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VOTE SAFELY
By Staff Reporters
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Filed under: Quality Initiatives | Tagged: election day, Election Day 2020, vote | Leave a comment »
GAS PRICES: Election Day?
Posted on November 8, 2022 by Dr. Marcinko
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By Staff Reporters
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The outcome of today’s midterm elections could be influenced by something the government has little control over: the cost of filling up your car with gas. Since the 1970s, presidential approval ratings have tended to sag when gas prices rise. And that correlation has been especially pronounced this year as inflation has run rampant and gas prices have spiked.
- The Washington Post found that the share of Americans who said the country was on the right track has moved remarkably in sync with gas prices.
- Since gas prices peaked in June, the correlation between Democratic generic-ballot polling and the price of gas clocked in at minus-.91, nearly a perfect inverse correlation (which is minus-1).
NOTE: Recall that correlation is NOT causation!
Why are gas prices so powerful?
Gas prices are the only consumer good whose price we’re reminded of virtually every time we leave the house, experts say. Unlike salmon fish or outdoor patio furniture, ties, shirts or sneakers, the price of gas is advertised in size-500 font on huge signs that you can’t help but notice. In fact, gas prices have been so beaten into us that they can change our behavior over decades. Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania discovered that people who experienced raging gas prices in their formative driving years in the 1970s seemed less likely to drive to work 20 years later than other age cohorts.
The curious part about the link between voter sentiment and gas prices is that gas prices have very little to do with the White House. Gas prices are largely influenced by the price of crude oil, which is a globally traded commodity. That commodity has been dealt a shock this year by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, technical snags with refineries in the US, and OPEC+’s production cuts.
Still, President Biden’s team is fully aware of the importance of gas prices, which explains his incessant attacks on oil companies’ windfall profits, his releasing of crude from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, and his visit to Saudi Arabia, a major oil producer.
Price check?
The current national average for a gallon of unleaded gas is $3.80, per AAA. That’s roughly the same as a month ago, down significantly from the record of more than $5, but about 38 cents more than a year ago.
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Filed under: Alerts Sign-Up, Alternative Investments, LifeStyle | Tagged: election day, gas, gas prices, gasoline, gasoline prices | 1 Comment »
DAILY UPDATE: Stocks Rise First Trading Session of Week
Posted on November 8, 2022 by Dr. Marcinko
By Staff Reporters
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U.S. stocks ended the day higher as the markets await some key data later this week and amid some likely caution ahead of tomorrow’s mid-term election. In the final hour of trading, the economic calendar released data on consumer credit for September, which showed that consumers borrowed less than expected. The economic docket will heat up later this week, headlined by the first read on consumer price inflation in the form of the Consumer Price Index, which will be accompanied by some commentary by Fed officials. Treasury yields rose, and the U.S. dollar saw pressure.
Crude oil prices declined, while gold nudged higher.
In equity news, Dow member Apple said iPhone shipments will be hampered by the impact of the COVID lock-downs in China, Meta Platforms is reportedly set to announce large-scale layoffs, and Dow component Walgreens Boots Alliance announced that a company it controls has agreed to acquire Summit Health-CityMD.
Asian stocks rallied, led by Hong Kong markets, while European stocks were mixed to begin the week, as the international markets continued to digest recent global monetary policy decisions.
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BUSINESS MEDICINE: https://www.routledge.com/Comprehensive-Financial-Planning-Strategies-for-Doctors-and-Advisors-Best/Marcinko-Hetico/p/book/9781482240283
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HOSPITALS: Another New Designation
Posted on November 8, 2022 by Dr. Marcinko
“BIRTHING-FRIENDLY”
By Staff Reporters
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The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) added a new designation to identify which hospitals are “Birthing-Friendly”—a label it will begin adding to qualifying hospitals in fall 2023.
The designation aims to reduce maternal mortality and complications in the US; maternal mortality rose by 25% in 2020, and Black women die at nearly three times the rates of white women, according to a CDC report from February. The US ranked last in maternal mortality that year compared to 10 other high-income countries, according to the Commonwealth Fund.
To earn the designation, CMS said, hospitals must participate in a statewide or national collaborative program where medical teams and public health leaders work together to improve care quality for birthing parents and babies. Hospitals that opt in qualify for an operating payment rate increase of 4.3%, a much-needed boost for hospitals struggling with profitability in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic and inflation.
But there’s no single set of metrics that hospitals will be required to follow to earn CMS’s new designation, and any changes they make may depend on what areas need improvement. For example, hospitals could focus on reducing pregnancy complications and early births, which happen before 39 weeks, according to the CDC.
CMS’s designation—at least in its initial form—isn’t tied to outcomes. However, medical professionals said there are a variety of measures and outcomes that have been shown to make a hospital truly birthing-friendly.
When it comes to measuring maternal-care quality, one metric comes up over and over again: a hospital’s C-section rate, said Holly Loudon, chair of obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive science at Mount Sinai West and Mount Sinai Morningside in New York City.
RELATED PODCAST: https://www.kevinmd.com/2022/11/protect-black-womens-maternal-health-podcast.html
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HEALTH INSURANCE: https://www.amazon.com/Dictionary-Health-Insurance-Managed-Care/dp/0826149944/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1275315485&sr=1-4
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