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
Brian Blase
Cover Coronavirus Treatments, Don’t Expand Medicaid
We need to be smart about how we use public resources to respond to the coronavirus outbreak. Two major crises are facing the country right now: 1) the negative health impact and associated deaths from the virus, and 2) the enormous economic impact of large numbers of businesses and schools shutting down. Congress needs to wisely allocate public resources to address both and not be … [Read more...] about Cover Coronavirus Treatments, Don’t Expand Medicaid
Congress Must Cut Red Tape that Reduces the Effectiveness of Our COVID-19 Response
State and federal laws and regulations are hindering the private sector’s efforts to help fight the outbreak. Effectively responding to the coronavirus epidemic requires innovation from private companies, medical professionals, and entrepreneurs. These folks are ready to perform heroic acts, but government rules and red tape are getting in their way. To take one tragic example, it appears … [Read more...] about Congress Must Cut Red Tape that Reduces the Effectiveness of Our COVID-19 Response
Affordable Care Act at Ten: Huge Expansion of Welfare and Injury to Individual Insurance Market
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, signed into law March 23, 2010, represents the most sweeping federal health reform legislation since the creation of Medicare and Medicaid in 1965. In the ensuing decade, the ACA has led to greater federal government control over the health care system through its mandates, subsidies, and taxes, leading to much higher costs and spending and fewer … [Read more...] about Affordable Care Act at Ten: Huge Expansion of Welfare and Injury to Individual Insurance Market
House Coronavirus Response Disproportionately Funds Richest States
The table below uses fiscal year 2017 Medicaid expenditure data from Kaiser Family Foundation inflated by 4 percent a year to project the extra funds that would be provided to each state in fiscal year 2020 if the House Democrats’ 8 percent FMAP bump up lasted the entire year. It also includes the number of uninsured Americans per state in 2018. As a way of making comparisons across … [Read more...] about House Coronavirus Response Disproportionately Funds Richest States
Reform the Federal-State Medicaid Partnership to Better Help Those in Need and Save Money
President Donald Trump’s budget includes Medicaid reforms that would restore accountability and improve the federal-state partnership. Predictably, the left is on the attack, contending that these “cuts” would harm the poor and vulnerable. In fact, the president’s proposals would reduce improper federal spending, which now exceeds $75 billion annually, preserve public resources … [Read more...] about Reform the Federal-State Medicaid Partnership to Better Help Those in Need and Save Money
Spending Deal Would Make Obamacare More Fiscally Irresponsible
In selling Obamacare before Congress a decade ago, President Barack Obama promised that he “would not sign a plan that adds one dime to our deficits, either now or in the future.” From her perch behind the president, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi leaped out of her seat applauding at this line. So did Vice President Joe Biden and the entire Democrat caucus. But it turns out that … [Read more...] about Spending Deal Would Make Obamacare More Fiscally Irresponsible
A Targeted Approach to Surprise Medical Billing
New Paper By Badger & Blase Surprise medical bills are a source of frustration for many Americans, and legislation to address the problem appeared to be on a fast track early in the year. But action has since slowed, primarily due to a stand-off between the two powerful interest groups that often benefit from surprise medical bills: providers and insurers. Complicating this … [Read more...] about A Targeted Approach to Surprise Medical Billing