MBS

• MCLEAN, Va., July 18, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Freddie Mac (OTCQB: FMCC) today released its 2022 Green MBS Impact Report showing the company issued $1.372 billion of Single-Family Green Mortgage-Backed Securities (MBS) for the year.
• The report provides an overview of Freddie Mac’s Sustainability Strategy and Single-Family Green Bond Framework, and highlights the estimated impact of the enterprise’s Single-Family Green MBS program.
• By meeting the needs of green investors in this way, we are making home possible for more individuals and families.”
  From its inception in 2021 to year end 2022 Freddie Mac Single-Family Green MBS Issuance totaled nearly $2 billion unpaid principal balance of bonds.
• Learn More: Website | Consumers | Twitter | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube
  This is not an offer to buy or sell any Freddie Mac securities.

• Private dental care is increasingly unaffordable, and millions of Australians go without the treatment they need.
• The potentially avoidable costs to the health-care system and to people’s quality of life has led to increased pressure for a Medicare-style universal insurance scheme for dental care (Denticare) or the inclusion of dental care into Medicare.
• Affordable and available dental care is crucial to addressing inequality in Australia.

Why wasn’t dental included in Medicare in the first place?

• There is, however, little to no evidence on the extent to which the Whitlam government pushed for dental to be included or how much it was opposed by dentists.
• It seems it was not on the agenda when Medicare was restored by the Hawke government.
• Secondly, the provision of public dental health services – often linked to dental hospitals and dental schools – has long been seen (especially by Coalition governments) as the responsibility of states and territories.

A short history

• This section gives the Commonwealth the power to legislate and fund these services but it’s not obligated to do so.
• The Whitlam government was the first to provide national funding and direction to these state-based programs through the Australian School Dental Program.

The barriers to universal dental care

• These figures don’t factor in the savings made to health-care costs due to preventable dental cavities and gum disease (estimated by the Australian Dental Association at $818 million per year) and reduced productivity.
• The other approach is to reduce costs by limiting the number of people covered and/or the number and type of services covered.
• Means testing access to Medicare Benefits Schedule items for dental care is risky; it could easily lead to means testing of access to other MBS items.

There’s more we can do

• Researchers have described the Chronic Dental Disease Scheme (introduced by the Howard government) as as “the most expensive and controversial public dental policy in Australian history”.
• As a 2012 analysis showed, it blew out its budget and did not result in dental health improvements.
• It’s worth noting many of the preventive actions needed to address obesity (for example, encouraging breast feeding and limiting sugary beverages) will also improve dental health.
• Read more:
  How to fill the gaps in Australia's dental health system

• MBS IOs receive only the interest component from the mortgages underlying the agency securities.
• This offsetting price behavior, known as negative-duration, is difficult for non-institutional investors to access, except through a fund like RISR.
• Consequently, RISR can be a powerful tool to hedge existing portfolios, with the aim of not sacrificing current income.
• We aren’t aware of any ETF other than RISR than can deliver this risk-return profile.”

• This month, graduates received their Doctor of Medicine degrees and Master in Biomedical Sciences degrees at California University of Science and Medicine (CUSM).
• The 2023 Commencement ceremonies symbolized the culmination of their educational journey, characterized by a remarkable 100 percent residency match at some of the top programs in the country.
• Prem Reddy, MD, Founding Chair of the Board of Trustees, delivered an inspiring address reminding the graduates that medicine is not just a science but also an art.
• "As you embark on your journey in medicine, one of the most honorable professions, always remember the humanity at the core of medicine," Dr. Reddy emphasized.