Healthcare

We’ve argued here numerous times that the state of —>> read more –>>

Yesterday as I was taking a walk up and down Warre —>> read more –>>

“A 30-Year Campaign to Control Drug Prices Faces Y —>> read more –>>

Trump and his Republican enablers – the Trumplicans –  are responsible for the pandemic in the US and the nearly 200k deaths that have occurred to date. Comparing the US response with the rest of the world makes it clear that this catastrophe is the direct result of Trumplican policies.

It is absolutely clear that Trump and Republicans —>> read more –>>

Tightrope provides a well-written description of the American crisis through personal stories and hard data. Unfortunately it falls flat in its call for action.

The decline of the US has become so marked over th —>> read more –>>

In our continuing effort to find varied sources to —>> read more –>>

Roosevelt’s 1944 State of the Union called for a second bill of rights, an economic bill of rights, that resonates loudly today.

“We therefore estimate that Medicare for All could —>> read more –>>

Since corporations have reason not to worry about safety and efficacy, we do need the government to represent us. Common sense and ethics suggest that a company establish the safety and efficacy of products and services BEFORE selling them. In a world better balanced to the needs and interests of the vast majority this would be a required step. Heart stents and tricycles are examples of the failings of our current system.

We have argued here repeatedly that the US healthc —>> read more –>>

These corporate giants are “disrupting” healthcare or so the headlines say. Despite the media flurry we should not expect much. The structure of US healthcare defies little nibbles at the periphery. As noted many times here, we need to look to our developed country competitors for their proven approaches to how to set up a world-class healthcare system at world standard costs.

Opioids and White Privilege The arrival of opioids —>> read more –>>

Nearly 9 Million children are loosing their health insurance as states run out of funds. The Congress, controlled by the vicious Republican Party that is more focused on getting a sexual predator elected in Alabama than worrying about mere children, has not appropriated any new funds.

The US has the worst maternal mortality rate by far of any developed country in the world.

An American Sickness by Elisabeth Rosenthal is important and disappointing. Despite all of the information about the failings of our market-based healthcare system Rosenthal abandons her analysis when it comes to treatment.

Recent NYTimes article broadly acknowledges what every other developed country has recognized for decades, healthcare is not a good candidate for market control.

Certainly if all of these countries, Canada, UK, France, Germany, Australia (and others not included in this study) have figured out how to deliver much better healthcare at half the cost we need to demand that our government do at least as well. Obamacare is not the solution to our healthcare problems of access and cost.

Mirror, Mirror 2017:International Comparison Reflects Flaws and Opportunities for Better U.S. Health Care from Commonwealth Fund.

A consistent chattering point in American discussi —>> read more –>>

The Democratic Party must absorb the reality of our situation. We need to develop and express some outrage at the current healthcare providers. None of this will happen as long as Democrats are taking money from the rich and corporations. If there is a single lesson from the Bernie Sanders campaign it is that with messages and programs that reflect the needs of the vast majority of Americans, you can raise enough money to fight off the Republican Party and its wealthy and corporate sponsors. Time to start now.