Health Stories of the Decade?

Dr. Richard Fogoros of the Covert Rationing blog has a series of posts listing the most overblown stories of the decade.  The stories are listed below with my commentary. The Pandemic of the Century: This is the only area where I disagree with Dr. Fogoros. SARS, Avian Flu and H1N1 (Swine) Flu were all less…

In Defense of Capitalism

Capitalism has taken a beating the past few years.  From the mortgage crisis to Bernie Madoff’s ponzi scheme, from a falling stock market to rising unemployment, capitalism does not seems like the best economic system at present.  In fact, Michael Moore even made a movie satirically titled Capitalism: A Love Story. Yet now is not…

2009 Year-End Links

States with generous Medicaid coverage will pay a greater proportion of their new Medicaid costs under Obama’s reforms. A unique doc: trauma surgeon and SWAT team member. A biotech bailout. How to avoid high state cigarette sales taxes. Health care comparison: Dallas vs. Sacramento.

Quotation of the Day

With the business world hurting, the MBA is falling out of favor.  In truth, the MBA has been useful for only a few things. Learning basic accounting and statistics skills is helpful in business, but one could learn these skills elsewhere.  The MBA is most useful for networking with other future business leaders.  Thus, the…

Senate Passes Health Care Reform Bill

The Senate passed a healthcare reform bill 60 (all democrats) to 39 (all republicans).  To summarize it’s contents: “The bill would require most Americans to have health insurance, would add 15 million people to the Medicaid rolls and would subsidize private coverage for low- and middle-income people, at a cost to the government of $871 billion over…

Is Santa a bad role model?

Santa Claus is bad for your health. At least this is what researchers from the British Medical Journal conclude. Why is this?  Let me summarize: Smoker: Santa often smokes a pipe on holiday cards. Drunk Driver: The tradition of leaving Santa a cup of brandy led one mother to worry “that my kids are going…

Links for December 23

Support for a health reform bill is falling. Are all deaths suicide? Why does this guy hoard wealth? Israeli organ donors to get transplant priority. Jim Hamilton supports the College Football’s Bowl System. California law prohibits hospitals from directly employing physicians. Massachusetts has the most expensive family health insurance premiums, $13,788 in 2008.

The creation of a blockbuster drug

NPR’s All Things Considers documents the creation of the blockbuster drug Fosamax.  Physicians use Fosamax to treat patients with osteoporosis and the less severe osteopenia.  To summarize what took place: Pharmaceutical companies start lobbying to expand Medicare coverage for bone density tests. Medicare expands coverage to include bone density tests. Physicians purchase equipment to test…