by Tom aka Rusty Rustbelt Health Care Thoughts: Really Narrow Networks “Narrow networks” are in the news as the ACA exchanges begin to do business (or not?). From the Columbus Dispatch: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2013/10/07/low-cost-premiums-thin-out-providers.html There may be other problems besides low payment rates. According to the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) contracting is slow, uncertainty is high, and […]
Earlier in 2013, CBO’s Douglas Elmendorf’s forecasted return on Student Loan’s resulting in a positive return for the Government. Later Elmendorf reversed the forecast claiming student loans would cost the government and the taxpayers by generating a negative return. Using one cost model (FCRA) to estimate the return, the government will make $184 billion on […]
by Dale Coberly THE CBO AND SOCIAL SECURITY HYSTERIA and HONEST MATH The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) recently released a new projection for the costs of Social Security [no citation. I looked up the link in the AEI article (below) and did not immediately find a projection for SS]. They say that increases in […]
WASHINGTON — House Republicans emerged from a closed-door meeting on Friday with no new strategy to end the budget standoff and an angry plea to President Obama to negotiate over his health care law. “This isn’t some damned game,” said Speaker John A. Boehner, his voice rising in anger. “The American people don’t want their […]
Hot Mic Catches Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul Scheming Here’s the transcript, notice the focus on principle: PAUL: I just did CNN, and I just go over and over again: “We’re willing to compromise! We’re willing to negotiate.!” I don’t think they poll tested “we won’t negotiate.” I think it’s awful for [Democrats] to say […]
by Linda Beale Dear GOP: a Daily Kos staff reminder on the constitutional process for changing the law The Tea Party/GOP coalition has often talked about the importance of the Constitution, but one can’t help wondering if the recent extortionist behavior doesn’t belie that, when the governnment shutdown it has caused as a means of […]
On October 2, 2013 Chris Hayes had on Larry Kudlow to discuss the economics of the government shut down. All I can say is, I could not believe he was the one Chris went to for insight. Maybe he had to because, you know, Kudlow is related to him via the network they work at. But really, […]
Affordable Care act versus Obamacare Act I will give you, there is nothing within this bill that is easy to understand. Along with Maggie Mahar and others, I took the time to read the act and attempt to understand it which even today causes me fits. As shown in this clip, many people can distinguish […]
Just about everyone who knows me well knows that I’m a WWII buff and have a very soft spot for veterans of that war. So this really touched me. I thought some other Bears and readers, who don’t read the Washington Post regularly and would otherwise miss seeing this, might enjoy this little reason to […]
Well today is a busy day. www.healtcare.gov is open for business, the discretionarily funded US Federal Government isn’t. There is a political crisis in Italy (no that doesn’t happen every day anymore) and there are crises both in the Republian party and in the PDL (Silvio Belusconi’s party which he considers his as his shoes […]