Commentary
California
President Newsom? God Help The United States Of America
Not a week had gone by after the midterm elections before California governor Gavin Newsom’s presidential possibilities were being talked up. A Republican consultant even suggested Joe Biden ask for Kamala Harris’ resignation and appoint Newsom as his vice-president. Biden could then either resign himself, leaving Newsom president, or position ...
Commentary
Bernie Sanders seeks new role to push Medicare for all
Last week, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) announced his intention to chair the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee in the next Congress. He’s promised to “focus on universal healthcare.” In other words, the senator’s long-standing quest for “Medicare for All” has new life. We can expect hearings featuring an array of ...
Commentary
Divided Congress Doesn’t Have to Mean Gridlock Over Healthcare
As a result of the recent midterm elections, and as of this writing, it looks like the 118th Congress, which will be seated Jan. 3, 2023 will be split, with Democrats set to retain a slim majority in the Senate and Republicans taking control of the House by just a ...
Commentary
A New Plan Brings Clarity To Healthcare Price Transparency–Finally
In health policy, there’s nothing quite as opaque as price transparency. Insurance companies and hospitals tend to say there’s no place for it in the healthcare sector, since medicine is more complicated than cars or groceries. Other skeptics say that implementing transparency rules is too hard. Hospitals have largely flouted a two-year-old ...
California
California’s misguided climate change priorities
According to a new study released last month, California’s wildfires in 2020 spewed nearly 127 million metric tons of carbon dioxide into our atmosphere. This was twice the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions that California had achieved over 18 years, according to the UCLA-University of Chicago study. Likewise, California’s 2018 ...
Business & Economics
Governor Newsom’s ESG Errors
California Gov. Gavin Newsom this week released a lengthy commentary defending so-called ESG investing, which he wrote has “proven results.” His defense requires fact checking and context. Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) is the latest investing trend that claims investors can earn higher returns while also “doing good” on important social issues ...
Commentary
Are Americans too complacent about a winter surge of COVID infections — and deaths?
To the old saying about the inevitability of death and taxes, we should add another: another health crisis linked to COVID-19. As of the end of October, the CDC’s official tally of U.S. COVID infections was just under 100 million, but with many positive home test results unreported, the real ...
Commentary
Declaring a “Right’ to Healthcare Feel-Good Symbolism Only
Will Oregon’s voters declare a “right” to healthcare? Voters nationwide took to the polls this week not just to select a new Congress but to settle a number of healthcare policy questions, from curbs on medical debt in Arizona to regulations on dialysis providers in California. Oregonians were asked to amend the ...
Commentary
What Is the Value of the Interchangeability Designation for a Biosimilar?
By Wayne Winegarden, Robert Popovian & Peter Pitts Biosimilars, to date, have achieved the promise of reducing prices and drug spending in the United States. The unquestioned safety and efficacy of biosimilars have given providers, patients, and employers, amongst many others, the confidence that savings will be even more robust as we ...
Commentary
What might the new Congress do on healthcare?
The outcome of this week’s midterm elections is still unclear, but Republicans appear headed for a narrow majority in the House of Representatives. Divided government means that legislation must have bipartisan appeal if it’s going to have any hope of advancing. On healthcare, there are a few policy initiatives that could attract ...
President Newsom? God Help The United States Of America
Not a week had gone by after the midterm elections before California governor Gavin Newsom’s presidential possibilities were being talked up. A Republican consultant even suggested Joe Biden ask for Kamala Harris’ resignation and appoint Newsom as his vice-president. Biden could then either resign himself, leaving Newsom president, or position ...
Bernie Sanders seeks new role to push Medicare for all
Last week, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) announced his intention to chair the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee in the next Congress. He’s promised to “focus on universal healthcare.” In other words, the senator’s long-standing quest for “Medicare for All” has new life. We can expect hearings featuring an array of ...
Divided Congress Doesn’t Have to Mean Gridlock Over Healthcare
As a result of the recent midterm elections, and as of this writing, it looks like the 118th Congress, which will be seated Jan. 3, 2023 will be split, with Democrats set to retain a slim majority in the Senate and Republicans taking control of the House by just a ...
A New Plan Brings Clarity To Healthcare Price Transparency–Finally
In health policy, there’s nothing quite as opaque as price transparency. Insurance companies and hospitals tend to say there’s no place for it in the healthcare sector, since medicine is more complicated than cars or groceries. Other skeptics say that implementing transparency rules is too hard. Hospitals have largely flouted a two-year-old ...
California’s misguided climate change priorities
According to a new study released last month, California’s wildfires in 2020 spewed nearly 127 million metric tons of carbon dioxide into our atmosphere. This was twice the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions that California had achieved over 18 years, according to the UCLA-University of Chicago study. Likewise, California’s 2018 ...
Governor Newsom’s ESG Errors
California Gov. Gavin Newsom this week released a lengthy commentary defending so-called ESG investing, which he wrote has “proven results.” His defense requires fact checking and context. Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) is the latest investing trend that claims investors can earn higher returns while also “doing good” on important social issues ...
Are Americans too complacent about a winter surge of COVID infections — and deaths?
To the old saying about the inevitability of death and taxes, we should add another: another health crisis linked to COVID-19. As of the end of October, the CDC’s official tally of U.S. COVID infections was just under 100 million, but with many positive home test results unreported, the real ...
Declaring a “Right’ to Healthcare Feel-Good Symbolism Only
Will Oregon’s voters declare a “right” to healthcare? Voters nationwide took to the polls this week not just to select a new Congress but to settle a number of healthcare policy questions, from curbs on medical debt in Arizona to regulations on dialysis providers in California. Oregonians were asked to amend the ...
What Is the Value of the Interchangeability Designation for a Biosimilar?
By Wayne Winegarden, Robert Popovian & Peter Pitts Biosimilars, to date, have achieved the promise of reducing prices and drug spending in the United States. The unquestioned safety and efficacy of biosimilars have given providers, patients, and employers, amongst many others, the confidence that savings will be even more robust as we ...
What might the new Congress do on healthcare?
The outcome of this week’s midterm elections is still unclear, but Republicans appear headed for a narrow majority in the House of Representatives. Divided government means that legislation must have bipartisan appeal if it’s going to have any hope of advancing. On healthcare, there are a few policy initiatives that could attract ...
