La France a le meilleur healthcare dans le monde – What is the US best at?

La France a le meilleur healthcare dans le monde – What is the US best at?

12 Comments
One of the many wrong facts that keep being repeated by Republicans is that the US health care system is the "best in the world." John Boehner just said that "“This (the ACA) is going to destroy the best health care delivery system in the world,” That is some typical fantastical thinking that is hardly worth taking the time to debunk. (It is nice to see that DL readers don't suffer from such delusions). Anyway, it turns out that France has the best healthcare system in the world. It was a conscious choice. And, surprisingly, it isn't single payer. So, France has the #1 spot in heathcare locked up. What is America #1 in? [...]
Tuesday Open Thread [11.19.13]

Tuesday Open Thread [11.19.13]

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"Despite the disastrous rollout of the federal government's healthcare website, enrollment is surging in many states as tens of thousands of consumers sign up for insurance plans made available by President Obama's health law," the Los Angeles Times reports.
"A number of states that use their own systems, including California, are on track to hit enrollment targets for 2014 because of a sharp increase in November... The growing enrollment in those states is a rare bit of good news for backers of the Affordable Care Act and suggests that the serious problems with the law's rollout may not be fatal, despite critics' renewed calls for repeal."
Same thing will happen on the federal exchanges once the website is working properly. The real story of the Obamacare rollout is not a non-working website or insurance companies cancelling policies on 3% of the nation's populations, it is the media coverage of both. Jonathan Bernstein argues that the recent two weeks of anti-Obamacare stories is mostly a media-driven phenomenon.
Another Business Commits Suicide

Another Business Commits Suicide

2 Comments
Can we please stop pretending that "business" owners are smart.  They aren't - just ask Komen. So this happened:
Like many consumers who have had a bad experience, Jen Palmer wrote a review online in 2008 after the Christmas presents her husband ordered from Kleargear.com never arrived. Years later, thanks to her online review, the couple is facing a damaged credit score and a $3,500 fine.
$3,500 fine?  How could that happen? 
Sociopaths of the Day — Walmart

Sociopaths of the Day — Walmart

2 Comments
A Walmart store in Canton, OH is running a food drive for its own workers. No doubt it is good they recognize that their workers are hurting, but they are working for Walmart and not making enough money to eat! How is it possible that you are working and not able to live without charity or government support? And considering how much the Walton family is worth, they could give all of their associates the makings of a decent holiday meal and never notice the money spent.
Comparing the Health Care Systems of 11 Industrial Countries

Comparing the Health Care Systems of 11 Industrial Countries

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I was going to post this in the Single Payer thread and in the Open Thread for today, but this turned out to be its own post.  This year's Commonwealth Fund International Profiles of Health Systems (PDF) is out. This is particularly useful in detailing how governments cover the health care of their citizens (as in, "single payer" looks different depending upon where you are -- instructive) and in summarizing overall outcomes of these systems. We get middling quality care and pay more than anyone else for it -- 17.7% of our GDP (and this is without covering everybody) vs The Netherlands (the next highest) at 11.9%. We're in the bottom third of countries able to get same day appointments and in being able to get after hours care. We're the highest in the number of avoidable medical system deaths and in the bottom third of overall satisfaction with the medical care system.  So much for the greatest medical care in the world.
Totally not related

Totally not related

68 Comments
This:
Freak November Tornadoes Wreak Havoc. A fast-moving storm system triggered multiple tornadoes in Illinois and Indiana on Sunday, killing at least two people, injuring about 40 and flattening large parts of the city of Washington, Illinois as it crashed across the Midwest, officials said.
And this:
Seventeen out of twenty-two Republican members of the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology, or 77 percent, are climate deniers.

Please. Just Stop

4 Comments
Seriously? At least we know her mind won’t be preoccupied with haute couture. Here’s the black-on-black ensemble she sported last month when President Barack Obama officially nominated her: (Jewel Samad/AFP/Getty…
Friday Open Thread [11.15.13]

Friday Open Thread [11.15.13]

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Morning Money: "New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie gets all the love as the current GOP front-runner for 2016 (to the extent there can even be a front runner three years out.) But there is growing chatter in elite New York financial circles that former Florida Governor Jeb Bush is giving more serious consideration to getting in the race, especially if it appears at any point that Christie is not drawing big national appeal beyond the northeast. Several plugged in GOP sources said Bush has moved from almost certainly staying out to a 30 percent chance of getting in. The '70/30' odds pop up in so many conversations they almost seem like circulated talking points." Jeb Bush will run. It is his last chance to run. So he has to run. If his last name was not Bush I dare say he would be a runaway favorite. Bush and Christie will divide the sane vote. The insane vote will be divided between Paul and Cruz. Now, who will win? It depends on the answer to this question: Are their more sane than insane people in the Republican Party/Tea Party?

Jason330 to announce plans to annouce the possibility of forming an exploratory committee to look into primarying the Democratic State Treasurer

28 Comments
How hard could being Sate Treasurer be? Seriously. Especially for someone who has no other political ambitions, this job is a piece of cake. Not as easy as being the Development Director at CRI, but up there. Since the Christmas kickstarter project wasn't funded, (and since I will not be starting an athiest church anytime soon) I'll have a little time on my hands. While I cogitate on this some, you (yes you!) can be the cyber-pre-pre-exploratory committee by noting in the comments section how much it costs to file and what the deadlines are.
Anybody Else Longing For Single Payer?

Anybody Else Longing For Single Payer?

25 Comments
Ok, now I am more than totally befuddled about our so called health care reform. Today the President announced that if you liked your piece of shit so called catastrophic health policy that covers practically nothing and leads you to bankruptcy court, you can keep it. If only the insurance companies will willingly volunteer to restore their pieces of shit policies. In the name of good citizenship.