All of Washington, D.C., as well as the rest of the country, has been binging on the third season of the wildly popular Netflix original series “House of Cards,” the sordid tale of Washington politicians who will stop at nothing to bend the power structure to their will in order to gain power, prestige, and money.
King v. Burwell: Judicial Branch Should Judge, Not Legislate
On Wednesday, March 4, 2015, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments to King v. Burwell. It is one of four lawsuits that challenge the IRS’s regulation that allows subsidies to assist people to purchase health insurance in Federally-facilitated Exchanges under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), better known as ObamaCare. The plaintiffs argued that the plain language of the law only allows subsidies to assist people in an Exchange “established by a State” while the Obama administration is arguing the IRS was correct when it decided to provide subsidies for enrollees in both types of Exchanges. The Exchanges are the on-line marketplaces where people can shop and purchase health insurance. The Supreme Court heard the case because there have been conflicting rulings within the lower courts as to whether the IRS acted legally.
The Supreme Court Hears King v. Burwell
Today, March 4, 2015, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments to King v. Burwell. It’s a big deal because it could decide whether the Affordable Care Act (ACA), better known as ObamaCare, survives in its current format. More to the point, the decision will have implications regarding the balance of power between the three co-equal […]
When Will Congress Fix the 340B Drug Discount Program?
The 340B drug discount program to help uninsured, low-income individuals obtain prescription drugs has strayed from its mission.
The House Votes to Repeal ObamaCare
The House of Representatives voted today on H.R. 596, a bill that would repeal and replace ObamaCare. H.R. 596 passed by a vote of 239 to 186. The bill was introduced by Rep. Bradley Byrne (R-Ala.) and had 98 co-sponsors.
Repealing Obamacare – Is It Doable?
On January 6, the 114th Congress convened and is now under Republican control, with 54 senators out of 100 in the Senate and 246 representatives out of 435 in the House. One of the major Republican campaign promises was the full repeal of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), more often referred to as ObamaCare. But can it be done?
Social Security Reform: Time to Go Big
Among the rules adopted by the House of Representatives is a new provision that bars the transfer of money between the Social Security old age and survivors insurance (OASI) trust fund and the disability insurance (DI) trust fund. Congress has authorized 11 transfers from OASI to DI in order to temporarily patch the DI trust fund. In 1994, the last time that DI was on the verge of going broke, Congress reallocated 0.6 percentage points of the payroll tax from OASI to the DI program. The rule change prevents another temporary fix from occurring and provides a significant opportunity for Congress to adopt reforms in order to help ensure the future solvency of both programs.
To Market, To Market – First U.S. Biosimilar On Its Way
On Wednesday, January 7, 2015, I attended the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee meeting that discussed and recommended approval of the first biosimilar drug, called filgrastim, under the Biologics Price Competition and Innovation Act (BPCI).
Jonathan Gruber Goes to Washington
Most of you know about Jonathan Gruber. He is the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) economics professor that was hired as a consultant by the Obama administration to provide guidance on designing ObamaCare. He has often been called the “architect” of ObamaCare. What was his consulting fee just from the Department of Health and Human […]
Newt’s Very Bad Idea
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich often comes up with ideas to change how the government works. One of his most recent suggestions has made a lot of people who care about property rights scratch their head. At a December 2, 2014 meeting of Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy executives, Speaker Gingrich was asked about the […]