For all of the quality care it delivers, the U.S. health care system is one of the most dysfunctional sectors of the U.S. economy. The government spends nearly 50 cents of every dollar spent on health care, most consumers are almost entirely insulated from the cost of their decisions, and employers decide what kind of health insurance their employees get.
But while the U.S. health care system begs for reform, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act only exacerbates all of the current problems, promising to devolve into a price-controlled system rationed and micromanaged by bureaucrats.
IPI believes there are much better options: reform the tax treatment of health insurance; remove the state and federal mandates and regulations that make coverage more expensive; pass medical liability reform; and promote policies that create value-conscious shoppers in the health care marketplace.
What Sec. Sebelius Should Be Telling College Graduates About ObamaCare
Sebelius recently laid out the “benefits” of ObamaCare for college graduates, all part of a broader push by the left to convince young Americans they really want this law—since almost no one else does.
Never Let a Good 'Scandal' Go to Waste as Conservatives Push Their Agenda
With at least three Obama administration scandals swirling in Washington, and perhaps more on the way, a number of opportunities “to do the things … you didn’t think were possible” have emerged—like moving a conservative agenda.
Who Cares About Hospital Prices Under ObamaCare?
The government wants patients to know how much hospitals charge: ObamaCare ensures that patients won’t care.
When It's Medicaid, Protect the Work Horses, Not the Gift Horses
Medicaid expansion comes with “free” money that always seems to cost a lot.
Our view: Obama's full court press
President Barack Obama is beginning today what appears to be a full court press to try to get people to sign up for the ACA, a key to its success. MDN editorial board cites IPI's Merrill Matthews, who points out: "One of Obama’s primary justifications for demanding health care reform was to help the uninsurables get coverage, and he has closed that provision to new entrants.”
Actually, Sen. Baucus, ObamaCare Is Facing Multiple Train Wrecks
Sen. Max Baucus’ gaff—defined in Washington as when someone inadvertently tells the truth—about ObamaCare being a “train wreck” was actually an understatement: ObamaCare faces multiple train wrecks.
How to Take a Step Forward in Health Tech? Focus
If the FCC is going to be involved in mhealth, and broader health tech, expansion, then the agency must get out of its own way.
Government Wrecking the Health IT Market
Congress and the White House pursued getting more people health insurance when they should have been removing barriers to better health.
Health Savings Accounts Will Survive ObamaCare -- At Least For Now
It appears that Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) will slip under the Affordable Care Act’s threshold for qualified coverage—although just barely. And given the fact that HSAs, and similar high deductible health insurance options, are about the only type of health coverage bending down the health care cost curve, they may even thrive.
Why Health Care Spending Will Explode Under ObamaCare
On the eve of ObamaCare’s third anniversary one thing is for sure: there have been a lot of surprises in the last three years — most of them bad. And the White House and Democrats are about to get their next big surprise when health care spending explodes.