The OECD has finally updated their national account data with 2011 info for most countries, so I thought I’d update this post from a couple of years ago. If you’re thinking that the current (overblown) hoo-ra-ra about U.S. government deficits is a result of too much spending, or that U.S. taxes are insanely high and […]
“All nine of S&P Healthcare Economic Indices showed slower annual growth rates for February 2013 compared to January 2013. As measured by the S&P Healthcare Economic Commercial Index, healthcare costs covered by commercial insurance plans rose by 4.62% in February, down from +5.41% reported for January. Annual growth rates in Medicare claim costs increased by […]
Rjs sends a link filled note on the ongoing federal financial merry go round: It’s been a pretty slow week, with neither major monthly economic reports nor widespread kerfuffles in the blogosphere…as we figured, all the budget proposals floated earlier this year have gone nowhere, and it now appears that the republicans wont negotiate on […]
by Linda Beale Senate did the right thing–will the House? Most are aware that online businesses have an unfair tax advantage. Under the 1992 Quill Supreme Court decision, states cannot currently require online retailers without physical presence in the state to collect applicable sales taxes. Although customers are supposed to save receipts and then pay […]
by Tom aka Rusty Rustbelt from a commentary I am writing…… Health Care Thoughts: Welcome to The Matrix Big Data, Data Mining, Data Analytics Health care providers create and store massive amounts of data generated by clinical and business functions. This hot new term for this mass of data is “big data.” Until recently, the […]
by Tom aka Rusty Rustbelt Health Care Thoughts: This is a little strange California’s health care exchange is often cited as being as the forefront of complying with the letter and spirit of Obamacare. So it seems a little strange that California has exempted most exchange information from the public records laws, including information about […]
I’ve ground the axe quite a bit over the years for the argument that Kevin Drum makes — and dismisses — here. In brief: poorer people spend a larger share of their income/wealth than richer people. So if poorer people have more income/wealth — if the distribution is more equal — there will be higher […]
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As my 35+-year wish to be an alumnus of a Big Ten school* approaches fruition, it is, perhaps, time to see what the cost of that ambition has been. Not to me; I got my Masters in Economics from the same school that granted Elizabeth Warren her J.D., and I don’t regret a moment of […]