statehouse, however, has been far more sober. In reality, Patrick’s new law will … [Read more...] about Sally Pipes: Gov. Deval Patrick’s New Health Law Is Flat-Out Dangerous
Bob Graboyes: Small Business Under PPACA: Behind the Eight-ball
NFIB v. Sebelius is history. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) lives on – 1,000 pages of law and 10,000 pages (so far) of regulations. Small businesses ask what lies ahead, and the job-killing answer comes from the Magic 8 Ball®: “REPLY HAZY. ASK AGAIN LATER.” For decades, the high and erratically increasing costs of health insurance have throttled the capacity of small … [Read more...] about Bob Graboyes: Small Business Under PPACA: Behind the Eight-ball
The Real Tragedy Of ObamaCare Has Yet To Be Felt By The Poor
One of the most tragic failings of ObamaCare is that it will make it harder for many of the most vulnerable citizens – patients with no option but Medicaid – to get care. Medicaid is cumbersome, complex, and wasteful – already the worst health care program in the country. But rather than making changes to improve or modernize this program designed to finance care for the poor, the Obama … [Read more...] about The Real Tragedy Of ObamaCare Has Yet To Be Felt By The Poor