by Brian Blase | The Hill | One major difference between the health care sector and other economic sectors is the opacity and complexity of prices for medical goods and services. While in other sectors, prices for similar goods or services are generally analogous, health care prices can vary widely depending on where the service is received and who is paying. For this reason, shopping in … [Read more...] about The benefits of government requiring health care price transparency
The Hill
Biden must keep his health care promises
By Brian Blase | The Hill March 18, 2021 | Congressional Democrats and the Biden administration appear to be laying the groundwork to take health coverage away from millions of people. Next week, House Democrats are holding a hearing on programs by the Trump administration that expanded valuable options for health coverage. Restricting private options would be … [Read more...] about Biden must keep his health care promises
Health care reform that works
Republican candidates across the country are getting pummeled with adsby challengers using an upcoming Supreme Court case as the weapon to frighten millions of Americans into believing they will lose their health care and pre-existing condition protections if the Affordable Care Act (ObamaCare) is struck down. The issue was front and center in this week’s Senate Judiciary Committee … [Read more...] about Health care reform that works
Debate Advice for the President—Santorum and Blase in The Hill
Embed from Getty Images Trump’s Health Care Plan President Trump should tout his significant achievements on health care in tonight’s debate, two key policymakers argue in an op-ed today in The Hill. “President Trump has a final opportunity to defend this record and explain his actions to fix problems with ObamaCare and improve the broader health system,” write former Sen. Rick Santorum and … [Read more...] about Debate Advice for the President—Santorum and Blase in The Hill
Double-dippers drive up drug costs
In searching for answers to why drug costs are high, we only need look at problems our own government has created. One of the biggest culprits distorting prices is the once obscure “340B Drug Pricing Program.” Created in 1992, it requires drugmakers to offer steep discounts to certain safety net clinics and hospitals to help them “stretch scarce federal resources.” The original intent was to … [Read more...] about Double-dippers drive up drug costs
It’s time to ban balance billing
Negotiations to end surprise billing have been at an impasse for nearly a year. Discussions between the White House and congressional leaders over another coronavirus bill offer an opportunity to finally end this practice that defrauds millions of patients every year. The lobbying battle lines are well defined. On one side stand the private equity firms that have bought medical staffing agencies … [Read more...] about It’s time to ban balance billing
Doug Badger: Approaching ObamaCare with Humility
The Hill, February 13, 2015 President Obama spoke frequently of humility during last week's prayer breakfast. Congressional Republicans could use a healthy measure of that virtue should the Supreme Court rule that ObamaCare subsidies are not available in the 37 states with federally facilitated exchanges. ObamaCare is the product of a yawning humility deficit. Its core conceit is that a … [Read more...] about Doug Badger: Approaching ObamaCare with Humility