MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'debate,'. Tue, 04 May 2010 18:19:48 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3467738&cid=t_299633_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fw1mT8tFucSU%2F By Michael D. TannerOver the course of the health care debate, the media often reported and editorialized — and sometimes it was impossible to tell the difference — quite favorably on the Democratic proposals running through Congress. While some upheld their journalistic responsibility to scrutinize and offer objective analysis of the legislation, many did not. It was not surprising to read stories almost daily about how Obamacare would lift millions of poor, elderly, sick, and generally down-trodden Americans out of financial and medical crisis, and even go so far as to singlehandedly save the lives of hundreds of thousands of Americans over the course of the next decade. (It would even provide one free turkey for Thanksgiving to every family living 400 percent below the pover... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3467738 Tue, 13 Apr 2010 21:06:33 +0100 3467738 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3411073&cid=t_299633_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Ffeel%2Ftodays-poll-threats-to-politicians%2F At Blisstree, we’re really into the health care debate, but we’re not so into violence, death threats, and envelopes filled with white powder that looks like anthrax. How do you feel about the menacing letters, emails, and phone calls many of our senators and congresspeople are receiving based on their health care voting records? Take our poll below. #MicroPollDiv_243457 { width: 250px; margin: 0px auto; } Post from: BlissTree Today's Poll: Threats to Politicians (Source: Healthbolt) Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3411073 Fri, 26 Mar 2010 23:06:55 +0100 3411073 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3403866&cid=t_299633_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FpxjZUAbo3NU%2F By Juan Carlos HidalgoCosta Rica – my home country – has suddenly become part of the health care debate after celebrity radio talk show host, Rush Limbaugh said that he would move to Costa Rica go to Costa Rica for health care if  ObamaCare were approved by Congress the federal government gets too involved in health care in the next few years. Soon after Sunday’s vote in the House of Representatives, a website was set up to buy Limbaugh a one-way, first-class ticket to Costa Rica. Liberals were quick to point out that my country has a socialized health care system that is among the best in Latin America. People claim that in Costa Rica health care is a right, not a commodity. The problem surfaces when you actually need to exercise your “right.” Last July, La Nación newspaper ca... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3403866 Wed, 24 Mar 2010 20:29:23 +0100 3403866 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3390728&cid=t_299633_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Ffeel%2Ftodays-poll-health-coverage%2F Do you believe in universal health care? Or do you think people who don’t have health care coverage are lazy and should just get a job? Let’s hear what you think. Take our poll and comment below. #MicroPollDiv_242203 { width: 250px; margin: 0px auto; } photo: Thinkstock Post from: BlissTree (Source: Healthbolt) Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3390728 Mon, 22 Mar 2010 14:35:12 +0100 3390728 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3366277&cid=t_299633_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F03%2F14%2Fthe-situation-of-the-health-care-debate%2F A Harvard Law student wrote a worthwhile post on Law & Mind a few weeks ago about some of the dynamics behind the health care debate.  Here is an excerpt. * * * How should an institution inspire collective action?  What’s the best strategy?  The conventional wisdom is that to solve a collective problem, the institution should reward contributors and punish free-riders.  To prevent people from littering, fine them; to induce people to donate to charity, reward them; to move people to invent, lure them with intellectual property . . . .  The implicit reasoning is that the typical human agent is a rational wealth-optimizer who won’t contribute to a public good unless he or she is incentivized to do.  Yet, . . . the rational actor model isn’t an accurate depiction of human natu... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3366277 Mon, 15 Mar 2010 03:27:41 +0100 3366277 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3331271&cid=t_299633_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FaIbxtY5oaD4%2F By Daniel GriswoldIf you want to witness the clash of two worldviews on trade, check out the online debate I’m having with Ian Fletcher of the U.S. Business and Industry Council. A self-described protectionist, Fletcher has written a new book with the unambiguous title, Free Trade Doesn’t Work: What Should Replace it and Why. In the opposite corner, I argue for eliminating barriers to trade, drawing on my own recent book, Mad about Trade: Why Main Street America Should Embrace Globalization. The debate is being hosted by the International Economic Law and Policy Blog. We’ve already filed two 600-word posts each, with a third to come at the end of this week and concluding arguments early next week. (Source: Cato-at-liberty) Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3331271 Thu, 04 Mar 2010 15:05:21 +0100 3331271 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3311658&cid=t_299633_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fi0VJUw-xAm8%2F By Jim HarperToday, President Obama began to fulfill the promise that health care legislation would be hashed out on C-SPAN. His discussion with congressional leaders was broadcast on that cable channel and streamed live on the Internet. The nearly six-and-a-half hour-long meeting began to touch on many of the issues at stake in the health care area.  I’ll leave observations about the merits to our experts, who live-blogged the morning session. I found a few things interesting from a transparency perspective: The format was far more conducive to productive discussion than procedures for “debate” in Congress. What generally happens in the House and Senate is display of members’ and senators’ well-settled views.  So today interested Americans could ge... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3311658 Fri, 26 Feb 2010 11:21:09 +0100 3311658 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3306982&cid=t_299633_129_f&fid=36038&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Ftrevis-life-with-multiple-sclerosis-ms%2Flatest-ccsvi-results-raise-a-question%2F We’ve had a few postings here at Life with MS on the topic of CCSVI and they’ve all stirred a spirited debate. Well, as I was re-reading the latest research results something new stirred inside my brain. Unlike Dr Zamboni’s original research findings, wherein none of the “non-MS” subjects showed signs of CCSVI, this (more extensive and single blinded) study showed over a quarter of non-MS patients also living with CCSVI. While everyone is focusing on the 55%-62% (depending on which way you read the results) of people living with MS who show signs of CCSVI, I’d like to know more about the nearly 26% of “healthy” subjects who exhibit signs of something that was heretofore thought to be (nearly) exclusive of people living with multiple sclerosis. Don’t get me... Life with MS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3306982 Wed, 24 Feb 2010 21:09:21 +0100 3306982 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3283722&cid=t_299633_129_f&fid=36038&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Ftrevis-life-with-multiple-sclerosis-ms%2Fwe-need-information-not-hype-on-ccsvi%2F CCSVI, CCSVI, CCSVI.  For the past three months, the world of multiple sclerosis world has been turned on its ear with discussions of chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency (CCSVI). The concept broached by Italian medical doctor and professor, Dr. Paolo Zamboni, was a reexamination of several old theories (with significantly more sophisticated equipment) as to the relationship/correlation of tiny iron deposits in and around MS lesions. While Dr. Zamboni and his team of researchers presented academic papers showing a unique similarity (dubbed CCSVI) in 100 percent of MS patients they studied, these publications called for further investigation within the peer-review system.  Dr. Zamboni’s specialty is the vascular system and hence began experimental treatment of these patients with ... Life with MS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3283722 Wed, 17 Feb 2010 21:32:44 +0100 3283722 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3262596&cid=t_299633_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FDuS-dbbP72U%2F By David BoazClosing statements are posted at the Economist debate, “This house believes that Barack Obama is failing.” Currently, Obama leads in the voting by a bit less than the margin by which American voters oppose his health care plan. But there’s still time for a rally! So vote now. I conclude my closing statement this way: Has Mr Obama failed? Of course it’s too early to say that. But is he headed that way? Let’s go to the tape: His policies are bad for the country; they expand government, reduce freedom and slow the economic recovery. The policies that he cannot implement by executive order have become bogged down in Congress as public opposition mounts. Since he was elected, his party has lost three elections for governor and senator. Public opinion h... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3262596 Wed, 10 Feb 2010 18:01:35 +0100 3262596 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3235831&cid=t_299633_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FyvhYgkkOBi0%2F By David BoazAt the Economist website, I’m debating the question, “This house believes that Barack Obama is failing.” I’m taking the affirmative. Readers are allowed to vote, and the Economist’s typically left-leaning readers are voting for Obama by about the same margin that Americans are rejecting his health care plan. So feel free to mosey on over there, read both sides of the argument, and cast your vote. My bottom line: When your policies aren’t working, the voters have noticed and your transformative ideological agenda is moving broad public opinion in the other direction, it’s safe to say you’re failing. Rebuttals and closing statements will follow in a few days. But don’t delay! Visit today! (Source: Cato-at-liberty) Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3235831 Tue, 02 Feb 2010 17:18:26 +0100 3235831 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3171877&cid=t_299633_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FfYqakBfBSqo%2F By Tad DeHavenOne aspect of the health care debate that has not been sufficiently addressed is how the Department of Health and Human Services will handle all its new responsibilities given the massive fraud and abuse that already plagues its existing programs. It seems that every week there’s a new report of government health care being bilked. Since what’s reported is typically only what is caught, one can only imagine how much isn’t being caught. Harvard’s Malcolm Sparrow, a top specialist in health care fraud, estimates that up to 20 percent of federal health program budgets are consumed by improper payments, which would be a staggering $150 billion a year for Medicare and Medicaid. New York Times columnist David Leonhardt did raise the question this week of whether the HHS bur... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3171877 Thu, 14 Jan 2010 14:42:55 +0100 3171877 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3159688&cid=t_299633_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FVL9Hc7rkmLQ%2F By Chris Moody David Boaz: “Suddenly, I find myself nostalgic for Bill Clinton….Come back, Bill, all is forgiven. Or most, anyway. As long as you bring a Republican Congress with you.” So, have you been following the health-care debate on C-SPAN? Oh wait… Obama administration preparing a new arms package for Taiwan. Nat Hentoff to Castro et al: “Roar, tyrants, you cannot hide your racist deeds.“ Podcast: “Price Controls in Obamacare” featuring Michael F. Cannon. (Source: Cato-at-liberty) Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3159688 Mon, 11 Jan 2010 16:27:38 +0100 3159688 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3149036&cid=t_299633_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FZDQ9ByXWiyo%2F By Michael F. CannonThat’s the conclusion of economist Glen Whitman and physician Raymond Raad, who write in Forbes: Unfortunately, the health care bills moving through Congress could curtail medical innovation. Imposing price controls on drugs and treatments–or indirectly forcing their prices down by means of a “public option” or expanded public insurance programs–would reduce the incentive for innovators to develop new treatments. Proposed reforms could also retard business model innovation–an area where innovation is weak. Congress has already used its control of Medicare to limit the growth of specialty hospitals. A nationally mandated insurance package would severely curtail innovation in payment methods and insurance products, which have the potent... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3149036 Wed, 06 Jan 2010 18:06:45 +0100 3149036 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3089510&cid=t_299633_136_f&fid=37852&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdonnatrussell.com%2F2009%2F12%2F14%2Finside-the-health-care-reform-sausage-factory%2F New cartoon by Trussell & Trussell on AOL’s Politics Daily. Inside the Health Care Reform Sausage Factory. Posted in Politics Daily Tagged: chaos theory, health care bill, health care debate, health care reform, political cartoon (Source: Donna Trussell) Donna Trussell blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3089510 Mon, 14 Dec 2009 18:01:48 +0100 3089510 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3082390&cid=t_299633_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FetlyVD0kA70%2F By Chris Moody Health care insurance mandates: Why it is unconstitutional for the government to force you to purchase a product you don’t want to buy. Should malpractice reform be included in the pending health care bill? The end of globalization? Cato’s trade policy expert Daniel Griswold debates. Doug Bandow on the minaret ban in Switzerland: “Swiss voters underestimated the impact on religious liberty when they voted to ban minaret construction. But Muslims whose nations persecute Christians, Jews, and other religious minorities have no standing to complain. The Islamic world needs to respect religious liberty at home before lecturing the West about intolerance, racism, hatred and Islamophobia.” More debate over Hayek and spontaneous order at Cato Unbound... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3082390 Fri, 11 Dec 2009 21:03:39 +0100 3082390 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3067023&cid=t_299633_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FpYS4jNbVURM%2F By Chris Moody How the European Union can bring peace to the Middle East. Nat Hentoff on the health care debate: “We do not elect the president and Congress to decide how short our lives will be. That decision is way above their pay grades.” Video: What can autism teach us about economics? Cato’s Malou Innocent debates the troop build up in Afghanistan. Over at Cato Unbound, experts discuss the positive and negative outcomes of modernity. Podcast: Driverless cars? They aren’t as far away as you think. (Source: Cato-at-liberty) Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3067023 Mon, 07 Dec 2009 16:28:40 +0100 3067023 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3018977&cid=t_299633_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fwhu3WPjVY3M%2F This morning, Politico Arena asks: Do you take Glenn Beck’s “new national movement” seriously? Is the GOP establishment letting itinerant celebrities and talk show stars set the party’s agenda? As Winston Churchill understood, democracy is messy (and, as in his case, sometimes ungrateful).  Glenn Beck is no William F. Buckley Jr.  But then, “Joe the Plumber” probably never read National Review, which like most other journals of “high opinion” was never self-sustaining.  Liberals today, their noses in the air Obama style, look across America from the vantage of the famous New Yorker cover and see pitchfork brigades, forgetting that those who fill the brigades generally love America, which is more than can be said of some of the baggage tha... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3018977 Mon, 23 Nov 2009 15:27:50 +0100 3018977 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2989369&cid=t_299633_136_f&fid=37852&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdonnatrussell.com%2F2009%2F11%2F12%2Feverybody-lets-play-health-care%2F New cartoon by Trussell & Trussell on AOL’s Politics Daily: Everybody! Let’s Play Health Care! Posted in Politics Daily Tagged: chaos theory, health care, health care bill, health care debate, health care reform, health insurance, political cartoon (Source: Donna Trussell) Donna Trussell blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2989369 Thu, 12 Nov 2009 20:41:14 +0100 2989369 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2977268&cid=t_299633_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FfbouaqOhHe0%2F President Obama’s approach to health care reform — forcing taxpayers to subsidize health insurance for tens of millions of Americans — cannot not change the status quo on abortion. Either those taxpayer dollars will fund abortions, or the restrictions necessary to prevent taxpayer funding will curtail access to private abortion coverage. There is no middle ground. Thus both sides’ fears are justified. Both sides of the abortion debate are learning why government should not subsidize health care. Tip of the hat to President Obama for creating this teachable moment. Meanwhile, Catholics should be outraged at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (to which my grandfather served as counsel). Yes, the USCCB helped prevent taxpayer funding of abortions in the H... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2977268 Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:42:32 +0100 2977268 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2958815&cid=t_299633_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fe23u5_Pqseo%2F Cato director of health policy studies Michael F. Cannon will participate in a live online chat today at the New Haven Register. The event starts at 2pm EST and will last for an hour. We encourage you to submit questions once the event has started. Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) will participate in the chat alongside Cannon. (Source: Cato-at-liberty) Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2958815 Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:28:32 +0100 2958815 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2947029&cid=t_299633_129_f&fid=36038&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Ftrevis-life-with-multiple-sclerosis-ms%2Fgive-us-generic-drugs-for-our-ms-treatment%2F The first therapy for MS (Interferon beta-1b) was made available to us nearly 20-years-ago now.  It was followed, in relatively rapid succession (over the next ten years) by two other interferon therapies and Glatiramer acetate.  Most recently, a monoclonal antibody has been added to our MS arsenal. These are all compounds known as biologic drugs, meaning that they are grown, not synthesized.  They must be grown from living cell cultures in a controlled environment with great care and at great cost. These drugs are not the “$500 Million for the first pill, $.05 for the rest.” A cost which is, as we know, passed along to the consumer…us. Like all drugs, they are patent protected so that the proprietary company can recoup research and development expenses and return a profit to ... Life with MS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2947029 Fri, 30 Oct 2009 19:00:39 +0100 2947029 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2904857&cid=t_299633_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FCi50C2kTAYs%2F Last week, editors at Politico posed two questions to an online panel to which I contribute: “ACORN: Underplayed or overblown?” and “Will the Dems ever get their act together on healthcare?” The two are intimately connected by a simple proposition: “Most people want more housing and health care than they can afford.” Of course, for “housing” or “health care” one could substitute whatever one wishes: food, clothing, cars, education, entertainment, vacations, you name it. Economists call this the problem of scarcity, and it’s the beginning of economics. In a free society, most individuals, families, and firms will deal with that problem through such homely measures as creating and husbanding wealth, planning for the future, an... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2904857 Mon, 19 Oct 2009 14:27:00 +0100 2904857 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2876035&cid=t_299633_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aahcdc.org%2Fpolicy%2FAAHC_OutofTime_4WEB.pdf The following post was written by Elaine R. Rubin, PhD, who is Vice President for Policy and Program of the Association of Academic Health Centers. She is a health policy analyst with a focus on health care organizations, infrastructure, regulatory, and research issues and publications on a variety of health topics. The post first appeared on HealthPROSE, the blog of the Association of Academic Health Centers. I heard today that congressional staffers are “punch drunk” from logging in so many hours working on health reform.  I am not comforted by that thought given they are trying to  write one of the most significant pieces of legislation in decades.  I am  wary of the urgent rush to produce something—good or bad—to show that Congress is not twiddling its thumbs.  Does the Co... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2876035 Thu, 08 Oct 2009 17:20:20 +0100 2876035 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2824168&cid=t_299633_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F09%2F23%2Fthe-complexity-of-psychology-research%2F A lot of times, I write about the results of some new psychology research study or scientific analysis. I boil the results down to digestible findings and try and wrap the whole thing up in simple, common-sense terms. But sometimes what I don’t write about is often more fascinating than what I do. The science of psychological research is, in itself, a complex and regularly contested issue. For every new study published, another study will come out that will directly refute or at the very least, call into question, the findings of the study. One of the journals I subscribe to from the Association for Psychological Science is called Perspectives on Psychological Science. This journal publishes scholarly debates about the merits of certain aspects of the science of psychology. Every i... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2824168 Wed, 23 Sep 2009 09:45:44 +0100 2824168 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2800369&cid=t_299633_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FPXaZmmp6wYQ%2F Item: The Coalition for a Realistic Foreign Policy, a group of concerned scholars and authors who work on international security and U.S. foreign policy, have issued an open letter to President Obama warning him not to expand U.S. involvement in that country.  (Full disclosure: I was a signatory.)  The list of signatories includes many of the scholars who urged President Bush not to invade Iraq.  Politico was the first to run the story: see here. Item: Via Michael Cohen, former CIA counterterrorism honcho Paul Pillar takes to the pages of the Washington Post to think through the concept of “safe havens” in Afghanistan.  His conclusion? Among the many parallels being offered between Afghanistan and the Vietnam War, one of the most disturbing concerns inadequate examination o... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2800369 Wed, 16 Sep 2009 14:44:15 +0100 2800369 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2788509&cid=t_299633_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FznpyTnlvQzw%2F Jack of all trades and master of none: What happens when the government gets so big that it fails to fulfill its most important role. The hard truth about end-of-life care in America. If current trends continue, the U.S. government will soon spend a greater portion of GDP on Medicare and Medicaid than Canada now spends on its entire single-payer government-run system. Here’s a way to fix that. How about a little honesty from time to time in the tobacco policy debate? More drug-related chaos along the Mexican border. Go North Young Man! Will Wilkinson becomes “forever Canadian.” (Source: Cato-at-liberty) Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2788509 Fri, 11 Sep 2009 18:34:15 +0100 2788509 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2782012&cid=t_299633_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FH6_9KADeCQ4%2F I (and several colleagues) have blogged before about Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, the latest campaign finance case, which was argued this morning at the Supreme Court.  The case is about much more than whether a corporation can release a movie about a political candidate during an election campaign.  Indeed, it goes to the very heart of the First Amendment, which was specifically created to protect political speech—the kind most in danger of being censored by politicians looking to limit the appeal of threatening candidates and ideas. After all, hard-hitting political speech is something the First Amendment’s authors experienced firsthand.  They knew very well what they were doing in choosing free and vigorous debate over government-filtered pablum.  Moreove... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2782012 Wed, 09 Sep 2009 21:15:01 +0100 2782012 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2778392&cid=t_299633_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FdYrS3bQjgmM%2F Although it has very much taken a back-seat to health care, and a press report [$] today say it could be bumped down yet another notch on the administration’s hierarchy of goals, climate change is shaping up to be a major battle if the others don’t prove to be prohibitively exhausting. So today I am weighing in on the debate by releasing my new paper on the dangers of using trade measures as a tool of climate policy. The Democrats were keen to pass a climate change bill in advance of the December meeting in Copenhagen designed to agree on a successor regime to the Kyoto protocol, which expires in 2012.  However, opposition from a number of quarters and the fear of health-care-town-halls-mark-II has cooled their heels. Senate leaders have pushed back the deadline for passing... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2778392 Wed, 09 Sep 2009 14:36:09 +0100 2778392 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2744049&cid=t_299633_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FM7rUTJ2Rhbk%2F Nearly 30 European countries have agreed to end their government mail monopolies in the next five years. The U.S. Postal Service has estimated losses of $7 billion this year. It’s time to privatize. If you are curious about how President Barack Obama’s health plan would affect your health care, look no further than Massachusetts. You might not like what you find. How the outcome of the health care debate will affect our greatest liberty — life. Keep an eye on the troubling voting procedures in Europe. Podcast: The Age of Reagan (Source: Cato-at-liberty) Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2744049 Fri, 28 Aug 2009 20:09:03 +0100 2744049 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2727081&cid=t_299633_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F3YcjeyJ8c0k%2F One of the most disturbing things about the current health care debate is that some Republicans are positioning themselves as defenders of Big Government Medicare and against efforts to trim the program’s costs. Yet the taxpayer costs of Medicare are expected to more than double over the next decade (from $425 billion in 2009 to $871 billion in 2019), and the program will consume an increasing share of the nation’s economy for decades to come unless there are serious cuts and reforms. Even the Obama administration talks about “bending the cost curve” to slow the program’s growth. Yet Republican National Committee chairman, Michael Steele, takes to the Washington Post today to defend Medicare against any cuts, while at the same time criticizing the Democr... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2727081 Mon, 24 Aug 2009 14:01:53 +0100 2727081 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2724930&cid=t_299633_111_f&fid=36048&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAHeartyLife%2F%7E3%2FdXbPPnOwgFY%2F The health care debate in Washington has really heated up. But one thing I’ve noticed is that people seem to cling to sound bytes to get their news about what’s really going on. Sometimes, the snippets they hear are taken out of context or even completely untrue. To see how much you might now, log on to CNN and take this health care debate quiz. You’ll get an idea of what you know versus what you’ve heard, to see which is the truth. I was surprised at how much I didn’t know. Image: sxc.hu. Post from: Blisstree Health Care Debate Quiz (Source: A Hearty Life) A Hearty Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2724930 Fri, 21 Aug 2009 12:36:25 +0100 2724930 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2715923&cid=t_299633_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F-7W3ksPPYwI%2F The health care debate has catalyzed a wonderful national clash of cultures centering on freedom versus control. Here’s one example that’s both complex and delightful. Progressive site TalkingPointsMemo ran a story yesterday about a man named “Chris” who carried a rifle outside an event in Phoenix at which President Obama appeared. “We will forcefully resist people imposing their will on us through the strength of the majority with a vote,” Chris said. To many TPM readers, this kind of thing is self-evidently shocking and wrong: Carrying a weapon is inherently threatening, Second Amendment notwithstanding. And vowing to resist the properly expressed will of the majority—isn’t that an outrageous denial of our democratic values? Well, . . . No.... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2715923 Wed, 19 Aug 2009 16:19:49 +0100 2715923 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2709116&cid=t_299633_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F7nvtIb_Ez3o%2F Politico reports that the so-called “public option” provision could be dropped from the highly controversial health care bill currently being debated throughout the country: President Barack Obama and his top aides are signaling that they’re prepared to drop a government insurance option from a final health-reform deal if that’s what’s needed to strike a compromise on Obama’s top legislative priority…. Obama and his aides continue to emphasize having some competitor to private insurers, perhaps nonprofit insurance cooperatives, but they are using stronger language to downplay the importance that it be a government plan. As I have said before, establishing health insurance co-operatives is a poor alternative to the public option plan. Opponents of a government ta... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2709116 Mon, 17 Aug 2009 14:33:11 +0100 2709116 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2709117&cid=t_299633_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FyIliDWHWvas%2F “Death panels” are a dominant motif in the debate over health care regulation, a fact that spins off political flares like a roman candle. Extremists on both sides have taken their extreme positions: Some literally fear President Obama and his health regulation plans; others are outraged that anyone could possibly feel that way. Charges of special-interest organizing meet counter-charges of unfairness and false accusation. Good video from town hall meetings and volleys of “Nazi” and “socialist” give cable news networks another short reprieve from their long slow decline. It’s all manna for the writers at Comedy Central. But let’s talk substance: Health care is a scarce good, so it will always be rationed. The core question is whether governm... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2709117 Mon, 17 Aug 2009 12:22:54 +0100 2709117 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2688645&cid=t_299633_87_f&fid=34902&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.futurepundit.com%2Farchives%2F006442.html UC Irvine cell biologist Doug Wallace argues that we can not afford to treat the growing population of old folks by treating individual disease and that we should instead treat... (Source: FuturePundit) FuturePundit blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2688645 Mon, 10 Aug 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2688645 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2660872&cid=t_299633_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2Fs7g-_fgmuVM%2F Here’s another GM issue that’s being close followed, and this time it’s a local (US) issue. Six farmers from the Boulder County in Colorado asked asking permission to plant genetically modified sugar beets on open space land, which are areas of protected or conserved land on which development is indefinitely set aside. The farmers argue that they need to plant GM sugar beets in order to be competitive and stay in business. This year, 95 percent of all sugar beets grown in the US are Roundup Ready, which have been modified to resist the herbicide Roundup. Overspraying with herbicides usually kills both weeds and crops, but the biotech beets can be sprayed with Roundup to kill the weeds and the beets will stay unharmed. After strong arguments from both sides, the Boulder County Food... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2660872 Sat, 01 Aug 2009 11:48:00 +0100 2660872 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2657835&cid=t_299633_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FkHUaI_XIf5Y%2F As much as I can in Genetics and Health, I try to stay away from the controversies of the GM food debate. There is so much that people don’t know, but need to understand about the entire science surrounding genetic engineering of plants and animals. But people’s opinions are so polarized that it’s hard to put sense into the arguments. And that’s where I’m coming from in this, because I got so frustrated when I read this news at the Daily Mail (UK): “Defra trying to ’sneak GM trial under the radar’ despite contamination health fears”. Here’s the thing: Leeds university scientists planted GM potatoes in their experimental fields and published that information on the government website. The GM crops were resistant to nematode worms, a pest that cost British farm... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2657835 Fri, 31 Jul 2009 11:46:11 +0100 2657835 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2653984&cid=t_299633_137_f&fid=35426&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FTheAlzheimersReadingRoom%2F%7E3%2FgjqxIdeRvcc%2Fhealthcare-reform-will-proposal-promote.html Does the new healthcare reform bill promote euthanasia? Sean Hannity believes it. So does House Minority Leader John Boehner. Talk show host Fred Thompson calls it “the dirty little secret” of the health care reform debate. The focus of their ire is a provision tucked deep inside the House bill that would provide Medicare coverage for an end-of-life consultation once every five years. If a person falls ill with a life-threatening disease, more... This is a content summary. We are interested in your comments and reactions. Please comment in the comments box under the article on the website. (Source: Alzheimer's Reading Room, The) Alzheimer's Reading Room, The blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2653984 Thu, 30 Jul 2009 00:39:24 +0100 2653984 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2653671&cid=t_299633_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FqluhO8I2kB0%2F It’s not often that I can transition from my education beat to other hot topics, but an Inside Higher Ed story on colleges’ health-care benefits includes this little nugget: One trend documented in the survey that may concern many employees is the increase in “consumer driven” health insurance plans by colleges. These typically involve employees setting up tax-free accounts to pay for some care, and then high deductibles for major medical expenses. This year, 17 percent of colleges were offering the plans, up from 11 percent two years ago. So what’s so terrible about “consumer driven” health care, which from the article sounds like health savings accounts ? The story doesn’t say — nor does it give any details on who puts the money into... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2653671 Wed, 29 Jul 2009 17:31:12 +0100 2653671 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2645421&cid=t_299633_125_f&fid=38161&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dentalheroes.com%2Ffluoride-poll%2F We just published a new poll and would like to know where you fall on the fluoride debate that has been getting louder for several years now. If you’re unaware that this issue is even being debated, or want more information with regards to both sides’ arguments, check out their respective websites below. Pro-Fluoride: Ada.org Anti-Fluoride: Fluoridedebate.com Here’s the poll Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll. (Source: Dental Heroes) Dental Heroes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2645421 Tue, 28 Jul 2009 05:01:08 +0100 2645421 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2626190&cid=t_299633_129_f&fid=36035&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-chronic-pain%2Fhow-do-you-think-we-could-cut-costs-in-our-health-care-system%2F As most of you who read this blog on a regular basis know, I have been serving on an online panel for The Washington Post regarding this whole subject of changing or improving health care in our country. It’s a huge subject and today I don’t want to get lost in the muck and mire of trying to sludge through this whole issue. I, also, do not want to turn this blog, which I started to address living with chronic pain, to become a political one. Neither do I want it to be a religious one, a sexist one or a reality TV show; there is enough reality in living with daily pain. Everyone is welcome here and I don’t want to do anything that will estrange anyone who needs to visit us. That said, however, I am a resolute believer in free speech I spend a great deal of my limited energy writing fo... Life with Chronic Pain blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2626190 Tue, 21 Jul 2009 16:18:53 +0100 2626190 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2570987&cid=t_299633_129_f&fid=36038&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Ftrevis-life-with-multiple-sclerosis-ms%2Fthe-ms-community-weighs-in-on-the-health-care-debate%2F What does the multiple sclerosis community think about changes to medical policy?  This week in Washington, DC lawmakers began what is sure to be an arduous national debate on the subject of health care reform.  Already “both sides” are waging an advertising campaign based upon people’s fears and hopes. I figured that as we go into the long Independence Day holiday weekend, we might afford ourselves to express (and maybe someone making decisions a chance to read) our thoughts on the subject.  Few diseases have a more significant lifetime economic impact as multiple sclerosis. Even with “excellent” coverage, many of us are either cornered into taking one drug or another because of outrageous co-pays or give up many rewarding aspects of our lives so we can af... Life with MS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2570987 Thu, 02 Jul 2009 21:45:20 +0100 2570987 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2561355&cid=t_299633_111_f&fid=34716&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FNurseRatchedsPlace%2F%7E3%2FRofKW5BgfLQ%2F My apologies to James Carville. I plagiarized his tagline because the insurance industry has forgotten about sick people during our national healthcare debate. I remember when nurses and insurance companies use to get along with each other. Back in the 1960s, these nurses even took time out of their busy schedules to pose for one of their ads. We took care of patients at the bedside, and the insurance companies paid the hospital bill. It was as simple as that, but then things started to change. It began with three little letters—HMO. Insurance companies are spending a lot of time and money trying to scare people into opposing President Barack Obama’s ideas on health care reform. They are especially working hard to torpedo the public option plan. That plan would allow you to keep y... Nurse Ratched's Place blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2561355 Wed, 01 Jul 2009 14:13:31 +0100 2561355 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2550219&cid=t_299633_93_f&fid=36982&url=http%3A%2F%2Fprep4md.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F06%2Fis-homosexuality-illness-mental.html Homosexuality refers to sexual attraction or sexual behavior between people of the same sex, or to a sexual orientation. As an orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions primarily to" people of the same sex; "it also refers to an individual’s sense of personal and social identity based on those attractions, behaviors expressing them, and membership in a community of others who share them."Homosexuality is one of the three main categories of sexual orientation, along with bisexuality and heterosexuality, within the heterosexual-homosexual continuum. The number of people who identify as homosexual — and the proportion of people who have same-sex sexual experiences — are difficult for researchers... My M.D. Journey! blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2550219 Sun, 28 Jun 2009 00:22:00 +0100 2550219 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2424025&cid=t_299633_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FHixRbfIt_qA%2F I’ve been reading the debate between our own Andrew Coulson and Rev. Joseph Darby with interest, not least because it is an extreme rarity to find an opponent of school choice with the courage and good faith to engage in such a public debate on the topic. That said, something Rev. Darby wrote in his response caught my attention because of its parallels with the modern fight over school choice: The first schools established for African-Americans following the Civil War were private schools. They sometimes, however, exclusively accepted the children of the black upper and middle economic classes while excluding the children of former slaves who struggled economically to survive. Public schools for African-Americans were decidedly and intentionally inferior, and the irony is that the oppone... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2424025 Tue, 19 May 2009 20:13:57 +0100 2424025 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2424029&cid=t_299633_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FJg-RkqeBr-A%2F A tax credit bill was recently proposed in South Carolina to give parents an easier choice between public and private schools. It would do this by cutting taxes on parents who pay for their own children’s education, and by cutting taxes on anyone who donates to a non-profit Scholarship Granting Organization (SGO). The SGOs would subsidize tuition for low income families (who owe little in taxes and so couldn’t benefit substantially from the direct tax credit). Charleston minister Rev. Joseph Darby opposes such programs, and I support them. We’ve decided to have this dialogue to explain why. Our closing comments appear below, and the previous installments are here and here and here. Rev. Joe Darby Closing Comment Thanks for the research and references, Andrew, but I do... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2424029 Tue, 19 May 2009 17:00:06 +0100 2424029 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2416839&cid=t_299633_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F05%2Fcalgary-cataract-wait-shows-peril-of.html I once supported a single payer health care plan for the USA and considered Canada to be the ideal model. I changed my mind after I went on a speaking gig to Ontario and the local newspaper headline screamed that 900,000 Ontarians could not find a primary care physician due to doctors refusing new patients. Then, I began noticing the long waits for surgeries, women being sent to the USA to give birth, and other antitheses of the easy access to care that the vast majority of Americans take for granted.Here's a case in point: Cataract surgery is readily available in the USA, but in Calgary, they are now very difficult to obtain. From the story: Calgary ophthalmologists say waiting times for cataract surgeries in the city have skyrocketed since the cash-strapped Alberta superboard slashed the... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2416839 Mon, 18 May 2009 14:50:00 +0100 2416839 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2405036&cid=t_299633_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F3K8wIIN2shw%2F That’s an apt way to describe this week’s health-care-reform media blitz by the White House. It’s probably also a good way to describe this debate over that media blitz: (Source: Cato-at-liberty) Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2405036 Wed, 13 May 2009 15:50:51 +0100 2405036 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2390200&cid=t_299633_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FvybfEG32M_w%2F I was speaking last night to the director of the new YAI Autism Center, for which I’ve written two blogs. “Beautifully written,” the good doctor said of them, so naturally I thought he was a pretty sharp guy. “I’m curious to see how the blog will develop,” he continued. “It seems that often when a center like ours has a blog, it finds itself having to take some stand. I was wondering what your views are?” Oh. In the whole cause-of-autism thing? Yes. I have no stand.  I usually answer that better minds than mine are working on this. Premature birth? Vaccines? Phases of the moon? All are good candidates. I’ve read up on the vaccine/mercury versus non-vaccine/mercury debate, most recently in Autism’s False Prophets, and I haven&... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2390200 Wed, 06 May 2009 16:18:20 +0100 2390200 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2367428&cid=t_299633_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F04%2Fpower-grab-shoving-health-care-reform.html President Obama and the Democrats in Congress intend to completely change the health care system of the United States without permitting any meaningful democratic debate. Rather than hold extensive hearings, allow a full airing of one of the most extensive and expensive changes in law in recent times, and risk having to compromise or lose, our overlords have decided they are going to shove what they want down our throats via a budget reconciliation bill. From the story: Principals in the talks acknowledged that a tentative budget agreement reached Thursday night between Congressional leaders and the White House would provide for the use of an obscure procedure known as a reconciliation on a health care bill, allowing health care legislation that meets budget targets to be approved by a sim... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2367428 Fri, 24 Apr 2009 22:36:00 +0100 2367428 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2347797&cid=t_299633_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fn1ux5-LtGnc%2F Oh, what a burn. My tax debate with French economist Thomas Piketty was a dead heat, 50-50, for the past four days. Then just as the contest was closing, he pulled ahead to seize victory, 51-49. The Economist editor described the tightly fought battle: Chris Edwards got over a strong initial disadvantage to narrow what was originally a strong lead for Mr Piketty to a dead heat, but eventually Mr Piketty has prevailed: but only just—even hours before closing, the vote was split exactly down the middle. One could not have asked for a closer contest: this has been the most closely-fought of our 21 online debates, although it began with a fairly substantial lead for the proposition. Certainly, the debate revealed high levels of interest in taxation and relative income levels. There were mo... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2347797 Fri, 17 Apr 2009 15:23:29 +0100 2347797 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2284438&cid=t_299633_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F03%2Fbiologically-new-human-life-begins-when.html This argument wouldn't have to be made, but for science becoming post modern in some circles so that narrative counts more than facts. This has certainly been true with regard to biotechnology because some want to use human embryos instrumentally. But rather than just admit that and justify it ethically, definitions were changed, for example, claiming that an embryo only comes into being upon implantation, rather than at its beginning at the completion of fertilization. In that way--presto-chango--embryos in petri dishes could be used as so many kernels of corn.But I looked into this issue when I was researching Consumer's Guide to a Brave New World. Every embryology text book I reviewed retained the non political definition of when human life begins, e.g. at the completion of fertilizatio... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2284438 Fri, 20 Mar 2009 23:41:00 +0100 2284438 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2256000&cid=t_299633_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F-R6xU_U7KBk%2F On the Diane Rehm Show last week, I predicted that all the lovey-dovey coalition-forming by the Church of Universal Coverage would fall apart as soon as people started talking about actual reforms instead of vague principles. Today, The New York Times reports: Two labor unions have pulled out of a broad coalition seeking agreement on major changes in the health care system. The action, by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees and the Service Employees International Union, shows the seeds of discord behind the optimistic talk at a White House conference on health care this week. It also illustrates the difficulty of reaching agreement on two of the knottiest issues in the health care debate: whether to offer a new government-sponsored insurance option, and whether... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2256000 Mon, 09 Mar 2009 19:29:58 +0100 2256000 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2141410&cid=t_299633_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F3n76Gcm7zc4%2F Can genetically-modified (GM) food feed the world’s hungry? Are they really safe enough to eat? Will the big GM food farmers push small traditional farming out of business? The usefulness and safety of genetically-modified food crops is as controversial and polarized as ever, and we can never seem to find a common ground. So, the Science Museum in London organized a debate on GM crops and the world food crisis in an attempt to let the public have a clearer understanding of the issues. Ian Sample of the Guardian UK chaired the event with a panel of key scientists debating back and forth with each other and the audience. Sample observes there was only one thing that everyone agreed on. The debate that followed covered some interesting ground, but it seemed easier to identify the problems... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2141410 Thu, 29 Jan 2009 10:34:21 +0100 2141410 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2195229&cid=t_299633_136_f&fid=36027&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Fandrewschorr%2Fmy-beef-with-infomercials%2F Over the holidays I watched television or listened to the radio at odd times. And lately I’ve run into a run of infomercials. I’ve tried to watch with a critical eye. I’ve given up on the ones with the rows of smiling, buff, dancing exercise enthusiasts. I know our increasingly obese American population likes watching the tight bodies but makes no effort – with new gizmos of not – to exercise themselves. It’s just eye candy and another way to blow money on a New Year’s resolution almost no one follows for very long. But beyond the 30-minute exercise-equipment commercials are the more medical ones. Jane Seymour, the British actress, for example, has her name on a line of skin care products. Everyone wants to look younger and, according to Seymour’s experts in white coats... Andrew at Large blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2195229 Wed, 28 Jan 2009 00:01:10 +0100 2195229 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2101477&cid=t_299633_147_f&fid=35750&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FHealthCareVox%2F%7E3%2FmABG8Qt1AXQ%2Fvaccine_advocates_have_a_celeb.html Over the past few months, we have seen evidence that failing to vaccinate children causes significant public health problems.  (See my essay, published on Envisioning 2.0, about this topic).  Yet, despite the fact that scientific evidence has failed to find a link between common children’s vaccines and illnesses such as autism, an army of antivaccine parents, celebrities and journalists have dominated the debate. Now, the New York Times highlights a new book by vaccine inventor and advocate Dr. Paul Offit, which it says is “rallying resistance to the Antivaccine Crusade.”  Interestingly, celebrity Amanda Peet has become an outspoken critic of anti-vaccination proponents.  According to the Times, She called antivaccine parents “’parasites&rs... HealthCareVox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2101477 Tue, 13 Jan 2009 18:50:26 +0100 2101477 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2065886&cid=t_299633_93_f&fid=36982&url=http%3A%2F%2Fprep4md.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F12%2Fevolution-101-for-dummies.html Note: Please before talking or trying to debate something learn, read, research, and educate your self about the topic otherwise believe me you will sound like this:OK, lets try and scratch the surface together, so we do not sound like idiots too.What is evolution?In biology, evolution is change in the inherited traits of a population of organisms from one generation to the next. These changes are caused by a combination of three main processes: variation, reproduction, and selection. Genes that are passed on to an organism's offspring produce the inherited traits that are the basis of evolution. These traits vary within populations, with organisms showing heritable differences in their traits. When organisms reproduce, their offspring may have new or altered traits. These new traits arise... My M.D. Journey! blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2065886 Thu, 25 Dec 2008 14:28:00 +0100 2065886 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2065308&cid=t_299633_87_f&fid=34902&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.futurepundit.com%2Farchives%2F005818.html A friend points out that Aubrey de Grey's October 8, 2007 Google Tech Talk on the defeat of aging has only 402 views. That's a waste of a valuable talk... (Source: FuturePundit) FuturePundit blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2065308 Wed, 24 Dec 2008 05:00:00 +0100 2065308 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2039816&cid=t_299633_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F12%2Fuk-debate-over-assisted-suicide-rages.html It is interesting how some things never change. In the 1990s, Jack Kevorkian's death circus lit a wildfire of debate over assisted suicide, with the default position being that since "terminally ill" people are going to commit suicide because the suffering is sometimes so unbearable, let's legalize it--under controlled circumstances. It didn't seem to matter a whit that Kevorkian's clients--they weren't patients since they only sought death from him, not care--mostly weren't terminally ill and that some weren't even sick at all. That truth for some reason could not or would not be seen--and often still isn't.A virtually identical paradigm has developed today in the UK. Suicide tourism is taking the lives of people who are dying and disabled, who fly to Switzerland for suicide facilitated b... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2039816 Mon, 15 Dec 2008 15:52:00 +0100 2039816 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2005528&cid=t_299633_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F12%2Fcourt-did-not-authorize-euthanasia-in.html One of the great difficulties we have in debating important cultural and ethical issues is the lack of a common frame of reference. Or to put it another way, when language is used very sloppily--whether negligently or intentionally--it becomes almost impossible to adhere to precise definitions and understand crucial distinctions that are prerequisites to informed and rational debate.Sometimes this is an advocacy tactic. Thus, proponents for unfettered embryonic stem cell and cloning research intentionally changed the language of the debate in order to win public support--aided and abetted by a completely in the tank media. Thus language describing embryonic stem cell research and therapeutic cloning issues was intentionally devolved into mere "stem cell research." As a consequence, adult s... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2005528 Mon, 01 Dec 2008 17:34:00 +0100 2005528 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1879950&cid=t_299633_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FRbXr5m2pLdA%2F “For families struggling with autism finding the latest treatments is a top priority,” begins an October 14th WCBStv story about “a controversial approach” that “is making headlines” (which, of course, has nothing to do with the actual efficacy of said approach). The approach is hyperbaric oxygen therapy and the doctor is Dr. James Neubrander, whose website refers to autism as the “treatable untreatable disorder!.” A hyperbaric chamber will set you back $21,000, WCBStv notes. Dr. Neubrander says that HBOT treats “decreases inflammation” and somehow altars the brain chemistry of autistic children and, while there’s no studies to back it up, he says: “No, the studies are not there, but it doesn’t invalidate what we... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1879950 Wed, 15 Oct 2008 18:00:45 +0100 1879950 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1847987&cid=t_299633_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2Fl6p7i7M-uFI%2F As the October 1st issue of Scientific American Mind reminds us, words have power. I know this even more whenever I hear my son Charlie speak. He was very, very late to talk and he first didn’t talk at all, but used sign language. Today he speaks in short phrases and sentences, and almost-sentences. A lot of words get thrown around about autism on the Internet, on blogs and newspaper and media websites and who knows where else. Too often, even most often, it seems that the vast percentage of those words are in the realm of misinformation, as the numerous mentions of notions about what causes autism, from power plants in Texas to the quite infamous hypotheses about vaccines and/or mercury. As Dr. Paul Offit noted on his Science Blogs Book Club post today: A couple of bloggers praised ... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1847987 Thu, 02 Oct 2008 23:29:28 +0100 1847987 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1837588&cid=t_299633_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F09%2F29%2Fbracelet-based-policy-making%2F Ever wonder why so much time is spent comparing jewelry and telling personal anecdotes in presidential debates (see short video above), even as many of the larger policy questions remain largely unexplored?  There are, of course, many reasons (some of which have been noted in previous Situationist posts), but Friday’s wrist-off reminded us of one key contributor: “the identifiable victim effect” –  greater sympathy is felt for identifiable victims than for statistical victims. George Loewenstein, Deborah Small, and Jeff Strnad have an excellent 2005 paper, “Statistical, Identifiable and Iconic Victims and Perpetrators” (available for free downloading on SSRN), discussing that effect and its role in policymaking. Their introduction includes this paragra... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1837588 Mon, 29 Sep 2008 04:01:28 +0100 1837588 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1834749&cid=t_299633_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FDK-ZKpnQHXE%2F Over at Salon on his blog sWell blog, physician Rahul K. Parikh deconstructs David Kirby’s September 24th presentation to Congressional staffers. The presentation’s title was “The Vaccine-Autism Debate: New Developments from Science and Policy” and the PowerPoint slides and a write-up are posted on the Age of Autism weblog. Sullivan has been posting about the hearing as Vaccines on the Hill III, Vaccines on the Hill II, and Vaccines on the Hill. Liz at I Speak of Dream noted that this latest attempt to “indoctrinate congressional staffers” by the usual suspects in the anti-vaccine/pro-vaccine safety annals—-Davis Kirby, Mark Blaxill (VP of Safe Minds)—-gets a fail. Dr. Parikh explains why after assessing the claims of each of Kirby’s sl... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1834749 Sun, 28 Sep 2008 00:00:53 +0100 1834749 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1825835&cid=t_299633_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FbCgs4hoYjTY%2F So with Mother Warriors: A Nation of Parents Healing Autism Against All Odds, Jenny McCarthy’s new autism book out, I decided I need to fess up. I am a retired Warrior Mom. “Warrior Mom” is the term that Jim used to use when I got into a certain “those administrators haven’t heard the last of us” “did that doctor listen to one word we were saying” “if we don’t do it this way he’ll never get it” “I know best because I’m the mom” state of mind—-that kind of defiant, mother-bear-out-to-protect her cubs mode. I was determined, I’d read everything book and article and stared at websites on my computer screen for so many hours and I was the person who spent the most time with Charlie—&#821... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1825835 Wed, 24 Sep 2008 13:27:14 +0100 1825835 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1825836&cid=t_299633_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FIBhIQKxDr1s%2F ‘Tis September and, it seems, the season for autism books: Started off the month with Dr. Paul Offit’s Autism’s False Prophets: Bad Science, Risky Medicine and the Search for a Cure and now here comes Jenny McCarthy’s autism book #2, Mother Warriors: A Nation of Parents Healing Autism Against All Odds , and accompanying appearances on Oprah, video clips, and the like. So there you have it. The Vaccine Doctor and the Autism Mom Heroine. In this script, Jenny and her following of David(a)s are poised, too-good non-toxicness products in their hands, to take on the evil Goliath of the Medical Establishment, Big Pharma, the dreaded CDC. I guess we should look out for flying stilettos (or maybe Crocs; warrior moms have to take their kids to the pool for sensory relief) wh... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1825836 Wed, 24 Sep 2008 02:01:43 +0100 1825836 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1782732&cid=t_299633_135_f&fid=35247&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmyjourneywithaids.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F09%2F10%2Fthe-debate-heat-is-following-layton%2F Protests do not have to be large to get attention in election campaigns. NDP leader Jack Layton was touting a new jobs plan when a few Greens intervened to ask him about the role he played in keeping Green Party leader Elizabeth May out of the upcoming televised debates. Here’s how cbc.ca reported it: Green protester [...] (Source: My journey with AIDS) My journey with AIDS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1782732 Wed, 10 Sep 2008 16:54:22 +0100 1782732 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1652326&cid=t_299633_133_f&fid=35082&url=http%3A%2F%2Fautism.gbrettmiller.com%2F2008%2F07%2Fopposingviewscom-are-autism-and-vaccines-linked%2F Just a little while ago, I learned of (what is to me) an interesting website: OpposingViews.com. As the name suggests, it is a place for people to discuss their opposing views. A newly started debate entitled Are Autism and Vaccines Linked is up and running that I thought my readers would be interested in. I’m not exactly sure how the site works, or how “experts” are verified, but as of the time I write this post, the debate seems to be between Dr. Jennifer Shu on the NO side and the National Autism Association, SafeMinds, and Dr. Karima Hirani on the YES side. Those of us who are not “verified experts” can post comments to the arguments put forth by the experts. At the time of me writing this, there are 21 comments, all from supporters of the YES argument t... 29 Marbles blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1652326 Thu, 24 Jul 2008 20:19:56 +0100 1652326 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1634795&cid=t_299633_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F07%2Fcheck-out-debate-on-animal-research.html I was asked by Opposing Views, a new Web site dedicated to on-line civil debate about contentious issues, to argue against PETA and PCRM about the need to use animals in research. I agreed. If you are interested, here is the link. You may have to register and once you do, comments are allowed.The site gets into all kinds of issues, some covered here at SHS, and others, not. Check it out. (Source: Secondhand Smoke) Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1634795 Thu, 17 Jul 2008 16:50:00 +0100 1634795 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1596263&cid=t_299633_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F07%2Fmedia-credit-where-it-is-due-ap-calls.html Word engineering has always been intrinsic to the euthanasia movement. Always. Indeed, today mercy killing and euthanasia are synonyms thanks to the euthanasia movement of the late 19th Century. Before that, the term "good death" meant dying peacefully (and naturally) in a state of grace.These days the word engineering by assisted suicide proponents seeks to make it so that terminally ill people can't really commit suicide, at least if the death is caused by an overdose--and besides, the term is soooo judgmental that people might reject the agenda. So, they have spent much effort courting the media to have the term changed in news stories to the gooey euphemism, "aid in dying."But apparently the Associated Press didn't bite. From a media blog in The Olympian: The debate, I'm told, went to ... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1596263 Tue, 08 Jul 2008 14:57:00 +0100 1596263 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1485055&cid=t_299633_107_f&fid=36698&url=http%3A%2F%2Fminingdrugs.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F06%2Fscience-editorial-social-or-both.html It was almost two months ago that David Bradley asked the question (via LinkedIn), if science may benefit from social software? Several people responded, and especially David Crotty started a controversial discussion based on my raised points.First, Crotty said that 'popularity' is a terrible measure of quality. Actually, I think I agree on this! Otherwise, any popular web page would be automatically one with a higher quality. I have some software engineering background and would like to take this into account. I would argue that not only the access rate of web pages, but also the cross-linking character between them, or the number of errors per page would be good metrics. Was anyone following the dispute about the Britannica-Wikipedia comparison (comment)? Again, what should we compare? E... Mining Drug Space blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1485055 Sun, 01 Jun 2008 19:10:00 +0100 1485055 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1469672&cid=t_299633_87_f&fid=34902&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.futurepundit.com%2Farchives%2F005222.html Suppose you find a lamp that contains a genie. Suppose the genie grants you 3 wishes to make parts of your body young again. You have to use the wishes... (Source: FuturePundit) FuturePundit blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1469672 Tue, 27 May 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1469672 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1402393&cid=t_299633_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F04%2F27%2Fthe-situation-of-public-political-discourse%2F Yesterday, Hillary Clinton challenged Barack Obama to a debate with no moderators, in the spirit of Lincoln-Douglas. This month’s Harper’s contains an eloquent essay (based on a lecture) by Marilynne Robinson, which among other things suggests that such an event–were the Lincoln-Douglas exchange truly the model–would not be well received. * * * [T]he old dream of integrating the highest levels of thought and learning into a life of humane labor in which everyone has a part, the ideal of equality without condescension, this is what we have lost. Every aspect of contemporary life assumes a lowest common denominator that is very low indeed. What politician would be so bold as to refine a point, confess to an ambivalence, allude to literature or history? We have been a... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1402393 Sun, 27 Apr 2008 15:09:30 +0100 1402393 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1363671&cid=t_299633_114_f&fid=34646&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthcarebloglaw.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F04%2Fis-prevention-cheaper-than-treatment.html David Williams over at the Health Business Blog looks at this question and surprisingly answers it saying that studies show it's often cheaper to let people get sick. This perspective comes from a Washington Post article, In the Balance, Some Candidates Disagree, but Studies Show It's Often Cheaper to Let People Get Sick.I have assumed (apparently wrongly) that creating a model system in the United States focused on prevention would help halt rising health care costs. Although I've not read all the links in David's post I still have to believe that focusing prevention efforts on chronic disease will have a positive benefits. I'm also wondering whether the study took into account the difficulty (and related costs) of getting people to change their habits which in turn results in prevention.... Health Care Law Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1363671 Thu, 10 Apr 2008 13:21:00 +0100 1363671 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1223707&cid=t_299633_87_f&fid=34902&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.futurepundit.com%2Farchives%2F004998.html Dave Gobel tells me Aubrey de Grey (he of Strategies for Engineered Negligible Senescence fame on how to make our bodies youthful again) will be on the Colbert Report tonight.... (Source: FuturePundit) FuturePundit blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1223707 Mon, 11 Feb 2008 05:00:00 +0100 1223707 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1184763&cid=t_299633_136_f&fid=36027&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fandrewschorr%2Fmy-beef-with-infomercials%2F Over the holidays I watched television or listened to the radio at odd times. And lately I’ve run into a run of infomercials. I’ve tried to watch with a critical eye. I’ve given up on the ones with the rows of smiling, buff, dancing exercise enthusiasts. I know our increasingly obese American population likes watching the tight bodies but makes no effort – with new gizmos of not – to exercise themselves. It’s just eye candy and another way to blow money on a New Year’s resolution almost no one follows for very long. But beyond the 30-minute exercise-equipment commercials are the more medical ones. Jane Seymour, the British actress, for example, has her name on a line of skin care products. Everyone wants to look younger and, according to Seymour’s experts in white coats... Andrew at Large blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1184763 Tue, 29 Jan 2008 04:59:39 +0100 1184763 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1175087&cid=t_299633_117_f&fid=36026&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fzimney%2Fmaster-cleanse-debate-on-radio-talk-show%2F I have written many times about the Master Cleanse program in this blog (links provided at the end of this post). My comments have been covered by the Associated Press and are also on Wikipedia. Most recently, however, was a radio talk show virtual debate between Peter Glickman, a major proponent of the Master Cleanse, and myself, taking a more negative position. The program aired live on Saturday January 19, 2008 on KCRW, a public radio station in Los Angeles. The show was part of a weekly food program called Good Food, hosted by Evan Kleiman. But if you’re interested, you can access the show’s archive at any time simply by visiting the KCRW web page. When you get there, you’ll find a description of the entire show, including all the guests. Near the top of the page, under the date,... Dr. Z's Medical Report blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1175087 Thu, 24 Jan 2008 18:49:52 +0100 1175087 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1173538&cid=t_299633_129_f&fid=36038&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fmultiple-sclerosis%2Flife-with-ms%2Fwhat-else-can-i-do-for-my-ms-complementary-treatments%2F Let me first offer apologies for my absence these past few posting dates. I was back east and found my e-mail access (and frankly, my available time) spotty at best. I’m still recovering from the trip, and Caryn tells me that I was asleep within 60 seconds of hitting the pillow last night. Today I want to bring the topic of complementary therapies to the fore. Many of us swear by them, many fold them into more traditional treatment courses and many use these, oft untested, methods without even realizing that’s what we are doing. Simply adding vitamins into our daily regime, in order to maximize energy zapped by our multiple sclerosis, is a complimentary therapy. I don’t think that many of us think of it that way. On Thursday night, I’ll be hosting the first HealthTalk MS webcast of... Life with MS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1173538 Wed, 23 Jan 2008 22:42:22 +0100 1173538 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1132709&cid=t_299633_87_f&fid=34902&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.futurepundit.com%2Farchives%2F004905.html Once offspring genetic engineering becomes technologically possible should governments subsidize the use of biotechnologies to improve the genes given to babies of poor and dumb people? Some people recoil at... (Source: FuturePundit) FuturePundit blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1132709 Sun, 06 Jan 2008 05:00:00 +0100 1132709 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1116168&cid=t_299633_87_f&fid=35052&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomensbioethics.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F12%2Fscience-debate-2008.html (Source: Women's Bioethics Blog) Women's Bioethics Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1116168 Tue, 25 Dec 2007 18:54:00 +0100 1116168 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1067727&cid=t_299633_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2007%2F12%2F03%2Fplaying-word-games-with-depression-and-pain%2F For many years now, I’ve been writing about depression, not only from a clinical perspective but also from a first-hand perspective, having battled it myself earlier in my life. We use the word “depression” as we use any word — as a short-hand to describe a set of common symptoms felt by an individual. But the depression experienced by Person A may have little in common, from a personal perspective, with depression experienced by Person B. I carefully refrain from using loaded words like “disease,” because depression simply hasn’t been proven to be like any usual disease (as researchers commonly define the word). Bruce Levine, a psychologist, feels the same way and recently went on a little rant about the medicalization and disease model of mental... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1067727 Mon, 03 Dec 2007 15:17:09 +0100 1067727 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1044147&cid=t_299633_134_f&fid=36049&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FDiabetesNotes%2F%7E3%2F188384260%2F …a team of University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers reports the genetic reprogramming of human skin cells to create cells indistinguishable from embryonic stem cells. This is a huge advancement towards the treatment and cure for diseases such as diabetes and Parkinson’s. This would help put the ethical stem cell debate to rest and aid in the customization of cells for each and every patient. Immune-rejection would also be lessened using re-programmed cells. via University of Wisconsin Madison and Science Daily Share This (Source: Diabetes Notes) Diabetes Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1044147 Wed, 21 Nov 2007 17:15:21 +0100 1044147 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=996530&cid=t_299633_87_f&fid=34902&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.futurepundit.com%2Farchives%2F004744.html Biogerentology theorist Aubrey de Greyis co-author of a new book arguing we can defeat aging Ending Aging: The Rejuvenation Breakthroughs That Could Reverse Human Aging In Our Lifetime. Aubrey is... (Source: FuturePundit) FuturePundit blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=996530 Thu, 01 Nov 2007 04:00:00 +0100 996530 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=894181&cid=t_299633_87_f&fid=34902&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.futurepundit.com%2Farchives%2F004615.html Biogerontologist Aubrey de Grey and assistant Michael Rae have a new book out on how aging can be stopped and reversed entitled Ending Aging: The Rejuvenation Breakthroughs That Could Reverse... (Source: FuturePundit) FuturePundit blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=894181 Sun, 23 Sep 2007 04:00:00 +0100 894181 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=833386&cid=t_299633_87_f&fid=34865&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thecancerblog.com%2F2007%2F08%2F31%2Fnumber-of-americans-without-health-insurance-on-the-rise-accord%2F Filed under: PoliticsU.S. Census Bureau data released this week shows a rise in the number of American lacking health insurance. The Census Bureau data shows that 47 million people did not have coverage in 2006, up from 44.8 million in 2005. The number of children without healthcare coverage also rose to 8.7 million children up from 8 million. The main reason for the increase is that employment-based coverage rates continue to fall. According to the survey, almost 59% of the uninsured worked during 2006. Adults aged 18 to 34 make up the largest portion of the uninsured. I've watched beloved family and friends battle cancer and even with the best health insurance going, it was still an uphill battle. I can't imagine what it's like for those who don't have health insurance. Let's hope our co... The Cancer Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=833386 Fri, 31 Aug 2007 04:00:00 +0100 833386 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=765736&cid=t_299633_87_f&fid=34865&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thecancerblog.com%2F2007%2F07%2F30%2Fyoutube-presidential-debate-features-cancer-question%2F Filed under: Breast Cancer, Events, Politics, Daily newsOn July 23, a milestone in presidential campaign history was delivered when Democratic presidential candidates fielded questions sent in via YouTube, a popular video sharing website where users can upload, view, and share video clips. On September 17, Republican candidates will take part in the second CNN-YouTube debate.Aired live on CNN, this unusual debate featured 39 serious questions -- about immigration, climate change, the voting system, even cancer.Thirty-six-year-old Kim of Long Island, who pulls off her wig mid-question, asks in her video clip about the millions of uninsured Americans who don't have access to preventative medical care."What would you, as president, do to make low cost or free preventative medicine available f... The Cancer Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=765736 Mon, 30 Jul 2007 04:00:00 +0100 765736 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=764203&cid=t_299633_87_f&fid=34867&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thediabetesblog.com%2F2007%2F07%2F28%2Fpresidential-candidates-say-fighting-diabetes-vital%2F Filed under: Type 1, Type 2, Opinion, Care, PersonalitiesThe Democratic presidential candidates all know this: whoever gets the nomination has an excellent shot at making it to the White House. First, though, is the long, hard, down and dirty campaign slog in which each candidate has to do the impossible - try and be all things to all people.One thing we can except is that they all devote a little time to addressing diabetes. Specifically, finding a cure for type 1 diabetes and strategies for containing the unprecedented spread of type 2 diabetes. The type 2 "epidemic" (as it is sometimes called) is all the more serious because of the strain it is adding to the US healthcare system, a system already failing to meet the needs of many Americans.During Monday night's CNN/YouTube debate, the c... The Diabetes Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=764203 Sat, 28 Jul 2007 04:00:00 +0100 764203 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=755566&cid=t_299633_114_f&fid=34646&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthcarebloglaw.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F07%2Fyoutube-debate-wvs-mike-sharleys.html Great to see my law school classmate, Mike Sharley, asking the Democratic candidates at the YouTube debate about health care. Thanks to Larry Messina at Lincoln Walks At Midnight for the tip on the video. You can also get Hoppy's take.Mike is an amazing individual with great creativity. (Source: Health Care Law Blog) Health Care Law Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=755566 Tue, 24 Jul 2007 17:16:00 +0100 755566 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=749454&cid=t_299633_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F136092221%2F Mrs., or Mr., Presidential Candidate, my son has autism and I would like to know how you might make the world a better place for autistic children and for autistic adults. In the 1960s, autism was considered a rare disorder; today, the prevalence rate for autism is now 1 in 150 among children in the US. While there is much disagreement about what causes autism, everyone can agree that autistic children need to be educated. Many, though not all, autistic children like my son benefit greatly from an educational program that has one-on-one teaching; that is uniquely tailored to them, and that provides individualized speech, occupational, and physical therapy; and that enables them to be included with “typical” children. This kind of educational program requires expert supervision ... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=749454 Sun, 22 Jul 2007 09:09:00 +0100 749454 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=728458&cid=t_299633_135_f&fid=35263&url=http%3A%2F%2Fronhudson.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F07%2Fnews-round-up-11-july-2007.html US House Keeps Cheney Budget IntactYesterday, I was heartened to hear that a bill had been introduced in the US House to cut off funding for the Office of Vice-President Dick Cheney. This bill was introduced in response to the Vice President's legal efforts to avoid providing documentation and details of his activities to House oversight. The apparent secrecy of this administration is unprecedented in my lifetime and I lived through the Watergate scandal and the Nixon administration. I had hoped that his bill would succeed in bringing the Vice President into line to recognize that he and his office are not above the law. Sadly, the bill was narrowly defeated today.URGENT: Please call your Senators to support Senate Bill 1105, the Matthew Shepard ActFrom the Human Right Campaign:Today Sen. ... 2sides2ron blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=728458 Wed, 11 Jul 2007 19:05:00 +0100 728458 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=623529&cid=t_299633_133_f&fid=35452&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.graphictruth.com%2F2007%2F05%2Fomygawd-i-just-figureded-out-whats.html "Omygawd, I just figured out what's wrong with the Republican Party - the country they want to run is fictional!"tag: The Daily Show, Republicans, hilarious, Fox News, Britt Hume, 24, DebateYou can syndicate this site using our atom feed. (Source: Graphictruth) Graphictruth blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=623529 Sun, 20 May 2007 04:00:00 +0100 623529 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=579363&cid=t_299633_87_f&fid=34902&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.futurepundit.com%2Farchives%2F004218.html Reason at Longevity Meme points to a mew paper by biogerontologist Aubrey de Grey where Aubrey argues that biogerontology's ultimate goal should be the defeat of processes which cause aging.... (Source: FuturePundit) FuturePundit blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=579363 Mon, 30 Apr 2007 04:00:00 +0100 579363