Why A Public Option Would Not Be Successful 

Pacific Research Institute | Sally Pipes
March 8, 2022

 Last week, PRI President, CEO, and Thomas W. Smith Fellow in Health Care Policy Sally C. Pipes participated in a debate on the public option at the annual conference of the National Council of Insurance Legislators conference in Las Vegas.   

Nevada Assemblywoman Maggie Carlton moderated the debate.  Arguing against the motion “The Search for a Successful Public Option” were Pipes and Amber Stidham of the Henderson Chamber of Commerce. Arguing in favor of the motion were Adam Fox of the Colorado Consumer Health Initiative and Liz Hagan of United States of Care.   

Click below to read Pipes’ opening comments, presented as written

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Biden's Half-Baked Covid Treatment Plan 

Wall Street Journal | Henry Miller
March 4, 2022

That gets us back to Mr. Biden’s “Test to Treat” initiative. Picture the patient at the pharmacy with a positive Covid-19 test. Has he brought a complete list of his medications? Who’s going to decide whether the probability of dangerous interactions outweighs the potential benefit of Paxlovid? The pharmacy tech? The cashier? Even the pharmacist is unlikely to be capable of making that judgment.
 

The True Cost of Restrictive Healthcare Licensing Laws: Mother's Lives

Right by the Bay | McKenzie Richards
March 7, 2022

The true problem is that the United States has a huge shortage of maternity care providers relative to the number of pregnancies. We rely almost exclusively on highly trained OBGYN’s for obstetric care, while a tangle of laws limit midwives and birthing centers from meeting the needs of expectant and postpartum mothers.

In countries with lower maternal mortality rates, that ratio is flipped: there are many more midwives than OBGYN’s. Research shows that midwifery care can dramatically lower the risk of maternal death.

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Violating Manufacturer's Property Rights Does Not Promote Healthy Competition 

Buffalo News | Sally Pipes
March 7, 2022

Cuban deserves credit for creating a business model that not only saves consumers money on their medicine but shows the extent to which middlemen have been ripping off patients.

For years now, Congress has debated how to rein in the predatory practices of pharmacy benefit managers, with proposed bills that would require greater transparency. But the private sector is now leading the way. Cuban’s company could serve as a model and first step for fixing the price-inflated status quo.

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Light start to shine on opaque drug pricing tactics

Washington Examiner | Sally Pipes
March 8, 2022

Public officials finally appear to be turning their gaze on PBMs' pricing chicanery. Good. Greater transparency in the market for prescription drugs can yield lower prices for consumers.

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