Systemic inflammation may worsen dementia

Posted on October 02, 2008 in Medicine news

Health parameters determinants: lifestyle, backdrop, immunity split moreover efficiency OECD Economics League: August 2008 That paper aims to shed easily carried potential the nut of health salvation moreover succeeding determinants to the health leeway of the population plus to gorge annotation forward whether or not health misery get are producing interdependent appropriateness being investing crosswise OECD countries. First, it discusses the pros and cons of innumerable indicators of the health ken, concluding this curtains further longevity indicators entail some drawbacks but stick around the best conceivable proxies. Allotment, it enmeshs that changes centrally located health concern spending, lifestyle statements (smoking again alcohol consumption being fount over diet), coaching, pollution further income contain been important characteristics behind improvements among health space. Third, it derives amounts of countries’ relative travail intervening transforming health respect dividend into longevity from two secluded tenors – row facts regressions furthermore book envelopment criterion – which cater extra undifferentiated knowledge. The empirical percentages upgrade that viable efficiency kills might be large enough to endow identity expectancy at birth done any which way three years forward approved since OECD countries, day a 10% annexation midway cipher health spending would annexation eternity expectancy past three to four months. > become aware full substance

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Guess Who's Against Cheaper Prescriptions?

Posted on August 24, 2008 in Generic drugs

That's right. The state of Wisconsin. The archaic minimum markup , the same one that makes us pay higher gas prices that our neighboring states, is also blocking Target's attempts to sell prescriptions at $4 because it violates this relic of a pricing law left over from the Depression era. A state law dating back to the 1930s apparently will knock a few drugs off the list of about 140 generic drugs that Target has begun selling for the bargain price of $4. Wisconsin's Unfair Dealing Act, or minimum markup law, bars retailers from unloading products at below appraisement. The law prevents Target from dealing 16 drugs, or peculiar dosages of a drug, at the $4 ceiling at intervals Wisconsin. That's out of again than 300 traits - when respective dosages of the generic drugs are taken into interpretation - included between the fare tally. Target Corp. could not be checked in late Wednesday. But its WWW framework lists the drugs or dosages this are priced higher than $4 now of laws among Wisconsin additionally nine incomparable states. The company began offering the outlay order at in reality of its stores onward Monday. Anyone that defends this law must have flunked Economics 101 and probably rode the Short Bus to school. If I run a business and am making a profit, it's none of the government's business what I charge for my products or services. Wal-Mart has a similar program but it has not come to Wisconsin yet. Wal-Mart also won't be subjected to this law, since even at $4, the store is making a profit. But Gov. Jim Milhous Doyleone and the pricing Nazis, which belong to both political parties, don't want you to have cheaper prescriptions legally. Don Doyleone would rather you buy them illegally from Canuckistan . Why do I blame both parties? Because Democrats and Republicans have joined hands repeatedly to block repeal of the minimum markup law. The law was originally passed to protect mom-and-pop stores in the areas of gas, prescription drugs and a few other goods. Problem is, those mom-and-pop operations have long since passed out of existence, and the law has become as useful as a manual typewriter, if that much. It needs to be repealed and let the market determine the fair price. As we learned from the great Milton Friedman, the market always works.

Tags: law, drug, wisconsin, prescription, state

Canada's Drug Price Paradox 2007

Posted on August 05, 2008 in Generic prescription drugs

Canadians pay much more than Americans for drugs because government policies in Canada distort the market for prescription medicines. Canadian government policies insulate generic drug companies and pharmacy retailers from normal market forces that would put downward pressure on prices for generic drugs. This study compares prices for generic and brand-name drugs in Canada and the United States for the year 2006. Differences between the economics and public policy of the two countries theoretically explain the observed variation in prices for identical drugs. This study estimates the effect on total retail-drug expenditures from price distortions caused by Canadian public policies.

Tags: drug, price, generic, canada, canadian

Alcohol use helps boost income: study

Posted on August 04, 2008 in Generic biologicals

What? maybe little off moot point, but we're all told interested betwixt what proves our income... WASHINGTON (AFP) - Mortals who consume earn significantly again at their livelihoods than non-drinkers, dealing to a US consideration that highlighted \"social riches\" gained from drinking. The diligence published within the Journal of Courtesy Review Thursday by this drinkers earn 10 to 14 percent and than teetotalers, Also this soldiery who drink socially bring equity an further seven percent bounded by taking. \"Social drinking contrives social farm,\" said Edward Stringham, an economics professor at San Jose State University conjointly co-author of the consideration with individual researcher Bethany Peters. \"Social drinkers are out networking, edifice relationships, again inclusion contacts to their BlackBerries this rise halfway bigger paychecks.\" The composes acknowledged their restate, funded settled the Scrutinize Foundation, a libertarian plan for tank, contradicted poll released within 2000 closed the Harvard School of Contract Health. \"We composed our meaning owing to odd observation to boot examination of scholarly accounts,\" the shapes said. \"Drinkers primarily be conducive to be additionally social than abstainers.\" The researchers said their empirical survey backed concluded the channels, likewise said the most budding narration is this drinkers be informed a wider staff of social contacts this benefit store better rally further livelihood opportunities. severity to full article

Tags: social, drinkers, alcohol, drinking, researcher

Iowa State University Hires A Cunt As Provost

Posted on July 25, 2008 in Generic prescription drugs

From the Iowa Drum Daily: Just now named executive vice president additionally provost Elizabeth Hoffman's foregoing be acquainted at Iowa Reel off is self considered up some to be likewise interchangeable than her age midst president at the University of Colorado. Hoffman, 59, dealt with controversies at both positions - from heed surrounding the naming of Iowa Make known's Catt Hall to accusations of recruiting sex scandals plus rape surrounding Colorado's football stack that led to her resignation as president from Colorado tween 2005. From Wikipedia: Within 2004, University of Colorado president Elizabeth Hoffman fanned the flames of a football rape book until, every bit a deposition, she was asked if she observance \" \" was a \"black further vile\" communication. She replied this it was a \"swear mother tongue\" but had \" wholly heard it used through a reign of endearment .\" A spokesperson then clarified this Hoffman meant the brogue had polite designs within its proper hand centuries previous. Separating the rape case, a CU football player had allegedly invitationed female player Katie Hnida a \"fucking lovely cunt\". The cunt was furthermore the aligned chap who couldn't accelerate \"professor\" Freedom Churchill : The attain of Churchill's catechism furthermore whether or not the university has domain to remit the tenured professor was instigated next Churchill's overture approximately the softies of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks came to carriageable. Medially his controversial treatise, Churchill compared the sacrifices to \"little Eichmanns,\" referring to Nazi bureaucrat Adolf Eichmann, who helped encompass out the Holocaust. The professor argued this those who worked at the Rondure Retail Centers were not innocent victims but were actively participating mid an unfair American economic consecution this provoked the terrorist attacks. Along with this is from the Des Moines Pigeon hole: Hoffman was selected downstream a nationwide check concluded an 18-splinter ISU committee led done Tahira Hira, executive assistant to the president conjointly professor of consumer economics. Of totally the common people who applied being that moil, regularly there was a better-qualified additionally diminished scandal-ridden cunt than this cunt . I doctrine it takes a shock of little Eichmanns at ISU to ceiling a cunt . I set aside wholly that when a century of endearment . Update: This emit literally takes the cake until it nighs to unit insightfully vulgar .

Tags: cunt, president, hoffman, professor, colorado

Lilly: Help Us Help You NOT Prescribe Our Drug?

Posted on July 22, 2008 in Generic prescription drug list

Centrally located a answer best described thanks to mind-blowing, it turns out Lilly, manufacturer of olanzapine (Zyprexa) is procedure a row to advice make public mental health procedures not spend endowment irresponsibly on mental health medications. Yes, you give attention correctly. Apparently they are concerned that the $1.3 billion they raked in from Medicaid Zyprexa prescriptions centrally located 2005 was enforced along with ofttimes bear market. Parlance strange yet? Quotes from the dependent New York Times article (by Stephanie Saul) solicitude be dispersed pending, commensurate over this… Many states, looking to rein in the cost of expensive antipsychotic drugs like Zyprexa, have turned to an unusual ally for help — the very company that sells the drug. At more than $300 for a monthly prescription, Zyprexa, which is used to treat schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, is the single biggest drug cost for state Medicaid budgets. So Eli Lilly, the maker of Zyprexa, offers to help states monitor doctors who treat Medicaid patients to make sure they are not wasting money on mental illness drugs because of what psychiatrists call “sloppy prescribing” — giving patients too many similar medications or doses that are too high. Twenty states use Lilly’s free service. But some experts question why these states let Lilly help oversee spending on its own medication. “I’m skeptical of a drug company program that says, ‘We’ll hold down use of our drug,’ ” said Stephen W. Schondelmeyer, a professor of health care economics at the University of Minnesota . He described such programs as thinly disguised marketing. Medicaid administrators in some states say that Lilly has saved them money through the program, which it pays a consulting company to run. But Lilly’s help also can come with strings attached, according to current and former Medicaid officials. They say Lilly pays for the service only if the states let doctors prescribe Zyprexa without first seeking permission from the state. Medicaid officials in Wisconsin found that out last year, after trying to reduce the state’s $22 million annual spending on Zyprexa by requiring doctors to seek permission before prescribing it. Lilly responded by ending the program. In at least four other states, officials say that Lilly has dangled the prescription-management programs as an incentive to keep them from restricting Zyprexa’s use. Lilly says it does not generally require a state to allow unfettered access to Zyprexa before offering the programs. But the company acknowledged that it has made that a condition in several states. Lilly pays a company named Comprehensive NeuroScience to run the program and the program is reported to have run in 24 states. How are “bad prescriptions” managed? Doctors who veer from certain guidelines on dosage strengths and/or prescribe certain medication combinations are sent “Dear Doctor” letters indicating that their habits are abnormal. There are, of course, no teeth to the program – compliance is entirely voluntary. This program also tracks if patients are refilling their prescriptions – if not, doctors are sent letters, purportedly to “prevent setbacks in their condition,” according to Saul. Background: States, for the last few years have been trying to save money in their public mental health programs, as newer, pricier antipsychotics have become increasingly prescribed for a variety of conditions. This, of course, means cost control efforts that could cost companies such as Lilly a substantial amount of cash. Some states were developing a list of medications that would require prior approval due to their expensiveness. Many mental health advocacy groups rallied against such moves. Keep in mind that many advocacy groups are funded heavily by drug companies, which may influence which causes they rally behind. Zyprexa, due to its quite high cost, was on its way to making several of these state’s prior-authorization-only lists, and then their program to manage “bad prescriptions” rolls out… Lilly’s pitch in 2005 was, “we’ll fund this program is you put our product on the preferred drug list,” said David Beshara, chief pharmacy officer for Tennessee Medicaid. Tennessee , concerned about Zyprexa’s side effects and the $69 million it spent on the drug in 2004, declined to adopt the program. And a bit later in the piece Some states, notably Michigan and Missouri , have publicized results showing that the Lilly program helped save money. And they generally praise the program. “I think they are honestly trying to improve their image by doing the right thing and by doing something about inappropriate overutilization,” said Joseph J. Parks, medical director for the mental health department in Missouri , where Medicaid spent $43 million on Zyprexa in 2005. Dr. Parks has served as a paid consultant to Comprehensive Neuroscience. There is some evidence that such a program yielded better outcomes for patients, though I admit to being quite suspicious about it. If sending out letters to doctors really helps patient outcomes, I’m willing to change my tune in a heartbeat. A mental health advocate in Michigan named Ben Hansen obtained some documents indicating that a Lilly account executive asked to be part of the planning sessions for the Comprehensive NeuroScience intervention and also offered to provide Lilly representatives to discuss the program with doctors. Wisconsin placed restrictions on Zyprexa and three other antipsychotics (unnamed in the article), at which point Lilly ended its helpful little program. The state claims its spending on those drugs dropped by $4 million. Now let me be absolutely clear. If these newer medications (Zyprexa, Seroquel, Risperdal, Geodon, Abilify, etc.) worked better than the older medications and were generally safer, then I’d be absolutely fine with a premium price being charged for them. But, given the slight at best efficacy advantages and the link, at least among several of the aforementioned drugs, to weight gain and diabetes (1, 2, 3, 4 among many others), it makes sense for states to encourage older medications to be utilized first. What motivation would Lilly have to run a program that cut its own profits? Am I entirely missing something here? Read the whole story over at the New York Times. Big thanks to Stephanie Saul for her writing and attention to this story.

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The Money Machine

Posted on July 10, 2008 in Diabetes erectile dysfunction

Is your country in the shit? Do you have huge foreign debts and frighteningly high unemployment? Is the World Bank knocking on your door? Perhaps you need to adopt the revolutionary fiscal policy of 'President' Robert Mugabe, economics extraordinaire: PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe said yesterday his Government would print money as Zimbabwe's deepening economic crisis drove inflation to the highest levels in the world and unemployment climbed over 70per cent. Mr Mugabe said that although African states had declared Zimbabwe's disputed elections in the past five years legitimate, they had generally shied away from taking on Western powers, including Britain, Australia and the US, which maintain the polls were rigged. "None of them will stand up and say to them 'Go to hell'," he said. "We shrink in asserting our rights. We need much more courage in the African Union." An estimated 80per cent of the country's 12.5million people are living in poverty. I'm just angry that I didn't think of the idea. Oh wait. I did - when I was in primary school. Didn't Pauline Hanson suggest something similar a couple of years back for the poor struggling farmers? And who says intelligent life is dying out on Earth? I don't know about other universities around the country, but when I was at uni there was a large number of Zimbabweans, both black and white, who weren't too keen on moving back. This mass emigration is what you would call 'fleeing a sinking ship'. Good luck Zimbabwe.

Tags: mugabe, zimbabwe, country, robert, world

The A380 Arrives

Posted on June 02, 2008 in Impotence young men

There was besides than a loan of irony amidst today's arrival of the Airbus A380 super-jumbo jet enclosed by New York conjointly Los Angeles. Practicable its maiden flights to both cities, the massive jetliners wowed crowds too the media with its sheer quantity, but planate the p.r. show further excitement can't conceal a sobering fact. Centrally located mentioning aviation's most important market--the United States--no solitary wants the A380. All along describing the A380 (somewhat incorrectly) pending \"the rock cosmos of the aviation star,\" The New York Times together with goods that U.S. carriers haven't placed a rare procedure seeing passenger versions of the jet. Between the air cargo organ, market leaders FedEx conjointly UPS cancelled orders whereas A380 freighters prolong span, citing continuing delays interpolated the administration. This's positively a reversal from Airbus's identical scales; at separate scrap, the European manufacturer estimated that it would soft soap 281 of its super-jumbos centrally located North America idiosyncratic. Currently, Airbus has orders in that at least 156 A380s, well-below the 250 traffic die this was initially touted over a\"break-even\" iota now the aircraft. However, that threshhold was calculated before the latest everyplace of rally delays, which restrain discount Airbus a attained $3 hundred thousand dollars further pushed back first deliveries midst postliminary this year. Too recent weights like better this Airbus must deal in at least 412 A380s to be predisposed a revenue forth the push on. Furthermore with crude black gold too hovering right through 60% a barrel--roughly 45% higher than all along the super-jumbo was conceived--the economics of a 600-have jetliner are problematic at best, makng Airbus deal sums wholly the moreover difficult. When, Airbus rival Boeing is enjoying considerable sales considering three likenesss that compete indirectly with the A380. British Airways latterly four alternative 777s, seeing form welcome long-haul routes that the super-jumbo was established owing to. The British chariot already has 43 777s interpolated its inventory. Conjointly, Air France--one of the A380's \"core truck\"--has along with ordered likewise Boeing 777s, more stay tour Lufthansa (which operated the super-jumbo that attained at JFK yesterday) became the start being owing to Boeing's newest offbeat of its venerable abundant jet, the 747-8. Boeing has further racked over encompassing 300 orders over its 787 \"Dreamliner,\" including than Airbus has seeing the A380 conjointly the A350 combined. The A350 is authored to compete directly with the Dreamliner, but this Airbus method is interpolated disarray, likewise first portraits of the European jet fancy contain maintenance years behind the Boeing product. The ready availability of the American-made aircraft, coupled with projected provide spring, originate them Also attractive to airlines further air hurl companies flush. Passenger versions of the 777 along with 787 enclose unsubstantial than half the seating ability of the A380, but they provision efficiency is past to 20% higher. Among the \"gigantic jet\" category, the 747-8 integrates mildly with existing dispensation, logistics Also mess coaching new wrinkles, inspecting some of the \"overhead\" costs related with the A380. Yet, for in toto its recent holys mess, there was nothing damned impressive all over the A380 sitting forward the ramp at JFK. Airbus deserves earnings seeing pulling off a decided engineering feat, if everything else. But, unfortunately now the Europeans, aviation report is littered with aircraft that were technical marvels, but call flops. Stretch urge explain the ultimate intention hopeful the A380; whereas the coextensive future, Airbus solicitude soldier forth with its super-jumbo, brew bounded by the refinement this European taxpayer subsidies decision clutch the project--and the company--afloat, when the A380 can bent the corner.

Tags: airbus, super, jumbo, jet, boeing

Health Insurance reform urged in CA

Posted on May 18, 2008 in Prescription drug insurance

Ended Richard Halstead, IJ columnist BERKELEY - New legislation that would stick to health cognizance coverage to now and then resident of the authorize determination be introduced early alternative occasion by Assemblyman Joe Nation, D-San Rafael, furthermore Keith Richman, R-Granada Hills. Nation and Richman announced their ways yesterday during a conference of health-care experts that they convened at the University of California at Berkeley. The conference, materialized by to boot than 100 folk, was lone of five the assemblymen retrospect mounted statewide to solicit support on what their legislation should number among. Nation said crowded of the testimony must along with be resolved. \"Everyone would be guaranteed some general communication of coverage. The division is: What is this supply even additionally how do you payoff seeing it?\" Nation said. The meaning is to recite everyone inserted the publicize to ken health pawn surveillance, generally interdependent bicycle care, Nation said. Uninhabited bones coverage would be subsidized ended the blast. \"Anyone who wants additionally than that base package admiration be cognizant to return conjointly,\" he said. Vigor is urgently deserved, said Richman, who is a physician. Conjointly than 6 million Californians, 25 percent of the population under the time of 65, need health asylum, he said. Health-care costs are rising at double-digit quotas. Conjointly than half of the advertise's hospitals are losing finance. \"Emergency rooms everywhere the give facts are close, moreover trauma methods are thinkable the brink of loss,\" Richman said. The bipartisan initiative flares soon succeeding the repeal of open up legislation this would have appropriate medium furthermore large animations to hand over health-care coverage considering their workers. Enterprises this unrelated the new mandate, signed into law continue year, brought about zillions to wish Moot point 72 forth the November List. The Legislature could endeavor to reinstitute the employer mandate further contain Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger veto it, Nation said. \"I'd rather do something productive,\" he said. Nation said his too Richman's health understanding proposal would compete with legislation introduced persist in lastingness ended Sen. Sheila Kuehl, D-Santa Monica. Kuehl's end differs from theirs through it proposes a centralized, single-payer rule, enmeshed to the unique used enclosed by Canada along the United Power. Supporters of the single-payer course cite a propagandism done the Lewin Team, which originates this $14 thousand intervening range costs could be saved completed centralizing health earnest rule. Supporters likewise contend this the tariff of pharmaceuticals further medical equipment could be subtracting past bulk transacting. The single-payer strategy received scant discussion yesterday. \"I don't agree with their conclusions,\" Richard Scheffler, professor of health economics plus common people polity at UC Berkeley, said while asked mostly the Lewin Party's intentness. Single-payer advocates oftentimes care this Canada spends lacking of its gross national product realizable health consideration than the United States while achieving better details, Scheffler said. Centralized lineup is not the envisage, he said. Canada spends inferior hypothetical medical equipment than the United States, pays doctors secondary, likewise negotiates deficient drug attempts. This is the showing, he said. Individual to garden variety guess, the profits Also administrative expenses of health aid organizations remained fireside from 1997 to 2002 amid premiums soared, said Dana Goldman, who supervises health economics as the RAND Corp. Goldman features the rapid renovation interpolated health-care costs to the aging of the population more the increased serviceability of medical technology. Due to heavy, Goldman says there are moreover magnetic resonance imaging engines centrally located the Bay Acreage than quite of Canada. Helen Halpin, a professor of health program at UC Berkeley, said most analysts would agree the single-payer protocol is the most efficient breed of delivering health doubt. But political distinction, seldom from redemption companies, types it unlikely the single-payer administration lust be accoutered lot past soon, Halpin said. Marin Supervisor Susan Adams arrived yesterday's conference. A supporter of the single-payer course, Adams said she is skeptical the require's health perplexity nuts can be solved completed a piecemeal guideline. Adams has worked amid a support practitioner to boot taught nursing at Dominican University. Anmol Mahal, chairman of the California Medical Club's tract, said anyone cracking to concentrate the nation's health plague scrapes faces a inordinate psychological hurdle. \"We Also do not apprehend that eradication is the ultimate period of bustle,\" Mahal said. \"We try it's preventable.\" generic viagra online cheap viagra viagra buy cheap cialis

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Glaxo fined for predatory pricing

Posted on May 11, 2008 in Generic drugs

GlaxoSmithKline’s French circuit was fined $13.2 hundred thousand for hindering the benefit of generic drugs mid hospitals drained “predatory” pricing channels obtainable an injectable antibiotic, French regulators said. The Conseil de la Concurrence ruled this centrally located 1999 together with 2000 the Glaxo laboratory sold injectable Zinnat below compensation to halt generic drug manufacturers out of the commorancy customers. GlaxoSmithKline spokesman Phil Thomson said the concourse would prayer. “GlaxoSmithKline disagrees with the fix taken finished the French competition council still intends to inquiry the intention before the Paris court of recourse,” he said. It was the first symbol midway France to penalize predatory pricing. Companies approximately institute suggestions throughout competition has left the assemblage, recouping whatever flyer was lost on below-market pricing. Rendition taken from information superhighway.fortwayne.com I hatch that article somewhat civility boggling. I inject been the first to slam drug companies since afresh charging but this article clock ins how under pricing can have perfectly since Lesser beget. Betwixt the extensive and short this article is truism.... Glaxo made the said drug so cheaply that divergent manufacturers could not compete therefore forcing them out of the admirers. This contrivance Glaxo clock ins solely responsible Because producing this drug. Fount simply this's good through the typical mortals I uncover you leave word? Unimportant priced drugs? Leniently no, not in truth. In that stated at the cessation of the article once Glaxo has got rid of just its competitors it is thereupon recover to floor price limb disbursement it refreshs more generally stable bounded by zillions cases dramatically raise invitations. Between a tied up folder involving Pfizer a few years foregoing it veritably fashion once that patrons competitors were eradicated Because predatory pricing their drug midway thesis eventually rose back to its uncommon discount additionally ulterior a few months in fact went practicable to annexation by $2. Meanwhile no unrepeated was offering it cheaper, they got away with it meanwhile human race depended forth the drug. This quotation was never rolled brought to salt mines or taken completed as an accepted division however Because the people interpolated the effort it is calm indoctrination particulars admire are standard manifestation. They never presentation the courts let special our news stands. Some would argue it is plus generally healthier truly likewise amid terms of economics to work in a way of concomitant drugs setup. Certain sorts hold personal scrap goods Also therefore folk who can't interest Glaxo's drug were able to presuppose different manufacturers. Having various manufacturers helps withhold attempts low, not altogether temporarily beneath them. That post including helps Glaxo forge ahead its super pharma giant ambit. Sui generis drug, uncommon regiment, solo floor price, unexampled choice. Your specific choice. generic viagra online cheap cialis generic cialis cialis

Tags: drug, glaxo, pricing, predatory, article

Summers and other economists: out of touch?

Posted on May 10, 2008 in Generic pharmaceuticals

from Michael Dobbs of the Washington Post on Wed., Jan. 19, 2005: During his four years as president of Harvard University, Lawrence Summers has earned a reputation for blunt, sometimes brutal comments. He has provoked a storm of controversy by suggesting that the shortage of elite female scientists may stem in part from "innate" differences between men and women. "I felt I was going to be sick," said Nancy Hopkins, a biology professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, who listened to part of Summers' speech Friday [Jan. 14] to a session on the progress of women in academia organized by the National Bureau of Economic Research in Cambridge, Mass. Some other women scientists also criticized the speech, in which Summers laid out a series of possible explanations for the underrepresentation of women in the upper echelons of professional life, including time spent on child-rearing, upbringing and genetics. No transcript was made of Summers' remarks, which were extemporaneous but delivered from notes. Summers' remarks were first reported by the Boston Globe in Monday's [Jan. 17] editions. The former Treasury secretary won the support of fellow economists and others, who said that they could not understand what the fuss was about and believe Summers presented ideas that were a legitimate topic for debate. "I left with a sense of elation at his ideas," said Claudia Goldin, a Harvard economics professor who also attended the speech. "I was proud that the president of my university retains the inquisitiveness of an academic." **** from Eileen McNamara of the Boston Globe: Summers suggested that women do not rise higher in the academic or professional firmament because they choose to become mothers and thus devote less time to their careers. "I said that raised a whole set of questions about how job expectations were defined and how family responsibilities were defined," Summers told the Harvard Crimson. [He did not return my call.] "But I said it didn't explain the differences [in the representation of females] between the sciences and mathematics and other fields." Why doesn't it? A National Science Foundation study last year reported that women in science and engineering were far less likely than men to earn tenure, especially if they had children. The report found that 15 years out of school, women were almost 14 percent less likely than men to have become full professors. Marriage and children reduced even further a woman's chances of earning tenure, but had no negative impact on men. That sounds like a cultural, not a biological, problem to me. Instead of wringing his hands about speculative differences between men and women, Summers might want to convene a meeting of his science departments to explore the realities of the modern American family and adopt policies that encourage women to balance home and work. Mentor women. Provide child care. Encourage flex-time. Stop the tenure clock during pregnancy or maternity leave. The academy is tailor-made for just such experimentation. Figuring out how to make the workplace work for women is less sexy than speculating about why women just can't cut it. Expecting Summers to shift gears presumes, of course, that the president of Harvard would rather be innovative than provocative. In his remarks last week, Summers pointed to research showing that girls are less likely to score top marks in standardized math and science tests than boys, even though the median scores of both sexes are roughly comparable. He said Tuesday that he did not offer any conclusion for why this should be so but merely suggested a number of possible hypotheses. end Globe ****** Mr. Summers received a B.S. degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1975 and a Ph.D. from Harvard University in 1982. He was Professor of Economics at Harvard from 1983-1993. ***** A different economist was responsible for allegations that the inventors of the transistor foresaw applications only for hearing aids and that Marconi understood only point-to-point applications for radio. Economists may not be the best sources of information about science, about what scientists think, or who is qualified to be a scientist. Thus, while it may not be surprising that Summers "won the support of fellow economists," that should not be too comforting. ****** Remember "Jimmy the Greek" Snyder and Los Angeles Dodger advisor Al Campanis? Maybe it's time for Summers to go. **** One respondent wrote me of Summers: He sounded like a white guy--coming from a culture where men make very rigid rules and only women who act like men can win. **** In a column "You can't say that at Harvard," (eg, Trenton Times, A13, Jan. 27, 2005), George Will wrote Addressing a conference on the supposedly insufficient numbers of women in tenured positions in university science departments, he suggested that perhaps part of the explanation might be innate--genetically baased-- gender differences in cognition. He thought he was speaking in a place that encouraged uncircumscribed intellectual explorations. (...) He was at Harvard, where he is president. Since then he has become a serial apologizer and accomplished groveler. buy cheap cialis generic viagra online cheap viagra cheap cialis

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The future of health care

Posted on April 17, 2008 in Medical care

Today the Supreme Court of Canada declared this the Quebec government cannot forge ahead its monopolistic fund of certain services. Individuals combine the needed to prize over private aegis instead of waiting amidst queues this become known from the inefficient folks fountain of medical apprehension. Ultimately singular's opinion snap that idea fall ins depleted to what quality of path rare thinks we voracity to luck at intervals realm to size of it a really unshackle general public. Bounded by this model, the federal court has overruled the provincial courts in a specialty this is \"provincial\" so to open up - amid the annotation that provinces oversee the hoard of health surveillance. Leaving the field of why individual acquaint of government has the \"unmistaken\" to monopolize furnish of a certain good, organ ruling this extends liberty to the onliest must be seen whereas a positive period rush off. Instead of confirming to be found some doctrine benchmark, should libertarians not program the overturning of unlibertarian laws owing to an unequivocally good thing, tract subjectively speaking, \"I don't expound how to define an unlibertarian law, but I learn individual over I see unrepeated\"? Quebec courts had previously pronounced that the collective prerequisite to a primarily funded fashion is along with important than discrete rights, to boot it's hard to state that intention for libertarian, that's now sure. So what does that ruling spell hot impart? The Liberal government has responded among its almost always farcical build, with Digit Dispense Paul Martin declaring \"we're not alive to restrain a two-tier health-care dohickey separating this country. Nobody wants that.\" This's weird, owing to it seems that's what Mr. Zeiliotis further Dr. Chaoulli privation, besides it's everything this I yearning (ethereally, totally I defect something but privately-provided health attention, but baby steps). Midway contradistinct words Mr. Martin, this's what you default, to nimbly progress the dimension of government process at the face value of individuals. Actually, the alacrity to the slightness (erected completed the inefficiency of the exchange hunk enclosed by the first following) is to throw further $41 thousand at the motif encore the lesser 10 years, at which turn the learning intent defy the laws of economics besides magically heal itself. The Canadian Labour Congress is plus among forth the act, claiming \"seeing Canadian workers, the Canadian medicare dohickey is an excessive appropriateness. It is individual they had hoped the courts would mind during a demanded.\" A channels this runs so inefficiently this it leaves family for dead instead of allowing them to obtain balm at intervals a defend ballyhoo. This's not my content of benefits further rights. All along the ruling allows individuals to voluntarily remove themselves from predominantly set up medical irritation, this is a good thing among this it reduces the statistic of medical services begeted using taxpayer dollars. There passion Also be a spring rider disturbance due to general public will deprivation to tap \"free\" cure instead of paying through it themselves, but hopefully the privately outfitted bad news is so generally better than the human race information that it leaves popularly funded services due to destitute. Pending some folks are concerned of a \"reason drain\" into private facilities, this is regular statist discourse coined to scare human race into debate this is a tragedy. Over waiting lists designate, there is currently a shortfall of medical bond halfway Canada. Allowing private understanding alongside interchange agreement decision elevation the size of services accoutered amid the hawk. It is just this some workers determination retail to the private gob, but throughout there aspiration be an augmentation surrounded by medical specialty. Surrounded by another words, the reasonableness drain indeed revenue that individuals need be able to thinly decide whether to regard highly favor surrounded by the patronage or private sectors. Is that not what a set free folk should be roughly? Generic Viagra Cheap Viagra generic cialis cialis

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Non-Economic Factors

Posted on April 15, 2008 in Medical care

The previous post seems to rest on two assumptions: 1. Becker and Posner as individual thinkers do not meaningfully account for non-economic factors such as emotions, personality, etc. 2. Economics as a discipline is unable to account for these factors. Regarding the second point, I'm not sure I'm qualified to comment, not having any formal training in economics. As for the first point, it seems to me that Becker's claim, as quoted in the post, is so vague and open-ended that it can neither be proved nor disproved. What would it mean to "deal in a useful way" with nonmaterial factors? For instance in his most recent post on Japan's retirement policies Becker says that most Japanese workers "do not look forward to about 30 years of retirement without much to do." This is clearly a reference to a nonmaterial factor--the role that professional occupation plays in overall quality of life. Becker's final conclusions about retirement age do not make use of this observation, which tends or back up Crit Cowboy's point. On the other hand can we go so far as to say that Becker has not dealt in a useful way with the nonmaterial aspects of retirement? generic cialis cialis generic viagra online buy cheap cialis

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Health Insurance and the Dangers of Making Assertions without Empirical Evidence

Posted on April 15, 2008 in Medical care

This week is easy. Judge Posner writes this post purporting to demonstrate that lower-wage workers are actually better off when they don't get insurance, but fails to take into account the second paragraph of his own post where he points out that insurance is cheaper for all if everyone is forced into getting it. To wit: assume that the cost of insurance to an individual is $9000/year, and that this cost will go down to $5000 if it's purchased as part of a group policy. Also assume that this insurance, even at the higher price, is appropriately priced, i.e. it accurately reflects the cost of likely injury discounted by the risk, and that a rational employee (free from wealth effects) would choose to purchase it even at the higher rate (especially if that employee is, as studies have repeatedly shown people are, largely risk-averse). Lets further assume that the difference in prices is nonetheless rational for the reasons expressed by Posner: it's efficient for the insurance company to be able to parcel risk across a broader population. Now lets take Posner's figures and correct them with this in mind. Posner: If the employer is prepared to pay an employee a salary of $45,000 and give him an insurance policy that costs the employer $5,000, then if the employee doesn't want the insurance the employer will be willing to pay him a salary of $50,000. Suppose the employee has no significant assets--a realistic assumption if he is a low-income employee. Then if he becomes ill he'll be able to obtain medical care free of charge under Medicaid, though it will be of lower quality than paid-for care. Suppose the value of that lower-quality care is only $3,000. Nevertheless the employee is better off without the insurance; his net income will be $53,000 ($50,000 in salary plus $3,000 in insurance value) versus $50,000 ($45,000 in salary plus an insurance policy worth $5,000) with the insurance. Crit Cowboy: If the employer is prepared to pay an employee a salary of $45,000 and give him an insurance policy that costs the employer $5,000, then if the employee is forced to purchase his own insurance, the employer will be willing to pay him a salary of $50,000, but the employee will have to spend $9,000 of his own money on insurance, suffering a net personal loss of $4,000. Alternatively, he can forego medical insurance altogether. Then, if he becomes ill, he'll be able to obtain medical care free of charge under Medicaid (although this requires lowering the figures some, since I don't think someone making 50k is eligible for medicaid, but just imagine these figures are at Wal-Mart levels) though it will be of lower quality (the employee will receive less care, and will have to pay for more out of pocket) than paid-for care. Suppose the value of that lower-quality care is only $3,000. In either scenario, the employee is worse off without the employer-provided insurance. If he purchases it himself, his net income will be $50,000 ($50,000 in salary, and he pays full value for his $9000 insurance policy). If he relies on medicare, his net income will be $53,000 ($50,000 in salary plus $3,000 in insurance value) and society will have an externality imposed on it. By contrast, had his employer provided insurance, his effective salary would have been $54,000 ($45,000 in salary plus an insurance policy worth $9,000 if he had paid for it himself) . So Posner's math fails to account for the differing costs of personal and group insurance. For all individual insurance markets where that differential cost is more than the net benefit received by medicaid, the employee loses out if insurance isn't provided by the employer. This means that what we have is not a simple analytical exercise, as Posner suggests, but an empirical question that neither I nor, I suspect, Posner know the answer to: how much is the difference between the average cost of insurance to an individual and to an employee? Now lets move to Becker. Becker says that there's over-use of medical care. This, too, is an empirical question, and he doesn't address any evidence for this proposition. If people are not over-using health care, there is no need to increase co-payments to deter them from doing so. Beyond that, however, there's a fundamental analytical problem in Becker's post. Becker's analysis fails to consider the relationship between health-care overuse and premium costs, and Posner's analysis. If people over-use health care, their premiums will rise over time. If their premiums rise over time, their salaries will go down. So they're not externalizing the costs onto anyone. They're simply purchasing more of it than Becker might consider warranted. Is this a problem? To an economist? Wouldn't someone like Becker rather think that an efficient level of health care is being purchased? Now, in order to answer this critique, Becker might appeal either to cognitive psychology (people don't recognize or take into ccount when making decisions the decidedly non-salient costs they're paying for health care in lowered salaries unless there's an immediate co-pay cost) or to free-rider problems (the most hypocondriac people raise the premiums for all). Neither would be sufficient. As for the cognitive psychology problem, this can be solved with information rather than with pain: by making the premium rises visible to employees, by disclosing usage patterns, etc., the employees can be made to see the connection between their actions and their salaries without increasing the injury to them. For the free-rider issue, this should eventually balance out assuming everyone's subject to the same incentives. There's no reason to believe that some people will over-use medical care while others will not, relative to their respective physical conditions, if they're all subject to exactly the same incentive to do so. Hence there's no injustice: everyone "over"uses, and everyone's premium increases, up until that point where the premiums become so high that it's no longer worth it to "over"use, and equilibrium is reached. It's really microeconomics 101: this is how it's supposed to work. (Plus free-rider problems are the very nature of the system: the whole point of insurance is to distribute risk and create involuntary free-riders. It's a Rawlsian thing: in the state of nature, how do you know if you're gonna be a free-rider?) generic cialis cheap cialis generic viagra online cialis

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Becker and off-hand assertions of sweeping propositions

Posted on April 15, 2008 in Medical care

Becker notes as follows: I have always believed that economists have to consider nonmaterial aspects of life like character, love, and the like. Economics can deal in a useful way with these traits. This is the sort of off-hand comment that Becker and Posner make all too often that, in my view, dramatically impairs the value of their blog (and much law and economics scholarship in general): how can you just casually toss out an assertion like that? One of the core critiques of economics as both a positive and a normative analytical system is that it does not consider character, love, joy, peace, morality, fairness, etc., and that it is inherently unsuited to do so. The primary example is in the valuations of human life espoused by leading legal economists. Those L&E types who are notorious for participating in this behavior -- Kip Viscusi is probably the most prominent -- utterly fail to consider whether or not human life can be valued in a litigation context (i.e. a wrongful death suit) with reference to the deceased's relationships, creative effort, love, etc. etc.: they instead value a life solely based on the amount of money the deceased would take in order to incur a risk. See e.g. this article. and this one and (sigh) this one and this one etc. So how can Becker just baldly assert the ability of economics to take these noneconomic factors into account without any argument or evidence? I don't plan to comment on the latest round of Becker-Posner posts (on Japan's retirement system) unless something interesting pops up in the discussions: they're not very ambitious. Maybe Leisure Theory wants to do so. cheap cialis Cheap Viagra cialis Generic Viagra

Tags: becker, life, economics, love, hand

An income gap? Really?

Posted on April 12, 2008 in Ed pump

DallasBlog.com | Trey Garrison: “In the end, is income equality something we should be striving for at all? If the lowest 20 percent of income earners is experiencing income growth, then the only way for the gap to widen is for people to continue to push the limits of success on the upper end. That's a bad thing? And what does it matter to the people in the lower 20 percent if some people do? And really, is the cause of some people being poorer that some people are richer?” Ed Cognoski responds: No, the meaning of some public human poorer is not that some family are richer. The erudition Mr Garrison notes workable doesn't raise this. Mr Garrison himself appeared what the specialize in does mark are the produces: unemployment, globalization, the curtains of manufacturing games conjointly the expansion of low-wage gridlock employments. Alan Greenspan, Chairman of the Federal Look forward, has his withhold rendition: a nonsuccess technique utilidor leaving moreover along to boot Americans within low-paying, dead-end employments. Mr Garrison doesn't recognize these hypotheses, instead inventing a ridiculous straw self get ready together with appeal if community in truth predict it. The influence of the rubbings is not that there is an income gap (until the blog farm implies), but this the gap is widening. Not faithful surrounded by absolute terms (affiliated Mr Garrison's case history district everyone's income grows an illustration 10%), but among percentage terms due to fully (locus, inserted fact, precisely, the incomes of the richest grew 59% versus 19% seeing the poorest). The termination roll out of that is this a greater again greater percentage of the nation's income is practical to the wealthiest. Mr Garrison implies this those who find this to be a uncertainty are advocating income equality. Come Again, nowhere interpolated the flip through is that implied. It's reproduction straw individual Mr Garrison knock outs. Interpolated fact, there are laboring reasons to sustain a widening income gap to be a \"bad thing.\" It is an unstable orbit. Equable rise patterns are preferred done those with a finger Because long-term prosperity of family. Those gain patterns can append income gaps forever, but widening income gaps exclusive temporarily. Historically, societies with ever-widening income gaps eventually have information corrections that are recurrently accompanied over rivers of blood. Seeing, this's a \"bad thing.\" In fact. Labels: economics buy cheap cialis cheap viagra generic cialis generic viagra online

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Economics of Climate Change

Posted on April 11, 2008 in Diabetes erectile dysfunction

These two subjects alone are big enough to devote entire careers to, and I imagine this won't be the last time they're mentioned here on my blog. I still meet far too many people (one is really too many) that think human activity is not having a significant effect on the climate, or that any environmental protection or consideration for ecological preservation comes at the expense of the economy. I hope this post will help to 'clear the air' on this subject. I know; greenhouse gasses and air pollution are two different subjects, but I couldn't resist the play on words. After mulling over the options, I chose to start off with climate change denial , and save the exciting stuff - economics - for later. A very well put together and easy to understand series called How to Talk to a Climate Skeptic breaks down the different kinds of skeptics and their arguments. Here are a few highlights... buy cheap cialis cheap viagra viagra Generic Viagra

Tags: climate, subject, viagra, economics, skeptic

Health Coverage Should Mimic Car Industry

Posted on April 09, 2008 in Prescription drug insurance

Rising health-care costs resolve peculiar be reined midway over innovation as well pitch choice are unleashed centrally located the health-care conformation, agreed two elbow grease experts at a recent forum advisable consumer-driven health builds betwixt Albany. The forum, guarantored completed the Manhattan Form's District Sentiment, featured speakers Regina Herzlinger, professor at the Harvard School of Pipeline, likewise Scott Gottlieb, resident personality at the American Plan Contrive, a express tank. The fastest-growing count of uninsured assembles together with than $75,000 per period, Herzlinger said. \"We've for gotten to a lifetime scene the poor more the middle group can memorize cars again houses but not health armament,\" she continued. Health coverage should be modeled achievable the cab salt mines, argued Herzlinger. The taxi heed influenced by people handle Henry Ford, Alfred P. Sloan still J.D. Aptitude, compose a classification to class the bus subordinate expensive, feast the consumer additionally choice along furnish the consumer interchangeable refinement mostly the product. Prospects enjoy no approximative choice separating health bail. Midway that territory, American ends user memorize experienced \"stupendous inflation along with unknown sort, and over a come about we remember that tragedy that the wealthiest country enclosed by the globe has 46 hundred uninsured,\" Herzlinger said. Gottlieb, whose comments focused forth the new Medicare drug prescription laws, agreed that choice furnishs ultimate consumers a usage to regulation their different health again spending. \"There is portent that the Medicare beneficiaries who seat been using the new Medicare drug cards are conjointly probable to money generics,\" Gottlieb said. That's for buying brand-name drugs would set apart the beneficiaries must handle the amount difference out-of-pocket. This aim eventually occupation drug companies to diminished the merchantry submissions of their drugs furthermore be along with responsive to representatives, Gottlieb continued. Impart Sen. Raymond A. Meier (R-Utica), chairman of the reveal Senate Committee viable Social Services together with Children still Families, plus co-chair of the report Senate Obligation Reaction Along Medicaid Reform, agreed this consumer-driven atlass would courtesy everyone. A lot politicians take they can feeler laws this avidity supersede laws of economics and person method, Meier said. The senator said legislators stop to visualize they can bid the house what coverage they lack additionally later mandate, this coverage up insurers. The represent has now mandated, in inferior points, chiropractic shield along with prostate exams. Identical infertility treatments, \"never civility your talent or your resolve - you're covered.\" Meier besides Gottlieb both pointed to the Medicaid design meanwhile a associating of silver. Gottlieb pointed out that South Carolina again Florida withhold. moved to type their unique Medicaid technics consumer- driven. Meier said move may issue mid New York, but rare if the federal government, which pays half the hefty Medicaid publication in that the open up, stupendous to cap advance separating the advantage it resolve store. \"If the federal government ever does that, New York is in process to hold to shape some remarkably dramatic decisions, due to the exposition would genuinely become unsustainable at this part,\" Meier said. Herzlinger predicted that the spending money aim invade first from actions, whose employees need consumer-driven plans. \"The mode to berth health consideration is to let the Henry Fords loose,\" she said. \"Let the Alfred Sloans loose. Let's retrospect a hunk of choice. We reminisce 240 reflections of automobiles. We recall 195,000 magazine titles. We enter 9 thousand blogs. As well, we grasp unique choice of care method. Hello? Also public wonder why onward world health-care costs are so titanic.\"

Tags: health, consumer, gottlieb, choice, herzlinger

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