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The Blog at MSPC
Let’s get real about the Medicaid reform in the “Big Beautiful Bill”
Despite claims that “the sky is falling,” the Medicaid reforms are actually a start at guaranteeing that the program will survive into the future and be available for the country’s most vulnerable people.
Jul 7, 20253 min read
Refocusing taxpayer-funded SNAP benefits on healthy food options
For years, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has ignored the pleas of states wanting to study the implications of removing Sugar Sweetened Beverages (SSBs) from Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits in small pilot programs. Though many studies incentivizing improved nutritional choices have been approved by the USDA.
Jul 1, 20253 min read
Americans still have the freedom to choose healthy lifestyles
Is the liberty of American health under threat? Are Americans still free to make their health choices? The Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement would have you believe the threat is dire, with Big Food and Big Pharma’s crony capitalism pervasively controlling all aspects of American health. But a quick trip around the grocery store combats this myth – apples or Cheetos anyone? The food and medicine options in developed countries are more in line with choice overload ve
Jun 17, 20253 min read
Now is the opportunity for Congress to reform Medicaid
The stated Republican goal is a continuation of Trump’s 2017 tax cuts, which are set to expire at the end of this year and need offsetting savings somewhere else in the budget.
May 23, 20253 min read
Price controls threatened medical advancements
The EO allows the Secretary of Health and Human Services to negotiate with pharmaceutical manufacturers to obtain the same or better prices on drugs that other nations have.
May 19, 20253 min read
Wyoming lawmakers should add hospital price transparency to 2026 agenda
One glaring omission from the state legislature’s recently released final list of topics it will consider before the next session is hospital price transparency.
May 13, 20253 min read
Yet another Executive Order For health care price transparency
Only when people can see the true costs and direct their medical spending intelligently through a free market will costs become transparent and likewise come under control.
Apr 8, 20252 min read
Idaho adopts Medicaid budget that increases spending by $539 million
The long debate in Idaho surrounding Medicaid this year has concluded with lawmakers sending Governor Little an updated Medicaid budget (...
Apr 3, 20252 min read
Idaho legislature adopts MSPC recommendation for Medicaid work requirements
With overwhelming support, the Idaho legislature has adopted House Bill 345 - a measure that includes work requirements for able-bodied adul
Mar 12, 20253 min read
Adding a work requirement for receiving Medicaid in Montana
Enrollees in the Medicaid health insurance program have never had a work requirement to receive the entitlement. Montana Senate Bill 334 ...
Feb 28, 20253 min read
Adding a work requirement for physically able adults receiving Medicaid in Idaho
Enrollees in the Medicaid health insurance program have never had a work requirement to receive the entitlement. Idaho House Bill 138...
Feb 11, 20253 min read
Certificate of Need laws should be repealed
Medical Certificate of Need (CON) laws have existed since the mid-1960s. They are a classic example of government intervention and...
Feb 4, 20253 min read
Massive tax increase proposed for single-payer health care in Washington state
Here we go again. Some lawmakers in Washington state will just not give up on their quest for a state-run single-payer health care...
Jan 24, 20254 min read
Should Montana continue to expand Medicaid?
Congress passed the original Medicaid program in 1965 as a health insurance safety net for the most vulnerable low-income people in the...
Jan 10, 20253 min read
States need safeguards to avoid duplicate Medicaid payments
The findings of a recent audit performed by the Washington State Auditor’s Office showed that on average, Washington paid $8.6 million...
Jan 3, 20252 min read
The damning Congressional report on COVID response
The bipartisan U.S. House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic recently released its 520-page final report on the origin of...
Dec 6, 20243 min read
Health care policy solutions should put the patient in charge
It is time to put the patient back in control of their health care. Over seventy percent of Americans’ health care is paid for by a...
Oct 30, 20243 min read
The real reason health care costs are so high
Let’s do a thought experiment. You walk into a grocery store and there are no prices posted for any food item. You fill your cart with...
Oct 23, 20243 min read
As health insurance premiums increase, so do the costs of federal subsidies
Spending on health care in the United States continues to increase. For 2022, the last year of complete data, overall spending was $4.4...
Oct 2, 20242 min read
The doctor can’t see you now
The Affordable Care Act, aka Obamacare, became law in 2010 and provisions from the legislation began in 2014. The overall goal of the law...
Sep 11, 20242 min read
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