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The jump in ECI benefit costs should not be a surprise to those buying
their own health insurance ... I was socked with 40% increase last year
followed by 44% increase this year ... switched to another plan which
had "only" 11% increase this year. Employers are screaming about health
benefit costs. Bottom line is that the HMO/PPO/Insurance companies
squeezed the doctors and hospitals to cut rates, doctors and hospitals
have done nothing to increase efficiency, doctors and hospitals are now
pushing back. Not to mention the US prescription drug costs which are
rising rapidly and are the highest in the world ... I need only visit a
pharmacy across the border in Mexico (or Canada for that matter) to see
the extent to which US consumers are being gouged. Worse yet, the 40+%
of US population which can not afford healthcare and drug coverage is
being charged full retail prices for healthcare and drugs - 40%-100%
higher than the discounted prices paid by HMO/PPO/Insurance companies.
Earl
----- Original Message -----
From: "Gwenael Gautier" <ggautier@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <realtraders@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Friday, January 28, 2000 6:46 AM
Subject: [RT] Latest numbers
> Of course todays numbers were strong, what else did we expect? This
was
> 99! Remember the Q4 stock market euphoria?
>
> I venture to think these are the peak growth numbers, from here on
they
> should cool of. However for inflation, of course this will keep
feeding
> through, I suppose. So the next numbers might be further inflationary
> but less growth. Not what the Fed ordered. Maybe after we'll have a
50bp
> hike now, as time is running out to do something significant before
> elections get into full speed.
>
> thinking out loud
>
> Gwenn
>
>
>
>
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