News
Politico | A grand health bargain that cuts debt
Arguing about the scale of Medicare cuts or size of tax increases on unrelated industries pushes both parties into their respective ideological trenches. They should focus instead on a “grand bargain” for health care finance, which could allow both sides to declare victory well before the debt bomb explodes.
Fox News | Administration Slow to Set Up New Health Care Law's Payment Advisory Board
An independent panel authorized by President Barack Obama's health care law to control excessive Medicare cost increases is drawing heavy fire from Republicans. Nearly every health industry lobbying group is pushing for its repeal, as are some consumer advocates. GOP lawmakers call it a rationing panel, and at least one has suggested seniors will die from its decisions.
National Journal | House Passes $31 Billion Energy-Water Bill
The final 219-196 vote fell largely along party lines. The bill is unlikely to become law in its entirety, but parts of it could make their way into an omnibus spending bill. Once the government agrees on a deal to raise the debt ceiling, Congress must get to work on passing a budget for fiscal 2012 by the end of September.
Blogs
Mercatus: Neighborhood Effects | New Study of Medicaid, Focusing on Kentucky
For one thing, I learned that the latest estimates suggest that Medicaid crowds-out private insurance at the rate of 50 to 60 percent (i.e., 5 to 6 out of every 10 new entrants to the program would have obtained private insurance). The latest estimate, which looks at crowd-out in long-term care insurance, was obtained by Jeffrey Brown and Amy Finkelstein.
