Medicaid is held up as an example of corporate welfare. Purportedly Walmart and Amazon are costing taxpayers billions of dollars annually by paying their workers too little. Food stamps (SNAP program) are sometimes also held up as evidence of corporate welfare. It is, but not how you think. SNAP boosts profits at retail stores that sell food. It does not subsidize wages. The flawed logic of these arguments is that Walmart and Amazon can pay workers less because low-income families have access to welfare benefits.
Category: Devon Herrick
Can DIY Health Care Become a Bad Thing?
I love it when people take control of their own health. In past generations doctors were often the sole source of information on diseases and conditions. It was normal to rely on physicians to interpret every symptom, ache, or pain. You went to your doctor to assess the symptoms and did whatever your doctor advised….
NYT: Independent Dispute Resolution Appears Biased and Out of Control
Arbitrators are not free to set fees. Rather, the process is a type of baseball arbitration. Each side offers what is supposed to be their best offer and the IDR board accepts one or the other, presumably the offer that is the most reasonable. Except that is not happening. Arbitration boards are awarding physician groups fees that are hard to fathom, often an order of magnitude above usual & customary in-network rates.
WSJ: American Doctors Moving to New Zealand for Slower Paced Medical Practice
WSJ reports that American physicians’ interest in moving to New Zealand has boomed in the past few years. English is the primary language. Many medical specialties require no additional training or certifications. Working for a public health system may feel quite different than working for a U.S. hospital. WSJ did not say this but whereas American hospitals expect employed physicians to see as many patients as possible to boost revenue, the opposite is often true in countries with a single payer health care system. Patient care is a cost center, not a revenue center.