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HR 3590 "ObamaCare"
Monthly Archives: March 2011
Flexibility in implementing health care “reform” limited to more authoritarian control
“HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius has written that ObamaCare gives states “incredible freedom” to implement the law. We now know what she meant: states are free to coerce their residents even more than ObamaCare requires. What’s incredible is that she calls that freedom.” – Michael Cannon, Cato Institute Continue reading
Colorado may cancel state-run “Prescription Drug Monitoring Program”
Do you find it kind of creepy that government agents have access to your prescription information? Every med you take, Colorado authorities could be watching you. But Colorado’s Prescription Drug Monitoring Program may lose its tax funding. Continue reading
Get your ObamaCare updates from Cato Institute
The latest Healthy Competition newsletter from the Cato Institute summarizes the latest studies, op-eds and blog posts from Cato scholars about ObamaCare. The big picture, lawsuits, and effect on states. Continue reading
Medicare Loses Nearly 4 Times as Much Money as Health Insurers Make
Next time someone decries insurance company profits, remind him that fraud and waste in Medicare and Medicaid far exceed these dollar amounts. Check out Jeffrey Anderson’s article in the Weekly Standard: “Medicare Loses Nearly Four Times as Much Money as Health Insurers Make.” See also my previous post: “Medicare & Medicaid fraud far exceeds insurance company profits.” Continue reading
Posted in Medicaid/Medicare/SCHIP, PPC
Tagged for-profit health care, Medicare, Medicare fraud, Medicare waste
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Hey Colorado Pols: Hospitals pass hospital “fee” on to patients
The bill that would repeal the Colorado hospital tax has died. But Colorado Pols incorrectly states that it’s hospitals that pay the fee. This expense, or a large part of it, probably gets passed on to patients. Nor does the fee bring in matching funds from the feds. Continue reading
Posted in Colorado health care, PPC
Tagged Colorado HB 1293, Colorado HB11-1025, hospital provider fees
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ObamaCare forces insurers to withdraw from markets
“The impact of new rules on health insurance is causing people throughout the country to ‘lose the coverage they have now’ and to have many fewer options. …This leaves customers with fewer options of affordable coverage in an increasingly non-competitive market.” reports Grace-Marie Turner. Read the short paper summarizing the instances so far. Continue reading
Posted in insurance, tax code, HSAs
Tagged crowd out, medical-loss ratios, ObamaCare
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The Medicaid Wrecking Ball: it busts state budgets
Peter Suderman at Reason explains Medicaid is busting state budgets: Federal matching funds to states encourage eligibility expansion. More people qualify because of recession, but tax revenues are also down. Even Democrat governors are looking to limit eligibility. Continue reading
Colo. SB 11-168 admits that authoritarian “co-op” will kill jobs
Colorado SB 11-168 (text), which would create a tax-funded authoritarian health care cooperate that unfairly competes with insurance companies, admits that it will put people out of jobs. Section 10-16-1107 (yeah, really) reads: The [Board of Directors] shall design the … Continue reading
Posted in Colorado health care, PPC
Tagged Colorado SB 11-168, crowd out, health care cooperatives
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Colo. HB 11-1173: Daily Camera opposes licensing of naturapathic doctors
Writing for the Boulder Daily Camera’s Editorial Board, Erika Stutzman admirably defends individual freedom & responsibly by opposing Colorado House Bill 11-1173, which would prohibit naturopathic physicians from practicing without a license. Continue reading
Posted in physicians & medical quality, PPC
Tagged Colorado HB11-1173, medical licensing
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ObamaCare still bad: Cato Institute updates Bad Medicine
The Cato Institute has published an updated version of “Bad Medicine: A Guide to the Real Costs & Consequences of the New Health Care Law.” It will increase increase taxes, insurance premiums, “stage for government rationing & interference with how doctors practice medicine,” & make many people’s health plan illegal. Continue reading