Showing archive for: “Insurance”
The AIG-General Re reversals
A Second Circuit panel knocked over yet another federal prosecution, this one of General Re and AIG executives who were convicted of propping up AIG with an allegedly sham reinsurance transaction. As summarized by a WSJ editorial, the abuses that sent this prosecution down the tubes “include prejudicial evidence, botched jury instructions and “compelling inconsistencies” ... The AIG-General Re reversals
The global threat to US securities laws
Today’s WSJ reports on the US’s slide in stock listings, which explains the NYSE/Deutsche Borse move. It notes that U.S. stock listings are down by 43%, or by 3800, since 1997. Listings outside the U.S. have doubled. U.S. IPOs since 2000 are down 71% from the 1990s. IPOs by VC-backed startups are down from 90% ... The global threat to US securities laws
Say on pay at the SEC?
Reuters reports on Henry Hu’s somewhat controversial tenure heading the SEC’s new Division of Risk, Strategy and Financial Innovation. The SEC brought in Hu, a widely recognized expert on financial regulation, in response to its embarrassing Madoff failure. The Reuters article discusses some reservations about how much Hu accomplished, but I want to focus on ... Say on pay at the SEC?
Municipal extortion and full employment for lawyers
Consider this a venting, especially as one of the few non-lawyers in our blogging group. Recently one of my lawyer friends posted a Facebook status as “Amending moving violations and saving clients on their insurance” at the local municipal court. This post reminded me of one of my less-than-enjoyable encounters with the Missouri traffic court ... Municipal extortion and full employment for lawyers
Medical Billing: A warning
Recently the Wall Street Journal had an article about medical billing errors. These can be very costly because they can impact your credit rating. But there is one billing practice they missed. Some health care providers (we have found this with two and it is probably more common) begin the billing date as of the ... Medical Billing: A warning
Get Ready for that Twinkie Tax.
Arizona’s governor has proposed charging $50 to certain Medicaid beneficiaries who smoke or are obese. As today’s Wall Street Journal reports, the point of the surcharge is to internalize the externalities smokers and snackers impose on their fellow citizens, who bear much of the cost of their unhealthful choices: “If you want to smoke, go for it,” said Monica Coury, spokeswoman for Arizona’s Medicaid ... Get Ready for that Twinkie Tax.
Markets are incremental; Obamacare is not
Watching Obamacare dissolve in a morass of legal challenges and waivers points out another benefit of markets. Markets proceed incrementally. The Internet has made a huge difference in all of our lives. But the process was gradual. It began with just a few academic users and then expanded as entrepreneurs figured out next steps. In 1990 no one ... Markets are incremental; Obamacare is not
EU Bans Insurer Price Discrimination Based on Gender
From the WSJ: The European Union’s highest court declared illegal the widespread practice of charging men and women different rates for insurance, roiling the industry and setting in motion an overhaul of how life, auto and health policies are written across Europe.Two Belgian men had challenged the higher life-insurance premiums charged to members of their ... EU Bans Insurer Price Discrimination Based on Gender
Antitrust and ObamaCare
There is an interesting story developing on antitrust enforcement and collaboration between hospitals and doctors encouraged by the new health care law. The New York Times reports: An influential Republican member of the Federal Trade Commission, J. Thomas Rosch, said that without “vigorous antitrust enforcement,” the new alliances of health care providers could reduce competition ... Antitrust and ObamaCare
Jurisdictional competition as a rule for growth
I’ve just posted on SSRN a recent paper with Henry Butler, Legal Process and the Discovery of Better Policies for Fostering Innovation and Growth, forthcoming as a chapter in KAUFFMAN TASK FORCE FOR LAW, INNOVATION AND GROWTH, Rules for Growth (2011). Here’s the abstract: Our chapter concerns how legal process can lead to efficient ... Jurisdictional competition as a rule for growth
The Limits of Behavioral Law and Economics, Australia Edition
At the excellent Core Economics blog, Andreas Ortman discusses an Australian policy debate involving the Review of the Governance, Efficiency, Structure and Operation of Australia’s Superannuation System (also known as the Cooper Review), and more specifically, retirement savings and the superannuation system. The Cooper Review drafters contend that the behavioral economics literature strongly supports a ... The Limits of Behavioral Law and Economics, Australia Edition
The non-constitutional problem with a health care mandate
There’s been much teeth-gnashing following yesterday’s ruling by a Virginia judge that the “individual mandate” portion of Obamacare is unconstitutional. Among many other places, see the ongoing discussion at The Volokh Conspiracy. I have a quick, non-constitutional response. It seems to me that there is a basic, deep problem with prohibiting citizens from opting out ... The non-constitutional problem with a health care mandate
