Under Obamacare, Pennsylvania families have been forced to pay more for health care, and more than 800,000 Pennsylvania adults have received taxpayer-funded health coverage through a broken Medicaid system. Without Congressional action, states are unable to carry the full burden of Obamacare on their own. However, state policymakers can focus their own reform efforts on giving patients more control over health care and restoring Medicaid as a safety-net program. Access to health care should be measured, not by the number of those with insurance, but by the ability of individuals to independently secure the affordable, reliable care they deserve.

Health Care

MCare: End it, Don’t Extend It

  • Nathan Benefield
  • April 1, 2008

Governor Rendell and House Democrats have refused to extend the MCare abatements unless it is tied to their Cover All Pennsylvania’s/PA ABC plan (read my commentary…

Media

Read More: MCare: End it, Don’t Extend It

Health Care

Give Consumers Choices in Health Care

  • Nathan Benefield
  • April 1, 2008

The Pennsylvania House of Representatives recently passed a modified version of Governor Rendell’s "Cover All Pennsylvanians"—renaming it PA ABC (Access to Basic Care). Despite the clever acronym, the program…

Commentary

Read More: Give Consumers Choices in Health Care

Health Care

Affordable Health Care Agenda

  • March 28, 2008

The Commonwealth Foundation has joined with over two dozen organizations to form the Health Care Freedom Coalition. Below is a Statement of Principles. We, the Health Care Freedom Coalition, believe…

Commentary

Read More: Affordable Health Care Agenda

Health Care

RendellCare lobbyists push socialist pricing

  • Nathan Benefield
  • March 27, 2008

The lobbyists charged with pushing RendellCare InsurePANow has fired off another missive advocating more of Rendell’s health care agenda. They tout a bill that they proclaim will “make insurance…

Media

Read More: RendellCare lobbyists push socialist pricing

Health Care

State Legislators’ Guide to Health Insurance

  • Nathan Benefield
  • March 24, 2008

The Council for Affordable Health Insurance (CAHI) and American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) have published a 2008 version of their guide to health insurance solutions, including recommendations and a…

Media

Read More: State Legislators’ Guide to Health Insurance

Health Care

Are “Large Health Savings Accounts” the Answer?

  • Nathan Benefield
  • March 19, 2008

Michael Cannon has a paper on “Large Health Savings Accounts” in the Forum for Health Economics & Policy (registration required). Also listen to his Cato Podcast on the…

Media

Read More: Are “Large Health Savings Accounts” the Answer?

Health Care

Competition Solves Health Care

  • Nathan Benefield
  • March 18, 2008

Tom Coburn op-ed in The New York Sun on why free markets are the solution to health care, and government programs are the problem. While government’s role in…

Media

Read More: Competition Solves Health Care

Health Care

Stateline: Socialized Medicine = Fiscally Conservative

  • Nathan Benefield
  • March 17, 2008

Stateline.org has an interesting article on health care funding in the states. The headline reads “On health care, govs are tightening belts.” Here are some examples of “belt-tightening”:…

Media

Read More: Stateline: Socialized Medicine = Fiscally Conservative

Health Care

Why aren’t you dead?

  • Nathan Benefield
  • March 15, 2008

John Goodman’s Health Policy Blog wonders why more people are being poisoned by restaurants – noting how inept public health inspectors are: What keeps you alive is the…

Media

Read More: Why aren’t you dead?

Government Accountability

A Conservative Approach To Universal Health Care

  • Nathan Benefield
  • March 13, 2008

Forbes article on the NFIB’s proposed health care agenda which includes allowing individuals to purchase health insurance coverage over state lines, tax deductions for individually purchased insurance, tort…

Media

Read More: A Conservative Approach To Universal Health Care

Health Care

PA House Rejects Real Health Care Reform

  • Nathan Benefield
  • March 12, 2008

The Pennsylvania House passed an amendment (and is expected to pass the bill) that would enact the House Democrats’ “Pennsylvania ABC,” or as I call it, RendellCare 2.0,…

Media

Read More: PA House Rejects Real Health Care Reform

Health Care

A Short Course in Brain Surgery

  • Nathan Benefield
  • March 11, 2008

Video from FreeMarketCure on how government run health care, like that in Canada, is hazardous to your health.

Media

Read More: A Short Course in Brain Surgery

Health Care

Pennsylvania proposes to cheat Medicaid

  • Nathan Benefield
  • March 10, 2008

Michael Cannon writes that the Rendell administration’s plan to tax Philly and Pittsburgh hospitals, but give them higher reimbursements from Medicaid is a great plan … for Pennsylvania.

Media

Read More: Pennsylvania proposes to cheat Medicaid

Health Care

Obama v. McCain on Health Care

  • Nathan Benefield
  • February 25, 2008

Cato Daily Podcast with Michael Tanner on the differences between McCain and Obama – and the constrast of market-based reform vs. expansion of government – on health care.

Media

Read More: Obama v. McCain on Health Care

Health Care

RendellCare: What Would Jesus Do?

  • Nathan Benefield
  • February 24, 2008

Remember the passage in the Bible where Jesus called upon the Roman Empire to provide universal, government-run health insurance? What! There’s no such passage? Perhaps someone should point that…

Commentary

Read More: RendellCare: What Would Jesus Do?

Health Care

Semonizing on RendellCare

  • Nathan Benefield
  • February 24, 2008

Morning Call article and Post-Gazette piece on the planned “CAP Sunday” and campaign to use sermons to promote RendellCare. (HT: GrassrootsPA) I’ve written on Jesus and…

Media

Read More: Semonizing on RendellCare

Health Care

Wal-Mart can be good for your health

  • Nathan Benefield
  • February 21, 2008

Salon.com article on the growth of retail clinics in providing low-cost health care services – and the opposition from entrenched special interests.

Media

Read More: Wal-Mart can be good for your health

Health Care

The “Cost of the Uninsured”

  • Nathan Benefield
  • February 11, 2008

Many proposals for “universal health care”, including RendellCare, claim that there will be savings by eliminating what everyone pays on “costs for the uninsured”, or uncompensated care.But a new…

Media

Read More: The “Cost of the Uninsured”

Health Care

Health Insurance Mandate Update

  • Nathan Benefield
  • February 8, 2008

Wall Street Journal op-ed by CAHI researchers on the cost of the 1,961 health insurance mandates. A health-insurance “mandate” is a legislative requirement that an insurance company or…

Media

Read More: Health Insurance Mandate Update

Health Care

Cover A Few Pennsylvanians update

  • Nathan Benefield
  • February 6, 2008

A few weeks ago, we put out some quick facts about the few Pennsylvanians that would be covered by “Cover All Pennsylvanians.” Based on the new Governor’s budget, we…

Media

Read More: Cover A Few Pennsylvanians update

Health Care

Rendell still pushing RendellCare

  • Nathan Benefield
  • February 5, 2008

Within the last few weeks, three state health care proposals fundamentally similar to Governor Rendell’s “Cover All Pennsylvanians” added to my “bad ideas pile” California legislators overwhelming rejected…

Media

Read More: Rendell still pushing RendellCare