Welfare through the looking glass

The New York Times Economix blog reminds us that the word “welfare” hasn’t always had negative connotations:
…“the image of the poor person in the 1930s was the agrarian farmer, down on his luck, but not complaining.” Think of Tom Joad, the protagonist of John Steinbeck’s novel “The Grapes of Wrath.”
Starting in the mid-1960s, however, that [...]

Medicare Smackdown

As we progressives dream of universal health coverage, one overriding fear clouds the horizon. Who can take on the health insurance lobby? Based on a vote in the House of Representatives last week, one worthy opponent appears to be American Medical Association. The House voted Tuesday on a plan to restrain Medicare [...]

“Medicare Wastes Billions”

…so reads the banner headline in the Register Guard. What’s this story about?
“Millions of Americans with respiratory diseases have relied on oxygen equipment, delivered to their homes, to help them breathe. A basic setup, deliveries of small oxygen tanks for three years, can be bought from pharmacies and other retailers for as little as [...]