Congress is in the final phase of debating one of the most consequential issues before the nation: reform of the health care system. Congressional decisions on health care will directly affect the lives of 300 million Americans. Congressman Tom Price (R-GA), chairman of the Republican Study Committee and a practicing physician for nearly 25 years before coming to…

The President and congressional leaders are wedded to the "Big Bang" approach to health care legislation, ultimately overhauling one-sixth of the American economy through one giant, 1,000-plus-page bill. Notwithstanding rhetoric to the contrary, the President and the congressional leadership are not apparently interested in even discussing any health policy…

All five of the congressional committees charged with drafting health care legislation have completed their plans. The congressional leadership will soon consolidate these measures into single pieces of legislation for their respective bodies, and floor votes in both the House and Senate are expected soon. What is yet unknown is the true cost of these bills.…

Health economists have long considered changing the tax treatment of health insurance a key component of any serious health care reform. A relic of the World War II era, the federal tax code currently excludes, without limit, the value of employer-sponsored health insurance from an individual's taxable income for the purposes of both income and payroll taxes. This…

The Medicare Trustees have released the annual report on the financial status of the Medicare program.[1] The Washington Post's front page headline on the report warns of a "Medicare Collapse."[2] The basic facts are simple and dramatic: Medicare has an unfunded liability of almost $38 trillion; Medicare's hospital insurance trust fund will become…

Leading Members of Congress and certain officials in the Obama Administration are reportedly considering changes to the federal tax treatment of health insurance as a means of financing health reform.[1] If there is one area in health policy where there is a powerful consensus among serious analysts, conservative and liberal alike, it is the need to change the…

The United States Senate will soon consider legislation to reauthorize the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). Its decisions on that legislation will have a major impact on the private health insurance coverage of millions of American children. The House of Representatives recently passed a major SCHIP expansion and removed any provision…

Presidential candidate Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) has put forth an ambitious health care plan.[1] The plan proposes: Expanding eligibility for existing public programs, including both Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP); Creating a National Health Insurance Exchange to serve as a federal regulator of private insurance…

Presidential candidate Senator John McCain (R-AZ) has put forth an ambitious health care plan.[1]The plan proposes: Replacing the current income tax exclusion for employer-sponsored health insurance with refundable tax credits; Enabling individuals and families to purchase health insurance across state lines; and Providing federal assistance to states to…

Federal and state officials are currently negotiating the terms and conditions for a renewal of the commonwealth's Medicaid 1115 demonstration "waiver." The current waiver extension expired on June 30, but federal officials agreed to a further two-week extension (until July 14) to allow additional time to complete the negotiations.[1] The last renewal of this…