Blogs/Opinion: Page 5

Blogs/Opinion

Hospitals Closing

By the time Copper Basin Medical Center launched a GoFundMe campaign in May last year, the hospital in the Appalachian foothills was buried in debt. It had been forced to suspend inpatient operations; many of its nurses and staffers had gone weeks without paychecks. The campaign aimed to raise $100,000, but when only $5,559 came in, Copper Basin […]

Blogs/Opinion

Destroying ACA

President Trump has made clear that he won’t nominate anyone to the Supreme Court unless they pass certain litmus tests regarding Roe v. Wade, Trump’s own authority as president, and healthcare. Now that Trump has nominated Brett Kavanaugh, Republicans in the White House and Senate are working to place him in a position to help destroy […]

Blogs/Opinion

Work Rules

On July 1, Kentucky planned to subject thousands of low-income residents who receive health coverage through the state’s Medicaid program to work requirements. They would risk losing coverage if they didn’t work, volunteer or enroll in job training for at least 80 hours a month. They would have to start paying premiums and face more […]

Blogs/Opinion

Kavanaugh & Health Care

President Trump’s nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to fill the seat on the Supreme Court vacated by Justice Anthony Kennedy have left many to wonder: What will replacing an often swing vote with a more conservative one mean for health care? There are many pending cases in lower courts that, if they make it a […]

Blogs/Opinion

An Alzheimer’s Patient’s Advice

About a year ago, the Register published an essay I wrote about having Alzheimer’s or as I call it, ALZ. One thing to remember is Alzheimer’s has become a generic term covering many forms of dementia. I have seen three neurologists, at Mayo Clinic and in Des Moines, and have come away somewhat confused as different neurologists […]

Blogs/Opinion

Travel Ban & Health

There is something with life-and-death consequences that the Trump administration didn’t say a word about during its successful pursuit of a travel ban on people from seven countries. America’s healthcare system, especially in rural areas, is dependent on foreigners — including those from the banned countries. Perhaps that’s why the president of the American Medical Association […]

Blogs/Opinion

Veteran Suicides

Three years ago, I wrote a somewhat confrontational article about why 22 was not the correct number of how many veterans commit suicide each day in the United States. I argued that if hiring managers and recruiters focused on the number 22 without context, they could severely impair veterans’ ability to find meaningful employment. After all, according […]

Blogs/Opinion

Breastfeeding Zealots

Breastfeeding zealots really need to back off — especially when they work in the newborn ward of a hospital. After the birth of my daughter last summer, I spent my first several days in the hospital struggling to breastfeed. It really did not go well. And the entire experience would have been so much better […]

Blogs/Opinion

Separation Trauma

Fair and just societies protect children. The Trump administration’s unconscionable practice of separating children from their families at the border between Mexico and the United States is making me rethink what kind of society I live in. The images and the stories are heartbreaking. In an effort to deter families from migrating to the United States, reports say the […]

Blogs/Opinion

Callous Decisions

Not satisfied with taking away health insurance coverage for over 3 million Americans, last week the Trump Administration said it wanted to take away coverage from more.  While Americans have been distracted by the scandals, investigations, and policy flip flops, the Administration and its allies in the Congress have never been deterred from one deadly […]

Blogs/Opinion

Ebola Surveillance

The news of the recent Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo brings back memories of the  2013-16 Ebola crisis in West Africa which was a shock to the whole world. It highlighted the importance of investigating and responding to disease outbreaks before they become a global threat. The countries affected, namely Sierra Leone, Guinea […]

Blogs/Opinion

Issue for Midterms

Donald Trump and the Republican Party just put America’s health care squarely on the November ballot. After a year of trying and failing to repeal the Affordable Care Act, the Trump administration, in cahoots with 20 conservative states, has asked the courts to strike down several pillars of the ACA — including its protections for Americans with pre-existing health conditions. These protections are a guarantee […]

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