- Drug and device shortages are affecting patient care.
- Schwab: how a Roth IRA can reduce the Part B and Part D premiums for seniors.
- EBRI study: a 65-year-old couple needs as much as $383,000 in savings to have a 90% chance of covering their health care expenses for the rest of their lives.
- Yglesias interviews Melissa Kearney on two-parent privilege. Recommended. But she underestimates the penalties the welfare state imposes on marriage. See The Marriage Tax.
- Milton Friedman was right: there would be no lasting conflict in the Middle East if they had a laissez-faire economic regime.
- Obamacare gives insurers perverse incentive to buy doctors’ clinics, pharmacies, etc. And, that’s what they are doing.
Category: Health Economics & Costs
Thursday Links
- Gingrich and Jindal on the House GOP HSA bills.
- 96% of CDC’s COVID boosters for kids are still unused.
- From Michael Cannon’s new book: A 2016 study found that Medicare paid low-quality hospitals an average of $2,698 more per patient than it paid high-quality hospitals.
- Cato study: decriminalizing prostitution decrease the incidence of rape.
- International surveys show that wealthier is happier – but not always. The average Costa Rican is just as happy as the average American.
A Bogus Way to Reduce Medical Debt
I’ve written about medical debt in the past, explaining that not all medical debt is bad. However, medical debt is growing due to Obamacare. I’ve also explained that medical debt has many causes and it’s not always a lack of money. People sometimes refuse to pay because they think their bill is wrong (it often is). Or patients don’t pay outstanding bills because they believe their health plan is liable for the balance. This is just my opinion, but I suspect some outstanding medical debts are because patients think the bill is unfair.
Wednesday Links
- Dental insurance isn’t really insurance – it’s a discount service.
- A 20-year-old research paper with lasting relevance asks: Why are people getting fatter? Answer: they are eating too much.
- Is there a nursing shortage or is there a shortage of nurses providing care? And what’s the difference?
- Obese patients are often excluded from drug trials. Is that a mistake?
- After looting CVS, Target and other stores, what do thieves do with the loot? They set up shop on the sidewalk across the street and sell them. DC has made that easier by decriminalizing street vending.