An Alliance Detection System Regulates Categorization by Coalition and Race, but Not Sex
By David Pietraszewski, Leda Cosmides, John Tooby
PLOS One
Originally published February 10, 2014
Abstract
Humans in all societies form and participate in cooperative alliances. To successfully navigate an alliance-laced world, the human mind needs to detect new coalitions and alliances as they emerge, and predict which of many potential alliance categories are currently organizing an interaction. We propose that evolution has equipped the mind with cognitive machinery that is specialized for performing these functions: an alliance detection system. In this view, racial categories do not exist because skin color is perceptually salient; they are constructed and regulated by the alliance system in environments where race predicts social alliances and divisions. Early tests using adversarial alliances showed that the mind spontaneously detects which individuals are cooperating against a common enemy, implicitly assigning people to rival alliance categories based on patterns of cooperation and competition. But is social antagonism necessary to trigger the categorization of people by alliance—that is, do we cognitively link A and B into an alliance category only because they are jointly in conflict with C and D? We report new studies demonstrating that peaceful cooperation can trigger the detection of new coalitional alliances and make race fade in relevance. Alliances did not need to be marked by team colors or other perceptually salient cues. When race did not predict the ongoing alliance structure, behavioral cues about cooperative activities up-regulated categorization by coalition and down-regulated categorization by race, sometimes eliminating it. Alliance cues that sensitively regulated categorization by coalition and race had no effect on categorization by sex, eliminating many alternative explanations for the results. The results support the hypothesis that categorizing people by their race is a reversible product of a cognitive system specialized for detecting alliance categories and regulating their use. Common enemies are not necessary to erase important social boundaries; peaceful cooperation can have the same effect.
The entire article is here.
Showing posts with label Aspirational Ethics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Aspirational Ethics. Show all posts
Saturday, March 1, 2014
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Damaged Fairview ousts exec
Mark Eustis was linked to firm behind high-pressure debt collections
by Maura Lerner and Tony Kennedy
The Star Tribune
Star Tribue Staff Writers
Originally published May 24, 2012
Mark Eustis couldn't have known it at the time, but his downfall as president of Fairview Health Services began last summer with the report of a stolen laptop. Within 10 months, the incident had grown into a public relations nightmare that Fairview couldn't shake.
On Thursday, Eustis, 59, abruptly announced plans to retire, one day after Fairview's board voted not to renew his contract. It was just four weeks after Attorney General Lori Swanson released a scathing report about debt collectors badgering patients for money inside Fairview hospitals.
Initially, the board had said Eustis' job was safe. But criticism has mounted over Fairview's association with Accretive Health, the for-profit company Swanson blamed for the collection practices.
Eustis found himself at the center of the turmoil because he was instrumental in hiring Accretive and has a son who works for the firm.
(cut)
Dr. Steve Miles, a University of Minnesota physician and bioethicist, said the most disturbing revelations weren't just about heavy-handed debt collectors, but internal e-mails in which Accretive employees talked about patients as "lowlifes" and "deadbeats."
The entire article is here.
Thanks to Gary Schoener for this lead.
by Maura Lerner and Tony Kennedy
The Star Tribune
Star Tribue Staff Writers
Originally published May 24, 2012
 |
| Mark Eustis, CEO of Fairview Health |
On Thursday, Eustis, 59, abruptly announced plans to retire, one day after Fairview's board voted not to renew his contract. It was just four weeks after Attorney General Lori Swanson released a scathing report about debt collectors badgering patients for money inside Fairview hospitals.
Initially, the board had said Eustis' job was safe. But criticism has mounted over Fairview's association with Accretive Health, the for-profit company Swanson blamed for the collection practices.
Eustis found himself at the center of the turmoil because he was instrumental in hiring Accretive and has a son who works for the firm.
(cut)
Dr. Steve Miles, a University of Minnesota physician and bioethicist, said the most disturbing revelations weren't just about heavy-handed debt collectors, but internal e-mails in which Accretive employees talked about patients as "lowlifes" and "deadbeats."
The entire article is here.
Thanks to Gary Schoener for this lead.
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Three Weeks to Stop Medicare Cuts
Ethics is more than a code. Ethical behavior extends beyond treating our patients to advocating on behalf of our patients.
Even if you do not work with Medicare patients, many insurance companies base reimbursement schedules on Medicare rates.
TO: All Psychologists
RE: Three Weeks to Stop Medicare Cuts
Legislative leaders have begun to discuss options to address critical, time-sensitive issues by the end of the year, including the expiration of unemployment benefits, the Alternative Minimum Tax patch, tax extenders and Medicare extenders.
Now is the time for psychologists to make their voices heard and remind Congress that their patients and practices will soon face a 5% cut to psychotherapy payments in addition to a 27.4% Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) cut to all services scheduled for 2012 if they fail to act.
Legislative leaders have begun to discuss options to address critical, time-sensitive issues by the end of the year, including the expiration of unemployment benefits, the Alternative Minimum Tax patch, tax extenders and Medicare extenders.
Now is the time for psychologists to make their voices heard and remind Congress that their patients and practices will soon face a 5% cut to psychotherapy payments in addition to a 27.4% Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) cut to all services scheduled for 2012 if they fail to act.
Congress has blocked the SGR cut 12 times since 2001 and the APA Practice Organization has successfully secured the psychotherapy restoration 3 times since 2008, but practitioners face a tougher climate this time around in light of the unprecedented focus on deficit reduction and the broadening divide between legislative leaders.
Your profession needs you to take action NOW to ensure legislators are attentive to these critical priorities.
Take Action Now!
Click here to urge your Senators and your US Representative to halt Medicare cuts to psychological services.
Your profession needs you to take action NOW to ensure legislators are attentive to these critical priorities.
Take Action Now!
Click here to urge your Senators and your US Representative to halt Medicare cuts to psychological services.
Please TAKE ACTION by Tuesday December 6.
Feel free to leave a comment on this blog so that other psychologists know how easy and simple the process really is......as well as the importance of this advocacy effort!
Message:
My patients and practice are only a few weeks away from major reimbursement cuts that will impact patient access and put my small business at risk. As a psychologist and constituent, I urge you to extend the Medicare mental health add-on through 2012.
Congress has repeatedly found extension of the 5% psychotherapy payment restoration necessary to address the unintended impact of CMS's last Five-Year Review on access to Medicare mental health services. An extension is necessary until completion of the current Five-Year Review of psychotherapy codes, which has been delayed into 2012.
As Congress works toward end-of-year action on several pressing priorities, please make my patients and the mental health extender a priority, as well as halting the 27.4% Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) cut. Thank you for your time and consideration.
Additional Background:
CONGRESS SHOULD PROTECT MEDICARE MENTAL HEALTH PAYMENT
To ensure the viability of the Medicare outpatient mental health benefit, Congress should extend through 2012 the restoration of cuts to Part B mental health services made in 2007.
Mental Health Extender. Congress restored payments temporarily but they now need to be extended. Through the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008, Congress partially restored the cuts made by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) "Five-Year Review" through 2009. Subsequent laws then extended the restoration through December 2011. The valuation of psychotherapy codes in the 2011 Five-Year Review has been delayed into 2012. Congress should pass new legislation to extend payments through 2012, until the Five-Year Review is completed.
Effect on Beneficiaries. Extending psychologist payments cut by the Five-Year Review is crucial to protecting access to Medicare mental health services. Psychologists and social workers provide almost all of the Medicare psychotherapy and testing services, but many have indicated that they may have to reduce their caseloads or leave Medicare if they are faced with these reimbursement cuts. The cost of protecting mental health services is very low, increasing costs by only $30 million per year.
Cut By MEI Rebasing. A CMS technical advisory panel will be asked to examine the effect of a 4% cut to Medicare part B reimbursement for psychologists in January 2011 due to "rebasing" of the Medicare Economic Index (MEI). In the 2011 fee schedule, CMS used more recent survey data that showed practice expense and malpractice became a larger share of the payment formula while provider's time became smaller. This increased payments for some services, particularly of professionals who utilize expensive technology. Due to budget neutrality requirements, CMS reduced other reimbursement work values, which hit services of psychologists and social workers the hardest because they are typically provided at lower cost and lower overhead.
My patients and practice are only a few weeks away from major reimbursement cuts that will impact patient access and put my small business at risk. As a psychologist and constituent, I urge you to extend the Medicare mental health add-on through 2012.
Congress has repeatedly found extension of the 5% psychotherapy payment restoration necessary to address the unintended impact of CMS's last Five-Year Review on access to Medicare mental health services. An extension is necessary until completion of the current Five-Year Review of psychotherapy codes, which has been delayed into 2012.
As Congress works toward end-of-year action on several pressing priorities, please make my patients and the mental health extender a priority, as well as halting the 27.4% Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) cut. Thank you for your time and consideration.
Additional Background:
CONGRESS SHOULD PROTECT MEDICARE MENTAL HEALTH PAYMENT
To ensure the viability of the Medicare outpatient mental health benefit, Congress should extend through 2012 the restoration of cuts to Part B mental health services made in 2007.
Mental Health Extender. Congress restored payments temporarily but they now need to be extended. Through the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008, Congress partially restored the cuts made by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) "Five-Year Review" through 2009. Subsequent laws then extended the restoration through December 2011. The valuation of psychotherapy codes in the 2011 Five-Year Review has been delayed into 2012. Congress should pass new legislation to extend payments through 2012, until the Five-Year Review is completed.
Effect on Beneficiaries. Extending psychologist payments cut by the Five-Year Review is crucial to protecting access to Medicare mental health services. Psychologists and social workers provide almost all of the Medicare psychotherapy and testing services, but many have indicated that they may have to reduce their caseloads or leave Medicare if they are faced with these reimbursement cuts. The cost of protecting mental health services is very low, increasing costs by only $30 million per year.
Cut By MEI Rebasing. A CMS technical advisory panel will be asked to examine the effect of a 4% cut to Medicare part B reimbursement for psychologists in January 2011 due to "rebasing" of the Medicare Economic Index (MEI). In the 2011 fee schedule, CMS used more recent survey data that showed practice expense and malpractice became a larger share of the payment formula while provider's time became smaller. This increased payments for some services, particularly of professionals who utilize expensive technology. Due to budget neutrality requirements, CMS reduced other reimbursement work values, which hit services of psychologists and social workers the hardest because they are typically provided at lower cost and lower overhead.
These cuts are not related to the Sustainable Growth Rate. Psychologists were saved from a second and even more devastating reduction when Congressional action halted the projected 25% SGR cut through December 31, 2011. Ultimately Congress must replace the flawed SGR formula with one that responsibly and permanently addresses provider payments.
Psychologists will leave Medicare. In a 2008 survey, 11% of psychologists reported that they have dropped out of Medicare participation and a primary reason cited was low reimbursement rates.
Psychologists will leave Medicare. In a 2008 survey, 11% of psychologists reported that they have dropped out of Medicare participation and a primary reason cited was low reimbursement rates.
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