- Every generation thinks people were nicer in the past. But it’s not true.
- Evidence that colonoscopies aren’t worth it.
- Claim: Frenemies can be hazardous to your health. (NYT)
- Claim: Doctors are suffering from “moral injury.” (NYT)
- Biden claim: “real income for the bottom half of earners is up by 3.4% since I took office.” Reality: real income for the bottom 25% has fallen 2.3%, while the second income quartile has fallen 3.9%.
Category: Cost of Healthcare
Drug Company: Doctors Should Treat Obesity Like a Disease, Not a Moral Failing
Excess weight and obesity are major public health concerns. Roughly four-in-ten adult Americans are obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Nearly one-third (30.7) of adults are overweight but don’t reach the level of obesity. That suggests more than two-thirds of adults carry too much weight.
This disproportionally affects certain historically marginalized groups. According to the CDC, about 49.9% of non-Hispanic Black adults have obesity. This is followed by Hispanic people at 45.6%, non-Hispanic white people at 41.4%, and non-Hispanic Asian individuals at 16.1%.
Monday Links
- Chinese military had deep ties to Wuhan lab suspected of COVID-19 outbreak.
- The case for more competition in Medicare.
- A deep dive into the statistically weak case for veganism.
- 2022 was a record year for the number of solar energy projects that were rejected by rural communities in the United States.
- One good thing that came out of the Vietnam war (and about the only good thing I can think of): our best malaria drug.
- Medicare sets price for 10,000 doctor services. What happens when the prices are wrong? Doctors and hospitals have perverse incentives to over provide services with high reimbursement rates and under provide services with low rates.
Is Medicare Advantage the Answer to High Drug Costs?
Average annual deductibles in Part D prescription drug plans (PDPs) are roughly four times higher than those in Medicare Advantage drug plans (MA-PDs) ($398 versus $90). Average monthly premiums for PDPs are also roughly 3.5 times higher than in MA-PDPs ($40 versus $11). Similarly, MA-PDP formularies cover a higher share of potentially coverable Part D drugs than PDPs (89 percent compared to 83 percent). At the same time, MA-PDPs impose utilization management requirements (such as prior authorization and quantity limits) on formulary covered drugs at a lower rate, relative to PDPs.