Comments for Ross Douthat Claims That "Everybody Knows" Something That Is Not True at http://www.cepr.net , comment 1 to 19 out of 19 comments http://www.cepr.net Fri, 24 May 2013 16:03:47 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.3 http://www.cepr.net/index.php/blogs/beat-the-press/ross-douthat-claims-that-qeverybody-knowsq-something-that-is-not-true#comment-3348 America in a nutshell. What everyone knows is BS. A national mass halucination is in progress and it's not just about social security and medicare. - AlanDownunder Sat, 02 Oct 2010 21:37:18 +0100 http://www.cepr.net/index.php/blogs/beat-the-press/ross-douthat-claims-that-qeverybody-knowsq-something-that-is-not-true#comment-3300 All of the cuts to benefits will be to today's retired recipients children and grandchildren. This is a plan to reduce the retirement benefits of future generations. Unfortunately, many stupid young people think that current benefits will be cut so they can get benefits themself. How sad it is that we no longer teach economics and civics in high scholls. - Fred Donaldson Wed, 29 Sep 2010 03:03:29 +0100 http://www.cepr.net/index.php/blogs/beat-the-press/ross-douthat-claims-that-qeverybody-knowsq-something-that-is-not-true#comment-3275 Mr Douthat makes assertions about apples (federal [i]budget[/i]), and you ridicule him by pointing out details of oranges (federal [i]deficit[/i]). - Scott Schaefer Tue, 28 Sep 2010 06:40:49 +0100 http://www.cepr.net/index.php/blogs/beat-the-press/ross-douthat-claims-that-qeverybody-knowsq-something-that-is-not-true#comment-3272 and, as you point out indirectly, income is highly correlated with race, which is highly correlated with geography like inner city...hence, a stupid charges of racism when it is income which matters Here's racism: Forcing poor folks with shorter life expectancy to take an annuity which they will not get much of instead of a lump sum payment from social security. - pete Tue, 28 Sep 2010 05:05:51 +0100 http://www.cepr.net/index.php/blogs/beat-the-press/ross-douthat-claims-that-qeverybody-knowsq-something-that-is-not-true#comment-3269 One time while on Minuteman surveillance duty from my couch watching video cameras I saw an undocumented soccer mom eating a twinky and reported her to the Teabagger Diabetes Death Panel Commission. - izzatzo Tue, 28 Sep 2010 03:51:17 +0100 http://www.cepr.net/index.php/blogs/beat-the-press/ross-douthat-claims-that-qeverybody-knowsq-something-that-is-not-true#comment-3268 yo pete- ima "us inner city folk" (don't be afraid- im not black as ur racist dog whistle blew)- seriously, tho, i giggled at ur "extremely unhealthy" label- u cant be serious- for every obese, busridin, hard workin, couch potato, twinky eatin us inner city folk, i can point out an obese, suvdrivin, desk workin, couch potato, haagen dasz eatin us suburban folk- perhaps ur reference was to disparity of treatment, but sorry- to me, it smacks of naive racism - frankenduf Tue, 28 Sep 2010 03:28:18 +0100 http://www.cepr.net/index.php/blogs/beat-the-press/ross-douthat-claims-that-qeverybody-knowsq-something-that-is-not-true#comment-3261 [b]pete[/b] wrote, [quote]Seems pretty clear that patients who have no marginal cost for consumption will be inclined to consume more than those that have to pay. [/quote] I didn't say patient incentives played no role. I said it's not nearly as large as the problem that the person truly making treatment decisions (doctors) are the ones who get paid for treatment. Take for example spinal fusion surgery. Apparently it's completely useless in most cases, but IIRC costs billions of dollars each year. - liberal Tue, 28 Sep 2010 01:17:21 +0100 http://www.cepr.net/index.php/blogs/beat-the-press/ross-douthat-claims-that-qeverybody-knowsq-something-that-is-not-true#comment-3252 Actually, Pete, the marginal cost of medical care consumption for the poor in this country is quite high--not low as you claim. They can be fired for leaving work. They do not get paid for leaving work (paid hourly). Absent insurance, they are billed for this care (this may come as a surprise to you), even though they may not be able to pay up. Please do start over. A connection to reality would help. - bobbyp Mon, 27 Sep 2010 16:50:28 +0100 http://www.cepr.net/index.php/blogs/beat-the-press/ross-douthat-claims-that-qeverybody-knowsq-something-that-is-not-true#comment-3240 Pete said, "Seems pretty clear that patients who have no marginal cost for consumption will be inclined to consume more than those that have to pay. Especially those with low opportunity cost of time. Start to sneeze, get a rash, whatever, go to the emergency room." They don't go to the ER because they have a "low opportunity cost of time". They go because they don't have any other way to get treatment. "Placing our extremely unhealthy U.S. inner city folks in a European style health care system would simply break the bank." Wow, dogwhistle much? - Fitlh Mon, 27 Sep 2010 11:27:09 +0100 http://www.cepr.net/index.php/blogs/beat-the-press/ross-douthat-claims-that-qeverybody-knowsq-something-that-is-not-true#comment-3239 "Patient incentives aren't the root of the incentives problem in medicine. Rather, the root of the problem is that the same people who make decisions on treatments (doctors) are the ones who receive payment for those treatments (doctors). " Seems pretty clear that patients who have no marginal cost for consumption will be inclined to consume more than those that have to pay. Especially those with low opportunity cost of time. Start to sneeze, get a rash, whatever, go to the emergency room. I spent unfortunately many hours in Prince George's County emergency room with family members and saw the huge inefficiencies there. Medical savings and high deductible plans with larger copays, with subsidies where necessary, would go a long way to reducing such visits. Placing our extremely unhealthy U.S. inner city folks in a European style health care system would simply break the bank. - pete Mon, 27 Sep 2010 07:52:55 +0100 http://www.cepr.net/index.php/blogs/beat-the-press/ross-douthat-claims-that-qeverybody-knowsq-something-that-is-not-true#comment-3238 Adding: Of course, the ultimate treatment decision rests with the patient. But in actuality, the patient mostly just ratifies decisions made by the doctor. - liberal Mon, 27 Sep 2010 07:24:20 +0100 http://www.cepr.net/index.php/blogs/beat-the-press/ross-douthat-claims-that-qeverybody-knowsq-something-that-is-not-true#comment-3237 [b]pete[/b] wrote, [quote]...by using patient incentives to prevent overconsumption...[/quote] Patient incentives aren't the root of the incentives problem in medicine. Rather, the root of the problem is that the same people who make decisions on treatments (doctors) are the ones who receive payment for those treatments (doctors). The idea that patients could be incentivized to cut costs generally won't work, though there are things here and there which are certainly amenable to patient incentives. - liberal Mon, 27 Sep 2010 07:23:32 +0100 http://www.cepr.net/index.php/blogs/beat-the-press/ross-douthat-claims-that-qeverybody-knowsq-something-that-is-not-true#comment-3236 You've got to do the reading, Pete. The Conservative Nanny-State would be a good place to start. - fuller schmidt Mon, 27 Sep 2010 07:21:49 +0100 http://www.cepr.net/index.php/blogs/beat-the-press/ross-douthat-claims-that-qeverybody-knowsq-something-that-is-not-true#comment-3235 [b]AndrewDover[/b] wrote, [quote]If you say we can fix it then, why not fix it now with a smaller fix over thirty years?[/quote] Because the Republicans will steal the savings from a fix and hand it to the fat cats. - liberal Mon, 27 Sep 2010 07:20:00 +0100 http://www.cepr.net/index.php/blogs/beat-the-press/ross-douthat-claims-that-qeverybody-knowsq-something-that-is-not-true#comment-3233 Just the incessant drumbeat of the radical right. Unfortunately, it is being palmed-off and increasingly accepted a conventional wisdom. Hopefully the Democrats in Congress and the White House will begin efforts to shine the light of truth on false arguments. - Ron Alley Mon, 27 Sep 2010 05:49:32 +0100 http://www.cepr.net/index.php/blogs/beat-the-press/ross-douthat-claims-that-qeverybody-knowsq-something-that-is-not-true#comment-3232 I don't understand...less money for doctors and nurses, but don't cut medicare? Kind of weird logic here...don't cut, just lower costs...abracadabra...pay no attention to that man behind the curtain??? Maybe my math is bad, or maybe its a behavioral framing thing...or is it simply that some prefer rationing by a government agency over rationing by the price system. Since European systems are now undergoing rapid changes due to the inconvenient fact that their populations are aging too, maybe jump the gun on them and get a system that might work, like the Whole Foods plan which lowers costs by using patient incentives to prevent overconsumption rather than attempting to force lower payments on the providers...the docs don't like this either, AMA fights these incentive based programs just as they fight medicare cuts...and I would guess the SEIU which gave us the current failed-before-implemented mess would fight competitive health care tooth and nail... - pete Mon, 27 Sep 2010 05:48:54 +0100 http://www.cepr.net/index.php/blogs/beat-the-press/ross-douthat-claims-that-qeverybody-knowsq-something-that-is-not-true#comment-3231 Most ordinary workers now will be retired in 2040. Why should the current retired rich be allowed to completely empty the SS trust fund? If the trust fund is empty in 2040, those ordinary workers will lose 25% of their scheduled benefits. If you say we can fix it then, why not fix it now with a smaller fix over thirty years? - AndrewDover Mon, 27 Sep 2010 04:26:17 +0100 http://www.cepr.net/index.php/blogs/beat-the-press/ross-douthat-claims-that-qeverybody-knowsq-something-that-is-not-true#comment-3230 As everybody knows, the USA succumbed to Nazi fascism just when the ratio of debt to GNP exceeded 100% at the beginning of WWII. As everybody knew, the only way to reduce the debt was to stop the war spending and give in to the enemy instead. This is why the USA is stable today with a balanced budget under a government run by a Nazi Efficiency Machine. - izzatzo Mon, 27 Sep 2010 04:21:19 +0100 http://www.cepr.net/index.php/blogs/beat-the-press/ross-douthat-claims-that-qeverybody-knowsq-something-that-is-not-true#comment-3229 Cutting Social Security would be defaulting on the national debt. The Republicans are acting like drunken sailors, the Democrats their enabling wives. - John Shaplin Mon, 27 Sep 2010 04:14:27 +0100