Category: Opinion

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… if you are someone who is at risk of suffering serious consequences from the flu. Check with Brown County Public Health for information on influenza, and practical measures you can take, like handwashing and covering coughs and sneezes, to protect …

Bad behavior all around

… repeal or block masses of regulations, and then defeated Democratic amendments to keep those that protect children’s health from air pollution and lead in water, safety of miners, nuclear power plant safety, insurance coverage for persons with …

Local woman asks Republicans to keep ACA

The Affordable Care Act [ACA] has helped to standardize health insurance plans for all Americans. All plans provide 10 essential health benefits such as preventative care services, prescription drug coverage, capped out-of-pocket expenses, no lifetime limits and coverage for individuals with pre-existing conditions.

Opinion of council committee divided on proposed ‘vaping’ ban

Allegheny County Council members heard from eight experts and nearly two dozen residents during a public hearing Monday on a bill that would ban the use of electronic vapor devices in public places. The measure, which is supported by the Allegheny County Board of Health and County Executive Rich Fitzgerald, would relegate e-cigarettes and hand-held vaporizers to the same status of tobacco products, which are banned in locations such as schools, government buildings, sports stadiums and public indoor spaces.

Don’t judge parents over – smart pills’ for ADHD kids

Christian Chan says the recent furore over the supposed overuse of stimulants to help children with ADHD may be hypocritical, given the realities of the rat race in a winner-takes-all world A Hong Kong psychiatrist recently said in a Facebook post that some primary school children diagnosed with mild symptoms of attention deficit hyperactive disorder were using prescribed medication – which are essentially stimulants – to enhance their attention and, in turn, their academic performance. He claimed that this was becoming a problem in some schools.

Secondhand sugars are the new secondhand smoke

If you saw a pregnant woman smoking, you would undoubtedly be concerned about the health of her child. But if you saw a pregnant woman drinking a soda, would you bat an eye? The comparison may seem extreme, but the parallels between tobacco and sugar run deeper than you might imagine.

DHH and Dr. Gee Need To Do Their Job

… why Louisiana’s budget is such a mess? A big reason is the amount of money taxpayers are spending on Medicaid. Health care is important, but so are the other goods and services we pay for and expect to receive from government. Medicaid is the …

Letter: Lawmakers should treat Utahns as adults

The ground trembled today: Are we having an earthquake? Was this the march to Utah’s Capitol? Or the trembling of fear once Donald J. Trump became president? No, it was none of these things. It was Utah smokers tramping to Idaho and Wyoming to bring back contraband cigarettes.

Guest column: Open letter on DeVos

Betsy DoVos, Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Education could drain much-needed funds from public education, writes Kim Jockush. As we transition to a new administration whose leadership can make our country greater, or whose leadership can dismantle the institutions that made our country great in the first place, I implore you to consider carefully the credentials of those appointed by Mr. Trump.

Uncertain future for Californiaa s anti-smog efforts: Thomas Elias

Cases of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are down about three percent over the last 40 years in California, even as state population is up by well over one-third, better than 15 million, and far more smog-belching vehicles than ever clog the roads. This is a major public health achievement, and the single biggest reason behind it is the 45-year-old federal Clean Air Act and its provisions for California waivers.

Repeal or retain? Election opens final act for ‘Obamacare’

In this Monday, March 31, 2014 file photo, people line up to enroll for health insurance at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas, hours before the deadline in the first enrollment period of the Affordable Care Act. The Affordable Care Act and/or any replacement will doom private insurance in our country if these two problems are not addressed: 1) Private insurance cannot insure people with a preexisting condition any more than you can insure a “burning house.”

Looking for community leaders

… as high blood pressure, asthma, arthritis and diabetes, learn to manage their conditions and take control of their health. The Chronic Disease Self-Management Program (CDSMP) and Diabetes Self-Management Program (DSMP) was created at Stanford …

Guest opinion: Repeal and replac…

… status quos; but rather a new approach that puts you – the patient – first, and brings choice and competition to health insurance. Patients, doctors, and businesses have been dealing with the failures of Obamacare since it was enacted. Millions of …

Hood: Don’t squander the coming surplus

… detriment as well as their own.) Recessionary prospects aren’t the only reasons to save. North Carolina’s state health plan and pension fund are underfunded by billions of dollars. Past politicians promised generous benefits to teachers and state …

Fight against Alzheimera s must be kept up

… 2014; in 2015, Congress passed a $350 million increase for Alzheimer’s disease research at the National Institutes of Health. Importantly, a $400 million increase was pending before the 114th Congress for FY17, and will now need action by the 115th …

Fight against Alzheimera s must be kept up

… 2014; in 2015, Congress passed a $350 million increase for Alzheimer’s disease research at the National Institutes of Health. Importantly, a $400 million increase was pending before the 114th Congress for FY17, and will now need action by the 115th …