Issue Brief posted August 2, 2012 by James C. Capretta
Obamacare Remains a Budgetary and Policy Disaster
Following the Supreme Court’s decision on Obamacare, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) issued an updated cost estimate for the law,[1] which unsurprisingly is not strikingly different from its previous estimates. Nonetheless, an examination of CBO’s latest findings, along with other evidence, makes it clear that Obamacare remains a budgetary disaster.
What Can Be…
Issue Brief posted June 21, 2012 by James C. Capretta
Obamacare’s Failings Go Well Beyond the Individual Mandate and Medicaid
Obamacare is under review by the Supreme Court because of its constitutionally suspect provisions, namely the “individual mandate” and the coercive Medicaid provisions. Certainly, the Court would do the country an immense favor by striking down the entire law so the decks were cleared for a sensible, market-based reform plan. But in the event that the Court does not…
Backgrounder posted February 7, 2012 by James C. Capretta
The Top Five Flawed Arguments Against Premium Support
Abstract: The introduction of the bipartisan Wyden–Ryan premium support plan for Medicare ensures that reform of the government’s largest health entitlement program will continue to be a major topic of debate in 2012. With premium support, the federal government moves away from running a health plan and instead provides fixed levels of support for insurance plans selected…
Backgrounder posted September 12, 2011 by James C. Capretta
The Case for Competition in Medicare
Abstract: Rapidly rising Medicare spending is a major cause of the federal government’s budget problems. Proposals to reform Medicare and slow its spending fall into one of two categories: more government micromanagement or empowerment of health care consumers in a functioning marketplace. Those who promote top-down spending controls optimistically assume that federal…
WebMemo posted September 9, 2011 by James C. Capretta
Congress Should Not Undermine What Works in the Medicare Drug Benefit
Over the past several years, one small corner of America’s vast entitlement superstructure—the Medicare drug benefit—has been working well, satisfying program participants, and holding cost growth to a bare minimum. This is unheard of in the entitlement arena, where cost overruns are the norm. Naturally, encountering that kind of success, some politicians—especially those…
WebMemo posted January 21, 2011 by James C. Capretta, Kathryn Nix
Obamacare and the Budget: Playing Games with Numbers
The federal government’s finances were dismal even before the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) was enacted. That is why lawmakers who pushed for its passage felt compelled to try to calm worried Americans by claiming that the law would cut projected federal budget deficits in addition to covering the uninsured.[1]
And, in fact, the Congressional…
WebMemo posted January 20, 2011 by James C. Capretta
Obamacare and Medicare Advantage Cuts: Undermining Seniors’ Coverage Options
Medicare Advantage (MA) plans are private insurance options available to Medicare beneficiaries. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA)[1] cuts deeply into the projected payments to MA plans. Millions of Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in MA plans, or who would have been enrolled if not for the cuts, will experience very substantial reductions in the value…
Backgrounder posted December 13, 2010 by Robert E. Moffit, Ph.D., James C. Capretta
How to Fix Medicare: A New Vision for a Better Program
Abstract: Medicare is the government health insurance program on which the vast majority of America’s senior and disabled citizens rely. The program has no spending limits—despite its price controls and central planning— and, as currently designed, is simply unsustainable. All future taxpayers and retirees deserve to have good and reliable health insurance (federal…
Backgrounder posted July 22, 2010 by James C. Capretta, Brian M. Riedl
The CLASS Act: Repeal Now, or Face Permanent Taxpayer Bailout Later
Abstract: Proponents of Obamacare claim that it will simultaneously provide millions of Americans with health insurance and reduce the budget deficit by hundreds of billions of dollars. Yet Obamacare’s proclaimed budgetary discipline rests on unlikely assumptions and budget gimmicks—none worse than the CLASS Act, a national long-term-care insurance program. CLASS is…
WebMemo posted June 2, 2010 by James C. Capretta
The Debt Commission, Health Care, and Obama’s Budgetary Game Plan
When the President’s National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform (commonly referred to as the “debt commission”) held its first official meeting in April (the second meeting was held last week), all of the talk was of getting serious about putting the nation’s fiscal house in order and that everything would be “on the table” for consideration.[1]
…
WebMemo posted June 1, 2010 by James C. Capretta
Obamacare: Impact on Future Generations
President Obama and other proponents of the recently passed health care law argue that the legislation was desperately needed to improve the nation’s health system for both today’s citizens as well as future generations.
But there are many reasons to be concerned that this new law will instead deliver both a lower quality health system and more costly and burdensome…
WebMemo posted February 24, 2010 by James C. Capretta
The President’s Health Reform Proposal: More Like $2.5 Trillion
President Barack Obama released an updated health care reform plan this week. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has not yet had an opportunity to review and assess this latest offering. However, Administration officials have claimed that it would cost $950 billion over a decade, is “fully paid for,” and would cut the deficit in the short and long term.
Each of…