Gastonia, NC Correspondent– The thing that the Democrats, Republicans and everyone else trying to “solve” the health care crisis haven’t yet figured out, or at least don’t want to acknowledge, is that there is no one secret to solving the whole sorry mess. Fixing our health care debacle will require a complex plan with buy-in from both sides and some concessions by all involved. Those concessions are what will hang them in the end, as in the current political climate compromise has become anathema, and reaching across the aisle is seen as being akin to sleeping with the enemy. Continue reading
Health Care
Should the federal government run health care clinics and hospitals for anyone receiving government sponsored healthcare (Medicare, Medicaid, Obamacare)? Young doctors out of med school could be offered employment and reduction in student loans for working in the government run facilities. Will this help reform healthcare in America?
Sheffield, Jamaica Correspondent-I’m not trying to reveal the pessimist that I am, but irrespective of who or what control the healthcare facilities of the day, we will still get sick and die. I need sickness gone permanently!
Now that’s out of the way, for the sake of fostering a peaceful debate and accommodate the many opinions out there, I think governmental benefits, especially sponsored healthcare, should be administered or operated by the Federal Government. Continue reading
The American Medical Association (AMA) has held the belief that assisted suicide is not compatible with the role of a doctor. In projected meetings of the AMA in mid November, there are to be discussions as to possible changes in assisted suicide policies. Should the AMA stay loyal to the Hippocratic Oath and continue to oppose assisted suicide?
Sheffield Jamaica Correspondent-The American Medical Association (AMA) has held the belief that assisted suicide is not compatible with the role of a doctor. In projected meetings of the AMA in mid November, there are to be discussions as to possible changes in assisted suicide policies. Should the AMA stay loyal to the Hippocratic Oath and continue to oppose assisted suicide? Continue reading
Symposium 2016: The Affordable Care Act (ACA) is set to undergo repeal or possible major changes in the near future. Will those changes be of benefit to those in need of coverage, or should the plan be abandoned altogether?
Prescott Valley, AZ Correspondent- The Congress is soon to be at work on repealing the Affordable Care Act (ACA-Obamacare), and the changes, which have been proposed through Dr. Tom Price’s Empowering Patients First Act and other House Republican alternatives to Obamacare will most likely provide partial to full replacement of the Affordable Care Act. Continue reading
Symposium 2016: The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is experiencing as many problems as the Veteran’s Administration, particularly in the areas of super bugs and other diseases that have appeared and are being transmitted within the United States. Inadequate cleaning within hospitals has also become a serious issue. What if anything is being done by the CDC to face these problems and should they be made to intensify serious overhauls to stop contagious diseases and hospital filth within America?
Gastonia, NC Correspondent- The CDC is actually one of the few departments within the federal government that gives more than it gets in terms of dollars spent. The current epidemiological landscape is a truly terrifying one, with an increasingly mobile populace, mining and deforestation opening up potential caches of viruses and bacteria to which we have no immunity, overuse of antibiotics creating superbugs and “anti-vaxxers” waging the world’s stupidest war on herd immunity. Rather than “making” the agency do anything, I’d say we should “let” it do its job with less hand-wringing and nit-picking over measures that are vitally necessary to save not just America, but the planet from a pandemic that will make smallpox look like a heat rash. Part of that should absolutely involve hospital and clinic sanitation. The fact that hospitals are choosing to release semi-healed patients to protect them from getting hospital-borne infections should be laughable, but instead it’s downright terrifying. Civil and criminal penalties should be levied against health care workers and institutions that place the public in danger by failing to maintain basic sanitation. Continue reading
Narcan, which goes by the generic name naloxone, can be given to a drug user in the middle of an overdose and almost instantly bring them back from the edge. Should tax payer funds be used to provide a “safety net” for drug users?
Gastonia, NC Correspondent-Recently, a “miracle drug” that can save even the most heavily overdosed drug user has come into greater use among the nation’s first responders, medical personnel and even in some states the families of known addicts. Narcan, which goes by the generic name naloxone, can be given to a drug user in the middle of an overdose and almost instantly bring them back from the edge. It is honestly a miracle drug. Continue reading
Philadelphia became the first major city to pass a 1.5 cent per ounce tax on sugary drinks. Is this really in the best health interests of the people or is this another government tax and spend overreach? Will this realistically curb consumption of sodas?
Gastonia, NC Correspondent-“Sin” taxes are nothing new. Every time a municipal, state or federal government needs to raise some fast cash, it slaps new taxes on things we feel guilty for using anyway, such as alcohol or tobacco. The voices against such increases are muted because no one wants to be seen as championing an unhealthy lifestyle choice, even though most of us down a highball to calm our nerves after contemplating what the new taxes will cost us. Continue reading
Is tort reform a key element of driving down the cost of malpractice insurance for doctors and keeping healthcare costs in check?
Gastonia, NC Correspondent-Now here’s an issue I haven’t heard about in a while! The brouhaha over Obamacare and its attendant bureaucratic explosion has driven tort reform and malpractice reform from the front of the health care discussion, but the problem is still very much in existence. Continue reading
Is the Americans with Disabilities Act being abused by some pet owners and “lovers”? Should businesses have more pet-friendly policies to avoid potential discrimination claims, or should the ADA laws require licensure of service animals?
Myrtle Beach, SC, Orlando, FL February 23, 2016
Prescott Valley, AZ Correspondent-The Americans with Disabilities Act appears to have been abused by those pretending to require a service dog just so they can have their beloved pet by their side whether in a store, restaurant, or somewhere else where dogs are not allowed. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, it is a federal crime to use a dog under false pretenses and many states have laws against pet owners who would misrepresent their pet as a service dog. Continue reading
Given the rise of health problems associated with Americans’, should restaurants and stores have any responsibility to make “healthier choices” more affordable?
Myrtle Beach, SC, Orlando, FL October 30, 2015
Prescott Valley, AZ Correspondent-With the rise of diet related health issues in America, restaurants and stores do have an indirect obligation to offer healthier and more affordable food choices to individuals suffering from obesity, diabetes and other related illnesses. Continue reading
Thinking Outside The Boxe 