Wayne H Winegarden

Commentary

Lessening California’s Energy Regulations Will Help Consumers

Gas costs too much in the Golden State. Addressing this unaffordable energy problem should be a top priority for state legislators and the governor. California has taken a step backward toward this goal, however; but may be primed to take a step forward too. Read the op-ed here. 
Commentary

Price Controls On Doctors Are Costing Patients Dearly

Just like the December 2024 continuing resolution, the current budget reconciliation bill fails to address the problem of Medicare reimbursing physicians at below market rates. Without a fix, the inevitable consequences will be worsening doctor shortages, declining healthcare quality, higher overall healthcare spending, and the accelerated loss of independent practices. ...
Commentary

A Real and Present Threat to Alzheimer’s Patients

It’s a quintessential government outcome. A program intended to increase access to promising medical innovations is actually preventing Medicare beneficiaries from receiving FDA-approved treatments. Medicare’s “coverage with evidence development” (CED) was never authorized by Congress. Instead, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services created the program in 2005 by leveraging ...
Health Care

New Study: Medicare’s Price Controls Are Fueling America’s Growing Doctor Shortage

The Pacific Research Institute’s Center for Medical Economics and Innovation today released a new issue brief warning that continued federal underpayment of doctors is fueling a looming healthcare crisis by accelerating the nation’s physician shortage and undermining access to care. Written by PRI senior fellow in business and economics and ...
Blog

Spending Watch

Budget Gimmicks Will Not Solve The State’s Fiscal Crisis

Budget Gimmicks Will Not Solve The State’s Fiscal Crisis Wayne Winegarden June 2025 It’s budget crunch time for Gov. Newsom and legislative leaders. The immediate problem is closing the estimated $12 billion budget shortfall for the FY2025-26 budget. Despite this serious fiscal challenge, the Governor’s budget proposal demonstrates an unseriousness ...
Business & Economics

Tariffs Either Can’t, Won’t, Or Shouldn’t Re-shore Manufacturing Jobs

Despite the unanimous ruling from the Court of International Trade, the Supreme Court will likely decide whether the International Emergency Economic Powers Act empowers President Trump to levy global tariffs. As this process will take time to play out, economic uncertainty will persist for the foreseeable future. What isn’t uncertain ...
California

Can California afford costly climate change programs in a grim budget year?

It was not supposed to be this way. In the throes of last year’s budget turmoil, California’s spending plan at that time was supposed to bring stability. Yet here we are. Another May Revision, another budget deficit — this time for $12 billion. While Gov. Gavin Newsom is right — ...
Blog

Spending Watch

Covering Undocumented Immigrants Will Worsen The State’s Fiscal Crisis

Covering Undocumented Immigrants Will Worsen The State’s Fiscal Crisis Wayne Winegarden May 2025 A previous Spending Watch analysis estimated the fiscal and economic impact of funding Medi-Cal benefits to undocumented immigrants. The analysis estimated that the expansion will require an additional $11.6 billion in expenditures, which will impose large economic ...
Commentary

Trump Should Support Effective Drug Policy Reforms Not The MFN Gimmick

The Trump Administration has announced its desire to impose price controls on drugs – officially called a most favored nation (MFN) policy. Essentially, the policy sets the price for the targeted drugs at the lowest price in other industrialized countries. The president’s justification for the MFN is simple: Americans are ...
California

PRI On NPR: California Created Its Budget Woes

Winegarden joins Insight with his perspective on the state’s fiscal priorities and budget challenges. Listen to the entire interview here.
Commentary

Lessening California’s Energy Regulations Will Help Consumers

Gas costs too much in the Golden State. Addressing this unaffordable energy problem should be a top priority for state legislators and the governor. California has taken a step backward toward this goal, however; but may be primed to take a step forward too. Read the op-ed here. 
Commentary

Price Controls On Doctors Are Costing Patients Dearly

Just like the December 2024 continuing resolution, the current budget reconciliation bill fails to address the problem of Medicare reimbursing physicians at below market rates. Without a fix, the inevitable consequences will be worsening doctor shortages, declining healthcare quality, higher overall healthcare spending, and the accelerated loss of independent practices. ...
Commentary

A Real and Present Threat to Alzheimer’s Patients

It’s a quintessential government outcome. A program intended to increase access to promising medical innovations is actually preventing Medicare beneficiaries from receiving FDA-approved treatments. Medicare’s “coverage with evidence development” (CED) was never authorized by Congress. Instead, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services created the program in 2005 by leveraging ...
Health Care

New Study: Medicare’s Price Controls Are Fueling America’s Growing Doctor Shortage

The Pacific Research Institute’s Center for Medical Economics and Innovation today released a new issue brief warning that continued federal underpayment of doctors is fueling a looming healthcare crisis by accelerating the nation’s physician shortage and undermining access to care. Written by PRI senior fellow in business and economics and ...
Blog

Spending Watch

Budget Gimmicks Will Not Solve The State’s Fiscal Crisis

Budget Gimmicks Will Not Solve The State’s Fiscal Crisis Wayne Winegarden June 2025 It’s budget crunch time for Gov. Newsom and legislative leaders. The immediate problem is closing the estimated $12 billion budget shortfall for the FY2025-26 budget. Despite this serious fiscal challenge, the Governor’s budget proposal demonstrates an unseriousness ...
Business & Economics

Tariffs Either Can’t, Won’t, Or Shouldn’t Re-shore Manufacturing Jobs

Despite the unanimous ruling from the Court of International Trade, the Supreme Court will likely decide whether the International Emergency Economic Powers Act empowers President Trump to levy global tariffs. As this process will take time to play out, economic uncertainty will persist for the foreseeable future. What isn’t uncertain ...
California

Can California afford costly climate change programs in a grim budget year?

It was not supposed to be this way. In the throes of last year’s budget turmoil, California’s spending plan at that time was supposed to bring stability. Yet here we are. Another May Revision, another budget deficit — this time for $12 billion. While Gov. Gavin Newsom is right — ...
Blog

Spending Watch

Covering Undocumented Immigrants Will Worsen The State’s Fiscal Crisis

Covering Undocumented Immigrants Will Worsen The State’s Fiscal Crisis Wayne Winegarden May 2025 A previous Spending Watch analysis estimated the fiscal and economic impact of funding Medi-Cal benefits to undocumented immigrants. The analysis estimated that the expansion will require an additional $11.6 billion in expenditures, which will impose large economic ...
Commentary

Trump Should Support Effective Drug Policy Reforms Not The MFN Gimmick

The Trump Administration has announced its desire to impose price controls on drugs – officially called a most favored nation (MFN) policy. Essentially, the policy sets the price for the targeted drugs at the lowest price in other industrialized countries. The president’s justification for the MFN is simple: Americans are ...
California

PRI On NPR: California Created Its Budget Woes

Winegarden joins Insight with his perspective on the state’s fiscal priorities and budget challenges. Listen to the entire interview here.
Scroll to Top