To repeat myself, politicians tend to be adept at reactive, tactical political thinking but inept at long-term strategic policy thinking. I wrote about this recently with regard to lack of well thought out, long-term strategies for flood control, transportation and water/sewage infrastructure, and trauma care.
So, here we go again with the coronavirus.
The President and other top politicians initially reacted with political tactics. The virus, of course, ignored this and continued its inevitable creep across the globe and into the United States. Subsequent steps to combat the virus have also been reactive.
Meanwhile, the U.S. is ill prepared to deal with this pandemic.
At least our health care system was prepared, right?
For decades numerous books, movies, and scientific studies have spotlighted the potential deadly risks of highly contagious organisms, both natural and manmade. Yet, America’s inept preparedness may force doctors to choose which elderly patients get access to a respirator and which are left to die.
As reported in the New York Times, a federal government study in 2005 “estimated that a severe influenza pandemic would require mechanical ventilators for 740,000 critically ill people.” A 2010 study found only about 62,000 full-featured ventilators available in hospitals with another 10,000 or so stored in the Strategic National Stockpile for emergency use.
Thousands of other respiratory devices could be repurposed in an emergency, “but the shortfall could be stark, potentially forcing doctors to make excruciating life-or-death decisions about who would get such help should hospitals become flooded with the desperately sick.”
Most of the resources to fight a pandemic are located in urban areas. Rural areas, think most of Mississippi, must do without.
Then there is this example of inept preparedness. Kits to test for the virus are in short supply. Even worse, the CDC initially distributed flawed test kits, slowing early detection of the virus’s spread.
South Korea rapidly tested hundreds of thousands, aggressively tracked those with confirmed cases, and has significantly controlled the spread of the virus.
Neither the tests nor the tracking process are ready to go here.
Well, our economy can handle this right?
The stock market doesn’t think so. The long-term bull market crashed into the second quickest bear market. The virus’s looming economic disruption, think China and Italy, is scaring investors.
Already in the U.S., pro sports have cancelled/suspended events, the NCAA cancelled March Madness, Disney parks are closing, Broadway is shuttered, states are prohibiting large gatherings, corporations are prohibiting travel and implementing work-from-home strategies, schools have closed, colleges have suspended on-campus classes and sports.
Restrictions on imports are hurting global supply chains. The virus may soon disrupt systems that supply food, medicine, and other necessities. Washington State, the early hard hit state, expects layoffs/shutdowns in face-to-face service industries such as hotels, restaurants, sports venues, and charitable food and clothing banks.
Ironically, the military had a long-term strategic plan in place to respond to a pandemic. Orders to execute this plan were issued last week.
The rest of us must wait for the reactive, tactical political plan to be figured out and implemented.
“A wise man plans ahead; a fool doesn’t and even brags about it” – Proverbs 13:16 (TLB).
Crawford is a syndicated columnist from Jackson.
Sunday, March 15, 2020
Bill Crawford: Pandemic Highlights Lack of Strategic Planning
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26 comments:
Proverbs are powerful.
Thanks for making this a political issue.
@9:20, maybe blaming Obama will make you feel better
Crawford's expertise knows no boundaries. Why he has never run for Governor to save us from ourselves is an absolute travesty.
Why do that 9:55? Obozo is too
easy a target. Even the NYT was
hammering him back in 2009 for
bungling the swine flu response.
Geez, if someone had asked me to wager about this week's column subject I would have bet that Bill Crawford would be embarking on his long march about why we need to vote for Dementia 'AR-14' Joe.
9:20 am I know we've been programmed to think every criticism of your party's politician is a personal attack.
It isn't.
Humans make mistakes.
Constructive criticism is helpful when delivered respectfully especially when alternatives that would work better are offered.
In this piece, it should be clear to everyone, that the worst criticism would be that Mr. Crawford is stating the obvious.
The sad part is that it's equally clear that the criticism in this piece are not obvious to those who think the current President, unlike those before him, walks on water and knows everything about everything and has perfect judgement all the time.
How much TP do you think this SOB have squirreled away?
Another Mr. Know-It-All (aka Bullwinkle) sanctimoniously sniping from the cheap seats while contributing nothing. What a putz!
So often political thinkers think that all solutions start in Washington. But in reality local governments must shoulder that responsibility. It’s easy to sit on your duff and complain about Federal government or in Crawford’s case write about it.
Just SHUT UP already!! I’m so sick of the media-minds and know-it-alls looking to blame.
1. No matter the level of “preparation,” people would STILL be complaining.
2. Has this bozo investigated the COSTS of keeping updated medical supplies lying around? Because, if not updated, he’d be bitching about being “unprepared with outdated equipment.” Repurposed?? Lol... people would still be complaining!!
3. We’ve seen a MUCH WORSE pandemic in recent times WITHOUT all this hysteria and without all the bunk laid out above.
4. Test kits?! They’d have been wasted if they had been available earlier. Over-testing is a huge problem in our healthcare system. Ever go to the doctor and he/she immediately ordered 5 tests to cover their ass? Patients would be DEMANDING the test and doctors don’t want to be sued. Yeah, so making too many tests available too soon would have just inflated unnecessary testing.
It’s truly sad times when individuals can’t think for themselves. We live in a FREE country!! You DO NOT HAVE TO WAIT ON GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS TO MAKE DECISIONS TO PROTECT YOURSELF AND YOUR FAMILY. The dependency on government is pathetic!
“The rest of us must wait for the reactive, tactical political plan to be figured out and implemented.” NO, WE SHOULDN’T WAIT. THINK FOR YOURSELF!!
““A wise man plans ahead; a fool doesn’t and even brags about it” – Proverbs 13:16 (TLB).” MAN OR GOVERNMENT? A WISE MAN’S PLANS WOULD BE INDEPENDENT OF GOVERNMENT, SO WHAT POINT ARE YOU MAKING?
I’m beginning to believe this virus has been around longer than the pandemic hysteria. Think of the number of folks that were suffering from a dry cough that lasted weeks back in the fall. I’ve seen multiple healthcare providers talk of this and the increase in pneumonia, with negative flu results. My own child experienced this. It’s definitely something to think about.
Considering that every CREDIBLE expert says this virus is nothing special, the current MANUFACTURED CRISIS is either a dry run for something expected or planned, or furthers some sort of agenda(s) - maybe it's both.
Certainly, plenty of us have exploited recent market fluctuations. The Medical Industry is seeing an uptick in activity. And someone stands to make a lot of money from the vaccine. Or maybe this is to desensitize us to forced mass vaccinations or travel restrictions within our own nations. And, if the virus can trigger a recession, then maybe Donald will lose the upcoming election - returning control of the world to the puppeteers who controlled Bush and Obama.
I suspect that several entities are exploiting this virus - each toward its own ends. We can only hope that those entities are at cross purposes, and that the actions of each, will reduce the effectiveness of the others. If, on the other hand, those entities are working in concert, I don't see this ending well.
Get a grip. The genetic analysis throws a huge red flag on your conspiracy theories. You do know they track this stuff, right?
Boy howdy, when truth be told, he will still be the greatest in some folks mind. Proverbs !
You know who never loses and always wins are the Blue Cross and Blue Shields of the world. MIssissippi BCBS is up there with the worst. Claims go up, they raise insurance rates to businesses and consumers. They stop covering procedures providers are treating patients with or lower reimbursement to a rate the provider can not afford to offer it any longer. They use Gestapo type tactics and secrecy. Try to get a look at their financials? You’ll never see them. Try to see their investment portfolio, you’ll never see it. They hide this from the public, members, and the government. They hide their wealth (financials) in bogus land deals and other ventures.
Who will hold them and others like them accountable? They pay their tentacled lobbyist extremely well. That is all for now.
@9:43- You really don’t understand how insurance works, do you? You obviously think every card-holding BCBS MS subscriber’s benefits are directly decided and paid by BCBS MS. FYI- the majority of members are FULLY-INSURED by their EMPLOYERS. These EMPLOYERS choose benefits and set premiums based on their COSTS. The employer simply pays BCBS an administrative fee to process claims. The EMPLOYER gives BCBS the money to pay doctors/providers. If you work with a bunch of overweight, unhealthy people, your premiums are going to keep rising. Not because of BCBS, but because your employer is trying to cover their costs.
Upset about rising premiums? Tell your friends, family, and coworkers to stop overeating and partaking in unhealthy lifestyles.
You claims about hidden financials are ridiculous. We live in a free-market society. If you don’t like BCBS, choose another insurer. Unless, as I suspect, your insured by your employer (and not BCBS) and your actually pissed at your boss. Long story short, BCBS’s right to make a profit is none of your business.
Those reimbursement rates you bitch about are SAVING YOU MONEY!! If you stay within network, those contracted rates allow you to pay your 80% on a lower rate. Do you really want to pay 80% of what the provider decides to bill you?? If you can’t comprehend the contracted rates are saving you money, you don’t need to comment about insurance!
What a biased jerk! No nation is not prepared for many potential events and incidents. Those who see the government as their Mother disgust me. Why did so many young people get money for old state trips and cruises for a reward for spring break? Feeling immortal they are super spreaders. Now it is somehow the Governments fault.
Hope the painful measures being implemented slow down the peak and forcing battlefield like decisions as in Northern Italy, remains to be seen.
Has the closing of the Holy Land, Mecca and St Peters plus Churches and assemblies over much of the world ever been seen before? Even in World Wars?
10:54 - While you're defending BCBS, tell us of the last time you chose an ambulance service that was 'in network'. It's impossible but ought to be waved by the group you're in cahoots with.
@9:28- I’m most definitely not in cahoots with BCBS. I guess I’m just fortunate enough to understand the truth about how things work.
And, ambulance rides are a bitch but obviously necessary to society. You’re basically saying BCBS should waive expenses you caused by utilizing an ambulance service. Your argument might have some validity if BCBS OWNED the ambulance services. Your beef appears to be with the transportation service and not the medical insurer. I’m sure BCBS would be willing to contract with ambulance providers. My bet is your ambulance provider wants not part of a contracted/network rate.
The problem with guys like Crawford and even Cuomo, who has been blathering quite a while now on TV, is they think the Feds can waive a magic wand and cure everything. If we had stockpiled ventilators.....if we had built excess hospital capacity.....if we had repurposed beds for ICU usage....it would make no difference. The number of medical schools has not increased materially in last two decades and the number of physicians and specialists is not growing. So.....how do you use all the shiny (or dusted off) equipment without the personnel? The lack of training capacity has been an ongoing thing for years with fewer entering the pipeline. Obamacare simply accelerated the number of doctors leaving the system while deterring the numbers entering the system. Bad strategic policy does have consequences.
"You’re basically saying BCBS should waive expenses you caused by utilizing an ambulance service."
If I took an ambulance ride, I'm not the one who CAUSED expenses. The ambulance company tycoons, in cahoots with BCBS and others, are the ones who decided my ride was valued at a hundred and thirty eight bucks per mile. I had no choice in the matter...other than dying in my driveway. They all have us by the balls and you're sitting there playing the role of apologist.
@5:51- The ambulance company is a private entity SEPARATE from BCBS. The insurance company receives ZERO money when your ambulance bill is paid. How are they in CAHOOTS?? Again, you’re pissed at the costs of an ambulance ride and you are blaming the insurance company.
Just to play devil’s advocate, why isn’t the cost of the ambulance ride worth what they charge? What is it worth? Keep in mind, it’s not usually simple transportation. It’s the equivalent of a triage clinic on wheels. The EMT’s on board have to be ready and able to handle any crisis.
Whether the patient consciously calls the ambulance, voluntarily or involuntarily, or not, the patient (person being transported and/or treated) causes/incurs the expense. I don’t know any other way to break this down for you.
I’m not playing apologist for anyone. Want costs to go down? Get government and the law-suit happy crowd out of medicine. Encourage healthy living as the only real choice versus our society’s “you do you, and eat, drink, and smoke yourself merry” way of living. All the “freebies” aren’t actually free. Someone (the working class) is paying for the write-offs.
Costs ARE ridiculous, but they are a by-product of our people and our “let’s have it all no matter how bad for us” way of living... mixed in with higher taxes, demands for higher salaries and more benefits, lawsuits, and good old-fashion greed... not BCBS.
And he still claims to NOT be a BCBS apologist. Meanwhile, at least he gets the usual kudos for sermonizing regarding 'healthy eating'. All he leaves out is WWJD and the values of a vegan lifestyle.
Costs are NOT 'a by product of our people'. Costs are a by product of what cost-setters can get away with...and that includes the cost-setters at the workplace of the above apologist.
@5:45- 1. I am a she.
2. I most definitely do not work for BCBS.
3. I’m not even currently insured by BCBS (they hub’s job uses another insurer), but, full disclaimer, I was insured by them in the past.
4. You obviously do not understand free market forces.
The Fed has had control of the 'markets' since 2007 11:13. And at an accelerating rate the Fed is pushing the market train off the end of track. But that's OK since they can put the damage on our credit cards at ZERO interest. So far it's only $3trillion. What's your share?
@12:52- The FED controls the flow of money and the rates at which businesses and people money can borrow money. A free market economy is influenced by more than bailouts and interest rates.
What the hell does "my share" have to do with anything? I'm not the one blaming the insurance industry for the cost of an ambulance ride. I'm also not sitting around waiting for the government to "save" me.
We are completely changing subjects, but since you brought it up... I disagree with the majority of bailouts (past, and presently be considered.) There's a lot to be said for making responsible choices and not living beyond one's means.
I DO NOT agree with mailing every American $1,000 check. (STUPID!!) Not every American needs help. Some people are actually responsible and accountable for and to themselves.
I DO AGREE with zero-interest business LOANS (not bailouts!!) to businesses that need assistance to continue paying minimal salaries to employees affected by closures.
FINALLY, to get back to the original discussion, I DON'T believe BCBS is responsible for or "in cahoots with" AMR or Padford, and what those providers charge me for an ambulance ride.
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