Unbiased Analysis of Today's Healthcare Issues
“The fact is, we carefully edit our reality, searching for evidence that confirms what we already believe. Although we pretend we’re empiricists — our views dictated by nothing but the facts — we’re actually blinkered, especially when it comes to information that contradicts our theories. The problem with science, then, isn’t that most experiments fail…
I have recently read in the press a number of mentions of the phrase “developing a pre-existing condition.” For instance, a Cato Institute paper discusses this phenomenon and how you can buy insurance against developing a pre-existing condition. This phrase seem paradoxical however. How can you develop a pre-existing condition? Before you “developed” the condition,…
As an economist and an avid reader I certainly appreciated Marketplace Money’s description of the concept of opportunity cost: “The late Robert Eisner, an economist at Northwestern University, somewhat tongue-in-cheek illustrated opportunity cost this way. The cost of buying and reading his book–The Misunderstood Economy–was not only the dollars spent on it, but also the…
Although this blog deals mostly with topic related to health economics, today I will digress to another one of my passions basketball. This post deals with an issue of incentives: Do all basketball teams have an incentive to win games? As we are now nearing the end of the NBA regular season, the Toronto Raptors…
Obama’s budget deficit reduction plan: Cut wasteful Senator Program. The recession in Asia. The recession’s effect on America’s multimillionaires. Recent trends in illegal drug consumption. Erectile disfunction linked to heart disease.
In an article in the Atlantic, James Fallows ponders if America is in decline and if so, is there anything we can do about it. One of the more revealing commentaries on America’s prospects comes from an American businessman living in China: “We scream about our problems but as long as we have the immigrants,…
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…
“Medicine is, well, it’s a dead career.” “Thanks to insurance companies and malpractice lawyers, you have absolutely no hope of finding a rewarding or satisfying profession in this once noble field.” “You are all murderers and assassins that have been sent here to try to kill my patients.” Dr. Cox, Scrubs Sitcom.
Two important stories for you to read. Two things to be thankful for: How giving thanks improves your health. Packers beat Lions: 34-12.
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…