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Is the US Economy Strong OR Not?

By Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA

www.CertifiedMedicalPlanner.org

Recently, new highs for the DJIA and some better than expected jobs numbers pointed an outward sign of the US  economy’s continued — though sluggish — recovery from the Great Recession.

Workers in the Shadows

But, there may be another explanation for why consumers keep spending more despite higher payroll taxes and more pain at the gas pump.

Edgar Feige PhD Speaks

That reason is a thriving shadow economy, estimated to have reached as much as $2 trillion last year, according to a study (.pdf file) co-written by Edgar Feige, an economist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Assessment

A shadow economy is one where workers turn to employment that pays under-the-table. While that sometimes includes illegal activity, such as drug dealing, much of the shadow economy today appears to be in areas like service work such as babysitting; medicine, eye, foot and dental care; and working construction jobs for cash.

More

• Patient Relations Management and Concierge Medicine
• Direct Reimbursement [DR] and RiskManagers.Us
• What Health Care Fraud Costs Us

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Conclusion

And so, are new medical practice business models like retainer and concierge medicine, direct/private pay, or cash care more or less prone to participation in the underground healthcare economy?

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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

OUR OTHER PRINT BOOKS AND RELATED INFORMATION SOURCES:

• PRACTICES: www.BusinessofMedicalPractice.com
• 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

Filed under: Health Economics | Tagged: concierge medicine, direct pay medicine, Edgar Feige, GDP, GNP, retainer medicine, Shadow economy, Understanding the Domestic “Shadow Economy”, US economy | 2 Comments »