Primary day in Michigan and Arizona. Senator Lieu introduces SB 1373, medical billing transparency bill. Tsk tsk, why the wealthy misbehave. Edmunds releases Most Beautiful Cars list.
Primary day in Michigan and Arizona
The battle for the Republican nomination is showing no signs of letting up as two more states vote to apportion their delegates today. Most eyes have been focused on Michigan with the political pundits saying it’s a must-win for Romney. It is, after all, his home state, he was born in Detroit in 1947, and his father was the governor there in the 1960’s.
However, a win is far from assured for Mr. Romney. Polls show he’s neck and neck with Rick Santorum, with Ron Paul and Newt Gingrich running far behind the two front-runners. Part of the problem is that Romney’s having trouble selling his 2008 New York Times Op-Ed on the auto bailout entitled “Let Detroit Go Bankrupt” to voters. Michigan is obviously big in the automotive industry and a state in which unions still hold a lot of political sway.
But Michigan’s 30 delegates aren’t the only ones up for grabs tomorrow, Arizona’s 29 are also on the table. Romney is endorsed by Arizona senator and former Republican candidate for President, John McCain, and the Governor of Arizona, Jan Brewer. He has significant lead in the state and is nearly assured a win.
Although Michigan might be the bigger emotional win for either Romney or Santorum, it’s actually Arizona that will have the bigger impact on the race. Michigan hands out delegates based on the percentage of the vote a candidate wins, whereas Arizona is a winner-take-all state.
How will both races shake out? What are the big issues on the table in these two very different areas of the country? And what would it mean for both campaigns if Santorum were to pull out the win in Michigan?
Guests:
Mark Barabak, Political Writer, Los Angeles Times. Joining us from Tempe, AZ
Rick Pluta, Political Reporter, Michigan Public Radio
Jim Nintzel, Host of “Political Roundtable” on KUAT T.V, AZ public media; Instructor at the University of Arizona School of Journalism; Senior Writer, Tucson Weekly.
Senator Lieu introduces SB 1373, medical billing transparency bill
If your health insurance provider is a PPO, chances are you’ve experienced the murky world of medical billing. Even if patients do their homework and make sure the hospital they’re going to is in-network and the procedure is covered, an out-of-network specialist might be called in at the last minute, resulting in an expectedly high health care bill.
That’s why Sen. Lieu (D- Torrance) is calling for more transparency in medical billing. On Monday, Lieu introduced SB 1373, which would require medical providers and hospitals to disclose treatment costs associated with health care services and procedures, in hopes of avoiding sticker shock by patients after the fact. According to Lieu’s office, the bill was written in response to an investigative report that found a number of patients were being billed for services they didn’t consent to and sometimes for services or providers that weren’t covered under their medical insurance.
Currently, hospitals are required to give patients an estimate of charges if they’re asked, but don’t have to factor in the cost of medical professionals that contract with the hospital. That means anesthesiologists and all doctors. The patient is left with a whopping medical bill and absolutely no recourse to fight the charges.
Would Lieu’s bill help? Or is implementation too unrealistic?
Guests:
Ted Lieu, California State Senator, representing Senate District 28, which includes the cities of Carson, El Segundo, Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach and Torrance, as well as portions of Los Angeles and Long Beach.
Shana Alex Lavarreda, Director of Health Insurance Studies, UCLA Center for Health Policy Research
Tsk tsk, how the wealthy misbehave
A provocative new study shows upper-class Americans are more likely to lie, cheat and steal.
The study builds on five years of research by psychologists at the University of California, Berkeley. They argue that because upper-class individuals are raised with resources, freedom and privilege, they tend to focus on themselves, their desires and their self-expression. At the other end of the spectrum, lower-income Americans have to look outward and build bonds to survive – they do so by acting with altruism, empathy and compassion.
One of the telling investigations in the study looked at how rich people drive. “In two field studies on driving behavior, upper-class motorists were found to be four times more likely than the other drivers to cut off other vehicles at a busy four-way intersection and three times more likely to cut off a pedestrian waiting to enter a crosswalk,” UC Berkeley explains in a press release.
They also found that wealthy people are more like to lie in negotiation and even take candy from children.
Dr. Dacher Keltner, co-author of the study published in the “Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,” says their findings are very topical and important for today. “People are seeing the class divide as one of the most important social issues facing the country – as important as abortion – according to polls,” Keltner says.
That the wealthy are driven by self-interest may sound obvious, but there could be other explanations for their behavior. On the whole, “highly successful individuals display higher-risk temperaments,” says Michael Shermer, Executive Director of the Skeptics Society. He argues it's not a moneyed background that causes a Mercedes driver cut you off – it could be that he or she is simply less risk averse.
WEIGH IN:
What have you experienced in your own life? Are lower-income Americans more ethical? Have any Bentleys blocked your way? What do you think explains unethical behavior? What could be the implications for public policy?
Guests:
Dacher Keltner, Co-Author, "Higher Social Class Predicts Increased Unethical Behavior," Professor of Psychology, University of California at Berkeley; Author, "Born to be Good: The Science of a Meaningful Life" (Norton)
Michael Shermer, Founding Publisher of Skeptic magazine; Executive Director of the Skeptics Society; Author, "The Believing Brain: From Ghosts and Gods to Politics and Conspiracies – How We Construct Beliefs and Reinforce Them as Truths" (Henry Holt/Times Books/Macmillan);
Edmunds releases Most Beautiful Cars list
Would you consider yourself an admirer of cars? People who are obsessed with the aesthetics of autos aren’t just into the body and what’s under the hood, they fixate on door hinges, fuel caps and rim design. They also pay attention to the design of the dashboard inside the car, as well as the physical materials used for the steering wheel, clutch and seats.
With so many superficial details, in addition to the mechanics involved, it is no surprise that some people place cars in the realm of art, even higher than the traditional examples you would see in a museum. Today on AirTalk, we welcome guest Scott Oldham, Editor-in-Chief of Edmunds.com. The car experts at Edmunds have compiled a list of the 100 most beautiful cars ever made.
WEIGH IN:
What made the cut? When you’re driving, what really turns your head? And we’re not talking about rubbernecking. What is it about a particular automobile that makes it beautiful? Does it have to be a sports car? Can practicality play a role? What is your number one most beautiful car?
Guest:
Scott Oldham, Editor in Chief, Edmunds.com