Following up on critiques from my last two newsletters, we have even more evidence this week that conservatives have an abundance of ideas to tackle health reform… House Republicans held three hearings on Wednesday about dozens of initiatives to restore competition, consumer choice, and sanity to our health sector. A few highlights: These activities and … [Read more...] about Make It A Trifecta
Grace-Marie Turner
The right way to save Medicare
One claim I find especially annoying is when people say conservatives don’t have ideas for health reform. That absolutely, positively is not true! It’s lazy to cite one thumbs-down vote by a particular senator in 2017 as the final say on the matter. We and our colleagues in the Health Policy Consensus Group offer a plethora of ideas and proposals—which are … [Read more...] about The right way to save Medicare
Henry is Wrong
Henry Olsen—a friend and political and policy guru whom I greatly admire—should know better. He wrote a recent column for The Washington Post entitled “The GOP is playing catch-up on health care. It needs some fresh ideas.” Henry writes about the growing number of states that are taking Washington’s bribe to dramatically expand Medicaid, most recently North Carolina. But he makes a … [Read more...] about Henry is Wrong
Freezing Innovation
The Biden administration issued its guidance last week to explain how it plans to implement price controls on pharmaceuticals, per the so-called “Inflation Reduction Act,” and it is even more outrageous than the law itself. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released its first list of 27 drugs it will target for government price … [Read more...] about Freezing Innovation
New Treatments for Obesity
by Grace-Marie Turner | Published March 20, 2023 at RealClearHealth | Obesity is a serious health problem for millions of Americans and for our nation where 42% of US adults are living with obesity. The association with other chronic conditions, including heart disease, stroke, and Type 2 diabetes, is incontrovertible. Obesity also has been identified as … [Read more...] about New Treatments for Obesity
Gimmicks won’t work
President Biden’s proposals to put Medicare on a sustainable path are being panned by experts who understand the program and its plight, from Biden’s dishonest bookkeeping gimmicks to big tax increases. Neither of which will address the fundamental causes of Medicare’s looming insolvency. “None other than President Barack Obama said in 2011 that ‘if you look at the numbers, then … [Read more...] about Gimmicks won’t work
Switch Gears
Political control of the health sector has taken root over the last half century, mostly with passage of massive spending to draw more people into government programs. Federal spending on health programs now constitutes 30% of outlays. But Americans increasingly see its risks and dangers—with the scandalous difficulty Medicaid patients have in getting appointments, to the ultra-narrow … [Read more...] about Switch Gears
Modernize Medicare by Covering Anti-Obesity Medications
Medicare pays for expensive bariatric surgery as well as treatments for more than 200 comorbidities linked to obesity—including heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and certain cancers—but not for new medicines that scientists have developed that can address the disease itself. This is bad public health policy, it is harmful to patients, and it is inconsistent with a focus on care … [Read more...] about Modernize Medicare by Covering Anti-Obesity Medications