Opinion
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State-Level Reforms Are Unlikely in 2008
Opinion -Most of the legislative action on health care in the past year has been in the states, and it will continue to be so in 2008, though we don't expect a lot of achievements this year at the state level, either. -
Indiana Governor Orders Agencies to Cut Spending
Opinion -Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels (R) ordered all state agencies to cut budgets by 5 percent after receiving word 2008 state revenues could be $231 million less than expected. -
Ind. Township Government Targeted for Elimination
Opinion -One recommendation of the Indiana Commission on Local Government Reform is to eliminate township government in Indiana. -
OpenBooks in Oklahoma
Opinion -The Oklahoma Office of State Finance ended 2007 by launching OpenBooks, a Web site created thanks to the passage of state Sen. Randy Brogdon's (R-Owasso) Taxpayer Transparency Act. The Web site can be accessed at http://www.openbooks.ok.gov. -
President Asked to Block Earmarks
Opinion -A group of 18 taxpayer and government watchdog organizations representing hundreds of thousands of citizens has sent a letter to President George W. Bush asking him to block thousands of "earmarked" federal spending projects. -
States’ Fiscal Conditions Are Getting Shakier
Opinion -Though most states experienced strong revenue growth during the past fiscal year, expected revenue declines and spending pressures could leave many states in worse financial condition this fiscal year. -
Michigan Governor Promises: ‘I’m Not Ever Going to Raise Taxes Again’
Opinion -At the end of a year-long, successful campaign to impose a $1.4 billion tax hike on Michigan's groaning economy, Gov. Jennifer Granholm (D) announced, "I'm not ever going to raise taxes again. It's too hard. It's too impossible. -
California Considers Imposing a Health Insurance Mandate
Opinion -After nearly a year of tense negotiations, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) and Assembly Speaker Fabian Nuñez (D-Los Angeles) announced they had reached a bipartisan compromise on a plan to provide government health insurance for 3. -
Report Claims More Government Can Solve Health Care Problems
Opinion -The Commonwealth Fund, a New York-based advocacy group, has released a report claiming government-mandated health insurance, combined with personal health care savings options, could help reduce spending on health care in the United States by $1. -
Congress Delays Action on SCHIP and Medicare Reforms
Opinion -In response to presidential vetoes, Congress has set aside action on the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) and Medicare until at least the middle of 2008. -
Federal Action on Health Care Unlikely This Year
Opinion -As the presidential campaign heats up, we certainly can anticipate a hot political debate over the future direction of our health care sector. I hope this time the candidates will be talking to a better-informed and even more skeptical electorate. -
States that Use SCHIP to Cover Adults Face Funding Shortfalls
Opinion -A Government Accountability Office (GAO) report finds states that use the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) to cover adults are more prone to funding shortfalls than those that only cover children. -
Walk-in Clinics Are Growing Fast, Increasing Consumer Options
Opinion -Walk-in clinics are quickly becoming one of the fastest-growing providers of health care, and experts say a major reason for their expansion is that they offer consumers a convenient, affordable choice. -
Michigan Offers Health Care Price-Shopping Online
Opinion -The Michigan Health & Hospital Association (MHA) has launched a free Web site enabling consumers to review charge, payment, and quality information about Michigan hospitals. -
CO2 Regulation Could Crush Building Construction
Opinion -The Energy Independence and Security Act (P.L. 110-140, H.R. 6), signed into law by President George W. Bush in December, contained a Clean Air Act (CAA) savings clause wisely inserted into the renewable fuels title by its drafters. -
Putting Public Health Risks in Proper Perspective
Opinion -When it comes to distinguishing real health risks from trivial or simply bogus risks, American consumers have a great deal to learn. -
Warmth, Hurricanes Are Really Nothing New
Opinion -Hurricane Katrina--a very big storm by any measure--has now been called the "largest ecological disaster in U.S. history," according to the Christian Science Monitor, because it "killed or damaged about 320 million trees. -
Redistricting May Hurt Choice in Maine
Opinion -Maine's education system is in the midst of big changes, and families enjoying school choice may turn out to be major victims of the process. -
Civil Rights Icon Fights for Choice in Education
Opinion -The Rev. H.K. Matthews, a civil rights leader who marched with Dr. -
Nation’s First Bottled Water Tax Hits Chicagoans
Opinion -Chicago has become the first city in the nation to tax bottled water. The 5 cents a bottle tax took effect January 1. The average price for a case of 24 bottles of water in Chicago is about $4, according to the Illinois Beverage Association. -
Feds Launch Spending Transparency Web Site
Opinion -The federal Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has accomplished an early launch of USASpending.gov, a Web site that allows taxpayers to track how the federal government spends their tax dollars. -
Medical Establishment Is Slow to Embrace Telemedicine Options
Opinion -Dr. Allen Wenner, a family practice physician, works for Prime Time Medical Software in Lexington, South Carolina, where he develops programs that collect data from patients to help doctors diagnose more quickly. -
Doctors Oppose Limits on Specialty Hospitals
Opinion -Physicians groups are working to head off federal legislation preventing doctors from investing in physician-owned hospitals, after earning a brief respite when the clock ran out on a controversial bill in the U.S. -
Wisconsin Bill Would Increase Health Care Price Transparency
Opinion -Patients could know the price of more medical procedures before receiving treatment if a bipartisan bill on health care transparency makes it through the Wisconsin Legislature. Analysts say the bill will help consumers, boost quality, and lower prices.
