PSoTD

A very depressing amount of it.

From West Virginia:

Legislators are considering a bill providing incentives for state employees to go to other countries for medical procedures.

But state officials are not sure if the incentives would save any money.

The West Virginia Hospital Association says such a measure could financially harm the state's hospitals and put patients in danger.

Nationally, it's becoming a popular way of getting cheaper health care.

According to the National Coalition on Health Care, an estimated half-million Americans engaged in "medical tourism" in 2005.

Ten state delegates, including House Majority Leader Joe DeLong, D-Hancock, recognize the trend.

They are sponsoring a bill that authorizes the Public Employees Insurance Agency to waive co-payments and deductibles and provide round-trip airfare and lodging expenses to the foreign country where the patient has the procedure done.

The bill is meant to reduce the state's costs for medical care. The bill says the incentives would be offered only if the foreign procedure were cheaper than the procedure here.

You would think that most newspapers would publish such an article a couple days before the first expected big snowstorm of the season was to hit their area. Sadly, most don't.

What does Ezra Klein say about John Edwards' health plan?

It's good.