by reader Sammy “Are Per Capita Spending and Life Expectancy Statistics an accurate measure of US Health Care Efficiency?” Proponents of some degree of nationalization of health care generally cite some variation of the following “The US spends more per capita on health care than any other country, and yet has one of the lowest […]

rdan A reader complained of lack of coverage of the ME at AB now compared to a few years ago, and charged it was a ‘pass’ on President Obama because he was our darling messiah. And of course ignoring the build up in Afganistan. Now this memo could be used to declare victory of the […]

rdan Wendall Potter in his new position at the Center for Media and Democracy will hopefully provide insights into the inner workings of his former employer, health insurance company CIGNA corporation. Bill Moyers has a series of interviews scheduled where Wendall Potter lays out his case. As a consumer, if predictions come true that premiums […]

rdan SIGTARP’s Niel Barofsky and his staff have issued a first try at a cohesive description of funds expended for the fifty or so programs handing out money, but also a description of the potential expenditure (unlikely to happen). The link is to the site, which contains the report and the data in two separate, […]

rdanBirth and Hawaii at TPM. The House resolution to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Hawaiian statehood — which included language recognizing the state as President Obama’s birthplace, in a none-too-subtle jab at the Birthers — passed this evening by a 378-0 vote. Among the Yes votes: Rep. Bill Posey (R-FL), the lead sponsor of the […]

rdan The term small business is bandied about a lot, and often includes employers with 10 employees as in here and similar with Republicans. Yet it appears these little companies are not represented by SBA, nor Manufacturers of America, yet account for a large portion of our economy. Is that accurate?? A small business is […]

by Tom aka Rusty Rustbelt Useful Models for Reform? President Obama often cites the Mayo Clinic and the Cleveland Clinic as models for providers in a new era of health care reform. Question: Can these two models be replicated throughout the country? Answer: Not likely. The Mayo Clinic is unique but has replicated itself a […]

rdan Health care in Canada from 1983, hat tip Mark Thoma at Economist View, is worth reading.