Will New Trump-GOP Tax Plan Trigger PAYGO Cuts to Medicare?

The Trump-GOP tax plan will add to the national debt by $1 trillion (Joint Committee on Taxation) or $1.4 trillion (Congressional Budget Office). Under the pay-as-you-go (PAYGO) law, Congress will need to make a choice to cut Medicare or to allow the increase of the national debt. The PAYGO law says that the revenue shortfall … Continue reading Will New Trump-GOP Tax Plan Trigger PAYGO Cuts to Medicare? →

FAQ: How Would Cost-Benefit Analysis Be Used to Restrain Healthcare Costs? – The Case of an Expensive New Cholesterol Drug

Executive Summary Some experts say that cost-benefit analysis is the way to restrain soaring healthcare costs and reform the system. How exactly would cost-benefit analysis work? This blog argues: Forget the caviar. But keep costworthy care on the menu. To explain what this means, let’s look at the case of Repatha (evolocumab), the new cholesterol-lowering drug, … Continue reading FAQ: How Would Cost-Benefit Analysis Be Used to Restrain Healthcare Costs? – The Case of an Expensive New Cholesterol Drug →

Private Sector, not Public Policy, Holds the Key to Healthcare Reform — Really?…

Christopher Helmrath, MBA “The Private Sector, not Public Policy, Holds the Key to Better Healthcare" featuring Christopher Helmrath MBA turned out to be as much an infomercial for his investment firm as a discussion of healthcare reform in America. I do not dispute Mr. Helmrath’s investment tip that healthcare is a “good bet.” And I … Continue reading Private Sector, not Public Policy, Holds the Key to Healthcare Reform — Really?… →

Navigating Payment Reform – NEJM Catalyst

Harvard Business School and New England Journal of Medicine Catalyst group convened a webinar on “Navigating Payment Reform for Providers, Payers & Pharma” on November 2. Presenters admirably fulfilled Dr. Dafny’s challenge as convener to be transparent about goals, attuned to new ideas, open to trade-offs, and unafraid of failure. From the perspective of General Systems … Continue reading Navigating Payment Reform – NEJM Catalyst →

Will These Ideas Fix U.S. Healthcare?

Almost everyone agrees that the U.S. healthcare system needs to be fixed. For example, each of the 2016 Presidential candidates promised to fix it. Now that the election is over, heated debate continues over 2 basic questions: What, exactly, is the problem? How, then, should it be fixed? My answer to the first question is: … Continue reading Will These Ideas Fix U.S. Healthcare? →