Health care | AEIdeas

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Credit: New York Times

Yet another way Obamacare stymies health care innovation

James Pethokoukis | June 12, 2013, 11:59 am

What drives value creation and innovation in the US economy? Competition. (I once asked the head of the McKinsey Global Institute how to make America more innovative. The reply: “Maximum competitive intensity.” Love it.) Well, make that most of the US … read more >

Foreign and Defense Policy, Defense

Why this defense drawdown must be different: Q&A with Mackenzie Eaglen

Mackenzie Eaglen | May 28, 2013, 4:11 pm

Over two months in, deep and arbitrary budget cuts imposed by sequestration are popping up all over the US military with real consequences for those in uniform. This may be one reason the president’s budget request for next year virtually … read more >

Economics, Health Care

An anecdote from the front line of Obamacare implementation

Michael R. Strain | May 21, 2013, 10:04 am

What do people mean when they say that the government is not nearly as good as the market at allocating scarce resources? A story from today’s New York Times offers an anecdote from Obamacare: The Obama administration said Monday that … read more >

Economics, U.S. Economy

Poll: 41% of small businesses are holding off on hiring because of Obamacare

Michael R. Strain | May 14, 2013, 9:31 am

Gallup surveyed 603 small-business owners last month. The topic was Obamacare. The results are in. Forty-eight percent think that Obamacare will be “bad for your business.” Nine percent think it will be good for their business; 39 percent think it … read more >

Economics, Health Care, Pethokoukis

Is the weak US economy fixing America’s health care cost problem?

James Pethokoukis | May 7, 2013, 12:53 pm

US health care reform expands insurance coverage, but more reform is needed to control spending. Yet even as politicians and policy wonks continue to cook up cost-control schemes, the anemic economy may be doing the heavy lifting for them. But … read more >

Economics, Health Care

New study reinforces the desperate need for state-based Medicaid reform

Catherine Griffin | May 3, 2013, 10:11 am

AEI health scholars have noted for years that Medicaid can sometimes be worse for a patient’s health than no coverage at all (see here and here), primarily because Medicaid patients have trouble finding doctors who are willing to treat them. … read more >

Politics and Public Opinion, Polls

The polls this week: Obamacare, the sequester, and immigration

Karlyn Bowman and Andrew Rugg | May 3, 2013, 8:46 am

Support for Obamacare reaches a new low, a majority of Americans are confused by the sequester, and support for a path to citizenship declines. read more >

Pethokoukis

Avik Roy tells Arkansas to pass on Medicaid expansion through the health exchanges

James Pethokoukis | April 4, 2013, 1:40 pm

Avik Roy thinks Obama HHS wants to leave too many Medicaid strings attached, and Arkansas should pass on implementing the PPACA/ACA/Obamacare Medicaid expansion by enrolling eligible citizens in the new health exchanges. For instance, implementation should be freed Medicaid’s “antiquated cost … read more >

Economics, Health Care, Pethokoukis

Is Kaiser Permanente a failing model for US health care?

James Pethokoukis | March 21, 2013, 2:11 pm

Many health policy wonks see integrated, fixed-fee providers as a possible good-outcome future of US health care. And to many of these folks, Kaiser Permanente, which combines an insurance plan with ownership of its own hospitals and clinics, is the present-day … read more >

Economics, Health Care, Pethokoukis

The time traveler’s health care plan

James Pethokoukis | March 11, 2013, 12:47 pm

In The Time Travelers’s Wife, a genetic anomaly gives characters an uncontrollable ability to journey back-and-forth through the decades. If this mutation were real, the Affordable Care Act would almost certainly compel insurance companies to cover it. After all, Obamacare itself … read more >