Abstract Certificate of need (CON) laws in 21 states restrict acquisition of imaging equipment, including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT), and positron emission tomography (PET) scans. We compare the effect of CON regulations for imaging services provided by hospitals and other providers to determine whether CON laws affect use of imaging services across provider types. … [Read more...] about Are Certificate-of-Need Laws Barriers to Entry? How They Affect Access to MRI, CT, and PET Scans
Taxpayers stuck with huge tab for big insurers’ Obamacare losses
Many insurance companies are losing money selling Obamacare policies. Unfortunately, the White House wants to make their losses your problem. In December, Congress refused an administration request to provide insurers with $2.5 billion in bailout money to help cover their 2014 losses. The Obama administration hasn't given up. It has declared that this $2.5 billion in corporate welfare and … [Read more...] about Taxpayers stuck with huge tab for big insurers’ Obamacare losses
4 Principles to Guide Health Care Reform
Last month, Congress provided temporary relief from two taxes that would hamper America’s middle class: the Cadillac tax, which could have affected employees in up to 23 percent of insurance plans, and the medical device tax, which would curb critical medical research and drive up health care costs. With the House of Representatives poised to pass a reconciliation bill that includes the repeal … [Read more...] about 4 Principles to Guide Health Care Reform
Should Drug Prices Be Capped?
Americans understandably want to pay less for medicines, and they are demanding government action. More than three in four Americans want government to cap what drug companies can charge for certain medicines, according to a poll by the Kaiser Family Foundation. Fully 83 percent want the federal government to negotiate prices for drugs for Medicare patients. But more government involvement … [Read more...] about Should Drug Prices Be Capped?
Some ObamaCare Relief for Consumers In ‘Taxibus’ Legislation
Some of my colleagues are blasting the Republican leadership for delaying three of ObamaCare’s taxes as part of the $1.14 trillion end-of-the-year tax extender and spending package scheduled for a House vote on Friday. The legislation provides a two-year delay in the “Cadillac” tax on high-cost health insurance policies that labor unions were pleading to repeal; a two-year delay in the medical … [Read more...] about Some ObamaCare Relief for Consumers In ‘Taxibus’ Legislation
Proposed IRS Rule Would Place Undue Burden on Nonprofits, Discourage Donations
The Galen Institute has submitted comments about a proposed Internal Revenue Service regulation that would give nonprofits the option of asking donors for their Social Security numbers to substantiate donations of more than $250. We strongly oppose this rule that would provide a “voluntary” path to collect and report not only the Social Security numbers but also the names, addresses, and other … [Read more...] about Proposed IRS Rule Would Place Undue Burden on Nonprofits, Discourage Donations
The Folly of Targeting Big Pharma
An unfortunate refrain among Democratic presidential hopefuls is that rapacious pharmaceutical and biotech companies are driving up the cost of essential medications, bankrupting the health-care system, and depriving sick Americans of treatment. Hillary Clintonhas honed her message to a nice sound bite: Drug companies that charge excessively high prices “are making a fortune off of people’s … [Read more...] about The Folly of Targeting Big Pharma
Top CMS Official Questioned on Lack of Oversight of State ObamaCare Exchanges
“Woefully sloppy and willfully ignorant” is how Chairman Tim Murphy (R-PA) described the oversight of the state-run health insurance exchanges at an Energy & Commerce oversight hearing Tuesday. Andy Slavitt, Acting Administrator for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), testified before the subcommittee on the use of federal funds provided to establish state-based … [Read more...] about Top CMS Official Questioned on Lack of Oversight of State ObamaCare Exchanges