Money & Economics

[bigredfish]

Biden Lied About Everything: Philly Fed Finds All Jobs "Created" In Q2 Were Fake​

Biden Lied About Everything: Philly Fed Finds All Jobs "Created" In Q2 Were Fake | ZeroHedge

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[mat200]

My whole point was that “foreign aid” doesnt all come from the $63B foreign aid budget. Particularly from the current administration.

Yes, however after taking a closer look - foreign aid gets very complexed and nuanced, in some cases it really does help the USA, and in others it does not seem to do that.

Think of it this way,

Mexico, do you want it to be a stable friendly state ?
or unstable with more immigrants coming over the border ?

Some foreign aid helps the USA keep other nations more stable so that less uncontrolled immigration happens.
( which in my book is a good use .. )

When you look at balancing the budget, it gets complex very quickly .. clearly a lot of money is going to medical assistance to Americans.
When you look at the cost of medical for the USA, our costs are way higher than those in Europe.
D O G E .. how would they tackle it?
Look at the profits pharma companies make ?
Look at the profits insurance companies make ?
Look at the profits others make in the health industry ?

SO, if we reduce medical costs .. by cutting those profits, what happens to the P/E of those companies and YOUR stock prices ??

Everything is connected in a large web, and numerous trade offs and knock on effects apply

 

[bigredfish]

I wouldn’t conflate foreign aid with medical costs but yes I get your point.

I’m not naive enough to think all of it can be cut out.

Foreign aid is largely legalized bribery and I understand some is necessary. Not all though

Medical costs are high primarily due to corruption, ie government allows it because pockets get lined.
I think you can reduce medical costs by limiting the opportunities for corruption. It ain’t working now. Costs are highest in the world and quality of care is something like 65th

 

[mat200]

that's nearly 1/5 of the US economy .. big chunk :

Healthcare spending accounted for 17.6% of the U.S. economy,

I would think there is a LOT of legalized bribery happening there

 

[David L]

I wouldn’t conflate foreign aid with medical costs but yes I get your point.

I’m not naive enough to think all of it can be cut out.

Foreign aid is largely legalized bribery and I understand some is necessary. Not all though

Medical costs are high primarily due to corruption, ie government allows it because pockets get lined.
I think you can reduce medical costs by limiting the opportunities for corruption. It ain’t working now. Costs are highest in the world and quality of care is something like 65th

I don't know where Germany is on that chart but my Aunt, had failing kidneys, she was on dialysis for close to a decade, when she was in her last months, in and out of the hospital, not hospice, their HealthCare system delivered all the medical equipment at their house with 24/7 nursing. My uncle did not need to do anything. This cost them Zero Euro.

I know they pay for it in their taxes but dang my Mom, it cost her $180k for 3 years of Memory Care. Also add $50k for sitters that was not covered under her Long Term Care Ins.
(She paid around $500 a month for a couple of decades for the Long Term Care Ins.) It worked out for Mom, she got her money back out of Ins. but only to pay for her Memory Care with, plus $50k more...

Our Healthcare system is way over inflated...

 

[bigredfish]

I need to look into Long Term Care ins. Thats the one thing, and glad you brought it up, that I just don;t know enough about.
I was fortunate being able to take care of Mom at her home, the way we BOTH preferred it. I would do it again and go 20 years instead of 2 if need be.
But I can't be sure I'll have the same option in 10-20 years time...

I know that a good facility is easily $5K p/mo and like you said, that still doesnt account for all of the personal care you'd prefer to have. To me ANY facility is last choice, but you never know it could come to that.

Wondering what good IS long term care Ins?

 

[David L]

Yeah, us too, after going through the 3 years of our Mom in Memory care, plus the almost 2 years prior of my brother and I caring for her at her home while we took her grocery shopping and out to eat weekly, it does get you thinking about Long Term Care. Mom had a lifetime policy, they no longer offer those, or if so, not at a reasonable price.
I think 3-5 years is now the norm. Dementia/Alzheimer's can go 8 years we have been told. Mom had a stroke but she was in about the 5th stage of 7 stages in her disease. Thank God we did not have to go through, Mom going through not being able to swallow, it is like the brain forgets basic functions. So, So Sad, we witnessed several others at the Memory Care go through this...gagging alot, we were told their throat would eventually close up where they can't breath.

Ever heard of Granny Dumping? There maybe other names for it but it is when a family will drop off their Dementia loved one in front of a hospital with no ID so they can get a break in caring for them. The hospital will care for them until found. I was surprised when I heard about this but both of my parents were Sun Downers, so caring for them was very difficult/exhausting. I would never do that but I can see someone in a different situation than ours needing a break if they don't have anyone to turn to. Pretty wild...

Granny dumping - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org