Healthcare: Ultimate outcomes

Today President Barack Obama addressed the AMA (American Medical Association) to talk about our broken healthcare system in the belly of the beast. Whay do I say the belly of the beast? Because the members of the AMA have opposed President Obama's call for the types of reforms the country need. He did a great job today with his speech. I listened to the whole thing live and recommend others listen to it as well.

I was thinking about medical outcomes as a result of his speech. He talked about unnecessary tests being done which drive costs up and don't really improve the outcome for the patient. Many have criticized the idea of a public option for Americans. They say this is nothing more than an attempt to have a Single Payer system. The critics talk about long waits for medical care and cite Canada as an example, as well as other countries which have national healthcare. Michael Moore addressed some of the critics in his last movie, Sicko". This is another movie worth seeing. So I gave more thought about what outcome is the most important outcomes to evaluate these different systems. I came up with Life Expectancy data. After all isn't that what we are all trying to do, live as long as we can and as healthy as we can? So here is some interesting data you might not be aware of.

Where do you think the US ranks in Life expectancy compared to other countries and where does counties like Canada rank? Here's the data based upon UN member Countries:

1. Japan (82.6 years)
2. Hong Kong
3. Iceland
4. Switzerland
5. Australia
6. Spain
7. Sweden
8. Israel
9. Macau
10. France
11. Canada * (80.7 years)
12. Italy
13 New Zealand * (80.2 years)
14. Norway
15. Singapore
16. Austria
17. Netherlands
18. Martinique
19. Greece
20. Belgium
21. Malta
22. United Kingdom* (79.4 years)
23. Germany
24. U.S. Virgin Islands
25. Finland
26. Guadeloupe
27. Channel Islands
28. Cyprus
29. Ireland
30. Costa Rica * (78.8 years)
31. Puerto Rico
32. Luxembourg
33. United Arab Emirates
34. South Korea
35. Chile * (78.6 years)
36. Denmark
37. Cuba * (78.3 years)
38. United States (78.2 years)

* Countries with National Healthcare or Single Payer systems

If you want the rest, click on this link.

So the question seems to be this, Is our medical system really as good as it should be? Looking at the data, countries which have Single payer systems, seem to outlive us.

Market Outlook for May 1st and beyond

Friends and visitors, I wrote a note to a close friend tonight and thought I should post this here about my view of the market today and what I expect in the next week or so. Here's what I told him.

"I have been watching the Put to Call ratio and it has been relatively low which means higher probability of correction than a market advance. It closed today at 0.85 and opened at 0.65. I put a chart on the Blog on April 18th showing the recent year and a half range and when the number approaches the low of the range it is a sell signal and if it is at the top it is a buy signal.

So best to just sit and be as patient as one can right now, until we get a clear signal. The Volume today was a little ahead of yesterday and the market closed down, not up. When volume increases and the price drops, it is a >u>bearish sign. One other thing. I have been tracking Insider Trading and I can tell you as fact, Insiders are selling more than buying, and the amount of cash raised by selling is much more significant a Dollar amount. It has been that way since the market dropped last Fall and nothing has changed that. If Insiders saw a better picture of the economy going forward, they would be buying, not selling."

As I wrote in the previous post, the Stress Test results for the 19 largest banks are not going to be released until the end of May. Banks are most likely under capitalized as we have heard this past week by as much as $1 Trillion. These bank assets need to be dealt with by either creating good vs bad banks or something like Chapter 11 bankruptcy to wipe out shareholders, instead of using more government money. But then we are back to a lack of confidence in the banking system, a possible run on the banks or complete collapse of the banking system and President Obama isn't going to allow that to happen while he is in charge. Toxic assets are still on the books and no lipstick is going to make that Pig look any better and that is the problem!

Speaking of Swine Flu, it seems to me that current technological advances in communications using the internet, cell phones and television, has allowed healthcare officials to get a very quick handle on this outbreak, which has the effect of minimizing its affect on humanity. Contrast that to 1918, where it took weeks and months to realize what was going on and to mobilize precautionary measures for use by the public. It was too late then and I lost my Mom's parent during that period, but now, everyone in the world knows to wash their hands frequently, cover their mouths when coughing and avoid large gatherings or enclosed spaces. VP Joe Biden got himself into trouble today, for saying what everyone knows was the truth. There is something very refreshing about having a VP that is wired to just say the truth and can't help himself. You got to love him!

The Fall of the 21st Century Roman Empire

First, I did support this Rescue Plan of our Banking and Credit system with the $700 Billion plan. However, with today’s Congressional passage of the Rescue Plan, the country has declared that the Free Enterprise system is not really free any longer. Both Parties approved this Rescue Plan. Now our banking system has been socialized and thank God this Bill passed.

I hate to think what might have happened if it had failed to be passed. But make no mistake, today our Financial System was declared dead and resurrected by our collective good. It may or may not work. But it clearly has set a precedent that times have changed, government Can help solve our problems and we need to consider how that might be used to reinvest in Renewable Energy technology as well as possible changes in our Healthcare system. "Yes We Can!", will be the new mantra. But, in the meantime, expect many to lose their jobs, in spite of the passage of this Bill. Credit may still be tight as Banks wait to receive funds from the Fed.

And on another note, there was nothing John McCain did when he returned to Washington and suspended his campaign, to get this passed. Any claim to the contrary should be dismissed as mere posturing. All of the requirements outlined by Barack Obama early on in this crisis were passed and the foundation of the Bill. It was not a good day in some respects for America, the second Roman Empire, but it had one bright spot, the Republicans joined the Democrats and passed this very required Bill.

Bush veto’s children's health care bill because he wants to spend every penny in the Treasury on Iraq

The title says it all. We are supposed to believe he has found himself again and is now a fiscal conservative, hence the veto. Ha! Can't wait to hear what Comedy Central's Jon Stewart says about this. Let's face it, he wants to spend every single last penny in our Treasury on the Iraq war and the planned war he and Cheney are scheming on Iran.