John Goodman’s Commentaries

Here are five surprising facts:

• The U.S. welfare state has almost eliminated poverty in this country.
• Over the last 75 years, income inequality has actually gone down, not up.
• Since the end of World War II, income has steadily risen for every income group – with the greatest increase among the bottom fifth of the income ladder.
• Over half of the population gains very little from working under the U.S. fiscal system – as taxable income replaces untaxed transfer benefits.
• The U.S. has the most progressive fiscal system among all developed countries.

Chief among these is Obamacare reform to (1) let families have access to insurance that meets their medical and financial needs, instead of unaffordable deductibles and sky-high premiums; and (2) let families have access to the best doctors and the best hospitals, instead of narrow networks that deny them the care they need. More.

Bernie Sanders and other socialists think health care should be provided by the state. Their latest version of that idea is “Medicare for all.” How does Medicare stand up against private, free-market provision of similar services? Since Congress just acted on Medicare prescription drugs, let’s examine drug coverage in answering that question. More.

The election this fall was supposed to be a red wave. Now it looks like that may not happen.

The Republican problem today is no different than it was 50 years ago. Too many Republicans don’t believe in reforming institutions. They think their only role is to oppose whatever the Democrats are trying to do. Most conservative think tanks aren’t much better.

Yet in troubled times, voters want problems solved. Here are some suggestions for policy changes affecting seniors—the group of voters most likely to vote.

This may surprise some of you, but we have been unable to find a conservative/libertarian alternative to the Democrats’ proposals on Medicare prescription drugs. Yet, there are real problems that need solving. This morning at Forbes, John Goodman provides a first-of-its-kind analysis of why the Medicare prescription drug market doesn’t work as it should, and what can be done to correct those problems – with no new taxes, no new spending and no new impediments to the discovery of life saving drugs. More.

Obamacare is a flawed program that has made health insurance unaffordable and unattractive for millions of people. Instead of fixing these flaws with sensible (bipartisan) reforms that need not cost the taxpayers an extra dime, the new proposal would double down on a colossal mistake.

Young adults with low- or middle-income jobs pay a heavy price if they marry. When higher tax rates are combined with a reduction in welfare/entitlement benefits, the economic loss from marriage is equal to between one-and-a-half and two years of income, on average. More.

The Medicare Advantage program, by contrast, has enrolled nearly half of all eligible people and has satisfaction rates of 90 percent or higher. There are good reasons why the MA program works so well. More.