Until Sunday, I had never heard of the Institite for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER). It describes itself as “the nation’s independent watchdog on drug pricing.” Essentially it is an entity that does cost-benefit analyses for the insurance industry to guide them in their coverage decisions. Or, I think more aptly, their ability to deny coverage ( Read more... )

This was not the post I was intending to write. I was going to come on here and share a fun writing exercise and then do a(nother) movie review. Those things are coming, but this has been floating around in my head for a while and needs to come out first ( Read more... )

As you can see, I've started this blog up again and hope to post at least weekly. I swear I will do more than movie reviews/reactions eventually ( Read more... )

So I had been kinda thinking about doing this for a while now. Or, more accurately, there have been a few stories for which I've considered doing this. But I am finally going to take the plunge, because I want as many people as possible to read this article (the original one, not necessarily this post) because I think it's an important issue that ( Read more... )

So I’m going to do something a bit different today: I am going to respond to one of my own pieces. Longtime readers may remember my “reading response responses” from freshman year of college, which is probably the closest to what I am doing. I’ve never really explicitly mentioned my work since becoming a professional, instead focusing on national ( Read more... )

So there's a lot of stuff going around about the Hobby Lobby decision that is inaccurate. And it's bothering me because even just the bare facts of the case should upset you, without having to resort to exaggerations ( Read more... )

There’s no more surefire way to get me to (a) stop taking you seriously and (b) get annoyed with you than by bringing up Benghazi (BENGHAZI!!!!11!11!) Seriously, it makes me think you’re hyperpartisan and, if I am brutally honest, fairly deranged, actually. There is not a scandal there, there will not be a scandal there, stop trying ( Read more... )

It's kind of amazing to me that people are going on about a government shutdown to the extent they are. Literally this same thing happened last time the budget came around, and then the debt ceiling. It's hardly even news anymore, kind of business as usual with all the disfunction ( Read more... )

This is why I love politics! Every so often, someone will do something you don't expect and leave everyone scrambling. In this case, it is Obama, and he has decided to call on Congress to debate and vote on military intervention in Syria. Apparently he has the authority (I guess as Commander-In-Chief??) to pursue action without Congressional ( Read more... )

Things over there in Syria are getting really intense really quickly. It's really alarming on all accounts- the fact of chemical weapons use, and the sheer scale of death and refugee creation in general, Iran and Israel's posturing (most people seem to ignore the roll Israel and its rhetoric plays in the constant brinksmanship over there), Russia's ( Read more... )