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Has Washington learned from experience? Not Washington, D.C., but Washington state? Possibly. The state was among the most aggressive in the 1990s in implementing health insurance reforms, including guaranteed issue, community rating, and a big dose of coverage mandates. But the "reforms" brought huge increases in insurance premiums and new limits on coverage. Premera Blue Cross, … [Read more...] about The Other Washington

Highlights Consumer Health WorldWyden-Bennett billAn open letter from doctors CONSUMER HEALTH WORLD: I spent the early part of this week in Las Vegas at the Consumer Health World conference at the Venetian Resort and continue to be awed by the innovative ideas and investment in solutions, technologies, and advances in health care and coverage. Sally Pipes of the Pacific Research Institute and I … [Read more...] about Making Progress

Highlights Medicare ForumHSAsMcCain MEDICARE FORUM: HHS Secretary Michael Leavitt gave a visionary but chilling speech about the looming threat that Medicare presents to taxpayers, to our economy, and to other functions of government during a major forum we co-sponsored in Washington on Tuesday with the American Enterprise Institute and The Heritage Foundation. First, the setting: More than 250 … [Read more...] about White Water Threat

Medicare: Drifting Towards DisasterAn address by Health and Human Services Secretary Michael O. LeavittWith an introduction by former Sen. John Breaux  Tuesday, April 29, 2008, 9:45 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.Newseum555 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, D.C. 7th floor meeting roomPlease use the 6th Street entranceA webcast of the event will also be available online at … [Read more...] about Medicare Forum

Highlights Single Payer Medicaid Rules Medicare Forum The American Prospect, a magazine of liberal thought, carries an article in its current issue by Marcia Angell, M.D., of Harvard and former editor-in-chief of The New England Journal of Medicine that does indeed offer fuel for thought. Her article, "Health Reform You Shouldn't Believe In," examines the universal health … [Read more...] about Single Payer Utopia?

  Consumer Health World Conference Please join us for the Consumer Health World Spring conference May 4 - 7 at the Venetian Resort Hotel in Las Vegas. The Galen Institute is a co-host of this conference, and Grace-Marie will be speaking at a keynote session on "Challenging the Candidates: How Will the New President's Policies Impact Consumers and Health Care?" We have a … [Read more...] about Good News and Bad

Please mark your calendars now to join us on Tuesday, April 29, for a major address on Medicare featuring HHS Secretary Michael Leavitt. The program, which we will jointly host with several other think tanks, begins at 9:45 a.m. at the brand new Newseum at 555 Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington. This will be the secretary's major address on the massive threat that Medicare and other entitlement … [Read more...] about Join Us!

Defending the taxpayer can be dangerous business, as I learned yesterday on Capitol Hill. I took arrows from members of the House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee about my testimony on legislation that would block seven new rules designed to curb fraud and abuse in Medicaid. I was a minority witness (in more ways than one) on the side of the beleaguered taxpayer. I explained that government … [Read more...] about Brawls on Capitol Hill