This new video from the Center for Freedom and Prosperity explains why Medicaid should be shifted to the states. As I note in the title of this post, it’s good federalism policy and good fiscal policy. But the video also explains that Medicaid reform is good health policy since it creates an opportunity to deal with the third-party payer problem.
One of the key observations of the video is that Medicaid block grants would replicate the success of welfare reform. Getting rid of the federal welfare entitlement in the 1990s and shifting the program to the states was a very successful policy, saving billions of dollars for taxpayers and significantly reducing poverty. There is every reason to think ending the Medicaid entitlement will have similar positive results.
Medicaid block grants were included in Congressman Ryan’s budget, so this reform is definitely part of the current fiscal debate. Unfortunately, the Senate apparently is not going to produce any budget, and the White House also has expressed opposition. On the left, reducing dependency is sometimes seen as a bad thing, even though poor people are the biggest victims of big government.
It’s wroth noting that Medicaid reform and Medicare reform often are lumped together, but they are separate policies. Instead of block grants, Medicare reform is based on something akin to vouchers, sort of like the health system available for Members of Congress. This video from last month explains the details.
In closing, I suppose it would be worth mentioning that there are two alternatives to Medicaid and Medicare reform. The first alternative is to do nothing and allow America to become another Greece. The second alternative is to impose bureaucratic restrictions on access to health care – what is colloquially known as the death panel approach. Neither option seems terribly attractive compared to the pro-market reforms discussed above.
Daniel, the problem with vouchers is that the average citizen (and most especially seniors) would be easily bamboozled into buying an initially cheap insurance policy that exists mainly to enrich the insurance company. Below is an article by Jane Bryant Quinn from 1996 about the “Spiral of Death” health insurance policies sold to individuals by private life insurance companies.
Block granting medicaid? Nope. Eliminate the prescription plan and medicaid before you look at the other entitlement programs. Every program should be liable to go up on the blocks until the feds are capable of paying off their debt at a vorocious rate.
Eliminate funding to every liberal group too. Let Soros use his money on that stuff instead of underming the USA.
Remember: Thomas Ball’s immolation, he gave his life for your children.
[...] There in no Medicaid reform, just tinkering and adjustments to the current [...]
[...] There in no Medicaid reform, just tinkering and adjustments to the current [...]
[...] Republicans approved a very serious budget plan that would have reformed both the Medicare and Medicaid and substantially reduced the long-run burden on the U.S. [...]
[...] Republicans approved a very serious budget plan that would have reformed both the Medicare and Medicaid and substantially reduced the long-run burden on the U.S. [...]
[...] income redistribution. Welfare reform in the 1990s moved the ball in the right direction, and that success could be replicated by block-granting Medicaid and adopting other policies that put state and local governments back in [...]
[...] combination of poorly designed entitlement programs (mostly Medicare and Medicaid) and an aging population will lead to America’s fiscal collapse. Rate this: Share [...]
[...] combination of poorly designed entitlement programs (mostly Medicare and Medicaid) and an aging population will lead to America’s fiscal collapse. jQuery('#lazyload_post_0 [...]
[...] combination of poorly designed entitlement programs (mostly Medicare and Medicaid) and an aging population will lead to America’s fiscal collapse. Daniel J. Mitchell • October [...]
[...] combination of poorly designed entitlement programs (mostly Medicare and Medicaid) and an aging population will lead to America’s fiscal [...]
[...] 3. The welfare reform legislation of the 1990s was a small step in the right direction because it eliminated a federal entitlement and shifted responsibility back to the state level. This success story should be replicated for programs such as Medicaid. [...]
[...] This is a noteworthy passage because GOPers (for the first time in a long time) actually did try to do something meaningful. The Ryan budget contained sweeping structural reforms to both Medicare and Medicaid. [...]
[...] combination of poorly designed entitlement programs (mostly Medicare and Medicaid) and an aging population will lead to America’s fiscal collapse. Daniel J. Mitchell • October [...]
[...] combination of poorly designed entitlement programs (mostly Medicare and Medicaid) and an aging population will lead to America’s fiscal collapse. Daniel J. Mitchell • October [...]
[...] combination of poorly designed entitlement programs (mostly Medicare and Medicaid) and an aging population will lead to America’s fiscal collapse. Daniel J. Mitchell • October [...]
[...] I’ve written about the fiscal implosion in Europe and warned that America faces the same fate if we don’t reform poorly designed entitlement programs such as Medicare and Medicaid. [...]
[...] I’ve written about the fiscal implosion in Europe and warned that America faces the same fate if we don’t reform poorly designed entitlement programs such as Medicare and Medicaid. [...]
[...] The first video explains how to fix Medicaid. [...]
[...] To elaborate, not all entitlement reform is created equal. As I explained in this set of videos, good reform means putting individuals back in charge and restoring market forces. It means personal retirement accounts for Social Security. It means vouchers for Medicare. And it means block-granting Medicaid back to the states. [...]
[...] is why there is a desperate need to reform programs such as Medicare and Medicaid. But politicians almost certainly won’t adopt the needed reforms if they have the ability to [...]
[...] is why there is a desperate need to reform programs such as Medicare and Medicaid. But politicians almost certainly won’t adopt the needed reforms if they have the ability to [...]
[...] is why there is a desperate need to reform programs such as Medicare and Medicaid. But politicians almost certainly won’t adopt the needed reforms if they have the ability to [...]
[...] P.S. Some people will argue that it’s impossible to restrain spending because of entitlement programs, but this set of videos shows how to reform Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. [...]
[...] P.S. Some people will argue that it’s impossible to restrain spending because of entitlement programs, but this set of videos shows how to reform Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. [...]
[...] P.S. Some people will argue that it’s impossible to restrain spending because of entitlement programs, but this set of videos shows how to reform Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. [...]
[...] P.S. Some people will argue that it’s impossible to restrain spending because of entitlement programs, but this set of videos shows how to reform Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. [...]
[...] view is that the answer to the welfare problem is decentralization. Let fifty states and thousands of communities take responsibility for redistribution [...]
[...] view is that the answer to the welfare problem is decentralization. Let fifty states and thousands of communities take responsibility for redistribution [...]
[...] view is that the answer to the welfare problem is decentralization. Let fifty states and thousands of communities take responsibility for redistribution [...]
[...] year, I narrated this video making the case for Medicaid reform. The proposal is very simple: Replicate the success of the welfare reform of the 1990s by block [...]
[...] being said, I’m not a complete pessimist. The Medicaid and Medicare reforms in last year’s Ryan budget would largely solve the problem, especially [...]
[...] The first video explains how to fix Medicaid. [...]
[...] if I had the chance to adopt Medicare reform, Medicaid reform, and Social Security reform, and all I had to give up was $100 billion of added annual tax revenue, [...]
[...] their employers, and it’s also true for the tens of millions of Americans who use Medicare, Medicaid, or some other government [...]
[...] is why I want to reform entitlements such as Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, and it’s why I want to shut down entire departments of the federal government, including [...]
[...] Republicans, to their credit, already want to do this with Medicaid. So why not block grant all social welfare [...]
[...] Republicans, to their credit, already want to do this with Medicaid. So why not block grant all social welfare [...]
[...] only provide fleeting happiness unless we solve the third-party payer problem caused by Medicare, Medicaid, tax distortions, and other forms of government intervention. Rate this:Share [...]
[...] Republicans, to their credit, already want to do this with Medicaid. So why not block grant all social welfare [...]
[...] why I want to see reforms to Medicare and Medicaid, not only to save money for taxpayers, but also because that’s one of the steps that is [...]
[...] Republicans, to their credit, already want to do this with Medicaid. So why not block grant all social welfare [...]
[...] this chart doesn’t prove that Lyndon Johnson’s redistribution programs – such as Medicaid – halted the progress that was being [...]
[...] deductibles. This is a principal cause (along with failed entitlement programs such as Medicare and Medicaid) of the third-party payer crisis. Shifting to a flat tax means that all forms of employee [...]
[...] higher marginal tax rates) and unsustainable price controls, Ryan got his colleagues to support Medicaid block grants and premium support (or vouchers) for [...]
[...] higher marginal tax rates) and unsustainable price controls, Ryan got his colleagues to support Medicaid block grants and premium support (or vouchers) for [...]
[...] you have to engage in fiscal triage, it would be smart to first address Medicare and Medicaid, but Social Security also needs reform. And not the kind of statist reform the folks at AARP would [...]
[...] you have to engage in fiscal triage, it would be smart to first address Medicare and Medicaid, but Social Security also needs reform. And not the kind of statist reform the folks at AARP would [...]
[...] on the relative merits of the Ryan budget (particularly proposed reforms to Medicare and Medicaid) compared to President Obama’s statist agenda of class warfare and bigger [...]
[...] deductibles. This is a principal cause (along with failed entitlement programs such as Medicare and Medicaid) of the third-party payer crisis. Shifting to a flat tax means that all forms of employee [...]
[...] Which helps explain why I’m a fan of the Ryan budget, particularly his reforms to Medicare and Medicaid. [...]
[...] Medicare reform doesn’t directly address this problem, just as block-granting Medicaid and reforming the tax system don’t automatically restore a market-based [...]
[...] Ideally, we should restore free markets overnight. But given the constraints of the political system, I’ll gladly take the modest reforms that Paul Ryan is proposing for Medicare and Medicaid. [...]
[...] Which helps explain why I’m a fan of the Ryan budget, particularly his reforms to Medicare and Medicaid. [...]
[...] but they’re the wrong kind of changes. Instead of the structural reforms to Medicare and Medicaid contained in the Ryan budget, the Simpson-Bowles report basically calls for price fixing and means [...]
[...] of problems such as third-party payer, which is caused by government programs such as Medicare and Medicaid along with a system of tax code-driven over-insurance in the supposedly private [...]
[...] of problems such as third-party payer, which is caused by government programs such as Medicare and Medicaid along with a system of tax code-driven over-insurance in the supposedly private [...]
[...] of problems such as third-party payer, which is caused by government programs such as Medicare and Medicaid along with a system of tax code-driven over-insurance in the supposedly private [...]
[...] Is Medicaid spending out of control? Yes, so cap outlay growth and block grant the program to the states. [...]
[...] of the elections is that lawmakers did not measurably suffer because of their support for the Medicaid and Medicare reforms in the Ryan budget. Nancy Pelosi’s “Medi-scare” campaign was [...]
[...] why I want to see reforms to Medicare and Medicaid, not only to save money for taxpayers, but also because that’s one of the steps that is needed if [...]
[...] we also should reform Medicaid and Medicare to help address the part of the third-party payer crisis caused by the direct [...]
[...] deductibles. This is a principal cause (along with failed entitlement programs such as Medicare and Medicaid) of the third-party payer crisis. Shifting to a flat tax means that all forms of employee [...]
[...] on entitlement reform, and you’ll recognize his mug if you watch my videos on Medicare and Medicaid [...]
[...] start with the fact that the House of Representatives already voted for Medicaid reform and Medicare reform as part of the Ryan budget in 2011 and 2012. We also know that Republicans [...]
[...] block-grant reform proposal is a good first step for restoring [...]
[...] deductibles. This is a principal cause (along with failed entitlement programs such as Medicare and Medicaid) of the third-party payer crisis. Shifting to a flat tax means that all forms of employee [...]
[...] that Social Security and Medicare also are in desperate need of modernization, I wrote that Medicaid reform should be the first [...]
[...] you have to engage in fiscal triage, it would be smart to first address Medicare and Medicaid, but Social Security also needs reform. And not the kind of statist reform the folks at AARP would [...]
[...] I think entitlement reform can make things better, though fixing Medicare and Medicaid should be seen as a necessary but not sufficient condition. As I show in this post, we would simply [...]
[...] Which helps explain why I’m a fan of the Ryan budget, particularly his reforms to Medicare and Medicaid. [...]
[...] also good news that the Ryan Budget calls for structural reform of entitlement programs, including Medicaid block grants and Medicare premium support. The budget also assumes the repeal of the costly Obamacare [...]
[...] I wrote about the Ryan budget two days ago, praising it for complying with Mitchell’s Golden Rule and reforming Medicare and Medicaid. [...]
[...] I wrote about the Ryan budget two days ago, praising it for complying with Mitchell’s Golden Rule and reforming Medicare and Medicaid. [...]
[...] it sure ain’t libertarian Nirvana (though, to be fair, the reforms to Medicare and Medicaid are admirable and stem in part from the work of Cato’s healthcare [...]
[...] the rich” financed by changes to healthcare. That budget does propose reforms to Medicare and Medicaid, but those changes are to salvage the programs by making them [...]
[...] really an entitlement problem, which is why I would have given the zombies names like Medicare, Medicaid, and Social [...]
[...] really an entitlement problem, which is why I would have given the zombies names like Medicare, Medicaid, and Social [...]
[...] reasons for optimism. And I think the bulk of Obamacare spending could be repealed as part of a Medicaid block grant if and when Washington is controlled by lawmakers who are serious about addressing the entitlement [...]
[...] reasons for optimism. And I think the bulk of Obamacare spending could be repealed as part of a Medicaid block grant if and when Washington is controlled by lawmakers who are serious about addressing the entitlement [...]
[...] reasons for optimism. And I think the bulk of Obamacare spending could be repealed as part of a Medicaid block grant if and when Washington is controlled by lawmakers who are serious about addressing the entitlement [...]
[...] we shouldn’t laugh at this cartoon. As we saw with both Medicaid and Medicare, entitlement programs routinely cost far more than original [...]
[...] we shouldn’t laugh at this cartoon. As we saw with both Medicaid and Medicare, entitlement programs routinely cost far more than original [...]
[...] we shouldn’t laugh at this cartoon. As we saw with both Medicaid and Medicare, entitlement programs routinely cost far more than original [...]
[...] we shouldn’t laugh at this cartoon. As we saw with both Medicaid and Medicare, entitlement programs routinely cost far more than original [...]
[...] pro-market policies, such as Obamacare repeal, tax reforms to reduce over-insurance, as well as the Medicaid and Medicare reforms in the Ryan [...]
[...] policies, such as Obamacare repeal, tax reforms to reduce over-insurance, as well as the Medicaid and Medicare reforms in the Ryan [...]
[...] Another example of unfortunate consistency is that the President whiffs on entitlement reform. Unlike the House of Representatives, there’s no proposal to fix Medicare or Medicaid. [...]
[...] no doubt that entitlement programs will be the main factor. Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and Disability are all fiscal train wrecks today, and the long-run outlook for these programs is [...]
[...] there’s no doubt that entitlement programs will be the main factor. Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and Disability are all fiscal train wrecks today, and the long-run outlook for these programs is [...]
[...] pro-market policies, such as Obamacare repeal, tax reforms to reduce over-insurance, as well as the Medicaid and Medicare reforms in the Ryan [...]
[...] argue against big expensive entitlement programs like Medicaid, explaining that it’s not a proper function of the federal [...]
[...] argue against big expensive entitlement programs like Medicaid, explaining that it’s not a proper function of the federal [...]
[...] policies, such as Obamacare repeal, tax reforms to reduce over-insurance, as well as the Medicaid and Medicare reforms in the Ryan [...]
[...] policies, such as Obamacare repeal, tax reforms to reduce over-insurance, as well as the Medicaid and Medicare reforms in the Ryan [...]
[…] plan, but they’re the wrong kind of changes. Instead of the structural reforms to Medicare and Medicaid contained in the Ryan budget, the Simpson-Bowles report basically calls for price fixing and means […]
[…] is a pervasive problem in the United States, thanks to government programs such as Medicaid and Medicare that account for nearly 50 percent of total healthcare […]
[…] we also should reform Medicaid and Medicare to help address the part of the third-party payer crisis caused by the direct […]
[…] government has screwed up the health sector, both because of spending programs such as Medicare and Medicaid and because of tax and regulatory distortions that have mutated the supposedly private insurance […]
[…] of the elections is that lawmakers did not measurably suffer because of their support for the Medicaid and Medicare reforms in the Ryan budget. Nancy Pelosi’s “Medi-scare” campaign was the dog […]