Re: Americans' medical files go digital, by way of Asia

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: "Suresh Ramasubramanian" <suresh () hserus net>
Date: April 19, 2009 11:07:19 PM EDT
To: "'lynn'" <lynn () ecgincc com>
Cc: <dave () farber net>
Subject: RE: [IP] Americans' medical files go digital, by way of Asia

TARP for asset reconstruction, Stimulus funds .. call it whatever you  
like. Massive injections of state funds into a faltering economy, to  
serve as a booster.  Caesar versus Waldorf if you will, its all salad  
in the end analysis.

And yes I am familiar with how legislation and government funding are  
pushed through. See the billions in pork barrel appropriations? They  
haven’t gone down just yet, right?

I don’t claim to have a solution. I just feel that wasteful  
expenditure has to be cut down first. BEFORE pumping money into an  
economy. You will find that it makes sound economic sense too.

No its not a panacea by any stretch of imagination, but fiscal  
responsibility is essential if only to avoid waste and misuse of this  
funding.

And yes, thank you for your sarcasm.  And before we end this thread  
please do examine the fate of previous state funded welfare economies,  
that remained afloat for a while largely on state funding, went all  
the way to nationalism and a huge, inefficient public sector, etc etc.

Come to think of it, India was like that for several decades since  
1947 till the mid 90s.

        srs

> -----Original Message-----
> From: lynn [mailto:lynn () ecgincc com]
> Sent: Monday, April 20, 2009 8:32 AM
> To: Suresh Ramasubramanian
> Cc: dave () farber net
> Subject: Re: [IP] Americans' medical files go digital, by way of Asia
>
> I'm so comforted to know you have the answers the our economy. I
> believe
> you have some misinformation too.
>
> First, financial institutions received TARP, not stimulus. There is a
> huge
> difference.
>
> Second, the president here does not get to do as he wishes with
> taxpayer
> money. The president can make requests of Congress. Congress decides.
> The
> president can then sign or veto.
>
> Perhaps this is information you knew already? Perhaps you know exactly
> how
> our system works?
>
> I also note you know exactly how to fix the economy and have the
> answers
> to other important questions. I'm sure the president will disregard  
> the
> opinions from experts once he receives your advice.
>
> You may not think we have an economy that is so bad, but i beg to
> differ
> with you. I believe you are not accurately informed.
>
> I would appreciate you not telling me what to care about.
>
> It seems you are interested in preserving work outsourced to india.
>
>
>
> > It is in better shape than it was a while back. And Obama has a few
> better
> > ideas than trying to prove gresham's law right with the stimulus  
> > bill.
> >
> > Hitting out at deceptive lending practices at banks / card companies
> > (which
> > then get stimulus money) for one - as I read today. That, and helping
> > various people reconstruct their loans would be another option.
> > Especially
> > loans they've been suckered into taking and switched into high rates
> after
> > a teaster low interest rate.
> >
> > Pretty soon that'd free up a lot of money right there - money that'd
> flow
> > back into the economy.
> >
> > There are a few other basic things you'd have to be a lot more
> concerned
> > about, and that I hope progress beyond mere words, to get America out
> of
> > the hole it's slipped into.  And no, the USA is not at the brother
> can you
> > spare a dime stage yet, for which you can thank God.
> >
> > There are a whole lot of jobs stateside that have been taken by
> immigrants
> > only because americans were just not eager to do them. Which has
> certainly
> > fueled the illegal immigrant population (and h1b caps etc arent going
> to
> > help change that too much.. that's a tiny fraction of the total jobs
> > stateside.. bank staff, farm workers etc dont come in on H1B, its
> mostly
> > in
> > IT rather than anywhere else - for which a stimulus program aimed at
> local
> > tech schools might be more to the point.. right now, every single
> tech
> > school has far more foreign students deriving benefit from it than US
> > students .. if only because of the jocks v/s nerds stereotypes,
> dumbing
> > down of school education etc).
> >
> > In other words, Lynn .. there is a lot more that has to be done and
> that
> > your energies can be turned upon, internally. Before raising every
> single
> > bugbear from privacy all the way to american jobs going abroad when
> > something gets outsourced.
> >
> >         srs
> >
> >         srs
> >
> > lynn [19/04/09 21:31 -0400]:
> > > I don't make federal policy, laws or refulations. Nor do I enforce
> them.
> > > I don't have my head in the sand either.
> > >
> > > Obtaining business as a second, third, or fourth subcontractor os  
> > > ver
> > > different than announcing to the planet 'I want that business'.
> > >
> > > Whether it's preventable or punishable is not for me to say either.
> > >
> > > As to privacy, I can only say based on recent experience all my
> personal
> > > info has been on reports, film, etc. I cannot speak about everything
> for
> > > everyone. I'm sure you cannot guarantee privacy by every company and
> all
> > > their workers too.
> > >
> > > If you read the Frontline interviews (link published here a few days
> ago)
> > > you can see our economy is not in good shape. It's very bad. We need
> the
> > > jobs here. Where they will end up is anyone's guess.
> > >
> > > If ou economy does not improve (the purpose of the stimulus package
> and
> > > tarp) there will be nothing to outsource from this country. Nor will
> > > those
> > > from other countries be able to sell their products and services  
> > > here.
> > > And
> > > worse too.
> > >
> > > Be careful you don't bite the hand that feeds you.
> > >
> > > Lynn
> > >
> > > > Coming back to the discussion - there are plenty of ways that
> stimulus
> > > > funding will find itself outsourced, at second hand say ((you farm
> it
> > > > out
> > > > to a company in peoria IL, they farm it out to the philippines.. -
> and
> > > > the
> > > > margin of profit is more htan enough even with this arms lenth
> > > > relationship)
> > > >
> > > > It'd be naïve to think that won't occur, or that it is preventable.
> > > >
> > > > As for the privacy issue someone else pointed out that PII is
> typically
> > > > redacted from these.  And what *is* PII does get outsourced on a
> fairly
> > > > routine basis (most due diligence for bank loans, for banks around
> the
> > > > world gets outsourced, for example  .. and I dont mean hardselling
> > > > subprime mortgages, more like vetting loan applicants for  
> > > > deadbeats,
> > > > credit ratng history etc).
> > > >
> > > > You can try but you can't stop it. And head in the sand
> protectionism
> > > > isnt
> > > > the way to go to boost the US economy or generate jobs. Its been
> tried
> > > > before, in other countries too (India for example).
> > > >
> > > > --srs
> > > >
> > > > On Sun, April 19, 2009 9:34 pm, lynn wrote:
> > > > > >
> > > >
> > > > > > > > On the other hand, in countries like India and the Philippines
> > > > > > > > where 45..50 units of the local currency equal a dollar, and a
> good
> > > > > > > > meal
> > > > > > > can be
> > > > > > > > had for a dollar, a month's electricity bill is something like
> $20
> > > > > > > > ..
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > So? What does that mean? Except the cost of living is less.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > It means, Lynn, that average salaries (burger flipping wages
> > > > > > stateside)
> > > > > > are enough, in these countries, for an upper middle class
> lifestyle.
> > > > > i get that. here, for some, it means more - a rise to possibly
> poverty
> > > > > level.
> > > > >
> > > > > Or is it possible you don't understand the extent of the crisis
> here?
> > > > > > So, assuming the economy picks up again - obama stimulus or
> whatever
> > > > > > -
> > > > > > you'd find that you have to pay the people you hire far more than
> > > > > > burgerflipper wages.
> > > > >
> > > > > don't assume anythig in these times.
> > > > >
> > > > > > > You did not touch on the question of the stimulus dollars are
> > > > > > > supposed to be spent in the US by law. This bill was not meant
> to
> > > > > > > help
> > > > > > > people in countries other than the US.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > If this outsourcing is paid for out of stimulus money - yes it
> should
> > > > > > stay stateside. But is it?
> > > > >
> > > > > from the article: The Philippines hopes to reap big profits from
> his
> > > > > multibillion-dollar push to computerize health records.
> > > > >
> > > > > computerizing health records is a huge part of the stimulus bill.
> > > > >
> > > > > > > Nor did your comments touch on the privacy issue.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > I find that business contracts with penalty clauses do help
> ensure
> > > > > > privacy - and copyright law etc is about the same in countries
> the
> > > > > > world
> > > > > > over.
> > > > >
> > > > > copyright has nothing to do with privacy though.
> > > > >
> > > > > i remember reading on this list a couple of years ago or so of a
> > > > > person
> > > > > in india (i believe - i may remember the country incorrectly) that
> > > > > threatened to publish records online if she didn't get a raise.
> > > > >
> > > > > contracts may help - but only after the damage is done.
> > > > >
> > > > > > -srs






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