Health care

My struggle with Dupuytren’s Disease
14
May
By Bob Weeks

My struggle with Dupuytren’s Disease

If you've wondered why I seem to disappear once in a while, here is why. Dupuytren's Contracture, or Dupuytren's Disease, is "... a benign condition which causes a tightening of the flesh beneath the skin of the palm and can result in permanently bent fingers." I am afflicted with this, in a severe manner. It usually starts with small nodules in the palms. Then, in some people, cords develop in the palm and fingers. In some of these people, the cords tighten, which is what causes the fingers to contract. In my experience, these cords are very strong. It seems…
Read More
Inspector General evaluates Obamacare website
25
Feb
By Bob Weeks

Inspector General evaluates Obamacare website

The HHS Inspector General has released an evaluation of the Obamacare website HealthCare.gov, shedding light on the performance of former Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius. The Office of Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services has released a report titled HealthCare.gov: Case Study of CMS Management of the Federal Marketplace. An excerpt from the executive summary holds the main points: What We Found The development of HealthCare.gov faced a high risk of failure, given the technical complexity required, the fixed deadline, and a high degree of uncertainty about mission, scope, and funding. Still, we found that HHS and…
Read More
02
Jan
By Bob Weeks

Medicaid found to increase, not decrease, emergency room usage

This is an astonishing finding, and contrary to what the conventional wisdom has told us about health care. For years, it has been the number one talking point of Obamacare supporters. People who are uninsured end up getting costly care from hospitals’ emergency rooms. “Those of us with health insurance are also paying a hidden and growing tax for those without it -- about $1,000 per year that pays for [the uninsureds’] emergency room and charitable care,” said President Obama in 2009. Obamacare, the President told us, would solve that problem by covering the uninsured, thereby driving premiums down. A…
Read More
26
Oct
By Guest Author

Study: Kansas premiums to spike following Obamacare rollout

From Kansas Watchdog. Study: Kansas premiums to spike following Obamacare rollout By Travis Perry ON THE RISE: A new report from the Heritage Foundation says Obamacare premiums are significantly higher in Kansas compared to average rates before the rollout of the new health care law. By Travis Perry, Kansas Watchdog OSAWATOMIE — Good news: Kansas landed in the top 10 in a recent study conducted by the conservative Heritage Foundation! Bad news: It’s for massive insurance premium hikes because ofObamacare. Kinda puts a damper on things, huh? As I said, before dashing your optimism with harsh reality, Kansas is among the top 10 states to…
Read More
19
Sep
By Bob Weeks

ObamaCare chart updated

Republicans of the Joint Economic Committee of the U.S. Congress have released an update of a chart to help us navigate ObamaCare. (Click on it for a larger version.) From the July 2010 press release accompanying the original chart: "Four months after U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi famously declared 'We have to pass the bill so you can find out what's in it,' a congressional panel has released the first chart illustrating the 2,801 page health care law President Obama signed into law in March. Developed by the Joint Economic Committee minority, led by U.S Senator Sam Brownback of Kansas…
Read More
03
Jul
By Bob Weeks

ObamaCare employer mandate delayed, start of train wreck?

Scheduled to take effect on January 1, the employer mandate portion of the Affordable Care Act (ObamaCare) has been delayed for one year. Curiously, this announcement was made on an obscure Treasury Department blog, along with articles titled "Meeting, and Exceeding, Our Small Business Procurement Goals in FY 2012" and "In Case You Missed It: Top Executives Say U.S. Is #1 for Foreign Direct Investment." The employer mandate requires those who employ more than 50 full time-equivalent employees to provide insurance or pay a penalty. Cato Institute's Michael D. Tanner notes the general problem, and a specific problem based on…
Read More
29
Apr
By Bob Weeks

The future of Obamacare, now he tells us

This is a sad commentary on the state of politics and governance in the U.S., from the Boston Globe: Unencumbered by the political pressures of a reelection campaign, Baucus is in a position to call out both the failure of federal officials to prepare for implementing Obamacare as well as the unintended consequences of its complex regulations. A short while ago, before U.S. Senator Max Baucus announced his retirement, U.S. Representative Mike Pompeo of Wichita noticed the incongruity of Baucus complaining about a law he passed, tweeting the following: If only someone had said something! MT @michael_steel: Now he tells…
Read More
11
Oct
By Bob Weeks

ObamaCare explained: What could go wrong?

An Illinois State Senate candidate who happens to be a physician diagnoses and explains the problems with the Affordable Care Act, also known as ObamaCare. Here's a transcription of what Barbara Bellar said: Let me get this straight: We’re going to be gifted with a healthcare plan we are forced to purchase, and fined if we don’t, which purportedly covers at least 10 million more people, without adding a single new doctor, but provides for 16,000 new IRS agents, written by a committee whose chairman says he doesn’t understand it, passed by a congress that didn’t read it but exempted…
Read More