January 15th, 2010 § 0
Profound, simple, and unknown:
It’s because we cleaned our water, developed vaccines, and invented antibiotics. We saved the children, and now modern medicine is flailing around selling relative snake oil to now try and save the old people who’ve terrorized their bodies since surviving childhood.
Full post by Jay Parkinson here.
December 30th, 2009 § 0
1. Summer Tomato’s healthy habits for a new decade. Simple and sensible. More about long-term evolution than short-term sacrifice.
2. Jay’s eloquent explanation of the health care industry. Past, present and future. A must-read.
3. A wonderful find from HBR on patience, smartphones, and how we’re micro-processing life, minute by minute.
4. “What’s difficult is changing your attitude.” Seth on the meaning of Kevin Kelly’s first 1,000.
5. 10-step plan on how to gear yourself to implement a marketing plan by Robert Middleton via Philippa Kennealy. Translates to just about any goal.
October 26th, 2009 § 0
The NYTimes article last week talked about President Obama’s attack on the health insurance industry. Here’s why it happened:
The report, issued by America’s Health Insurance Plans, concluded that premiums would rise 18 percent more under provisions of a Senate bill than they would otherwise in the next decade, to an average of nearly $26,000 for families and $9,700 for individuals in 2019.
Obama’s charged response:
“It’s smoke and mirrors,” Mr. Obama said. “It’s bogus. And it’s all too familiar. Every time we get close to passing reform, the insurance companies produce these phony studies as a prescription and say, ‘Take one of these, and call us in a decade.’ Well, not this time.”
Rather than trying to curb costs and help patients, he said, the industry is busy “figuring out how to avoid covering people.”
“And they’re earning these profits and bonuses while enjoying a privileged exemption from our antitrust laws,” he said, “a matter that Congress is rightfully reviewing.”
More politics. The David and Goliath game continues and you’re never sure who represents which side. It’s as confusing as health care reform itself. I publish a newsletter to try to make sense of it anyhow.
Joe Paduda of Managed Care Matters clarifies the details of the exemption from anti-trust regulations here, and here is Jay Parkinson’s take on the issue.
October 23rd, 2009 § 0
1. True empathy is hard to find.
2. Empathy in Action: An Experiment in Gratitude
4. This American Life: An hour explaining the American health care system.
5. Is this why Republicans can’t support health care reform?
