Publications -- Brief Analysis

Restricted to two letter-size pages, a Brief Analysis summarizes some aspect or aspects of a public policy issue, presenting points for consideration in policy debates or responding to points that have been raised during these debates.

Sep 05, 2008

BA #629 – The John McCain Health Plan

If you listen only to presidential campaign rhetoric, you might conclude that Barack Obama has proposed bold new changes for our health care system, while John McCain is offering only small improvements. If so, you are in for a surprise. Most health policy analysts believe that Sen. McCain is proposing the most fundamental health care reform.

Sep 05, 2008

BA #628 – The Barack Obama Health Plan

Sen. Barack Obama has released only sketchy details about his health reform plan. The Commonwealth Fund has produced a very detailed plan, however, which it encourages readers to view as very similar to Obama's. Thus, one can assume the Commonwealth plan details apply where Obama has been vague.

Aug 29, 2008

BA #627 – Will Congress Penalize Marriage Again?

The marriage penalty is a quirk in the tax code that pushes married couples into a higher tax bracket than two unmarried single earners living together and earning the same combined income. The 2001 Bush tax cuts all but eliminated the marriage penalty by lowering tax rates and simplifying other elements of the tax code. However, these Bush tax cuts expire in 2010, and American families face steep marginal tax increases if Congress fails to renew them.

Aug 28, 2008

BA #626 – Crisis of the Uninsured: 2008

Despite claims that there is a health insurance crisis in the United States, the number of U.S. residents without health insurance actually fell in 2007, according to new Census Bureau numbers. The Census says the number of uninsured fell from 47.0 million to 45.7 million. Furthermore, the proportion of uninsured fell half a percentage-point, from 15.8 percent to 15.3 percent.

Aug 26, 2008

BA #625 – Double-Dipping Social Security

The current Social Security system allows individuals to claim reduced, early retirement benefits beginning at age 62.  Individuals who wait until the full retirement age to collect receive about 30 percent more in monthly benefits.  If they wait until age 70 to collect, their benefits will be about 60 percent larger than at age 62. So what choice should people make?

Aug 23, 2008

BA #622 – Green Schools Don’t Make the Grade

Congress is considering funding a range of projects designed to reduce carbon emissions, including the 21st Century Green High-Performing Public School Facilities Act, which would provide $20 billion to build public schools that meet “green” environmental standards.  House Education and Labor Committee Chairman George Miller (D-Calif.) says the legislation will not only save energy, but also make the facilities safer and cleaner and dramatically reduce costs.  Advocates claim that such schools will use 35 percent less energy.

Aug 21, 2008

BA #624 – Physician Care and Telemedicine

The use of information technology in diagnosing, treating and monitoring patients — known as telemedicine — is adding a new dimension to modern health care.  Entrepreneurs are using the telephone, the Internet and personal computers for innovative solutions to traditional problems of health care delivery.  These advances are not only making care more accessible and convenient, they are also raising quality and containing medical costs.

Aug 12, 2008

BA #623 – Medical Tourism: Health Care Free Trade

Global competition in health care is allowing more patients from developed countries to travel for medical reasons to regions once characterized as “third world.”  Many of these “medical tourists” are not wealthy, but are seeking high quality medical care at affordable prices.  To meet the growing demand, entrepreneurs are building technologically advanced facilities in India, Thailand, Latin America and elsewhere, and are hiring physicians, technicians and nurses trained to American and European standards to run them. 

Jul 14, 2008

BA #621 – Which Is More Important for Women, Capitalism or Democracy?

Capitalism and democracy are both known to improve the well-being of women. But which is more important? The social welfare of both men and women can be measured by health, education and employment, and the well-being of women in particular by gender-specific indicators, such as control of fertility. Poor countries generally rank lower than developed countries on all these social metrics, but they can implement public policies to improve conditions.

Jul 08, 2008

BA #620 – Five Family Friendly Policies

The most significant economic and sociological change of the past half-century has been the entry of women into the labor market. Public policies that govern the workplace have not kept pace with this demographic shift, however. For the most part, tax law, labor law and employee benefits law were designed decades ago on the assumption that the typical household would have a full-time working husband and a homemaker wife.