To Boo or Not to Boo

Sunday marks a historic day…Brett Favre returns to Lambeau Field.  Many Packers fans are conflicted about whether or not to boo the legend.   Former Packer LeRoy Bulter advises: “But if you’re going to stand up wearing Packer clothing or a Packer uniform and cheer when Brett Favre comes out, you should bring a bag…

Tips on Patient Care

In an article called “That Loving Feeling,”  Judy Capko gives some tips for providers on how to treat patients.  Some gems include: “A sign in sheet is an excuse to ignore patients.” Nurses and receptionists need to introduce themselves.  Otherwise, patients just feel if they are another name in the schedule. Ambience makes a difference.…

Swine Flu Emergency Declared

As I predicted, the H1N1 influenza virus has returned to the U.S. this fall.  FluTracker gives a visual representation of the spread of the disease.   In response to the spread of H1N1, President Obama declared the H1N1 outbreak a national emergency.  The declaration will  “allow a hospital to set up a make-shift satellite facility…

Links

Public option?  More competition?  Health care costs go up not matter what.  A history of Group Health Cooperative. Why the cost of lab tests is cheaper in Germany than in France.  A Detailed Report on the Private Healthcare Services Market in Eastern Europe. Hedghog Health Insurance.

Genetic Adverse Selection

“…individuals who carry the [Huntington Disease] genetic mutation are up to 5 times as likely as the general population to own long-term care insurance…relatively limited increases in genetic information may threaten the viability of private long-term care insurance.” Oster et al. (2009) “Genetic Adverse Selection: Evidence from Long-Term Care Insurance and Huntington Disease” NBER Working…

Why Public-Private Partnerships are attractive: Renegotiations

Public-Private partnerships (PPP) are becoming increasingly popular.  In Europe, the annual value of PPP is 22.9 billion Euros.  In the United States, where until recently PPPs played a smaller role than in many European countries, financing of transportation infrastructure via PPPs increased almost tenfold, on an annual basis, between 2006-2008 and the preceding decade (1996-2005).…