Unbiased Analysis of Today's Healthcare Issues
In the past, I have commented on an article by Phillip Longman describing the quality of care at the VA. Mr. Longman recently wrote a book titled The Best Care Anywhere. The book claims that “the long-maligned Veterans Health Administration has become the highest-quality healthcare provider in the United States.” Gooznews interviews Mr. Longman. Below are some…
“Reading is human contact, and the range of our human contacts is what makes us what we are. Just imagine you live the life of a long-distance trucker. The books that you read are like the travellers you take into your cab. If you give lifts to people who are cultured and profound, you’ll learn…
Michelle Obama’s is deeply involved in her recently involved in fight against childhood obesity. Eating healthy and exercising more is a laudable goal. But do we want the government operatives taking the role of a Biggest Loser Drill Sergent? Could government weight monitoring become a reality? Maybe. In an interview with Marv Albert, President Barack…
David Williams of the Health Business Blog posts the latest edition of the Health Wonk Review.
Kolstad and Kowalski (2010) examine how the Massachusetts individual mandate affected uninsurance rates, hospital and outpatient utilization, and preventive care: “Among the population discharged from the hospital in Massachusetts, the reform decreased uninsurance by 28% relative to its initial level. Increased coverage affected utilization patterns by decreasing length of stay and the number of inpatient…
Something from nothing. Cause and effect. Just Say No To Public Health. The real problem of Medicare Set-Asides. Neglected tropical diseases in Detroit
How does the price of health insurance affect the probability that a firm will offer health insurance to their workers? A previous post provides a variety of estimates of the elasticity of firm health insurance offering with respect to premiums. A more recent article by Gruber and Lettau (2004) needs to be added to this…
Rand Paul is the the son of libertarian Senator Ron Paul and is currently running for Senate in the state of Kentucky. Although Dr. Paul (an ophthalmologist) recently won the primary in his state, he’s gotten in some hot water for some comments he made. For instance, he’s stated opposition to some parts of the…
Are we winning the war on cancer? Where Workers Comp is Heading (Parts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5) Obesity is contagious? Barcelona wins La Liga. A second opinion on health care reform.
Until their most recent quality stumbles, Toyota’s production techniques were the darlings of the management consulting world. The Toyota process is embodied by the concept of kaizen, a Japanese notion of continuous improvement. The latest gurus have even applied the production techniques to the health care arena (see Designed to Adapt). A Health Affairs article…