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

Rep Marsha Blackburn’s snow job. Explains how Social Security money flows

I was watching C span Washington Journal this morning.  Rep Marsha Blackburn was the guest.  I got to listen to her explanation of how the Social Security funds flow and just had to post the clip.   Copied from the transcript of the clip: THEIRS MONEY THAT GOES TO MEDICARE AND SOCIAL SECURITY AND I THINK […]

The "Fiscal Cliff" and the Coming Retirement Crisis of the Middle Class

On January 1, Congress approved a tax and spending bill to avert the so-called “fiscal cliff” combination of tax hikes and spending cuts that would have created deflationary pressure on the United States (though Yglesias questioned the conventional wisdom of whether it would necessarily cause a recession). Let’s take a look at the deal in […]

Let’s try to stick to the real world when we talk about Medicaid,

The Incidental Economist addresses election snippets that keep on going, just like in the movies.  Read the whole thing: Let’s try to stick to the real world when we talk about Medicaid, by Aaron Carroll: (Note: Paul Krugman cites here. Tyler Cowen responds here. I respond to Cowen’s response here.) Tyler Cowen had a piece […]

Health Care Thoughts: Another Major Event

by Tom aka Rusty Rustbelt Health Care Thoughts: Another Major Event On the 23rd the Obama administration will publish the administrative regulations for Medicaid expansion. http://www.medicaid.gov/Federal-Policy-Guidance/Downloads/REG-03-16-12.pdf As reported by Modern Healthcare, eligibility will be simplified to an income test as a percentage of the federal poverty level. This may expand Medicaid by as many as […]

Town Hall Meetings on the Ryan Budget Raise Concerns

Various congressional representatives held town hall meetings recently, and the news channels and print media were abuzz with the lively give-and-take, including shouting matches. See, e.g., House G.O.P. Members Face Voter Anger Over Budget, New York Times, Apr. 26, 2011; Republicans facing tough questions over Medicare overhaul in Budget Plan, Washington Post, Apr. 22, 2011. […]

What Will We Tell the Doctors?

“The practice of medicine was accepted to be a chancy way to make a living, and nobody expected a doctor to get rich, least of all the doctors themselves.”  – Lewis Thomas, The Youngest Science, p. 4 (Penguin, 1995 edition, quote via Google Books) Lost in the discussion of Paul Ryan’s “plan” is the group […]

Health Care Reform and Caregivers Refusing Medicare Patients

Robert goes out on a limb and guesses that Lori Montgomery fell for (or is pushing) Republican spin in this article in the Washington PostReport: Bill would reduce senior careMedicare cuts approved by House may affect access to providers A plan to slash more than $500 billion from future Medicare spending — one of the […]

Medicaid Dilemmas – Part 1

by Tom aka Rusty Rustbelt Medicaid Dilemmas – Part 1 Medicaid is a federal/state program covering poor people, with general services for all ages and long-term care (nursing home) services for the indigent elderly. State budgets are extremely tight, and many states are cutting reimbursements, including nursing home reimbursements. The majority of long-term nursing home […]

Re-tooling the Medicare/medicaid model

rdan I read the Op-Ed in the Boston Globe and asked Doug to write a piece or pieces in a more detailed fashion. There have been allusions to this issue as a cost factor, but no policy consideration here to date. Post by Doug Brown Due to the complexity of organizations today, there is commonly […]