According to a report last month in the Washington Post, the total number of abortions performed in the United States dropped to 1.2 million in 2005, the lowest figure since 1976. And the proportion of women ending their pregnancies with an abortion dropped 9 percent between 2000 and 2005, hitting the lowest level since 1975. Both “pro-choice” and “pro-life” groups have welcomed this news, though they offer differing explanations for the change.
As you no doubt know, the notorious Jack Kevorkian, aka “Dr. Death”, was released from prison this last week after serving 8 years of his prison sentence for the second degree murder of Thomas Youk, whom he assisted to commit sucide in 1998. Thomas Youk was in the final stages of ALS, popularly known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease.
I must confess that my personal jury is still out on the issue of suicide/assisted suicide. The news this week has made me ponder this again. I find I have lots of questions and no answers.
I’d love to hear your thoughts, feelings, ideas, experiences, knowledge, etc.
Posted in Death, Health Care | 13 Comments »Eliza made some useful observations and asked a great question in the conversation in another thread. Thankyou Eliza!
Posted in Health Care | 16 Comments »Interesting discussion. Thanks to all of you for going into, and staying in or trying to stay in, helping professions.
In health care, for me as a physician, “the system” is a (the) major idealism-sucking factor. There are soooo many people who really, really need health care, but who can’t access it because of health care is a commodity in this country, & it’s the “haves” who have access. (Even the “have-nots” who have coverage with Medicaid, which in this state is a pretty limited proportion of those in need, find it hard to access health care.)
It’s so discouraging to work with someone who wants alot of health care dollars spent on them for minimal health benefit, because they have coverage, like an expensive oral antifungal medication because they don’t like how their toenails look & they’ve seen the TV ads for Lamisil.
Then 30 minutes later you work with someone whose health is actively deteriorating because they can’t afford the most basic of medications or tests, and you’re trying hard to find some way to help them get it, in a patchwork, half-assed, suboptimal kind of way. That’s what I find really discouraging.
Anyone else find “the system” in which they work to be part of the problem?
You know how you can start searching for something on the internet and then wind up someplace else? Recently, I discovered this video of Bill Clinton annoucing his “wish” at the TED awards. It was on someone’s blog (http://www.matchmine.com/blog/2007/05/03/the-ted-prize).
From the blog,
Bill Clinton won the prize this year, and elected to speak about his attempts to right the non-deeds of his administration in Rwanda.
I was so moved by that statement and Bill’s speech, I had to share it wth others. I ask as you listen and watch the video that you set aside any of your preconceived notions of who Bill Clinton is.
Read the rest of this news item »
is the headline of a New York Times article today about the debate as to whether the federal government should be increasing funding to provide health care for children of poor families.
“Governors clashed with the White House on Monday over the future of the popular Children’s Health Insurance Program, an issue that some members of both parties said was as important as money for the Iraq war.
In the session at the White House, when President Bush reported on progress of the war, governors pressed him to provide more money so they could guarantee health insurance for children. In response, administration officials said states should make better use of the money they already had.”
Just for comparison:
What would you say if could be part of the above mentioned session at the white house?
Posted in Health Care | 10 Comments »