Publications
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- Health Care News
Georgia Senate Passes Certificate of Need Reforms
Publication -Georgia Senate passes certificate of need reform measure that would increase access to facilities by expanding exemptions to CON law. By T.A. DeFeo (The Center Square) — The Georgia Senate has passed a measure to reform Georgia’s certificate of need laws. Lawmakers passed House Bill 1339 by a 43-11 margin. The House overwhelmingly passed the measure last month, […] -
- Health Care News
Doctors Challenge AMA’s Push on Vaccines
Publication -The COVID-19 public health emergency, during which the government put a heavy emphasis on the technology of vaccines, was a pivotal moment in government overreach, says Jane Orient, M.D., executive director of the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons (AAPS). AAPS filed an amicus curiae brief in Murthy v. Missouri, a case challenging collusion between […] -
- Health Care News
Supreme Court Hears Arguments on Social Media Censorship Laws
Publication -The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments in February regarding Florida and Texas laws designed to stem big tech bias against conservatives. The laws, both passed in 2021, would limit the rights of social media giants such as Meta, TikTok, X, and YouTube to curate or moderate content posted by their users. The cases have implications […] -
- Health Care News
To Save Medicare, Build on What Works – Commentary
Publication -By Joe Albanese (From the Washington Examiner) Politicians usually avoid proposing changes to Medicare in an election year, but the program’s rising costs and expected insolvency within the next five to 10 years will demand attention in the next presidential term. The question will be how to reduce spending while preserving benefits for seniors. The best approach is to build […] -
- Health Care News
Misunderstood, Maligned Medical Advantage – Commentary
Publication -A missed phone call costs a Medicare Advantage plan $190 million. When does the failure to answer a phone call in 8 seconds cost the company receiving the call $190 million? When the caller is a spy working for the agency that runs Medicare and the receiving entity is a private insurance company. One Missed […] -
Revising Article 8 of the Uniform Commercial Code to Protect Americans’ Property Rights
Publication -Policy Tip Sheets -Important provisions in Article 8 of the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) contain highly problematic elements that undermine Americans’ individual rights and threaten the stability of the U.S. economy. This Tip Sheet will provide a brief description of those troubling areas of the UCC and propose a set of related concrete policy solutions for lawmakers. The […] -
- Health Care News
Medicare Advantage Plans Face Payment Cuts
Publication -The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that it is changing the method it uses to calculate payments to Medicare Advantage (MA) plans, on January 31, potentially compounding the effects of coverage reductions in discouraging seniors from enrollment. In 2023, CMS eliminated 2,000 diagnostic codes for MA, “which meant less coverage for seniors […] -
- Health Care News
Congress Mulls Tackling Abuses of 340B Drug Discount Program
Publication -A bipartisan group of U.S. Senators is seeking feedback on a controversial program that requires drug makers to sell discounted drugs to hospitals and clinics serving low-income areas. A “discussion draft” of the SUSTAIN 340B Act, unveiled on February 2, aims to clarify provisions of the drug discount program that critics say are riddled with […] -
- Health Care News
Did Discounted Drugs Under 340B Prompt Hospital to Cancel Independent Doctors?
Publication -A group of cancer doctors is considering its next legal step in a case that sheds more light on the 340B government drug program created to help the needy. In September, Jefferson-Health Northeast (Jefferson) revoked the hospital practice privileges of physicians with Alliance Cancer Specialists (Alliance). Jefferson is one of the largest hospital systems, and […] -
- Health Care News
Clinicians Demand Gender Care Textbook Be Withdrawn
Publication -Expressing “grave concerns,” a group of over 6,000 clinicians, scientists, and researchers signed an open letter calling on the American Psychiatric Association (APA) to withdraw its new textbook on gender care. The textbook, Gender-Affirming Psychiatric Care (GAPC), edited by Teddy G. Goetz, M.D., M.S., and Alex S. Keuroghlian, M.D., was released in November. According to […] -
Research & Commentary: Farmer Protection Act Would Protect South Carolina’s Agriculture Sector from ESG
Publication -Research and Commentaries -Legislation in the South Carolina House of Representatives, the Farmer Protection Act, which would combat environmental, social and governance (ESG) scoring systems and ensure South Carolina’s farmers are not discriminated against by financial institutions based on environmental policy. Environmental, social and governance (ESG) scores are essentially a risk assessment mechanism increasingly being used by investment firms […] -
Research & Commentary: Universal Expansion of Education Scholarship Trust Fund Program Would be Cherry on Top for Education Freedom in South Carolina
Publication -Research and Commentaries -Legislation in the South Carolina House of Representatives would expand the Education Scholarship Trust Fund Program (ESTF) so that every South Carolina family can participate in it. ESTF, an education savings account (ESA) program established just last year, covers tuition, fees, and curricula for eligible children at private and parochial schools, as well as tutoring […] -
- Health Care News
Biden Administration Takes Steps to Reform ‘Prior Authorization’
Publication -The Biden administration finalized a new rule on how insurers can use prior authorization (PA), a practice aimed at reducing unnecessary treatment, but a headache for doctors and patients. The new rule, announced on January 17, will apply to plans under the authority of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and attempts to […] -
Research & Commentary: Budget Expansion of Utah Fits All Scholarship Program is Much Needed
Publication -Research and Commentaries -Legislation in the Utah Senate would nearly double the budget of the Utah Fits All Scholarship Program, an education savings account (ESA) program and double the number of children able to participate in it. The accounts set up by the Utah Fits All Scholarship Program, established just last year, cover tuition, fees, and curricula for […] -
- Health Care News
Corporate Medicine, Physician Licensure a Bad Deal for Patients
Publication -Devin Herrick, Ph.D. ([email protected]) is a health care economist. Physician licensure has created a cartel—there, I said it out loud. The right to practice medicine has high barriers to entry, both in terms of high standards and high costs. It takes seven to 11 years beyond college to train a new physician, but the process begins […] -
- Health Care News
New Mexico Bill Would Fund DEI Program to Combat Healthcare Shortage
Publication -A New Mexico bill advancing in the House aims to address a major healthcare worker shortage by giving $1.1 million to a university diversity, equity, and inclusion program. The House Health and Human Services Committee voted 9-1 in favor of House Bill 35, sponsored by Democrat state Reps. Pamelya Herndon and Cristina Parajon, on Jan. 23. […] -
- Health Care News
Families File Lawsuit over Hospital COVID-19 Treatment
Publication -Two widows who lost their husbands after they were given remdesivir filed a wrongful death lawsuit in Ramsey County District Court in Minnesota against HealthPartners, Inc. and Regions Hospital in St. Paul, where their spouses died while receiving care for COVID-19. One plaintiff was dismissed from the lawsuit without prejudice, meaning she may file suit […] -
The Georgia House Should Not Consider Minimum Wage Hikes Amid Rising Inflation
Publication -Research and Commentaries -The Georgia House of Representatives is considering House Bill 1507, legislation that would raise the minimum wage in the Peach State from its current $5.15 per hour to $8 per hour, effective immediately. Historically, some state lawmakers have advocated for quick “fixes” in response to perilous economic situations, such as minimum wage hikes. However, minimum […] -
The Tennessee House Should Not Consider Minimum Wage Hikes Amid Rising Inflation
Publication -Research and Commentaries -The Tennessee House of Representatives is considering House Bill 819, legislation that would raise the minimum wage in the Volunteer State from its current $7.25 per hour to $12 per hour, effective July 1, 2024. Historically, some state lawmakers have advocated for quick “fixes” in response to perilous economic situations, such as minimum wage hikes. […] -
Research & Commentary: Anti-ESG Bill in Georgia Will Ensure Peach State Pension Funds Invested Appropriately
Publication -Research and Commentaries -Legislation in the Georgia House of Representatives would combat environmental, social and governance (ESG) scoring systems and ensure state pension funds are invested solely to achieve the maximum return on investment for pensioners, rather than advancing social or political causes that may likely lead to lower returns and financial underperformance. ESG scores are essentially a risk assessment mechanism increasingly […] -
Revising the Uniform Commercial Code to Protect Americans’ Property Rights and Impede a U.S. Central Bank Digital Currency
Publication -Policy Tip Sheets -Important provisions in the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) contain highly problematic elements that undermine Americans’ individual rights and threaten the stability of the U.S. economy. This Tip Sheet will provide a brief description of those troubling areas of the UCC and propose a set of related concrete policy solutions for lawmakers. The UCC was created […] -
- Health Care News
Kansas Governor Makes Another Attempt to Expand Medicaid
Publication -Kansas may become the 42nd state in the nation to expand its Medicaid program. Gov. Laura Kelly (D) proposed the Cutting Healthcare Costs for All Kansans Act on January 17. The Republican-led legislature is poised to reject her bill after leadership in December gave a thumbs-down on expansion. North Carolina became the most recent state […] -
- Health Care News
Congress Moves to Allow Inpatient Drug Addiction Care Under Medicaid
Publication -For the first time, states would have the option to provide inpatient care for drug addiction in mental hospitals for 30 days under Medicaid without seeking a waiver, under the Support for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act (H.R. 4531) passed by the U.S. House of Representatives in a vote of 386 to 37, on December […] -
- Health Care News
Illegal Aliens Get Free Health Care in California
Publication -California has set another milestone this year by becoming the first state to offer taxpayer-funded health insurance for all undocumented immigrants. Now, regardless of age, all undocumented immigrants in the Golden State qualify for Medi-Cal, the state’s version of the federal Medicaid program for American citizens with low incomes. As a result, an additional 700,000 […]