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Kaz Weida

26 Aug, 12 tweets, 5 min read

In today's thread we're asking what's the cost of COVID? This is a difficult question to answer for several reasons.

Let's start at the beginning.
With straightforward healthcare costs.
Who is paying for the unvaccinated?

The short answer? All of us.
Let me explain.
(THREAD)

(2) The economic impact of the virus extends in all directions. Unemployment, loss of life, long term disability. All of these effects have costs.

A Harvard economic study published in JAMA last year estimated COVID had already cost the US 16 trillion.

jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/…

(3) Many of these costs might have been avoided early on with investment in more robust testing and other mitigation measures.

This year we have vaccines. And they are worth every penny. But the unvaccinated continue to cost us in more ways than one.

marketwatch.com/story/unvaccin…

(4) It's estimated in June and July that the unvaccinated who are fueling this surge cost 2.3 billion in healthcare costs. The average cost for caring for a hospitalized COVID patient is $20,000.

Which begs the question... who pays those costs?

arstechnica.com/science/2021/0…

(5) Awhile back insurers moved to change the policies that helped cover out of pocket expenses for COVID. Testing and vaccines remain free, but you're on the hook now for deductibles and copays.

3/4 of private plans no longer coshare costs.

abcnews4.com/news/local/hos…

(6) As you might expect, healthcare costs differ wildly for the uninsured versus the insured and from state to state.

In Oregon you'll pay an average of $73,300 if you're uninsured and $38,221 if you're insured and in-network.

kobi5.com/news/local-new…

(7) As you might imagine, employers are not real thrilled to be absorbing the higher cost of insurance.

Some like Delta Airlines are moving to make unvaccinated employees pay a premium. Similar to what smokers pay as a penalty for higher health risks.

cnbc.com/2021/08/25/del…

(8) But this is just the tip of the iceberg of the cost of COVID, because there are many other complications we haven't even accounted for yet.

All those expensive antibody treatments the unvaccinated are getting? The government helps pay for those.

healthline.com/health-news/mo…

(9) And we haven't even begun to assess the cost of Long COVID, which could result in permanent disability for millions.

Doctors estimate Long COVID sufferers may be racking up medical bills that cost thousands each month in addition to lost wages.

click2houston.com/news/local/202…

(10) Other costs of COVID are even harder to quantify. How do you put a price on years of lost educational value? How will that impact the future of our economy and the competency of our workforce?

What pricetag can we put on the mental health impact?

cnn.com/2021/08/25/us/…

(11) When we look back, we'll discover the economic cost of letting COVID run wild in this country far outweighed the cost of lockdowns and restrictions.

Then again, experts have been telling us that for the last 18 months. We just don't want to listen.

theconversation.com/lockdown-criti…

@ManOfRust

(END) Thanks for stopping for today's thread, suggestion courtesy of @ManOfRust . Come back next week and we'll do this agian.

Like threads like this and want to keep them coming? Support my work here:
paypal.com/paypalme/kazwe…
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More from @kazweida

Kaz Weida

@kazweida

16 Sep

In today’s thread we’re taking a closer look at the CA recall. Does it tell us anything about Dem chances in the 2022 midterms?

What lessons can we learn about how to motivate voters and get the kind of turnout even the GOP can’t gerrymander away.

(THREAD)

(2) Saying the recall failed is a bit of an understatement. It fell flat as a pancake. 70% of CA voters said no to recalling Dem governor Newsom.

So the media framing that Dems should take to heart hard lessons here seems misplaced.

cnbc.com/2021/09/15/cal…

(3) In fact the CA recall, widely seen as a referendum on Biden and aggressive pandemic management should be seen as a bellwether.

CA overwhelming said yes to vaccines. Yes to science. And yes to abortion rights.

The GOP should sit up and take note.

usatoday.com/story/opinion/…

Read 11 tweets

Kaz Weida

@kazweida

14 Sep

In today's thread we're taking a peak into the dark corner of the internet that is Facebook. Is anyone trying to do anything about the threats unregulated social media platforms pose?

Is Facebook going to be allowed to continue to poison us with misinformation?
(THREAD)

(2) One of the items Biden's FCC was set to tackle is what to do about tech giants.

After the role Facebook played in disinformation campaigns ahead of the 2016 election, it's clear we have to do something. And anti-trust laws aren't going to cut it.

brookings.edu/blog/techtank/…

(3) Facebook knew this moment was coming and tried to position itself for the new era of accountability by suggesting some measures they could impose for better self regulation.

Basically a laundry list of relatively ineffective stuff they already do.

theverge.com/interface/2020…

Read 11 tweets

Kaz Weida

@kazweida

24 Aug

In today's thread we're talking about adult content. Don't get too excited, though. Because something rather insidious is happening and I'm not sure we're all fully grasping the issue.

And at the bottom of this mess is Mastercard and Visa.
Let me explain.
(THREAD)

(2) Mastercard & others quietly changed their rules for processing charges earlier this year. Adult content needs to demonstrate consent & age to process payments.

On the surface, this seems aimed at preventing abuse. But it has unintended consequences.

thehill.com/policy/technol…

(3) One consequence was OnlyFans had to ban adult & explicit content.

Many lawyers suggest that the risk of being associated with enabling sex trafficking, child pornography, and revenge porn was just to great for the banks and the sites they serve.

newsweek.com/why-visa-maste…

Read 10 tweets

Kaz Weida

@kazweida

10 Aug

In today's thread we're tackling a question everyone is asking these days. Why on earth does Louis DeJoy still have a job as postmaster?

You'd assume the Biden administration could find a way to kick him to the curb by now, but it's more complicated than it seems.
(THREAD)

(2) News that DeJoy's company just earned itself a big juicy contract from the USPS has everyone more than a little outraged.

It's clear that Republican members of the USPS board of governors seem to be milking the agency dry at the expense of taxpayers.
washingtonpost.com/business/2021/…

(3) Coupled with continued cutbacks on mail service and mounting delays, DeJoy still seems to be doing everything in his power to sink the USPS.

So why is he still in charge and what can we do about it?

npr.org/2021/08/06/102…

Read 11 tweets

Kaz Weida

@kazweida

9 Aug

I know people like to compare requiring licensing or seatbelts on roadways to requiring masks.

But those comparisons don’t convey the crux of the problem.

If you crash without your seatbelt, the person who gets hurt by your negligence is you.

Not so with masks.
(THREAD)

(2) Your refusal to wear a mask makes my mask less effective at preventing infection.

It would be like if your failure to wear a seatbelt exposed me to a greater risk of death.

I think the best metaphor for mask wearing if we want to talk motor vehicle laws is speeding.

(3) We have speed limits most places but especially in residential areas. Why?

We’ve decided slowing down prevents fatal accidents for everyone.

Your right to go the speed you want even if it’s risky is overridden by public safety.

Read 7 tweets

Kaz Weida

@kazweida

7 Aug

I don’t know who needs to hear this but if your district won’t offer online school, there are a bunch of online charter schools that serve K-12 and essentially function as public schools in most states. They’re free of charge to you.

Now I’m not saying they’re a fantastic option. And you definitely need to be at home and be involved. But the curriculum closely follows state standards and it’s not as terrifying as homeschooling from scratch.

It’s a good short term solution for some.

npr.org/2020/11/30/928…

Yes, I am well aware of the evils of charter schools and how I’m supporting the Republican agenda of undermining public schools but right now parents choices aren’t great.

It’s risk the lives of the people we love or compromise. Give us better choices and we’ll make them.

Read 6 tweets

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