- Bob Graboyes: Free the nurses
- Bernie Sanders gets something right: nonprofit hospitals are getting undeserved tax breaks.
- The uneasy case for the government’s war on pain killers.
- WSJ: Americans have earlier access to new treatments than the rest of the world.
- AEI article: Less than 15 percent of the average physician’s time is spent in direct contact with patients. It’s no wonder that two-thirds of physicians are burned out.
- The presence of chief diversity officers in K-12 schools leads to lower test scores among black and Hispanic students and wider achievement gaps between minorities and white students.
Category: Policy & Legislation
Thousands of Knee Replacements Failed Prematurely, Manufacturer Knew about Problem for Years
Implanted hips and knees don’t last forever. Surgeons try to schedule them in such a way that patients who get implants won’t need another, but there is no guarantee. For example, patients in their 60s are often advised to hold out for a few years so they won’t need a second hip or knee replacement in their 80s. A rule of thumb is that an implanted hip or knee should be good for at least 15 to 20 years, and possibly longer. A study in The Lancet found that knee implants were still good after 10 years in 96% of patients, and still working after 20 years in 90% of patients. Another study found more than 80% of knee replacements last 25 years or more.
Monday Links
- Penn Wharton warning: the US is headed toward default.
- Aaron Carroll: misinformation about health care has a very long history.
- Will shaming hospitals make them lower their charges?
- How progressives thought about race – 100 years ago.
- The worst police abuses do not involve accidental shootings.
- More on why marriage matters.
Paying People Not to Work
The March 2021 American Rescue Plan … extended a program that added $300 each week to a state’s standard [unemployment] benefit. A separate part of the bill expanded eligibility … to workers such as the self-employed.