Commentary
Commentary
Trump tackles waste, fraud, and abuse in Obamacare
The Trump administration earlier this month finalized a rule that aims to stop waste, fraud, and abuse in the federally subsidized Obamacare exchanges. It’s about time. Millions of people who don’t qualify for free health coverage are receiving it on the public’s dime. The new rule will restore some measure ...
Sally C. Pipes
June 30, 2025
Commentary
California gasoline prices on the rise — yet again
Three days before celebrating Independence Day, drivers will take another hit at the gas pump on what has become an annual ritual in California. On July 1, motor fuel taxes will edge up, just as they have on this date for a number of years. The current state excise tax ...
Kerry Jackson
June 30, 2025
California
Are Democrats abandoning Newsom’s “California Way”?
“The Seven Year Itch” is not only a great Marilyn Monroe movie, but a natural occurrence for California governors and legislators of the same party in the seventh year of an eight-year administration. Governors dominate legislators for most of their tenure, then lawmakers begin to push back and act more ...
Tim Anaya
June 27, 2025
Commentary
Democrats Should Be Honest About Healthcare Waste and Fraud
For weeks, opponents of Republicans’ One Big Beautiful Bill Act have portrayed it as a threat to health coverage for millions of Americans. Some critics have said that it would covertly repeal Obamacare. If only. The bill is hardly a radical assault on health coverage. It would finally crack down ...
Sally C. Pipes
June 27, 2025
Commentary
Congress Can Help Small Businesses Afford Health Insurance
Health insurance is more expensive than ever. The average family plan last year cost employers and employees over $19,000 and nearly $6,300 per year, respectively. That’s enough to buy a new car. Congressional Republicans’ budget reconciliation bill could help bring down those costs. Among other things, the One Big Beautiful ...
Sally C. Pipes
June 27, 2025
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. ...
Wayne H Winegarden
June 23, 2025
Commentary
Physician-Assisted Suicide Is A Bigger Problem Than We Realize
Dovie Eisner was born with a rare genetic condition called nemaline myopathy. He requires a wheelchair and has a host of other health problems. Last year at one point, he stopped breathing, passed out on the street, and was taken to the emergency room. “I was alive—thanks to the determination ...
Sally C. Pipes
June 23, 2025
Commentary
What’s So Scary About Medicare Reform?
One of the biggest questions surrounding Senate Republicans’ version of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act concerns the fate of Medicare. Earlier this month, GOP lawmakers were reportedly considering reforms aimed at reducing waste, fraud and abuse in the entitlement as a way to deliver savings for taxpayers. But as ...
Sally C. Pipes
June 20, 2025
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 ...
Wayne H Winegarden
June 18, 2025
Classroom Ideology
Students left behind?: San Francisco tried to bury this radical school policy – it backfired
While San Francisco’s recently halted equity grading scheme sparked national uproar and derision, the real lesson of this fiasco is the near-total lack of transparency in the school district’s education decision-making process. Equity grading, which has been adopted by school districts across the country, is basically grade inflation dressed up ...
Lance Izumi
June 18, 2025
Trump tackles waste, fraud, and abuse in Obamacare
The Trump administration earlier this month finalized a rule that aims to stop waste, fraud, and abuse in the federally subsidized Obamacare exchanges. It’s about time. Millions of people who don’t qualify for free health coverage are receiving it on the public’s dime. The new rule will restore some measure ...
California gasoline prices on the rise — yet again
Three days before celebrating Independence Day, drivers will take another hit at the gas pump on what has become an annual ritual in California. On July 1, motor fuel taxes will edge up, just as they have on this date for a number of years. The current state excise tax ...
Are Democrats abandoning Newsom’s “California Way”?
“The Seven Year Itch” is not only a great Marilyn Monroe movie, but a natural occurrence for California governors and legislators of the same party in the seventh year of an eight-year administration. Governors dominate legislators for most of their tenure, then lawmakers begin to push back and act more ...
Democrats Should Be Honest About Healthcare Waste and Fraud
For weeks, opponents of Republicans’ One Big Beautiful Bill Act have portrayed it as a threat to health coverage for millions of Americans. Some critics have said that it would covertly repeal Obamacare. If only. The bill is hardly a radical assault on health coverage. It would finally crack down ...
Congress Can Help Small Businesses Afford Health Insurance
Health insurance is more expensive than ever. The average family plan last year cost employers and employees over $19,000 and nearly $6,300 per year, respectively. That’s enough to buy a new car. Congressional Republicans’ budget reconciliation bill could help bring down those costs. Among other things, the One Big Beautiful ...
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. ...
Physician-Assisted Suicide Is A Bigger Problem Than We Realize
Dovie Eisner was born with a rare genetic condition called nemaline myopathy. He requires a wheelchair and has a host of other health problems. Last year at one point, he stopped breathing, passed out on the street, and was taken to the emergency room. “I was alive—thanks to the determination ...
What’s So Scary About Medicare Reform?
One of the biggest questions surrounding Senate Republicans’ version of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act concerns the fate of Medicare. Earlier this month, GOP lawmakers were reportedly considering reforms aimed at reducing waste, fraud and abuse in the entitlement as a way to deliver savings for taxpayers. But as ...
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 ...
Students left behind?: San Francisco tried to bury this radical school policy – it backfired
While San Francisco’s recently halted equity grading scheme sparked national uproar and derision, the real lesson of this fiasco is the near-total lack of transparency in the school district’s education decision-making process. Equity grading, which has been adopted by school districts across the country, is basically grade inflation dressed up ...