Monday Musings

How is it that Saturdays and Sundays are so short? Today starts the moving count down. Have to start packing, getting vendors scheduled, getting stuff done -- less than 3 weeks until move day. Can't wait! In the meantime, the news:

Scary economic times. Low interest rates don't seem to be helping. They're talking lay-offs on Wall Street. I don't know how you stop a recession without pumping money into the economy -- and the GOP in the House will never allow that now. The tools that helped in 2008 appear to be gone today. The President needs to come up with some ideas. Meanwhile, he says Congress needs to do something. He starts a three-day midwest bus tour today. Something tells me this is a bad idea. Meanwhile, the great Warren Buffet again steps forward and says "Tax me!"

Did anybody else notice that there's only one woman, one Latino and one African-American on the super-committee? Will the lack of diversity change the outcome?

Watch out for this one, folks. More and more, I'm reading that Congress may limit Medi-gap policies to make it more expensive for seniors to seek health care -- so they will seek less health care. Those who advocate for this seem to think people have fun going to the doctor and they do it not based on need, but based on -- well, they have nothing better to do or something. We don't need an incentive to go to the doctor less often. Indeed, I get so many complaints about doctors that it's a fair bet that most of us avoid doctors as much as humanly possible. But some think we need an incentive to seek less health care -- so make it impossibly expensive. Cruel and crazy, as far as I'm concerned.

As you know, a 3-judge panel of the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals struck down the individual mandate portion of the health reform law. What happens next? The feds can request reconsideration from the entire 11th Circuit to rule, and then it's on to the Supremes. We should have a decision from the 4th Circuit soon, too.

Three sets of regulations were released on Friday: one to explain how people will apply for the tax credit through the exchange (marketplace), one that says how the tax credit will work, and the third that will facilitate Medicaid enrollment through the exchange. All told nearly 600 pages -- haven't quite finished reading them yet!

If you've been admitted to the hospital recently, you've probably seen a hospitalist -- not your regular doctor, but whoever's on call. Does it save money? Not really, because you end up spending more once you're out of the hospital.

Baby boomers are not prepared for their need for long-term care.

Connecticut insurers have to cover the cost of bone marrow compatibility testing for transplants.

And that's today's news. Have a great day. Jennifer