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Health

Doctors Aren't Sure Why Anyone Would Want To Restrict Plan B

Five Egregious Examples Of How We Keep Shaming Teen Moms

College Campuses Are Taking Slow Steps To Address Rape Culture

NEWS FLASH

Majority Of Consumers Prefer Food Without Antibiotics | A recent poll conducted by the Consumers Union found that the majority of Americans do not like antibiotics in their food and agree that the antibiotics pose health risks. According to the full report, “more than 60% of respondents stated that they would be willing to pay at least five cents a pound more for meat raised without antibiotics. Over a third (37%) would pay a dollar or more extra per pound.” Despite growing scientific evidence that antibiotics are unhealthy, the FDA continues to do very little to restrict their use.

–Nina Liss-Schultz

By Guest Blogger on Jun 22, 2012 at 5:00 pm

NEWS FLASH

Half Of States Protect Men’s Health More Than Women’s | Twenty-two states will not offer coverage of contraception to women on the same basis as it is offered to men if the Affordable Care Act is overturned. The Progressive States Network put together this map, which shows that no matter how the Supreme Court rules on the law, women in 28 states will have contraceptives covered on the same basis as men’s reproductive care. In the other states, though, women are less lucky:

Texas Slashes Family Planning Services So It Can Underfund Women’s Health Progam

By Guest Blogger on Jun 22, 2012 at 1:20 pm

In March, the federal government cut off funds to Texas’ Women’s Health Program because the state chose to exclude abortion providers from the program in violation of federal law. But even without federal funds, which made up 90 percent of the funding, Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) announced the state would fund the Women’s Health Program on its own.

But to pay for the reduced services provided by the program, the governor announced that the state would cut other health services. Perry directed Tom Suehs, executive commissioner of the state’s Health and Human Services department, to cut $40.1 million in department services to make up the missing federal funds.

Cuts will come by reducing dental services, programs for the elderly, and administrative pay. Even with this money freed up, the Women’s Health Program will not be nearly as strong as it was with federal funding.

The $40.1 million reduction comes on top of cuts that lawmakers cut $73 million from the state’s family planning services budget in 2011. Even before Texas decided to ban Planned Parenthood from the Women’s Health Program, women’s clinics around the state were already being forced to greatly reduce services or shut their doors entirely.

–Ben Sherman

NEWS FLASH

Healthcare Industry Projected To Create 5.6 Million New Jobs By 2020 | According to a new report, the health care industry is projected to create 5.6 million new jobs by 2020. Most of the jobs will be high-paying and will require post-secondary education and training — these jobs will be inaccessible to most unemployed Americans. Although the extensive industry already makes up 18 percent of the U.S. economy, the field is expected to continue expanding as demand for health care soars in country. The average American pays more per capita for health care than the typical Chinese citizen earns over an entire year. — Angela Guo

By Guest Blogger on Jun 22, 2012 at 10:58 am

Economy

Second Republican Campaigns Against Republican Budget: ‘It Harms The Medicare Program Seniors Rely On’

By Travis Waldron posted from ThinkProgress Economy on Jun 22, 2012 at 9:31 am

In an effort to paint himself as an independent who doesn’t always toe the party line, Montana Rep. Denny Rehberg (R) is touting his opposition to the House Republican budget in an ad released by the Montana Republican party. Rehberg, who is running to unseat Sen. Jon Tester (D), voted against the GOP’s budget plan for the second consecutive year because of its draconian cuts to Medicare and Medicaid.

The ad mentions multiple votes on which Rehberg bucked his party before adding that he “refused to support a Republican budget plan that could harm the Medicare programs so many of Montana’s seniors rely on”:

Watch it:

Rehberg was one of 10 Republicans to vote against the budget in 2012; he was one of four to oppose it in 2011. Rep. David McKinley (R-WV), who also opposed the budget this year, has circulated campaign flyers explaining that he voted against the budget “because of the plan’s negative impact on northern West Virginia seniors.”

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