Category: health

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Drug Costs and Medical Charges Are Out of Control

Mark Cathcart

Navigating the US healthcare system can often feel like an exercise in frustration, especially when it comes to understanding the barrage of statements, bills, and charges that seem to come out of nowhere. Despite opting for email communications, the paper trail doesn’t seem to end. It’s a good thing I’m generally healthy, just dealing with the usual wear and tear that comes with getting older. Continue reading Drug Costs and Medical Charges Are Out of Control

health, healthcare, Life2 Comments

Medical billing still broken

Mark Cathcart

Back in June I was doing a major project in the yard and rolled up half the professionally laid astroturf. It’s a major job and weighs a ton… A couple of days later I stepped on the rolled astroturf and an 8-inch turf nail went through my shoe and into my right foot. It went in pretty deep, not just a surface cut. After cleaning up, covering the hole I realized I needed a tetanus shot. It was already 6:30pm, I called a couple of local urgent care offices and checked their prices. Both said the shot cost $40. I … Continue reading Medical billing still broken

health, healthcare, politics, uninsured

Opinion | How Much Will Americans Sacrifice for Good Health Care? – The New York Times

Mark Cathcart

Sadly, this New York Times Editorial op-ed is factually wrong in a material way that I had to write a letter. I also ripped into Dan Gorenstein on twitter(1) for linking to the article and “guessing” he didn’t think Americans would tolerate #MedicareForAll. Here is the text I sent to the Times, who knows if they will publish it. My track record of getting corrections to editorial op-eds published is close to zero. It’s like they don’t want to be wrong. The editorial board seems both confused, and factually inaccurate when it comes to how insurance works in government funded, … Continue reading Opinion | How Much Will Americans Sacrifice for Good Health Care? – The New York Times

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Missing the point of Healthcare costs

Mark Cathcart

We managed to get Health Insurance sorted out for my wife and daughter, without falling into the trap of me getting covered by an ACA policy, which would put me in jeopardy of violating the “public charge” agreement I accepted when applying for my green card. I’m self-insuring for another year aka uninsurance. Today I took my daughter to the dentist, she needed two baby teeth pulled to make way for her adult teeth. The insurance didn’t verify when they put it in. So I paid by card. In a subsequent phone call we went through the process of how … Continue reading Missing the point of Healthcare costs

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An Apple a day keeps the Doctor Employed.

Mark Cathcart

CNBC has an interesting article about the number, and quality of Doctors they employ.  I’ve no idea what’s going on an Apple, for a number of reasons, I’ve never bought a single product of theirs. However, given their deep pockets and ability to play a strategically long-game, I for one would be surprised if this isn’t significantly more than just about the watch and apps that can diagnose conditions based on data in collects. Here are my thoughts, in the form tweets to @charlesarthur original tweet and link to his daily Startup link list overflow. The Apple thing is an interesting … Continue reading An Apple a day keeps the Doctor Employed.

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Why we can’t have essential things

Mark Cathcart

The meme But this is much less funny. The drug companies have been conspiring to raise the prices for generic drugs. albuterol, sold by generic manufacturers Mylan and Sun, jumped more than 3,400 percent, from 13 cents a tablet to more than $4.70. https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/investigation-of-generic-cartel-expands-to-300-drugs/2018/12/09/fb900e80-f708-11e8-863c-9e2f864d47e7_story.html?utm_term=.4ec5cbabdebd Continue reading Why we can’t have essential things

environment, health, politics, tax1 Comment

Protect Colorado – Give me a break! (Yes on 112)

Mark Cathcart

When we ride our bikes north and east of Boulder you can see the gas and oil pipelines an extraction points at regular intervals. But it’s nothing like Texas. Very, Very few oil derricks, certainly in and around Erie, CO there are a number of fracking pad sites, you can see them clearly from Colorado State Highway 52, in places. But there is nothing like the density I expected given the prominence of the Oil and Gas industry in the state politics. Even when you drive out through north east Colorado, wells yes, but still surrounded by massive areas of … Continue reading Protect Colorado – Give me a break! (Yes on 112)