DAILY UPDATE: Warm Inflation Mixes Stocks

Posted on March 14, 2024 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

By Staff Reporters

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DEFINITION: Creeping, or mild, inflation occurs when prices rise slowly. According to the Federal Reserve, when prices increase by 2% or less, it benefits economic growth. This kind of mild inflation makes consumers expect that prices will keep going up, which boosts demand.

And so, inflation was a bit warmer last month as consumer prices rose 3.2% in February, the Labor Department just reported, up from the 3.1% that economists expected. That marks the second straight month that inflation came in higher than forecast. The data reinforces the Fed’s position to wait until inflation is tamed before cutting interest rates. Still, the central bank is widely expected to cut rates sometime later this year despite yesterday’s less-than-ideal report. It will meet next week to continue deliberations on a potential rate reduction.

CITE: https://www.r2library.com/Resource

Here’s where the major benchmarks ended:

The S&P 500^® index (SPX) fell 9.96 points (0.2%) to 5,165.31; the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 37.83 points (0.1%) to 39,043.32; the NASDAQ Composite^® (COMP) declined 87.87 points (0.5%) to 16,177.77.
The 10-year Treasury note yield (TNX) rose almost 4 basis points to 4.192%.
The CBOE Volatility Index^® (VIX) fell slightly to 13.75.

Energy shares were among the market’s strongest performers Wednesday behind gains in crude oil prices. Brent crude futures (/BZ), the global benchmark, rose above $84 to end at their highest level since early November after Ukrainian strikes on oil refineries in Russia stirred concern over supply disruptions. The S&P Energy Index ($SP500#10) jumped 1.5% and reached its highest level since late October, while the S&P 500 Materials Index ($SP500#15) rose almost 1% and ended at a record high.

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Filed under: "Ask-an-Advisor", Breaking News, Experts Invited, Financial Planning, Health Economics, Investing | Tagged: CBOE, DJIA, fed, FOMC, inflation, NYC, S&P 500, SPX, stocks mixed, TNX, VIX, warm inflation | Leave a comment »

PODCAST: What is Epimenides Paradox?

Posted on March 14, 2024 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

THE PARADOX OF self-reference

DEFINITION: The Epimenides paradox reveals a problem with self-reference in logic. It is named after the Cretan philosopher Epimenides of Knossos who is credited with the original statement.

A paradox of self-reference arises when one considers whether it is possible for Epimenides to have spoken the truth.

ASSESSMENT: Your thoughts are appreciated.

SECOND OPINIONS: https://medicalexecutivepost.com/schedule-a-consultation/

INVITE DR. MARCINKO: https://medicalexecutivepost.com/dr-david-marcinkos-bookings/

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HEALTH SPENDING PLANS: Update Warning from the IRS

Posted on March 14, 2024 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

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As tax season kicks off, the Internal Revenue Service is warning taxpayers and administrators of health spending plans that personal expenses for general health and wellness are not legally considered medical expenses, as it fears some may be misled.

In a press release published Wednesday, the IRS reminded individuals filing their taxes that medical expenses for areas such as weight loss are not deductible or reimbursable under health flexible spending arrangements, health savings accounts, health reimbursement arrangements or medical savings accounts, and that they should beware of companies suggesting otherwise.

CITE: https://www.r2library.com/Resource

“Legitimate medical expenses have an important place in the tax law that allows for reimbursements,” said Danny Werfel, the IRS commissioner, in a statement. “But taxpayers should be careful to follow the rules amid some aggressive marketing that suggests personal expenditures on things like food for weight loss qualify for reimbursement when they don’t qualify as medical expenses.”

According to the IRS, while some companies claim that a doctor’s note based on self-reported health information is enough to qualify a non-medical nutritional, wellness or exercise program as a reimbursable medical expense, that’s not the case. Legally, such a note does not back a targeted diagnosis-specific activity or treatment that would qualify as a medical expense, but simply a personal expense. Cite: Newsweek Giulia Carbonaro

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PODCAST: AMA to Teach Medical Students Health Economics?

Posted on March 13, 2024 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

AMA TO TEACH MEDICAL STUDENTS ABOUT HEALTH ECONOMICS?

CMP logo

Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA

Courtesy: www.CertifiedMedicalPlanner.org

DICTIONARY: https://medicalexecutivepost.com/2009/06/08/dictionary-of-health-economics-and-finance/

Did you know that the American Medical Association is calling on medical schools and residency programs to include specific information about healthcare economics and financing in their curricula.

But, is health economics heterodoxic, or not? And; what about demand-derived economics in medicine?

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economic freedom

LINKS

ESSAY: https://medicalexecutivepost.com/2019/08/31/is-health-economics-heterodoxic-or-not/

ESSAY: https://www.modernhealthcare.com/education/ama-adopts-new-policy-training-physicians-healthcare-economics

MORE: https://medicalexecutivepost.com/2019/11/10/ricardian-derived-demand-economics-in-medicine/

MORE: https://medicalexecutivepost.com/2014/08/27/financial-and-health-economics-benchmarking/

MORE: https://medicalexecutivepost.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/big-data.pdf

PODCAST: https://vimeo.com/ihe

Your thoughts are appreciated.

BUSINESS, FINANCE, INVESTING AND INSURANCE TEXTS FOR DOCTORS:

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DAILY UPDATE: Inflation Upticks as Big Pharma Blocks Medicare Price Negotiations and Stocks Soar with Nvidia and Oracle!

Posted on March 13, 2024 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

By Staff Reporters

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Big pharma sues over California drug price law

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Pharmaceutical companies have filed a slew of suits around the country to get federal judges to invalidate a government program aimed at lowering drug costs for seniors by allowing Medicare to negotiate prices, as is the norm in many other countries, according to the Washington Post. The companies argue it’s unconstitutional and would inhibit their ability to develop new treatments.

CITE: https://www.r2library.com/Resource

The Federal Reserve is looking for steady, reliable signs that inflation is simmering down before it cuts interest rates this year. So far, 2024 has not delivered. Data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics on Tuesday showed prices rose 3.2 percent over last year, slightly outpacing forecasts of 3.1 percent. Prices also rose 0.4 percent in February over the previous month — in line with expectations, but still hotter than economists would like to discern.

Stocks swung up on Tuesday as investors shrugged off a middling inflation report and looked ahead to next week’s Fed meeting. Meanwhile, Oracle went sky-high, posting its best day since 2021 after demand for AI prompted a huge increase in sales for its cloud computing business.

Here’s where the major benchmarks ended:

The S&P 500^® index (SPX) gained 57.33 points (1.1%) to 5,175.27; the Dow Jones Industrial Average^® ($DJI) added 235.83 points (0.6%) to 39,005.49; the NASDAQ Composite^® (COMP) climbed 246.36 points (1.5%) to 16,265.64.
The 10-year Treasury note yield (TNX) rose about 5 basis points to 4.155%.
The CBOE Volatility Index^® (VIX) fell 1.38 to 13.84.

Chip makers’ bounce-back helped boost the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index (SOX) more than 2%, as it recovered part of a 5% drop the previous two trading days. Industry leader Nvidia (NVDA) jumped over 7%. Consumer discretionary and communications services shares were also among the strongest areas. Regional banks and real estate were among the weakest sectors as the CPI data spurred an upturn in Treasury yields.

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Filed under: "Ask-an-Advisor", Drugs and Pharma, Ethics, Experts Invited, Financial Planning, Health Economics, Health Insurance, Healthcare Finance, Investing, Managed Care | Tagged: Big Pharma, BLS, Bureau Labor Statistics, CBOE, cost living, DJIA, Drugs, inflation, inflation upticks, medicare drug prices, NASDAQ, Nvidia, NYC, oracle, pharma, pharmaceutical companies, pharmaceutical pricing, S&P 500, SOX, SPX, TNX, VIX | Leave a comment »

PODCAST: Secret to Health Insurance Company Profits

Posted on March 13, 2024 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

INTER COMPANY ELIMINATIONS

By Eric Bricker MD

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DAILY UPDATE: Boeing Down as Stocks End Mixed

Posted on March 12, 2024 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

By Staff Reporters

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Stocks were mixed yesterday as investors looked ahead to what today’s government inflation data will bring. Boeing took a dive and the stock is down 24% this year.

Here’s where the major benchmarks ended:

The S&P 500^® index (SPX) fell 5.75 points (0.1%) to 5,117.94; the Dow Jones Industrial Average^® ($DJI) gained 46.97 points (0.1%) to 38,769.66; the NASDAQ Composite^® (COMP) declined 65.84 points (0.4%) to 16,019.27.
The 10-year Treasury note yield (TNX) was up almost 1 basis point to 4.096%.
The CBOE Volatility Index^® (VIX) rose 0.45 to 15.19.

Chip maker weakness sent the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index (SOX) down 1.36% Monday following a 3.5% drop Friday, when the benchmark initially set a record intra-day high above 5,217. The index is still up 17% this year.

Other sectors outside of tech extended recent strength, including the Dow Jones Utility Index ($DJU), which gained for the fourth straight day and ended at its highest level since February 1. The S&P Energy Index ($SP500#10) reached its highest level since late October, while the S&P 500 Materials Index ($SP500#15) advanced over 1% to its highest post in nearly two years.

CITE: https://www.r2library.com/Resource

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Filed under: "Ask-an-Advisor", Breaking News, Financial Planning, Investing, LifeStyle | Tagged: Boeing, CBOE, COMP, DJIA, NASDAQ, NYC, S&P 500, SOX, SPX, TNX, VIX | Leave a comment »

ACOs: Participation Up in 2024

Posted on March 12, 2024 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

By Health Capital Consultants, LLC

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On January 29, 2024, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that Performance Year 2024 participation increased in their various accountable care organization (ACO) initiatives. Specifically, 50 new ACOs joined the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP), and 71 ACOs renewed their contracts, bringing the total participation in the MSSP to 480 ACOs.

Additionally, 245 organizations chose to continue participation in two other CMS models – the ACO Realizing Equity, Access, and Community Health (REACH) Model and the Kidney Care Choice (KCC) Model.

CITE: https://www.r2library.com/Resource

This Health Capital Topics article reviews the CMS report and implications for CMS’s ACO initiatives. (Read more…)

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DAILY UPDATE: Inflation Data Pending

Posted on March 11, 2024 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

By Staff Reporters

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Key inflation data incoming: February’s consumer price index report on Tuesday will provide fresh data to help the Fed decide when to lower interest rates. Last week, Chair Jerome Powell said he needed “just a bit more evidence” that inflation was coming back down to normal levels before reducing rates, though “we’re not far from it,” he acknowledged.

CITE: https://www.r2library.com/Resource

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Filed under: "Ask-an-Advisor", Accounting, Breaking News, Experts Invited, Financial Planning, Investing | Tagged: cost push, demand pull, fed, FOMC, inflation, inflation data, Jerome Powell | Leave a comment »

M&A: Healthcare Indications Review

Posted on March 11, 2024 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

Indications for 2024

By Health Capital Consultants, LLC

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After healthcare mergers and acquisitions (M&A) activity began to regain momentum in 2022, following the slowing of deals in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, transactional activity continued to accelerate in 2023. While the healthcare sector continued to be impacted by factors such as valuation gaps, higher-for-longer interest rates, general macroeconomic risks, and increased state and federal regulatory concerns in 2023, the outlook for 2024 remains cautiously optimistic.

CITE: https://www.r2library.com/Resource

This Health Capital Topics article reviews the U.S. healthcare industry’s 2023 M&A activity and discusses what these trends may mean for 2024. (Read more…)

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HEALTHCARE: Cyber Security and Amazon’s Iora Healthcare Quality Down?

Posted on March 10, 2024 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

By Staff Reporters

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Stat: According to HIPPA, and the cyberattack on Change Healthcare, there were 725 “large” reported healthcare security breaches in the US last year. Experts say health organizations suffer from a lack of basic security measures, and are being targeted by “increasingly sophisticated cyberattacks.” (The HIPAA Journal)

CITE: https://www.r2library.com/Resource

Quote: “Having a [doctor] who can coordinate your healthcare and is willing to do so on a personal basis was very important to me. And I really feel like that is completely gone, and I feel like it happened overnight.”—Deborah Wood, an older adult patient at primary care provider Iora Health, where some patients say care quality has worsened after Amazon acquired its parent company One Medical in 2022 (the Washington Post)

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Filed under: "Doctors Only", Breaking News, Drugs and Pharma, Ethics, Experts Invited, Health Economics, Health Insurance, Health Law & Policy, Healthcare Finance, Op-Editorials, Quality Initiatives | Tagged: Amazon Health, Change Healthcare, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, HIPAA, Iora Health, One Medical | Leave a comment »

DAILY UPDATE: UnitedHealth Group Still Down as Stock Markets Dips with Chip Makers

Posted on March 9, 2024 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

By Staff Reporters

Tomorrow is the start of daylight saving time. Enjoy the extra hour of evening light.

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UnitedHealth Group is laying out a timeline to restore its systems as a cyberattack on its Change Healthcare subsidiary continues to disrupt the health care industry for nearly a third week. The company said Thursday it’s still working “aggressively” to restore its services after the attack Feb. 21st caused it to shut down its insurance claims and payment platforms, leaving health care providers and pharmacies across the nation unable to process prescriptions or pay employees, but as of now, its electronic prescribing is back to being “fully functional.”

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Stocks tumbled yesterday, giving the Dow its worst week since October as Nvidia’s seemingly unstoppable rally…stopped. Meanwhile, bitcoin notched another record, hitting $70,000 for the first time before the volatile cryptocurrency retreated.

Government: The Senate passed vital funding bills just barely ahead of a shutdown deadline, ensuring the government can stay open—at least for now. But they still need to pass more before March 22nd.

Here’s where the major benchmarks ended:

The S&P 500 index (SPX) fell 33.67 points (0.7%) to 5,123.69, down 0.3% for the week; the Dow Jones Industrial Average^® ($DJI) lost 68.66 points (0.2%) to 38,722.69, down 0.9% for the week; the NASDAQ Composite (COMP) dropped 188.26 points (1.2%) to 16,085.11, down 1.2% for the week.
The 10-year Treasury note yield (TNX) fell more than 1 basis point to 4.079%.
The CBOE Volatility Index^® (VIX) rose 0.30 to 14.74.

The Philadelphia Semiconductor Index (SOX) sank 3.5% Friday but still gained 0.6% for the week, its third straight weekly advance. Bank and utility shares were among the market’s few areas of strength, and small-cap stocks held up relatively well. The Russell 2000^® Index (RUT) fell 0.1% after earlier climbing to a two-year high but still added 0.3% for the week, its fourth weekly gain in the past five.

CITE: https://www.r2library.com/Resource

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Filed under: "Ask-an-Advisor", Breaking News, Experts Invited, Financial Planning, Investing | Tagged: Bitcoin, CBOE, Change Healthcare, chip makers, COMP, DJI, DJIA, DOW, NASDAQ, Nvidia, RUT, S&P 500, semi conductors, SPX, TNX, UnitedHealth Group, VIX | Leave a comment »

PODCAST: Doctor Love or Hate Relationships

Posted on March 9, 2024 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

PATIENT SATISFACTION BEDSIDE MANNER SURVEY?

By Eric Bricker MD

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“RIGHT TO TRY” ACT: Individual Patient Treatments

Posted on March 8, 2024 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

TO FIX THE FDA APPROVAL’S FLAW

By Staff Reporters

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DEFINITION: Right-to-try laws are United States state laws and a federal law that were created with the intent of allowing terminally ill patients access to experimental therapies (drugs, biologics, devices) that have completed Phase I testing but have not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Right to Try 2.0 laws could help fix FDA’s approval process; Right to Try for Individualized Treatments.

This law would allow patients suffering from rare and genetic diseases to try personalized treatments not yet approved by the FDA, as long as they have the support of their physician and have exhausted other treatment options. This policy would have an outsized impact on patients with rare diseases. Although rare diseases have small patient pools by definition, collectively, about 30 million Americans are estimated to have a rare disease.

What’s more, 80% of these rare diseases are genetic in nature, and 95% have no FDA-approved treatment.

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DAILY UPDATE: International Women’s Day as Rivian and Stocks Zoom Higher!

Posted on March 8, 2024 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

By Staff Reporters

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Stocks surged yesterday, once again pushing the S&P 500 and NASDAQ to record highs, after Fed Chair Jerome Powell said he expects interest rates to come down this year. It was also a big day for Rivian which zoomed 13% after it revealed three new vehicles.

Here’s where the major benchmarks ended:

The S&P 500 index rallied 52.60 points (1.0%) to 5,157.36; the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 130.30 points (0.3%) to 38,791.35; the NASDAQ Composite climbed 241.83 points (1.5%) to 16,273.38.
The 10-year Treasury note yield (TNX) lost almost 2 basis points to 4.085%.
The CBOE Volatility Index^® (VIX) fell 0.06 to 14.44.

Chip-maker strength boosted the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index (SOX) 3.4% to its fourth record close in the past five trading days. The index has gained 9.3% so far this month and 24% for the year. Oilfield services and communication services companies were also among the market’s strongest sectors. Small-cap shares joined the rally, boosting the Russell 2000^® Index (RUT) 0.8% to a two-year high.

In other markets, the U.S. dollar index (DXY) slipped 0.5%, its fifth consecutive daily decline, and touched a five-week low. The dollar has been under pressure from expectations for lower U.S. interest rates.

CITE: https://www.r2library.com/Resource

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“Magnificent Seven” Stocks Down while Bitcoin Up

Posted on March 7, 2024 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

STATE OF THE UNION EVENING

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Markets: Stocks rose yesterday as investors watched Jerome Powell tell lawmakers that he still expects to cut interest rates this year, just not right away.
Stock spotlight: Troubled regional lender New York Community Bancorp, which fell 40% before soaring back up after announcing it’s getting $1 billion from investors, including ex-Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin’s firm.

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Meanwhile, Stocks tumbled on Tuesday as several of the “Magnificent Seven” tech giants shed some of their gains from earlier this year, dragging the entire market with them. One of those companies was Apple, which fell about 3% after a report suggested that iPhone sales in China have plunged in the first six weeks of 2024.

And, Bitcoin set a new record yesterday, briefly jumping past $69k before falling back down to ~$62k. The rally highlighted the crypto’s seemingly rapid recovery from the nail-in-the-coffin that was FTX’s demise in 2022.

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DAILY UPDATE: American Express Breached as Stock Markets Come Back

Posted on March 7, 2024 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

By Staff Reporters

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American Express Co. has told an undisclosed number of cardholders that their account information may have been breached in a recent hacking of a merchant processor. Current and previously issued American Express Card account numbers, expiration dates and customer names may have been compromised, AmEx stated in a notice filed last week with Massachusetts regulators.

CITE: https://www.r2library.com/Resource

Here’s where the major benchmarks ended:

The S&P 500^® index (SPX) rose 26.11 points (0.5%) to 5,104.76; the Dow Jones Industrial Average^® (DJI) gained 75.86 points (0.2%) to 38,661.05; the NASDAQ Composite^® (COMP) added 91.95 points (0.6%) to 16,031.54.
The 10-year Treasury note yield (TNX) dropped about 3 basis points to 4.108%, near a four-week low.
The CBOE Volatility Index^® (VIX) rose 0.04 to 14.50

Semiconductor shares were among the market’s strongest performers Wednesday, and utilities and consumer staples were also firm. Banks shares took pressure despite further declines in Treasury yields. In other markets, the U.S. dollar index (DXY) fell near a five-week low and Gold (/GC) futures extended a rally to a record above $2,160 per ounce, reflecting expectations for lower U.S. interest rates.

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DAILY UPDATE: UnitedHealth Group and Fidelity Investments Suffer Ransomware Attacks as Stock Markets Crash

Posted on March 6, 2024 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

By Staff Reporters

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According to Fidelity, in documents filed with the Maine attorney general’s office, miscreants “likely acquired” information about 28,268 people’s life insurance policies after infiltrating Infosys.

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Criminals have probably stolen nearly 30,000 Fidelity Investments Life Insurance customers’ personal and financial information — including bank account and routing numbers, credit card numbers and security or access codes — after breaking into Infosys’ IT systems.

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Healthcare providers across the United States are struggling to get paid following the week-long ransomware outage at a key tech unit of UnitedHealth Group, with some smaller medical providers saying they are already running low on cash.

And, the nation’s health-care system continues to reel from a cyberattack that has crippled payments for tens of thousands of organizations as Daniel Gilbert writes in The Post.

CITE: https://www.r2library.com/Resource

Here’s where the major benchmarks ended:

The S&P 500^® index (SPX) dropped 52.30 points (1.0%) to 5,078.65; the Dow Jones Industrial Average decreased 404.64 points (1.0%) to 38,585.19; the NASDAQ Composite fell 267.92 points (1.7%) to 15,939.59.
The 10-year Treasury note yield (TNX) fell about 8 basis points to 4.137%.
The CBOE Volatility Index^® (VIX) rose 0.97 to 14.46.

With chip makers under pressure, the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index (SOX) fell 2.1%, reversing part of a recent surge to a record high. Consumer discretionary and real estate shares also ranked among the weakest performers Tuesday. Banks were one of the few industries to buck the broader weakness, perhaps supported by further declines in Treasury yields. The 10-year Treasury note yield (TNX) almost fell to a four-week low near 4.11%. The KBW Regional Banking Index (KRX) jumped 4.3%.

In other markets, bitcoin plunged almost 10% after climbing earlier Tuesday to a record above $69,000. The cryptocurrency had rallied as much as 36% over the last week of February.

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Filed under: "Ask-an-Advisor", Breaking News, Drugs and Pharma, Ethics, Experts Invited, Financial Planning, Health Economics, Health Insurance, Healthcare Finance, Information Technology, Investing, LifeStyle | Tagged: banks, CBOE, crypto, crypto currency, Daniel Gilbert, DJIA, DOW, Fidelity Investments, Fidelty, Infosys, KRX, NASDAQ, S&P 500, SOX, SPX, TNX, UHC, UHG, United, UnitedHealth Group, VIX | Leave a comment »

MEME-COINS: Dogwifhat?

Posted on March 5, 2024 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

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Rallies from Artificial Intelligence related companies weren’t enough to keep the major indexes from falling yesterday. Meanwhile, bitcoin continued its journey toward the sky, getting close to an all-time record.

And it wasn’t the only cryptocurrency having a banner day: memecoins like dogecoin, pepe, and dogwifhat all soared.

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DOWN: Facebook, Threads, Instagram and Messenger

Posted on March 5, 2024 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

PARENT META OUTAGE

By Staff Reporters

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Facebook, Instagram and Messenger have gone down in what appears to be a huge outage at parent company Meta.

Users found themselves unable to load the apps or websites as normal. On Facebook, affected users found they had been logged out and were unable to get on, while Instagram refused to work at all.

COMMENTS
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Filed under: Breaking News, Information Technology | Tagged: Facebook, FB, Insta, Instagram, Messenger, Meta, Meta Down | Leave a comment »

What is the Goodhart Economics Principle?

Posted on March 5, 2024 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

The Goodhart Principle, and related

[By staff reporters]

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Goodhart’s law is a sociological analogue of Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle in quantum mechanics. Measuring a system usually disturbs it. The more precise the measurement, and the shorter its timescale, the greater the energy of the disturbance and the greater the unpredictability of the outcome.

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CAMPBELL’S LAW:

“The more any quantitative social indicator is used for social decision-making, the more subject it will be to corruption pressures and the more apt it will be to distort and corrupt the social processes it is intended to monitor.”

Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Campbell%27s_law

DICTIONARY: https://www.amazon.com/Dictionary-Health-Economics-Finance-Marcinko/dp/0826102549/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1254413315&sr=1-6

Assessment

Your thoughts are appreciated.

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Risk Management, Liability Insurance, and Asset Protection Strategies for Doctors and Advisors: Best Practices from Leading Consultants and Certified Medical Planners™

Comprehensive Financial Planning Strategies for Doctors and Advisors: Best Practices from Leading Consultants and Certified Medical Planners™

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DAILY UPDATE: Target of IRS Audits Up While Stock Markets are Down

Posted on March 5, 2024 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

By Staff Reporters

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Stat: 125,000+. That’s how many high-income people the IRS is targeting for not filing their taxes. The IRS started sending letters last week to folks with over $400,000 in income who haven’t filed between 2017 and 2022 (Journal of Accountancy)

CITE: https://www.r2library.com/Resource

Here’s where the major benchmarks ended:

The S&P 500 index fell 6.13 points (0.1%) to 5,130.95; the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 97.55 points (0.3%) to 38,989.83; the NASDAQ Composite declined 67.43 points (0.4%) to 16,207.51.
The 10-year Treasury note yield (TNX) rose about 4 basis points to 4.219%.
The CBOE Volatility Index^® (VIX) increased 0.38 to 13.49.

Ongoing strength in chip makers propelled a 1.1% advance in the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index (SOX), which posted a record high for the third-straight trading day. Banks were also among the strongest performers. Small-cap shares eased, with the Russell 2000^® Index (RUT) ending with a marginal loss after rising earlier to a two-year high.

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FINANCIAL PLANNING: Physician and Fiduciary Focused

Posted on March 5, 2024 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

(“Informed Voice of a New Generation of Fiduciary Advisors for Healthcare”)

By Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA CMP™

http://www.MarcinkoAssociates.com

As fellow doctors, we understand better than most the more complex financial challenges physicians can face when it comes to their financial planning. Of course, most physicians ultimately make a good income, but it is the saving, asset and risk management tolerance and investing part that many of our colleagues’ struggle with. Far too often physicians receive terrible guidance, have no time to properly manage their own investments and set goals for that day when they no longer wish to practice medicine.

For the average doctor or healthcare professional, the feelings of pride and achievement at finally graduating are typically paired with the heavy burden of hundreds of thousands of dollars in student loan debt.

You dedicated countless hours to learning, studying, and training in your field. You missed birthdays and holidays, time with your families, and sacrificed vacations to provide compassionate and excellent care for your patients. Amidst all of that, there was no time to give your finances even a second thought.

Between undergraduate, medical school, and then internship and residency, most young physicians do not begin saving for retirement until late into their 20s, if not their 30s. You’ve missed an entire decade or more of allowing your money and investments to compound and work for you. When it comes to addressing your financial health and security, there’s no time to waste.

And you may be misled by unscrupulous “advisors”.

For example:

Question: Do you know the difference between a “Fee-Only” and a “Fee-Based financial advisor? Not knowing may cost you tens of thousands of dollars, or more, in excessive advisory fees.

MORE: https://marcinkoassociates.com/financial-planning/

Of course, all of this compound’s physician stress and burnout related issues, as well.

MORE: https://marcinkoassociates.com/process-what-we-do/

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DAILY UPDATE: Super Micro Joins S&P 500 as Markets Still Rise

Posted on March 4, 2024 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

By Staff Reporters

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Another record-high to start Monday.

The S&P 500 closed Friday at its highest level ever, having posted gains in 16 out of the last 18 weeks for the first time since 1971. And the index is getting a flashy new stock today: the server-maker Super Micro. Super Micro is the AI all-star you’ve never heard of, jumping over 20x in the past two years and more than 200% in 2024 alone.

CITE: https://www.r2library.com/Resource

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BANKRUPTCIES: Health Care Companies

Posted on March 4, 2024 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

Spiked in 2023

By Staff Reporters

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Healthcare company bankruptcies spiked in 2023 amid high interest rates, rising labor and supply costs, and an uptick in denials from payers, according to a January report from healthcare restructuring firm Gibbins Advisors.

For example, Seventy-nine healthcare companies filed for bankruptcy in 2023—the highest number since 2019, which saw 51 bankruptcies, according to the report. The volume of bankruptcies last year was nearly 2x as high as 2022 and over 3x the level seen in 2021.

“We saw a dramatic increase in healthcare bankruptcy filings in 2023, continuing the trend which began in mid-2022,” Clare Moylan, co-founder and principal at Gibbins Advisors, said in a statement. “Key observations from 2023 are the return of large bankruptcy cases with over $100 million in liabilities, and a spike in hospital filings, both of which appear to primarily be a result of Covid-19 pandemic-related protections ending.”

CITE: https://www.r2library.com/Resource

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OUR VIRTUAL BUSINESS MODEL: Financial and Management Consulting for Physicians

Posted on March 3, 2024 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

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SPONSOR: http://www.MARCINKOASSOCIATES.com

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OUR VIRTUAL CONSULTING BUSINESS MODEL

Our virtual consulting model at DE MARCINKO & ASSOCIATES offer services to their clients primarily or entirely online, by phone or video-conference.

This means that no matter where you are or choose to live, you’re always just an email, telephone call or Zoom® conference away from a face-to-face meeting.

THE CONSULTATION IS VIRTUAL – THE INFORMATIONAL ADVICE IS REAL !

READ HERE: https://marcinkoassociates.com/virtual-networking/

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DAILY UPDATE: CDC, IRS, the Roaring Stock Markets and Elon Musk

Posted on March 3, 2024 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

By Staff Reporters

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Stocks were ripping last week, with the NASDAQ notching an all-time high and the S&P 500 closing above 5,100 for the first time. Tech stocks led the way, especially Nvidia, which closed with a market cap over $2 trillion. But trouble may be brewing at regional banks: New York Community Bancorp plummeted after swapping out its CEO and revealing it had found weaknesses in its risk controls.

CITE: https://www.r2library.com/Resource

The IRS is going after people who earned between $400,000 and $1 million but failed to file tax returns as far back as 2017.

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Elon Musk sued OpenAI and its co-founders, CEO Sam Altman and President Greg Brockman, Friday, alleging that they breached the organization’s founding agreement by letting it become too profit-motivated.

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The CDC says you no longer need to isolate for five days if you have COVID-19 as long as you’re fever-free and your symptoms are improving.

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PEP: What is a Pooled Employer “Defined Contribution” Plan?

Posted on March 2, 2024 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

RETIREMENT PLANNING

By Staff Reporters

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A PEP is a defined contribution plan, such as a 401(k), in which multiple employers can participate. When employers join a PEP, they delegate their named fiduciary role to a third-party pooled plan provider (PPP). PEP fiduciary oversight falls on the PPP rather than the employer. And although each PPP may set its own eligibility requirements, businesses joining a PEP benefit plan needn’t operate in the same industry or geographical area.

PEP plans provide viable 401(k) alternatives for small business owners who may otherwise struggle to compete for talent against large organizations with comprehensive benefits packages.

CITE: https://www.r2library.com/Resource/Title/082610254

Other advantages include: Less in-house administration: The PPP assumes responsibility for much of the plan administration, handling all plan documentation, governmental filings and ongoing compliance. Employee payroll deductions are left to the employer, but these can be efficiently managed with the help of a payroll service provider that integrates payroll and benefits.

Tax credits can help offset PEP start-up costs. For the first three years of participation, employers may be eligible for a tax credit of $5,000 annually, with an additional $500 available to those who set up automatic enrollment. Under Secure Act 2.0, an additional credit of up to $1,000 per employee for eligible employer contributions may apply to employers with up to 50 employees for the preceding taxable year. This credit phases out from 51 to 100 employees.

Businesses participating in single-employer retirement plans (SEP) must independently communicate and coordinate with their record-keeper, custodian, investment advisor, trustee and auditor. With PEP, all these tasks and services are bundled into one, saving employers time and money.

Despite its advantages, a PEP does have some drawbacks, particularly when compared to an SEP. Unlike a PEP, an SEP gives employers more of the following:

Flexibility: Employers can customize the design of their plan to meet their retirement goals and the needs of their employees.
Control: Employers are not dependent on the actions or decisions of others and can access information and resolve problems directly without the need of a third party.
Choice: Employers have the unilateral freedom to choose a different service provider, move their plan or negotiate better pricing if they are unsatisfied with the cost or quality of service.

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DAILY UPDATE: Rare Disease Day Visibility, Rite Aid Down as Markets Rise Up

Posted on March 2, 2024 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

By Staff Reporters

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Welcome back to the Gregorian calendar. Along with being a leap day, yesterday was Rare Disease Day—bringing visibility to the 7,000 conditions that each affect fewer than 200,000 people in the US. Combined, around 10% of US residents have one, per the National Institute of Health.

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Rite Aid is planning to close 77 stores in 2024 as part of its Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
That makes 431 stores that the drugstore chain has decided to close since October.
Rite Aid has been shrinking its store count for years, losing ground to rivals Walgreens and CVS.

CITE: https://www.r2library.com/Resource

Here’s where the major benchmarks ended:

The S&P 500 index added 40.81 points (0.8%) to 5,137.08, up 0.95% for the week and its seventh weekly gain in the past eight; the Dow Jones Industrial Average^® (DJI) gained 90.99 points (0.2%) to 39,087.38, down 0.1% for the week; the NASDAQ Composite rose 183.02 points (1.1%) to 16,274.94, up 1.7% for the week.
The 10-year Treasury note yield fell about 7 basis points to 4.182%.
The CBOE Volatility Index^® (VIX) dropped 0.29 to 13.11.

Chipmaker strength drove a 4.3% advance in the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index (SOX), which ended at a record high. The NASDAQ-100^®(NDX), which includes the NASDAQ’s largest non-financial companies, also ended at a record high. Small-cap shares finished the week strong. The Russell 2000^® Index (RUT) rose 1.1% to settle at a 23-month high and notched a 3% gain for the week.

Banks were among the weakest performers as concerns over regional lenders flared up, underscored by another nosedive in shares of troubled New York Community Bancorp (NYCB).

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HEALTHCARE: Under Cyber Attack

Posted on March 1, 2024 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

By Staff Reporters

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Cyber villains have struck again, and they’re going after the US health system. Pharmacies and hospitals nationwide are coping with a debilitating cyberattack against the prescription processor Change Healthcare, owned by America’s biggest health insurer, UnitedHealth.

The health tech company noticed the breach last week and rushed to disconnect its systems, throwing a wrench into pharmacies’ ability to dispense pills. Change Healthcare said some of its services were still on pause, and it’s unclear if any patient info was stolen.

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DAILY UPDATE: Inflation and “Bumble” Down as Stock Markets Rise and UHC Hackers ID’d

Posted on March 1, 2024 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

By Staff Reporters

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The Bumble dating app said this week that it plans to lay off 30% of its staff (about 350 employees) after a Q4 earnings report highlighted that profits are ghosting the company and Gen Z considers dating apps a turnoff. Bumble CEO Lidiane Jones, who took over in November when founder Whitney Wolfe Herd stepped down, said the cuts would save the company around $55 million. The company plans to invest in relaunching the app next quarter with new safety and AI features to entice all those looking for love.

CITE: https://www.r2library.com/Resource

Here’s where the major benchmarks ended:

The S&P 500 index rose 26.51 points (0.5%) to 5,096.27, up 5.2% for the month; the Dow Jones Industrial Average^® (DJI) added 47.37 points (0.1%) to 38,996.39, up 2.2% for the month; the NASDAQ Composite gained 144.18 points (0.9%) to 16,091.92, up 6.1% for the month.
The 10-year Treasury note yield (TNX) fell about 3 basis points to 4.244%.
The CBOE Volatility Index^® (VIX) dropped 0.44 to 13.40.

Chipmaker shares were among the strongest performers Thursday, helping lift the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index (SOX) 2.7% to a record high close. Banks and food and beverage industries were also firm. Small-cap stocks also extended a recent upswing. The Russell 2000^® Index (RUT) erased much of an initial surge to a 22-month high but still finished with a 0.7% advance, gaining 5.5% for the month.

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Hackers that allegedly caused the UnitedHealth Group cyberattack reportedly posted on the dark web that they stole personal data and the records of “millions” of patients.

In a now-deleted post, the Blackcat ransomware group – also known as ALPHV or Noberus – said it stole several terabytes of data from UnitedHealth, which includes medical insurance and health data, Reuters reported, citing screenshots of the post.

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DAILY UPDATE: Down Down Third Day

Posted on February 29, 2024 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

By Staff Reporters

HAPPY LEAP YEAR DAY

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Stocks fell yesterday, while bitcoin almost touched an all-time high after surging 20% in five days as its halving approaches. UnitedHealth dipped on reports that antitrust regulators are investigating the massive insurer.

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Here’s where the major benchmarks ended:

The S&P 500^® index (SPX) fell 8.42 points (0.2%) to 5,069.76; the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 23.39 points (0.1%) to 38,949.02; the NASDAQ Composite^® (COMP) declined 87.56 points (0.6%) to 15,947.74.
The 10-year Treasury note yield (TNX) fell about 5 basis points to 4.264%.
The CBOE Volatility Index^® (VIX) rose 0.39 to 13.82.

Regional banks and semiconductors were among the weakest performers Wednesday, and communications services and health care shares were also soft. Real estate shares bucked the weakness in many sectors to post firm gains. Food and beverage and consumer discretionary sectors also firmed. In other markets, WTI crude oil (/CL) futures rose to a three-month high at $79.62 per barrel before ending lower after the Energy Information Administration reported a rise in U.S. inventories.

CITE: https://www.r2library.com/Resource

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VINTAGE: Pay-4-Performance Healthcare

Posted on February 28, 2024 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

Pay for Performance Initiatives

[By Staff Writers]

Of course, consumer directed healthcare trends and fee transparency increasingly mandate physician economic accountability, such as in the P4P initiatives, but CMS may also begin profiling physicians and targeting those it deems inefficient sometime next year, as well.

In May 2007, Herbert Kuhn, acting deputy administrator of CMS, told a House subcommittee that the agency will have the data and computer capacity available to do tracking as soon as mid-2008.

To monitor efficiency, CMS would compare levels of tests physicians order for certain types of patients to tests ordered by other doctors who achieve similar outcomes. The agency would then contact the physicians whose testing patterns seem to be out of line. No doubt, the effects on private pay-for-performance [P4P] initiatives is obvious. Kuhn told the subcommittee that his largest concern was figuring out how to use the data to help physicians grow more efficient.

Assessment

To date, the agency hasn’t established plans to link efficiency measures with reimbursement changes. If it wants to do so, Congress would probably have to enact new legislation, according to several policymakers.

Conclusion

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Speaker: If you need a moderator or speaker for an upcoming event, Dr. David E. Marcinko; MBA – Publisher-in-Chief of the Medical Executive-Post – is available for seminar or speaking engagements. Contact: MarcinkoAdvisors@msn.com

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FINANCE: Financial Planning for Physicians and Advisors
INSURANCE: Risk Management and Insurance Strategies for Physicians and Advisors

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DAILY UPDATE: Corporate M&A Activity Increasing as Stock Markets End Mixed

Posted on February 28, 2024 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

By Staff Reporters

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Merger and Acquisition (M&A) activity was down in 2023, but McKinsey says we should keep our chins up based on the strong final months of the year and economic optimism among professionals. For example, Global M&A activity last year totaled $3.1 trillion, dropping 16% from 2022, McKinsey found in a new report by senior partners Jake Henry and Mieke Van Oostende. But, the value of M&A activity in the fourth quarter increased 41% over Q3 and 37% year over year.

CITE: https://www.r2library.com/Resource

Stocks were mixed yesterday, with the S&P 500 and NASDAQ inching up and the Dow Jones dropping ahead of the release of key inflation data later this week. Viking Therapeutics, whose stock more than doubled after it reported positive results for its weight-loss drug trial in a bid to break into a sector dominated by Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk.

Here’s where the major stock market benchmarks ended:

The S&P 500^® index (SPX) rose 8.65 points (0.2%) to 5,078.18; the Dow Jones Industrial Average^® (DJI) fell 96.82 points (0.3%) to 38,972.41; the NASDAQ Composite^® (COMP) gained 59.05 points (0.4%) to 16,035.30.
The 10-year Treasury note yield (TNX) rose about 1 basis point to 4.309%.
The CBOE Volatility Index^® (VIX) dropped 0.31 to 13.43.

Retailer strength helped lift the S&P Retail Select Industry Index (SPSIRE) 2.4% to its highest level in 22 months. Utility shares were also strong as the sector rebounded from the previous day’s slump. The small-cap Russell 2000^® (RUT) jumped 1.3% to extend a nearly week-long rally and posted its second-highest close of the year.

In other markets, WTI crude oil (/CL) futures surged 1.4% and settled just under $79 per barrel, the market’s highest close since early November. Strength in oil reflects concern over conflict in the Middle East and expectations OPEC may extend production cuts beyond the first few months of 2024.

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The New Federal SAVE Act

Posted on February 28, 2024 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

BY DR. DAVID E. MARCINKO MBA

SPONSOR: http://www.MARCINKOASSOCIATES.com

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In a January 24th letter, AHA and other national hospital organizations voiced support for the Safety from Violence for Healthcare Employees (SAVE) Act (H.R. 2584/S. 2768), bipartisan legislation that would provide federal protections for health care workers similar to those that apply to aircraft and airport workers.

“Although our members have for many years had protocols in place designed to protect their employees and promote a safe environment for patient care, the number of violent attacks against health care workers has increased markedly in recent years,” the letters to House and Senate sponsors note. “Recent studies indicate that 44% of nurses have reported being subjected to physical violence and 68% have reported verbal abuse. These experiences affect the individual provider, who may suffer from both physical and psychological trauma, and they can also interfere with care delivery when providers fear for their personal safety, are distracted by disruptive patients or family members, or are traumatized from prior violent interactions. These types of incidents also consume scarce hospital and health system resources, which in turn could impact the care available for other patients.”

Link: https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/117/hr7961

Link: https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/7961/text?r=179&s=1

Guidelines: https://medicalexecutivepost.com/2024/02/05/medical-workplace-violence-prevention-guidelines/

Healthcare Violence: https://medicalexecutivepost.com/2024/02/19/assessment-of-workplace-violence-in-healthcare/

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DAILY UPDATE: S&P Index Pulls Back

Posted on February 27, 2024 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

By Staff Reporters

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Stocks fell as the Dow got a special delivery from Amazon, which joined the index yesterday, replacing Walgreens. That didn’t give the Dow a boost for the day, but it should help the index—whose performance is trailing the S&P 500—going forward by giving it more tech power.

Here’s where the major benchmarks ended:

The S&P 500 index fell 19.27 points (0.4%) to 5,069.53; the Dow Jones Industrial Average^® (DJI) lost 62.30 points (0.2%) to 39,069.23; the NASDAQ Composite^® (COMP) dropped 20.57 points (0.1%) to 15,976.25.
The 10-year Treasury note yield (TNX) rose about 2 basis points to 4.28%.
The CBOE Volatility Index^® (VIX) fell 0.01 to 13.74.

Utility shares were among the weakest performers Monday, which may reflect pressure from Treasury yields that remain at their highest levels in over two months. High Treasury yields may compel some investors to forgo utility shares, which typically offer relatively high dividend yields. Communication services companies were also weak. Among stronger areas, the Russell 2000^® (RUT) gained 0.6% for its third-straight daily advance.

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PODCAST: CVS Health PBM Change Pricing

Posted on February 27, 2024 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

By Eric Bricker MD

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CERTIFIED MEDICAL PLANNERs™ to Grow and Thrive

Posted on February 26, 2024 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

Think Different – Be Different – Thrive

[By Ann Miller RN MHA]

Letterhead CMP

http://www.CertifiedMedicalPlanner.org

Dear Physician Focused Financial Advisors

Did you know that desperate doctors of all ages are turning to knowledgeable financial advisors and medical management consultants for help? Symbiotically too, generalist advisors are finding that the mutual need for knowledge and extreme niche synergy is obvious.

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But, there was no established curriculum or educational program; no corpus of knowledge or codifying terms-of-art; no academic gravitas or fiduciary accountability; and certainly no identifying professional designation that demonstrated integrated subject matter expertise for the increasingly unique healthcare focused financial advisory niche … Until Now!

***

http://www.CertifiedMedicalPlanner.org

Enter the CMPs

“The informed voice of a new generation of fiduciary advisors for healthcare”

**[Think Different – Be Different – Thrive]**

InfoGraphic

http://e.infogr.am/enter_the_certified_medical_planner?src=embed

http://www.CertifiedMedicalPlanner.org

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So, if you are looking to supplement your knowledge, income and designations; and find other qualified professionals you may want to consider the CMP® program.

Enter the Certified Medical Planner™ charter professional designation. And, CMPs™ are FIDUCIARIES, 24/7.

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Conclusion

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OUR OTHER PRINT BOOKS AND RELATED INFORMATION SOURCES:

PRACTICES: www.BusinessofMedicalPractice.com
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ADVISORS: www.CertifiedMedicalPlanner.org
FINANCE: Financial Planning for Physicians and Advisors
INSURANCE: Risk Management and Insurance Strategies for Physicians and Advisors
Dictionary of Health Economics and Finance
Dictionary of Health Information Technology and Security
Dictionary of Health Insurance and Managed Care

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MOON: Investing for the Risk Tolerant Physician?

Posted on February 26, 2024 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

PRIVATIZING OUTER SPACE

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Did you know that NASA remains laser-focused on getting humans back on the moon with its Artemis program. But with a budget one-tenth the size it was at the height of the Apollo program, the space agency is turning to the private sector to make it to the Moon, again.

IM’s Odysseus mission is part of the NASA Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS), an initiative that partners the agency with private companies, allowing NASA to send data-collecting instruments to the moon aboard private spacecraft while spending significantly less money than if it had to send its own.

NASA paid $118 million to Intuitive Machines for Odysseus to take six high-tech research machines to the moon.
According to Thomas Zurbuchen, who led the creation of the CLPS program, this type of mission could cost half a billion to a billion dollars if led by NASA.

In December, India landed a spacecraft on the moon’s south pole for $75 million—less than the reported budget of Madame Web. But the trend of cheaper missions also means a higher likelihood of failure. Last month, the Peregrine lander from Astrobotic Technology—another company working with NASA via the CLPS initiative—failed to reach the moon after a fuel leak.

The company’s stock struggled after going public a year ago, but excitement around Odysseus made that a thing of the past: It has soared 300% since last month.

UPDATE: Shares of Intuitive Machines slumped 38% in post-market trading on Friday after the company said its moon lander Odysseus had “tipped over” sideways when the spacecraft descended on the lunar surface a day earlier.

Odysseus is “aliv

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DAILY UPDATE: Bye-Bye Walgreens & Hello Amazon and Reddit

Posted on February 26, 2024 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

By Staff Reporters

***

On Tuesday, February 20th, the S&P Dow Jones Indices, which oversees additions and subtractions to the highly followed Dow Jones Industrial Average, announced that, as of the start of trading on Monday, February, 26th pharmacy chain Walgreens Boots Alliance (NASDAQ: WBA) would be getting the literal boot.

Meanwhile, e-commerce kingpin Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) will be taking its place.

And, Reddit filed to go public last week in an IPO that will resemble the platform itself—unusual, chaotic, and reliant on its opinionated users. Planned for next month, Reddit’s public listing will be the first social media IPO since Pinterest in 2019 and the first major tech IPO of the year.

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Filed under: "Ask-an-Advisor", Alternative Investments, Breaking News, Drugs and Pharma, Health Economics, Health Insurance, Healthcare Finance, Information Technology, Insurance Matters, Investing | Tagged: Amazon, Boots Alliance, CBOE, DJIA, IPO, NASDAQ, NYC, Pinterest, Reddit, S&P 500, VIX, walgreens, Walgreens Boots Alliance | Leave a comment »

DAILY UPDATE: Nikkei Index All Time Stock Market High!

Posted on February 25, 2024 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

By Staff Reporters

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DEFINITION: The Nikkei, also known as The Nihon Keizai Shimbun (日本経済新聞, lit. “Japan Economics Newspaper”), is the flagship publication of Nikkei Inc (based in Tokyo) and the world’s largest financial newspaper, with a daily circulation exceeding 1.73 million copies. The Nikkei 225 a stock market index for the Tokyo Stock Exchange has been calculated by the newspaper since 1950.

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Japan’s Nikkei Stock Index Hits all-time High.

Stocks surged 2.1% yesterday, surpassing the record set in 1989 at the height of the country’s postwar economic boom.

Nvidia’s epic Q4 earnings helped lift stocks around the world, but Japan’s surge was already bubbling, thanks to foreign investors, strong corporate profits, and the downturn in China. Still, Japan’s economy remains in a recession as—unlike in the US and much of the world—officials are keeping interest rates low to spur inflation and stop the yen from weakening.

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Filed under: "Ask-an-Advisor", Alternative Investments, Experts Invited, Investing, Risk Management | Tagged: japan, Jensen Huang, Nikkei, Nikkei Index, Nvidia, Tokyo | Leave a comment »

What is Financial and Accounting DELTA?

Posted on February 24, 2024 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

OBTUSE METER?

By Staff Reporters

***

What is Delta?

FINANCE: Delta is a risk sensitivity measure used in assessing derivatives. It is one of the many measures that are denoted by a Greek letter. The series of risk measures that use such letters are fittingly referred to as the Greeks. They are often also called risk measures, hedge parameters, or risk sensitivities.

ACCOUNTING: Delta is the ratio of the change in price of an option to the change in price of the underlying asset. Also called the hedge ratio; For a call option on a stock, a delta of 0.50 means that for every $1.00 that the stock goes up, the option price rises by $0.50.

STOCK MARKET: Where:

S – the stock price
K – the strike price
r – the risk-free rate
q – the annual dividend yield
τ – time until expiration
σ – the volatility

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INVESTING: https://www.amazon.com/Comprehensive-Financial-Planning-Strategies-Advisors/dp/1482240289/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1418580820&sr=8-1&keywords=david+marcinko

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DAILY UPDATE: Stock Markets Extend Record Climb Ending Strong Week

Posted on February 24, 2024 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

By Staff Reporters

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An astonishing week in the stock market wrapped up with the S&P 500 hitting a record high. While Nvidia’s blowout earnings were the stars. For example, kudos to Carvana, which recorded its first-ever annual profit on its comeback tour from the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Here’s where the major benchmarks ended:

The S&P 500 index rose 1.77 points (0.03%) to 5,088.80, up 1.7% for the week; the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 62.42 points (0.2%) to 39,131.53, up 1.3% for the week; the NASDAQ Composite tumbled 44.80 points (0.3%) to 15,996.82.
The 10-year Treasury note yield (TNX) shed more than 7 basis points to 4.252%.
The CBOE Volatility Index^® (VIX) fell 0.79 to 13.75.

Retailers were among the market’s upside leaders Friday, with the S&P Retail Select Industry Index (SPSIRE) gaining 1.8% and ending at a 22-month high. The retail sector got a boost this week from Walmart’s (WMT) stronger-than-expected results reported Tuesday. The biggest U.S. retailer gained 3.1% this week and closed Friday near a record high above $175. Utility shares were also strong Friday.

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Filed under: "Ask-an-Advisor", Alternative Investments, Breaking News, Experts Invited, Financial Planning, Investing | Tagged: Carvana, CBOE, DJIA, NASDAQ, Nvidia, NYC, S&P 500, SPSIRE, TNX, VIX, walgreens, WMT | Leave a comment »

VINTAGE ESSAY: On the Growing Global Stock Trend

Posted on February 23, 2024 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

By Rick Kahler MS CFP® http://www.KahlerFinancial.com

About twelve years ago the South Dakota Investment Council combined two of their asset classes, domestic and international stocks, into one, global stocks. While this move didn’t make the nightly news, it did signify a growing trend.

Many investment managers no longer view the US stock market as a separate asset class from the rest of the world’s stock markets.

Today they view it as one component of a global asset class of stocks.

Diversify

For the same reason you don’t want to own just one company’s stock in your portfolio, it makes no sense for an individual investing for retirement to own just US stocks. It’s as important to diversify among countries as among companies.

The question then becomes how much of a global stock portfolio should be in US stocks and how much in international stocks. For many years the standard thinking of portfolio managers was still to over-allocate to the US. It was, and to some degree still is, common to see 80% of a portfolio’s equity allocation in US stocks.

That over-allocation has never made a lot of sense to me, considering that the US accounts for far less than 80% of the global market capitalization. In the 1980’s, US companies accounted for about 65% of the global capitalization. Accordingly, I weighted my stock portfolios with 65% US and 35% international. By 1999, the US had slipped to 50%. I adjusted my portfolios accordingly.

The latest statistics from Dimensional Fund Advisors show the US still accounts for around 50% of the global capitalization. Investors who want to maintain a true global diversification of their stock portfolios will need to seriously consider reducing their US allocation.

***

Which, Where and How to Invest

Which international stocks, then, should you add? Developed regions and countries like those of Europe, Australia Pacific, and Japan account for about 40% of the total global capitalization. Emerging market countries, many in Southwest Asia and Latin America, make up the remaining 10%. Weighting your portfolio accordingly gives you a well-diversified stock portfolio that has a high probability of withstanding the inevitable rise and fall of equity markets.

How do you invest globally? There are mutual funds that invest in specific countries, in regions, internationally, or globally. I don’t really like the country funds, as I don’t know which countries I should be underweighting or overweighting. Besides, creating a global index using country funds can be a lot of work and expense.

Using index regional funds is an easier way to invest in international stocks. To allocate according to the global capitalization percentages above, you would include three index mutual funds in your stock portfolio: one broad market US fund, an international fund of developed (non-emerging markets), and an emerging markets fund.

If you want even more simplicity, invest in one good global fund. The difference between an “international” fund and a “global” or “world” fund is that a global fund will include US stocks where an international fund won’t. Vanguard Total World Stock ETF comes to mind as one of the better “one size fits all” global funds that will invest in a mixture of countries, including the US. This one fund holds 7,164 stocks in 47 countries. You really need nothing more in the equity portion of your portfolio.

Assessment

While it isn’t necessary to allocate your stocks strictly according to global capitalization percentages, research suggest you will probably do better in the long run to do so. Whether you decide to own country, regional, international, or global funds, what’s most important is that you diversify your stock portfolio globally. In today’s world, it’s an important component of diversified investing.

Conclusion

OUR OTHER PRINT BOOKS AND RELATED INFORMATION SOURCES:

HOSPITALS: http://www.crcpress.com/product/isbn/9781466558731
CLINICS: http://www.crcpress.com/product/isbn/9781439879900
ADVISORS: www.CertifiedMedicalPlanner.org
FINANCE: Financial Planning for Physicians and Advisors
INSURANCE: Risk Management and Insurance Strategies for Physicians and Advisors
Dictionary of Health Economics and Finance
Dictionary of Health Information Technology and Security
Dictionary of Health Insurance and Managed Care

Written by doctors and healthcare professionals, this textbook should be mandatory reading for all medical school students—highly recommended for both young and veteran physicians—and an eliminating factor for any financial advisor who has not read it. The book uses jargon like ‘innovative,’ ‘transformational,’ and ‘disruptive’—all rightly so! It is the type of definitive financial lifestyle planning book we often seek, but seldom find.

LeRoy Howard MA CMP^TM [Candidate and Financial Advisor, Fayetteville, North Carolina]

http://www.CertifiedMedicalPlanner.org

Filed under: Experts Invited, Investing, Portfolio Management | Tagged: Dimensional Fund Advisors, global stocks, Investing, Rick Kahler CFP® | 3 Comments »

NVIDIA: Almost All About the Company?

Posted on February 23, 2024 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

By Staff Reporters

***

You can’t stop Nvidia and AI? The tech stock continued its post-earnings explosion yesterday, skyrocketing 16% and taking the entire stock market along with it. All three major indexes increased, with the S&P 500 notching another record high, as investors rode the surging waves.

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Nvidia’s Q4 and full-year 2023 earnings smashed records, all but ensuring AI hype will continue for the foreseeable future. The chipmaker reported Q4 revenue of $22.1 billion, up 265% from Q4 2022, and a diluted EPS of $4.93, up 33% from last quarter and a whopping 765% from this time last year. (And, no, Lyft, those aren’t typos.)

“Accelerated computing and generative AI have hit the tipping point,” Nvidia’s founder and CEO Jensen Huang crowed in a press release. “Demand is surging worldwide across companies, industries, and nations.”

Nvidia’s made itself inescapable merely by virtue of being so big. Last week, it became the nation’s third-largest company, reaching a market cap of $1.83 trillion. It’s driven about a third of the NASDAQ 100’s gains this past year, according to Fast Company. That being the case, Nvidia’s performance can serve as a litmus test for the stock market itself.

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Filed under: Accounting, Alerts Sign-Up, Experts Invited, Financial Planning, Investing | Tagged: AI, artificial intelligence, Jensen Huang, NASDAQ, Nvidia | Leave a comment »

HEALTH INSURANCE: Marketing and Behavioral Economics

Posted on February 23, 2024 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

DR. DAVID EDWARD MARCINKO MBA MEd CMP

By Staff Reporters

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DEFINITION: Behavioral economics is grounded in empirical observations of human behavior, which have demonstrated that people do not always make what neoclassical economists consider the “rational” or “optimal” decision, even if they have the information and the tools available to do so.

For example, why do people often avoid or delay investing in 401ks or exercising, even if they know that doing those things would benefit them? And why do gamblers often risk more after both winning and losing, even though the odds remain the same, regardless of “streaks”?

CITE: https://www.r2library.com/Resource

By asking questions like these and identifying answers through experiments, the field of behavioral economics considers people as human beings who are subject to emotion and impulsivity, and who are influenced by their environments and circumstances.

***

The state and federal governments and health insurance companies are harnessing lessons from a still-emerging academic field of behavioral economics to nudge clients and customers into spending more money.

“Behavioral economics was developed by incorporating ideas from psychology into standard economic theories,” said Cait Lamberton, a professor of marketing at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School. “If you see a deal that is available for only a short amount of time [like Medicare open enrollment periods], and thus pay more than you usually would, standard economics would say you’ve made an irrational decision. Behavioral economics says that no, what your brain is doing is responding to scarcity.”

These seemingly irrational choices are called “biases,” many of which can affect how we shop. For example, “loss aversion” makes us hypersensitive to losing money and more likely to buy something like whole life insurance for children.

The “decoy effect” makes us more likely to choose between two sub-optimal options when a third, even worse option is presented. For example, Medicare Part D providers may offer a decoy like an high costs, which may make the cheaper Medicare Part C with more [so-called] benefits look more appealing.

Most companies are well aware of these tendencies and how they drive our decisions. So to save money customers, patients and clients need to understand how the purchasing and shopping experience has been engineered to exploit our biases.

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Filed under: Ethics, Experts Invited, Health Economics, Health Insurance, Health Law & Policy, Marcinko Associates, Risk Management | Tagged: behavioral economics, biases, Cait Lamberton, David E. Marcinko, Health Economics, Health Insurance, Healthcare Finance, loss aversion, Wharton School | Leave a comment »

DAILY UPDATE: Nvidia, and Pharmacy Cyber Security Attack as Stock Markets Roar Back!

Posted on February 23, 2024 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

By Staff Reporters

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***

Big tech companies are continuing to pour cash into artificial intelligence at a breakneck pace. And based Bion the earnings update Wednesday from Nvidia, much of it is going to that chip maker. “This last year, we’ve seen generative AI really becoming a whole new application space, a whole new way of doing computing,” Jensen Huang, Nvidia’s co-founder and chief executive, said Wednesday. “A whole new industry is being formed, and that’s driving our growth.”

CITE: https://www.r2library.com/Resource

Pharmacies across the country are reporting delays to prescription orders due to a cyberattack against one of the nation’s largest health-care technology companies. Change Healthcare, a company handling orders and patient payments throughout the U.S., first noticed the “cyber security issue” affecting its networks Wednesday morning on the East Coast.

Here’s where the major benchmarks ended:

The S&P 500 index rose 105.23 points (2.1%) to 5,087.03; the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 456.87 points (1.2%) to 39,069.11; the NASDAQ Composite rallied 460.75 points (3%) to 16,041.62.
The 10-year Treasury note yield (TNX) was little changed at 4.323%.
The CBOE Volatility Index^® (VIX) fell 0.84 to 14.50.

Nvidia sparked a 5% rally in the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index (SOX) and a 3% gain in the NASDQ-100^® (NDX), both of which ended at all-time highs. Consumer discretionary shares were also among the strongest sectors Thursday. The small-cap Russell 2000^® Index (RUT) rose 1% and halted a three-day slide.

According to Joe Mazzola, director of trading and education at Schwab, Nvidia had a “profound effect” at both the sector and index level, partly reflecting its market value, which is nearing $2 trillion. Nvidia is now the third largest company behind Microsoft (MSFT) and Apple (AAPL).

***

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Filed under: "Ask-an-Advisor", Accounting, Breaking News, Drugs and Pharma, Ethics, Experts Invited, Financial Planning, Investing | Tagged: Aapl, AI, artificial intelligence, CBOE, Change Healthcare, cyber attack, cyber hack, cyberattack, DJIA, DOW, Jensen Huang, MSFT, NASDAQ, NDX, Nvidia, NYC, pharmacy attack, pharmacy hack, RUT, S&P 500, SOX, TNX, VIX | Leave a comment »

DAILY UPDATE: Markets Mixed as Technology Stocks Remains Under Pressure

Posted on February 22, 2024 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

By Staff Reporters

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***

Here’s where the major benchmarks ended:

The S&P 500^® index (SPX) rose 6.29 points (0.1%) to 4,981.80; the Dow Jones Industrial Average^® (DJI) added 48.44 points (0.1%) to 38,612.24; the NASDAQ Composite dropped 49.91 points (0.3%) to 15,580.87.
The 10-year Treasury note yield (TNX) rose more than 4 basis points to 4.319%.
The CBOE Volatility Index^® (VIX) fell 0.05 to 15.37.

Chipmakers continue to be among the softest performers this week, which sent the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index (SOX) lower for the fourth-straight day. Small caps also remained under pressure as the Russell 2000^® Index (RUT) declined 0.5%, its third-straight daily decline. Energy shares were among upside leaders with an assist from a jump of more than 1.3% in WTI crude oil (/CL)futures.

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Filed under: "Ask-an-Advisor", Breaking News, Experts Invited, Financial Planning, Investing | Tagged: CBOE, crude opil, DJIA, magnificent seven, NASDAQ, NYC, S&P 500, SOX, SPX, tech, technology stocks, TNX, VIX, WTI | Leave a comment »

DECEPTION: Mis-Managed Medicare [Dis] Advantage [Part C] Plans?

Posted on February 22, 2024 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

SPONSOR: http://www.MarcinkoAssociates.com

***

Managed care insurers have profited handsomely from Medicare Advantage plans, scoring billions in annual profits. They credit this financial wizardry to their use of sophisticated data analytics, preventative care, cost optimization, provider networks, evidence and value-based care and risk mitigation strategies. However, doctors, hospitals, and medical providers assert something else.

CITE: https://www.r2library.com/Resource

In fact, Medicare Advantage plans have been making headlines in 2024, but not in a positive light, at least for health insurance companies. Medicare is a government-sponsored health insurance benefit; generally for retired people aged 65 and older.

For most, the money for Medicare Part B medical insurance or Part C Medicare Advantage plans is withdrawn directly from Social Security benefits monthly, coupled with a relatively small monthly payment from the patient. Nearly half of the Medicare population is enrolled in Part C Medicare Advantage plans.

***

However, there have been rumblings in the medical sector between medical providers and medical insurers coming to a head. So, where do you stand?

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Filed under: "Advisors Only", "Doctors Only", Accounting, Ethics, Health Economics, Health Insurance, Health Law & Policy, Healthcare Finance, Quality Initiatives, Risk Management, Touring with Marcinko | Tagged: HMO, HMOs, Managed Care, managed care insurance, Marcinko, Medicare Advantage, Medicare Advantage Plans, Medicare Part C, Part A, Part B, Part C, Part D | Leave a comment »

15: PODCAST: CPAs are Out … Are CMPs™ In?

Posted on February 22, 2024 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

CERTIFIED MEDICAL PLANNER™

By Staff Reporters

SPONSOR: http://www.CertifiedMedicalPlanner.org

***

The giant accounting firm Grant Thornton LLP is laying off 200 people, its second round of layoffs in the past six months and an indication that the major players in the professional consulting, accounting and advisory business are preparing for an economic slowdown that could squeeze profits across corporate America.

***

Statistics: 7.4%. That’s the percentage drop in students who graduated with a degree in accounting in the 2021–2022 school year than the year before. Low starting salaries, heavy workloads, and uncertainty around AI are driving the exodus of students from choosing accounting degrees. (the Wall Street Journal).

MORE: https://www.wsj.com/lifestyle/careers/accounting-salary-cpa-shortage-dec2caa2?utm_campaign=mb&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_source=morning_brew

PODCAST: https://www.ted.com/talks/dan_bricklin_meet_the_inventor_of_the_electronic_spreadsheet

***
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