Most of the additional fatal overdoses post-Covid involve methamphetamine and fentanyl made in Mexico, China and India. For each overdose death, more than 100 people struggle with debilitating addictions to these dangerous substances.
Coincident with policy changes advertised as civil-rights progress, the comparatively low drug-overdose rate for blacks began to accelerate. It reached the white rate by 2019 and then surged past it during the pandemic to reach 43 annually per 100,000 of the black population by last September.
Author: John C. Goodman
Wednesday Links
Right to try: The main obstacle is not government; it’s the drug companies.
Covid fact: For people under 25, Covid was less deadly than traffic accidents.
Additional fact: the Asian death rate was about half the white rate, one-third the black rate, and one-fourth the Hispanic rate. (Rough estimates)
Why is the Covid death rate in Australia one-tenth of the U.S. level?
Another Way to Lower Health Insurance Costs
This is Michael Cannon (gated):
In 2014 … the Obama administration exempted health insurance in American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Marianas Islands, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands from those regulations. Subsequent administrations have preserved this exemption.
If [Florida] lawmakers pass a law recognizing insurance licenses from U.S. territories, Florida consumers and employers could purchase individual or group plans from insurers in Puerto Rico or any other U.S. territory.
Many established health insurers already do business in the territories, including Aetna, UnitedHealthcare, Humana and BlueCross BlueShield — each of which already has provider networks in Florida.
Opening Florida’s market would improve the quality and cost of health insurance. Floridians could save 50% or more on their plans.