Even after purging out topics which, while I was distracted with earning a paycheck, either burned out or were discussed to death elsewhere online, there are still enough items worthy of mentioning to merit a “chop suey” post:
- The Sun-Sentinel’s House Keys blog mentioned that Florida Insurance Commissioner McCarty has been making the rounds, touting how regulation has protected Florida consumers from massive rate hikes in recent years. I can buy the perception of that particular benefit…but I don’t hear too many folks outside the industry mentioning how now-extremely-strict scrutiny discourages the introduction of new insurance products to the state.
- Presumably McCarty’s reappearance is the result of work being done on “the State Farm bill”, which would allegedly ease rate regulation for the largest insurers in the state. (Story here, via the Ledger.) Perhaps it might have the desired effect, of incenting larger carriers to not leave the state (as State Farm is trying to do) and causing market disruption. However, it seems a little unfair that certain carriers would have to continue to jump through hoops while competing against larger companies with greater freedom.
- There has also been some late-session wrangling in the Florida state legislature over what to do with Citizens (the state-run insurer) and the state’s catastrophe fund. An Orlando Sentinel blog mentioned today that a compromise has been struck, with Citizens policyholders facing an average 10 percent rate hike (the House had wanted +20, the Senate +5). The cat fund also appears up for some downsizing.
- Nina Kallen passed along word that the National Flood Insurance Program has again been extended, this time to 30 September. Apparently, Congress continues to punt, while otherwise distracted.
- With the Atlantic tropical storm season on the horizon, Insurance Journal pointed to a report by the National Academy of Engineering, reminding us that levees aren’t magic barriers rendering cities invulnerable from flood. If an über-Katrina were to strike New Orleans (heaven forbid!), overtopping could still cause devastating flooding.
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At RealClearPolitics, Thomas Sowell has a very well-written article reminding us, as public debate continues on “universal healthcare” and “healthcare reform”:
Insurance is not medical care. Indeed, health care is not the same as medical care. Countries with universal health care do not have more or better medical care.
While it is tempting to disregard Mr. Sowell’s thesis as conservative resistance against a liberal policy…he actually does make an excellent point – whether or not everyone is covered by health insurance, it does nothing to address the ever-increasing expense in delivering the level of care demanded by Americans. Either we accept that health care is going to be horrifically expensive, or we find a way to manage costs (even if that means reducing the level of care available, or imposing regulation on private decisions to force a reduction in demand)….or we accept that sometimes, life just isn’t fair.
- Speaking of health care reform, the New York Times reminds us that it isn’t just about the dollars. A lack of doctors means a lack of care and/or long waiting lists to get in. The costs of medical education force doctors to specialize, creating a lack of general practitioners who are better-suited to treating the whole patient, rather than focusing on addressing specific conditions. We need to look not only at the cost side of the equation, but also the entire care delivery mechanisms.
- And finally, on the subject of education, as someone who frequently felt “held back” in grade school, to permit other students a chance to keep up with the pace, another New York Times article caught my eye by discussing concerns that the Advanced Placement program is getting diluted by students who want to be seen as competitive…but who, perhaps, aren’t really up for the demand. As a result, perhaps the push to prepare for the exams and to maintain academic rigor is being sacrificed by a system that doesn’t like to allow students to fail.
