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Even as President Obama accuses Mitt Romney and Representative Paul D. Ryan of trying to privatize and “voucherize” Medicare, his administration crows about the success of private health plans in delivering prescription drug benefits and other services to Medicare beneficiaries. More than a quarter of the 50 million beneficiaries receive coverage through private Medicare Advantage plans, mostly … [Read more...] about Robert Pear: Despite Democrats’ Warnings, Private Medicare Plans Find Success

The Galen Institute will host a briefing on Tuesday, August 28 at the Republican National Convention in Tampa. We have a terrific lineup of speakers to explore the question “Can we have a bipartisan conversation on health reform?” The Galen Institute believes it is important to demonstrate to political leaders there is bipartisan agreement on key policies. Both sides agree there are problems in … [Read more...] about Bipartisan Health Reform

In late 2009 the highly respected Mayo Clinic grabbed national headlines when it announced that one of its primary-care centers was no longer accepting Medicare. Henceforth, Medicare patients visiting its family clinic in Glendale, Arizona would have to pay cash. In 2008 Mayo lost $120 million on Medicare patients at all of its Arizona facilities. At the Glendale clinic, Medicare had covered only … [Read more...] about David Hogberg: The Next Exodus: Primary-Care Physicians and Medicare

Beacon Hill was the scene of great fanfare earlier this month when Governor Deval Patrick signed controversial new healthcare reform legislation into law. The governor proudly proclaimed that Massachusetts was “the first to crack the code” on the problem of ever-increasing healthcare costs. The mood outside the statehouse, however, has been far more sober. In reality, Patrick’s new law will … [Read more...] about Sally Pipes: Gov. Deval Patrick’s New Health Law Is Flat-Out Dangerous

NFIB v. Sebelius is history. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) lives on – 1,000 pages of law and 10,000 pages (so far) of regulations. Small businesses ask what lies ahead, and the job-killing answer comes from the Magic 8 Ball®: “REPLY HAZY. ASK AGAIN LATER.” For decades, the high and erratically increasing costs of health insurance have throttled the capacity of small … [Read more...] about Bob Graboyes: Small Business Under PPACA: Behind the Eight-ball

There are 600,000 physicians in America who care for the 48 million seniors on Medicare. Of the $716 billion that the Affordable Care Act cuts from the program over the next ten years, the largest chunk—$415 billion—comes from slashing Medicare’s reimbursement rates to doctors, hospitals, and nursing homes. This significant reduction in fees is driving many doctors to stop accepting new Medicare … [Read more...] about Avik Roy: How Obamacare’s $716 Billion in Cuts Will Drive Doctors Out of Medicare

Much has already been written about the divergent views of President Obama and Governor Romney on health care reform. More than a difference in details, though, this issue, newly thrust into the spotlight with Paul Ryan’s selection by Mitt Romney, embodies a fundamental difference between the candidates. President Obama believes in bigger government programs, funded by more taxes, with more … [Read more...] about Scott Atlas: How To Save America’s Health Care Safety Net

After two years of waiting for a response, the state has learned it may be forced to close enrollment for the 42,000-plus people in the Healthy Indiana Plan (HIP) beginning next year. Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA) Secretary Michael Gargano recently received notification from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), a division of the U.S. Department of Health … [Read more...] about Future of Healthy Indiana Plan Remains Uncertain