In December, 54,000 people in England had to wait more than 12 hours for an emergency admission…. The average wait time for an ambulance to attend a “category 2” condition – like a stroke or heart attack – exceeded 90 minutes. There were 1,474 (20%) more excess deaths in the week ending December 30 than the 5-year average….
Author: John C. Goodman
China has Health Savings Accounts
And they have had them for a decade. As the New York Times explains:
Companies typically contribute to the pools an amount equal to as much as 9.8 percent of a worker’s salary…. The employee insurance pools currently forward about a third of the money they receive from employers to personal health accounts, and spend the remaining two-thirds on hospitalizations and other expenses. Employees also put about 2 percent of their paychecks into their health accounts until they retire.
While the pooled employee funds in many cities are depleted, personal health accounts across China have accumulated more than $130 billion.
Monday Links
- After the government took steps to raise the price and restrict the supply, opioid consumption and overdoses went up. Casey Mulligan explains why.
- Sally Satel on “Social Justice Therapy.”
- Health care worker shortages: Half of the states, including all in New England and most in the Midwest, have health care employment lower than three years ago.
- Who does AARP really represent? It backed the IRA bill – taking $280 billion away from Medicare and spending the money on heath insurance subsidies for the well-to-do and special interest green energy projects.
- U.S. Energy Dept: the coronavirus most likely came from a lab leak.
Saturday Links
- Study: GoodRx often beats Mark Cuban’s Cost Plus Drugs on low prices.
- In the past century, human heights have skyrocketed. Globally, humans grew an average of about 3 inches. In South Korea, women grew an astounding 8 inches and men grew 6 inches on average.
- Near 100% marginal tax rates for the wealthy and a return to the 35% corporate income tax would not be enough to save Social Security and Medicare. (NYT)
- Democratic senators want the Biden administration to close down short-term insurance plans by reinstating Obama’s executive order. (gated)
- Study: Because of burnout, workload, and other stresses, 20 percent of physicians and 40 percent of nurses say they plan to leave their practice within two years.
- There are actually such things as lazy ants – but they serve a purpose.