There are four mutually contradictory opinions of oil:
1. Conventional Free-market Economists, who view energy as one more priced commodity. By using more energy, more supply will be created. Upon depletion, alternatives will be automatically created.
2. Environmental Activists: who push all to reduce greenhouse gases, hydrocarbon pollution, to conserve and switch to renewables.
3. Geologists: the most attenuated voice but has contempt for the economists because reducing all resources to dollar prices obscures real physical distinctions. Petroleum will run out; substitutes will not be easy. Renewables cannot fully replicate fossil fuels, and their implementation requires decades--if it was being fully worked on.
4. Politicians: the voice that really matters, tend to believe the economists thus markets will inevitably handle everything. Voters want good news and quick solutions; constraints are unwelcome. Solutions do not favor their inaccurate view of the world, so they blame their opposition.
Ref: Richard Heinberg, The Party's Over: Oil, War, and the Fate of Industrial Societies.
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Analysis of the Medically Uninsured
Per the US Census Bureau's 2009 report "Current Population Survey"
46.3 million people were uninsured in the United States, up from 45.7 million in 2008.
9.7 million earned over $75,000 per year, indicating they chose not to insure.
8.0 million earned between $50,000 and $75,000, indicating they, too, probably chose not to insure.
14.0 million were eligible for Medicare, Medicaid, or State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), but chose not to enroll.
6.0 million were eligible for employer-sponsored health insurance, but chose not to enroll.
5.0 million were legal immigrants that were uninsured.
5.2 million were illegal immigrants that were uninsured.
10.0 million lack affordable health insurance. In other words, they were working but could not afford the insurance.
All of these are covered by the 1986 Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act which requires most hospitals to provide medical care to anyone needing treatment regardless of their citizenship or ability to pay.
46.3 million people were uninsured in the United States, up from 45.7 million in 2008.
9.7 million earned over $75,000 per year, indicating they chose not to insure.
8.0 million earned between $50,000 and $75,000, indicating they, too, probably chose not to insure.
14.0 million were eligible for Medicare, Medicaid, or State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), but chose not to enroll.
6.0 million were eligible for employer-sponsored health insurance, but chose not to enroll.
5.0 million were legal immigrants that were uninsured.
5.2 million were illegal immigrants that were uninsured.
10.0 million lack affordable health insurance. In other words, they were working but could not afford the insurance.
All of these are covered by the 1986 Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act which requires most hospitals to provide medical care to anyone needing treatment regardless of their citizenship or ability to pay.
Energy Subsidies
Subsidies (2008) stationary power generation take the form of tax depreciation allowances and government-funded research.
Natural Gas: $0.25 per megawatt hour.
Coal: 0.44 per megawatt hour.
Hydroelectric: 0.67 per megawatt hour.
Nuclear: 1.59 per megawatt hour.
Wind: 23.37 per megawatt hour.
Solar: 24.34 per megawatt hour.
Per US Energy Information Administration.
Ref: Why We Hate the Oil Companies, John Hoffmeister, 2010.
Natural Gas: $0.25 per megawatt hour.
Coal: 0.44 per megawatt hour.
Hydroelectric: 0.67 per megawatt hour.
Nuclear: 1.59 per megawatt hour.
Wind: 23.37 per megawatt hour.
Solar: 24.34 per megawatt hour.
Per US Energy Information Administration.
Ref: Why We Hate the Oil Companies, John Hoffmeister, 2010.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Health Care System Models
Health-care systems come in four basic models:
Bismark model, named for Prussian Chancellor Otto von Bismark, who initiated the welfare state when he unified Germany in the 19th century.
~ Both health-care providers and payers are private, cover everyone and are non-profit.
~ Private plans are usually jointly financed by employers and employees.
~ Both are tightly regulated for medical services and fees, thus providing as much cost control as does the Beverage model.
~ This model is used in Germany, Japan, Belgium, Switzerland, and some Latin American countries.
Beveridge model, named for Sir William Beveridge, who inspired the British National Health Service.
~ Health care is both provided and financed by the government.
~ Taxes pay this public service, thus there are no bills.
~ Hospitals and clinics are mostly owned by the government.
~ Some doctors are government employees; others are private but collect from the government.
~ System tends to have low costs per capita; the government controls procedures and payments.
~ This model usually referred to as “socialized medicine.”
~ This model used in Great Britain, Italy, Spain, and most of Scandinavia. Hong Kong has a version and refused to give it up when they passed from British to Chinese control in 1997.
~ The two purest examples of this model are Cuba and the United States Veterans Affairs.
National Health Insurance model, where health care providers are private, but the payer is the government.
~ Every citizen pays into insurer system.
~ Expenses of insurer minimized since there is no need for marketing or for expensive underwriting to deny claims, thus tends to be less expensive and simple to administrate.
~ System has tremendous power to negotiate prices.
~ System offers best universal application and equality of treatment (fairness).
~ Paradigmatic example is Canada, but variations are also used in Korea and Taiwan.
Out of Pocket model, or non-system countries, represents all but the top 40 developed, industrialized countries.
~ Examples include 91% of medical expenses in Cambodia, 85% in India, 73% in Egypt, compared to 3% in Britain or 17% in the United States.
~ Most nations are too poor and/or too disorganized for more.
~ Basic principle is simple and brutal: the poor stay sick or die.
The United States has a mixture:
~ Most workers under 65 years of age have the Bismark model.
~ Native Americans, military, and veterans have the Beveridge model.
~ Over 65 and end-stage renal patients have National Health Insurance (Medicare).
~ Approximately 46 million have the Out-of-Pocket model.
Source: The Healing of America, T.R. Reid, 2009, p. 16-22.
Bismark model, named for Prussian Chancellor Otto von Bismark, who initiated the welfare state when he unified Germany in the 19th century.
~ Both health-care providers and payers are private, cover everyone and are non-profit.
~ Private plans are usually jointly financed by employers and employees.
~ Both are tightly regulated for medical services and fees, thus providing as much cost control as does the Beverage model.
~ This model is used in Germany, Japan, Belgium, Switzerland, and some Latin American countries.
Beveridge model, named for Sir William Beveridge, who inspired the British National Health Service.
~ Health care is both provided and financed by the government.~ Taxes pay this public service, thus there are no bills.
~ Hospitals and clinics are mostly owned by the government.
~ Some doctors are government employees; others are private but collect from the government.
~ System tends to have low costs per capita; the government controls procedures and payments.
~ This model usually referred to as “socialized medicine.”
~ This model used in Great Britain, Italy, Spain, and most of Scandinavia. Hong Kong has a version and refused to give it up when they passed from British to Chinese control in 1997.
~ The two purest examples of this model are Cuba and the United States Veterans Affairs.
National Health Insurance model, where health care providers are private, but the payer is the government.
~ Every citizen pays into insurer system.
~ Expenses of insurer minimized since there is no need for marketing or for expensive underwriting to deny claims, thus tends to be less expensive and simple to administrate.
~ System has tremendous power to negotiate prices.
~ System offers best universal application and equality of treatment (fairness).
~ Paradigmatic example is Canada, but variations are also used in Korea and Taiwan.
Out of Pocket model, or non-system countries, represents all but the top 40 developed, industrialized countries.
~ Examples include 91% of medical expenses in Cambodia, 85% in India, 73% in Egypt, compared to 3% in Britain or 17% in the United States.
~ Most nations are too poor and/or too disorganized for more.
~ Basic principle is simple and brutal: the poor stay sick or die.
The United States has a mixture:
~ Most workers under 65 years of age have the Bismark model.
~ Native Americans, military, and veterans have the Beveridge model.
~ Over 65 and end-stage renal patients have National Health Insurance (Medicare).
~ Approximately 46 million have the Out-of-Pocket model.
Source: The Healing of America, T.R. Reid, 2009, p. 16-22.
Universal Laws of Health Care Systems
American economist Dr. Tsung-Mei Cheng, Princeton, developed three Universal Laws of Health Care Systems.
These are:
1. No matter how good the health care in a particular country, people will complain about it.
2. No matter how much money is spent on health care, the doctors and hospitals will argue it is not enough.
3. The last reform always failed.
Source: The Healing of America, T.R. Reid, 2009, p. 26-27.
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