Inspiring our future doctors . . . 
one student at a time!
Hello, fellow medical students, physicians and BRI friends!
December 27, 2016
My name is Joshua Blackwell. I am a medical student and vice president of the BRI chapter at UAB School of Medicine in Birmingham, Alabama.

On October 3rd, I had the distinguished opportunity to attend a half-day conference, From Innovation to Insurance: The State of American Health Care Policy, hosted by the Mercatus Center. This was a highly beneficial experience. Before the meeting, I had a general understanding of the nature of the Affordable Care Act; namely, that its regulations on the insurance market had led directly to the spike in premiums that began in the aftermath of its passage. 

The specific nuances of the law's effects, however, were somewhat of a mystery. 

Having the opportunity to hear from fellows at the Mercatus Center--including Jared Rhoads, BRI alumnus leader from Dartmouth--provided me with an improved depth of understanding of how the ACA has affected various aspects of the healthcare market. In addition, I was exposed to several efforts to increase the freedom of the healthcare market at the state level, including permission-less innovation and the repeal of Certificate of Need laws. 

To observe these discussions was both enlightening and encouraging, as it gave me hope for the future. In today's healthcare climate, it is pivotal that budding medical students and physicians receive exposure to the concepts of economic freedom and permission-less innovation. 

Sadly, fewer and fewer members of the healthcare community advocate for such critical liberties. Since attending this session, I have felt empowered to speak out on issues affecting healthcare policy. I am currently taking a class on Healthcare Systems, and the questions and ideas I pose are often met with looks of intrigue. I have had friendly discussions with several of the left-leaning students in my class, who are often perplexed by the free market's ability to provide quality care for those who are less fortunate. I am grateful for the knowledge that I acquired at the Mercatus Center meeting, and I am excited about the friendly discussions that are yet to come.
Thank you for supporting BRI so that students like myself can attend conferences and events that give us hope for a bright medical future.
Joshua A. Blackwell
University of Alabama at Birmingham
How accessible is healthcare in YOUR state?
Jared Rhoads, BRI leader emeritus from Dartmouth is now Research Project Manager at The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy, and was one of the panelists at The Mercatus Center's event,  From Innovation to Insurance: The State of American Health Care Policy in October.

Jared has been working with Mercatus on  The Healthcare Openness and Access Project (HOAP). 

" The Healthcare Openness and Access Project (HOAP) is a set of tools providing state-by-state measures of the flexibility and discretion that patients and providers have in managing health and health care.

"There is broad agreement in the United States that it would be desirable to lower the cost and improve the quality of health care and broaden health insurance coverage. There is much disagreement about how this trio of goals is to be accomplished. 

We believe ... healthcare reform cannot be attained by fixating solely ... on health insurance reform. States have (and should have) substantial control over the delivery of health care .... To make maximum use of state powers in improving care, it is vital to have a basis for comparison-to see what works in other states."

 

 
An anonymous donor has pledged $5,000 in matching funds 
for every dollar raised through December 31, 2016. 

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