Certificate of Need (CON) laws were initially put into effect as part of the “Health Planning Resources Development Act” of 1974. The law incentivised states to create CON programs by offering additional funding or withholding Medicare and Medicaid funds from those states that decided not to participate. The act sought to restrain health care facility … Continue reading
On Wednesday, June 27, the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) held a hearing to discuss the rising cost of health care in the U.S. Several panelists mentioned increasing price transparency as a potential solution to the growing issue. The disclosure of health care prices is by no means a new … Continue reading
Since the Individual Mandate statute of the Affordable Care Act was enacted in January 2014, every American is accountable for an Individual Shared Responsibility* payment every year. Meaning, if you do not have health insurance, you will face penalties. While you may not see an actual summons, or pay a fine, the federal government enforces … Continue reading
In 1996 President Clinton signed the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996(HIPAA) into law. Establishing that every American’s health information is confidential, and the people have a right to pick and choose who may access it. While many would assume otherwise, this includes minors. When it comes to a child receiving care, a … Continue reading
In late 2015, Wisconsin became the 12th State to adopt the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact (IMLC). This program recognizes that medical training is fairly uniform across the states involved, and it provides a quicker path to licensure for physicians looking to practice medicine in Wisconsin. The move for Wisconsin to enact the IMLC also presents a major … Continue reading
Experts across the political spectrum have questioned how much society should be willing to pay for new and expensive treatments, especially if another treatment exists with a proven track record. Although it often escapes policymakers, the heart of this debate should be medical efficacy. For both the new treatment and the old, do they work? How … Continue reading
What would you say a physician does? Chances are, your response would have something to do with healing people who are sick. Would you think about describing doctors as people who readily expedite death for their patients? There are currently three states that have legalized physician assisted suicide (PAS), and there are at least twenty-two … Continue reading
Since the implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), everyone has been holding their breath in anticipation of seeing its effects. In an attempt to curb health care costs by diluting the risk pool, the ACA has mandated that individuals get insurance or pay a fine. It is true that millions are more insured due … Continue reading
Just seven years ago, “aid in dying” or “assisted suicide,” was illegal throughout the United States with the exception of Oregon. Today, five additional states have passed “death with dignity” bills that allow terminally ill patients to choose to die with the help of their physician. Many praise this legislation for allowing patients who are … Continue reading
Recently, the Kaiser Family Foundation conducted a poll to judge the American public’s knowledge and opinion of the Affordable Care Act. Perhaps the most outrageous result from this poll is that, of those individuals uninsured, nearly 9 out of 10 of them did not know that open enrollment begins in November. Almost ninety percent of … Continue reading
Policy Interns 
You must be logged in to post a comment.