A Dickens of a Day

The Wall Street Journal today reported some optimistic health care news:

“Johnson & Johnson Tuesday . . . pointed to early signs of improvement in the health-care market.”

And in the same issue, the Journal reported some pessimistic health care news:

“Johnson & Johnson Tuesday . . . said it has seen a recent uptick in surgical procedures . . . this might be a sign that consumers are seeking more medical attention after years of sluggish health-care spending.”

In health care – as with so much else that is going on these days - perhaps 2012 will be both the best of times, and the worst of times.

". . . it is the age of wisdom, it is the age of foolishness, it is the epoch of belief, it is the epoch of incredulity, it is the season of Light, it is the season of Darkness, it is the spring of hope, it is the winter of despair, we have everything before us, we have nothing before us . . . "