Category: Interesting Links

Increased Retail Clinics Visits, and Other Links

Visits to retail clinics increased fourfold from 2007 to 2009, with an estimated 5.97 million visits in 2009 alone.

Darn. I want one of those spells. eBay is banning the sale of spells, hexes, healings, blessings, prayers, and other similar supernaturalia. HT: Tyler.

House Ways and Means Committee: AARP has no credibility on Medicare reform.

Aug 20, 2012 | 7 comments | by John Goodman

Headlines I Wish I Hadn’t Seen

Hospitals treating the poor are the hardest hit by Medicare’s readmissions penalties.

NBER study: Average effect of electronic medical records: slightly higher hospital costs.

In most maritime disasters, women and children don’t deboard first. The Titanic may have been a case of noblesse oblige.

Aug 15, 2012 | 6 comments | by John Goodman

Headlines I Wish I Hadn’t Seen

Columnist Jonathan Alter: “Repeal equals death.”

Half of baby boomers don’t think they will ever be able to retire.

ObamaCare rebates to employees are actually going to employers.

Aug 13, 2012 | 8 comments | by John Goodman

Headlines I Wish I Hadn’t Seen

60% of Americans walk to stay fit — but they are not walking enough.

Romney Care update: Health costs — Medicaid, subsidies, public-employee compensation — will consume some 54 percent of Massachusetts’ budget in 2012, up from about 24 percent in 2001.

Health care horror story: anti-Romney ad fact checked.

Aug 10, 2012 | 4 comments | by John Goodman

Headlines I Wish I Hadn’t Seen

State exchanges have to be transparent; the federal exchanges can be concocted in secrecy.

More than 100 million people are receiving a means tested (welfare) benefit.

56 million people in sub-Saharan Africa are in need of surgery. I believe all those countries have national health insurance.

Patient dumping alive and well in Denver.

Aug 10, 2012 | 4 comments | by John Goodman

Olympics New Rule, and Other Links

Why so many gymnasts are falling down: Olympic rule changes. (HT: Ezra)

Study: the Romney tax plan would increase GDP by 5.4 percentage points and create 6.8 million new jobs. (pointer: Greg Mankiw)

How long would it take Federal Express to return a mis-mailed package?

Aug 08, 2012 | 6 comments | by John Goodman

Headlines I Wish I Hadn’t Seen

Dozens of hospitals across the country lost access to crucial electronic medical records for about five hours during a major computer outage last week.

Taxpayers are subsidizing junk food. HT: Sarah Kliff.

Aug 07, 2012 | 7 comments | by John Goodman

Headlines I Wish I Hadn’t Seen

Just half of heart patients refill their medications, resulting in 113,00 deaths a year. HT: Sarah Kliff.

You veel take your medicine: tiny digestible microchips that can be added to pills will allow providers to monitor whether patients actually take them.

6% of drivers go out of their way to run over creatures: snakes and even turtles. HT: Sarah Kliff.

Aug 06, 2012 | 6 comments | by John Goodman

Hospitals with High Readmissions, and Other Links

Some hospitals with high readmissions are actually doing a better job than most in keeping Medicare patients alive.

Are doctors paid too much?

Does Medicaid really save lives? Why that study may be wrong.

The strange morality of elderly entitlement programs.

Aug 02, 2012 | 7 comments | by John Goodman

Headlines I Wish I Hadn’t Seen

FAA has authorized 106 government “entities” to fly domestic drones.

Weekend hospital visits more deadly, more expensive, and result in longer stays.

A double dip recession may be on its way.

ObamaCare will cost McDonald’s $420 million a year.

Jul 27, 2012 | 6 comments | by John Goodman