- The US is number 1 in the world in social spending as a percent of GDP. (Includes the value of tax expenditures as well as direct public spending,) (HT: Tyler)
- The case for school choice: results from Florida.
- About 40% of the 70 million people enrolled in Medicare meet the clinical definition of obesity.
- The federal government’s Medicaid spending in California is more than the general fund budget of every other state.
Category: Medicare
Single Payer is an Issue in California Governor’s Race
What are the differences between Single Payer, Medicare for All and Universal Coverage? Universal coverage is merely a system where everyone is covered. Obamacare was supposed to be universal coverage because it initially included an individual mandate. Medicare is a type of universal coverage for seniors. Medicare for All would expand eligibility down from age 65 to 0. Medicare for All would require the federal government to expand the program, with states playing a supporting role. It would not necessarily be the same program that exists today, except in name.
Tackle Widespread Food Stamp Waste, Fraud and Abuse
The USDA recently began an initiative to battle food stamp fraud and abuse. Existing loopholes in federal regulations require no asset test to qualify. Thus, recipients can live in large houses and drive luxury cars but still qualify for the SNAP program if their income appears low enough on paper. According to the Secretary of Agriculture, 14,000 individuals from just one red state drive luxury cars, including three Bentleys, three Ferraris, three Lamborghinis, 59 Maseratis and 141 Porsches.
High-Deductible Plans are Increasing but Need Important Reforms
I’m a fan of high-deductible health plans, but the premiums under Obamacare are too high compared to the benefits. Plans should be able to offer annual and lifetime caps on benefits to reduce premiums further. Obamacare’s ban on annual and lifetime benefits is what allowed drug prices and the price of some medical procedures to reach the stratosphere. In addition, with hospitals acquiring physician practices many consumers are being steered to hospital owned facilities which have higher prices.