Medicaid is held up as an example of corporate welfare. Purportedly Walmart and Amazon are costing taxpayers billions of dollars annually by paying their workers too little. Food stamps (SNAP program) are sometimes also held up as evidence of corporate welfare. It is, but not how you think. SNAP boosts profits at retail stores that sell food. It does not subsidize wages. The flawed logic of these arguments is that Walmart and Amazon can pay workers less because low-income families have access to welfare benefits.
Tuesday Links – 28 April 2026
- The stated goal of prior authorization: to make sure doctors are ordering care that actually works and that people actually need. The real goal: it improves the bottom line.
- A left/right proposal to reform employer provided health insurance.
- Steuerle on Social Security reform.
- The DC unemployment rate is higher than in any state. Is DOGE the reason?
Can DIY Health Care Become a Bad Thing?
I love it when people take control of their own health. In past generations doctors were often the sole source of information on diseases and conditions. It was normal to rely on physicians to interpret every symptom, ache, or pain. You went to your doctor to assess the symptoms and did whatever your doctor advised….