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?
Medicare
Good and Bad Ideas in the Senate’s Medicare Drug Bill
Responding to popular anxiety over prescription drug prices, the Senate Finance Committee last month approved a bill to restructure the Medicare prescription drug benefit. The bill is part of broader congressional and administration efforts to address rising health care costs, one in which lawmakers are laying aside partisan differences to seek constructive solutions. The … [Read more...] about Good and Bad Ideas in the Senate’s Medicare Drug Bill
Grace-Marie Turner Testifies Before Congress About Universal Coverage
Grace-Marie Turner testified on June 12 before the House Ways & Means Committee’s hearing on “Pathways to Universal Health Coverage.” She argued against dramatically expanding the role of government through Medicare for All or other new taxpayer-supported programs, such as Medicare Buy-In or a new “public option” insurer. She said we should instead target appropriate … [Read more...] about Grace-Marie Turner Testifies Before Congress About Universal Coverage
The Left’s Utopian Health Care Promises
Published on FORBES.com | Democrats have been pulling levers for decades to exert greater and greater government control over our health sector. But the more government gets involved, the more dysfunctional the market becomes. The left now contends that the mess can only be solved with a complete government takeover. They believe their moment has come. Americans are … [Read more...] about The Left’s Utopian Health Care Promises
Grace-Marie Turner testifies on Medicare For All
A Tale of Two Big (Medicare) Mistakes
So here is a glimpse into one small part of the vast U.S. health care industry that shows the incredible difficulty government agencies have in setting accurate and fair payment rates for medical services, even when specifically directed by Congress to do so. It offers a cautionary tale for those who would put the entire health care system under government control. The players in … [Read more...] about A Tale of Two Big (Medicare) Mistakes
‘Medicare for All’ vs. ‘Medicare for Less’?
The liberal talking point is inaccurate. But there’s a reason it resonates with the public. The 2020 presidential race will pit the Democrats’ “Medicare for All” proposal against the Trump administration’s “Medicare for Less.” At least that’s how the Washington Post and some Democratic political operatives suggest it will play out. According to the Post article, … [Read more...] about ‘Medicare for All’ vs. ‘Medicare for Less’?
The Risks of Medicare for All
Planting one health-care system requires uprooting another. Critics of American health care often ask why ours is the only highly developed country without a taxpayer-funded universal health-care system. It is a question meant to answer itself: There is no good reason, so the U.S. should fall in line with European financing methods. That is the view of advocates of “Medicare For … [Read more...] about The Risks of Medicare for All