The United States spends more on health care as a percentage of gross domestic product (GDP) than other countries. Nearly one dollar in five (18%) of national income goes to fund health care. That is about double (9%) spent in many OECD countries. Why does the U.S. spend more on health care than other developed countries? Critics claim it is largely due to higher prices paid for medical care in the U.S.
Category: Cost of Healthcare
No Surprises Act is Flawed, Bogged Down and Being Abused
The dispute resolution process has not worked well. The IDR was supposed to be an inexpensive mechanism for resolving fee disputes, but critics claim the process has become bogged down with far more disputes than anticipated. Insurers estimate 40% of disputes filed are ineligible for IDR. One result is a costly system for taxpayers.
The past and possibly future blue wave
The 2006 midterm election was a huge “blue wave.” As the night passed, those of us watching the results saw race after closely contested race go to the Democratic candidate. It was a brutal night for Republican candidates in both federal and state elections. And it poses a dire warning for the 2026 midterms.
Tuesday Links – 7 April 2026
- College matters: Students at Ivy League schools and the similarly selective University of Chicago, Duke, Stanford, and MIT together comprise less than half a percent of America’s undergraduate population. Yet their alumni represent more than 12 percent of all Fortune 500 CEOs, 32 percent of all New York Times journalists, and 13 percent of the wealthiest 0.1 percent of the population.
- Jury verdict against big tech is an example of moral dyad – the tendency to treat one side as if it were a robot devoid of feeling and the other side as if it feels pain but has no agency.
- California’s $20 minimum wage: 18,000 fast food jobs lost plus higher prices.
- Steuerle: the president’s budget message is “Budget Lite.”