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
‘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
Replacing Employer-Sponsored Health Insurance with Government-Financed Coverage: Considerations for Policymakers
In an important paper the Galen Institute is releasing today, Senior Fellow Doug Badger examines the role that employer-sponsored health insurance (ESI) plays in the larger U.S. health sector and offers considerations for policymakers contemplating replacing ESI with government-financed coverage. In “Replacing Employer-Sponsored Health Insurance with Government-Financed … [Read more...] about Replacing Employer-Sponsored Health Insurance with Government-Financed Coverage: Considerations for Policymakers
One Week At CMS: Steps Toward Transformative Changes
by Grace-Marie Turner — The Centers for Medicaid & Medicare Services is continuing the drumbeat of modernizing the two gargantuan programs it runs to generate more accountability, greater transparency, and provide better value for both patients and taxpayers. Administrator Seema Verma announced on Thursday a new proposed rule that would bring more accountability into “Accountable” Care … [Read more...] about One Week At CMS: Steps Toward Transformative Changes
CMS Needs to Fix Payment Policies For Clinical Labs
Congress ordered the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to come up with a new payment system for the more than 400 million clinical laboratory tests that Medicare pays for each year so that prices would be more closely aligned with those paid by private insurers. But the new system relies on data that are not broadly representative of market rates, putting access to clinical … [Read more...] about CMS Needs to Fix Payment Policies For Clinical Labs
Can Medicare Pay Market Rates?
A Surgical Approach To High Prescription Drug Prices
President Trump’s plan to lower prescription drug costs uses a surgeon’s scalpel to address a range of issues, offering nearly 30 policy recommendations to modernize payment policies, weed out counter-productive regulations, improve price transparency, and expand competitive price negotiations. The plan reflects the complexity of the industry and the regulatory system that governs government … [Read more...] about A Surgical Approach To High Prescription Drug Prices