There has long been a belief that preventive medical services save money. The theory holds that if Americans’ primary care physicians ordered more preventive medical screening services we would not only be healthier but the cost of the preventive care would be more than offset by the savings from more serious care avoided. In other words, the cost of a colonoscopy would be offset by not getting colon cancer. The only problem with the theory is that it is wrong.
Category: Cost of Healthcare
Tuesday Links
- Under no-give, no-take, people who sign their organ donor cards get priority should they one day need an organ.
- Social spending as a percentage of GDP has increased in basically every country that we have data for over time.
- Is there a relationship between penis length and IQ? HT: Tyler
- Masturbation is healthy.
- Why are so many pedestrians getting killed? Are cell phones to blame? (NYT)
Some People Are Exceptional in Old Age… Others, Not So much
The risk of mental decline increases with age. Dementia and mental decline have been in the news lately largely because of the presidential election. President Biden will be 82 by the time the next president is sworn in, while former President Trump will be 78. By the time the next presidential term ends, they will be 86 and 82 respectively.
Monday Links
- Suicide, anxiety, and depression numbers are rising among teens. Is social media the problem? Observation: “Every child uses social media but not every child has a mental health problem.”
- Are children the victims of Medicaid expansion?
- Several studies have linked Medicaid expansion to longer wait times for appointments, slower ambulance response times, and greater delays in the emergency room.
- The bipartisan tax deal increases both marriage bonuses and marriage penalties.
- CBO: Budget deficits will average $2.0 trillion per year – or 5.7 percent of GDP – over the next decade.
- How can a silk patch replace a hypodermic needle?