Publications
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Research and Commentary: Tennessee Bill Would Increase Access to Acute Care Centers
Publication -Research and Commentaries -Tennessee lawmakers are considering legislation that would remove Certificate of Need (CON) requirements for acute care centers. Enactment of this legislation would increase Tennesseans’ access to acute care hospitals and raise the quality of care. The legislation is currently under consideration in the House Health Subcommittee and the Senate Health and Welfare Committee. -
- Health Care News
- Health Care
State AGs Take Legal Action Against Fauci in Wake of Pardon
Publication -Attorneys general from 17 states are preparing to take legal action against Dr. Anthony Fauci for his conduct during the COVID-19 pandemic. In a February 5 letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) and Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD), the state AGs offered their cooperation in further investigations of the nation’s response to COVID-19 […] -
- Health Care News
- Health Care
Government Policies Have Made Americans Anti-Vaxx – Commentary
Publication -By John Droz Jr. on vaccines On March 2, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. issued a “call to action” after the death of a child with measles in Texas. Kennedy urged parents to consult with their physicians about the MMR vaccine, which covers mumps, measles, and rubella, and directed the Centers […] -
- Health Care News
- Health Care
Big Pharma Meets with President, Questions Remain
Publication -A much-anticipated February 20 meeting between President Donald Trump and representatives of the pharmaceutical industry ended without the companies getting a firm commitment from the new administration that it will scale back provisions of the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) that force manufacturers to negotiate lower prices for certain widely used prescription drugs. The president […] -
- Health Care News
- Health Care
President Creates Commission to ‘Make America Healthy Again’
Publication -President Donald Trump issued an executive order (EO) establishing a commission to “Make America Healthy Again.” The February 13 order identifies multiple areas for reform and directs the creation of a panel of agencies to enact research and policy plans. The order directs the government to “aggressively combat the critical health challenges facing our citizens, […] -
Research and Commentary: Texas Medicaid Eligibility Reform
Publication -Research and Commentaries -Texas lawmakers are considering legislation that would prevent state Medicaid administrators from automatically renewing recipients without contacting them to make sure that they qualify for the program. Senate Bill 921 would benefit Texas Medicaid recipients by slowing the program’s movement toward insolvency. More than four million Texans are currently enrolled in Medicaid. Skyrocketing Medicaid costs threaten […] -
- Health Care News
- Health Care
CMS Signals Review of IRA Drug Price Negotiation Program
Publication -The Trump administration signaled Medicare drug price negotiations under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) signed in 2022 by former President Joe Biden may undergo a reexamination to add greater transparency and possibly other reforms. A 125-word news release on January 29, 2025, stated that lowering drug prices is a “top priority” for President Trump, who […] -
Research & Commentary: How State Legislators Can Fight Back Against the Inflation Reduction Act’s Green Giveaways
Publication -Research and Commentaries -The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) was passed by Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden on August 16, 2022, but the contents of the legislation are contradictory to its stated purpose. The real point of the IRA is the creation of an enormous renewable energy slush fund, paid for by deficit spending. The […] -
Research & Commentary: Texas Direct Primary Care Expansion
Publication -Research and Commentaries -HB 3015 would allow workers’ direct primary care fees to count toward insurance deductibles in coverage under the state’s Employees Retirement System. More than 548,000 people were enrolled in these plans in 2024. -
Research & Commentary: Tennessee Legislature Introduces Bill That Would Specify Governor’s Emergency Powers
Publication -Research and Commentaries -This week, the Tennessee House Public Service Subcommittee conducted a hearing on House Bill 132, legislation that reforms Tennessee’s gubernatorial emergency powers. HB 132 ensures that all actions taken by a governor during a time of emergency would not violate the rights of Tennessee citizens as granted by the Constitution of Tennessee and the U.S. Constitution’s […] -
Research & Commentary: Tennessee Legislature Introduces Bill That Would Make Governor Accountable to State Constitution
Publication -Research and Commentaries -This week, the Tennessee House Public Service Subcommittee conducted a hearing on House Bill 324, legislation that reforms Tennessee’s emergency powers of the governor to ensure that all actions taken comport with the Constitution of Tennessee. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many Americans saw their respective governors wield unprecedented power with seemingly unlimited emergency declarations. This overnight […] -
Research & Commentary: Minimum Wage Hikes Are Ill-Timed For Tennessee
Publication -Research and Commentaries -The Tennessee Senate is considering a minimum wage increase with House Bill 1216, legislation that would increase Tennessee’s minimum wage from $7.25 to $20 per hour. It is not uncommon for some state lawmakers to advocate for quick “fixes” in response to perilous economic situations, such as minimum wage hikes. However, minimum wage increases in any state typically […] -
Research & Commentary: South Carolina Direct Primary Care Reform
Publication -Research and Commentaries -South Carolina lawmakers are considering legislation establishing that direct primary care agreements are not insurance. ... Freeing direct primary care from insurance regulations is important because such agreements are not insurance. DPC practices provide routine health services, not insurance against expensive, catastrophic conditions. -
- Health Care News
- Health Care
Company Offers Supplemental Health Insurance for Direct Primary Care
Publication -Atlas Direct, is offering supplemental insurance for people who use direct primary care and those looking for a limited alternative coverage to pricey Obamacare plans. Atlas Direct launched on December 3 and is now available in 13 states: Alabama, Arizona, Connecticut, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nebraska, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Tennessee, and Wisconsin. […] -
The High Costs of Climate Scams: Assessing the Green Giveaways in the Inflation Reduction Act
Publication -The best way to eliminate the Inflation Reduction Act's enormous and wasteful subsidies would be a total and complete federal repeal. -
Research & Commentary: Farmer Protection Act Would Provide Protection from ESG for West Virginia’s Agriculture Sector
Publication -Research and Commentaries -Legislation in the West Virginia House of Delegates, the Farmer Protection Act (FPA), which would combat environmental, social and governance (ESG) scoring systems and ensure West Virginia’s farmers are not discriminated against by financial institutions based on environmental policy. ESG scores are essentially a risk assessment mechanism increasingly being used by investment firms and financial institutions […] -
- Health Care News
- Health Care
California Nurse Practitioners Fight Practice Restrictions
Publication -The California Board of Registered Nursing is construing a five-year-old state licensing law for nurse practitioners (NPs) in a way that violates the law’s original intent, say attorneys for NPs challenging the law. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill (AB) 890 in 2020 to encourage more people to become nurse practitioners, by protecting opportunities for […] -
Research and Commentary: Iowa Bill Would Allow Expanded Access to Birth Centers
Publication -Research and Commentaries -CON laws are intended to reduce costs and improve access to health care by controlling the availability of medical facilities through state-based regulation. Unfortunately, CON laws decrease health care access, raise costs, lower quality, and stifle innovation by giving competing health care providers veto power over the construction or improvement of facilities or other capital improvements such as advanced imaging devices. -
Research & Commentary: Minimum Wage Hikes Are Ill-Timed For Oklahoma
Publication -Research and Commentaries -The Oklahoma Senate is considering Senate Bill 35, legislation that would raise the minimum wage in Oklahoma from $7.25 per hour to $15.00 per hour, to be effective November 1, 2025. It is not uncommon for some state lawmakers to advocate for quick “fixes” in response to perilous economic situations, such as minimum wage hikes. However, minimum […] -
Research & Commentary: Kansas Senate Legislation Would Protect Jayhawkers from ESG De-Banking Discrimination
Publication -Research and Commentaries -Legislation in the Kansas Senate would combat environmental, social and governance (ESG) scoring systems and ensure Kansans are not discriminated against for ideological reasons by financial institutions based on their exercise of speech, political activity, religious views, or their occupation. ESG scores are essentially a risk assessment mechanism increasingly being used by investment firms and financial […] -
Research & Commentary: Minimum Wage Hikes Are Ill-Timed For Oklahoma
Publication -Research and Commentaries -The Oklahoma Senate is considering multiple minimum wage increase bills, one of which is Senate Bill 55. SB 55 would raise the minimum wage in Oklahoma from $7.25 per hour to $13.00 per hour, with an increase of $0.50 per year over a five-year period after the effective date of the bill. It is not uncommon for […] -
Research & Commentary: Arizona House Bill 2527 Focuses on Safeguarding Reliable Electric Power
Publication -Research and Commentaries -Arizona House Bill 2527 aims to safeguard reliable electric power in Arizona so that it is not subject to blackouts and brownouts. HB 2527 is straightforward. The bill stipulates that the Arizona Corporation Commission may not authorize the retirement of an electric generation facility unless there is a new generation facility with equal or greater power generation […] -
Testimony Before the Iowa Senate Health and Human Services Committee on House File 320 Regarding Right to Try for Individualized Treatments
Publication -Testimony -Rep. Bradley has introduced this bill that picks up where Right to Try left off. HF 320 recognizes that advances in research offering individualized treatments to patients just don’t work in the current FDA approval process, which was designed for one-size-fits-all drug approval. -
Research & Commentary: Tennessee Legislature Introduces Bill That Would Make Governor Accountable to State Constitution
Publication -Research and Commentaries -This week, the Tennessee Senate Committee on State and Local Government conducted a hearing on Senate Bill 27, legislation that reforms Tennessee’s emergency powers of the governor to ensure that all actions taken comport with the Constitution of Tennessee. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many Americans saw their respective governors wield unprecedented power with seemingly unlimited emergency […]