Societal Viral

I'm not a parent. I have three nephews, however, and I'm happy having the role of uncle. I wasn't always satisfied with being childless. In fact, one of my early struggles with having HIV was mourning the loss of potential parenthood. Fortunately, when it comes to being a mother or a father, things

With the start of the new Congress and new Administration, health care policy is on the front burner in Washington. The future is very uncertain, and the stakes are high. Health care touches all of us and affects nearly 20% of the U.S. economy. AARP is very focused on making sure any health care

One of the lines the Republicans often used to attack Obamacare was complaining that it would lead to a massive switch to part-time work. The argument was that employers would cut all their workers to less than 30 hours a week. This would exempt them from the employer mandates in the Affordable Care

Last week, a client brought her senior cat to have a pre-anesthetic blood test drawn by one of my certified veterinary technicians for a future dental procedure. Unexpectedly, this client also brought her recently adopted handsome young cat, named Apollo, for a nail trim. Since Apollo was a new pa

The 2016 election turned on racism, xenophobia and anger at the status quo, including the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The law covered about 20 million, and modestly improved access to care. But it didn't address the health care problems facing most working families, feeding the perception that the De

In case you haven't noticed, there's a Republican War on Women:"If a woman has [the right to an abortion], why shouldn't a man be free to use his superior strength to force himself on a woman? At least the rapist's pursuit of sexual freedom doesn't [usually] result in anyone's death." -- Republican�

There are a lot of ways you could describe the mental health bill that passed the House of Representatives in July. A first step. A start. A compromise. It's a decent piece of legislation that tackles the margins, not the meat, of mental health reform. That's okay. A system as expansive, entrench

Whether or not you're someone who uses alcohol or other drugs, undoubtedly you will be around people who do at some point. And being able to recognize when something's gone wrong is the first step toward being able to take action - and possibly save a life. That's why in honor of International Overd

By Elizabeth W. Patton, University of Michigan and Michelle Moniz, University of MichiganNinety-nine percent of reproductive age U.S. women who have ever had sex have used contraception at some point in their lives. And thanks to the Affordable Care Act's contraceptive mandate, more people have acce

Financial columnist Megan McArdle recently wrote a column entitled "Healthcare Is a Business, Not a Right." She was responding to a tweet from financial writer Helaine Olen, which she quotes as:"The health of Americans should not be a profit center. Health care is a right. Full stop."Health care is