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American Habits An online publication that makes the case for practical, understandable federalism.

Fraud, waste, and endless red tape make it harder for patients to get the care they need. Matt Dean offers a blueprint f...
02/01/2026

Fraud, waste, and endless red tape make it harder for patients to get the care they need. Matt Dean offers a blueprint for how states can clean up Medicaid and protect resources for those who rely on it.

Matt Dean is a policy fellow at the Center of the American Experiment, where he focuses on healthcare policy and reform. A former Minnesota legislator, he served seven terms in the House, including as Majority Leader and chair of the Health and Human Services Finance Committee. Dean has also worked....

Short-term incentives should not push states into long-term commitments they cannot sustain. This article walks through ...
30/12/2025

Short-term incentives should not push states into long-term commitments they cannot sustain. This article walks through the risks and tradeoffs facing states considering Medicaid expansion today.

President Trump’s landmark reforms in the One, Big, Beautiful Bill crack down on Medicaid fraud, protecting the truly needy and ensuring that able-bodied adults must work, train, or volunteer to receive temporary Medicaid benefits. But like one of those optical illusions where two people can look ...

Medicaid was designed to help the most vulnerable, yet too often it falls short. Matt Dean outlines practical steps stat...
27/12/2025

Medicaid was designed to help the most vulnerable, yet too often it falls short. Matt Dean outlines practical steps states can take to improve access and put patients back at the center.

Read the full conversation at American Habits.

Matt Dean is a policy fellow at the Center of the American Experiment, where he focuses on healthcare policy and reform. A former Minnesota legislator, he served seven terms in the House, including as Majority Leader and chair of the Health and Human Services Finance Committee. Dean has also worked....

From Medicaid redesigns to new innovation models, states are charting a more practical approach to improving care. Read ...
22/12/2025

From Medicaid redesigns to new innovation models, states are charting a more practical approach to improving care. Read the latest analysis on American Habits.

For decades, healthcare has been treated as a national crisis in need of a national solution. Federal intervention, however, has only made care more expensive and less responsive to patients. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) succeeded in improving access for the sick, but its title became something of....

From the trauma of responding to the Oklahoma City bombing to shaping health policy in Tennessee: this interview with Re...
17/12/2025

From the trauma of responding to the Oklahoma City bombing to shaping health policy in Tennessee: this interview with Rep. Bryan Terry shows why service still matters in public life. Discover what “being the glimmer” means for our communities.

https://bit.ly/4ivFc04

Rep. Bryan Terry represents Tennessee’s 48th District, which includes parts of Rutherford County and the city of Murfreesboro. A physician and anesthesiologist, he also chairs the Tennessee House Health Committee. In this conversation with American Habits Editor Ray Nothstine, he reflects on how t...

Medicaid expansions often sound like an easy fix, but today’s fiscal reality tells a different story. Rising costs, fede...
16/12/2025

Medicaid expansions often sound like an easy fix, but today’s fiscal reality tells a different story. Rising costs, federal instability, and strained state budgets make expansion a risky move.

Read the full breakdown at American Habits.

https://bit.ly/3XtIBTF

President Trump’s landmark reforms in the One, Big, Beautiful Bill crack down on Medicaid fraud, protecting the truly needy and ensuring that able-bodied adults must work, train, or volunteer to receive temporary Medicaid benefits. But like one of those optical illusions where two people can look ...

When federal action stalls, state leadership can still move healthcare forward. American Habits breaks down where states...
11/12/2025

When federal action stalls, state leadership can still move healthcare forward. American Habits breaks down where states are finding success and what it means for families.

For decades, healthcare has been treated as a national crisis in need of a national solution. Federal intervention, however, has only made care more expensive and less responsive to patients. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) succeeded in improving access for the sick, but its title became something of....

Rep. Bryan Terry brings together his experience as a physician, a lawmaker, and a survivor to argue that even amid trage...
09/12/2025

Rep. Bryan Terry brings together his experience as a physician, a lawmaker, and a survivor to argue that even amid tragedy, there is hope — and that real healing comes from community, compassion, and state-level leadership. Read more at American Habits.

Rep. Bryan Terry represents Tennessee’s 48th District, which includes parts of Rutherford County and the city of Murfreesboro. A physician and anesthesiologist, he also chairs the Tennessee House Health Committee. In this conversation with American Habits Editor Ray Nothstine, he reflects on how t...

As enrollment swells and federal funding becomes less reliable, expanding Medicaid would put states in a weaker financia...
06/12/2025

As enrollment swells and federal funding becomes less reliable, expanding Medicaid would put states in a weaker financial position for years to come. See the full analysis at American Habits.

President Trump’s landmark reforms in the One, Big, Beautiful Bill crack down on Medicaid fraud, protecting the truly needy and ensuring that able-bodied adults must work, train, or volunteer to receive temporary Medicaid benefits. But like one of those optical illusions where two people can look ...

States are not waiting on Congress to act. Telehealth expansion, price transparency, and patient-centered reforms are mo...
03/12/2025

States are not waiting on Congress to act. Telehealth expansion, price transparency, and patient-centered reforms are moving forward at the local level. Learn how these efforts are reshaping care across the country.

For decades, healthcare has been treated as a national crisis in need of a national solution. Federal intervention, however, has only made care more expensive and less responsive to patients. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) succeeded in improving access for the sick, but its title became something of....

When we think of religious freedom, we often jump straight to the First Amendment and Supreme Court cases. In reality, m...
22/09/2025

When we think of religious freedom, we often jump straight to the First Amendment and Supreme Court cases. In reality, most battles for liberty are fought closer to home.

In this issue, we explore America’s “laboratories of religious liberty," where states and local communities are shaping the future of faith and freedom. Highlights include:

🔹 Kelly Shackelford on why most religious liberty fights never make it to SCOTUS.
🔹 Philip Gunn on how Mississippi went on offense to protect religious liberty.
🔹 Mark Rienzi on the “web of overlapping safeguards” that defend religious rights.
🔹 Tony Woodlief on why strong communities matter more than more laws.
🔹 John Zambenini on what the death of Charlie Kirk means for religious freedom.

Plus, much more.

Finally, the assassination of Charlie Kirk (a professing Christian) on a college campus is a reminder that freedom isn’t self-sustaining — it must be defended boldly and locally.

One of my first conversations while planning an issue on religious liberty in the states was with my friend and contributor, Jordan Ballor. He immediately encouraged me: “Yes — you should do something on the ‘laboratories of religious liberty.’” I like the phrase and think it’s a perfect...

Janice Rogers Brown, address to the Philadelphia Society 46th Annual Meeting, 2010:“The Constitution has sheltered us fr...
17/09/2025

Janice Rogers Brown, address to the Philadelphia Society 46th Annual Meeting, 2010:

“The Constitution has sheltered us from those who would destroy freedom, but the fortress is incredibly fragile because it is only as strong as our devotion and allegiance.”

Words of wisdom and reflection to ponder from past and present Americans for Constitution Day to remind us of our heritage.

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