Health care in the US
Obama caves in to Catholic Church, religious right on contraceptives
By Kate Randall, February 11, 2012
President Obama on Friday caved in to pressure from the Catholic Church and the religious right, announcing that religiously affiliated employers would not be required to provide access to birth control as part of medical coverage for their women employees.
The Susan G. Komen Foundation debacle and the US establishment
By Kate Randall, February 4, 2012
The announcement this week by the Susan G. Komen Foundation that it would cut off funding to Planned Parenthood unleashed a popular backlash.
Notes on the social crisis in America
By Naomi Spencer, January 20, 2012
Rising rates of mental illness, suicide, and child abuse coincide with drastic cuts to public health budgets and social worker burnout.
Profit drive leads to shortage of critical drugs, deaths in US
By Nicholas Russo, January 11, 2012
Since 2010, at least 15 deaths have been linked to the shortage of critical drugs in the US.
California nurses strike against cutbacks and concessions
By Rafael Azul and Kim Saito, December 24, 2011
Some 6000 nurses in California went on a one-day protest strike on Thursday December 22. The nurses are demanding decent staffing levels, health benefits, and sick leave.
Poor conditions in US for-profit nursing homes
By Ryan Rahilly, December 22, 2011
The top 10 for-profit nursing home chains in the US have substantially higher deficiencies than the best facilities, a new study finds.
Bipartisan proposal targets Medicare for privatization
By Kate Randall, December 17, 2011
The Wyden-Ryan proposal would replace the traditional Medicare program in the US with a fixed federal contribution toward “premium support” to purchase insurance on a Medicare “exchange.”
The New York Times and the privatization of Medicare
By Kate Randall, December 6, 2011
Weighing the pros and cons of “premium support” for Medicare, the New York Times promotes privatization of the universal health care program for the elderly.
In wake of US deficit-reduction panel’s demise
Renewed calls for Medicare cuts
By Kate Randall, November 26, 2011
The recent failure of the congressional deficit-reduction “supercommittee” to reach an agreement has prompted calls from both Democrats and Republicans for major cuts to the Medicare health care program.
US Supreme Court to hear challenge to Obama health care law
By Patrick Martin, November 16, 2011
The high court is expected to make a decision on the constitutionality of the health care law in the midst of next year’s presidential election campaign.
US state Medicaid funding already squeezed in advance of federal cuts
By John Marion, November 4, 2011
Funding for Medicaid, already squeezed by declining state revenues and rising enrollment, is being further undermined by the drying up of federal stimulus funds.
US government panel recommends an end to prostate cancer screening
By Gary Joad, October 25, 2011
A government panel has recommended against PSA screening for men in all age groups to detect prostate cancer.
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