Medicare in USA - complicated and expensive

USA provides Medicare to its elderly. It is a generous scheme, but it is too costly. And it has become very complicated. This kind of problem is felt by most countries in the world. And Singapore is no exception - except that in Singapore, the people have to bear a large part of the cost. And insurance is not a solution - as it can get out of control.

http://money.cnn.com/2011/11/01/pf/medicare_plans.moneymag/index.htm?section=money_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fmoney_topstories+%28Top+Stories%29

What is the solution? I will say frankly what I think - and it will not be popular. We have to manage expectation. We must realise that people will have to die one day, and that using expensive medicine to prolong life is not the answer - the person who is cured will suffer a lower quality of life and the treatment will bankrupt the family (or the state). The medical profession will be able to find new wonder treatments, but they will be too costly for the patients or the country to bear, and will make the medical specialists rich.

We must educate people to accept that there is a financial and practical limit to medicine, and to accept that life will have to end one day. If doctors think that they can cure the patient, they should only collect their fees on success, and not on failure. If this success fee is practised, many doctors will not undertake treatment that are not likely to succeed.

Obtaining The Best Auto Insurance Quotes Online

The ever increasing number of vehicles on the rods has also increased the number of mishaps and accidents that people get into. In such a scenario, having an automobile insurance can be a life saver for people who own and drive a car. The cost of repairing a vehicle damaged in an accident together with the medical bills in case of an injury can sometimes cause serious financial crisis. With a majority of insurance companies providing their services online, people are increasingly looking for auto insurances quotes online to save time and money.

Most people want to have insurance quotes which not only provide the maximum coverage and benefits but are also reasonably priced. For finding such auto insurance quotes online, one needs to do some research and compare the estimates offered by diverse providers along with the type of coverage and other benefits provided by them. Investing a little time in learning about the different types of policies being offered by the numerous providers can help you save a good amount of money that is otherwise spent in paying higher premiums.

Searching for affordable auto insurance quotes online, also eliminates the need of middlemen who take a good percentage of the insured amount as their commission. Moreover, personal involvement makes the insurer well aware of the finer details of their policies as well as the various terms and conditions involved, which are generally overlooked while obtaining the quotes from a middleman. This reduces the chances of complications and rejection at the time of filing claims and causing distress to the policy holders.

For obtaining the most suitable and inexpensive insurance quotes online, it is vital to look for the quotes from insurance companies known for their transparent and honest dealings with their clients. In addition, it is also advisable to clearly outline your coverage requirements and the estimated budget while seeking the quotations from such providers. Enquiring about any additional discounts that you might be eligible for, depending on a large number of factors such as the type of vehicle, its usage and even its period of ownership, can also help bring down the premium rates by a significant margin.

Accidents can happen anywhere and at any time and good auto coverage plans provides the much needed financial assistance to cover the unexpected costs of vehicle overhauling. As such it is vital to get the proper policy for your vehicle even before you get to drive it home for the first time.

Campbell Solberg Associates are one of the foremost and reputable insurance agents renowned for their economical, honest and genuine auto insurance quotes online. For more information on their services you can logon to their website http://www.campbellsolberg.com.

Mobile website for FISCA

If you have a mobile phone, you can access the mobile website of FISCA at http://fisca.mviso.com

Obama strategist defends handling of economy (AP)

WASHINGTON ? President Barack Obama's top political adviser is defending the administration's handling of the economy and blaming Congress for not pushing through more sweeping changes.

David Axelrod says Obama's strategy has been to do whatever he can to help the middle class, whereas Congress has been focused on "obstruction and delay." Axelrod suggests that Republicans are "willing to tear down the economy in order to tear down the president."

Obama has pitched a $447 billion jobs plan that would be paid for with an added tax on people who make at least $1 million a year. Senate Republicans have blocked action on the bill because they oppose much of the increased spending and the tax increase.

Axelrod spoke on CNN's "State of the Union."

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/obama/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111030/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_obama_jobs

ali lohan new york election new york election survivor south pacific survivor south pacific michelle williams tyler perry

Regulation on Pay TV contracts

The MDA has now decided that they have to step in and regulate the Pay TV contracts as follows:

• The contract should not exceed 2 years
• There should be pro-rata refund on cancellation of contract.

This move, which is taken after a long time of free market practices, recognizes the weakness of the free market system. The businesses make things complicated and opaque and imposes unfair charges to boost their profits and take advantage of consumers.

There are many similar practices of this kind, for example, in life insurance contracts. In some countries, the regulators have decided to ban front end commission on these long term contracts, as they impose a heavy penalty on consumers, who were not aware about the front end costs.

There are so many bad practices that rip off consumers. The situation is especially bad in Singapore due to our legal system. At least, in USA, lawyers can take up class actions on behalf of consumers - but not in Singapore. 

I hope that our political leaders will learn about the reality of the free market and take the step to protect consumers - rather than leave things to be sorted out in the market. If the market can take care of these matters, there is no need to pay big salaries for ministers, political leaders and top civil servants.

Life in Denmark

One of my SMU students went for a few months of attachment in Denmark. Here is her observations about life there.

Hi Prof Tan, Life in Denmark is very different from Singapore. People here are very relaxed and know how to enjoy their life. In fact, they are one of the happiest people in the world. As you might now, Denmark is a welfare state with the highest income tax rate in the world. However, the welfare system is very well-run and efficient. Thus, the living standard over here is very high and most of the Danes receive good education. Compared to Denmark, Singapore is more bustling because we work way too hard. Here, the shops and supermarkets close at 6pm on average. There are many differences but I am really enjoying my time here so far.
I wish you have been well too. Hope to hear more about your experiences and thoughts about the presidential elections when we meet. 

Good news for Pinnacle Note Holders

I received this wonderful message from the US lawyer handling the class action. They have succeeded in getting the case heard in New York. There is still a lot of work that has to be done, but this is one major hurdle that has been crossed. As this is a class action, any compensation that may be won in the legal suit will be shared with all Pinnacle Note holders, regardless of whether they had been among the original complainants.

Dear Mr. Tan,
You may already have heard, but yesterday the NY Court denied Morgan’s motion to dismiss, which means that we can proceed in NY.  We still have a difficult road ahead of us, but this is a significant victory in the first battle.
Warm regards,
Dan