Unbiased Analysis of Today's Healthcare Issues
The Economist magazine (“Pyramid power“) has an interesting article on how to get reading glasses to poor individuals in third world countries. Below are two excerpts: Government health clinics are understandably preoccupied with life-threatening maladies and urban optical shops typically shun simple reading glasses in favour of costly, high-margin prescription glasses. But this neglect takes…
Over the past week, I have discussed California’s proposal to extend health insurance to all individuals. Today, I will examine—in my mind—a superior plan developed by former Republican Rep. Curt Gielow. According to a concept paper from the Wisconsin Health Plan website, the reforms will have the following impact: “All eligible Wisconsin residents receive a…
For Labor Economists, the Economist magazine has an interesting story (“The world of work“) of the Manpower corporation. Manpower is a global corporation with their headquarters located in my hometown of Milwaukee. If you look at the Fortune 500 list, Manpower can be found at number 136. Below is an excerpt from the beginning of…
In June of 2005, a pharmaceutical named BiDil used to combat heart failure was approved by the FDA. While this is not a notable event—there are many drugs to treat heart failure—the approval is novel since it was only approved for African-American patients. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, the FDA “…approved BiDil for use…
Yesterday, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger unveiled his plan to provide universal health care for all Californians. Here are some news sites as well as some reactions from around the web. Office of the Governor press release The Current Word Blog by Jim Mathies New York Times and L.A. Times Health Affairs blog (“From Congress to California“)…
Last December, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger held a press conference detailing some of the problems in the California health care system. For instance, there are 6.5 million California residents without insurance; the governor claims that individuals insurance premiums are about $500 higher (or $1200 for a family or four) than they would be if these uninsured…
The Orange County Register had an interesting column in this Sunday’s paper. The article discusses the Field Poll which I mentioned on Thursday (“California wants…“), and concludes that Californians’ wish to have government-provided health care will lead to a Canadian-style system. Below is the article written by senior editorial writer Steven Greenhut. “I was in…
The San Fransisco Chronicle reports (“Poll…“) that “eight out of 10 voters statewide believe government should be responsible for assuring all Californians get access to affordable health coverage, according to a new Field Poll.“
In earlier posts, I have reported on health issues in China—such as the AIDS epidemic in western China and problems of potable water in northern China. Today, the Boston Globe has an interesting report on The graying of China. While China is still relatively young now, the country will age quickly. With the implementation of the…
Matt Miller was on NPR’s Marketplace on Tuesday. Miller was advocating the creation of a government controlled health system. While his arguments citing the benefits of nationalized health care are compelling, he does not address some of the drawbacks (e.g.: decreased technological innovation in a single payer system, increased risk of corruption, etc.). The most…