public policy

>Downgrading American Medical Care

> That image above is from a report in the American Spectator by Betsy McCaughey (the former Lieutenant Governor of New York State) on the true cost of medical care in the United States. It demonstrates that Americans still pay approximately the same for combined food and medical care expenses. As food costs less of … Continue reading →

Austin, Tx., Judge allows mother to harvest dead son’s sperm

This story illustrates the outcome of autonomy and “because we can.” How awful for this woman to lose her son in this way. However, I’m not sure that a child should be born – conceived – in such a way. Certainly not as a “grand child,” rather than a child born for his or her … Continue reading →

HPV Vaccine works for males

Good news from the Family Practice News: ATLANTA — The human papillomavirus vaccine was efficacious in preventing persistent infections and genital warts caused by HPV strains 6, 11, 16, and 18 in a Merck-sponsored study of 4,065 males aged 16-26 years. The findings were presented by Dr. Richard M. Haupt at a meeting of the … Continue reading →

Texas Legislators Seek to Limit Funds for Human Embryo Destruction

Senator Steve Ogden is a Texas Hero! Sen. Steve Ogden, R-Bryan, though, said critics exaggerate what his 24-word “budget rider” would do. He said it simply assures that the budget’s $700 million for research doesn’t underwrite destruction of embryos. “There is a significant moral concern amongst many Texans that a human embryo really meets every … Continue reading →

>Why the medical home sounds good but won’t work

>A sister Family Physician says in her blog, “Musings of a Dinosaur,” It is the source of endless angst among family doctors in solo and small group practice, because the structure of the PCMH excludes us by definition. The PCMH is advertised to work best in large group practices like Kaiser and the Mayo Clinic. … Continue reading →

New England Journal of Medicine plays conscience politics (“Trust me, I will act against my conscience,” cont’d)

The New England Journal of Medicine has published a “Commentary” by a lawyer who has worked for Planned Parenthood, concerning the practice of medicine and conscience. I don’t like to publish entire articles from subscription-only sources (especially one written by a lawyer), but this serious breach of ethics on the part of the NEJM should … Continue reading →

>The “Rescission of the Regulation Entitled ‘Ensuring That Department of Health and Human Services Funds Do Not Support Coercive or Discriminatory Policies or Practices in Violation of Federal Law’” was posted on the Federal Register on March 10th, with the announcement of a 30 day period in which to comment. The full announcement can be … Continue reading →

>Obama will fund more losing embryonic stem cell research (New Yellow Brick Award to the President)

>Just days after we hear about functioning induced Pluripotent stem cells from adult skin cells, cells that can produce dopamine, the proteins missing in Parkinson’s disease, we read that President Obama is going to overturn the limits on funding for embryonic stem cell research. Despite the fact that these cells match the patient because they … Continue reading →

>Trust me, I have no conscience (Again and again, and again)

>Siricou Raven, that gadfly of the prolife blogger, says I’m using scare tactics, that the NHS pays for dialysis, and that we pro-conscience doctors are afraid that ‘THE GAYS WILL DESTROY MEDICINE!!!!’ Oh, and Bush did it! Well, what do you expect of people who don’t have consciences and who are told by the Powers … Continue reading →

Goodbye Medicare, hello County Clinic

Where is the outrage over the destruction of (what is left of) Medicare and the debt we owe to veterans? I’m afraid that we’re not talking about “Medicare for all,” or even “Medicaid for all.” We’re talking about County Clinic for all. For a look at the proposed cuts in cost for Medicare, take a … Continue reading →