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
Medicaid
Warnings about Medicaid Expansion
States that have resisted expanding their Medicaid programs have witnessed the soaring costs in other states and the adverse impact on vulnerable patients already on the program who must compete for providers with expansion enrollees. As legislators prepare for their upcoming sessions, the Galen Institute and the Foundation for Government Accountability (FGA) have partnered in offering … [Read more...] about Warnings about Medicaid Expansion
Nursing Homes, Coronavirus and Medicaid
How a program for the poor pushes Americans into poor-quality facilities. By Stephen A. Moses and Brian C. Blase | June 1, 2020 7:13 pm ET With increased focus on the huge number of COVID-19 deaths in nursing homes, long-term care expert Steve Moses and Galen Senior Fellow Brian Blase write that federal payment policies are partly to blame for the low quality of care in many … [Read more...] about Nursing Homes, Coronavirus and Medicaid
Incentives and Data Matter: An analysis of the left’s coronavirus relief plan
Galen Senior Fellow Brian Blase concludes in an important new paper that the formula being proposed by leading House Democrats to provide coronavirus relief to states would exacerbate Medicaid’s already-serious problems and provide a huge incentive for states to keep their unemployment rates high. His analysis shows most states would receive $19 in federal money for every $1 they spend through … [Read more...] about Incentives and Data Matter: An analysis of the left’s coronavirus relief plan
Caution! Medicaid and coronavirus relief don’t mix!
Op-Ed in The Wall Street Journal by Brian Blase | The left’s new priority is to convince Congress to send hundreds of billions of additional dollars to states to help them weather the coronavirus storm. A leading Democratic proposal would funnel the money through Medicaid, with a built-in incentive for states to keep their economies closed and unemployment rates high. The bill, … [Read more...] about Caution! Medicaid and coronavirus relief don’t mix!
New York City is a hot spot for illegal Medicaid enrollment
New York state is grappling with a Medicaid shortfall in the billions of dollars. And one of the main reasons is improper enrollment. Using annual information from the Census Bureau to assess the demographic make-up of Medicaid enrollees over time, researcher Aaron Yelowitz and I estimated that 2.3 million to 3.3 million Medicaid enrollees nationally make an income in excess of what is … [Read more...] about New York City is a hot spot for illegal Medicaid enrollment
The ACA’s Medicaid Expansion: A Review of Ineligible Enrollees and Improper Payments
Enrollment in Medicaid has been much higher than expected in expansion states, significant errors and problems permeate state eligibility determinations, and many enrollees are ineligible, Blase and Yelowitz explain in a detailed analysis of the ACA’s Medicaid expansion. States are responsible for monitoring who enrolls in Medicaid, but the federal government foots … [Read more...] about The ACA’s Medicaid Expansion: A Review of Ineligible Enrollees and Improper Payments
ObamaCare’s Medicaid Deception
Galen Senior Fellow Brian Blase reports in a Wall Street Journal op-ed about millions of working, middle-income people being illegally enrolled in Medicaid, the health program designed for poor and vulnerable Americans. Brian and Cato senior fellow Aaron Yelowitz write about new research exposing “ObamaCare’s Medicaid Deception:” ObamaCare is supposed to make Medicaid available to … [Read more...] about ObamaCare’s Medicaid Deception