Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Adding another source of information
http://www.cmio.net/index.php?option=com_articles&division=cmio
Friday, December 4, 2009
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Economic Indication
Housing starts may be down but what about existing housing sales. How much weakness does the reduction in durable goods associated with new home sales account for in the economy?
" U.S. housing starts fall sharply, inflation edges up (2009-11-18) -- Construction of new homes in the United States fell sharply last month, showing potential weakness in the economy's recovery, while consumer prices rose slightly more than expected. Read the remainder of the article at ...http://www.newsdaily.com/stories/n1899353-us-usa-economy/
" U.S. housing starts fall sharply, inflation edges up (2009-11-18) -- Construction of new homes in the United States fell sharply last month, showing potential weakness in the economy's recovery, while consumer prices rose slightly more than expected. Read the remainder of the article at ...http://www.newsdaily.com/stories/n1899353-us-usa-economy/
Monday, November 16, 2009
Healthcare reform for elderly
A report from the governments health insurer estimates health expenditures for elderly and indigent to increase quicker than previously reported.
http://www.modernhealthcare.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091115/REG/311159992
http://www.modernhealthcare.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091115/REG/311159992
Thursday, November 12, 2009
S&P notes not-for-profits' slimmer operating margins - Modern Healthcare
I checked out S&P reports through web search. S&P Analysts are adjusting their positions on these to reflect the summary in this article
S&P notes not-for-profits' slimmer operating margins - Modern Healthcare
S&P notes not-for-profits' slimmer operating margins - Modern Healthcare
Getting the Young Covered is a Major Reform Challenge
Even as Congress attempts to iron out differences on health reform, some major problems remain, and it seems unlikely that any current reform is likely to solve them. One concerns the requirement that everyone buy health insurance.
Despite offering coverage to all comers, as well as equal pricing for people with any medical history and both genders, young, poor consumers in good health have traditionally refused to buy a policy.
Right now, young adults between the ages of 20 and 24 are the most likely to be uninsured, often because they're working entry-level jobs that don't offer benefits. Between the financial demands they face and the sense that they don't need the coverage, they're unlikely to take an insurance mandate lightly, observers say.
The problem is that if young, healthy people aren't included in the pool, it could bankrupt insurers, as their premiums are needed to counterbalance coverage for patients with expensive medical problems. Senate and House leaders differ on how to handle the problem.
To work around this issue, some states are extending the age limits on coverage within parental policies. In Wisconsin, for example, people up to age 27 will remain on their family's health plan starting Jan. 1.
Read more: http://www.fiercehealthcare.com/story/getting-young-covered-major-reform-challenge/2009-11-11#ixzz0WebYjGTD
Despite offering coverage to all comers, as well as equal pricing for people with any medical history and both genders, young, poor consumers in good health have traditionally refused to buy a policy.
Right now, young adults between the ages of 20 and 24 are the most likely to be uninsured, often because they're working entry-level jobs that don't offer benefits. Between the financial demands they face and the sense that they don't need the coverage, they're unlikely to take an insurance mandate lightly, observers say.
The problem is that if young, healthy people aren't included in the pool, it could bankrupt insurers, as their premiums are needed to counterbalance coverage for patients with expensive medical problems. Senate and House leaders differ on how to handle the problem.
To work around this issue, some states are extending the age limits on coverage within parental policies. In Wisconsin, for example, people up to age 27 will remain on their family's health plan starting Jan. 1.
Read more: http://www.fiercehealthcare.com/story/getting-young-covered-major-reform-challenge/2009-11-11#ixzz0WebYjGTD
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Another source for health care economics data
This source provides publications, events, funding opportunities and other resources to support university teachers of economics. I recently found on there a paper that examined the top health economics journal articles by frequency of citation on reading lists.Economics Network in UK source for health economics http://www.economicsnetwork...
Monday, November 9, 2009
Social Networking personal or professional?
What began as social networking, a tool for connecting people, has quickly given way to social media, which has been defined as an outlet for publishing;
http://www.messagingnews.com/story/social-media-enterprise-approach-caution
http://www.messagingnews.com/story/social-media-enterprise-approach-caution
Friday, November 6, 2009
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Friday, October 30, 2009
Thursday, October 29, 2009
House Dems health care bill
House Dems unveil $894 Billion health care bill
http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/10/29/health.care/index.html
http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/10/29/health.care/index.html
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Internet, Twitter, Web Pages of Healthcare information
Medical News Today web site. They also twitter and Facebook http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
http://www.ahrq.gov/
Kaiser Family Foundation
http://kff.org/
Link to The Effect of Health Care Cost Growth on the U.S. Economy
http://aspe.hhs.gov/health/reports/08/healthcarecost/report.html
and the root to that which is
The Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) is the principal advisor to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on policy development, and is responsible for major activities in policy coordination, legislation development, strategic planning, policy research, evaluation, and economic analysis.
http://aspe.hhs.gov/_/index.cfm
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
http://www.ahrq.gov/
Kaiser Family Foundation
http://kff.org/
Link to The Effect of Health Care Cost Growth on the U.S. Economy
http://aspe.hhs.gov/health/reports/08/healthcarecost/report.html
and the root to that which is
The Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) is the principal advisor to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on policy development, and is responsible for major activities in policy coordination, legislation development, strategic planning, policy research, evaluation, and economic analysis.
http://aspe.hhs.gov/_/index.cfm
Health Reform Health Insurer's profit margin
Oct 26, 10:06 AM EDT
FACT CHECK: Health insurers' profits 35th of 53
By CALVIN WOODWARD Associated Press Writer
GOP: Health Reform Negatively Impacts Life
WASHINGTON (AP) -- In the health care debate, Democrats and their allies have gone after insurance companies as rapacious profiteers making "immoral" and "obscene" returns while "the bodies pile up."
But in pillorying insurers over profits, the critics are on shaky ground. Ledgers tell a different reality.
Health insurance profit margins typically run about 6 percent, give or take a point or two. That's anemic compared with other forms of insurance and a broad array of industries, even some beleaguered ones.
Profits barely exceeded 2 percent of revenues in the latest annual measure. This partly explains why the credit ratings of some of the largest insurers were downgraded to negative from stable heading into this year, as investors were warned of a stagnant if not shrinking market for private plans.
Insurers are an expedient target for leaders who want a government-run plan in the marketplace. Such a public option would force private insurers to trim profits and restrain premiums to compete, the argument goes. This would "keep insurance companies honest," says President Barack Obama.
The debate is loaded with intimations that insurers are less than straight, when they are not flatly accused of malfeasance.
The insurers may not have helped their case by commissioning a report that looked primarily at the elements of health care legislation that might drive consumer costs up while ignoring elements aimed at bringing costs down. Few in the debate seem interested in a true balance sheet.
A look at some claims, and the numbers:
THE CLAIMS
-"I'm very pleased that (Democratic leaders) will be talking, too, about the immoral profits being made by the insurance industry and how those profits have increased in the Bush years." House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., who also welcomed the attention being drawn to insurers' "obscene profits."
-"Keeping the status quo may be what the insurance industry wants. Their premiums have more than doubled in the last decade and their profits have skyrocketed." Maryland Rep. Chris Van Hollen, member of the Democratic leadership.
-"Health insurance companies are willing to let the bodies pile up as long as their profits are safe." A MoveOn.org ad.
THE NUMBERS:
Health insurers posted a 2.2 percent profit margin last year, placing them 35th of 53 industries on the Fortune 500 list. As is typical, other health sectors did much better - drugs and medical products and services were both in the top 10.
The railroads brought in a 12.6 percent profit margin. Leading the list: network and other communications equipment, at 20.4 percent.
HealthSpring, the best performer in the health insurance industry, posted 5.4 percent. That's a less profitable margin than was achieved by the makers of Tupperware, Clorox bleach and Molson and Coors beers.
The star among the health insurance companies did, however, nose out Jack in the Box restaurants, which only achieved a 4 percent margin.
UnitedHealth Group, reporting third quarter results last week, saw fortunes improve. It managed a 5 percent profit margin on an 8 percent growth in revenue.
Van Hollen is right that premiums have more than doubled in a decade, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation study that found a 131 percent increase.
But were the Bush years golden ones for health insurers?
Not judging by profit margins, profit growth or returns to shareholders. The industry's overall profits grew only 8.8 percent from 2003 to 2008, and its margins year to year, from 2005 forward, never cracked 8 percent.
The latest annual profit margins of a selection of products, services and industries: Tupperware Brands, 7.5 percent; Yahoo, 5.9 percent; Hershey, 6.1 percent; Clorox, 8.7 percent; Molson Coors Brewing, 8.1 percent; construction and farm machinery, 5 percent; Yum Brands (think KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell), 8.5 percent.
---
Associated Press writer Tom Murphy in Indianapolis contributed to this report.
© 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our Privacy Policy.
Click here for copyright permissions!
Copyright 2008 Associated Press
I attempted to follow the copyright rules listed by AP but could not get the thml to work.
FACT CHECK: Health insurers' profits 35th of 53
By CALVIN WOODWARD Associated Press Writer
GOP: Health Reform Negatively Impacts Life
WASHINGTON (AP) -- In the health care debate, Democrats and their allies have gone after insurance companies as rapacious profiteers making "immoral" and "obscene" returns while "the bodies pile up."
But in pillorying insurers over profits, the critics are on shaky ground. Ledgers tell a different reality.
Health insurance profit margins typically run about 6 percent, give or take a point or two. That's anemic compared with other forms of insurance and a broad array of industries, even some beleaguered ones.
Profits barely exceeded 2 percent of revenues in the latest annual measure. This partly explains why the credit ratings of some of the largest insurers were downgraded to negative from stable heading into this year, as investors were warned of a stagnant if not shrinking market for private plans.
Insurers are an expedient target for leaders who want a government-run plan in the marketplace. Such a public option would force private insurers to trim profits and restrain premiums to compete, the argument goes. This would "keep insurance companies honest," says President Barack Obama.
The debate is loaded with intimations that insurers are less than straight, when they are not flatly accused of malfeasance.
The insurers may not have helped their case by commissioning a report that looked primarily at the elements of health care legislation that might drive consumer costs up while ignoring elements aimed at bringing costs down. Few in the debate seem interested in a true balance sheet.
A look at some claims, and the numbers:
THE CLAIMS
-"I'm very pleased that (Democratic leaders) will be talking, too, about the immoral profits being made by the insurance industry and how those profits have increased in the Bush years." House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., who also welcomed the attention being drawn to insurers' "obscene profits."
-"Keeping the status quo may be what the insurance industry wants. Their premiums have more than doubled in the last decade and their profits have skyrocketed." Maryland Rep. Chris Van Hollen, member of the Democratic leadership.
-"Health insurance companies are willing to let the bodies pile up as long as their profits are safe." A MoveOn.org ad.
THE NUMBERS:
Health insurers posted a 2.2 percent profit margin last year, placing them 35th of 53 industries on the Fortune 500 list. As is typical, other health sectors did much better - drugs and medical products and services were both in the top 10.
The railroads brought in a 12.6 percent profit margin. Leading the list: network and other communications equipment, at 20.4 percent.
HealthSpring, the best performer in the health insurance industry, posted 5.4 percent. That's a less profitable margin than was achieved by the makers of Tupperware, Clorox bleach and Molson and Coors beers.
The star among the health insurance companies did, however, nose out Jack in the Box restaurants, which only achieved a 4 percent margin.
UnitedHealth Group, reporting third quarter results last week, saw fortunes improve. It managed a 5 percent profit margin on an 8 percent growth in revenue.
Van Hollen is right that premiums have more than doubled in a decade, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation study that found a 131 percent increase.
But were the Bush years golden ones for health insurers?
Not judging by profit margins, profit growth or returns to shareholders. The industry's overall profits grew only 8.8 percent from 2003 to 2008, and its margins year to year, from 2005 forward, never cracked 8 percent.
The latest annual profit margins of a selection of products, services and industries: Tupperware Brands, 7.5 percent; Yahoo, 5.9 percent; Hershey, 6.1 percent; Clorox, 8.7 percent; Molson Coors Brewing, 8.1 percent; construction and farm machinery, 5 percent; Yum Brands (think KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell), 8.5 percent.
---
Associated Press writer Tom Murphy in Indianapolis contributed to this report.
© 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our Privacy Policy.
Click here for copyright permissions!
Copyright 2008 Associated Press
I attempted to follow the copyright rules listed by AP but could not get the thml to work.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Initial Basis of the blog
I'm going to write about data, information, and such items about the state level health and social services. At the state level this space will be mostly is about the operation of a Medicaid program.
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