Bankocracy

2009 Promise of Cheaper Health Care Has Morphed Into 2013 Price Hikes

"Remember when President Obama promised back in 2009 that his health care reform plan would cut insurance premiums for the average family by $2,500? Four years later, those promised cuts have morphed into admissions of price hikes. According to a new study from Bank of America Merrill Lynch, 70 percent of chief financial officers cite health costs as their top concern, up from 51 percent last year, mainly because of what they expect Obamacare to do to costs. Many smaller companies are contemplating dropping family coverage — and will instead offer benefits to workers only, thanks to the higher costs on the way because of Obamacare. Continue reading →

Continue Reading2009 Promise of Cheaper Health Care Has Morphed Into 2013 Price Hikes

Ex-Obama administration healthcare official joins lobby firm

"Yvette Fontenot will join Avenue Solutions as a partner. The firm is a boutique Democratic lobby shop with a specialty in healthcare, representing some of the country’s biggest insurers and healthcare providers. Fontenot recently left the Department of Health and Human Services, where she was deputy director of the Office of Health Reform. She also worked as senior policy director in the White House Office of Health Reform, where she helped to implement the Affordable Care Act. Fontenot has also held several positions on Capitol Hill, including as a professional staff member for the Senate Finance Committee where she helped develop the healthcare reform law." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingEx-Obama administration healthcare official joins lobby firm

Disturbing report finds U.S. hospitals profit more when surgery goes wrong

"US hospitals face a disincentive to improve care because they make drastically more money when surgery goes wrong than when a patient is discharged with no complications, a study published Tuesday found. An estimated $400 billion is spent on surgery in the United States every year. Privately insured patients with complications provide hospitals with a 330 percent higher profit margin than those whose surgeries went smoothly. Patients whose bills are paid by Medicare — a government insurance plan for the elderly and disabled — produced a 190 percent higher profit margin when complications arose following surgery." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingDisturbing report finds U.S. hospitals profit more when surgery goes wrong

Obamacare, Stimulus, and Other Disasters

"John Lott is best known to the public for his outstanding analysis of gun control legislation, but his research as an economist extends far beyond that topic; and he here gives us a devastating account that covers the full range of the Obama Administration’s economic policy. One would expect a book by John Lott to say something informative about gun control, and our author does not disappoint us. It transpires that he met President Obama when both of them served on the law school faculty of the University of Chicago." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingObamacare, Stimulus, and Other Disasters

Obamacare, Stimulus, and Other Disasters

"John Lott is best known to the public for his outstanding analysis of gun control legislation, but his research as an economist extends far beyond that topic; and he here gives us a devastating account that covers the full range of the Obama Administration’s economic policy. One would expect a book by John Lott to say something informative about gun control, and our author does not disappoint us. It transpires that he met President Obama when both of them served on the law school faculty of the University of Chicago." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingObamacare, Stimulus, and Other Disasters

Obamacare, Stimulus, and Other Disasters

"John Lott is best known to the public for his outstanding analysis of gun control legislation, but his research as an economist extends far beyond that topic; and he here gives us a devastating account that covers the full range of the Obama Administration’s economic policy. One would expect a book by John Lott to say something informative about gun control, and our author does not disappoint us. It transpires that he met President Obama when both of them served on the law school faculty of the University of Chicago." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingObamacare, Stimulus, and Other Disasters

Obamacare, Stimulus, and Other Disasters

"John Lott is best known to the public for his outstanding analysis of gun control legislation, but his research as an economist extends far beyond that topic; and he here gives us a devastating account that covers the full range of the Obama Administration’s economic policy. One would expect a book by John Lott to say something informative about gun control, and our author does not disappoint us. It transpires that he met President Obama when both of them served on the law school faculty of the University of Chicago." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingObamacare, Stimulus, and Other Disasters

Obamacare, Stimulus, and Other Disasters

"John Lott is best known to the public for his outstanding analysis of gun control legislation, but his research as an economist extends far beyond that topic; and he here gives us a devastating account that covers the full range of the Obama Administration’s economic policy. One would expect a book by John Lott to say something informative about gun control, and our author does not disappoint us. It transpires that he met President Obama when both of them served on the law school faculty of the University of Chicago." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingObamacare, Stimulus, and Other Disasters

Obamacare, Stimulus, and Other Disasters

"John Lott is best known to the public for his outstanding analysis of gun control legislation, but his research as an economist extends far beyond that topic; and he here gives us a devastating account that covers the full range of the Obama Administration’s economic policy. One would expect a book by John Lott to say something informative about gun control, and our author does not disappoint us. It transpires that he met President Obama when both of them served on the law school faculty of the University of Chicago." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingObamacare, Stimulus, and Other Disasters

Gun Confiscation Begins in California

"As reported by David Knight, California law enforcement is now confiscating legally purchased guns from registered gun owners who have been labeled 'Armed Prohibited Persons' (APPs.) Police shoved two M16s within inches of gun owner Joe Mendez’s face during a raid on his house to seize his legally-purchased firearms. Fourteen officers total were involved. Police even showed up later to lie to Mendez’s wife about the raid, saying that they were only taking a report after her car was involved in a 'hit and run.' All of the targeted APPs had purchased their firearms legally but the State of California declared afterwards that they were prohibited from gun ownership." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingGun Confiscation Begins in California