Are we all health care federalists now? No more so than when we once were "all Keynesians now," in the words of President Richard Nixon, and Milton Friedman, over 40 years ago. Nevertheless, leading members of both political parties have tried to duck under their leaky umbrellas of rhetorical federalism when facing the monsoon of challenges posed by Obamacare. Republican presidential … [Read more...] about Tom Miller: Fleshing out health care federalism
What’s next? Step One after Obamacare
Obamacare is on the rocks, and the heart of the law - the individual mandate - or the whole thing could be struck down by the Supreme Court. Whatever the court does, the voters could finish the job in November. In anticipation, a great deal of work is being done behind the scenes on Capitol Hill, in the states and in the think-tank community to talk about what’s next. Medicaid reform is at … [Read more...] about What’s next? Step One after Obamacare
Tom Miller: ‘Grand experiment’ of health care law already hits families
Despite claims of a gender gap around President Obama's health care law, it turns out some moms are raising Cain over the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Cafe Mom, the online meeting place for 9 million moms a month, reports that complaints from moms citing the law's new and impending provisions include rates having already doubled, higher premiums pricing families out of the … [Read more...] about Tom Miller: ‘Grand experiment’ of health care law already hits families
Joe Antos: The Individual Mandate Won’t Save Obamacare
For all the talk about the Affordable Care Act's mandate to purchase insurance, you might think that the mandate is the linchpin of the entire law. It isn't, at least from the standpoint of whether the insurance market will collapse without it. Even with the mandate, the ACA is likely to cause widespread and unnecessary disruption that will drive up the cost of insurance for the very people that … [Read more...] about Joe Antos: The Individual Mandate Won’t Save Obamacare
Joe Antos: No, Obamacare really doesn’t add up
Sometimes even the government cannot spend money that it does not have. That’s the simple truth behind the new study by Charles Blahous, a public trustee for Medicare and Social Security. Blahous finds that the Affordable Care Act is expected to increase the federal deficit by at least $346 billion between now and 2021, and the price tag might be as high as $527 billion. That’s a far cry from … [Read more...] about Joe Antos: No, Obamacare really doesn’t add up
ObamaCare Is the Embodiment of Fiscal Disaster
The American people figured out very early in the health reform debate that you can’t create a new entitlement that finances health insurance for 30 million people and still claim the scheme will magically reduce the federal budget deficit. But the White House and Democratic leaders in Congress kept insisting we were wrong – that, like the subjects in “The Emperor’s New Clothes,” we were just … [Read more...] about ObamaCare Is the Embodiment of Fiscal Disaster
When would it ever stop?
After three days of arguments and 136 amicus briefs filed with the Supreme Court, the key question comes down to this: Can the Congress go beyond its power to tax us and actually compel us to spend our own personal money on a private product, under penalty of federal law? The government argued that this is a natural extension its ability to regulate commerce since we will all need health care at … [Read more...] about When would it ever stop?
Washington Post Poll: More Americans expect Supreme Court’s health-care decision to be political
More Americans think Supreme Court justices will be acting mainly on their partisan political views than on a neutral reading of the law when they decide the constitutionality of President Obama’s health-care law, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll. Half of the public expects the justices to rule mainly based on their “partisan political views,” while fewer, 40 percent, expect … [Read more...] about Washington Post Poll: More Americans expect Supreme Court’s health-care decision to be political