Relevant and even prescient commentary on news, politics and the economy.

The Rich Stay Healthy, the Sick Stay Poor

Health and Economic Development Primer in one easy lesson (via SocProf’s Twitter feed): This is not surprising to see the contrast between the prosperous (at least until now) areas, in green where chronic illnesses prevail but are diseases tied to aging, as opposed to the semi-periphery and periphery where infectious / parasitic diseases are prevalent […]

Health Care: Regulatory Inconsistency

by Tom aka Rusty Rustbelt Health Care: Regulatory Inconsistency When an elderly patient is in the hospital suffering from dementia, depression or schizophrenia, the hospital nurses may administer any psychoactive or anti-psychotic drug ordered by the physician within normal protocols and practices. When the patient becomes a nursing home resident a few days later, the […]

Health Care thoughts: Reality is Ugly

by Tom aka Rusty Rustbelt Health Care: Reality is Ugly An Indiana baby with an extremely rare condition will not be receiving $500,000 experimental surgery at Duke because the State of Indiana cannot afford to pay the bill for the surgery. The immediate howls of protest are directed at the Republican governor, but there are […]

Health Care thoughts: Really, Really Bad Idea (?)

by Tom aka Rusty Rustbelt Health Care: Really, Really Bad Idea(?)The Food and Drug Administration has approved a proposal to liberalize the guidelines for lap band weight loss surgery (much to the delight of the company making lap bans). Previous guidelines required a very high level of severe obesity OR severe obesity combined with hypertension […]

Health Care thoughts: Religious, Gender and Cultural Issues

by Tom aka Rusty Rustbelt Health Care: Religious, Gender and Cultural Issues The Muslim population in the U.S. is now about 7 million, some having been here many generations and others being new immigrants. Muslims arrive with various cultural backgrounds and various degrees of cultural conservatism. Americans of other religions and beliefs also have cultural […]

HEALTH CARE thoughts: Resident Rights versus Caregiver Rights

by Tom aka Rusty Rustbelt HEALTH CARE: Resident Rights versus Caregiver Rights In 1987 the federal government passed a comprehensive “bill of rights” for nursing home patients. Most states followed. The law gives nursing home residents wide protection, including (when mentally able) the ability to refuse care, meals and just about anything else they please. […]

HEALTH CARE thoughts: The Durable Medical Equipment (DME) mess

by Tom aka Rusty Rustbelt HEALTH CARE: The Durable Medical Equipment (DME) mess So you go to an orthopedic surgeon with a complaint of back pain, and the surgeon orders a lumbar back brace for support. Can you stop at a counter and buy the brace on the way out the door? Probably not. Years […]