A MIDDLE-AGED man felt chest pains. As an executive at IBM, an information-technology firm, he had excellent health insurance, so he went straight to a specialist. His cardiologist put him through a bunch of tests, including a computerised tomography scan. A radiologist noticed something odd in his neck, so he went to a neck surgeon, who checked him out and found nothing. He went back to the cardiologist, who gave him an angiogram, which caused dangerous complications and landed him in hospital for a while. In all, he ran up more than $150,000 in medical expenses before the chest pains disappeared on their own.

When they reappeared several months later, he spoke to Paul Grundy, the head of health-care technology at IBM. Dr Grundy, a doctor of preventive medicine by training, asked him if his lifestyle had changed recently. The executive mentioned that he had taken up gardening again. Dr Grundy quickly established that his chest pains sprang from a muscle he had strained through overzealous weed-whacking.

The here above is an extract from the Life is expensive – A special report on business in America article by The Economist. The US health system is much discussed lately – with good reasons. I highly recommend any who wish to enter this discussion to read this article as it reflects pretty well where the system is today, and may open some eyes.

I also recommend this article as I laughed for a good five minutes when I saw this photo. You’ll understand why when you read its excerpt

I just wanted to share a very interesting article I just read with you: Reporting Requirements for US Taxpayers with Offshore Companies.

I know a few US expats who will find it very useful, and started emailing them. I then realized this info deserved more and wanted to spread the word a little. Tadaa !

Should you know of other good source of info on this topic, I’d love to read them. Do feel free to post them here under so we can check them – thanks !

The concept is simple. The “It’s time to feel better” website host a web-based game that allows winners to provide a full-day’s supply of clean drinking water to a child in a developing country. To win, you only needs to answer correctly three questions related to health and/or health insurance terminology.

CIGNA started the buzz by using of social networking websites like Facebook, Twitter, and Myspace to get people attention and promote its new website. They also took advantage of the Obama “yes we can” feel good factor a wise CSR / education approach.

I quickly played the game, and ended up playing longer than I expected to.  Aside from a few American-system related ones, most questions are engaging, and the game is surprisingly addictive. I could answer most questions easily enough, yet you feel compelled to keep playing to see this pipe get a few more days of clean water for the children.

For phase two, I hope they will:

1. Make it more international.
2. Include more health-care advices.
3. Give tips on how to work with insurance companies.

In the meantime, do try it out and ifyou might be able to add a few days more to the supply of clean drinking water. Worst case scenario, you end up learning something ! www.itstimetofeelbetter.com

Traditionnellement, le retournement du cycle de crédit et son corollaire, la correction immobilière, s’engagent dans le sillage de la remontée des taux d’intérêt voulue par les banques centrales pour calmer la surchauffe économique. La faiblesse conjoncturelle et surtout la remontée du taux de chômage qui s’en suivent sont les éléments déclencheurs de la remontée des taux de défauts dans les bilans bancaires. L’ensemble alimente en retour l’inflexion cyclique cotés crédit et immobilier.

L’ajustement immobilier américain en cours depuis la fin 2005 a en partie défié cette séquence logique puisque le sens de la causalité s’est surtout déployé cette fois-ci du marché immobilier, avec la vague de défauts sur les crédits subprime, vers le reste de l’économie.

L’effondrement du segment très risqué du subprime confère ainsi une certaine singularité au retournement du marché immobilier américain.

Néanmoins, des booms ou des bulles immobilières se sont développées un peu partout dans le monde et leur arrivée à maturation est synonyme de correction, y compris en Europe. Ces ajustements seront de facture plus traditionnelle, en ligne avec le retournement conjoncturel, même si le degré de sévérité sera à la mesure des excès commis durant la phase ascendante.