Market failure justifies intervention. Informed intervention can enhance efficiency. Two types of market failure that are prevalent in healthcare are asymmetric information and adverse selection.Â
Consumers (patients), suppliers (doctors), and insurance companies do not have the same information set.Â
Insurance companies can not offer coverage to [...]
From the WSJ yesterday:Â The Bush administration will push for tax code changes as part of healthcare reform.Â
Changing the tax code is essential for reform of healthcare. During World War 2 wages were regulated in an effort to keep production costs down. The market response was predictable, firms began competing [...]
This appeared in the Maryville Daily Times the first week of JanuaryÂ
Guest Commentary
CoverTN a positive plan that will need tweaking, but is encouraging
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Tennessee is moving in a positive new direction of health care that will be especially helpful for working uninsured residents of the state. Known as CoverTN, it [...]
This letter to the editor was given in response. It was not printed. Dr. Robert Berry runs the PATMOS Clinic in East Tennessee. Why is it so hard to see solutions, at least partial solutions, that are right in front of our eyes? (click on the PATMOS link for the [...]
On Vital Votes, however, biochemist Russ Bianchi issued a warning:
“ChapStick brand, or lip balms, or moisturizes, that are chemistry, and petroleum based, or rendered fats from slaughter houses and tallow refining plants, like GLYCERIN (glycerol) for Proctor & Gamble, Colgate Palmolive and other cosmetic or soap giants, ARE [...]
Court to reconsider insurer surpluses
Aside from the lawsuits, the surpluses of the state’s Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans have drawn protests from businesses and consumer groups in recent years.
[...]From last week’s WSJ:
America’s Health Insurance Plans, the lobby for private insurers, came out recently with ideas for healthcare policy reform. The promotion of what they are calling a Universal Health Account is a great idea. It would end the bias in our tax code that allows employers to deduct [...]
