The establishment of well-intentioned programs that fail to achieve their objectives and waste taxpayer dollars is an unfortunately frequent occurrence in the federal government. A prominent example of such an outcome is the 340B program, created by Section 340B of the Public Health Service Act of 1992, which requires pharmaceutical manufacturers participating in Medicaid to […]
President Trump has made lowering drug prices and reducing healthcare costs for Americans a top priority of his second term, along with encouraging more biopharmaceutical investment and innovation in the U.S. Citizens Against Government Waste suggests that he can achieve both objectives without imposing price controls, which includes Most Favored Nation (MFN) polices, reforming the […]
The 340B Drug Discount Program was created in 1992 and requires pharmaceutical manufacturers participating in Medicaid to sell drugs to “Covered Entities” (CEs), including non-profit hospitals like the Cleveland Clinic, at discounts of 20 to 50 percent. The program grew from $9 billion in 2014 to $66 billion in 2023, making it the second-largest federal […]
The federal 340B Drug Pricing Program was intended to provide discounts on drugs to patients but the lack of a clear intent and patient definition, along with inadequate oversight, has led to the program being exploited by hospitals and contract pharmacies to generate millions of dollars in profit. The discounts are supposed to be provided […]
The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) sounds like it should be involved in ground-breaking, state-of-the-art healthcare projects and programs. However, the center was created in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), better known as Obamacare, which in and of itself raises red flags. CMMI is run by the Centers for Medicare […]
Citizens Against Government Waste’s February Waste Watcher, “Obamacare’s Cerberus,” discussed concerns with three organizations created under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), or Obamacare. They are the Patient Centered Outcome Research Institute (PCORI), the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB), and the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI.) All have the capability to develop into government rationing boards.
In March 2010, the Affordable Care Act (ACA), or Obamacare, was signed into law. The debate over controversial Obamacare initiatives is ongoing, particularly whether the law will lead to rationing and price-controls that are seen in single-payer or government-run healthcare systems.
In fiscal year (FY) 2010, the Social Security Disability Insurance program (SSDI) shelled out approximately $123 billion in benefits to more than 10 million disabled workers and their dependents. Reforms in the SSDI program are long overdue; without them, the fund is expected to be depleted by 2018 according to a June 14, 2011 Government Accountability Office (GAO) report. One reason for SSDI’s financial woes is a 63 percent increase in overpayments, from $860 million in FY 2001 to $1.4 billion in FY 2010.
Just before the August congressional break, Citizens Against Government Waste testified before a forum on Medicare fraud that was chaired by Sens. Mel Martinez (R-Fla.) and John Cornyn (R-Texas). Sen. Martinez introduced S. 3164, the Seniors and Taxpayers Obligation Protection Act (STOP) of 2008, a bill that does several things to address the continuing problem of out-of-control fraud in the Medicare program.
