Friday, October 2, 2009

The Nose of the Camel

The ham hands of government are grabbing more and more power of the the health care sector, and Obama's "plan" shows signs of moving much further into that area. Once the government starts paying for something, the political forces create much pressure to control it and all its details more and more. Here are two examples.

WSJ: "Democrats on the Senate Finance Committee voted Thursday to encourage limits on the compensation of insurance executives, responding to charges that expanding health insurance coverage would enrich insurance companies. ... Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D., Ark.) said the limit is needed because insurance companies are going to reap a windfall of new customers under the legislation. "This is the right thing, and the right message to the American people,"

I don't really care about insurance executives, and I've written many times that top corporate executives are overpaid, but this level of nitpicking is ridiculous.

WSJ: "More than 660,000 seniors next year will lose the private Medicare plans they now have because some insurers are dropping coverage in response to tougher federal requirements.
Most of those beneficiaries are enrolled in a type of Medicare Advantage plan called Private Fee for Service, where enrollment has surged from about 820,000 three years ago to more than 2.44 million today. PFFS enrollees, unlike those under other Medicare Advantage plans, can see any doctor they like as long as he or she accepts payments through their plan. ... Congress, alarmed by the high cost of PFFS plans, voted in 2008 to require the plans to establish networks of providers beginning in 2011. Companies such as Humana Inc., which has established networks that can cover at least 80% of PFFS enrollees, are doing just that. But Medicare officials acknowledged Thursday that others are pulling out. Plans with a total enrollment of 667,000 people are scheduled to be canceled next year, they said."

In other words, contrary to claims of Congressmen, choice of doctors will NOT be maintained under Obama-care. Once it pays directly, Government imposes more and more requirements and coverage that eventually dictates every aspect of a health care plan.

All this should be simplified. Why is Medicare a separate system ? Why is Medicaid a separate system ? All that create huge billing complexity and more and more administration Eventually the costs of administration outweigh any claimed savings.

I recognize that people are not going to let people die in the streets from lack of care in this modern, relatively prosperous world. We should simply recognize that a level of basic health care is to be a shared benefit of society. In reality, it already is, as persons without coverage now go to the emergency rooms with illnesses and broken limbs, etc.

Provide everyone with a simple voucher (electronically) to choose their own basic care plan. If a person doesn't choose, his plan can be randomly assigned to existing, qualified plans. Health care providers would compete for our business. And people would be free to decide to spend more money to buy additional care plans, that might provide for more convenience and care, extra tests, private rooms, etc.

This is more like some European plans like Germany and France, as I understand them. The marketplace would keep costs down as plans would have to compete for our business.

How to pay ? That's for another blog.

Actions

Big drop yesterday as all the long beefers sold trading positions as the same time, as usual. And I suppose the bears piled on. These moves should be no surprise to anyone, and we should all expect them from time to time.

I have a good bit of cash from prior sales in Fido Fund to buy stocks for longer term positions, and will start looking around. I might make some 1-2-3 Fund stock buys, too, for shorter term trades.

Word of the Day

"Anfractuosity" - noun [$10] and "Anfractuous" - adjective [$100] A Big Al word !!!
Anfractuosity means 1. circuitousness; 2. intricacy.
Anfractuous means characterized by windings and turnings; sinuous; circuitous [1615-1625 back formation from anfractuosity]
Sentence: Streets in the very old sections of East coast cities and towns can be so anfractuous that one needs a compass to keep one's direction. ... or ... The anfractuosity of creating ObamaCare has become so pronounced that only a cluster FUBAR can result.

Language Bonus

Here is a chant that we can all do to create positive vibes and concentrate mental energy to increase stock prices. It says "they increase" in seven languages.

augunt ... Sie steigen ... Ils montent ... aumentano ... aumentan ... wzrastają ... they increase.

Chant this seven times with a seven second "ommmmmmmmmm" in between each chant.

This will be a perfect 7x7x7 chant - imagine that power of it !

[FYI, this is a joke, but it's fun.]

70 comments:

Bud said...

good morning Bman !!!!


and a fine morning it is............had a vanilla skim latte..........healthy and tasty


Bman have you ever even tried a flavored coffee ?? they weren't invented when the pioneers or cowboys were around...........that's why they didn't drink them...............maybe general custer's men wud have fought of the injuns if they had

Bud said...

ham hands loooool


i like that word............is that a mencken word or someone else ??

Bud said...

i have said it many times before Bman.............i don't care who is 'overpaid'...........i do not want the pimps in congress interefering in compensation


PS...........'overpaid'............i don't even know what that word means ?? who decides that ?? gimme a f'ng break

Bud said...

well well well


it took a couple of years................but the Bman finally surrendered......uhhhh....relented

'long beefers sold'

prior to yday..............the Bman always had those silly and nonsensical and stupid theories on selloffs...... 'bear raids' 'beefers tryin to create panic' ..................he has finally seen the light..............i'm glad i was able to further his education



your welcome Bman

Bud said...

'shorter term trades'


atta boy Bman.............let's play some ping-pong

Bud said...

sie steigen !!!!!!!



i like that chant........i'll try it with my stox.................it won't work with e-minis though...................if you on the wrong side there...........bend over..............and if on the right side...........they fly without any chanting

Bud said...

is big al also a graduate of beefer university ??

Bud said...

Bman did you read meredith whitney in the wsj this morning ??

very good op-ed piece...........she ain't too optimistic about the US economy................is meredith just 'serving her beefer masters ' ?

Bunkerman said...

Do you make those coffees, or buy them somewhere.

Yes, I've had some of those, like hazelnut flavored coffee, or vanilla flavoored.

In the end, I prefer a fine medium roast, black, made from beens from Central American, east Africa or SE Asia.

No Mexico, Brazil or Columbia fat, tasteless beans.

No robusta - only arabica.

But for some occasions, I do like capuccino, etc. in the PM or evening.

Bunkerman said...

'ham hands' is pure MidWest country idiom.

Bunkerman said...

overpaid is paying someone too much based on events as they occur or are expected to, or more than necessary to get his/her work.

It's like a gift ... bribe ... payoff ... graft ... etc.

By the way, as a class, governemnt workers are very overpaid measured by total compensation including job security.

Bunkerman said...

no, Big Al went to Ohio State.

mfl59 said...

Big Al has some vocabulary....very impressive...

Bunkerman said...

"Bman did you read meredith whitney in the wsj this morning ??"

uh ... Bud ... did you put too much Kahlua in that mornign coffee ?

Or Tia Maria ?

or whiskey ?

moi, read Molotova ???

hahahahahahahahahaha

Bunkerman said...

Big Al likes words, as I do.

People - co-workers, etc. - send him some, too. He's not a recluse like me.

Bunkerman said...

when one looks back and thinks, gosh, I / they shouldn't / needn't have paid that guy so much, he wasn't worth it ... that's overpaid.

It's a mistake.

Bunkerman said...

Stan O'Neal of Merrill Lynch infamy is the poster boy for "overpaid"

Bunkerman said...

or Chuckie Prince

Bunkerman said...

just did a shift on my Fallacy book ... it's really good.

new word to come -> "eristic"

mfl59 said...

or Alex Rodriguez


sorry spin....

mfl59 said...

"your welcome Bman"

Does Big Al give spelling lessons also? If so perhaps Bud could give him a call....

Bunkerman said...

hmmm I wonder if GS has a mole in the BLS ?

Bunkerman said...

OK, Frosty is now the leader in the unemployment prediction race. 9.8% is over the 9.75 breakeven.

I was obviously too optimistic. I should have picked 9.0% - in hindsight i recognized that.

sigh ....

Bunkerman said...

what's the big deal .. swings of 50K mean nothing.

Bud said...

ace lolol


you really wanna go there ace ?? it's friday......you really wanna go to war with me??.............i'll ruin your f'ng weekend !!

Bud said...

anyway i been up since 2 f'ng 30



and don't forget i went to iowa state...........speakin of iowa state.........big12 opener tomorrow...........kansas state 'jayhawks' goin down..........i wish i was in ames...............can i afford it??.......maybe not.............i gotta save money for 220bux greens fees



go CYCLONES go

Spin-em said...

my gambling question last night....earnings jobs..pfftttt who cares...its about psychology... if you had 1,000,000 in ur retirement at the top and had $500,000...last fall....when is the rush for the door when they say f-it..Im done.taken my chips off the table...generational pressure as far as the eye can see......

mfl59 said...

Kansas State Jayhawks!!!

Rock Chalk Jayhawk!!!

lmaooooooooooooooo

Spin-em said...

or Alex Rodriguez


sorry spin....


lmaoooo no problem mike..ur right..

Bunkerman said...

there has been big funds flow to bonds.

mfl59 said...

psychology a funny thing....people clamor ($7.50) for a pullback, yet when it comes they dont want to buy a thing....

Mikey said...

haven't read it yet Mike, but Jason Zweig has a new book about psychology and investing

YOUR MONEY AND YOUR BRAIN: How The New Science Of Neuroeconomics Can Help Make You Rich
By Jason Zweig
Published by Simon & Schuster
Publication Date: September 4, 2007
Price: $26.00

mfl59 said...

looks interesting Mikey...I added it to my Amazon wish list...thanks...

Spin-em said...

"Can Help Make You Rich"


Jason ..may I suggest

Can Help Make You Richhhhhhh!!!

mfl59 said...

Biden concerned...Bunkerman perhaps you hit the sell all button

Bunkerman said...

Biden ...

sheesh.

Spin-em said...

OBAMA...the thrillllll is gone...the thrillllll has gone a-waaaaaaaaayyyyy

Spin-em said...

come to Rio and get mugged!!!!

Bud said...

Bman..........any buying today ???


stox gettin cheaper

Mikey said...

come on Spin....the hookers need to make a living too!......lol

Spin-em said...

Do the longs say F-it call it a week and walk away this afternoon?

Bunkerman said...

I'm thinking about some buys.

Bunkerman said...

lol, Obama sure looks stupid.

They've gonna pick Rio, if they haven't already

1st in SA.

mfl59 said...

way to go Obama....pffftttt....

Spin-em said...

now that Chicago lost...in the true Olympic spirit...I think they should riot....

Chicago goes out in first round....hey at least they made a playoff....

mfl59 said...

Brazil has the 2014 World Cup...do they get the Olympics as well?

Tune in Tokyo!!!!!

Bunkerman said...

Madrid is too soon for Spain ... hey had Barcelona.

Bunkerman said...

Tokyo was also cut, leaving Madrid and Rio to vie for host. (WSJ)

Bunkerman said...

Olympics won't care about World CUp - that jsut gives Rio a tune-up in advance of the biog show

mfl59 said...

I'd like to see you care about the World Cup Bunkerman....open your mind sir...you learn all these languages...follow the game that goes that with them sir....

Bunkerman said...

Rio De Janeiro chosen to host 2016 Olympics

from Briefing

Bunkerman said...

soccer ... ugh.

rugby, si

Bunkerman said...

I wonder if I can say, "soccer is boring" in seven langages ?

Spin-em said...

Rio gets Olympics...stocks and suits flyin..did anybody buy shepherds pie stocks when London got 2012??

Bunkerman said...

enjoy the weekend ...

I need some new ideas to buy; gotta look around and think.

Bunkerman said...

what ??!!

Roubini sees ends of recession, U shaped recovery ???

Is he reading this blog ???

Maybe my recent post on pundits scared him ?

Bud said...

uhhh............Roubini says double-dip is comin


i don't think he reads this blog

Bud said...

i'd luv to take frosty's oregon 'beavers' against wash-state............i been ridin them for 2 huge weeks..............reminds me of last year when i rode mike teel and rutgers to 5 straight covers


line is -35..........i pass

Bud said...

i luv the cyclones -3 to kickoff the big12 north championship ride


i won't since i don't bet my school..........but y'all shud.........vegas clueless

Bud said...

my favorite play is miss state +6............they win the game outright


i'm on fire in collegefootball this year ......6-2


'your too good sal...........i can't beat you'




PS..........was that 'your'? or 'you're' ? ace......what a moron

Bunkerman said...

II thought he was just hedging his bets .. double dip "might"

Bunkerman said...

Which sentence is correct ?

Your an idiot, Bud ?

or ...

You're an idiot, Bud ?

;)

Bunkerman said...

I suppose I could write that in French, too.

Vous êtes imbécile, Bud

ou

Votre êtes imbécile, Bud

Which is correct ?

;)

Bunkerman said...

that would be, quelle phrase est correcte ?

Bunkerman said...

taking votes ...

Bud said...

i'll go with


Votre êtes imbécile, Bud


PS.....i'm an idiot?? i'm the only one on this site that correctly predicted the crash of 2008........rich man's panic my ass

Bunkerman said...

I wonder if there is a Latin name for that type of question ...

gotta check my book on Fallacies ..

Bunkerman said...

Panic of 2008

Your guess is wrong. or .. You're wrong ;) I switched the French sentences around vs. the English (tricky...)

;))

Bunkerman said...

I suppose I'm a fool for having lost lots of money on C and WB.

:((((((((

Bud said...

you ain't a fool Bman.............'your' very smart


i just don't understand some of your silly theories