John C. Goodman

House Republicans Love HSAs

House Republicans Love HSAs

Industry experts believe that the House reconciliation bill would result in 20 million more Americans having a Health Savings Account. Among the changes, Bronze and catastrophic plans sold in the (Obamacare) exchanges would automatically qualify for HSAs. And people could use their HSA to pay the monthly premium of a direct primary care doctor of their choosing – providing 24/7 primary care.

However, John Goodman says that for the same CBO score, the Senate could make the bill much better. More.

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What the GOP Should Be Doing About Medicaid

What the GOP Should Be Doing About Medicaid

In his latest commentary at Forbes, John Goodman explains a huge, missed opportunity by House Republicans.

They should have focused on why Medicaid does such a poor job of meeting the needs of the enrollees. Then, they should have explored ways of making Medicaid better and reducing spending at the same time. This would have been a very positive message to voters.

Let’s hope this turns around in the Senate. More.

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What Price for Drugs?

What Price for Drugs?

When was the last time you saw a news headline announcing that a cancer patient died because she couldn’t afford a drug that could have saved her life? I bet you haven’t. Why? Because it doesn’t happen. At least not in this country. President Trump doesn’t understand the market for drugs. He is not alone. Most people don’t understand it. Here is John Goodman’s contribution to clear thinking:

  1. In Part I, he asks readers to imagine a free market for drugs, in which drug manufacturers are given a patent for a certain length of time. The patent allows drug companies to charge a monopoly price. But by price discriminating, they insure that almost no one goes without a lifesaving drug.
  2. In Part II, he asks how free market health insurance would cover expensive drugs. People who are more risk averse would purchase “top up” plans to pay for drugs conventional insurance finds not cost effective.
  3. In Part III, he shows that both public insurance and unwisely-regulated private health insurance face perverse incentives to favor the healthy over the sick. Reforms are suggested.
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$1T in Medicaid Cuts That Leave Beneficiaries Better Off

$1T in Medicaid Cuts That Leave Beneficiaries Better Off

John Goodman identifies 12 reforms to Medicaid that will Allow Republicans to reach their budget goals without reducing any real benefit for enrollees. Among the  ideas: let enrollees buy medical care the way they buy food with food stamps, have a heath savings account and have access to 24/7 direct primary care. More

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Why Can’t Every School be a Magnet School?

Why Can’t Every School be a Magnet School?

For many years, magnet schools were the only public schools that competed for students. And the experience as been very positive. So why can’t every school do that? John Goodman argues that every public school should be able to specialize in what it does best and compete for students. More

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What Should Republicans Do About Medicaid?

What Should Republicans Do About Medicaid?

There is tremendous waste in the program. That means that Congress can make the program work better for beneficiaries and at the same time free up trillions of dollars to help fund the tax bill. The reforms include Roth Health Savings Accounts, 24/7 direct primary care, and access to a competitive medical marketplace. More

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Cutting Government Waste

Cutting Government Waste

There is a great deal of waste in our entitlement programs. And by cutting out waste, we can make these programs work better for the people who depend on them.
Take Social Security. Last year the agency said it has identified 2 million beneficiaries who have been overpaid. It has sent them “clawback” letters, demanding Uncle Sam’s money back. In some cases, the claims go back several decades, and the amounts can be more than $300,000. More

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Why We Need Health Insurance Companies

Why We Need Health Insurance Companies

Our health care system is replete with perverse incentives. If they are not checked, our premiums and taxes will consume ever more of our national income. Canada checks them by limiting resources.  Doctors must send their patients to the hospital for simple x-rays. And the country ranks 25th out of 29 developed countries on the number of MRI scanners per person. In the US, private health insurers perform the task – by requiring preauthorization for certain services and denying claims for medically unnecessary procedures. Despite some problems, our system works much better. More.

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What the FDA Gets Wrong About Drug Ads

What the FDA Gets Wrong About Drug Ads

The FDA wants ads to have more warnings about risks and side effects. RFK, Jr. wants to abolish the ads altogether. Yet, our most important health care problem is not that people are taking too many prescription drugs. They are taking too few. We get our highest return on money we spend on drugs (versus doctors, hospitals, etc.). We do not have too many ads. We have too few. More.

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