California politicians and interest groups have been working overtime to figure out a way to fix an illegal Medicaid provider tax—the subject of my recent Mercatus Center study. These taxes are problematic because they are generally accompanied with the guarantee of increased Medicaid payments to the providers paying the tax—payments largely financed with federal matching funds. As a result, … [Read more...] about California’s Illegal Medicaid Tax
The pros and cons of selling health insurance across state lines
Obamacare has not done much to slow the growth of health care costs. Government actuaries project that health spending will grow 5.8% a year over the next decade — substantially faster than growth in the economy. Could Republican proposals to sell health insurance across state lines bend the cost curve and make premiums more affordable? The idea seems simple enough. Right now, if you are buying … [Read more...] about The pros and cons of selling health insurance across state lines
Selling Health Insurance Across State Lines––A Really Dumb Idea
Any candidate that suggests such a scheme only shows how unsophisticated he and his advisers are when it comes to understanding how the insurance markets really work––or could work. I gave a speech to 750 health insurance brokers and consultants in DC last week. When selling health insurance across state lines, something Trump and a number of other Republican presidential candidates have … [Read more...] about Selling Health Insurance Across State Lines––A Really Dumb Idea
Why Life-Sciences Innovation Is Politically ‘Purple’
The United States has long had the world’s most effective and competitive system for discovering and developing new drugs—and for more than a half century, there has been a bipartisan consensus that there are two reasons for that success: First, the federal government provides robust funding for scientific research, mostly through the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Second, the U.S. system … [Read more...] about Why Life-Sciences Innovation Is Politically ‘Purple’
100 Years of Government’s “Managed” Health Care
The term “managed care” entered the common lexicon in the 1990s, when contracted arrangements between physicians and hospitals on the one hand, and insurance entities on the other, became standard means to try to control healthcare expenditures. The origin of the concept is frequently credited to Dr. Paul Ellwood and his influential Jackson Hole Group, who introduced the idea in the early … [Read more...] about 100 Years of Government’s “Managed” Health Care
Major Companies Band Together to Control Health Care Costs
Twenty of the nation’s largest corporations have formed a coalition to create a more cost-efficient way of delivering health benefits to their employees. The Health Transformation Alliance (HTA), an initiative conceived by the American Health Policy Institute, wants to open the health care black box by increasing transparency of health care costs. The Institute is headed by Tevi Troy, a former … [Read more...] about Major Companies Band Together to Control Health Care Costs
70 Changes to ObamaCare… — So Far
(pdf version) By our count at the Galen Institute, more than 70 significant changes have been made to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, at least 43 that the Obama administration has made unilaterally, 24 that Congress has passed and the president has signed, and three by the Supreme Court. Changes By Administrative Action 1.) Employee reporting: The IRS announced that, contrary to … [Read more...] about 70 Changes to ObamaCare… — So Far
70 Changes That Make Obamacare A Very Different Law Than Congress Passed
One reason why the anger over Obamacare has subsided somewhat could be that more than 70 significant changes have been made to the law since it was enacted in 2010—delaying, weakening, and eliminating some of its more onerous and burdensome provisions. The law that is being implemented is not the one Congress passed. By our updated count at the Galen Institute, at least 43 of the changes to the … [Read more...] about 70 Changes That Make Obamacare A Very Different Law Than Congress Passed