Carolina Journal Radio No. 840: Health care innovations could boost access, reduce costs

While Medicaid expansion dominates North Carolina’s health care headlines, other topics deserve attention, too. Jordan Roberts, John Locke Foundation health care policy analyst, focuses on two health care innovations. First, he explains how Medibid connects patients and doctors through online auctions. Second, he discusses the planned merger of Aetna and CVS and the potential impact on retail health care. Advocates of a Convention of States made their pitch again this year in North Carolina. Mark Meckler, president and founder of the Convention of States project, enlisted public support for the idea from conservative commentator and former Florida congressman Allen West. Meckler and West explain how a convention could help rein in an unaccountable federal government. They also rebut concerns from critics who believe a runaway convention could lead to unintended negative consequences. Most public school students advance from grade to grade with their same-age peers. But not all of them are ready for the academic challenges linked to the next grade level. That’s why some state lawmakers are pushing for study of a competency-based education system. You’ll hear details of their plan. Some lawmakers are working again this year to scale back or even eliminate North Carolina’s certificate-of-need restrictions on new medical facilities and major medical equipment. They explained their goals during a recent news conference. They also cited research that questions the value of CON restrictions in states that employ them. Fourteen years after the infamous U.S. Supreme Court decision in Kelo v. City of New London, North Carolina still has taken no steps to boost protection for residents against eminent domain abuse. Jon Guze, John Locke Foundation director of legal studies, explains why state policymakers should address the issue. He says the N.C. House has approved seven different eminent domain reform bills since Kelo. The Senate has yet to address any of them.