For the second year in a row, Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) has advanced a comprehensive budget plan that would restructure Medicare and Medicaid, repeal the big-spending portions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), and ultimately resolve the fiscal crisis facing this country. 

One of the annual rituals of Washington's health policy calendar involves the release of projections for the next ten years of national health spending. It then is followed immediately by desperate efforts by various interest groups and advocacy "analysts" to spin the new numbers to their advantage.

While many interesting and valuable points come up in Goodman and Saving's post, several assertions raise some secondary questions about the true nature of the statistical comparisons.

Congressional leaders and the President have come to agreement on a deal to increase the debt ceiling, but the drama is far from over. The debt deal kicks all the important decisions down the road and into 2013.

If Obama expects to seriously address the debt problem he will have to do better than simply patching some of the rough spots in the Affordable Care Act.

The implementation of President Obama's healthcare reform plan will pose a variety of opportunities, challenges, and burdens to states.

The lack of good information on providers' performance is an impediment to improving the affordability and quality of health care.

Vigorous market competition for self-paying consumers may lead to more effective self-regulation and better health care options.