Unbiased Analysis of Today's Healthcare Issues
My friend and General Electric financial analyst Matt Janner is currently working in Dubai. He has sent me some wonderful articles about the emirate and one of its newest investments: “Dubai Healthcare City (DHCC).” Here is a brief summary of what I have gleaned from these articles. Dubai is one of the fastest growing cities…
Zeyad is a Baghdad-based dentist, and the author of the Healing Iraq blog. In his post on The Guardian website, Zeyad describes how corruption is siphoning off medical supplies from physicians who need them for patient care. Even in areas where terrorism is not a problem, the health care is still abismal. Zeyad states: “The…
What happens to farmers in developed nations when they or their family members get sick? Typically, much of a farmer’s savings is tied up in illiquid assets (land, crops, fertilizer, etc.) and the farmer turns to the town money lender. Since there is less competition for loans in rural areas, the money lender can charge…
“On ‘Meet the Press’ in October 2004, when Tim Russert, the host, asked Jim DeMint, a South Carolina Republican representative then in the middle of what turned out to be a successful campaign for the U.S. Senate, to explain his position in favor of a total ban on all abortion procedures. DeMint was reluctant to…
Of course they should! Non-profit hospitals treat the poorest patients in the most underserved communities using a bare bones administrative budget…right? According to the New York Times (“Nonprofit Hospitals Face Scrutiny Over Practices“), the traditional view of non-profit hospitals as altruistic institutions may be flawed. The commissioner of internal revenue, Mark W. Everson, said tax…
In November 2004, California passed Proposition 71 which allocated $3 billion over ten years to stem cell research. Many of my friends–especially those in the medical field–strongly supported the bill. While I support stem cell research, I do not approve of the referendum system by which this bill was enacted. Spending $3 billion on unproven research…
H&R Block, one of the largest tax services businesses in the United States, has incorrectly filed its taxes in 2003 and 2004. The tax error understated H&R Block’s tax liability by $32 million. Oh the irony!!! Check out the complete article in BusinessWeek (“H&R Block falls on 3Q results, tax issue“).
On February 15th, Health Care Economist reported on British Colombia‘s attempts to reforms its health care system. Now the Canadian province of Alberta is proposing its own reform as well. The CBC in “Alberta’s ‘Third Way’ could mean health-care showdown with Ottawa” reports that: Under the so-called ‘Third Way’ patients will be allowed to pay…
Sunday’s San Diego Union Tribune (“Doctors object to ultimatum on health care: Sharp wants every senior on one plan“) had an interesting article on Sharp’s decision to issue its physicians an ultimatum: either provides services exclusively for our patients or find work elsewhere. Let us look at this from a variety of perspectives. Sharp: Sharp…
Thursday’s edition of the New York Times contained an article (“British Clinic is Allowed to Deny Medicine“) describing how a British court ruled that local health authorities could deny coverage of a breast cancer medicine since it was not yet approved. The drug in question is Herceptin. “Herceptin, made by Roche, is currently licensed for…