A recent study commissioned by the California Department of Health and Human Services found that about 172,000 people are homeless in the state, accounting for nearly one-third (30%) of the total homeless population in the nation. Moreover, the idea that homeless people flock to California was dispelled by the study. It found that roughly 90% of the homeless in California were living there prior to becoming homeless. Housing advocates worry the homeless are undercounted because it doesn’t necessarily measure those who sleep in their cars or couch surf from one friend’s couch to the next. It presumably does not include the plethora of people living in old recreational vehicles parked alongside streets or roads. Advocates say those living in RVs do not consider themselves homeless, although living in a derelict camper on public property blurs the lines between homelessness and marginal housing.
Category: Health Economics & Costs
Tuesday Links
- Every generation thinks people were nicer in the past. But it’s not true.
- Evidence that colonoscopies aren’t worth it.
- Claim: Frenemies can be hazardous to your health. (NYT)
- Claim: Doctors are suffering from “moral injury.” (NYT)
- Biden claim: “real income for the bottom half of earners is up by 3.4% since I took office.” Reality: real income for the bottom 25% has fallen 2.3%, while the second income quartile has fallen 3.9%.
Is Medicare Advantage the Answer to High Drug Costs?
Average annual deductibles in Part D prescription drug plans (PDPs) are roughly four times higher than those in Medicare Advantage drug plans (MA-PDs) ($398 versus $90). Average monthly premiums for PDPs are also roughly 3.5 times higher than in MA-PDPs ($40 versus $11). Similarly, MA-PDP formularies cover a higher share of potentially coverable Part D drugs than PDPs (89 percent compared to 83 percent). At the same time, MA-PDPs impose utilization management requirements (such as prior authorization and quantity limits) on formulary covered drugs at a lower rate, relative to PDPs.
Saturday Links
- Neil Ferguson’s infamous Imperial College London model predicted lockdowns would avoid 1.7 to 2.1 million COVID deaths. A new study finds the actual reduction in COVID deaths associated with lockdowns was 4,300 to 15,600.
- A positive obituary for Silvio.
- The left hates home schooling.
- Can noise reduce your life expectancy?
- Is most mental illness little more than socially disapproved preferences? Byron Caplan: Yes. Arnold Kling: No.
- The danger in exercising too much.