Motorists nationwide, having acquired a taste for speed during the coronavirus pandemic, need to get that pedal off the metal — or the consequences can be legally dear, shockingly costly, and deadly. And that includes car owners who let computers navigate their vehicles. Look out, drivers, because the alarms have grown so much for traffic….
Continue ReadingArchives for April 2021
Heavy marijuana use by pregnant women can harm babies, big California study finds
Although most states, including most recently Virginia, have eased restrictions on the recreational or medical use of marijuana, expectant moms should take note of serious studies that show pot, especially in heavy consumption, isn’t great for the health of unborn babies. Researchers at the University of California San Diego examined a decade of medical records….
Continue ReadingUVA health system will curb decades of hounding patients over medical bills
The University of Virginia health system has decided to end decades of draconian bill collection, giving a reprieve to tens of thousands of patients and their families who faced harsh legal actions to recover crushing medical debt. The taxpayer-supported institution proclaimed itself “proud” that it will stop aggressively suing its own employees, university students, and….
Continue ReadingWill the reluctant and resistant trip up the campaign to quell the pandemic?
Even as the latest coronavirus surge appeared to ease, including in hard-hit areas of the Midwest and Northeast, and as the federal government reported the nation has achieved key milestones in vaccinations, the battle to quell the pandemic also has entered the gnarly phase of grappling with the hesitant, the reluctant, and the resistant. The….
Continue ReadingSexually transmitted infections spike for sixth year in a row, CDC reports
While the coronavirus pandemic savaged the country, another infection spiked, too, with nasty consequences: The nation set new records in 2019 and likely in 2020 for cases of sexually transmitted diseases or infections, illnesses that once were on the brink of control. As Raul Romaguera, acting director of the federal Centers for Disease Control and….
Continue ReadingBiden urged by NAACP and black health groups to ban menthol in cigarettes
President Biden, who lost a son to the disease, has a personal commitment to fighting cancer. He has made improving Americans’ health a top priority of his administration, calling for trillions of dollars in government spending in this area. He also has said he wants his officials to be at the fore in slashing at….
Continue ReadingAlarms sounding as opioid-overdose crisis worsens, especially with fentanyl
Even as the nation sees cause for optimism in its battle against the coronavirus, our struggles against substance abuse are falling far short of what’s needed. The opioid abuse and drug overdose crisis has worsened significantly during the pandemic and experts are warning that too many of us need to cut back from excess boozing…..
Continue ReadingPandemic numbers do add up — to a complex and persistent health menace
An Ohio congressman got testy with one of the nation’s leading infectious disease experts, insisting that Dr. Anthony Fauci instantly cough up a metric to tell politicians and the public exactly when the coronavirus pandemic will end. Fauci declined to offer a simple 1-2-3 answer, trying to supply a nuanced and thoughtful response, instead. The….
Continue ReadingWith malpractice claims constrained, injured Florida kids and families struggle
When doctors, hospitals, and insurers bellyache about malpractice claims with little evidence on their prevalence or outcomes, patients and politicians should push back: And they can cite the nightmares people in grievous circumstance have suffered when their constitutional right to seek justice in civil lawsuits gets stripped away. The Miami Herald and ProPublica, the Pulitzer….
Continue ReadingQuestions aplenty about medical device-makers paying doctors $3.6 billion
Although Big Pharma has taken deserved heat for selling its drugs by slathering doctors with cheesy tchotchkes, lavish or even cheap meals, and pricey trips, as well as lucrative consulting and speaking opportunities, medical device-makers’ physician-payment programs also should get a tougher, deeper look. That’s because device manufacturers paid doctors $3.62 billion in the years….
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