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Category Archives: Health
Medicare virtual visits on hold with shutdown
Medicare’s temporary telehealth flexibilities ended on October 1, 2025, due to a lack of Congressional action, meaning most virtual visits are no longer covered unless Congress extends them again. As a result, many healthcare providers have canceled or are rescheduling Medicare … Continue reading
Posted in Government, Health
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People with some cancers live longer after a COVID vaccine
In nature 22 October 2025 (thanks to Mike C.) Melanoma cells (artificially coloured). An immune-based therapy was more effective against this cancer in people who received an mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccine within 100 days of the start of their cancer treatment.Credit: … Continue reading
Posted in Health, Science and Technology, Vaccines
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Prescient Pogo
Thanks to Tom S. and SRA Climate Impact Subcommittee
Posted in environment, Health, Nature, Recycling, Science and Technology
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Chaos at the CDC
from The Epidemiologist On Friday, about 1,300 CDC employees received a surprising email: they were fired. No warning. No time to plan. Their badges were immediately deactivated. The justification was a “reduction in force”—a bureaucratic term now being used as … Continue reading
Posted in Government, Health
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Columbus Day – commentary by Heather Cox Richardson
On October 9, President Donald J. Trump’s office issued an official proclamation declaring Monday, October 13, “Columbus Day.” The proclamation says that the day is one on which “our Nation honors the legendary Christopher Columbus—the original American hero, a giant … Continue reading
Posted in Advocacy, Education, Essays, Government, Health, History, Holidays, Immigration, Politics, Social justice
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Your generic drug costs and availability
from the current New England Journal of Medicine
When food banks need bread, 900 home bakers answer the call
By JONEL ALECCIA from AP (thanks to Pam P.) On a recent Saturday near Seattle, Cheryl Ewaldsen pulled three golden loaves of wheat bread out of her kitchen oven. The fragrant, oat-topped bread was destined not for her table, but for … Continue reading
Aging sperm: a factor in autism
Thanks to Dan S. Ed note: We don’t have a quick answer about the multifactorial causes of autism. Tylenol appears to be unproven. Older men appear to be a factor. No doubt there are a number of other reasons as … Continue reading
Posted in Government, Health
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The WSMA Advance Directive
Ed note: Some have inquired as to where they can find an advance directive that includes the Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care as well as their goals of care when faced with a life threatening illness. This form … Continue reading
Posted in end of life, Health
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West Coast Consensus for Respiratory Virus Immunizations
Thanks to Mary Jane F.
Posted in Health
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A New Federal Report Links Alcohol With These Alarming Health Conditions — And It’s Being Quietly Buried
by Jillian Wilson in the Huffington Post (thanks to MaryLou P.) How many alcoholic drinks do you have in an entire week? Five, seven, 10? More? If you have one drink a day, your health could be impacted ― but … Continue reading
Posted in Government, Health, Science and Technology
1 Comment
Pharmaceutical ads in the U.S.: Top questions answered
Aaron S. Kesselheim is a primary care physician, lawyer, and professor of medicine at Harvard with expertise in pharmacoepidemiology and pharmacoeconomics. Pharmaceutical ads in the United States are annoying. Absurd. And almost uniquely American. In fact, only one other high-income … Continue reading
Original Medicare to use AI companies to evaluate need for health care services
By Daily Actions on September 5, 2025 (thanks to Mary M.) Donald Trump and Dr. Oz want to let Artificial Intelligence (AI) choose which procedures Medicare will cover for individual patients — with AI companies being paid based on how … Continue reading
Posted in Ethics, Finance, Government, Health
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Medicare Will Require Prior Approval for Certain Procedures [for those with Original Medicare]
A pilot program in six states [including Washington State] will use a tactic employed by private insurers that has been heavily criticized for delaying and denying medical care. By Reed Abelson and Teddy Rosenbluth in the NYT (thanks to Mary M.) Like millions … Continue reading
Posted in Ethics, Finance, Government, Health
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We Ran the C.D.C.: Kennedy Is Endangering Every American’s Health
By William FoegeWilliam, Roper, David Satcher, Jeffrey Koplan, Richard Besser, Tom Frieden, Anne Schuchat, Rochelle P. Walensky and Mandy K. Cohen – in the NYT Opinion Section The authors previously led in the C.D.C., as directors or acting directors under Republican and Democratic … Continue reading
Posted in Advocacy, Government, Health, History
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The “conflictedness” of RFK, Jr. seems never-ending
Thanks to Mike C. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. made money from his anti-vaccine advocacy through several channels tied directly to his public stance on vaccines:
Posted in Government, Health, Vaccines
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mRNA vaccines for HIV trigger strong immune response in people
Thanks to Mike C. (who shares our concern of RFK Jr.’s attack on vaccine research and proven usefulness in so many illnesses). Results from early-stage trial show that 80% of participants who received one of two HIV vaccine candidates produced … Continue reading
Posted in Health, Science and Technology
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Rep. Schrier questions RFK Jr. in Congressional Hearing
Posted in Advocacy, Caregiving, Government, Health, Morality
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Why did Senator Cassidy, a physician, believe RFK Jr.?
Thanks to Ed M. Answer: Could it possibly have anything to do with $en. Cassidy’s desire to be re-elected? SENATOR BILL CASSIDY: …If you are confirmed, do you commit that you will not work to impound, divert or otherwise reduce … Continue reading
Posted in Advocacy, Government, Health, Morality
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My Year of Living Blurrily
by Dani Shapiro in the NYT The painting beckoned me from across the room. In a bright, high-ceilinged gallery of the Courtauld, a small museum in London known for its collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art, I moved past van … Continue reading
Scientists have found a way to administer shots with dental floss. Could this be the future of vaccines?
From GoodGoodGood (thanks to Pam P.) Getting an annual flu or COVID-19 shot is never a particularly pleasant experience, especially for those who aren’t too keen on getting a jab in the arm. While nasal spray vaccines have been added as an … Continue reading
‘Old people are capable of more’: meet the female weightlifters in their 70s and 80s
Forget the stereotype of the frail old woman who needs help carrying groceries – fitness mavens like Joan MacDonald show you can strength train at any age Madeleine Aggeler in The Guardian (thanks to Kate B.) Joan MacDonald is an … Continue reading
Posted in Aging Sites, Fitness, Health
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Replacing sugar with allulose
by Peter Attia Ed note: Brandon Auerbach, MD MPH told us about the Harvard Healthy Eating Plate yesterday in his lecture here. He also mentioned the sugar substitute Allulose which appears to be a nearly ideal choice. It can be … Continue reading
The Tooth Fairy Is Real. She’s a Dentist in Seattle.
For 20 years, Dr. Purva Merchant has been answering letters from gaptoothed children and their parents — roughly 6,000 in all. “Happy growing up,” she typically replies. By Eliza Shapiro in the NYT (thanks to Mary M.) The letter looked like … Continue reading
Investigating the cost of medications
Below is a documentary video, still up on YouTube, which was removed from Amazon Prime after they were threatened with a lawsuit by United Health Care. It’s an uncovering of control of medication pricing by the large Pharmacy Benefit Managers … Continue reading