Why Chemotherapy That Costs $70,000 in the U.S. Costs $2,500 in India
By rejecting patent applications, developing countries have kept down the costs of much-needed medications. Can they continue to do so without harming efforts to develop new drugs?(From The Atlantic)
Kaiser Health News recently posted an article discussing the ways that the dreaded “Fiscal Cliff” affects the health care world. In keeping with an audio book I’m listening to on smart thinking, I’ll summarize the article in three points here:
Read the report: Lots to Lose: How America’s Health and Obesity Crisis Threatens our Economic Future
According to Discovery News, a team in Canada has produced a vaccine meant to prevent HIV infection. Phase I trials, in which the vaccine was administered to HIV positive persons, have shown that there are no adverse effects associated with the vaccine. Phase II and III trials will take place using volunteers who are thought to be at high risk of contracting HIV. If successful, the vaccine could be on the market 5 years from now.
Additionally, Spanish researchers are testing a vaccine which is said to “reduce HIV to a ‘minor chronic infection.’”
Junk food needs graphic warning labels similar to tobacco, Ontario doctors say
(From The Globe and Mail)
I was recently asking about this on Twitter: will food products soon carry doomsday labels the same way cigarettes do? The way obesity is going, I won’t be surprised!
The people of Florida are being mislead by one of the proposed amendments to the Florida Constitution on the 2012 ballot.
Last night, as I was reading my sample ballot, I found myself completely confused first by the wording of Amendment 1. Simply put, the Amendment seeks to prevent the government from requiring Floridians to buy health insurance and absolve Floridians from any fines associated with not purchasing health insurance. My confusion only grew from here.
You see, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) has a provision for an individual mandate, which takes effect beginning in 2014. This Federal law states that everybody will be required to buy health insurance, and if they don’t, they will be subject to a fine.
Do you see where I’m going with this? Amendment 1 to the Florida State Constitution would try to contradict a Federal law. This prompted me to do a little research.
I thought to myself, maybe this is one of the provisions that was altered by the Supreme Court in June. After all, I knew that the state of Florida had already rejected the Obamacare provision for expansion of Medicaid, which was found by the Supreme Court to be against the 10th Amendment of the Constitution of the United States.
However, the individual mandate was upheld by the Supreme Court.
If Amendment 1 is voted in, Floridians may wrongly believe that they are exempt from the individual mandate, when in reality, the Amendment has no legal standing.
To be clear, the people of Florida WILL be subject to the federal individual mandate, even if Amendment 1 is voted in.
In fact, Florida’s proposed Amendment 1 will probably be found to be against the Supremacy clause of the United States Constitution.
To conclude, I can only ask Floridians to vote NO on Amendment 1 in this election. Voting yes will NOT overturn Obamacare, like many want to believe. It is a misleading provision which is meant only to send a message to Washington. This Amendment is NOT for the protection of the people of Florida or the protection of the free market. This Amendment is nothing but a petty political play by certain members of the Florida Legislature.
References
http://www.hernandovotes.com/ew_pages/constitutional_amendments_general2012.pdf
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patient_Protection_and_Affordable_Care_Act
http://collinscenter.org/2012flamendments/amendment-1-health-care-services/
http://www.thefloridavoter.org/resources/issues/2012-constitutional-amendments
http://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php/Florida_Health_Care,_Amendment_1_(2012)
Smoking People with a mental disorder smoke almost half of all tobacco consumed and account for almost half of all smoking-related deaths
Heart disease Depression doubles the risk of developing coronary heart disease
Early intervention Half of all mental illnesses begin by the age of 14 and three-quarters by mid-20s
Inequality Children from the poorest households have a three-fold greater risk of mental ill health than children from the richest households
Mental health is a public health issue
(via pubhealth)
Infographic: Funding for Public Health
These graphs speak for themselves.
Source: (NHANES 2005-2006, NCI 2010, USDA 2010 recommendations)
Sugary beverages account for 22% of the caloric intake for children ages 2-18. Why is milk and water not the default choice? Sometimes, many times, water costs more than soda or juice.
[Related: NYC Soda Ban Explained] via NY Times
(via pubhealth)
