Commentary
Commentary
Private insurance exchanges thrive while Obamacare’s falter
The federal government is desperate for Americans to enroll in Obamacare’s exchanges. But most people have refused. When the exchanges officially closed in February, the U.S. Treasury estimated that there were still some 6 million people who would have to pay the penalty established by Obamacare for going without insurance. ...
Commentary
Ordinary consumers are paying for Obamacare’s ‘savings’
Federal programs rarely come in under budget. Consider Medicare, which will soon celebrate its 50th anniversary. In 1967, lawmakers projected annual spending in the program would reach $12 billion in 1990. The actual tab that year? A cool $110 billion. A new report from the Congressional Budget Office says that ...
Commentary
Numbers raise doubts about Obamacare spin
The Obama administration has counted everyone who signed up for health coverage through its exchanges this year. Unsurprisingly, they’ve declared the law a success. As of late February, some 11.7 million people enrolled — 8.8 million on Healthcare.gov and 2.9 million via state marketplaces. That’s nearly 30 percent more than ...
Commentary
Reconciliation can solve GOP’s irreconcilable differences with Obamacare
“It’s time to embrace reality.” That’s what President Obama said about Obamacare on its 5th anniversary in late March. He meant it as a warning to critics — Obamacare is here to stay, so quit “belly-aching.” But after five years of false promises, massive disruptions to the healthcare marketplace, enormous ...
Commentary
Medicare Part D saves money and lives
Federal officials recently set off budgetary alarm bells with new data on Medicare prescription drug spending. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services pegged Medicare Part D’s 2013 price tag at $103 billion. That’s a large number — and largely misleading. A closer look at Part D reveals a program ...
Charter Schools
Affluent School Districts Don’t Guarantee Better Academic Performance
Some parents in affluent Michigan school districts may be surprised to learn the local school isn’t just failing to give their kids a leg up, it’s holding them back. New research shows that a number of Michigan schools in middle- to upper-income areas are underperforming on state and national proficiency ...
Business & Economics
Congress should pass Trade Promotion Authority
Too frequently politics trumps sound policy. Fast track trade negotiating authority, also known as trade promotion authority (TPA), presents an opportunity for our lawmakers and the executive branch to illustrate that good policy can still prevail. If re-authorized, TPA, which was first passed in the Trade Act of 1974, would ...
California
Prop. 65 listing for BPA is unjustifiable
Anti-chemical activists continue to advocate to ban Bisphenol A (more commonly known as BPA), despite both BPA’s value and scientific evidence. In its latest manifestation, advocates are using scare tactics to justify the designation of BPA as a dangerous chemical that is registered on California’s Proposition 65 list. Under Prop. ...
Commentary
Suburban Detroit schools underperform
Are the Michigan public schools that serve mostly middle class students performing well? Lots of parents think so. They may believe that student performance problems are limited to Detroit or other poor inner city areas. But many middle class, suburban schools are not as good as parents may think. That’s ...
Commentary
Obamacare will make U.S. doctor shortage worse
Need to see a doctor? It might take a while, thanks to Obama-Care. A recent report from the Association of American Medical Colleges projects the United States will lack as many as 31,000 primary-care physicians by 2025. For specialists, the shortage could exceed 63,000 by then. That’s not what the ...
Private insurance exchanges thrive while Obamacare’s falter
The federal government is desperate for Americans to enroll in Obamacare’s exchanges. But most people have refused. When the exchanges officially closed in February, the U.S. Treasury estimated that there were still some 6 million people who would have to pay the penalty established by Obamacare for going without insurance. ...
Ordinary consumers are paying for Obamacare’s ‘savings’
Federal programs rarely come in under budget. Consider Medicare, which will soon celebrate its 50th anniversary. In 1967, lawmakers projected annual spending in the program would reach $12 billion in 1990. The actual tab that year? A cool $110 billion. A new report from the Congressional Budget Office says that ...
Numbers raise doubts about Obamacare spin
The Obama administration has counted everyone who signed up for health coverage through its exchanges this year. Unsurprisingly, they’ve declared the law a success. As of late February, some 11.7 million people enrolled — 8.8 million on Healthcare.gov and 2.9 million via state marketplaces. That’s nearly 30 percent more than ...
Reconciliation can solve GOP’s irreconcilable differences with Obamacare
“It’s time to embrace reality.” That’s what President Obama said about Obamacare on its 5th anniversary in late March. He meant it as a warning to critics — Obamacare is here to stay, so quit “belly-aching.” But after five years of false promises, massive disruptions to the healthcare marketplace, enormous ...
Medicare Part D saves money and lives
Federal officials recently set off budgetary alarm bells with new data on Medicare prescription drug spending. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services pegged Medicare Part D’s 2013 price tag at $103 billion. That’s a large number — and largely misleading. A closer look at Part D reveals a program ...
Affluent School Districts Don’t Guarantee Better Academic Performance
Some parents in affluent Michigan school districts may be surprised to learn the local school isn’t just failing to give their kids a leg up, it’s holding them back. New research shows that a number of Michigan schools in middle- to upper-income areas are underperforming on state and national proficiency ...
Congress should pass Trade Promotion Authority
Too frequently politics trumps sound policy. Fast track trade negotiating authority, also known as trade promotion authority (TPA), presents an opportunity for our lawmakers and the executive branch to illustrate that good policy can still prevail. If re-authorized, TPA, which was first passed in the Trade Act of 1974, would ...
Prop. 65 listing for BPA is unjustifiable
Anti-chemical activists continue to advocate to ban Bisphenol A (more commonly known as BPA), despite both BPA’s value and scientific evidence. In its latest manifestation, advocates are using scare tactics to justify the designation of BPA as a dangerous chemical that is registered on California’s Proposition 65 list. Under Prop. ...
Suburban Detroit schools underperform
Are the Michigan public schools that serve mostly middle class students performing well? Lots of parents think so. They may believe that student performance problems are limited to Detroit or other poor inner city areas. But many middle class, suburban schools are not as good as parents may think. That’s ...
Obamacare will make U.S. doctor shortage worse
Need to see a doctor? It might take a while, thanks to Obama-Care. A recent report from the Association of American Medical Colleges projects the United States will lack as many as 31,000 primary-care physicians by 2025. For specialists, the shortage could exceed 63,000 by then. That’s not what the ...
