Dr. Government

Shutdown: ObamaCare (No) and the Federal Government (No)

"So, how long will House Republicans continue to take a stand? Until the polls indicate that they will lose in November 2014. On October 1, enrollment in the exchanges is to begin. But hardly anyone knows how to enroll yet. The computer programs are not ready. The confusion has not yet hit. The sense of betrayal has not yet hit Obama’s poll numbers. If Republicans can hold out long enough for resentment against the program to spread, they win politically. They can hold out longer. But at some point, they will capitulate. That’s what the uncertainty is all about. It’s about the timing of their capitulation." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingShutdown: ObamaCare (No) and the Federal Government (No)

Will Congress heed the warning on their Obamacare exemptions?

"The poll data is clear and cuts across party lines: 92 percent of the public does not think it is right that Congress and their staff are letting the Obama administration exempt them from the costs of Obamacare. Yet it seems many in Congress still want to dismiss these findings in hopes that these sentiments won't translate into actual voter preferences. Incumbents facing reelections shouldn't fool themselves. A recent real-world deployment of the issue shows it can powerfully impact candidates’ prospects." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingWill Congress heed the warning on their Obamacare exemptions?

Obamacare ‘SHOP’ Web Based Sign Up Won’t Be Ready Until 2014

"A senior lobbyist at a medical association informs EconomicPolicyJournal.com that 'the SHOP exchange for small businesses to purchase insurance for their employees will require employers to sign up using paper forms. The ability to sign up using an electronic or web-based form will not likely be ready until January 2014 at best. The industry was informed of this limitation one week ago.' EPJ's source also says that WaPo has it right when quoting Joel Ario, the former Director of Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight, 'nobody is going to say we’re not starting on October 1, but in some situations, you may see a redefinition of what ‘start’ means.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingObamacare ‘SHOP’ Web Based Sign Up Won’t Be Ready Until 2014

Obamacare Navigators Won’t Have To Pass Background Checks

"Ben Swann takes a look at HHS navigators and the massive amounts of private and personal information they will collect and store in the Federal Data Hub under Obamacare. Plus, we ask the question, does private information even exist anymore?" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingObamacare Navigators Won’t Have To Pass Background Checks

Cruz’ plan B for defunding Obamacare: ‘Shut down the military’

"Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) on Sunday warned Senate Republicans that refusing to filibuster a bill that defunds President Barack Obama’s health care reform law 'is a vote for Obamacare,' and he also advised House Republicans to 'shut down the military' if they had to. 'If Harry Reid kills the bill in the Senate, the House should hold its ground, and should begin passing smaller continuing resolutions, one department at a time,' Cruz explained. 'It should start with a continuing resolution focused on the military.' 'Send it over, see if Harry Reid is willing to shut down the military,' he quipped." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingCruz’ plan B for defunding Obamacare: ‘Shut down the military’

Dementia Drugs Ineffective at Slowing Mental Decline

"Cognitive enhancement drugs only have short-term benefits and can cause significant side-effects for people with mild memory problems, according to researchers. In a new review of existing data, researchers at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto, Canada studied eight randomized clinical trials and three companion reports on the efficacy of four drugs in people with mild cognitive impairment. The drugs were donepezil (Aricept), rivastigmine (Exelon), galantamine (Razadyne), and memantine (Namenda). They found that while the drugs do have short-term benefits, they are lost after a year and a half of treatment." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingDementia Drugs Ineffective at Slowing Mental Decline

Kevin Trudeau jailed for not paying $38 million to feds over natural remedies

"The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has been after 50-year-old Trudeau, originally from Massachusetts, for several years after he made millions flogging what he claims are natural cures for serious and potentially fatal illnesses. The ruling at the end of last month was the latest round in more than a decade of legal battles that began with a suit filed by the Federal Trade Commission. Trudeau was slapped with a $38 million fine in 2011 after allegedly scamming customers for decades. FTC put the value at $37.6million as to how much consumers were defrauded by 'deceptive infomercials' that Trudeau filmed in order to plug his book - The Weight Loss Cure 'They' Don't Want You to Know About." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingKevin Trudeau jailed for not paying $38 million to feds over natural remedies

A Government Database about our Sex Lives: Gee, What Could Go Wrong?

"I don’t like the idea of government bureaucrats having my private information, but what’s probably most worrisome about this Obama Administration scheme is that the data won’t be confidential. As McCaughey writes, it’s just a matter of time before hackers or incompetent bureaucrats make that information public. By the way, everything written by McCaughey and Hatch also helps to explain why we should resist privacy-destroying schemes such as the Internet sales tax cartel being pushed by greedy politicians. I know I wouldn’t want all my online purchases in a database where state and local bureaucrats would be able to snoop for details." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingA Government Database about our Sex Lives: Gee, What Could Go Wrong?

When Penalties are Preferable

"Nearly five in eight Americans polled by ABC News and The Washington Post say they 'lack the information needed to understand the changes that will take effect as the Affordable Care Act is implemented.' No surprise with a bill that stretched to 906 pages — plus 20,000 more of associated regulations. Besides, there’s nothing you can actually do in reaction to these stories. You’re a helpless spectator. Which is why we find the YouTube video much more intriguing… 'What we’re trying to communicate is, ‘No, you’re actually not required to buy health insurance,’' says Evan Feinberg. 'You might have to pay a fine, but that’s going to be cheaper for you and better for you.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingWhen Penalties are Preferable

Pricing Glitch Afflicts Rollout of Online Health Exchanges

"Less than two weeks before the launch of insurance marketplaces created by the federal health overhaul, the government's software can't reliably determine how much people need to pay for coverage, according to insurance executives and people familiar with the program. Government officials and insurers were scrambling to iron out the pricing quirks quickly to avoid alienating the initial wave of consumers. A failure by consumers to sign up online in the hotly anticipated early days of the 'exchanges' is worrisome to insurers, which are counting on enrollees for growth, and to the Obama administration, which made the exchanges a centerpiece of its sweeping health-care legislation." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingPricing Glitch Afflicts Rollout of Online Health Exchanges