Stories Causing Atlas to Shrug, July 23 | Price Gouging Hospitals, Doc Shortages & PPACA Economy Strain

Lost in the dire warnings about a national primary care physician shortage is an equally alarming projected shortage in practicing non-primary care physicians (all specialties other than primary care specialties): 33,100 by 2015.

Repealing the PPACA would increase Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by about 0.7% in the 2021-2025 period, mostly because provisions of the law that are expected to reduce the supply of labor would be repealed.

The 50 U.S. hospitals with the highest markup of prices.  Some are charging patients more than 10 times the rates allowed under Medicare.

• Excerpt: "Even the average U.S. hospital charges its non-Medicare patients far more than for those on Medicare. Costs at the average hospital in 2012 were 3.4 times the amount allowed by Medicare. In other words, if the Medicare-allowed charge was $100, the average hospital charged uninsured patients $340. Hospitals among the top 50 in price charged $1,100."

Like the U.S., France also places significant legal burdens on businesses that grow up to and beyond 50 employees.  Consequently France has 2.4 times as many companies with 49 employees as with 50.