Dems exempt unions from insurance tax

Thursday, January 21st, 2010

Michael Tanner at Cato summarizes: Congressional Democrats received another $68 million from unions in 2008, and $21 million more so far this year. And that doesn't count the value of "in kind" contributions like phone banks, poll volunteers and independent advertising. Looks like the unions are getting their money's worth — with ...

Who gets bribes for Democrat health care “reform”?

Monday, November 23rd, 2009

What special interest groups got paid off in the Democrat-sponsored health care "reform" bills?  They include unions, the AARP, the American Medical Association, the state of California, and the state of Louisiana.  See: Health Care BS's Health reform: Who got paid off? and Michelle Malkin's The Demcare bribe list.

HR 3962: how the AMA, AARP, and insurers benefit

Tuesday, November 10th, 2009

Dick Morris and Eileen McGann describe how the American Medical Association, the AARP, and health insurance companies, benefit from the House Health Reform Bill (HR 3962) at the expense of everyone else. (Well, except for politicians.) The AMA: Politicians promise not to cut Medicare's reimbursement rates to doctors.  Do they really ...

Obama Care, special interests, & big business

Friday, August 28th, 2009

From John Stossel on Obama Care & big business: Although President Obama and big-government activists demonize health-insurance companies, the companies "are still mostly on board with the president's effort to overhaul the U.S. health-care system," the Wall Street Journal reports; and ... Although the activists criticize Big Pharma, "The drug industry has ...

Politicians and special interests vs. patient health

Friday, August 14th, 2009

Special interests already make medical care and insurance through mandated benefits laws and medical licensing laws.  Economist Shirley Svorny summarizes these and other ways politicians and special interests benefit at our expense.  An excerpt: The Democrats' proposal for health care reform would put more health care decisions in the hands of ...

No compulsory charity for Obama Care’s phony reform

Monday, July 27th, 2009

The Democrats' proposals would "reform" nothing. Instead, they would entrench problems with the status quo, as economist Arnold Kling explains in "The Non-Debate over Non-Reform." Consider the country's total health care spending. Patients' out-of-pocket spending accounts for only about 10 percent. Insurers and government split the remaining 90 percent almost evenly. ...

No more speciality hospitals?

Thursday, February 5th, 2009

Should government ban a butcher shop and make people buy their meat at a grocery store?  Or how about banning shoe stores so you must buy shoes as a department store?  Then why do politicians ban speciality hospitals? The Denver Business Journal reports: After a lengthy wait, the Denver area’s first ...

Obama-Care: pay more for insurance you don’t want

Monday, October 27th, 2008

From Cato's Michael Tanner: Q: Will I be able to keep the insurance coverage I have now? A: Not necessarily. On the stump and in commercials, Senator Obama says that his plan is based on allowing you to "keep your current coverage." But what he is not telling you is that he ...

Ballot Issue 1B: “Worthy Cause” Tax, It’s Not Your Penny to Give

Thursday, October 2nd, 2008

Would you call the police on someone who didn’t donate to a charity that you consider to be a “worthy cause”?  If not, then you should oppose [Boulder] County Issue 1B in this November’s election, which would extend the so-called “Worthy Cause” sales tax.  The above is from my article printed in the ...

ADA against affordable dental care?

Tuesday, July 22nd, 2008

Last week Reason.com published an article showing how the American Dental Association supports legislation that prohibits dental hygenists from providing low-cost dental care.  Is it out of concern for quality, or are the denists trying to use government licensing requirements to stamp out competition, which in turn makes dental care ...