Healthcare

Work and Health Should Be Only Indirectly Linked

By Justin Katz | October 21, 2008 |

I’m with Jeff Jacoby: De-linking medical insurance from employment is the key to reforming healthcare in the United States. McCain proposes to accomplish that by taking the tax deduction away from employers and giving it to employees. With a $5,000 refundable healthcare tax credit, Americans would have a strong inducement to buy their own, more…

Healthcare Intrigue

By Justin Katz | October 17, 2008 |

Granted, they devoted some time to debate talk, but it says something encouraging that Andrew and Matt Allen actually pushed past the time slot on Wednesday to further discuss healthcare. I, for one, would have liked a whole hour of that conversation. Stream by clicking here, or download it.

Emulating Fannie Mae in the Health Insurance Industry; Yes We Can!

By Carroll Andrew Morse | October 15, 2008 |

Democratic Presidential nominee Barack Obama’s health plan has the Federal government getting directly into the health insurance business. He wants the government to create “a new public plan” for health insurance that would compete with existing private insurers. Senator Obama also wants the administrators of this new plan, or some other government-created insurer, to assume…

On Obama’s healthcare policies

By Donald B. Hawthorne | October 13, 2008 |

From The Corner: Obama says we shouldn’t allow people to shop for insurance across state lines because some states allow health insurers to exploit nefarious loopholes. Doesn’t this argue for, not against, letting people in shop across state lines to get more favorable coverage? In other words, if you are trapped in a state where…

The “Advantage” of Universal Healthcare

By Carroll Andrew Morse | September 18, 2008 |

In response to my question on the Medicaid waiver being sought by the Carcieri administration, commenter “mrh” responded…I’d say that in general, “liberal Democratic” plans for universal health care don’t promise to “put people on waiting lists for treatment, and limit the duration and scope of services.”…to which commenter “bobc” responded…You’re right they don’t “promise”…

The Times and the Medicaid Waiver

By Carroll Andrew Morse | September 15, 2008 |

The New York Times editorial board says the Carcieri administration’s plan to redesign Rhode Island’s Medicaid program is risky… Under the proposed waiver, the federal government would contribute a fixed annual amount for the next five years (roughly what it was projected to spend anyway), but Rhode Island would limit its contribution to 23 percent…

There Is a Right Path

By Justin Katz | September 5, 2008 |

Just a pause to affirm that one doesn’t have to push the boundaries of ethics to extend the boundaries of medical science: The cell identity switch turned ordinary pancreas cells into the rarer type that churns out insulin, essential for preventing diabetes. But its implications go beyond diabetes to a host of possibilities, scientists said.…

Obama’s Healthcare Detailing

By Carroll Andrew Morse | August 29, 2008 |

Supposedly, this was “detail” offered by Barack Obama, in his nomination acceptance speech, on his plans for reforming healthcare…Now is the time to finally keep the promise of affordable, accessible health care for every single American. If you have health care, my plan will lower your premiums. If you don’t, you’ll be able to get…

Evidence of the Problem Is Not Always Proof of One’s Solution

By Justin Katz | August 26, 2008 |

I’m sure there are examples on the Right, as well, and taking my own biases into consideration, I wouldn’t be confident declaring an imbalance. But it does seem as if the Left has a habit of assuming the soundness of its solutions and seeing any evidence of the initial problem as explicit proof for its…

Just Because It’s the Rational Solution Doesn’t Mean I’m Going to Stop Talking About It

By Carroll Andrew Morse | August 21, 2008 |

AFSCME Council 94’s President, as reported by Katherine Gregg in the Projo, has named his union’s immediate goal in the wake of Judge Patricia’s Hurst’s decision allowing the Governor’s imposition of contract terms to go forward, as least as far as executive branch employees are concerned…Our number-one goal is to stop the administration from taking…