Planet Money
GM Faces Long Odds In Paying Back Its Bailout()
October 30, 2009 The U.S. government has poured $50 billion into General Motors, and taxpayers own 61 percent of the automaker's stock. Now the question is whether sales can ever recover enough for the public to get its money back.
Accidents Of History Created U.S. Health System()
October 22, 2009 Since the 1960s, Americans have looked at employer-based health insurance as though it were the natural order of things. But economic historians say there was never any central logic at work in building that system.
Health Insurance: Now For Your Dog, Or Hedgehog()
October 21, 2009 Veterinary care is becoming more like medical care for humans — better and more expensive. And now, pet owners are beginning to buy insurance policies for their critters. But what will happen if it takes hold?
Drug Coupons Hide True Costs From Consumers()
October 20, 2009 Pharmaceutical companies have found a way around higher insurance copays for brand-name drugs. They offer coupon cards so patients don't have to pay more. But insurance companies say that if everyone uses the cards to get pricier name-brand drugs, premiums will rise.
U.S. Heads For Third Straight Jobless Recovery()
October 16, 2009 Economists have begun saying that the recession may have ended this summer. But an expanding economy hasn't led to an expanded number of jobs. Structural changes in the labor market help explain why.
Senator Eyes Health Co-Ops For All 50 States()
October 2, 2009 Sen. Kent Conrad of North Dakota says health care cooperatives could win the political support that a public option for insurance couldn't. Conrad wants the federal government to help start nonprofit, member-run co-ops in all 50 states.
Medicare Data Could Cut Health Care Costs()
September 29, 2009 Economists say one of the biggest obstacles to making health care cheaper is a lack of information. Some consumer advocates want access to a Medicare database so patients can compare physicians' performance. That has led to a lengthy court battle over doctors' privacy.
Wall Streeters Weigh Life After 'Giant Pool Of Money'()
September 24, 2009 Glen Pizzolorusso and Jim Finkel each made a fortune in the mortgage industry. Then the bubble burst. The global economic crisis forced them to reconsider what they believed about life and the investment world they lived in. One is spending time in school, the other cleaning up the debris from toxic assets.
Economists Debate 'Public Option' On Health Care()
September 17, 2009 The idea of creating a government-run health care plan to compete with regular insurance companies has received mixed grades among economists. The debate is over whether the plan would eliminate waste in the system as advertised.
Financial Crisis: One Year And Counting
Money, Power Serve Up Alphabet Soup Of Regulators()
September 15, 2009 When AIG stunned the global economy by nearly collapsing last year, the insurance giant was being regulated by dozens of agencies in the U.S. Lawmakers eyeing an overhaul of the financial system say that's far too many, but politics makes reducing the number almost impossible.
