WhyTheHeck

The idea to market Lou Gehrig jerseys to raise proceeds and awareness for ALS was first made public in the economic policy humor book Why the Heck Aren’t We Already Doing This Stuff?  12 Economic Policy Ideas Even a Congressman Could Understand. The Gehrig jersey was the idea that got people’s attention though there are [...]

This “dual pool” concept provides free abortion coverage if desired without paying for it out of federal funds. If adopted, this propose would remove the House-Senate schism over federal funding. (This assumes that Stupak is watered down in conference.)

Dear OOBonomics Nation,
In response to my 9/28 San Francisco Chronicle Op-Ed on the right to die, I just got this email today  from Australia (I guess the internet is a bit slow over such long distances).     If anyone wants comments forwarded, I will do so but I can’ t assume he wants his contact info posted.  The [...]

Here is the compromise following everyone’s input.  To pro-lifers, I say, Roe v. Wade is the law of the land.  You can change it via the Supreme Court, not through a rider to a bill in Congress.  And if it’s a matter of principle not to pay for abortions with “your” insurance premiums, you shouldn’t [...]

ABORTION COVERAGE IS ABOUT MATH AS WELL AS POLITICS
 
Let us start by acknowledging that those who think abortion is a sin must be respected, and not forced into a risk pool that covers abortion.  Let us also acknowledge that those who are pro-choice need to accept the beliefs of those who are pro-life, and recognize that abortion [...]

Those of you who know your American history might recall the “Great Compromise” that allowed the rural states and the urban states to overcome a major impasse about whether representation should be proportional to population or whether all states should get equal weight.  The result was a bicameral legislature.  (But you knew that.)
Health care reform almost reached [...]

The Office of the Actuary, which makes the official Medicare cost projections,  just announced exactly what was in this blog last week – that there is no chance of overall health care costs falling as a percentage of GDP, and that the more people who are insured, the greater the level of healthcare spending. 
I myself [...]

There are a number of ways to save money in health care without anyone (”anyone” being defined as “anyone who is not a special interest”) feeling a reduction in service or quality. 
 
The first is quite simple.  Believe it or not, when a state Medicaid director puts an expensive new program in place that will ”reduce costs while increasing [...]

Last time I ended my entry by observing that as increasingly effective, painless, and expensive procedures,diagnostics and therapies are introduced, they will be over-consumed.  Why?  There is no economic check-and-balance against this because these resources are virtually free at the point of sale, which brings me to the third observation (counting the the last posting as [...]

This is the first in a series of blogs over the next week to explain why we need to get used to health care expenses continuing to rise, unless we are willing to discuss the R word (rationing). 
If all doctors and hospitals did was the same procedures we did 30 years ago, spending would be [...]