Publications -- Economy

ST #306 – A Medicare Reform Proposal Everyone Can Love: Finding Common Ground among Medicare Reformers

Medicare reform will soon be front and center in the public policy arena.  The reason:  Projections in the past two years for Medicare's deteriorating finances have triggered a legal requirement for the President to propose reform legislation within 15 days of the release of the next federal budget.  Congress must consider the president's proposal on an expedited basis.

BA #603 – Increasing America’s Domestic Fuel Supply by Building New Oil Refineries

Rising oil and gasoline prices have many causes that are beyond the control of the U.S. government.  However, government policies have contributed to higher prices by reducing domestic refining capacity, which has limited the supply of gasoline.  No new oil refineries have been built in the United States for almost 30 years, and many refineries have closed.

ST #304 – Medical Tourism: Global Competition in Health Care

Global competition is emerging in the health care industry.  Wealthy patients from developing countries have long traveled to developed countries for high quality medical care.  Now, a growing number of less-affluent patients from developed countries are traveling to regions once characterized as "third world."  These patients are seeking high quality medical care at affordable prices. 

BA #600 – The Coming Tax Tsunami

Over the next 25 years American taxpayers will face a fiscal tsunami.  The first of the baby boomers will be eligible for early retirement beginning next year, and will be eligible for Medicare in 2011.  The last of the Baby Boom generation, born in 1964, will reach normal retirement age (67 years) in 2031.  Most baby boomers are approaching their peak earning years when they have the greatest capacity to save for retirement. 

BA #599 – The Surtax: Worse Than the Alternative Minimum Tax

The individual alternative minimum tax (AMT) was originally designed to tax wealthy households who paid little income tax due to deductions and credits they claimed.  However, today's AMT is hitting more and more middle-class households in spite of temporary fixes (such as raising the threshold of income not subject to the AMT).  The last temporary patch expired at the end of 2006. 

BA #595 – Crisis of the Uninsured: 2007

Despite claims that there is a health insurance crisis in the United States, the proportion of Americans without health coverage has changed little in the past decade. The increase in the number of uninsured is largely due to immigration and population growth — and to individual choice.

BA #594 – Chile's Answer to Rising U.S. Disability Costs

Americans are living longer and are healthier than previous generations, yet the number of workers receiving disability benefits is increasing. In fact, disability is the fastest-rising component of Social Security — growing at nearly twice the rate of spending on retirement benefits.

BA #593 – Trade Is the Best Aid for Africa

The 48 countries south of the Sahara desert in Africa make up the most impoverished and diseased region of the world. Although wealthy countries have poured more than $450 billion of development assistance (in 2003 dollars) into the region since 1980, nearly half the population lives on less than $1 per day, the average life expectancy is only 46 years and nearly one-third of children are underweight and malnourished. Despite its noble intent, aid has not rescued Sub-Saharan Africa from poverty. In many cases, it has undermined development, propped up dictators and fueled corruption.

BA #592 – Electricity Deregulation: Taking the Next Step

A new technology called "smart" metering and innovative residential pricing plans have the potential to revolutionize the electric power industry and reduce monthly electricity bills for many consumers.  Utilities in the states that have deregulated electric power have the strongest market incentives to implement these new features, and customers in some states are beginning to reap the benefits.

ST #301 – How Much Do Americans Depend on Social Security?

Social Security benefits over the next 75 years will exceed payroll tax revenues by $4.6 trillion. To close this enormous fiscal gap, one proposal is to cut the benefits of high-income workers. Many low-income workers depend almost entirely on Social Security for their retirement income, but it is often assumed that high-wage workers can maintain their standard of living without Social Security benefits due to their private pensions and savings. Surprisingly, however, even high-wage workers depend on Social Security for a substantial portion of their retirement income and would significantly change their consumption and saving behavior in the absence of Social Security.