- “I’ve spent the past two months diving into the numbers. What I found was the most blatant waste of federal dollars that I have encountered in my two decades as an investigative reporter.”
- As of last April, 35 states and the District of Columbia had some form of certificate of need mandate in place.
- More than 40% of the overall increase in health expenditures in recent years has gone to the hospitals.
- CEA on Trump’s MFN drug program: “Over 10 years, total savings are expected to reach $64.3B, with $36.6B accrued to the federal government, and $27.6B to state governments.”
Category: News and Events
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.
Thursday Links – 7 May 2026
- ChatGPT tells a teenager how many people he needs to kill and wound in order to get national attention. It also tells him how to use his weapon. (WSJ)
- One in six adults are reportedly taking selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) for depression.
- Study: AI outperforms human doctors.
- Is Trump’s FDA hiding research findings showing that the covid and shingles vaccines are safe?
- Wealthier is healthier.
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.