That Explains It
What to Know: Administrative bloat and waste—not delivery of health care services—is taking a bigger and bigger portion of our health care dollars, a new report says.
The TPPF Take: No wonder health care costs keep rising.
“There are two important points to take away from this study,” says TPPF’s David Balat. “First, administrative spending accounts for 15% to 30% of health care spending. Second, about half of administrative spending is wasteful—that’s between $285–$570 billion annually. And that number is growing.”
For more on health care costs, click here.
Learning Loss
What to Know: Even the Associated Press acknowledges that the learning loss due to COVID-19 lockdowns were “massive,” and are taking a “sweeping toll” on our kids.
The TPPF Take: The harm done by school closures won’t be fully known for years.
“Without foundational knowledge, struggling students pass from 8th grade to high school woefully unprepared,” says TPPF’s Michael Barba. “It’s not their fault, but it is their problem: 93% of students who fall behind never catch up. The test scores released this week confirm what parents have been shouting from the rooftops.”
For more on learning loss, click here.
That’s a No from Beto
What to Know: Gubernatorial candidate Beto O’Rourke won’t support property tax relief for Texans.
The TPPF Take: Texas families are struggling to keep up with inflation, stagnating wages and other economic factors.
“Add high property taxes to the equation, and it is not difficult to see why 1-in-2 Texans reported that they were behind on rent or mortgage payments and that eviction or foreclosure in the next two months is likely,” says TPPF’s Daniel Sánchez-Piñol. “Property tax relief is needed more than ever to help homeowners, renters, and businesses during these challenging times.”
For more on property taxes, click here.