Media Hit

To the editor: IPI Resident Scholar Dr. Merrill Matthews is right on with his criticism of Greenpeace’s ridiculous Santa Claus video.

Doctors participating in Oklahoma's Medicaid plan — and all other states' Medicaid plans — face another problem, as pointed out by Dr. Merrill Matthews: Doctors who accept Medicaid patients could face a 24 percent cut in reimbursements beginning Jan. 1 — all thanks to Obamacare.

IPI's Matthews noted Obamacare's expected 24 percent cut in Medicaid reimbursements coming Jan. 1. That issue has reared its head repeatedly, and each time Congress has stepped in to fix it by spending more money, but that can’t continue forever, he said.

In addition to the new paper, the SBA Office of Advocacy has begun a social media campaign to promote both the paper and Internet sales taxes. IPI even found a list of suggested Twitter tweets that the Office of Advocacy wrote for supporters to use to promote the flawed report.

Attorney General Greg Abbott is pushing for more stringent privacy laws, looking to give Texans more control over personal information like DNA details. IPI's Bartlett Cleland said Abbott's proposals would help reduce the government’s power over personal information but disagreed with the method, saying an opt-in system would be the better option.

Liquid natural gas exports could generate 9,500 jobs in Maryland alone by 2035 and increase state wages.

Merrill Matthews says both taxpayers and tax collectors benefit from fracking and, ironically, it is the increased use of natural gas in power generation plants that has reduced our energy-related carbon dioxide emissions to near 1990 levels.

Merrill Matthews tells reporter Jim Angle patients in the high-risk pools will be shifted over to health insurance, raising premiums for everyone.

Merrill Matthews says new fracking technologies allow energy producers to provide more affordable electricity while simultaneously reducing pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions.

A bipartisan House bill introduced Oct. 22 aims to clarify FDA's authority over health information technology. Joel White of Health IT Now praised the bill during an IPI event, saying it created a "bright line" that made it clear that apps like health information technology management tools were beyond FDA's purview.