At the Cato Institute’s Health Policy Studies department we’re not sure which is riskier – being the leading advocate for free market healthcare or this Cavalcade. Nonetheless, we’re glad to present CoR #56. Enjoy at your own risk.
Health Risks
- David Williams knows that air ambulance services are risky but wonders why. While the New York Times blames the hospitals for outsourcing to for-profit industry, Williams questions whether they could do better given their own poor safety record.
- Paul Levy sends the message he never hoped to send after his Harvard-affiliated teaching hospital is responsible for a wrong-site surgery.
- Bob Vineyard becomes a medical astrologist for one day. Tell him your birthday and he’ll tell you your chance of developing schizophrenia, heart disease or cancer.
- Jason Shafrin floats the idea of a new currency for premiums. He thinks you would trade your life for less risk.
- Jim Harper shows us how the risks we take reveal how much we value life.
- Jolyon Patten says there’s a chance that genetically modified (GM) foods are dangerous to your health.
- John Leppard shines a light on the other health insurance problem: physician liability insurance.
- Guest blogger Brian Poncelet at Million Dollar Journey gives a well-researched analysis of critical illness insurance.
- Raag Vamdatt dissects the anatomy of an accident and personal injury policy from Tata AIG General Insurance Company of
India. - Vera Lang asks us to look starboard and play it safe on the water.
- Jonathan Pleztke breaks down the Medicare puzzle piece-by-piece.
- Yours truly discusses the risks of letting religion guide health care reform.
Corporate Risks
- Nancy Germond provides managers with a list of strategies to mitigate the risk of “brain drain” at your company.
- Stephanie Balaouras points out that companies often overlook the risk of power outages, which cause more downtime that hurricanes, tornados or earthquakes.
- Leon Gettler cannot understand why companies are ignoring environmental risk.
- Joe Kristan gives a technical explanation of a new IRS ruling on how life insurance premiums and proceeds affect the ability of S corporations to make non-taxable distributions.
Personal Financial Risks
- The Silicon Valley Bogger is worried about the risks of money market funds. Is your $$ safe in one? Read and see.
Ethical Risks
- Jon Coppelman has a gnawing case study in political corruption: Zimbabwe, where the danger of running a legitimate risk management business is more real than the risks you manage.
The Risk of Progress
- SocProf argues that modern progress is making ours a “risk society.”
This might be bad news for the world. But it’s good news for the Cavalcade. There is nowhere to go but up as we progress toward CoR #57 at the Sentinel Effect in two weeks. Until then, happy risk-taking.