Healthcare

Minnesota government to track prescription painkiller distribution

By Steve McGough | January 6, 2010 |

Minnesota is looking for an easy way to track prescription pain medication abusers by comparing records submitted by physicians. Of course, the government will have access to the personal records of thousands of people who are not not abusing painkillers, but that should be OK with you right?

Congress asks CBO if $500 billion in health care savings could equal $1 trillion – fuzzy math

By SoundOffSister | January 4, 2010 |

Of course you all remember the 640,329 jobs “created or saved” by the Stimulus Bill passed by Congress last February. I sincerely hope you are still not bogged down with trying to figure out how many of those jobs were created or saved in non-existent congressional districts.

Brokaw: Here’s a great idea, let’s be more like Oregon’s medical system

By Jim Vicevich | January 4, 2010 |

This ranks right up there with Brokaw begging the President to raise gas prices. Speaking on Meet the Press, the debate turned to why Americans are so against Obamacare. Doris Kearns Goodwin thinks most Americans haven’t read it and thus are afraid of it, but once it’s passed, they will love it.

Mayo says no to Medicare at Arizona facility

By Jim Vicevich | January 1, 2010 |

My guess is Medicare patients overwhelm this operation simply because it is Arizona, home to retirees. It’s also my guess we will see more of this in areas where the over 65 crowd decided to congregate, whether that’s a region that retirees love to move to (Florida) or where young people have just picked up…

How $15 co-pays destroyed the health care system

By Steve McGough | December 29, 2009 |

I’m struggling with the headline since I know health care has not been destroyed by low co-pays, but those gold-plated plans with $15 co-pays to go see a doctor and $25 for an emergency room visit have destroyed our perception of value when it comes to health care.

A letter from Congress and the President to Medicare health care recipients

By SoundOffSister | December 27, 2009 |

Let me begin by wishing all of you a very Merry Christmas on behalf of President Obama, and your Congress. As you know, through my tireless efforts, we were able to bribe enough senators, enabling the Senate to pass its version of health care reform on Christmas Eve.

Tanning bed lobby loses to big-plastic in health care tax revenue battle

By Steve McGough | December 24, 2009 |

I’m figuring the local gyms and tanning salons who provide the sun-baked look to those pasty-white college girls in Minnesota don’t have much of a lobbying force in Washington D.C. The Senate dropped a 5 percent tax on cosmetic surgery, only to replace it with a 10 percent tax on tanning services. What will the…

The health care Medicare Advisory Board that can not be challenged

By Steve McGough | December 22, 2009 |

Early this morning news broke about Section 3403 of HR 3590 that could not be changed in the future. This afternoon, I’ll take a shot and working through the legislation and detailing what’s going on.

ObamaCare Forevah!

By Jim Vicevich | December 22, 2009 |

Senator Jim DeMint has uncovered what may very well be the most outrageous aspect of a totally outrageous Health Care Bill. From Hot Air and Red State … Harry Reid has included a provision requiring a super majority in the Senate to amend any aspect or portion of ObamaCare. It’s a rule change tucked in…

Health care legislation includes Office of Minority Health, possible ACORN funding

By Steve McGough | December 22, 2009 | Comments Off on Health care legislation includes Office of Minority Health, possible ACORN funding

I’m not sure what’s more disturbing. The fact the federal government feels the need to demand six bloated federal bureaucracies add an official Office of Minority Health, or that ACORN may well qualify for grant cash to “conduct public education activities to raise awareness of the availability of qualified health plans.”