COMMENTARIES

A rare bipartisan agreement in Congress would create a larger child tax credit for parents and extend some key business tax breaks in the 2017 (Trump) tax reform bill that have expired. Democrats are said to favor the former and Republicans the latter.

Opinions on the accord are all over the map, with pros and cons – both on the right and the left. I give it two cheers. If it were funded by reducing means-tested welfare spending, I would give it a third cheer.

More at Forbes

Obamacare spending has now reached $214 billion a year, insuring people through Medicaid (which is mostly contracted out to private insurers) and the Obamacare exchanges.  At $1,731 for every household in America, that’s a great deal of money being transferred from taxpayers to insurance companies every year.

So, what are we getting in return?

One scholarly study finds there has been no overall increase in health care utilization in the U.S. since the enactment of Obamacare. The number of doctor visits per capita actually fell over the last decade.

See my latest post at Forbes.

A typical doctor’s office is quite spartan. The seating is usually austere. The flooring is low-budget (if there is carpeting, it is probably worn). And there are no free drinks or free food. If there is a restroom, it is probably located somewhere else in the building. More.

In the House of Representatives, the GOP’s “number-one priority for health care reform” is lowering health insurance premiums. However, the vast majority of folks who buy their own insurance are getting hefty subsidies. So much so, that 8 in 10 enrollees in the exchanges pay $10 a month or less. For a family with average income, the premium is usually zero. More.