Commentary
Commentary
California can’t afford free health care for undocumented immigrants
California’s multibillion-dollar budget deficit could soon grow worse. State tax revenue dropped over 14% in the recession that followed the dot-com bubble, nearly 14% during the Great Financial Crisis from 2008 to 2009, and almost 8% during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, with financial markets reeling thanks ...
Sally C. Pipes
April 21, 2025
Commentary
Trump’s Crusade Against ACA ‘Quiet,’ Historic
Last month, the Trump administration proposed a new rule to ensure “Marketplace Integrity and Affordability” on Obamacare’s health insurance exchanges. Washington is awash in proposed rules. But this one stands out. Read the op-ed:
Sally C. Pipes
April 17, 2025
Commentary
To Save Medicaid, We Have to Cut It
Medicaid costs taxpayers nearly $900 billion a year. That figure is on track to exceed $1 trillion by the end of this decade. The entitlement is growing faster than the economy. That kind of growth is unsustainable — and risks shredding the safety net for those who need it most. ...
Sally C. Pipes
April 16, 2025
Commentary
End Medicaid Money Laundering
Earlier this month, Senator Cory Booker, D-N.J., spoke for 25 hours straight, breaking a Senate record. His goal, at least at the outset, was to “defend” Medicare and Medicaid from Republicans’ proposed cuts. “The Trump administration and Republicans in Congress are right now discussing how to cut these programs,” Booker ...
Sally C. Pipes
April 14, 2025
Classroom Ideology
America’s Math Collapse: Harvard Institutes Remedial Math
America’s amazing technological achievements, such as SpaceX’s recent rescue of stranded astronauts, mask the death spiral of math learning in the U.S., which has reached an ignominious low with Harvard’s decision to offer remedial math. On the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress math exam, 73 percent of eighth graders ...
Lance Izumi
April 14, 2025
Commentary
Pharmaceutical Tariffs Will Have Horrific Side Effects
President Trump implemented a raft of tariffs this week. All imports are subject to a 10% import duty. Those from China are subject to a 145% tariff. Pharmaceuticals appear to be exempt from the tariffs — for now. Drug manufacturers expect to get hit with tariffs at some point; they’re ...
Sally C. Pipes
April 11, 2025
Commentary
Here’s what “radical transparency” on health care can look like
“Radical transparency” has become a favorite phrase of the Trump administration. The president recently signed an executive order that aims to “empower patients with clear, accurate, and actionable pricing information.” If hospitals and insurers comply — and that’s a big if — patients will finally be able to shop for ...
Sally C. Pipes
April 10, 2025
Commentary
Congress Ought To Dismantle The Healthcare Deep State
One senior Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) staffer is reportedly trying to shield the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) from mass layoffs and budget cuts, according to a recent Politico expose. That’s a shame. If there’s any agency in Washington that deserves to be cut to the bone—or ...
Sally C. Pipes
April 9, 2025
Commentary
The Private Sector Is Setting The PACE For Managed Care
Rising demand for long-term care is inevitable as more and more baby boomers retire. Meeting this demand will be a challenge. Recent evidence from the PACE program demonstrates that for-profit care providers can help meet this growing demand, but only if the regulatory environment allows it. Read the op-ed here.
Wayne H Winegarden
April 7, 2025
Commentary
Medicaid reform is popular
Congressional Republicans keep dodging questions about cuts to Medicaid, the federal-state entitlement that covers nearly 80 million people. But they should not be shy about their plans to reform the entitlement. New polling shows that many of the GOP’s ideas for Medicaid aren’t just smart policy. They’re popular. A survey ...
Sally C. Pipes
April 7, 2025
California can’t afford free health care for undocumented immigrants
California’s multibillion-dollar budget deficit could soon grow worse. State tax revenue dropped over 14% in the recession that followed the dot-com bubble, nearly 14% during the Great Financial Crisis from 2008 to 2009, and almost 8% during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, with financial markets reeling thanks ...
Trump’s Crusade Against ACA ‘Quiet,’ Historic
Last month, the Trump administration proposed a new rule to ensure “Marketplace Integrity and Affordability” on Obamacare’s health insurance exchanges. Washington is awash in proposed rules. But this one stands out. Read the op-ed:
To Save Medicaid, We Have to Cut It
Medicaid costs taxpayers nearly $900 billion a year. That figure is on track to exceed $1 trillion by the end of this decade. The entitlement is growing faster than the economy. That kind of growth is unsustainable — and risks shredding the safety net for those who need it most. ...
End Medicaid Money Laundering
Earlier this month, Senator Cory Booker, D-N.J., spoke for 25 hours straight, breaking a Senate record. His goal, at least at the outset, was to “defend” Medicare and Medicaid from Republicans’ proposed cuts. “The Trump administration and Republicans in Congress are right now discussing how to cut these programs,” Booker ...
America’s Math Collapse: Harvard Institutes Remedial Math
America’s amazing technological achievements, such as SpaceX’s recent rescue of stranded astronauts, mask the death spiral of math learning in the U.S., which has reached an ignominious low with Harvard’s decision to offer remedial math. On the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress math exam, 73 percent of eighth graders ...
Pharmaceutical Tariffs Will Have Horrific Side Effects
President Trump implemented a raft of tariffs this week. All imports are subject to a 10% import duty. Those from China are subject to a 145% tariff. Pharmaceuticals appear to be exempt from the tariffs — for now. Drug manufacturers expect to get hit with tariffs at some point; they’re ...
Here’s what “radical transparency” on health care can look like
“Radical transparency” has become a favorite phrase of the Trump administration. The president recently signed an executive order that aims to “empower patients with clear, accurate, and actionable pricing information.” If hospitals and insurers comply — and that’s a big if — patients will finally be able to shop for ...
Congress Ought To Dismantle The Healthcare Deep State
One senior Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) staffer is reportedly trying to shield the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) from mass layoffs and budget cuts, according to a recent Politico expose. That’s a shame. If there’s any agency in Washington that deserves to be cut to the bone—or ...
The Private Sector Is Setting The PACE For Managed Care
Rising demand for long-term care is inevitable as more and more baby boomers retire. Meeting this demand will be a challenge. Recent evidence from the PACE program demonstrates that for-profit care providers can help meet this growing demand, but only if the regulatory environment allows it. Read the op-ed here.
Medicaid reform is popular
Congressional Republicans keep dodging questions about cuts to Medicaid, the federal-state entitlement that covers nearly 80 million people. But they should not be shy about their plans to reform the entitlement. New polling shows that many of the GOP’s ideas for Medicaid aren’t just smart policy. They’re popular. A survey ...