Tip # 695 - THROWING GOOD MONEY AFTER BAD?

Sun, Oct. 12. 2025 For years, reading scores for MPS students have been unacceptably low, while trending in the wrong direction. One might hope that after taxpayers approved a $252 million-dollar referendum to increase school funding and hired an energized new Superintendent, things will improve.

Now substitute premium payers for taxpayers. And, ABC, HIJ, RST or XYZ Health Systems for MPS. 

Hospital quality metrics – like reading test scores – are available through multiple sources; e.g., the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality (AHRQ), to name just two. 

When you have more than 30 Seconds, go to the AHRQ site (HERE) and compare the total spend, for example, of the same procedures in different states.

Thus, the title of today’s Tip.

Continue connecting these dots, and you’ll understand why this 'taxpayer' is opposed to insurance companies (plural) caving to the demands of ANY Health System for higher payments, absent transparent proof that 'test scores' are improving.

Related to that, what do you do when your dentist of 20+ years keeps charging more - and doing more - with no apparent rationale or improvement in my choppers?

I have an appointment with a new guy Wednesday!