Wayne H Winegarden
Commentary
It’s Time To Let The Electric Vehicle Industry Grow Up
The U.S. has been subsidizing electric vehicles (EVs) since 2009 and hybrid vehicles for even longer. Recent Congressional actions have substantially changed this policy. As part of the reconciliation package, Congress rolled back the $7,500 federal EV tax credit ($4,000 credit for used EVs) as well as the EV battery ...
Business & Economics
Using The Government To Crush Competitors Harms Fans And The Economy
Cronyism and industrial policy are thriving to the detriment of our economic vibrancy. Consider that between 1960 and 2007 – right before the Great Recession – the economy expanded by more than 3% annually. Recessions happened, of course, but the economy always recovered the lost ground. Read the op-ed here.
Commentary
The Inflationary Effect of Drug Price Controls
In a bill chock full of bad policies, the drug pricing provision of the Inflation Reduction Act stands out as particularly troubling. This provision establishes a negotiation process to set a Maximum Fair Price (MFP) on selected drugs for Medicare patients. Because the legislation calls the MFP a negotiation doesn’t ...
Blog
California’s Counterproductive Approach to Reducing GHG Emissions
California’s Counterproductive Approach to Reducing GHG Emissions by Wayne Winegarden | August 19, 2025 The state of California, along with a host of other cities and municipalities, is suing American energy companies. The lawsuit alleges that these private U.S. companies misled the public about greenhouse gases’ impact on the climate ...
Blog
Pulling mRNA Research Funding Undermines Future Innovations
Pulling mRNA Research Funding Undermines Future Innovations by Wayne Winegarden | August 15, 2025 The U.S. is a global leader in the innovative pharmaceutical industry, in part, because the public and private sectors effectively fulfill their complimentary roles. The federal government funds basic research that expands our knowledge base; the ...
Health Care
New PRI Study: Reforms to Expand PACE Program Could Save Taxpayers Billions, Improve Senior Care
SACRAMENTO – A new issue brief released today by the Center for Medical Economics and Innovation at the Pacific Research Institute calls for reforms to expand the reach of the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE), a joint Medicare and Medicaid program that delivers comprehensive medical and social ...
Commentary
Greater Price Transparency Will Improve Affordability
Inefficiencies plague our current healthcare system. Politicians are quick to blame these problems on the market and subsequently advocate for ever greater government control. But government programs, which are already major players in the healthcare market, provide lousy insurance for patients and undermine the viability of doctors and hospitals. Expanding ...
Commentary
Private Efforts Not Public Committees Will Generate Healthcare Savings
Passed as part of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) was allocated $10 billion in 2011 for the first decade of its existence. It has been allocated hundreds of millions more since. The purpose of the program is to create payment models that ...
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. ...
It’s Time To Let The Electric Vehicle Industry Grow Up
The U.S. has been subsidizing electric vehicles (EVs) since 2009 and hybrid vehicles for even longer. Recent Congressional actions have substantially changed this policy. As part of the reconciliation package, Congress rolled back the $7,500 federal EV tax credit ($4,000 credit for used EVs) as well as the EV battery ...
Using The Government To Crush Competitors Harms Fans And The Economy
Cronyism and industrial policy are thriving to the detriment of our economic vibrancy. Consider that between 1960 and 2007 – right before the Great Recession – the economy expanded by more than 3% annually. Recessions happened, of course, but the economy always recovered the lost ground. Read the op-ed here.
The Inflationary Effect of Drug Price Controls
In a bill chock full of bad policies, the drug pricing provision of the Inflation Reduction Act stands out as particularly troubling. This provision establishes a negotiation process to set a Maximum Fair Price (MFP) on selected drugs for Medicare patients. Because the legislation calls the MFP a negotiation doesn’t ...
California’s Counterproductive Approach to Reducing GHG Emissions
California’s Counterproductive Approach to Reducing GHG Emissions by Wayne Winegarden | August 19, 2025 The state of California, along with a host of other cities and municipalities, is suing American energy companies. The lawsuit alleges that these private U.S. companies misled the public about greenhouse gases’ impact on the climate ...
Pulling mRNA Research Funding Undermines Future Innovations
Pulling mRNA Research Funding Undermines Future Innovations by Wayne Winegarden | August 15, 2025 The U.S. is a global leader in the innovative pharmaceutical industry, in part, because the public and private sectors effectively fulfill their complimentary roles. The federal government funds basic research that expands our knowledge base; the ...
New PRI Study: Reforms to Expand PACE Program Could Save Taxpayers Billions, Improve Senior Care
SACRAMENTO – A new issue brief released today by the Center for Medical Economics and Innovation at the Pacific Research Institute calls for reforms to expand the reach of the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE), a joint Medicare and Medicaid program that delivers comprehensive medical and social ...
Greater Price Transparency Will Improve Affordability
Inefficiencies plague our current healthcare system. Politicians are quick to blame these problems on the market and subsequently advocate for ever greater government control. But government programs, which are already major players in the healthcare market, provide lousy insurance for patients and undermine the viability of doctors and hospitals. Expanding ...
Private Efforts Not Public Committees Will Generate Healthcare Savings
Passed as part of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) was allocated $10 billion in 2011 for the first decade of its existence. It has been allocated hundreds of millions more since. The purpose of the program is to create payment models that ...
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.
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. ...
