Relevant and even prescient commentary on news, politics and the economy.

Health Care Thoughts…Tom’s avalanche theory

by Tom aka Rusty Rustbelt Health Care Thoughts: Knowns, Unknowns, Unknown Unknowns, Unintended Consequences Tom’s Avalanche Theory– once an avalanche is started there is no controlling it Some of the probable unintended consequences (?) of Obamacare are started to play out. The convergence of 1) a mediocre economy, 2) a weak labor major and the […]

Health Care Thoughts: Really Narrow Networks

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 […]

Health Care Thoughts: Obamacare Updates

by Tom aka Rusty Rustbelt Health Care Thoughts: Obamacare Updates Latest news on Obamacare: Narrow Networks – Some customers of the new insurance exchanges may be surprised at the “narrow network” included in their insurance coverage. Narrow networks have a limited list of approved provider and will likely make out-of-network treatment difficult if not impossible. This […]

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 […]

Health Care Thoughts: Obamacare Fail

by  Tom aka Rusty Rustbelt Health Care Thoughts: Obamacare Fail The Obama administration has delayed a key portion of the program, the 50+ regulations for employers on providing insurance and on the quality of insurance provided. So why the delay? 1) The administration could not explain its’ own rules and definitions, especially on seasonal workers […]

Health Care Thoughts: I really shouldn’t write this…..

by Tom aka Rusty Rustbelt Health Care Thoughts: I really shouldn’t write this….. This will, if Dan publishes the piece, offend someone for certain. I have a libertarian do-your-own-thing streak, but something recently really struck me as a tragic image. So I am in the grocery store, and coming around the aisle hear the beep-beep […]

Health Care Thoughts: Welcome to The Matrix

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 […]