James C. Capretta, fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, testified before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee on May 16 at a hearing on "Identifying Opportunities for Health Care Delivery System Reform: Lessons from the Front Line." Jim's testimony expands on these three points: "1. The source of many of our problems in health care delivery is the dominant Medicare … [Read more...] about Jim Capretta: Testimony Before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee
Don’t Contaminate the Drug-Approval Process
Members of Congress, working outside the harsh glare of politics, are very close to bipartisan agreement on a bill that would help fund the Food and Drug Administration’s work on drug approval and take much-needed steps toward modernizing the process. Under the legislation, pharmaceutical, medical-device, and biotech companies would agree to pay at least $6 billion in user fees over the next … [Read more...] about Don’t Contaminate the Drug-Approval Process
Kevin Sack: Unintended Consequence for Dialysis Patients as Drug Rule Changes
A shift last year by the federal government in how it pays for drugs to treat dialysis patients may have had an unintended and potentially dire consequence, according to new research: a significant jump in blood transfusions for patients who now may not be getting enough of the medications. The findings are seen by some experts as a stark illustration of how the government’s reimbursement … [Read more...] about Kevin Sack: Unintended Consequence for Dialysis Patients as Drug Rule Changes
Avik Roy: Are House Republicans Caving in on Repealing Obamacare? Doubtful.
Politico is reporting that House Republicans are preparing for the possibility that the Supreme Court upholds the law by drafting new legislation. “When the court rules, we’ll be ready,” House Speaker John Boehner (R., Ohio) told the House Republican Conference on Wednesday. But what’s surprising about alleged GOP plans is that they involve preserving significant—and damaging—aspects of the … [Read more...] about Avik Roy: Are House Republicans Caving in on Repealing Obamacare? Doubtful.
David Hogberg: ObamaCare May Hurt Medicare Advantage Plans For Poor
Many low-income seniors could lose access to their preferred Medicare Advantage plans due to ObamaCare changes. A new report released by the conservative American Action Forum on Tuesday argues that changes made to the five-star rating program for MA plans may reduce plan choice and direct Medicare resources away from low-income areas. The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services rates MA … [Read more...] about David Hogberg: ObamaCare May Hurt Medicare Advantage Plans For Poor
J.D. Foster: The Good News in the Medicare Trustees Report
The release of the annual Medicare trustees report in late April, containing as it did a vast array of very bad news, was immediately greeted with valid dire warnings of fiscal disaster. Little noticed, however, were three important bits of good news: the inevitability of imminent action; a simple key hidden in the report for understanding Medicare’s fiscal problem; and a proven bipartisan … [Read more...] about J.D. Foster: The Good News in the Medicare Trustees Report
Innovation In The Health Care Sector Marches Forward
All eyes are on the Supreme Court as the nation awaits its decision aboutObamaCare, but progress in the health sector nonetheless marches on. These changes in the real world of health care are driven not by Washington’s laws, rules, and endless regulations, but by companies, large and small, that are developing new ways to improve health care. The Galen Institute held a conference adjacent … [Read more...] about Innovation In The Health Care Sector Marches Forward
Sally Pipes: Not That the Obama Administration Has Noticed, But Drugs Are Expensive to Develop
Last week, pharmaceutical company Roche announced that it was scrapping work on a once-promising cholesterol medicine at the recommendation of its independent data and safety monitoring board. Had the drug proven successful, it would have likely delivered sales of a billion dollars a year. Instead, Roche lost millions researching something that will never reach patients. This episode … [Read more...] about Sally Pipes: Not That the Obama Administration Has Noticed, But Drugs Are Expensive to Develop