Publications -- Brief Analysis

Jul 30, 2009

BA #669 – 10 Steps to Free Our Health Care System

To confront America's health care crisis, we do not need more spending, more regulations or more bureaucracy.  We do need to liberate every American, including every doctor and every patient, to use their intelligence, creativity and innovative abilities to make the changes needed to create access to low-cost, high-quality health care.

Jul 29, 2009

BA #668 – Can Health Reform Save Money?*

Health care spending per person varies widely across the country, but greater spending does not appear to produce better quality.  A natural inference is that some areas of the country are less efficient in the use of health care resources.

Jul 28, 2009

BA #667 – Three Lessons from Massachusetts

The Massachusetts experiment in health care reform offers many lessons that are applicable to the current debate in Congress. The goals of the Massachusetts plan are similar to proposals supported by Democratic congressional leaders and the Obama administration: universal health insurance coverage through greater access to health insurance.

Jul 24, 2009

BA #666 – Starting the Energy Technology Revolution through Competition

Energy use is the largest source of greenhouse gases released by human activities.  CO₂ emissions from energy use - including transportation, electric power, heating and cooking - account for 82 percent of the country's total.  In order to significantly reduce CO₂ emissions, Americans must change the way they use energy.

Jul 15, 2009

BA #665 – Getting the Lead Out Kills Small Businesses, Doesn't Save Children

Products intended for use by children may not contain lead amounts greater than 100 parts per million (ppm) starting in 2011. The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has ordered manufacturers, distributors and retailers to reduce the lead content of children's products from the current standard of 600 ppm.

Jul 09, 2009

BA #664 – Oil from Stone: Securing America’s Energy Future

Rising prices and security concerns raise important questions about America's energy options. Currently, the United States imports 66 percent of its oil - about 4.7 billion barrels per year or 9,000 barrels every minute.  However, there are vast amounts of oil shale - a type of rock rich in kerogen, an organic sedimentary material - which can be converted into high-quality liquid fuels.

Jul 01, 2009

BA #663 – Not-So-Sweet Excise Taxes

Some members of Congress want to raise excise taxes to pay for health care reform and energy technology development.  Federal excises on tobacco and alcohol are often called sin taxes; others designed to pay for specific government services, such as gas taxes that fund road building and maintenance, are often called user fees.

Jun 11, 2009

BA #662 – Social Security and Medicare Projections: 2009

The 2009 Social Security and Medicare Trustees Reports show the combined unfunded liability of these two programs has reached nearly $107 trillion in today's dollars!  That is about seven times the size of the U.S. economy and 10 times the size of the outstanding national debt.

Jun 10, 2009

BA #661 – Workplace Flexibility versus Unpaid Leave

The Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA) requires employers to allow employees to take 12 weeks of unpaid leave annually for a serious illness, to care for an immediate family member, or following an adoption or birth.  The FMLA now applies to companies that employ 50 or more workers, but during the campaign President Obama supported expanding it to cover businesses with as few as 25 employees. 

May 28, 2009

BA #660 – Health Care Costs During Retirement

Many people assume Medicare will cover most of their health care costs when they retire, and that Medicaid, the health care program for the poor, will cover them if they need nursing home care.  However, neither program guarantees a low-cost ride through retirement.

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