It is very difficult to ask the country to put politics aside during a presidential election season, but it is crucial that we do so now regarding the expected approval of vaccines for Covid-19. Pharmaceutical researchers are laboring for thousands of hours and investing billions of dollars to develop treatments and vaccines desperately needed to save lives and unlock economies around the … [Read more...] about Covid Politics
Health Insurance
Outrage over CDC Obsolescence
With thousands of lives and trillions of dollars at stake and economies reeling from the global pandemic, the U.S. government agency most responsible for decisions to guide the response has been using faxes and phones to collect vital data from front-line workers, then entering the information manually—leading to delays and mistakes. This is inexcusable and intolerable, veteran health policy … [Read more...] about Outrage over CDC Obsolescence
The ACA’s Risk-Adjustment Program Needs Adjusting
By Brian Blase, Ph.D. Galen Institute, July 27, 2020 | The Affordable Care Act dramatically changed insurance regulation in the individual and small-group health insurance markets. A key change detached the amount of an individual’s premium from his or her expected medical claims. By itself, this would have led to a variety of problems, including creating an incentive for … [Read more...] about The ACA’s Risk-Adjustment Program Needs Adjusting
Getting America Back to Work and Hastening the Recovery
By Brian Blase, Casey Mulligan and Doug Badger | Three former White House economic advisers warn in a paper released today by the Galen Institute that Congress would delay the recovery if it extends the $600 weekly increase in unemployment insurance (UI) benefits scheduled to expire July 31. In their paper, “Getting America Back to Work and Hastening the Recovery,” they estimate that … [Read more...] about Getting America Back to Work and Hastening the Recovery
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
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
A Better Solution to Surprise Medical Billing
Congress is right to be concerned about the issue of surprise medical billing. It’s unfair to patients who play by the rules, go to their insurer’s in-network facility for care, and months later receive a bill from an out-of-network provider, sometimes costing patients thousands of dollars in unexpected medical bills. Surprise bills are especially unfair to patients in emergency … [Read more...] about A Better Solution to Surprise Medical Billing
What You Should Know about the Uninsured
Last month’s Census Bureau report on the uninsured overlooked an important point: More than 99 percent of Americans have access to health coverage, regardless of their income or medical condition. The overwhelming majority of those lacking insurance could have obtained coverage but did not enroll. Many of those with lower incomes may not sign up for subsidized coverage because they know they … [Read more...] about What You Should Know about the Uninsured