“You can’t come in for your steroid injections without scheduling an extra appointment because your insurance isn’t paying us enough.” That’s what I was told at my most recent visit to an orthopedic surgeon I’ve seen for years. I expected relief from my pain, not a surprise medical bill—or as I learned later, “cost-shifting.” My...
School bonds are one of the main instruments contributing to Texas’s local government debt, which is currently over half a trillion dollars. Key points: As of 2026, school bond debt in Texas is over $236 billion. In May of 2023, Texas passed 79% of the 245 bond proposals put on the ballot, costing taxpayers $22.9...
Americans are deeply concerned about the cost of prescription drugs—and for good reason. Over the last decade, drug prices have outpaced inflation, and Americans are paying more than two and a half times what other wealthy nations pay for the same drugs. Most people believe high prices are simply the result of expensive research and development, which may hold for some...