Health Legislation

Archive for Health Legislation

An Even More Damning Gruber Clip on State Exchanges

OK, this one is pretty clear. There is no ambiguity about a “federal backstop” and what that might mean. (Thanks to the honorable Keshav for passing this along, even though he disagrees with me.) It is now pretty obvious to me that Gruber thought the bill would deny tax credits to people in states where exchanges […]

The Smoking Gruber Gun?

I had seen people in print refer to this, but it helps to watch the actual video. Many of my libertarian brethren (and sistren) think this is obviously Gruber saying the feds intended for the subsidy carrots to induce the states to set up their exchanges for the ACA. However, the one thing that troubles […]

Private Property in the Vaccine Debate

An obvious point, but not one I had seen people making: The only way to address these fundamental conflicts is to take the State out of the equation. Let private property owners set the relevant rules on their land. Privately run schools, daycare centers, youth clubs, and pediatricians can set their individual policies regarding vaccination […]

The FDA’s Vioxx Scandal

I’m co-authoring a book on US health care and we deal with the Vioxx scandal. This is a great example of a major shortcoming in the standard economic argument against the FDA. Typically, libertarian economists will say that the FDA faces incentives such that if it approves a drug that kills people, the FDA will […]

Be Careful When Evaluating Pro-ObamaCare Studies

I can’t really excerpt from it, just check out my analysis of the Gruber/McKnight study on restricted choice health networks.

Riddle Me This: How Can Distance to Old Providers Go Down By Switching Insurance Plans?

I’m reading this Working Paper by Jon Gruber and Robin McKnight, and am baffled by one of their findings. First, the context: There is one important outcome that is the current focus of much debate over limited network plans, however: patient access to providers as proxied by distance traveled. A major concern raised about limited […]

Every Citizen Must Know Basic Economics

Near the end of his treatise on economics, Ludwig von Mises wrote: There is no means by which anyone can evade his personal responsibility. Whoever neglects to examine to the best of his abilities all the problems involved voluntarily surrenders his birthright to a self-appointed elite of supermen. In such vital matters blind reliance upon […]