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Michael Rushton on pricing the arts

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Will the ACA cause prices to rise?

March 11, 2013 by Michael Rushton 1 Comment

I will gladly pay you Tuesday

At Slate, Matthew Yglesias takes apart the argument by a Five Guys hamburger franchise owner that the Affordable Care Act (ACA, or "Obamacare"), with its requirements on employee health insurance, will drive up his prices. Yglesias says: no, if it makes sense to increase prices in light of potential increased profits, then that is so whether or not there are increased health insurance costs on the employer. Instead, he argues, the increased costs will simply cut into firm profits. Is that correct? Not quite. It is worth considering in a bit … [Read more...]

Michael Rushton

Michael Rushton taught in the Arts Administration programs at Indiana University, and lives in Bloomington. An economist by training, he has published widely on such topics as public funding of the … MORE

About For What It’s Worth

What’s the price? Everything has one; admission, subscriptions, memberships, special exhibitions, box seats, refreshments, souvenirs, and on and on – a full menu. What the price is matters. Generally, nonprofit arts organizations in the US receive about half of their revenue as “earned income,” and … [Read More...]

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Recent Comments

  • antonio c. cuyler on Equality, the arts, and the problem of expensive tastes: “I applaud your courage in dissenting, Michael, even if it may place you at odds with the sector. I also…” Feb 2, 10:57
  • Michael Rushton on Equality, the arts, and the problem of expensive tastes: “Thank you David. In terms of costs, the quick, and I think too-easy answer, is cost-disease, which affects any sector,…” Feb 1, 15:04
  • David E. Myers on Equality, the arts, and the problem of expensive tastes: “Hi Michael, Always grateful for your perspectives, though as you know, I do not always agree. At the risk of…” Feb 1, 11:16
  • Michael Rushton on Equality, the arts, and the problem of expensive tastes: “Thank you, antonio. There’s a lot here – I’ll answer bit by bit… 1. I’m not sure the “equality vs…” Jan 29, 09:43
  • antonio c. cuyler on Equality, the arts, and the problem of expensive tastes: “As economists educated to believe that “some inequality” is not bad, I appreciate reading how you and Robert Reich think…” Jan 29, 09:21
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