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February 10, 2012
Lisa M. Krieger: Man with defibrillator demands access to his own heart's information
David G. Savage: Why activists may not be in a hurry to have High Court rule on alternative marriage
February 9, 2012
Laura McMullen: 10 Least Expensive Public Schools for Out-of-State Students
Kimberly Palmer: How to actually enjoy -- relaxing, financially -- your vacation
February 8, 2012
Warren Richey: Why momentous Prop. 8 ruling might not satisfy gay-rights groups
Menachem Wecker: Though Controversial, LL.M.'s Can Lead to Specialized Legal Jobs
The Kosher Gourmet byDana Velden: Going to the bother of making soup? You know it better be good. This CREAM OF TOMATO SOUP certainly is! And it's a cinch to make, too (Includes techinques and serving secrets)
February 7, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney, Jr.: Caught off-guard? President's Super Bowl interview with Matt Lauer gives those who need a reason not to vote for him, a darn good one
Suzanne Bohan: Leaping lizards! Tiny reptiles advancing robot design
February 6, 2012
Jonathan Tobin: Iran Threatens Israel With Destruction, But the New York Times Doesn't Hear It
Jeffrey Fleishman: In newly democratic Egypt, tens of democracy activists jailed, to stand trial; their groups are 'threatening the stability of the homeland'
Julie Deardorff : Researchers say antioxidants may not be that effective and could do more harm than good
Mark Clayton: How did Anonymous hackers eavesdrop on FBI and Scotland Yard?
February 3, 2012
Edmund Sanders : Israeli official says Iran is creating missile that could reach East Coast of US
Victoria Kim: Immigrant-smuggling ring used black drivers to avoid racial profiling
February 2, 2012
Jim Carney: Wrong number call may have saved her life
Reza Kahlili : Ex-CIA spy in Iran's Revolutionary Guard: What Obama doesn't grasp about striking deals with Tehran
Tina Susman: For woodchuck rescuer, every day is Groundhog Day
February 1, 2012
Brian Bennett: US officials see increasing threat of domestic attack from Iran
Emily Brandon: How to Take Advantage of New 401(k) Fee Disclosures
January 31, 2012
January 30, 2012
Paul Richter and Ramin Mostaghim: Misreading Teheran's limits -- deadly and economically devastating as they may be -- is a risk administration, Europe seem willing to take
Suzanne Bohan: Warning: Nap-deprived tots missing more than sleep, study finds
Meg Handley: Banks Revamping Rewards Programs to Woo Customers
January 27, 2012
Caroline B. Glick: Obama: Of course I intend to prevent a nuclear holocaust . . . in a few months
Yochonon Donn: In liberal New York City, fervently-Orthodox Jews may soon be getting a district to call their own
Jeannine Stein: An inflated ego and thinking you're 'all that' doesn't just make others sick of you, it can make you ill
Katy Hopkins: New budget rules may affect how much money you get for college
January 26, 2012
Ed Koch: To the New York Times, calling for the murder of Jews by those capable of having their incitement taken seriously isn't news
Jeannine Stein: Mental illness struck one in five U.S. adults in 2010: Report
January 25, 2012
Richard Simon: House passes two bills endorsing the use of religious symbols at military memorials
Fred Weir: Putin: Multiethnic Russia cannot survive as a US-style 'melting pot'; must find its own way
Susan Johnston: 5 Sneaky Coupon Strategies Consumers Should Watch Out For
January 24, 2012
Carol Clark: The price of your soul: How your brain decides whether to 'sell out'
Caroline B. Glick: America lost most in 'Arab Spring'. Sadly, many voters still don't grasp the extent
Warren Richey: Drug criminal scores win in GPS ruling from conservative-leaning high court
Erika Bolstad: Black conservatives gather to talk about gaining strength
January 23, 2012
Melissa Dribben: Jewish voters to play a key role in Florida's Republican primary
Jordan Rau: In quest to grow, Catholic hospital system will announce this morning its break from church
Ali Safi: U.S. envoy gives Taliban terms for peace talks
January 19, 2012
January 18, 2012
January 17, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney Jr.: No-kidding red lines: U.S. response to an Iranian nuke may be bluster, but Israel's won't be
David G. Savage: They sued their principals after slandering them online --- now the cases are headed to the Supreme Court
David Francis: Where to Invest in 2012: With stocks expected to rebound, opportunity abounds for investors
January 13, 2012
Ben Lynfield: Israeli lawmakers move to annex Jewish Judea, one museum at a time
Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz: Thriving through touch: Gentle massage helps older people with low mobility improve in mind and body
January 12, 2012
Warren Richey: Landmark Supreme Court ruling a 'resounding win' for religious groups
Warren Richey: Supreme Court says no to new rule on eyewitness testimony
John Fauber : Statins found to raise diabetes risk in postmenopausal women
Katy Hopkins : Consider This Before You Pay for an Online Degree
The Kosher Gourmet by Joseph Erdos: This mushroom and barley soup has an intense -- almost nutty -- flavor that mixes robust with Middle East. It has creaminess without cream
January 11, 2012
Shari Roan: Millions of atrial fibrillation sufferers at risk for devastating, but preventable, stroke
Tom Hussain: Pakistan -- recipient of more than $21 billion in civilian and military aid -- speeds pursuit of Iranian pipeline, defying US
David G. Savage: High court signals it won't be loosening TV's 'indecency' rules
Stephen Ceasar: Oklahoma's Islamic law amendment can't go into effect, court rules
January 10, 2012
Reza Kahlili: From an ex-CIA spy: US must exploit new split in Iran's Revolutionary Guard
Karen Kaplan: Study: Nicotine replacement products ineffective when used in real-life situations
January 9, 2012
Michael Doyle: Put through legal hell over dream home, couple fought back hard --- all the way to Supreme Court
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Jewish World Review
Oct. 27, 2009 / 9 Mar-Cheshvan 5770
Government by Holiday Inn Express
By
Mona Charen
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http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
You've seen those commercials in which an airline pilot, or surgeon, or
nuclear engineer is giving expert advice only to acknowledge eventually
to this nonplussed listeners that while he is not actually a
fill-in-the-blank, he did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night. Do
you ever get the feeling that we are getting Holiday Inn Express
government?
Does anything they say make basic economic sense? President Obama and
the Democratic Party propose to save money (or what they call "bend the
cost curve") on health care spending. They will spend less, they say,
but also cover more people the 47 million or 30 million uninsured
(Obama has used both numbers). This will be accomplished without
reducing care for anyone and without raising taxes on anyone except the
rich. In fact, care will be improved.
Sounds great. But do these people know what they're doing? They mouth
the words "choice" and "competition" but only, ironically, in praise of
a "public option." The concept of encouraging choice and competition in
the health insurance market say by permitting interstate sales is
off the table.
The Wall Street Journal provided a handy chart of "Uncle Sam's Cost
Overruns." In 1965, when Medicaid was enacted, the House Ways and Means
Committee estimated that first year costs would amount to about $238
million. The actual price was $1 billion. The program now costs $251
billion annually and is climbing fast. The record is similar for
Medicare. In 1965, Congress predicted that by 1990, Medicare would be
costing $12 billion. The actual cost $90 billion. As Peter Orszag,
director of the Office of Management and Budget has admitted, "If costs
per enrollee in Medicare and Medicaid grow at the same rate over the
next four decades as they have over the past four, those two programs
will increase from 5 percent of GDP today to 20 percent by 2050."
So the same people who brought you cost spirals in Medicare and Medicaid
now propose to introduce another government health program. Don't worry,
they assure us, we know how to provide efficiencies. It's not necessary
to dwell on the risible claim that they will cut half a trillion in
waste from the Medicare budget. If they know where that waste is, why
aren't they cutting it now? Where, on the books, are the federal
waste-cutting initiatives?
The administration has also highlighted two other ideas that will
supposedly provide tremendous cost savings. Both have been in the news
lately.
Starting during the campaign, President Obama touted digital medical records to
reduce errors, improve care, and cut costs. More than $19 billion of stimulus funds
were earmarked for it. But when the Washington Post examined the matter, they
discovered that digital records not only fail to produce the promised benefits, they
actually reduce efficiency and cause errors. The digital systems currently available
give physicians too much information. Pages upon pages of digital information
document every conceivable ailment a patient might have. Doctors have difficulty
wading through all of the unnecessary data to reach the critical information. One
emergency room physician at a hospital that had adopted a digital system complained,
"It's been a complete nightmare. I can't see my patients because I'm at a screen
entering data . … Physician productivity and satisfaction have fallen off a
cliff." Some hospitals have adopted digital systems only to abandon them.
Another silver bullet the administration has peddled is preventive care.
Everyone knows that a timely PSA test will detect prostate cancer at an
early and treatable phase thus saving the patient's life and saving
money, right? Not exactly. The test is obviously worthwhile for that
individual. But testing all men for prostate cancer an overwhelming
majority of whom will never get the disease is expensive. If more and
more of us are tested for more and more diseases even accounting for
some illnesses found early health spending will rise, not fall.
Further complicating the picture, the National Cancer Society has
announced that the benefits of cancer screenings, particularly for
breast and prostate cancers, have been oversold. They aren't saving very
many lives, but they are causing needless tests and surgeries.
The Baucus bill even before being melded with House versions
weighed in at 1,502 pages of new taxes, fees, and mandates. Every single
page proclaims something that is dubious that the Democrats know what
they are doing.
Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in the media and Washington consider "must-reading". Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.
Comment on JWR contributor Mona Charen's column by clicking here.
Mona Charen Archives
© 2006, Creators Syndicate
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