“Health economics” on The Daily Caller

During the debate over ObamaCare, the bill’s opponents were excoriated for talk of rationing and “death panels.” And in fairness, with a few minor exceptions governing Medicare reimbursements, the law does not directly ration care or allow the government to dictate how doctors practice medicine. (more)

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President Obama and his team are in full campaign mode once again. They are telling America about all of the good things that the new health reform law will do for them this year. So, you may have heard this line recently “starting this year, for all of you students out there, if you don’t have insurance or if you are about to graduate and you’re not sure what your next job is going to be or there is a little gap between graduating and getting that job with insurance, all new plans and some current ones will allow you to stay on your parent’s insurance policy until you’re 26 years old, starting this year!” (emphasis added). (more)

The president has been known to enjoy an exquisite steak. Besides exemplifying a two-tier system where the wealthy will always remain at the top of the food chain, what does this have to do with ObamaCare? More than one might think! Along with other failings, it does not control costs or simplify a smorgasbord of providers, services, and redundancies. The legislation neglects to cure shortcomings in a health care system that is nonetheless the envy of the world, while exacerbating its deficiencies by adding layers of bureaucracy. (more)

Is There a Doctor in the House? (more)

Below is one of my favorite signs from the entire health care debate over the past year. (more)

The great frustration for many Americans during the debate on ObamaCare was tone-deaf politicians. No one seemed willing to listen to their concerns. Federal deficits, pork-barrel spending, and the cost of health care got lost in the push to pass partisan legislation. As we move into the regulatory phase of writing the critical implementation rules, the concern is that Obama-bureaucrats will also ignore the people. (more)

We all know that the U.S. health care system is broken and most of us know that Obamacare is only adding additional bureaucracy and entitlements (read expenses) to an already unaffordable system. (more)

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Headline: So now you’re angry at the government? ( – If this works; if not feel free to use a different headline/kicker) (more)

The health care debate has offered much discussion about different ways to bend the cost curve down. While the administration was quick to offer its radical prescription allegedly to curtail health care spending, to this day there has been no attempt to ascertain its etiology. “What” the problem is (ahem, high health care costs) is obvious to all. But after months of speeches and interviews President Obama even now has yet to address the “why.” Why does health care cost so much in this country? (more)

Like many observing the current state of political discourse surrounding health-care reform, I, too, wonder if this is the right direction for our nation. Like Roosevelt and Johnson before him, President Obama has set out to fundamentally redefine the role of the government. (more)

Among the many exaggerated claims made in favor of the health care legislation before Congress is the idea that it would improve the public health system’s ability to manage public health crises like HIV and swine flu. (more)

I am usually a big fan of George Mason University’s innovative economist Tyler Cowen. But something peculiar seems to come over free-market fans when they start writing for The New York Times. Case in point: Cowen’s “Managed Care: Get Used to It.” (more)

Members undecided about how to vote on health care face intense pressure. The president is calling. Their leadership is badgering. Unions are threatening to back primary challengers and withhold support. Yet wavering Members be warned: Your constituents can’t twist your arm or make creative threats, but they will be voting in November. And if you vote for this health care legislation, chances are they’ll be voting against you. (more)

The nation’s top health insurance spokeswoman and President Obama’s top health-care official crossed swords, if ever so politely, in remarks to a gathering of industry representatives in Washington on Wednesday. (more)

The first week of pleasant weather in the nation’s capitol brought out swarms of residents, who brushed off the winter grime by marching on the streets of Washington, D.C.  More than 1,000 health care reform advocates, organized by Health Care for America Now, rallied yesterday in Washington D.C.  The march went from Dupont Circle to the Ritz Carlton hotel, where an association of health insurance companies was meeting. (more)

The more President Obama talks about health care, the more he reveals his true character and goals. This was evident earlier this week during his tirade at Arcadia University in Pennsylvania, where he used a captive audience of students to complain about how many of them are without health coverage. (more)

At tomorrow’s White House health reform summit, President Obama hopes to re-invigorate the health care debate and prompt Congress to act on the issue this year. He’s invited members of both parties to meet, challenging Republicans and Democrats alike to offer alternative reform ideas. (more)

Hoping to revive his increasingly unpopular health care overhaul, President Obama has invited Republicans to a bipartisan summit this Thursday and plans to introduce a new reform blueprint in advance of the summit. On Sunday, the White House announced that a key feature of that blueprint will be premium caps, a form of government price control that helped kill the Clinton health plan when even New Democrats rejected it. (more)