Most of the time “the three Rs” mean reading, writing, and arithmetic. But for healthcare, what comes to mind are risk adjustment, reinsurance and risk corridors. These are risk-sharing mechanisms for insurance companies in the Affordable Care Act (ACA), better known as Obamacare. Taxpayers need to pay very close attention to the risk corridors because they are not functioning as planned due to the badly designed ACA. Some politicians want to supplement the risk corridors with taxpayer dollars in order to bail out insurance companies.
“I Am Sorry, This is Silly”
On Wednesday, December 2, the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Federal Lands held a hearing on a draft bill entitled the “National Park Service Centennial Act.” The purpose of the hearing was to discuss the legislation, which would establish a fund in the Treasury to finance signature projects and programs for the National Park System’s […]
A Pro Forma Forum?
On Friday, November 20, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) held a conference entitled, “HHS Pharmaceutical Forum: Innovation, Access, Affordability and Better Health.” The purpose of the forum was to bring together various stakeholders to “share information and discuss ideas to increase access to information, drive innovation, strengthen incentives and promote competition.” But […]
A Baffling Ban on Selling Bottled Water
The most essential nutrient for people is water. This is particularly true when someone is exercising or otherwise engaged in activities that require more than a “normal” amount of water. Those activities would include strenuous walking or hiking, such as one might do while visiting one of America’s national parks.
October – What A Month for Obamacare
The Affordable Care Act (ACA), more commonly known as Obamacare, did not have a very good October and it will only get worse for the President’s vaunted healthcare “reform” plan. Temporary walls that were built to protect Obamacare from market forces and normal consumer responses are starting to collapse. Hit One: On October 1, the Centers for […]
Judge Tells Federal Agency to Obey the Law for Drug Discount Program
Taxpayers and consumers pay for misuse of the 340B program through higher insurance premiums, increased drug prices and taxes.
More Obamacare CO-OP Dominos Fall
In April, 2015 Citizens Against Government Waste examined Consumer Operated and Oriented Plans (CO-OPs), created under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) or Obamacare. They were established as an alternative or compromise to placate several Democratic Senators who wanted to adopt a government-run, or single payer, option for healthcare reform. The theory was that the nonprofit and member-owned CO-OPs would provide real competition to big healthcare insurance companies. But like most provisions of Obamacare, they have not worked as intended.
Organic Food: A Healthy Alternative or a Waste of Money?
Organic food is better for you, right? Think again. I listened to the John Batchelor radio show Monday night and was fortunate to hear a former colleague of mine, Henry Miller, MS MD, discuss organic foods. Dr. Miller is currently a Robert Wesson Fellow in Scientific Philosophy and Public Policy at the Hoover Institution where he […]
A Very Good Beginning
The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations held a hearing today. The title of the hearing said it all, “An Overdue Checkup: Examining the ACA’s State Insurance Marketplaces.” Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) hopes it will be the first hearing of many, not only in the House of Representatives, but in the […]
More of the Same
Presidential candidate and former-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton proposed several worn-out initiatives this Tuesday that would supposedly lower drug prices but, if implemented, would seriously damage research and development in the United States while harming patients well into the future. Many promising drugs would either never be discovered or be severely delayed in reaching the market. The announcement was necessary […]