Health Care Thoughts: What is a "health care economist."
by Tom aka Rusty Rustbelt
Health Care Thoughts: What is a “health care economist.”
During the past three years I have met several young “health care economists.” Clearly this is a hot topic.
I try to be helpful when appropriate, but I often become quite skeptical, and often subtly ask some questions to test expertise. The answers are often disappointing.
What should one know to be a “____________ economist” (trade, labor, health care) and who does the vetting?
I do not expect young economists to know the system at the detail level I do, nor do I expect them to be a Uwe Reinhardt, but how can we tell who is really qualified to claim a title of health care economist.
Your thoughts?
I’ve been following posts at “the incidental economist” for around three years…i would certainly put austin frakt and aaron carroll in that club, even moreso than uwe reinhardt..
How does one recognize the validity of anyone’s claim to expertise in any profession, espescially the social sciences? Read their work. Bullshit still smells like turds even when you call it chocolate pudding. The field of economics has too much potential for financial reward for those who support a particular ideology. Like every other walk of life money can taint the conversation. People like Peter Peterson and the Koch Bros. can always refine their support of the “sciences” in a way that assures that their way of thinking is supported by think tank “scholars.” So read the documents and make your decision based upon the validity of the arguments presented therein.
I can’t help suspecting that the operative definition of Health Care Economist is basically:
Someone who insists that any flaw or maltreatment from Big Medicine Inc. is due to “The Free Market”!