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Month: July 2017

News media creates entirely fictional cause for couple's suicide deaths

News media creates entirely fictional cause for couple's suicide deaths

Here is how the story appeared: A New York couple upset over their rising health care costs jumped to their deaths this week, leaving a note that they could no longer pay to treat their medical issues.   The suicide took place in New York City’s Murray Hill neighborhood early on Friday, the New York Post reported. The couple was both in their 50s, the report noted, and they were found dead after having jumped from a building between Park…

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Charts that do not mean what you think they mean

Charts that do not mean what you think they mean

A popular meme in media and social media is commentary about income distribution. The typical chart distributes the population into fifths or quintiles, like the chart shown here. The popular interpretation of this chart is to find your income level at left and conclude you are stuck in that quintile forever – and your prospects for advancement are non-existent. Did you know this interpretation is wrong? Most people do not stay in the same quintile. People look at this chart,…

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Fact checking USA Today’s ACA news report

Fact checking USA Today’s ACA news report

Some major players, such as Anthem, plan to no longer offer coverage in many places next year in part because of uncertainty about federal policy. But Centene, another insurer, is expanding its coverage areas. So its not really a problem? Facts: In two more years, there will be no Individual Market Health Insurers in the United States! Draw the trend line yourself! For 2018, about 55% of counties have zero to two insurers. Dozens of counties, including almost the entire…

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Fact checking USA Today's ACA news report

Fact checking USA Today's ACA news report

Some major players, such as Anthem, plan to no longer offer coverage in many places next year in part because of uncertainty about federal policy. But Centene, another insurer, is expanding its coverage areas. So its not really a problem? Facts: In two more years, there will be no Individual Market Health Insurers in the United States! Draw the trend line yourself! For 2018, about 55% of counties have zero to two insurers. Dozens of counties, including almost the entire…

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Move to ban anonymous online comments

Move to ban anonymous online comments

Los Angeles Times: That’s why I’m increasingly thinking that our best solution to keeping trolls at bay may be a requirement by social-media sites that all members use their real names when posting comments. Source: To thwart the trolls, social-media sites should require users’ real names – LA Times The reporter further states that all social media users should be required to provide a credit card account in order to sign up, to insure that real names are used. Note…

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