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Look What Obamacare Has Done Now
ByadminThe percent of Americans without health insurance has dropped precipitously in the last few years, thanks in large part to the Affordable Care Act, a.k.a. Obamacare. This is especially true in those states that, in accordance with the law, expanded Medicaid eligibility. Here is a picture of some recent data: This is really good news,…
The next big crisis may be hiding in your liver
Byadmin2The disease affects 1 in 3 American adults. It’s the leading cause of cirrhosis and the #1 reason people need liver transplants. Have you guessed its name yet? And figured out whether you’re at risk for it? More here
Out of Control Physicians: Too Many Doctors Doing Too Many Things to Too Many Patients
ByadminMy father is 92 years old, and I am beginning to wonder whether the best thing for his health would be to stay away from doctors. That’s because well intentioned physicians often expose their elderly patients to harmful and unnecessary services out of habit. That’s certainly the message I absorbed after reading a recent issue…
How Philosophy Training Helps Me Overcome the Persuasive Power of Advertising
ByadminAdvertising is about persuasion. Companies spend billions of dollars per year trying to convince us to buy their products. But sometimes, rigorous philosophical training can help us avoid that influence. Consider the following ad: Only deep immersion in Immanuel Kant helped me recognize the flaws in this reasoning!
Power of Analogy
ByadminFrom time to time in this blog, I take a moment to celebrate fine writing. Here is an example I came across in an article in Smithsonian magazine from May 2014. The author, Corey Powell , was trying to explain how astronomers use gravitational “tug” to indirectly reveal the existence of planets. In other words, they can’t…
Who Provides More Unnecessary Care: Physicians or Nurse Practitioners? (The Answer Is Surprising)
ByadminImagine you have been struggling for eight days with a bad cough, with what feels like a lifetime’s worth of secretions in your upper airways. When you called your primary care physician’s office, she wasn’t available, so you got an appointment with a nurse practitioner, who prescribed a course of antibiotics. Would you fill the…