HWR: The Derby Edition

In honor of the 133rd Run for the Roses, we present the Thoroughbreds of Wonk. Thanks to the expert grooming of Joe and Julie, the Health Wonk Review is a blog carnival of a different color. Thanks, too, to all the bloggers who submitted almost 20 posts. In keeping with the spirit of the Review, though, I had to turn some in to the glue factory. What's left are the true champions.

And now, I'll stop horsing around, and it's off to the races:

■ Richard Eskow presents A Brief History of Capitation, From Medieval Days to 21st Century Reform. Richard considers the policy implications of provider capitation with a history lesson that moves through ancient China, the Norman Conquest, the 1980's, and other long-forgotten eras.

■ The GrrlScientist tells us about Chromosomal Chaos and Cancer. She asks whether cancer results from random gene mutations or from severely scrambled chromosomes.

■ Sharp Brains blogger Alvaro Fernandez reports on Healthetc, a day-long health event in San Francisco, which featured a presentation by former President Bill Clinton on health care and wellness.

■ Writing at the Health Business Blog, David Williams tells us about generic biologics. So what's a "biologic," generic or otherwise, and how will they impact medical costs? Well, I'll let David explain.

■ EconBlogger Jason Shafrin asks whether or not patents are needed to spur innovation for new pharmaceuticals. Good question!

■ Michael F. Cannon, posting machine at Cato, fisks an Ezra Klein article on the uninsured. In true wonk fashion, Michael uses Ezra’s own supporting graphic in the process.

■ And Dr Rob Lamberts writes about his experience with the National Governor’s Association regarding privacy in sharing medical records. "I'm from the goverment..."

■ HWR newbie Universal Health writes that only about one third (about 1 million) of registered nurses are educated at the baccalaureate level or above. This could lead to increased morbidity and mortality of hospital inpatients.

■ Rob Cunningham, blogging at Health Affairs, offers a useful primer on the Prescription Drug User Fee Act, currently under debate in Congress.

■ Over at Health Care Renewal, Roy Poses writes about the fall of the Allegheny Health, Education, and Research Foundation. It’s a cautionary tale about what happens when health care entities adopt questionable business practices.

■ Meanwhile, Jon Coppelman of Workers Comp Insider gives OSHA low grades in acting to protect food workers from harmful and potentially fatal exposure to popcorn flavorings, the so-called "popcorn lung." While science points to compelling evidence linking the additive to the illness, OSHA's response has been lackadaisical at best.

■ Next week's host, Bob Laszewski, writes about a scandalous situation going on behind the scenes of Medicare reimbursements. "Your tax dollars at work..."

■ Finally, here at good ol' InsureBlog, you'll find my take on a recent Gartner Group study about the future of health care consumerism. Be warned, I chose the title on purpose.

Well, that's all for this edition of the The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Blogs. Bob Laszewski at Health Care Policy and Marketplace Review hosts the next one, coming up on May 17th. Meantime, relax and enjoy a tall, cool one: