As Senate Finance Committee Convenes on Healthcare Costs, First Do No Harm
As the United States Senate Finance Committee convenes today for a meeting entitled "The Rising Cost of Health Care: Considering Meaningful Solutions for All Americans," the enduring adage of medical care applies: Do no harm.
Specifically, as we've detailed at CFIF, we must especially avoid potentially catastrophic ideas like drug price controls (whether through so-called "Most Favored Nation" (MFN) programs or any other) and violations of patent and intellectual property (IP) protections in which the United States leads the world. Indeed, our more free-market approach explains why America leads the world in lifesaving healthcare innovation, accounting for an astonishing two-thirds of all new drugs introduced to the world each year:
The reasons that MFN schemes would only exacerbate…[more]
“The data paints a bleak picture, with a majority of respondents saying in the last three years, the national economy is in a worse position for American small businesses and manufacturers… The theme of government being a barrier rather than a help is clear throughout this data.”
That was the sobering executive summary of a small business survey conducted over the past month.
Small businesses, as defined by the federal government, not only account for one-half of all jobs in America but create an even larger two-thirds of its new jobs. Accordingly, the fears…