The Republican presidential primaries have been temporarily hijacked by a single incident in Rick Perry’s decade-plus tenure as governor of Texas. Despite Michele Bachmann’s ludicrous claim that Gardasil causes mental retardation, let’s recall that not one single schoolgirl was vaccinated by the offensive executive order: The legislature overturned it long before the school year began.
Furthermore, the executive order did not comprise a mandate.
Research and commentary from a former senior executive in the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Obamacare Exchanges Are Limping Into Oblivion
Back on July 29, I wrote a blog entry explaining why I believe that any health insurance exchange, whether compliant with ObamaCare or not, is unlikely to thrive without huge subsidies. Recent days have brought forward new evidence that even the massively taxpayer-financed ObamaCare exchanges are facing even bigger problems than previously understood.
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Graham Promoted To Additional Responsibilities
I should explain why I'm not writing on a daily basis anymore. I trust I'll be able to get back to writing more frequently, but I have been given a new opportunity and additional responsibilities at Pacific Research Institute.
As well as continuing in my role as Director, Health Care Studies, I have been appointed Executive Director of the Benjamin Rish Society, a national society of medical students and physicians. The Benjamin Rush Society's website (which is soon to undergo significant renovation) expains its mission. The website is here.
These new duties will take up much of my time for the next few weeks. Nevertheless, the monthly Health Policy Prescriptions and periodic blog entries will continue.
As well as continuing in my role as Director, Health Care Studies, I have been appointed Executive Director of the Benjamin Rish Society, a national society of medical students and physicians. The Benjamin Rush Society's website (which is soon to undergo significant renovation) expains its mission. The website is here.
These new duties will take up much of my time for the next few weeks. Nevertheless, the monthly Health Policy Prescriptions and periodic blog entries will continue.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Obamacare's Exchanges Are Well and Truly Dead on Arrival
Yesterday, I sort of suggested that we could finally dispose of the matter of health insurance exchanges.
Well, today, courtesy of Investors' Business Daily's David Hogberg and the Cato Institute's Michael Cannon, we learn that federal exchanges will not be able to funnel the gusher of refundable tax credits to indviduals who enrol in them.
Well, today, courtesy of Investors' Business Daily's David Hogberg and the Cato Institute's Michael Cannon, we learn that federal exchanges will not be able to funnel the gusher of refundable tax credits to indviduals who enrol in them.
Effectiveness of DTC Advertising
It has been a while since I've written about physician-pharmaceutical industry relations or DTC (direct-to-consumer) advertising. My last major article, arguing that promotion and communications by pharmaceutical manufacturers is socially beneficial, is available at this link.
Many criticize the notion that advertising can have any value to patientss. But a new study by three marketing professors from European business schools shows that research into advertising effectiveness is important.
In their article, reported at this link, they conclude that advertising for breast cancer is too "gender salient". That is, it is too "pink". As a result women shirk from the ads, rather than learn from them.
Although the research appears to cover ads mostly sponsored by governments and charities, it nevertheless bears upon pharmaceutical companies' DTC advertising. As we (hopefully) enter an era of personalized medicine, we should also be entering an era of more personalized DTC advertising.
As these European professors have shown, pharmacological R&D must be accompanied by research into effective communications.
Many criticize the notion that advertising can have any value to patientss. But a new study by three marketing professors from European business schools shows that research into advertising effectiveness is important.
In their article, reported at this link, they conclude that advertising for breast cancer is too "gender salient". That is, it is too "pink". As a result women shirk from the ads, rather than learn from them.
Although the research appears to cover ads mostly sponsored by governments and charities, it nevertheless bears upon pharmaceutical companies' DTC advertising. As we (hopefully) enter an era of personalized medicine, we should also be entering an era of more personalized DTC advertising.
As these European professors have shown, pharmacological R&D must be accompanied by research into effective communications.
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Health Insurers' In States' Crosshairs
The Orange County Register published an op-ed by me, which describes the effects of states' emerging rules imposing political control of health-insurance premiums, which are prompted by Obamacare. The op-ed is at this link.
The column is based on a my study, which PRI recently published, available at this link.
The column is based on a my study, which PRI recently published, available at this link.
Why Don't Health Insurance Exchanges Work?
Health insurance exchanges! Can there possibly be anything more to say about them? I have previously triangulated around the issue of generic exchanges, and focused my analysis on the negative consequences of Obamacare-compliant exchanges.
Over time, I've become more skeptical about exchanges in general, and the most voal supporters of so-called "free-market" exchanges (such as Utah's) have actually influenced me towards this position. Their arguments really are not compelling.
Perhaps this will be my final word on exchanges. Please go to this link to read August's Health Policy Prescription, "Why Health Exchanges Don't Work".
Over time, I've become more skeptical about exchanges in general, and the most voal supporters of so-called "free-market" exchanges (such as Utah's) have actually influenced me towards this position. Their arguments really are not compelling.
Perhaps this will be my final word on exchanges. Please go to this link to read August's Health Policy Prescription, "Why Health Exchanges Don't Work".
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