“Sweden has largely eschewed social distancing, choosing instead to permit more normal levels of economic and social interaction,” Galen Senior Fellow Doug Badger writes in a piece he coauthored for The Daily Signal. So how is that working out? They link to an interview with one of the world’s leading epidemiologists, Johan Giesecke, who “gave a very blunt … [Read more...] about Is Social Distancing Working?
Brian Blase
Subsidizing COBRA Is Bad Policy, Three Former White House Economists Say
Big businesses, insurance companies, hospitals, unions, and liberal policy groups are calling on Congress to subsidize COBRA policies to ensure that the recently unemployed can maintain their employer-based health insurance coverage. While the goal is understandable, the policy is misguided and would create a series of problems. As such, Congress should avoid taking this action. First, … [Read more...] about Subsidizing COBRA Is Bad Policy, Three Former White House Economists Say
Is Medicaid Expansion Worth It?
Targeted initiatives focused on vulnerable patients and children prove to be far better public investments than does a broad-based Medicaid expansion, according to a new paper by Brian Blase and David Balat for the Texas Public Policy Foundation. Their detailed review of academic studies and state experience shows the most cost-effective way to use public resources to improve health is … [Read more...] about Is Medicaid Expansion Worth It?
It’s Time to Redesign Government-Hospital Coronavirus Funding
Brian Blase, Doug Badger, and Josh Archambault argue in National Review that new funding to hospitals should be coupled with reforms that will protect patients from surprise medical bills and require price transparency. Congress has provided more than $100 billion to help hospitals whose revenue has plummeted during the coronavirus crisis and is preparing to spend another $75 in legislation … [Read more...] about It’s Time to Redesign Government-Hospital Coronavirus Funding
The Importance Of The Medicaid Fiscal Accountability Rule
OVERVIEW To help the country deal with the coronavirus epidemic, Congress has provided additional funding to states through their Medicaid programs, and much more may be coming. Galen Senior Fellow Brian Blase, in a major new article published today in Health Affairs, explains the vital importance of ensuring that Medicaid funds are spent on health care for enrollees and not “kickback … [Read more...] about The Importance Of The Medicaid Fiscal Accountability Rule