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Merrill Matthews

Resident Scholar

Merrill Matthews, Ph.D., is a resident scholar with the Institute for Policy Innovation, a research-based, public policy “think tank.” He is a health policy expert and opinion contributor at The Hill. He also serves on the Texas Advisory Committee of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights.

Dr. Matthews is a past president of the Health Economics Roundtable for the National Association for Business Economics, the largest trade association of business economists. Dr. Matthews also served for 10 years as the medical ethicist for the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center’s Institutional Review Board for Human Experimentation, co-author of On the Edge: America Faces the Entitlements Cliff, and has contributed chapters to several books, including Physician Assisted SuicideExpanding the Debate and The 21st Century Health Care Leader and Stop Paying the Crooks (on Medicare fraud).  

He has been published in numerous journals and newspapers, including The Wall Street Journal, Investor’s Business Daily, Barron’s, USA Today, Forbes magazine and the Washington Times.  He was an award-winning political analyst for the USA Radio Network. 

Dr. Matthews received his Ph.D. in Humanities from the University of Texas at Dallas.

January 2, 2013

Steve Forbes: The Two Big (And Easy) Revenue Sources That Obama Is Ignoring

IPI expert referenced: Merrill Matthews

President Obama’s claim that higher taxes are necessary for more revenue is a sham. He has refused to use two easy ways to get more money–big money.

December 31, 2012

Why Boehner Lost the Fiscal Cliff Battle

Boehner never initiated a spending-cut PR campaign, so Republicans are hoping they will be able to get some cuts in the next round of fiscal negotiations. But it won’t happen until they learn how to make excessive government spending the issue.

December 27, 2012

Don't ban natural-gas exports

Trade restrictions are almost always a bad idea. In the case of natural-gas exports, they would be particularly foolish and economically disastrous.

December 21, 2012

Smart Energy Policy Would Make Obama Look Like an Economic Genius

If Obama wants more federal revenue, he can have it without raising taxes. Just relax the restrictions on drilling on federal lands and offshore and let natural gas companies export abroad.

December 18, 2012

Tax Increases Will Exacerbate Future Economic Downturns

Financial planners advise investors to diversify; but President Obama is demanding even more financial concentration.

December 17, 2012

Boehner to House GOP: Read My Lips--Break Your Campaign Promises

Speaker Boehner has apparently put tax hikes on the table in negotiations with President Obama, despite virtually every Republican having campaigned against raising any tax rate. Thus House Republicans may find themselves pushed by their own leadership to follow Bush 41's sorry example—and getting booted out of office because of it.
December 12, 2012

Democrats Draw Line on Medicaid Cuts

IPI expert referenced: Merrill Matthews

NPR health policy correspondent Julie Rovner cites IPI's Dr. Merrill Matthews on why Medicaid needs a complete overhaul. "Although it's better than not having any insurance, it is bad insurance. And I argue that health care coverage for the poor shouldn't necessarily be poor coverage."

December 11, 2012

If This Wasteful Federal Spending Doesn't Make You Angry, You're Dead

Before Congress raises taxes it needs to cut wasteful spending; Senator Coburn has shown us were to start.

December 10, 2012

Seven Reasons States Should Just Say No To Medicaid Expansion

Since ObamaCare's success will be judged solely by how many uninsured people attain coverage, Democrats are desperately hoping the states will accept the Medicaid expansion being foisted on them by the health care law. But they may be be disappointed, writes IPI's Merrill Matthews.

December 6, 2012

Stand by that pledge

IPI expert referenced: Merrill Matthews

Stand fast, keep your promise, says a coalition of interest groups, including IPI, that implore lawmakers not to waver on the Taxpayer Protection Pledge, even as Democrats and select Republicans insist that the only alternative to the "fiscal cliff" is instant compromise. Not so, says the coalition.

Total Records: 1735