Beyond Labels

A 360° Discussion of Foreign, National and Local Policy Issues

Notes 15 May 2017

Will Republicans keep the house? The average loss of the president’s party in the House has been 23 seats.

More nuanced from 538 “Donald Trump is unpopular enough that Republicans could lose the House, but there’s a lot of uncertainty.”

What the GOP gamble on healthcare means for the midterms

How Trump Could Rearrange the U.S. House

Doctors control the number of doctors in America (Mother Jones)

Synthroid vs generic medication

Why is healthcare so expensive in the US

From PBS: why does healthcare cost so much

In all of Ontario there are 11 hospitals that can do open heart surgery. Pennsylvania has roughly the population of Ontario and it has a bit over 60 hospitals that can do open heart surgery. So there’s no way you can operate on as many people in Ontario as you can in Pennsylvania even if you operated around the clock.

Office of Inspector General report on replacement schedule for CPAP supplies Bottom line: OIG did a study that says Medicare allows too-frequent replacement; Medicare says “no thanks.”

Is it Ethical for Doctors to give Placebos

Heart Surgery in India $1,500 vs $106,000 in the US

Costs of bypass surgery around the world:

MD LIve  $49.00 or less per visit

  • Acne
  • Allergies
  • Constipation
  • Cough
  • Diarrhea
  • Ear problems
  • Fever
  • Flu
  • Headache
  • Insect bites
  • Nausea / vomiting
  • Pink eye
  • Rash
  • Respiratory problems
  • Sore throats
  • Urinary problems / UTI
  • Vaginitis
  • and more

Teledoc

HealthTap

Chronic Care management services

Mobile Health News

 

Notes 8 May 2017

Dr. Otis Brawley (Wikipedia)

Comparison of Healthcare costs in Maine collected by Maine Health Data Organization

Colonoscopy from $1,248 to $5,094

Knee replacement $28K-$66K

Arthroscopy of knee $5,000 -> $13,000

 

Per Capita Healthcare costs

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_total_health_expenditure_per_capita

 

Inline image 1Original source

How healthcare is financed

What happened in 1981?

Costs of Administration in the US

Direct to Consumer Advertising of Pharmaceutical

Costs of Drug

From here.

I also found a longer article that provides a lot more data about the financing of health care worldwide.
And this one on global health.

 

Offshore healthcare costs from here.

From BCBS here.

Kaiser Health costs

Kaiser Health Care Prescription cost

Medical costs were at 17.8% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2015 according to the USCenters for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) in the National Health Expenditure Fact Sheet. They are almost certainly higher today.
The US economy has been growing at less than 2% per year over the past few decades. Here, from Kaiser Foundation, is the stark reality, in one graph,

Inline image 4

this talk by Dr. Otis Brawley (Wikipedia)

Notes 24 April 2017

“In God We Trust” appeared on coins in 1864, and was require, by Congressional resolution to appear on currency in 1956. (Ref).

The Pledge of Allegiance was composed in 1887 and formally adopted by Congress in 1942. The words “under God” were added in 1954.

Atheists are barred from holding public office in several states.

The investment theory of party politics.

Maine town tuitioning program. Proposal by LePage to allow let religious schools get public money.

Senate bill for regulation of small business.

Trump attended Church! For Easter.

$82 billion in tax deferrals to churches.

Infant mortality in Maine — mainly rural. Factors contributing to deaths.

Health comparison site.

Pew research on abortion. Summary report.

World fertility rankings:

 Millenials having less sex

Ayatolah is head of state in Iran

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