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Friday, April 15, 2011

Health Care

News                                                                                                                             
CNN: Money | Who pays for Obama's Medicare plan? Hint: Not seniors
When it comes to deciding who pays to reduce runaway Medicare costs, President Obama and House Republicans have very different views.
NationalJournal | First, Do No Harm
Republicans and Democrats have competing visions for fixing Medicare. The plans carry contrasting risks.
NationalJournal | HHS Offers Cash to States For Medicaid
Federal health officials offered a lifeline Thursday to cash-strapped states struggling to fund their share of Medicaid and children’s health programs.

Econ Comments                                                                                                             
CNN: Money | Paul Ryan's Medicare 'reform' hocus pocus
The Wisconsin congressman's proposed Medicare fix sure sounds wonderful, but it would leave the average Medicare recipient befuddled at best and on a path toward financial catastrophe at worst. 
RCM | Improving New Jersey's Health Benefit Reform
In New Jersey, there is broad agreement that public employees should pay more of their health insurance premiums. Governor Chris Christie (R) wants all state and local workers to pay 30 percent of their insurance premiums. Senate President Steve Sweeney (D) wants to put contributions on a sliding scale, with low income workers paying 12 percent and those making over $100,000 paying 30 percent.

Blogs                                                                                                                             
MarginalRevolution | A Christian Scientist’s guide for opting out of Medicare
You can’t get your “money back,” but you can have the payments transferred to a qualified Christian Science care facility.  In other words, Medicare will pay for prayer.  A few points:
Fox Business | Obamacare -- Supersized!!!
The president's speech put the pedal to the metal on Obamacare - even though the White House says their plan cuts spending by $300 billion over the next ten years for Medicare and Medicaid. It manages this neat twist by giving even more power to an obscure government board called the Independent Payment Advisory Board, which will have the power to control spending, doubling down on the original law's price controls and central planning.