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| Healthcare is a loser for both parties |
…I’ve written a lot about WHY RANDOMIZED EXPERIMENTS ARE SO CRITICAL TO UNDERSTANDING CAUSE-AND-EFFECT RELATIONSHIPS IN SOCIAL POLICY. In the case of health-care financing, the reason is that what system of health-care financing you have (high-quality “go to any doctor” plan; good HMO; catastrophic-only plan; VA; go to an emergency room because you are uninsured, etc.) is bound up with a myriad of other factors that influence health. A randomized experiment allows us to isolate the impact of the system of health-care financing.
To my knowledge, THE ONLY LARGE-SCALE RANDOMIZED EXPERIMENT IN THE U.S. THAT HAS TESTED THE ACTUAL EFFECTS ON HEALTH OF PROVIDING VARIOUS KINDS OF HEALTH-CARE FINANCING WAS THE RAND HEALTH INSURANCE EXPERIMENT (HIE). In this experiment, thousands of families were randomly assigned to one of five different health-insurance plans that ranged from something like a plan that provides free health care, to something like a pure catastrophic-only plan in which consumers pay out-of-pocket for day-to-day healthcare. The study tracked what exact health-care services each group used, and how their health varied over a period of 3–5 years.
Ezra Klein describes this experiment as “the best evidence we have,” and writes that it “suggests that health-care coverage does much more for the health of poorer people than it does for the health of well-compensated, highly educated people.” His statement is correct, but as a summary of the results of this experiment, seems to me to be radically incomplete. IN FACT, THE EXPERIMENTERS WROTE OF THE FINDINGS THAT “COST SHARING REDUCED THE USE OF NEARLY ALL HEALTH SERVICES,” BUT “THE REDUCTION IN SERVICES INDUCED BY COST SHARING HAD NO ADVERSE EFFECT ON PARTICIPANTS’ HEALTH.” Think about that. PROVIDING PEOPLE COVERAGE OF THEIR MEDICAL COSTS CAUSED NO AVERAGE IMPROVEMENT IN HEALTH….
http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/261322/would-universal-healthcare-coverage-actually-improve-health-jim-mantz
Put another way the change the left is looking to do costs a lot of money, without any real discernible improvement in anyone’s health (In fact the USA has much better survival rates for cancer than does the universal healthcare systems in Europe).
The Scariest Defense for ObamaCare
'I can take care of my enemies all right," Warren Harding once said. "BUT MY FRIENDS, MY DAMN FRIENDS, THEY'RE THE ONES THAT KEEP ME WALKING THE FLOOR NIGHTS!"
In the sense that so irked Harding, JUDGE GLADYS KESSLER is a great good friend of ObamaCare. The US district-court judge in Washington, DC, DELIVERED A MORE TELLING BLOW AGAINST THE LAW in the course of ruling it constitutional than critics have in assailing it as a travesty…..
…..The easy-to-grasp distinction between an activity and inactivity is one of the most powerful legal arguments of ObamaCare's opponents. But they hadn't yet run up against a jurist as ingenious as Judge Kessler. SHE BRUSHES ASIDE THE ACTIVITY/INACTIVITY DISTINCTION BECAUSE NOT DOING SOMETHING IS A CHOICE AND THEREFORE "MENTAL ACTIVITY."….
…. Kessler writes, "It is pure semantics to argue that an individual who makes a choice to forgo health insurance is not 'acting,' especially given the serious economic and health-related consequences to every individual of that choice. MAKING A CHOICE IS AN AFFIRMATIVE ACTION, WHETHER ONE DECIDES TO DO SOMETHING OR NOT DO SOMETHING."…
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2011/03/05/the_scariest_defense_for_obamacare_109130.html
And just when you didn’t think progressives could get much nuttier than they already were…..
New Suit against Obamacare filed
LAWYERS FOR LT. GOV PHIL BRYANT AND 10 OTHER MISSISSIPPIANS FILED A NEW LAWSUIT IN FEDERAL COURT FRIDAY, CHALLENGING THE CONSTITUTIONALITY OF THE HEALTH CARE REFORM LAW.
U.S. District Court Judge Keith Starrett dismissed an earlier suit filed by the same group, arguing that the group did not have proper standing to challenge the law, commonly known as Obamacare.
In a 23-page decision handed down in early February, Starrett argued that the plaintiffs did not include enough facts in their lawsuit to show that they would be injured by the new law.
THE NEW LAWSUIT AIMS TO DO JUST THAT, ARGUING THAT THE PLAINTIFFS HAVE ALREADY BEEN INJURED, WELL BEFORE THE 2014 DATE THE LAW WOULD REQUIRE MOST AMERICANS TO PURCHASE HEALTH INSURANCE.
http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/article/20110305/NEWS01/103050319
If you are a liberal democrat, it’s not been a good 12 months.
Why Obama must go
AMERICA'S FIRST BLACK PRESIDENT HAS MORPHED INTO AMERICA'S FIRST KING. All hail King Obama, our supreme ruler. Think about this folks, KING OBAMA HAS PUT TOGETHER HIS ROYAL COURT OF AN UNPRECEDENTED 32 CZARS WHO ONLY ANSWER TO HIM. His czars consist of people who have socialist and communist leanings, many simply do not like America. King Obama's czars, without congressional over sight, set new rules and regulations for our lives; boldly ignoring laws and the U.S. Constitution….http://www.americanthinker.com/2011/03/to_save_america_we_must_dethro.html
….A liberal black presidential candidate was their dream come true. OBAMA'S SKIN COLOR WAS A GIFT FROM THE LIBERAL GODS; THE ULTIMATE POLITICAL TRUMP CARD.
THE LEFT EXPLOITS OBAMA'S BLACK SKIN COLOR AS THEIR "WEAPON OF MASS INTIMIDATION"; a coat of armor insulating him from all opposition and reasonable critique.….
…Is it unfair to say Obama governs more like our king rather than our president? You be the judge.
Obamacare was ruled unconstitutional by a federal judge. King Obama basically said "SCREW THAT! I'M IMPLEMENTING IT ANYWAY".
DOMA (Defense of Marriage Act) is the law. King Obama said in effect, "I DON'T LIKE THAT LAW AND WE ARE NOT DEFENDING ITS COPNSTITUTIONALITY."
A federal ruling said King Obama's deep offshore drilling moratorium in Louisiana is illegal and ordered it lifted. Again, KING OBAMA SIMPLY IGNORED THE FEDERAL RULING….
Obama is not simply a bumbling inexperienced President. He is someone who sees himself above the Constitution.
Was the Economic Crisis Manufactured?
In the summer of 2008 as McCain and Obama were in the midst of their campaigns to capture the presidency, a series of events dramatically changed the focus of the campaign from Iraq to the economy. From that point on, Obama took the lead and eventually won the presidency. …
….EVIDENCE OUTLINED IN A PENTAGON CONTRACTOR REPORT SUGGESTS THAT FINANCIAL SUBVERSION CARRIED OUT BY UNKNOWN PARTIES, SUCH AS TERRORISTS OR HOSTILE NATIONS, CONTRIBUTED TO THE 2008 ECONOMIC CRASH by covertly using vulnerabilities in the U.S. financial system
"There is sufficient justification to question whether outside forces triggered, capitalized upon or magnified the economic difficulties of 2008," the report says.
http://www.americanthinker.com/2011/03/was_the_economic_crisis_manufa.html
An interesting article in which you find the names Chuck Schumer, George Soros, Chris Dodd and Barney Frank mentioned along with other external enemies who may have had a hand in it.
Berwick Nomination is dead
SENATE DEMOCRATS HAVE GIVEN UP ON CONFIRMING DON BERWICK AS CMS ADMINISTRATOR IN THE WAKE OF A LETTER FROM 42 REPUBLICAN SENATORS opposing the nomination, sources tell POLITICO.
Citing the GOP letter, a person familiar with the situation said Senate Democrats and the White House "can do the arithmetic" AND NOW SEE THAT THERE'S NO WAY FOR BERWICK TO GET THE 60 VOTES NEEDED TO CLEAR THE SENATE.
At a meeting with health care lobbyists Friday, Democratic Senate Finance Committee staffers indicated that the nomination is dead, that there will be no confirmation hearing, and that they'll soon be discussing "next steps" for CMS, sources said.
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0311/50698.html#ixzz1Fk3DVFpY
Don Berwick was the controversial nominee who Obama made a recess appointment because he didn’t think he could get him confirmed last year. This year with 6 more Republicans in the Senate it is obviously impossible. Good riddance.
Chivalry Is Dead Was Murdered by Zero Tolerance
A VIRGINIA MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENT HAS BEEN SUSPENDED FOR . . . OPENING THE DOOR FOR A WOMAN WHOSE HANDS WERE FULL.
“Students are not allowed to open the doors, and if anyone does, they will be suspended,” said Dr. Wayne K. Smith, executive director of administration and personnel.
A DISTRICT WIDE POLICY PROHIBITING STUDENTS AND STAFF FROM OPENING DOORS TO THE OUTSIDE WAS RECENTLY ADOPTED AFTER A $10,800 SECURITY SYSTEM WAS INSTALLED at the middle school, Southampton High School, Southampton Technical Career Center and Nottoway, Meherrin and Capron elementary schools. Riverdale Elementary had a similar system installed when it was built three years ago.
All of the schools’ doors are locked during the day. Visitors must ring a buzzer and look into a camera before office personnel can let them in.
SMITH SAID EVERYONE KNEW ABOUT THE POLICY AND ITS CONSEQUENCES. The middle school student was the first to be suspended for opening a door. Smith did not say how many days of suspension the unidentified student received.
You can't be too careful. YOUR AVERAGE MIDDLE SCHOOL, HIGH SCHOOL, OR COLLEGE CAN EXPECT TO SEE AN ON-CAMPUS SHOOTING ABOUT ONCE EVERY 12,000 YEARS. If Southhampton Middle School hasn't had at least one shooting since 10,000 B.C., they're really just on borrowed time.
http://reason.com/blog/2011/03/04/chivalry-is-dead-was-murdered
I do believe zero tolerance is really zero thought. But with as many liberals in government, count on seeing more of it.
What is the real unemployment rate?
That is the Civilian Labor Force Participation Rate -- which is essentially the ratio of the labor force as compared to the total working age (over 16) population. IN NOVEMBER 2008, WHEN OBAMA WAS ELECTED THAT RATIO WAS 65.5%. IN FEBRUARY 2011 IT IS 64.2%.
The primary reason for this drop is the reduction in the size of the labor force as calculated by the BLS. In February 2011 this force was estimated to be 153 million and the total working age population of 239 million.
http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2011/03/the_phony_drop_in_unemployment.html
In November of 2008 the labor force was 154.6 million and the total working age population 234.5 million.
PER THE BLS, WHILE THE WORKING AGE POPULATION INCREASED BY 4.5 MILLION, THEIR ESTIMATE OF THE SIZE OF THE LABOR FORCE DECREASED BY 1.6 MILLION. It is an obviously impossibility to say that at least an historical 65% of the entire increase in the working age population plus another 1.6 million people are not a part of the labor force.
Had the participation rate remained the same as in November of 2008 in February of 2011 then the labor force would have been 156.5 million not 153 million and THE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE WOULD BE 10.8% NOT 8.9%. The BLS has in essence dropped over 3.5 million people from the labor force in their calculation of the unemployment rate.
There is good news and bad news here for the Obama administration. The good news is the breaking below the 9% official unemployment rate. But the bad news is that this rate is unlikely to go any lower and in fact even as new jobs are created, the unemployment rate is likely to increase as more of those 3.5 million who have dropped out of looking for work reenter the labor pool.
Pessimists do not stick around as long.
“We reviewed eight different types of studies,” Diener said. “And the general conclusion from each type of study is that your subjective well-being – that is, FEELING POSITIVE ABOUT YOUR LIFE, NOT STRESSED OUT, NOT DEPRESSED – CONTRIBUTES TO BOTH LONGEVITY AND BETTER HEALTH AMONG HEALTHY POPULATIONS.”
A study that followed nearly 5,000 university students for more than 40 years, for example, found that THOSE WHO WERE MOST PESSIMISTIC AS STUDENTS TENDED TO DIE YOUNGER THAN THEIR PEERS. An even longer-term study that followed 180 Catholic nuns from early adulthood to old age found that those who wrote positive autobiographies in their early 20s tended to outlive those who wrote more negative accounts of their young lives.
http://www.futurepundit.com/archives/007941.html
So pessimists don’t live as long as optimists do. Of course if you are a pessimist, what else would you expect!
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