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]
By any fair estimate, the 2012 Republican presidential contest has been whittled down to four serious contenders: Mitt Romney, who retains de facto frontrunner status; Rick Perry, who’s still alive despite a halting entrance into the race; Herman Cain, who was won the affections of conservative voters with his no-nonsense style, and Newt Gingrich, who has seen his previously listless campaign begin to flower as a result of strong debate performances and a relentless intellect.
As each of these men contends for the chance to lead an economically flagging nation, they have…