Category Archives: Health Care

Danger Ahead

A couple of days ago I gave my explanation of why California doesn’t have any water left.  The basic idea is that when the price of a thing is reduced and limited below what the market would otherwise bare, you will experience a shortage of that thing.

This is true of water in California
This is true of housing in New York during rent control.
This is true of housing in San Francisco during rent control.
This is true of gasoline during times of rising prices.

So why is it that very smart people don’t take these lessons to heed?

Dorgan’s drug re-importation amendment is another significant hurdle. Allowing for the importation of cheaper drugs from Canada and European countries is popular among many Democrats and Republicans, giving Dorgan’s proposal a strong chance of passage.

Unbelievable.  Drug companies make drugs to sell, at a profit.  The market in the US is SO massive that they can sustain gross economic policies in other countries that force these companies to sell thier drugs for less than cost.  Now, the US wants to take those drugs from those countries and re-import them here.  For a price less than the market can bare.
Guess whats gonna happen?

Hat Tip: Say Anything

Color Me Shocked

Or, wherein North Carolina looks like Minnesota.  It would appear that a Government entitlement program is way over budget:

The government health insurance program for low-income children, older adults and the disabled is at least $150 million over budget through the first quarter of the fiscal year.

The best part?  The best part isn’t that we are over budget.  I mean really, how could a government program really be expected to come in under budget?  Nope, the best part is that we are over by $150 million THROUGH THE FIRST QUARTER!

Part of the reason we are so far over?

About half of the cost overruns are because of delays in federal approval of some cuts proposed by the state Department of Health and Human Services to save money.

Yup.  In order to save money we have to cut services [ only a foretaste of the Obamacare feast to come ] and then we are delayed even in doing that because one government bureaucracy can’t communicate with another in a timely manner.

My Business Model Sucks — YOU Take It

Minnesota has one of the oldest High Risk Pools, Minnesota Comprehensive Health Insurance, in the country.  All told, there are 35 of them and the Gopher State has been at it since 1976.  It’s mission, a noble one.

Since becoming operational in 1977, MCHA has served as an insurance safety net for Minnesotans who have been turned down for individual health insurance due to pre-existing conditions.

Sounds great.  And to a whole bunch of people it is.  With pre-existing conditions they are able to find health insurance where normally they might not be able to.  Only problem?

In 2008, MCHA spent $136.5 million more paying for medical care and administrative costs than it collected in premiums and other revenue.  In 2009, those losses are projected at $150 million.

That’s a whole lotta money.  Now, without going into the Oughts and Ought Nots of the thing, the point remains; that’s a lot of money.  And the main strategy of the MCHA to get to the point where they don’t lose that kinda money year over year?  Obama’s Health Insurance Reform.  Yup.  The only way for the MCHA to quit losing money is to go out of business.

And the only way for the United States to AVOID losing money is to STAY out of business.

A New Low

Unbelievable.  Then again, maybe it IS believable.

The Rev. Jesse Jackson on Wednesday night injected race into the national debate on health care, saying any black lawmaker who votes against President Obama’s sweeping overhaul isn’t really black, the Hill newspaper reported.

“We even have blacks voting against the health care bill,” Jackson reportedly said at a Congressional Black Caucus reception Wednesday night honoring the 25th anniversary of the civil rights leader’s run for president.

“You can’t vote against health care and call yourself a black man,” the Hill reported him saying.

What an ass.

And on a second note:

The way to stop discrimination on the basis of race is to stop discriminating on the basis of race.

Sadly, This is What it Takes

Perhaps not so sad after all.  One of Tzun Tzu’s admonitions is that we should never want the current circumstances to be anything other than they are.  What is; IS.  So, we should waste no gnashing of teeth on the fact that the government can’t distribute well, but that the private sector can:

Raleigh, N.C. — Walmart stores in central North Carolina will offer the H1N1 vaccine in conjunction with Mollen Immunization between the hours of 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Wednesday through Friday.

A total of 20 stores will be selling H1N1 shots.  What are the chances that Walmart runs out?  Or makes you stand in the cold rain to get your shot?

Conservative

I love it.  I really love that “ah-haa” moment when the light bulb clicks and someone sees what’s really happening.  When the fog dissipates and the realization of the truth occurs.  I simply LOVE that moment.

Taxes and the economy are concepts that don’t register with younger folks; never did with me.  I didn’t make enough to really PAY taxes and I had jobs that really didn’t put me in full view of the economy.  In short, I just didn’t care.

So it is refreshing to see the “care” start to sink in for some of these folks:

“Well, for one, I know nobody wants to pay taxes for anybody else to go to the doctor — I don’t,” said Kate Kuhn, 20, of Acworth, Ga. “I don’t want to pay for somebody to use my money that I could be using for myself.”

How awesome is that?  Especially enlightening is the part where young Kate mentions that she might be better served “using the for herself.”

And maybe it’s not so much that I didn’t care when I was younger, it’s that no one took time, including me, to tell me what the trade offs were.

For example, according to Pew in October, nearly 82% say they favored a ban on policies took into account pre-existing conditions.  When a separate poll explained that such a ban would result in higher premiums support for that ban went down to 43%.

Another example, mandatory coverage:  67% of those asked were in favor of all people having health insurance.  But when asked with the added detail that those who failed to obtain such coverage would face Federal penalties, support plunged to 28%.

“I think it’s crazy. I think it infringes on our rights as a citizen, forcing us to do these things,” said Eli Fuchs, 26, of Marietta, Ga.

Music.  Sweet Music!

Additional Cost of Health Care

The big knock against private insurance is that profit is immoral.  “How  can you make money off other people being sick?”  That’s all we hear from the Leftists when it comes to this plan.

The thing is, these people have no clue, ZERO, about the role that profits play.  Profits, see, are the thing that incent “better behavior.”  If you have a lemonade stand and are making stupid money, I am going to start my own lemonade stand.  And how am I going to make money or steal your customers?  I’m going to have to challenge you on price or quality.  Maybe both.

THAT’S the power of profits.  When it comes to making sure the public is getting as good a deal as possible, you have to make sure that the incentives are aligned as such.  If you want to have the lemonade drinking public better served, you can use lots and lots of tools and regulations and edicts.  Or.  Or you can allow for free market and the profit signal.

Oh, the other benefit of those who like to make profits?  They don’t like to see their money just flushed down the toilet.

WASHINGTON — The government paid more than $47 billion in questionable Medicare claims including medical treatment showing little relation to a patient’s condition, wasting taxpayer dollars at a rate nearly three times the previous year.

Excerpts of a new federal report, obtained by The Associated Press, show a dramatic increase in improper payments in the $440 billion Medicare program that has been cited by government auditors as a high risk for fraud and waste for 20 years.

For you Leftists out there; that better than 10% just in WASTE.  Insurance companies bring in about 2-3% in PROFIT.  That’s 3-5 times the difference.  Talk about waste.

When Swine Fly

Yowza!  Into day 5 of my personal experience with the Pig Flu.  Very not fun.  Very.  On the upside-I shouldn’t  need the vaccine now.  Which, it would appear, is a good thing; ’cause there ain’t none.

BARRE – Dozens of central Vermonters were turned away from an H1N1 flu vaccination clinic Saturday morning after health-care workers quickly ran through the 500 doses they had on hand.

By 8 a.m. – an hour before the clinic was supposed to begin – a queue of flu-wary residents braced against a cold and persistent November drizzle outside the Barre Auditorium. By 10:30, an hour and a half before the clinic was scheduled to end, nurses closed the doors.

And here’s the best part:

Vaccinations at Saturday’s clinic were reserved for people in “priority groups” who, by virtue of age or medical condition, are more prone to serious complications if they contract the virus, commonly known as swine flu.

Already the alternate rationing has begun.  See, normally when there is a properly functioning supply and demand market, the price of a good will rise with the demand.  This increase in price will signal to the market an unmet need, or, a better way to allocate scare resources.  New producers enter the market adding to the supply and delivering the required amount of the good to service that demand.  But when the supply and demand does not depend on price, the market does not respond.  At this point, the supply is determined by fiat.  And instead of being treated like an investment; it’s a cost.  A cost that must be minimized.  Oh, an added benefit of market exposure.  Iin order to compete, the price of the good will come down, or, barring that, undesirable features will be removed:

a queue of flu-wary residents braced against a cold and persistent November drizzle outside the Barre Auditorium.

Government Rationing

Doesn't this look like your last trip to the grocery store?

And new ones added:

I trek 25 miles from Rockville to the Fairfax store every month or so because it offers so much. First, there’s the Market Cafe for lunch, then the Wine Cellar to stock up on our favorites. Then we spend probably an hour strolling through the store, buying the best and most varied produce I’ve ever seen, meats that are packaged to last more than a day or two, and all those odd products I can’t find elsewhere. When we check out, not only is the cashier the most pleasant anywhere, but the grand total is competitive with other local stores.

or this one:

“They have ‘regular’ groceries at very competitive prices, but they also have ‘higher end’ gourmet foods. Most importantly, they have a willing, helpful and friendly staff almost too anxious to help a customer.”

Crazy free market!  Trying to profit by selling FOOD!  Everyone has a right to food!

Such utter bullshit.

Jumping Off the Roof

Sounded really really fun.  My brother and I would practice–in the stairwell of our house.  We started on step 2.  Moved to step 4 and finally, albeit with pillows, managed to jump from the top; stair 8!

We were ready for the big time.  Out to the garage we went and climbed up the utility pole and scampered onto the roof.  From the top, the view was awesome, from the ledge, the view was frightening.

Gallup health care poll

This is what it looks like.

We never did work up the courage that summer to take the plunge.  But when the snow came that winter…….

Tough to Call

The House of Representatives voted to pass their version of the Health Care bill.  The vote was close, 220-215.  Of the 220 “Yeah” votes, only one of them was from a Republican congressman; Joseph Cao from Louisiana.  Already Republicans are deserting him:

The only Republican in the House to vote for a Democrat-backed health care bill says he has had two fundraisers canceled since Saturday’s vote and some campaign contributors have asked for their money back.

I don’t agree with the Grand Old Party on this one; I think they have it wrong.  This is delicate situation for Joseph.  The only reason he has the seat is because the incumbent, William Jefferson, was caught with 80k in his freezer.  On top of that, the  election that resulted in Cao winning the seat was delayed twice due to hurricanes.  This meant that the star power of Obama wasn’t on the ballot; many many Democrats just stayed home.  And he still only barely won.

Look, the bill didn’t pass because of Joseph, a firm anti-abortion advocate, voted yes.  In fact, the bill may have passed because Republicans got their way–they insisted that strong anti-abortion language be inserted in the bill giving cover to the more conservative democrats who may come from pro-life districts.  In fact, Cao didn’t even cast his vote until AFTER the 218th vote had already been counted.

This is a case of a Republican trying to stay in office.  Hard to blame him.