Author: Lance Garrison
We’ve just passed the 14th anniversary of the enactment of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, a.k.a. the Affordable Care Act, a.k.a. Obamacare — although many of the law’s provisions didn’t take effect until 2014.In its early years, Obamacare was the subject of fierce criticism from both the left and the right. Actually, as I pointed out in my most recent column, politicians on the right are still saying the same things they said a decade ago, pretending that their predictions of doom haven’t been falsified by events. But Obamacare has survived, greatly expanding health insurance coverage without busting…
In October, the FDA approved a drug that can cure hepatitis C quicker than ever before — and with fewer side effects. Plus, more effective drugs are on the horizon.“A number of companies are trying to develop other drugs with greater ease of administration and cost,” says Thomas D. Boyer, MD. He’s the director of the Liver Research Institute at the University of Arizona Medical Center in Tucson.The latest drug to be approved, Harvoni (ledipasvir and sofosbuvir), is a once-a-day pill that can cure hepatitis C in eight, 12, or 24 weeks (depending on the individual) with mild side effects.…
To the Editor:Re “Trump Allies Are Winning War Over Disinformation” (front page, March 17):The U.S. Supreme Court put limits on free speech, saying you can’t falsely shout “fire” in a crowded theater. Fundamental to our democracy is an informed electorate. Yet our courts seem to be OK with a flood of lies and propaganda masquerading as news and aimed at burning down our democracy.This should concern every American for several reasons, including the surge of social media sites that contain much misinformation, the closure of many local newspapers, a decline in the number of real journalists, and an increase in…
“OK, I think we got that. Can we —” [RADIO CHATTER] [SIRENS] “Hey, [INAUDIBLE] two-and- a-half-inch live [INAUDIBLE] fire outside.” [EXPLOSION] [BREATHING] [MUFFLED SHOUTING] “My brother was working with his crew, just around the corner to the right. And I thought, ‘Dave’s dead.’ And so I went back to where the roof was on the ground now, and our hose line was inside. And I thought, ‘OK, Dave’s at the end of this hose line.’ And so I’m trying to get my helmet flat to the ground, and I only could see this much under. And I’m trying to shine…
Emergency workers and researchers use the term “critical incident” to describe a traumatic event. It’s estimated that people, on average, will experience two to three critical incidents in their lifetimes. My first came at 8 years old, when my father made his first suicide attempt. Five years and five attempts later, he was dead. I’ve been compelled to explore mental health issues — and their potential solutions — ever since.Research has found that throughout a career, an emergency worker may experience over 180 critical incidents. While observing emergency workers in this documentary, I was amazed by their ability to work…
In his majority opinion in the case overturning Roe v. Wade, Justice Samuel Alito insisted that the high court was finally settling the vexed abortion debate by returning the “authority to regulate abortion” to the “people and their elected representatives.”Despite these assurances, less than two years after Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, abortion is back at the Supreme Court. In the next month, the justices will hear arguments in two high-stakes cases that may shape the future of access to medication abortion and to lifesaving care for pregnancy emergencies. These cases make clear that Dobbs did not settle the…
Donald Trump has long complained that federal agencies have been weaponized against him and has suggested that, if re-elected, he would use them against his political opponents.In this audio essay, Carlos Lozada, an Opinion columnist and a co-host of the “Matter of Opinion” podcast, analyzes the detailed plan developed by the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank and Trump ally, that could turn the former president’s plan for control into a reality.(A full transcript of this audio essay will be available within 24 hours of publication in the audio player above.)This episode of “The Opinions” was produced by Derek Arthur.…
James and Jennifer Crumbley never anticipated that their then-15-year-old son, Ethan, would use the 9-millimeter Sig Sauer handgun Mr. Crumbley had bought — ostensibly as an early Christmas present — to kill four students at a Michigan high school. At least that’s the argument their lawyers made in court before Ms. Crumbley, last month, and Mr. Crumbley, almost two weeks ago, were convicted of involuntary manslaughter in separate trials. Prosecutors argued that the Crumbleys did not do enough to secure the gun and ignored warning signs that Ethan was planning to use it.After every mass shooting by a teenager at…
Consequences for Trump? Ah! Well. Nevertheless.Although Trump is entitled to an appeal, which he is pursuing, it still feels outrageous that the former president would get this unexplained courtesy after years of willfully defrauding the public. At the same time, it feels typical of Trump’s relationship to the various institutions of American life. If there seems to be a different set of rules for Trump, under which there is always a reason to look the other way or give him a second chance, that’s because for all intents and purposes, there is.At no point during his long career as a…
There is a moment for patients after we deliver the news of a frightening diagnosis, after they have taken in the realities we have laid before them, when they realize that there is one more tremendous hurdle ahead: to share that news with others. Sometimes that feels like the hardest part. How much do they have to disclose? Do they speak in euphemisms or share the harsh realities? It is as though saying a diagnosis aloud finally makes it real.I found myself thinking about this on Friday, when Catherine, Princess of Wales, made her cancer diagnosis public in a video.…