We came across an academic paper highlighting attention paid to Rand in the works of contemporary scholars and intellectuals. Prog Rock (especially Rush songs penned by Neil Peart, drummer extraordinaire), Greek Gods (Dionysus and Apollo specifically), and Randian libertarianism intersect in this curious research from NYU.
It might seem off topic, but this paper stirred up thought on our end — how do we rectify a healthcare system comprised of people? Yes, people — doctors, patients, providers, pharmacists, politicians, insurance agents, the whole lot of parties all wrapped up in one complex machination. Given that we know most problems are people oriented, and that our industry ensures the health and longevity of people, it seems like we’re in for a perpetual rollercoaster ride. On one hand, we consistently talk data and numbers, especially money, and how bureaucracy misallocates it. This is a more Apollonian argument, one based in reason and logic. We support direct care because we want services to be rendered more efficiently. It’s easier to pay us $600 for a year’s worth of unlimited service than it is for people to pay an insurance agent for a premium with copays and deductibles so that they can find a doctor within their network who will hand their insurance information over to a third party biller who will go back to the original insurance company to request a payment in part that will then go back to the provider who also has to bill the patient for a copay that varies depending on their deductible…