Arbitrage and the Advice We Give
In March the gap between London and New York gold prices jumped to $60 per ounce, 40 times the typical spread of $1.50 per ounce. In times of fear, investors prefer to have their gold in New York. These extreme arbitrage opportunities have short windows. Arbitrage is one of my favorite words and economic ideas. […]
Time Arbitrage
One enduring feature of both investing and health is time arbitrage. This creates a gap where price and value diverge. David Einhorn of Greenlight Capital is one of many hedge fund managers to speak of time arbitrage. “I think one of the inefficiencies in the market is investors are generically too short-term oriented and time […]
Open Enrollment Tips
It’s the time of year for leaves, baseball, and 30-page open enrollment guides*. If you’re a prospective employee, “we offer benefits” doesn’t have the precision on the scale of value as does a first class flights to Europe. “We offer a free first class direct flight to London. Travel dates and times are flexible. Towels […]
Could Healthcare Be Like Lasik?
Lasik is odd in at least two ways. It’s a rare deflationary healthcare category. It’s also awkwardly priced at $2,000 per eye. “Shoes for sale, $50 per shoe.” Could healthcare be more like Lasik, shoppable, and deflationary? There are key differences. There are more options in your city for Lasik than hernia surgeries. Lasik is […]
January’s Healthcare Index
Inspired by the monthly Harper’s Index, this is 2019’s first index on healthcare and finance. The average ratio of Medicaid-to-Medicare payments spending across the US across all services: .72; In CA: .52. The factor by which commercial insurance payments exceed the reimbursements from Medicare: 1.88x The net assets of HCA, the largest publicly-traded hospital in the […]