Publications -- Social

May 21, 2007

BA #587 – Texas Health Care Reform

Policymakers are debating changes to the state's Medicaid program - the joint federal-state health care program for the poor - and discussing ways to provide coverage to the state's large uninsured population through the private insurance market.  Medicaid now takes 26 percent of the state budget, double the portion it consumed a little more than a decade ago. 

May 17, 2007

BA #586 – Is Health Spending Out of Control?

Since 1975, total spending on health care in the United States has doubled, and it now comprises one-sixth of the U.S. economy, or about $2.2 trillion.  By 2016, some projections show total health spending almost doubling to $4.1 trillion and consuming one-fifth of the nation's gross domestic product. 

Apr 19, 2007

BA #585 – Insuring the Uninsured: Five Steps to Improve the Massachusetts Plan

Massachusetts enacted an ambitious plan for near-universal health insurance coverage in 2006, the product of a compromise between then-Gov. Mitt Romney and the state Legislature. The cornerstone of the plan is mandatory health insurance. Individuals must purchase insurance directly or get it through an employer or Medicaid.

Jun 30, 2004

ST #267 – The Fatherhood Crisis: Time for a New Look?

Fatherless families are a growing problem, but the principal cause is not bad behavior or the fault of fathers; it is government policies with respect to divorce and child support.

Oct 02, 2003

BA #459 – What Causes Sprawl?

Urban sprawl is generally defined as low-density residential and commercial development on previously undeveloped land. Those who oppose sprawl seek to preserve open space by concentrating future construction in already developed areas.

Nov 12, 2002

BA #424 – Chile Leads the Way with Individual Unemployment Accounts

Chile was the first country in the western hemisphere to set up a social security system, and the first country in the world to reform it using individual investment accounts.

Dec 18, 2001

BA #383 – Cleveland, School Choice and the Constitution

Since 1996, the Cleveland Scholarship and Tutoring Program has provided tax-funded vouchers that allow children from low-income families to opt out of the city's failing public schools. Teachers' unions and the education establishment have challenged the program in court, arguing that it violates the First Amendment because many voucher students attend religious schools. In 2002, the U.S. Supreme Court will rule on the Cleveland case, a decision that is expected to clarify whether it is constitutional for children to use tax-funded vouchers to attend religious schools.

Dec 04, 2001

BA #381 – Tax Relief For The Uninsured: Scholarship vs. Political Hype

People with employer-provided health insurance receive a substantial tax saving because this benefit is not taxed as income. On the other hand, people who buy their own insurance must do so with after-tax dollars. There are proposals in both the House and Senate to remedy this inequity through refundable tax credits for those who buy their own health insurance.

Nov 15, 2001

BA #379 – Uninsured by Choice

The Census Bureau recently reported that the number of Americans without health insurance fell to around 38.7 million in 2000, down about 600,000 from 1999 and well below the record 44.3 million who were uninsured in 1998. However, with health care costs increasing and the economy slowing, many public health advocates are worried that this number might soon begin to rise. Why do more than 38 million Americans lack health insurance? Who are they?

Oct 04, 2001

BA #373 – Helping Laid-Off Workers Keep Insurance

Congress has before it several bills to help newly laid-off workers from the airlines and other industries affected by the terrorist attacks on America. President Bush has proposed - and members of Congress from both parties have offered bills - helping these workers to retain their health insurance coverage and avoid joining the ranks of the uninsured.