Remember Covid? Three years ago we were all hunkered down at home sheltering in place. Many businesses were closed, schools cancelled all in-person classes and social gatherings were taboo (if not illegal). Any time you left the house masks were required. It still amuses me seeing cars drive down the street with the driver alone in the car wearing a mask. I recall running errands to Kroger, Home Depot, Walmart, Lowes and the few other stores that were open and everyone was wearing masks. Retail establishments also required social distancing, asking people to stand at least six feet apart.
Category: Health Insurance
Thursday Links
- US plans to rejoin UNESCO. Trump pulled us out because the organization is flagrantly anti-capitalist and anti-US. Biden is not only rejoining; he has agreed to $619 million in “arrears” payments.
- More than 90% of cancer centers are impacted by drug shortages.
- Cato paper on new technologies: Should we try to avoid harmful effects by regulation or by tort law?
- Is woke culture the reason Hollywood can’t make good movies any more – unless it recycles old plots and themes?
- Two different views of AI:
The New York Times: “Generative A.I. Can Add $4.4 Trillion in Value to Global Economy, Study Says,”
Bloomberg: “Biggest Losers of AI Boom Are Knowledge Workers, McKinsey Says.”
Some Medicare Hospice Care Firms Are Better than Others
We have written about Medicare hospice care several times in the past. John Goodman wrote about a new Medicare pilot program where the same health plans that manage seniors’ medical care will also manage their hospice benefits near end-of-life. I wrote about how Medicare hospice care is growing by leaps and bounds, which is attracting scammers who enroll ineligible patients (not likely to die in six months) and gouge taxpayers for care that is inappropriate.
The New York Times published an article on the difference in hospice care provided by nonprofit versus for-profit organizations. Purportedly, nonprofit organizations are a better value.
Low Cost Dentistry is Possible, But Not Allowed in Most States
I went to my dentist a month or two ago. I was shocked by the price for a deep teeth cleaning. A teeth cleaning is included with an annual membership and the deep cleaning is an upcharge from the basic cleaning. I suspect my dentists requires a deep cleaning as a way to charge as much for my free service as the service usually costs retail. I’m in and out of his office in less than 30 minutes usually.
At my last visit the annual membership fee was also due, so my total bill was enough to buy an iPhone 11 on eBay. I don’t think I even spoke to the dentist during the visit; I just met with the dental hygienist. Why was the price so high?