HotCat.org

Been thinking about game theory stuff (and I have a book, but busily reading PKD and Expressive Processing. But on the drive in to work today (yeah, working post-tday, commute == awesome) got to musing. What if we applied game theory techniques to health care and insurance payment? I’m sure there is already some of that going on with their complex models, but I have to wonder if they could come up with some sort of auction model or whatnot to pay for treatments based on the expected outcomes of those treatments. For example, say a person gets a diagnostic test (like, perhaps, a mam…oh I don’t want to get into that argument!) and that test resulted in identifying disease early and allowing for a successful treatment. The payment for the next patient wishing to get that test should be reimbursed more. If the test, on the other hand, resulted in a false positive or caused ill effects (infection, induced cancer, etc) the reimbursement rate should be lowered for the next patient. If the framework was clear and open, folks would realize that it’s not that the insurance company is trying to screw them out of a test or treatment, it’s just that they are going to be expected to pay out of pocket for a test based on how likely the test will result in positive outcomes.

Or reverse, everyone pays for everything (or a high percentage) out of pocket, and is reimbursed based on their individual outcome. Think your test is worth taking? Pony up the $ and let’s see.

Support squatters in empty homes

I really like folks who are connecting forclosed homes with homeless folks, perhaps cities might want to make this more official and less legal?

Invest in the future, today

Given the amount of money the government pays to water/fertilize/cut grass, hedges, and whatnot on their government facility, how about a mass-hiring of gardeners (just about anyone can garden, assuming they’re in reasonable physical shape) to rip out the grass, hedges, and other traditional landscaping and replace them with natives and low-water plantings? The savings will pay off in the future and folks will have $ in their pocket.

I’ve been thinking about what “outside the box” ideas I could come up with for an economic stimulus.

-10% sales tax for a week

Tax rebates are OK, but folks are likely to save them. How about 1 week of reverse federal sales tax? 10% given back immediately for all purchases made over the span of a week, no matter how small, with a cap of, say, $5,000. Or if you want cars to be included, $30,000. Give the money back immediately, none of this “rebate check” or credit, folks will not spend if they have to wait for the money to get back to them. A rebate check is more likely to end up paying off debts, not that that is a bad thing, but better to give an incentive to spend the money.

free physicals and basic medical for all for two years

Using the Medicare network, offer to provide free checkups, plus any medical, dental, or optical needs identified by the physician for two years. No questions asked. Can this possibly be larger than $.7T we’ve thrown at the banks? If Congress doesn’t like it, they can pass something to override.

*repair* infrastructure

I am all in favor of infrastructure projects, a commentator on Marketplace raised a good question, infrastructure spending should not be for new construction, we need to focus on repairing and replacing what is in significant need. Why spend a bunch of money to support the ‘burbs to the detriment of what was recently renewing urban areas?

For the next year or two, offer to pay for any medical costs for any US citizen of any age through medicare (or S-CHIP). This would be an excellent stimulus package, an excellent trial balloon of single-payer universal healthcare, but have an expiration so employers would be far less likely to dump their provided coverage. In the two years the coverage would be available, Congress can haggle over what the long-term solution is, or if there’s large-scale objection to this then they can pass a law prohibiting doing this.

• The pottery barn rule.
• Mission Accomplished.
• As they draw up, we draw down.
• The surge is working.
• Six-month surge.

First, it’s interesting that the much-touted NIE was held up for over a year by Cheney ’cause they didn’t like what it had to say. Does that mean that W knew for a year that Iran had no nuke weapons program? (Thanks to Harry Shearer’s Le Show for that “outside the bubble” news item.)

Second, what I haven’t heard any pundit, representative, or anyone (not even David Kay, hello? Mr. Ex-inspector man…) suggest is to insist on Iran have inspectors monitor their weapon program as a pre-req for lifting sanctions. Duh.

The Iraq Veterans Against the War organization has been staging brilliant re-enactments of military actions in urban settings. These actions bring home the emotional trauma and disturbing impact of the military operation in Iraq. I commend these folks for their bravery in developing this idea and bringing it to frightening fruition. Many thanks for TruthDig.com for bringing this to my attention, truly deserving of their 2007 Webby.

A couple weeks ago, we watched Children of Men. While it was touted as a 21st Century “Blade Runner”, I was surprised as to the representation of terrorism and urban combat. The realism and brutal violence almost left us feeling visually and emotionally raped. If you ever think war is glamorous or glorious, watch that movie. I’d claim that the movie was more a mix of Full Metal Jacket, Farenheit 451, and 1984 than Blade Runner, but who am I to proclaim?

(Helped that we watched it on my projector and with my good sound system.)

I forget which commentator said it, but he/she said it quite well. Having Libby serve time was going to apply pressure on him to spill the beans on who was giving him direction, and who might have really been committing a crime. He was the little fish, and the govt was hoping to apply heat to get the big fish. While he won’t be able to practice law, I’m sure he’ll land himself a sweetheart job as an executive. Sad.