• Goodman Keynotes World Health Congress

• Wall Street Journal Features Goodman

• NCPA Health Plan Featured in National Journal

• Capital Hill Testimony/Briefings/Events

• Sumners Lecture Series

• New NCPA Book Previewed at Manhattan Institute Forum

• On the Speaker's Circuit

• NCPA Scholars in the News

• NCPA Publications

• NCPA Online

• NCPA President John C. Goodman was keynote speaker at the World Congress Annual Health and Human Capital Management Congress in Washington, D.C. on January 23.

• The Big Issue section of the January 9 edition of The Wall Street Journal featured Goodman’s comments about consumer-driven health care and how consumer choice will affect the future of both health care and health insurance. (See pg. 17)

• Goodman told the January 28 edition of National Journal that President Bush's health care recommendations in the 2006 State of the Union address need to focus on expanding Health Savings Accounts and on giving patients more control over their own health and health care dollars. (See pg. 29)

• NCPA President John C. Goodman testified at a special hearing of the House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee on Wednesday, March 15, explaining how the private sector is developing new technologies to empower patients to be informed consumers of heath care, a crucial development in the movement toward consumer-directed health care.
• Goodman debated David Himmelstein, co-founder of Physicians for a National Health Program and Harvard Medical School professor, about "Our Health Care System at the Crossroads: Single-Payer or Market Reform" at McCormick Place in Chicago on January 31. The debate headlined the 42 nd annual meeting of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons.
• Roy Ramthun, special assistant to President Bush for economic policy and senior adviser on Health Savings Accounts, expanded on President Bush's comments in the State of the Union address at an NCPA Capitol Hill briefing on February 1. Ramthun also reviewed the White House blueprint for major health care issues.
• On the eve of Congressional hearings into medical price transparency issues, the NCPA hosted a briefing at the National Press Club to highlight three new technologies that solve three key transparency issues. The March 14 briefing featured demonstrations from representatives of HealthMarket (a UICI company) and eMedicalfiles, Inc.
• Ramthun, expanded on President Bush's health agenda during a special telebriefing for the National Association for Business Economics on March 3. NCPA President John C. Goodman moderated the briefing.

• Walter Cronkite, longtime anchor for CBS news, who was described as the "most trusted man in America," was featured in a conversation with NCPA Chairman Pete du Pont for the second NCPA/Hatton W. Sumners Distinguished Lecture Series luncheon of 2006 on March 2 in the Chantilly Ballroom of the Hilton Anatole Hotel in Dallas .
• Christopher Hitchens, columnist and foreign correspondent, was featured speaker at the first NCPA/Hatton W. Sumners Distinguished Lecture Series luncheon of 2006 on February 16 in the Wedgwood Room of the Hilton Anatole Hotel in Dallas .

• Wall Street Journal editorial writer Kim Strassel, along with co-authors NCPA President John C. Goodman and NCPA Senior Fellow Celeste Colgan previewed their forthcoming book "Leaving Women Behind; Modern Families, Outdated Laws" at a March 9 book forum hosted by the Manhattan Institute.

• NCPA President John C. Goodman spoke at America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) 2006 National Policy Forum in Washington , DC , March 7. Goodman discussed empowering consumers now and in the future.
• Goodman was keynote speaker at the World Congress Annual Health and Human Capital Management Congress in Washington , D.C. on January 24.
• NCPA Senior Fellow Thomas R. Saving spoke to a policy retreat of key Capitol Hill staff sponsored by The Mercatus Center at George Mason University on February 24 and 25. Saving discussed the pending fiscal crisis caused by our nation's entitlement programs and ways to deal with the medically uninsured.
• Goodman and former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Newt Gingrich addressed the Fourth Annual Policy Orientation for the Texas Legislature in Austin on January 10.
• Goodman joined Mark McKinnon, a former Bush media advisor, on March 3 for a discussion of politics and the media for a meeting of the Longhorn Business Forum in Dallas.
• NCPA Senior Fellow Devon Herrick told attendees at the Rotary Club of Grand Prairie, TX monthly meeting on March 3 that people can save money by shopping for health care.
• NCPA Senior Policy Analyst Matt Moore participated in the keynote session of the Florida Chautauqua Center's 2006 Assembly in DeFuniak Springs (FL) on February 25. The session featured a panel discussion/debate titled, "Is There Security in Social Security?" Moore debated Charles Milstead of the AARP.
• Herrick told attendees at the Texas Association of Business's annual meeting in Austin on February 8 that health care reform must be driven by consumers.
• NCPA Senior Fellow William Conerly gave the keynote address at the Bellingham/Whatcom Chamber of Commerce & Industry's Forecast 2006 conference in Bellingham , WA . Conerly provided an economic outlook for the region.
• Moore spoke to the Lewisville (TX) Republican Club about Social Security reform on January 27.
• NCPA Senior Economist Barry Asmus spoke January, February and March about the effects of global events on the U.S. economy in Phoenix , Scottsdale and Deer Valley (UT), and about his book, The Best Is Yet to Come, in San Francisco , Houston and Orlando .

• The Big Issue section of the January 9 edition of The Wall Street Journal featured NCPA President John C. Goodman's comments about consumer-driven health care and how consumer choice will affect the future of both health care and health insurance.
• Goodman told the February 6 edition of The New York Times that most structural changes that would have held down costs in the Medicare prescription drug benefit program were jettisoned in the legislative process.
• Goodman told Fox News that President Bush's proposal to make HSAs and other health insurance portable will lower costs and improve quality. His remarks appeared on WDAF-TV ( Kansas City ), WVBT-TV (Norfolk/Newport News), KASA-TV ( Albuquerque ), KTBC-TV ( Austin ), WFXR-TV ( Roanoke , VA ), KHON-TV ( Honolulu ), WTGS-TV ( Savannah ), WSYM-TV ( Lansing ), KTRV-TV ( Boise ) and KEVN-TV ( Rapid City ).
• Goodman told National Review in a special op-ed for the February 23 edition that President Bush's proposed health care reforms, if enacted, will leave a lasting and positive legacy for American social policy.
• In his syndicated column for OpinionJournal.com, NCPA Board Chairman Pete du Pont said on March 28 that the U.S. should continue rejecting the Kyoto concept, and look for ways to reduce carbon dioxide and greenhouse gases that do not hurt economically, including better technology and research into the real causes global warming.
• In the February 22 edition of the Los Angeles Times NCPA Senior Fellow Devon Herrick discussed the potential impact of Health Savings Accounts on projected health care spending. This article also ran in other Tribune-owned newspapers, including the Chicago Tribune .
• Herrick told the February 27 edition of Investor's Business Daily that higher-income households are the fastest growing segment of the uninsured.
• NCPA Senior Fellow H. Sterling Burnett debated government subsidies for alternative energy on the February 21 edition of CNBC's Closing Bell .
• Goodman told the February 18 edition of National Journal that individuals who purchase health insurance should get the same tax break as those who receive insurance from their employer.
• Goodman told CNN Money on January 25 that he expects President Bush to propose raising caps on contributions to Health Savings Accounts in this week's State of the Union address.
• Goodman told the Los Angeles Times on March 22 that employers giving health consumers more responsibility to make health decisions and health providers giving them more price and quality information is the direction the health care system is going.
• In his syndicated column for OpinionJournal.com on February 28, Gov. du Pont said that Ronald Reagan's election marked America's economic turning point, and the country should keep on course to ensure that it lasts a great deal longer.
• Roy Ramthun's comments at an NCPA Capitol Hill briefing the day after the President's State of the Union address that it may take a while for policy makers to understand the effectiveness of HSAs appeared in the February 1 edition of Congress Daily.
• Herrick told the February 1 edition of Forbes.com that market-based health care reform lowers costs because it gives patients control over their own money. His remarks also appeared on KLAS-TV ( Las Vegas ), WTKR-TV (Hampton Roads, VA), MSN.com, iVillage Health, Health Central and HealthFinder.gov.
• Burnett told UPI on March 14 that Congress should examine their own role in climbing gas prices.
• Goodman told the Dallas Morning News on March 26 that Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) are the only way to truly eliminate much of the waste in our health care system.
• Goodman told the Los Angeles Times on March 19 that he and fellow proponents of Health Savings Accounts are encouraged by the Bush Administration's health care agenda.
• Gov. du Pont said in his syndicated column for OpinionJournal.com on January 17 that Ben Franklin understood the need for secrecy in matters of national security. Gov. du Pont's remarks also appeared in the Chicago Sun Times, Philadelphia Inquirer, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and the Albany Times-Union.
• A letter by Herrick appeared in the March 13 edition of Newsweek , explaining the reasons behind the shift to consumer-directed health care.
• Burnett told the February 13 edition of Human Events in a special bylined article that extending the "Ownership Society" to flood policy would help improve the environment. A similar article appeared in the February 17 edition of TechCentralStation.
• Rush Limbaugh featured the work of Herrick and the NCPA on the medically uninsured on his February 28 national radio program.
• Goodman told the KNUS-AM's ( Denver , CO) John Andrews on March 12 that President Bush has proposed a bold health care agenda that rivals Hillary Care in scope.
• Goodman told Bloomberg news on March 3 that Health Savings Accounts are more than just a savings account, they are self-insurance for health care. Goodman's comments also appeared in the Winston-Salem Journal.
• Herrick told the March 2006 edition of Health Care News that consumers are shifting away from expensive, first-dollar-coverage health plans to ones that better fit their needs.
• Herrick also told the March 2006 edition of Managed Health Care Executive that employees are beginning to realize that health care is not free and that they must begin planning ahead.
• Burnett told the March 3 edition of the Dallas Business Journal that ethanol would not be competitive without government subsidies and mandates.
• Herrick explained to the Dallas Morning News on March 12 why employers historically have provided health insurance. The story also appeared in the March 13 edition of the Wilkes Barre Times Leader.
• The March 13 edition of The New Yorker cited the NCPA's work arguing that the appropriate response to global warming is adaptation – dealing with climate enhanced problems now rather than 100 years from now.
• Burnett told the March 13 edition of Natural Gas Week that government fostered high demand for natural gas, which has contributed to high prices.
• NCPA Senior Policy Analyst Matt Moore told the March 20 edition of Pensions & Investments that strengthening 401(k) plans and increasing their use is critically important in light of dwindling traditional pension plans and the uncertain fate of Social Security.
• Burnett told the March 10 edition of the Quad-City Times that government should not provide subsidies to any fuel source, including ethanol.
• Burnett discussed juvenile violence and firearms on KDTX-TV on March 6.
• In the March 2 edition of Central Iowa's Cityview , Burnett noted that the Supreme Court's Kelo decision had brought attention to the fact that state and local governments were often using eminent domain to take private property from one group of private parties and give it to another. Burnett's thoughts on Kelo were also noted in the March 6 edition of the Water Policy Report .
• Goodman told the February 26 edition of the Cleveland Plain Dealer that wasteful health care spending would decline if more patients were connected to the costs of their care.
• In the February 20 edition of The Dallas Morning News Herrick said the consumer-directed health care system in Switzerland could provide a model for the U.S.
• The March 13 edition of The New Yorker cited the NCPA's work arguing that the appropriate response to global warming is adaptation – dealing with climate enhanced problems now rather than 100 years from now.
• Burnett explained to KPSI-AM's ( Palm Springs , CA ) morning show on February 24 that the Supreme Court was hearing a case that showed how the government provides property owners with perverse incentives to harm the environment.
• NCPA Senior Economist Barry Asmus told the Aberdeen (SD) American News on February 10 that the best is yet to come for the beef industry.
• The February 16 edition of the Cleveland Plain Dealer cited NCPA research showing that the consumer price index should be considered when comparing teachers' salaries.
• Goodman asked the editors of the Dallas Morning News in a letter printed in the February 19 edition what happened to their historical support of real education reform in light of their recent endorsements.
• In a special commentary on February 17, Goodman told the New York Daily News that HSAs will empower consumers and allow doctors to treat patients rather than serve as agents of employers or insurance companies. His comments also appeared in American Health Line.
• The February 9 edition of National Review cited an NCPA study by Indur Goklany showing that the deleterious effects of global warming are actually exacerbations of existing problems and adaptation is the far better strategy to deal with them than prevention.
• In the February 1 edition of the Los Angeles Times , Goodman said that patients must be involved if we are to solve the nation's health care problems. His comments also appeared in The Dallas Morning News.
• Goodman told the February 1 edition of Employee Benefit News that HSAs must be flexible in order for workers to receive the maximum benefit.
• In the February 7 edition of The Dallas Morning News Herrick said that employers got into the business of paying health insurance premiums as a result of price controls in World War II.
• Herrick told the February 1 edition of Health Care News that recent surveys showing low consumer satisfaction with consumer-driven health plans were likely biased by over-sampling workers whose benefits had been cut.
• Herrick told WLOX-TV ( Biloxi ) on February 10 that 300 million consumers with HSAs can drive more bargains than a few hundred HMOs.
• In response to the President's call for energy independence, Burnett told the February 2 edition of the Columbus (OH) Dispatch that production of ethanol requires government involvement and subsidies.
• Burnett told WYPR-FM ( Baltimore ) on February 2 that there may be factors mitigating against the death penalty, but the victim must always be considered.
• In the January/February issue of Forward magazine, Burnett argued that government policies have contributed to high natural gas prices.
• Burnett told the February edition of Environment & Climate News that radical environmentalists do not have a corner on the market for caring about the environment
• Burnett told the February 2 edition of the Baytown (TX) Sun that most of the U.S.'s oil imports come from Canada and Mexico .
• Team NCPA Project Manager Sean Tuffnell said in a special commentary in the January 23 edition of the Washington Times that Social Security reform is a hot topic outside the Beltway.
• Michael Carnuccio, a Team NCPA Oklahoma team member, said in a special commentary for the January 31 edition of the Daily Oklahoman ( Oklahoma City ) that Americans can no longer allow elected leaders to conveniently duck the issue of Social Security reform at the expense of future generations.
• Team NCPA members in Oklahoma told the January 29 edition of KOCO-TV ( Oklahoma City ) Evening News that they plan a rally supporting Social Security reform and personal retirement accounts before this week's State of the Union address.
• Moore told the January 22 edition of the Daily Oklahoman ( Oklahoma City ) that the need for Social Security reform will increase rapidly and soon as baby boomers begin to retire.
• Herrick told the January 15 edition of the Eric Novack Show on KKNT-AM ( Phoenix ) that a single-payer health care system will not work for America .
• Herrick told the January edition of Health Care News that demand for the corporate practice of medicine is growing rapidly.
• Herrick told HSA Report and healthdecisions.org on January 26 that the demand for Health Savings Accounts has grown beyond even the most generous estimates over the past few months.
• In the January 27 edition of E&E News Burnett said that government subsidies that encourage people to rebuild in flood-prone areas are expensive and potentially devastating.
• Burnett told KXYZ-AM ( Houston ) Biz Radio that national energy policies should reflect President Bush's ownership society.
• Tuffnell told the January 15 edition of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that private retirement accounts are the best way to reform Social Security. His remarks also appeared in the Palm Beach (FL) Post.
• NCPA Publications Director Joe Barnett and Research Associate Christy Black said in a special commentary in the January 10 edition of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that reforming the state welfare system by incorporating private-sector principles will save Texas taxpayers more than $100 million annually and make is easier for qualified recipients to obtain services.
• Herrick told the January 2 edition of t he Dallas Morning News that rising health insurance premiums are reducing workers' take home pay.
• Herrick told the January 2006 issue of Health Care News that empowered patients are demanding medical care in more convenient settings—including e-mailing doctors and visiting health clinics at big box retailers.
• Burnett told E Magazine 's January issue that the only substantive progress at the Montreal climate change conference was publication of a rule book for emissions trading.
• NCPA's research on Texas' concealed carry law was featured in a January 12 commentary by Jack Dunphy on National Review Online . It was also featured in a commentary by Texas Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson that appeared in the January 9 editions of the Austin American-Statesman and Amarillo Globe .
• In a special commentary for Diplomat and International Canada, Burnett said future spikes in the price of oil will be caused by political instability and market interference rather than a decline in supply.
• Burnett told the January 2006 edition of Environment & Climate News that it's a good first step for Gov. Jeb Bush (R-FL) to support offshore drilling.
• Gov. du Pont said in his latest syndicated column for OpinionJournal.com on December 21 that Americans have been successful in 2005 in improving our lives, expanding the economy and promoting freedom and democracy around the world, and will do even better in 2006.

• Medicaid Empire: Why New York Spends So Much on Healthcare for the Poor & Near-Poor & How the System can be Reformed , a study by NCPA President John C. Goodman, and NCPA Senior Fellows Devon M. Herrick and Michael T. Bond, explores the problem of controlling cost and improving quality in Medicaid in the state of New York. The study concluded that this is not due to the higher cost of living in New York , but to policies that encourage higher spending and discourage cost control. http://www.ncpa.org/pub/st/st284/
• As 77 million members of the Baby Boom generation begin to retire, America is about to experience one of the most dramatic economic, sociological and demographic changes in its history. The institutions we have relied upon in the past are completely unprepared for what lies ahead. A new NCPA study by Goodman, Herrick and Senior Policy Analyst Matt Moore, outlines 10 steps that can be taken to secure the retirement of baby boomers and future generations of retirees. http://www.ncpa.org/pub/st/st283/
• Subsidized agriculture in the developed world is one of the greatest obstacles to economic growth in the developing world. Moreover, a new NCPA Brief Analysis by NCPA Adjunct Scholar Max Borders and NCPA Senior Fellow H. Sterling Burnett notes that farm subsidies lead to environmental harm in rich and poor nations alike. http://www.ncpa.org/pub/ba/ba547/
• Critics of Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) have a litany of complaints. They say HSAs only benefit the young, healthy and wealthy. They argue HSAs won't reduce the number of medically uninsured. Three new NCPA Brief Analyses by Goodman and Herrick provide answers to some of the most important criticisms.
  Part I: http://www.ncpa.org/pub/ba/ba544/
  Part II: http://www.ncpa.org/pub/ba/ba545/
  Part III: http://www.ncpa.org/pub/ba/ba546/
• One of the peculiarities of the U.S. health care system is that the health plan most of us have is not a plan that we chose; rather, it was selected by out employer. Even if we like our health plan, we could easily lose coverage because of the loss of a job, a change in employment or a decision by our employer. In a new NCPA brief analysis Goodman explains how to solve these problems by making health insurance personal and portable. http://www.ncpa.org/pub/ba/ba543/.
• In his State of the Union address, President Bush devoted only a few sentences to health policy. But as the president was speaking, the administration released a multi-page document describing health policy proposals so sweeping and bold, they are comparable in scope to Hillary Clinton's proposals of a decade ago. In a new NCPA brief analysis, Goodman explains how these reforms could leave a lasting mark on social policy in this country. http://www.ncpa.org/pub/ba/ba542/
• Texas is blazing a new trail in welfare reform that will improve access to more than 50 different programs, while reducing administrative costs, according to a new NCPA brief analysis, written by editor/analyst Christy Black. http://www.ncpa.org/pub/ba/ba541/
• An NCPA brief analysis, written by Graduate Student Fellow Pamela Villarreal ("Thinking Outside the Big Box"), was cited in the paper, "Does Wal-Mart Cause an Increase in Anti-Poverty Program Expenditures," written by Michael J. Hicks, Ph.D., and published in EconPapers, Public Economics Working Papers 2005, No. 511015. http://www.ncpa.org/pub/ba/ba501/
• President Bush's Ownership Society concept should also be applied to energy and environmental policy, according to a new study written by Burnett. http://www.ncpa.org/pub/st/st282/

• The NCPA's consumer driven health care Web site— http://cdhc.ncpa.org —has been updated to provide the latest, most comprehensive information and research about reforms that provide more choice and control to patients and health care professionals. The site also features Weekly Health Policy Digest and the recently-launched SPN Medicaid Exchange, a joint project of the NCPA and the State Policy Network.
• Team NCPA, an all-volunteer educational initiative for Social Security reform, has added an information blog, The Filing Cabinet, to its new, revised Web site – http://www.teamncpa.org/ . The site continues to provide the latest information in the public policy debate about reform and retains the NCPA's unique Social Security calculator.

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