Articles
The Hidden Cause Of The Industrial Revolution
What if the Industrial Revolution began not with steam, but with property rights?
August 17, 2026 • 72 Min Watch
Mortality rates fell sharply for college-educated Americans in recent decades but not for other Americans. Mortality trends also differ sharply between rural and urban areas of the United States and across US counties. Steve asks Jonathan Skinner about these puzzling and troubling trends, and how to explain them. According to Jonathan’s recent research, “Deaths of despair,” “the China shock," obesity, and income inequality don’t explain the trends. Instead, the explanation turns on differences in smoking trends and the consequences for mortality.
Recorded on March 19, 2026.
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The Forgotten Opportunity: Improving Traditional Medicare Operations
Traditional fee-for-service (FFS) Medicare faces growing fiscal pressure and persistent operational inefficiencies, yet policy efforts have largely focused on benefit design rather than administrative reform. This paper argues that a major opportunity to improve Medicare lies in modernizing its administrative infrastructure, specifically the Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC) system.
April 21, 2026
Podcasts
Tom Church And Dr. Brian Miller: The Regional Monopolies That Pay Your Medicare Claims
Hoover Institution fellows Tom Church and Dr. Brian Miller talk with Karen Jackson, former Deputy Chief Operating Officer at CMS, about Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs) and their paper (with Luke Anderson), “The Forgotten Opportunity: Improving Traditional Medicare Operations.”
August 10, 2026