WANT TO MOVE OVERSEAS? We've got Heidi Finn from Latitude Group on at 1pm to talk about how she helps people move overseas and get residency and second citizenship via investment. Find out more about Latitude by clicking here.
IT'S TIME FOR TOURNAMENT OF THE DAY! We've got our three contestants who will come in and try to beat me. One will walk away with a pair of tickets to this weekend's Broncos-Chiefs game! That happens at 2pm. And no, I didn't make cookies.
MY SOLUTIONS FOR THE HEALTHCARE SYSTEM Someone challenged me this week to come up with my own solutions to the high cost of healthcare so I did. These are my free market solutions for healthcare. I came up with a list of stuff we can do RIGHT NOW to inject some semblance of sanity into the system.
1. Price Transparency to Trigger Competition Patients can't shop for care when prices are hidden. Requiring hospitals, clinics, and insurers to disclose real cash prices allows consumers to compare costs and forces high-priced providers to compete. Transparent markets have already reduced the cost of MRIs, labs, and outpatient procedures in states that adopted this model. We've already passed this law in Colorado, but there isn't a great reason for a third party to set up a comparison site. Also, prevent hospitals from charging anyone more or less than they charge anyone else. Right now, depending on what your insurer or the government negotiated prices can be wildly different.
2. Expansion of Direct-Pay / Cash-Pay Medicine Direct Primary Care (DPC) and cash-pay surgery centers eliminate expensive billing overhead and give patients predictable, upfront pricing. In competitive markets (like in Oklahoma City where the OK City Surgical Center has been around for year), routine and elective procedures drop 40–70% compared to traditional hospital systems. This model works exceptionally well in states like Colorado, which does not have traditional Certificate-of-Need restrictions. You guys know I love this so, so much. Free plug for my client Pinnacle Advanced Primary Care on this one.
3. Strengthen and Broaden Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) Expanding HSAs—by lifting contribution limits, broadening eligibility, and permitting use for services like DPC memberships—allows consumers to spend tax-free dollars on the care they value most. When consumers control the first dollar of spending, unnecessary utilization declines and price sensitivity increases. This one was suggested by an article I read and I think it's genius, especially if the HSAs are funded Pre-Tax.
4. Promote Competition by Removing Barriers to Entry Colorado does not impose major Certificate Of Need (CON) laws, but barriers remain in the form of licensing restrictions, facility accreditation rules, and limited access to telemedicine across state lines. Eliminating unnecessary regulatory hurdles would encourage more imaging centers, outpatient surgical facilities, and specialty clinics to enter the market, driving down prices through competition. This one that is a real problem in other states
5. Allow Nationwide Health Insurance Markets Insurance monopolies thrive in state-restricted markets. Allowing individuals and employers to purchase plans across state lines increases competition, expands plan design options, and lowers premiums through larger risk pools—similar to how car and life insurance markets function. Colorado has added idiotic mandates like prosthetic devices for recreational activities and cosmetic surgery for trans people that straight people can't get without paying. Allow us to buy insurance from other states without such idiotic mandates.
6. Encourage Catastrophic Insurance for Major Medical Costs Insurance should primarily cover rare, high-cost events, not routine care. Catastrophic plans paired with HSAs reduce premiums and put downward pressure on everyday healthcare costs by restoring consumer price awareness and decreasing heavy administrative burdens. If you had a Direct Primary Care Plan with a catastrophic plan for emergencies and big illnesses you would literally save THOUSANDS of dollars every year.
7. Increase Competition in Prescription Drugs Faster approval of generics, reciprocal agreements with allied nations, and limits on patent-gaming practices would break up artificial monopolies that raise drug prices. More robust competition has been shown to lower drug costs by as much as 80–90% once generics enter the market. The drug companies game the patent system to keep their drugs under patent far longer than they should. They "reformulate" older drugs into "new" drugs to keep them out of the patent system. We need to bust up their monopolies now.
8. Expand Scope of Practice for Non-Physician Providers Nurse practitioners, physician assistants, pharmacists, and telehealth practitioners can deliver high-quality care at substantially lower cost. Full practice authority—already allowed in Colorado for NPs—continues to reduce wait times and expand access, particularly in rural areas. I currently ONLY see Nurse practitioners at my doctor's office and they are fantastic. We need more of this.
9. Allow Insurance to Pay One Sum to the Insured. Insurance companies can offer one sum for planned care, like ten grand for a hip replacement, and then you can shop the market to find one that fits your budget. Find one for less? Great, you just got paid to get your hip replaced.
10. Do Away With Pay For Performance Edicts of Care The government currently uses what's called Pay for Performance standards which dictate how doctors and hospitals must treat you. It requires a HUGE amount of compliance paperwork, doesn't improve patient outcomes AT ALL, and ties the doctor's hands when that protocol doesn't work for that patient. Trust doctors to treat patients, and create a robust public accountability forum for doctors so patients can see successful outcomes vs. adverse effects.
There, those are my solutions. Too bad they don't stand a chance against the lobbyists of the Hospitals and Big Pharma.
IT'S AN ASK ME ANYTHING SORT OF DAY So get your dumb questions ready. And kids, this is my favorite day of the week because of the crap you ask so don't let me down.
THIS FORT LEWIS COLLEGE PROFESSOR IS A TOTAL AHOLE This weasel of a man is so threatened by speech his disagrees with that he decided to verbally harass the students who are bringing a Turning Point USA chapter to Fort Lewis College (after the student government initially turned it down). This is NOT SAFE FOR WORK, full of bad language, but you need to see what passes for an academic these days. I present to you Fort Lewis College Professor Emeritus Anthropology Professor David KozaK. I'm sure he treats conservative students fairly in his classroom. I'm sure.
If you listen to this show and went to Fort Lewis or God forbid still give them money, please stop. You are funding people who hate you. Stop. I sent an email to the good professor asking for an interview and he politely declined so as to not give Turning Point USA more publicity. Mmkay.
THIS FIGHT BETWEEN POLIS AND DESANTIS WAS FUN And note OUR Governor stopped replying when THEIR Governor brought receipts. Click on the link to see the whole thing.
DENVER PUBLIC SCHOOLS BOARD IS ABSURD... AGAIN Because they censured board member John Youngquist even though he was cleared of the racist accusation made by the lying Alex Marrero. These people are beyond stupid and they are guiding our state's largest school district. I am waiting for the lawsuit by Youngquist and will relish following that closely.
MARK KISZLA DOESN'T LOVE THE DEPODESTA HIRE And this column has made me temper my enthusiasm a bit.
MINNESOTA SOMALIAS ARE COMMITTING MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF FRAUD Is it any wonder that Ilhan Omar married her brother for immigration purposes? This is what you get when you import a bunch of people from a third world country that is rife with corruption. This is what they know, this is how things are done in Somalia.
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MAYOR MIKE THINKS TEACHERS WANT TO LIVE NEXT TO ADDICTS Did you see this?
This woman testified as to what that actually looks like already at a recent Denver City Council meeting.
This is another completely idiotic idea by the Mayor that will never affect him, because he lives in a single family home.
ARE YOU ONE OF THOSE TURKEY TROT MANIACS? Here is a list of things to go run for before you pig out.
RUSSIA'S FIRST AI ROBOT ISN'T QUITE READY FOR PRIMETIME This is what you get in a Command and Control economy. I laughed really hard at this.
MATT GAETZ IS A DISGUSTING SCUMBAG And more on the story about him having sex (allegedly) with a 17 year old girl is coming out, although nothing new. I just wanted to remind you he is a scumbag again.
YOUNG COMMUNISTS ARE OFTEN THE LOSERS IN WELL TO DO FAMILIES The Finnish Civil War in 1918 between the Finnish Red Guard and the Finnish White Guard was literally a fight between socialists and freedom lovers. Someone just analyzed the children of the two factions and this is what they found.
This completely explains Zohran Mamdani. He comes from money, but isn't capable of competing in the marketplace of ideas, so rather than try, he eats rice with his hands to pretend to be poor and talks about bilking the rich, of which he is one.
IS CORRUPTION ENGULFING ZELENSKY? This column says yes, and with recent removal of the Justice Minister who is part of an investigation into money laundering in the energy sector from when he was Energy Minister, this is something to watch.
YOUR HOTEL ROOM MAY NOT BE CANCELLABLE Before you book something you need to check the cancellation policy of your hotel. Why? Because many hotels are doing away with easy and free cancellations. Pay attention, people! And always buy travel insurance if you are booking a big expensive trip. It's the best investment ever.
WHAT INDUSTRIES DID COVID SHUTDOWNS HURT THE MOST? Even though this is an annoying slideshow it's still interesting. Only some of these have recovered.
BALANCING ON ONE FOOT IS A SIGN OF BETTER HEALTH And if you can't balance on one foot for 15 seconds you need to do some work, lest you start falling.
BUT NO ONE JUST CALLS IT MAC Watch below or click here.
PLEASE BUY ME THIS FOR CHRISTMAS And I'm not kidding. Watch below or click here.
NIGHTMARE BEFORE THE CHRISTMAS MOVIE Is Nightmare Before Christmas a Halloween movie or a Christmas movie? The film's director answers the question. Watch below or click here.
BUT WHY NOT A KNIFE THO? Watch below or click here. This is one of those life hacks that just seems like more work.
JACK CORRIGAN TALKS TO PAUL DEPODESTA
CHICK FIL A DOES IT AGAIN Holy cow you guys, this better come here. Watch below or click here.
SHOULD THE CHIEFS SPOT US SOME POINTS? Travis Kelce rejects his brother's suggestion to do so. Watch below or click here.