This was the conclusion of the article from Reuters, Broader Medicare could reduce disparities”:

…guaranteeing access to affordable insurance for all Americans is the essential first step toward a high performing health care system and a healthier America,” Commonwealth Fund president Karen Davis said in a statement.

Which is true, and I agree. But the study the author is referring to suggests lowering the age of Medicare (which will be unable to sustain itself economically in the future as it is). They base their suggestion on their results studying people between 40 and 85 years old with assorted chronic conditions. Here is what they found:

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Photo by Andrew Stawarz

Organic bananas are under appreciated. If I even glance at them in the store, my friends try to convince me that buying them would be pointless. “They have a peel,” they argue, “They’re naturally protected! Who cares if they were farmed with pesticides!?” From the consumer’s perspective, they make an entirely accurate point: the personal health benefits are negligible (see Does Organic Food = Better Health?). But they’re not looking at the entire picture. Everyone, from producer to packager and on, is affected what types of foods we choose to buy.

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Photo by dano

My organic carrots and apples just didn’t taste as great after I heard about the salmonella outbreak at a plant owned by the Peanut Corporation of America. When I’d buy organic, images of sun-drenched fields, delicately handled produce, and smiling standard-minded workers usually came to mind. But after reading that plant at the center of the salmonella outbreak was organically certified, I had a hard time resurrecting the same happy images when I’d buy organic foods.

As was the case with PCoA’s plant, organic certified companies are required to have yearly inspections. And they have to implement a plan that “enhances the ecological balance of natural systems and integrate the parts of the farming system into an ecological whole” (National Organic Standards Board, 1995). They can pick from a number of public and private organizations who offer inspections (in the US, there are 55 deputized by the FDA). But their incentives are backwards — pulling a customer’s certification means losing a source of income. So, inspectors are often limited to one-day visits, rushed to finish their inquiries into pesticide levels and to verify crop management plans, they hardly step foot into the realm of public health safety.

Image by Med Minded

Well, an organic certification might not mean that produce is bacteria-free, but being pesticide-free justifies paying extra for produce, right? The FDA regularly monitors the levels of pesticides in domestic and imported US produce. Of the 21,341 raw, unwashed samples analyzed by the Pesticide Program Residue Monitoring (04-06), only 54 violated FDA tolerated levels. One can only presume what the numbers would look like if the produce items were washed and peeled — the FDA doesn’t do measurements in those cases.

Comparing the health safety benefits of organic and non-organic produce seems like a wash, and I don’t feel like I’m ruining my health when I buy non-organic anymore. When I want to save a few dollars, I just make sure to rinse off all my non-organic produce.

This article is Part 1 of 3. For the effects of organic foods on global health, read Part 2: Does Organic Food = Better World?, and for answers regarding the sustainability of organic farming, read Part 3: Organic Foods - Can They Feed Everyone Forever? (Happy Earth Day).

Photo from Marietta Fire Department

How much do you think it costs for an ambulance ride? Here is a hint: the two EMTs manning the ambulance have wages lower than most taxi drivers. Did you guess $700? Well, with a $650 base rate and an extra $15 per mile, $700 is roughly the cost for a short ride to the ER.

Add that to the hospital bill, about $800, and the total hits $1,500. Now compare that to the fee for a visit to the doctor’s office, averaging $100-$250 (depending on tests and procedures).

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The New York Times recently reported that vitamin sales are climbing despite a stagnant economy. The article points to the high cost of pharmaceuticals and increased unemployment as the main reasons for consumers replacing their prescriptions with supplements and herbal remedies.

However, a recent reassessment of the data from the Woman’s Health Initiative Study shed doubt on the long term benefits of multivitamins. According to the study, multivitamin use did not affect the long term risk of common cancers, cardiovascular disease, or total mortality.

Photo by theogeo

Adding to the fray, another article from the New York Times chimed in with bad news for Vitamin E. The claim: Could the antioxidant vitamin with presumed anti-aging potential do more harm than good? The author makes a strong case for avoiding the over consumption of vitamin E.

On the other hand, another recent report highlighted the risks associated with low blood levels of vitamin D. Don’t have enough vitamin D in your diet? You could be up to 2.3 more likely of developing dementia.

It’s hard finding alternatives in tough economic times. And here is the least expensive way to boost you health on a budget: exercise. The moral of the story? Mom was right — take your vitamins (in moderation) and go play outside.

This has been around for a while, but Sick Around The World, a FRONTLINE report with T.R. Reid., really caught my attention the other day. Essentially, it exposed the framework for the health care systems of five capitalist democracies: the UK, Japan, Germany, Taiwan, and Switzerland.

Each country has significant differences in how they approach providing health care — insurance in the UK is entirely controlled by the government while private industry provides insurance in Switzerland, for example. But one point stood out throughout the entire hour of viewing: no citizen of these countries has to worry about bankruptcy as a result of medical debt. On top of that, the UK, Japan, Germany, Taiwan, and Switzerland all spend a smaller percentage of their annual GDP on their health care systems than the US.

Photo by Akash K

The pre-reform Swiss system was very similar to current US system, so their road to reform seems most relevant to modern US health care debates. But each nation has plenty of interesting tidbits to add to the mix. To name a couple, Taiwan uses an innovative card that holds electronic copies of each patients medical records, increasing streamlined care, and Japan’s cost controls are so tight that a night in the hospital is less expensive than a night in a motel.

Of course, there are many more highlights from foreign systems, many of which could be applied current US reform proposals. In the US, it seems almost seems a tradition to find something good and make it better. By considering what works in other countries, the US can find a starting point for reviving its collapsing health care system.

At about an hour long, there are five chapters to Sick Around The World. Watch the documentary and get educated on what works well and what hardly works.

Photo by jamesfischer

There are 47 million Americans without health insurance. Often, these Americans take on tremendous debt and face bankruptcy when their health takes a turn for the worse. However, they do not bear the financial burden on their own. Much of the weight has already shifted onto the shoulders of Americans who have health insurance.

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Photo by arriba

Mom always said that life was priceless. But, really, how much is a year of life worth? Coincidentally, I was talking to a fellow fire fighter about this issue yesterday. His brother’s friend had a lifesaving heart intervention that, by his estimate, cost $10 million USD in total. While many plans have a lifetime spending limit somewhere near the $2 million mark, his insurance company apparently paid for the procedures in full. A great success, the medical care he received allowed extended his life until age 45, ten extra years.

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I don’t think I have ever read an advertisement for a new medication without pausing at some eye-catching statistic. “BlogCor can reduce your (Insert Lab Value) by 50%,” seems to be the garden variety statistical claim.

At age 23, I’m part of the “young invincible” (the group of healthy uninsured in their twenties), but, everywhere I look, I see a new condition that I “might be at risk for”. How healthy am I really? Should I start to worry and pursue prescriptions for these medications to better my health? The statistics sure seem to suggest so.

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The American Psychiatric Association recently said they would stop accepting industry money to fund seminars and annual meetings. Wonderful news!

Requiring doctors to attend yearly training funded by the drug industry seemed backwards. I’m glad to hear that the C.M.E. courses provided by the APA will no longer be tainted by this financial conflict of interest. Maybe the other players in health care will follow suit.

For further elaboration, read the original New York Times article:
New York Times — Psychiatric Group Ends Industry-Sponsored Seminars