Wonks Anonymous: Recent Comments

Comment on The High Deductible Myth

2010-02-27T21:06:53Z

Would not preventive care available at zero deductible cover the problem of under utilization of preventive care with high deductible insurance?

Comment on Initiative Abuse

2010-02-23T22:35:25Z

Two-thirds voter approval is the standard for local General Obligation bonds for non-school related infrastructure and for local special taxes.

A vote requirement will ensure a decision by local government leaders to use public dollars or incur public debt to go into the retail electricity business gets the public discussion it deserves.

In fact we should have a simple majority requirement for all measures. we went to war in Iraq so that 1/3 of the population - that would be the Sunnis - did not run the lives of the rest of the population.

As things now stand 1/3 of the population of California - that would be you and other worshippers of the cult of the market - can run the the lives of the rest of us.

This is not about public discussion it is about public obstruction of stuff htat you do not approve of.

Readers should note that the URL attached to this comment is owned by the campaign for this initiative.

At last I have a Troll!

- WA

Comment on Kumbaya 2: Fixing Medicare

2010-02-16T15:14:22Z

GAH. Um, thanks for the heads-up!

Comment on A Secular Republic Founded By Christians

2010-02-13T01:34:40Z

The Treaty of Tripoli which was signed June 7, 1797. Article 11; As the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion;
http://www.stephenjaygould.org/ctrl/treaty_tripoli.html

Comment on A Secular Republic Founded By Christians

2010-02-13T01:27:44Z

There is a big difference between allowing gay marriage and denying it. Allowing it, doesn't mean everyone is going to do it. Denying it means NO ONE CAN.

Comment on We Like Sheep

2010-02-05T17:56:51Z

MLWA (my laughter was audible)

Comment on Development For Dummies

2010-02-04T12:05:12Z

Outstanding post. The issue is really very simple: Chinese labor being exploited by the state for monetary profit which is kept in vaults.

The original reason this (and similar) mercantilist schemes arise is because society is so fettered that the only functioning markets are abroad. Then mercantilism takes a life of its own.

Comment on Let's Not Get All Emotional Now

2010-01-25T05:31:37Z

that was beautiful

Comment on Health Insurance Exchanges 1: A Free Market Fable

2010-01-20T19:33:46Z

Exactly. Risk adjustment is how auto insurance works to keep costs low, but HDHP remains profitable using another strategy - passing the deductible costs on and usin premiums for the high risk health plans.

My main concern is that shopping for health insurance will never be a free market, which WA gets at above. You think shopping for car insurance is painful? You have to choose a premium, deductible, coverage max. Health insurance can take so many forms it's hilarious - HDHPs, PPOs, HMOs, EPOs/POSs (which are just blends of HMOs and PPOs), Health Savings Accounts, Indemnity Plans for the truly sick, etc. They all work differently. In addition, besides worrying about premiums, deductibles, and copays, you have to worry about what services they cover/don't cover, in what amounts (percentages? flat rates?), what drugs they'll pay for, and whether or not they'll deny your claim in the end. Pre-existing conditions are another worry that Obama plans to get rid of, but in the face of those, there are millions of people who will never be able to get an individual insurance plan.

How can consumers make informed decisions on healthcare when you see everyday people gravitate toward limited health plans that will screw them in the end (a la MegaHealth)?

Comment on Single Payor Is Nice But . . .

2010-01-10T04:27:15Z

Single Payer is attractive to liberals (aside from actually providing truly universal health care) because there is a huge chunk of money wasted in administration that dwarfs all of the cost savings in currently proposed health care reform legislation. While this may not solve the problems in the health care market and long term cost growth would probably still be unsustainable, in the short and medium term administrative costs are one of the biggest easily visible targets.

Beyond administrative costs, single payer makes other reforms easier. U.S. prices for drugs and medical procedures tend to be much greater than prices in the rest of the developed world. With single payer, price controls are more likely to occur than without it (see Medicare which "underpays" doctors).

Once the market is under greater government control, this also helps to transition toward a better payment model. Ontario has had success with Family Health Teams [1], which may be similar to the Accountable Care Organizations that you have been advocating.

[1] http://healthcarereform.nejm.org/?p=2612