Health Care

Canadian Premier Heads to US for Heart Surgery

Canadian Premier Heads to US for Heart Surgery

An unapologetic Danny Williams says he was aware his trip to the United States for heart surgery earlier this month would spark outcry, but he concluded his personal health trumped any public fallout over the controversial decision.

Moving Expenses

Moving Expenses

The State of Illinois spent over $60K on moving expenses in 2008 and 2009. Find out more here.

Time for Medicaid Transparency

Time for Medicaid Transparency

It's time to use technology to ensure that Medicaid claims data can be used by the state and the public to drive cost savings and better health outcomes.

Not What the Doctor Ordered

Not What the Doctor Ordered

Imagine going to the doctor for a chronic headache and frequent blackouts. The doctor tells you to see a specialist – who you can’t see for another 17 weeks. After seeing the specialist, you must wait 4 weeks for an MRI. Finally, doctors discover a cyst in your brain, but the treatment you need isn’t...

By Chris Andriesen

Making Patients Wait for Cancer Treatment: The Certificate of Need Program

Making Patients Wait for Cancer Treatment: The Certificate of Need Program

The Problem Imagine for a moment that your father, brother or husband had prostate cancer.  That is bad enough, of course, but now imagine that they had to unnecessarily wait in long lines to get the most advanced and least invasive treatment possible, or perhaps, not receive this better treatment at all.  Or imagine it...

By Chris Andriesen

Health Care Mandate Mania

Health Care Mandate Mania

What to do about 47 million uninsured nationwide and 1.4 million Illinoisans without insurance?  This has become a central issue in the debate over health care.  In recent years, mandates, both on individuals and businesses, have emerged as a popular solution among policymakers to address the chronic problem of the uninsured and uncompensated care. Last...

By Chris Andriesen

Why Health Care Costs So Much and What We Can Do About It

Why Health Care Costs So Much and What We Can Do About It

WHY HEALTH CARE COSTS SO MUCH AND WHAT WE CAN DO ABOUT IT (Springfield, Ill.) Government intervention in the economy, whenever it is tried, often comes with unintended consequences that make matters worse.  The arena of health care is no exception. Over recent decades, the debate over what has caused health care costs to rise so...

By Chris Andriesen

A Successful Solution- Medicaid Health Accounts

A Successful Solution- Medicaid Health Accounts

Illinois’ Medicaid program suffers from a number of maladies that increase costs for all while deteriorating service for its enrollees.  Among these are a perverse set of incentives—incentives that not only perpetuate a culture of dependency among Medicaid recipients, but that also block potential reforms to fix the system. Because Medicaid is a joint federal...

By Chris Andriesen

Should Affordable Health Care Stop at the State Border?

Should Affordable Health Care Stop at the State Border?

Many Illinois citizens, facing unaffordable insurance costs within state borders, are forced to cross their fingers when it comes to their family’s health.  It doesn’t have to be this way.   Illinois families and children can live healthier, happier and safer lives. Every day, Americans purchase products from around the country—vegetables from California, fruit from Florida,...

By Chris Andriesen