Many Pennsylvanians face chronic unemployment, welfare dependency, and the cycle of poverty. This happens because labor incentives have been overridden by bad policies that keep millions out of the workforce and enact excessive red tape. We can reverse this trend by ending the practice of waiving work requirements on able-bodied Pennsylvanians with no dependents, removing barriers to employment for those seeking a fresh start, and creating a healthcare system without burdensome regulations.

Health Care

Warmed-Over RendellCare Includes a New Tax on Health Insurance

  • Nathan Benefield
  • June 10, 2009

The Pennsylvania State House has been debating HB 1, which would expand the state’s Adult Basic program, to make more individuals eligible for government health care. The Commonwealth Foundation…

Media

Read More: Warmed-Over RendellCare Includes a New Tax on Health Insurance

Health Care

Still Looking for Free Market Health Care Proposals

  • Nathan Benefield
  • June 2, 2009

Ryan Ellis has a good post over on RedState on the Congressional Republican health care plan (see previous post here) and offering much more serious proposal for transforming…

Media

Read More: Still Looking for Free Market Health Care Proposals

Health Care

Will Obama Embrace Real Health Care Reform?

  • Nathan Benefield
  • May 27, 2009

Congressional Republicans unveiled an alternative health care reform proposal last week.  Grace Marie Turner and Joseph Antos offer a glowing review of the plan. John Goodman offers a…

Media

Read More: Will Obama Embrace Real Health Care Reform?

Health Care

Obama’s Health Care Plan

  • Nathan Benefield
  • May 19, 2009

A good article in The American on health care costs, The initial tax hikes on the quarter-million-dollar club are projected to raise $318 billion over ten…

Media

Read More: Obama’s Health Care Plan

Health Care

Obama’s Health Care Quackery

  • Nathan Benefield
  • May 12, 2009

Shikha Dalmia has a piece on Reason.com  discussing the falacy that “universal health care.”  The Obama plan would in fact, move the US closer to European countries, Canada, and…

Media

Read More: Obama’s Health Care Quackery

Health Care

Satisfaction with Health Care: U.S. v Canada

  • Nathan Benefield
  • May 8, 2009

John Lott has some interesting research on the satisfaction of U.S. and Canadians on their health care.  The primary finding of his study (downloadable here), is that Canadians…

Media

Read More: Satisfaction with Health Care: U.S. v Canada

Government Accountability

Is Pennsylvania’s Medical Malpractice Crisis Over?

  • Nathan Benefield
  • April 28, 2009

Governor Rendell has declared that Pennsylvania no longer has a “crisis” in medical malpractice lawsuits, citing recent declines in the number of suits filed.  Critics claimed that reform have…

Media

Read More: Is Pennsylvania’s Medical Malpractice Crisis Over?

Health Care

Facts About the Uninsured

  • Nathan Benefield
  • April 16, 2009

Keith Hennessey has a great post breaking down the number of people lacking health insurance, finding that only a small number of the reported 46 million uninsured are those…

Media

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Health Care

Is Health Care a ‘Right’?

  • Nathan Benefield
  • April 13, 2009

Many advocates of a single-payer, government run health care system use the argument that “health care is a right.” But as John Graham points out on State House Call,…

Media

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Health Care

A Bad Deal on Health Care

  • Nathan Benefield
  • March 24, 2009

This AP story reports that AHIP and Blue Cross Blue Shield are willing to “compromise” on health care reform – ending the practice of “charging higher premiums to…

Media

Read More: A Bad Deal on Health Care

Health Care

Free Markets: An Unknown Ideal

  • Nathan Benefield
  • March 17, 2009

President Obama, Governor Rendell, and many in the media have been echoing a similar refrain recently, "Conservatives had their chance.  We tried free markets, and they failed."  When exactly they…

Commentary

Read More: Free Markets: An Unknown Ideal

Health Care

Will Rendell Lower the Cost of Prescription Drugs?

  • Nathan Benefield
  • March 10, 2009

Governor Rendell announced a number of new proposals increasing the number of people in Adult Basic health care, shifting funds to help with mortgage assistance and home heating cost.

Media

Read More: Will Rendell Lower the Cost of Prescription Drugs?

Criminal Justice Reform

Reforming State Corrections

  • Nathan Benefield
  • March 3, 2009

The Pittsburgh Tribune Review has a story on a Pew study on the cost of incarceration/corrections in states.  There is little question that the cost of our prisons…

Media

Read More: Reforming State Corrections

Health Care

Health Care Policies and Small Business

  • Nathan Benefield
  • February 16, 2009

The Small Business and Entrepreneurship Council has a new report ranking states in terms of their health care policy, as it pertains to small business.  Pennsylvania gets a fairly…

Media

Read More: Health Care Policies and Small Business

Health Care

Health Care Policies and Small Business

  • Nathan Benefield
  • February 16, 2009

The Small Business and Entrepreneurship Council has a new report ranking states in terms of their health care policy, as it pertains to small business.  Pennsylvania gets a fairly…

Media

Read More: Health Care Policies and Small Business

Health Care

Try to Reform Health Care

  • Nathan Benefield
  • February 3, 2009

The Senate Republican’s unveiled their caucus’s plan on health care, which is largely the same as they had last year, and thus my criticism of that plan still…

Media

Read More: Try to Reform Health Care

Health Care

Stimulating Government

  • Nathan Benefield
  • January 30, 2009

The Galen Institute has a new analysis of health care proposal in the propose “economic stimulus”, specifically proposals moving toward greater federalization of health care, which has indeed been…

Media

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Health Care

What Medicaid Tells Us About Government Health Care

  • Nathan Benefield
  • January 12, 2009

In the Wall Street Journal, Scott Gottlieb notes the poor performance of Medicaid, and wonders why President-elect Obama (or Governor Rendell) would want to expand on such a…

Media

Read More: What Medicaid Tells Us About Government Health Care

Health Care

The Trouble with Canadian Healthcare

  • Nathan Benefield
  • December 8, 2008

Brett Skinner has an article in The American magazine on why “a single-payer system is probably the least effective way to achieve universal health insurance coverage.”…

Media

Read More: The Trouble with Canadian Healthcare

Health Care

Where will Obama go on health care?

  • Nathan Benefield
  • November 13, 2008

In our commentary today, Matt Brouillette and I argue that President Obama will pursue a somewhat tempered course – we will get the Obama of the general election campaign…

Media

Read More: Where will Obama go on health care?

Health Care

Medicaid reform: For the poor and the poor taxpayer

  • Nathan Benefield
  • November 12, 2008

Cross-Posted at Capital Domes The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review recently looked at the looming budget shortfall and its potential impact on Medicaid spending. The legislature couldn’t simply…

Media

Read More: Medicaid reform: For the poor and the poor taxpayer