Special Coverage: Health and Wellness

Is Health Care a "Right" or a "Moral Responsibility"?

Maggie Mahar, Health Beat. October 10, 2008.
One thing is certain: Health care is not simply a privilege.

From the blogs

Cancer Expert Discusses Dangers of McCain's Health Record Secrecy

From Friday's "Meet the Bloggers."

Obama vs. McCain: An Easy Choice for the Uninsured

One plan would cover 34 million of the nation's projected 67 million uninsured people in 10 years, the other just 2 million.

I Want to Bail Out Health Care

by Erikka Yancy, Brave New Films

Choosing to bail out children over corporations.

Medical Bills Stack Up, Americans Pack Up

by Ella Hushagen, Stand Up for Health Care

Medical debt is closely tied to the mortgage crisis that's pushing working families out of their homes and our economy to the brink of collapse.

Bush Administration Forcing STD Vaccine on Immigrants

by Amanda, Think Progress

In July, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services quietly amended its list of required vaccinations for immigrants applying to become citizens.

Would Sarah Palin's Family Be Covered Under McCain Care?

by Ella Hushagen, Stand Up for Health Care

She, like other families with special needs kids, shouldn't count on it.

Sarah Palin's Reckless Approach to Health Care

by Julia Eisman, Stand Up for Health Care

Just like John McCain, Palin is putting private market interests before consumers.

How Effective Is the HPV Vaccine?

by Lucinda Marshall, Feminist Peace Network

The New England Journal of Medicine raises some serious questions about the vaccine's safety and effectiveness.

How Do Obama and McCain Compare on Health Care?

by Julia Eisman, Stand Up for Health Care

A new report from Families USA details their differences. And it's not good news for McCain.

Gaps in McCain's Health Plan

by Kathleen Stoll, Stand Up for Health Care

McCain touts consumer choice as a highlight of his plan, when, in fact, it would leave many with no choice at all.

LSD Cured My Headache

Arran Frood, Independent UK. October 10, 2008.
Cluster headaches cause such severe pain that some sufferers are driven to suicide. Now one man believes he's found a surprising cure.

Will the Economic Meltdown Undermine Interest in Health Care Reform?

Niko Karvounis, Health Beat. October 6, 2008.
The current bailout is costing us only a third of what we pay each year for chronic illnesses like cancer, diabetes and obesity.

Obama vs. McCain: How the Underinsured Would Fare Under the Candidates' Health Plans

Trudy Lieberman, Columbia Journalism Review. October 6, 2008.
Some 25 million Americans may be underinsured; that is, their insurance, good or bad, does not cover all their medical care.

How Bad Is McCain's Melanoma?

Sam Stein, Huffington Post. October 3, 2008.
The public deserves to know how advanced McCain's skin cancer is. If pilots have to release medical records, so should would-be presidents.

Women's Health: Yet Another Issue Sarah Palin is Out of Touch On

Cecile Richards, Huffington Post. October 2, 2008.
Women voting for McCain-Palin is like chickens voting for Col. Sanders.

The Harsh Economics of the Global Water Crisis

Julie Chowdhury, The Wip. October 1, 2008.
It is our era's greatest scandal that 1.6 million children die of preventable illness each year. We can fix that.

Which Candidate Would Better Handle the HIV/AIDS Epidemic?

Todd Heywood, RH Reality Check. October 1, 2008.
Worldwide, 33 million people are infected. One candidate has a formal plan to deal with this health crisis. The other doesn't.

Tan Is the New Tacky

Verena von Pfetten, Huffington Post. September 30, 2008.
There is nothing inherently healthy about tanning. It can give you wrinkles and cancer. Good thing it's gone the way of the Ugg boot.

McCain's Health Plan: You're on Your Own

Jared Bernstein, Huffington Post. September 29, 2008.
An estimated 20 million people would lose employer coverage under McCain's plan.

Most Results of Drug Studies Never Published

Maggie Mahar, Health Beat. September 29, 2008.
The results of over half of all clinical trials on drug safety and effectiveness are not published within five years of the drug going on the market.

Which Candidate's Health Plan Would Do the Most for Ordinary Americans?

Trudy Lieberman, Columbia Journalism Review. September 29, 2008.
Neither candidate is talking much about the people who fall through gaps in our public safety net. And neither plan is truly universal.

The First Debate: Will Candidates Discuss Women's Welfare Along with the World's and Wall Street's?

Serra Sippel, RH Reality Check. September 26, 2008.
Bailing out Wall Street while ignoring the global health needs of mothers and children is both a critical foreign policy and economic issue.

Americans Think Iraq Is 'Improving' But in Its Best Hospitals, Not Even the Elevators Work

Arkin Hamed, Dahr Jamail, IPS News. September 26, 2008.
In Iraq's hospitals, no-working elevators are just another reminder of a country that's not working.

EPA Woud Like You to Drink Rocket Fuel

Carl Pope, Huffington Post. September 25, 2008.
Even though the pollutant perchlorate has been found to cause health risks, EPA doesn't mind that its in your drinking water.

Rape, Torture and Humiliation in Women's Prisons: A Global State of Crisis

Lys Anzia, Women News Network. September 23, 2008.
Physical and psychological abuse are rampant in women's prisons from the U.S. to Canada to Pakistan.

We Can't Afford McCain and Palin's Anti-Science Beliefs

John Tirman, AlterNet. September 23, 2008.
Their combined anti-science positions may be devastating for the economy, the environment and our health.

How to Treat the Rare Diseases That Big Pharma Leaves Behind

Sheldon J. Segal, AlterNet. September 22, 2008.
There is little incentive for drug companies to research treatments for rare diseases. But collaboration with nonprofits could make it happen.

Obama and McCain's Health Care Plans: The Story Mainstream Press Won't Tell

Trudy Lieberman, Columbia Journalism Review. September 22, 2008.
Health policy talk means little if it's not placed in the context of real people's lives.

FDA Says Chemical with Links to Reproductive Problems Is Safe for Humans

Ashley Shelby, AlterNet. September 19, 2008.
More than 100 government and university studies have found the chemical Bisphenol-A to be harmful even at low levels.

Rheumatoid Arthritis Drug Humira Linked to Psoriasis, Herpes, Possibly Cancer

Martha Rosenberg, AlterNet. September 18, 2008.
In six years, Abbott Laboratories' Humira has gone from wonder drug to wonder-how-it-got-approved drug.

McCain-Palin Health Plan Relies on the Very Marketplace Strategy That's Crippling Our Economy

Bob Herbert, The New York Times. September 18, 2008.
The Bear Stearns, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Lehman Brothers and AIG fiascos show just how well the unfettered marketplace has been working.

John McCain's 'Underwear Gnome' Health Care Plan Will Leave You Feeling Naked

Joshua Holland, AlterNet. September 17, 2008.
McCain's plan makes little sense until one grasps that it's designed to improve Corporate America's bottom line rather than Americans' health.

How McCain and Obama's Health Plans Would Affect Real People

Trudy Lieberman, Columbia Journalism Review. September 15, 2008.
A look at the way each candidate's plan might affect your ability to fill prescriptions, find a competent doctor and pay the bills. [Part I]

What the Chemical Industry Doesn't Want You to Know about Everyday Products

Elaine Shannon, AlterNet. September 15, 2008.
The chemical industry has spent years trying to suppress information about a certain chemical. Will Congress help the public know the true dangers?

Amid Health Crisis, More Americans Going Abroad for Care

Mridu Khullar, The Wip. September 12, 2008.
With health care costs rising at twice the pace of inflation, Americans are heading off to foreign shores for their medical needs.

Has American Society Gone Insane?

Bruce E. Levine, AlterNet. September 11, 2008.
America's mental health problems may be more than a matter of some "unadjusted" individuals. The entire culture might well need adjusting.

Pet Food Politics: Why Our Pets Still Aren't Safe

Jill Richardson, AlterNet. September 10, 2008.
The author of Pet Food Politics exposes how the '07 pet food crisis happened and why it is a sign of a larger problem with our own food system.

Medicare: A Bush Disaster That My Life Depends on

James Ridgeway, Mother Jones. September 9, 2008.
Remember Bush's signature health care initiative? I need it to survive -- and that's not very reassuring.

Fighting the Pathologizing of PMS

Paula J. Caplan, Ms. Magazine. September 8, 2008.
Despite a lack of evidence, the psychiatric establishment has made extreme premenstrual distress a recognized disorder -- and a boon to Big Pharma.

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What To Eat

Marion Nestle is arguably one of the foremost experts in public health nutrition. If you have questions about food policy, prices or any other aspect of healthy eating, chances are her blog has answers. Check it out!

SafeCosmetics.org

Personal care products like shampoo, deodorant and makeup often contain cocktails of toxic chemicals linked to cancer and birth defects. Learn what's lurking in your cosmetics and find out what you can do about it by visiting safecosmetics.org.

Breast Cancer Fund

Only 10 percent of breast cancers are genetic. That means the disease is largely preventable. Learn about the risk factors in your life and find out how you can take action by visiting breastcancerfund.org.

Reform Plans

Find out how Obama and McCain's health care plans compare at reformplans.com.

Families USA

High-quality, affordable health care should be a right for all Americans. For 25 years, Families USA has been fighting to make this a reality. Visit their Web site to learn more and to take action on a variety of consumer health care issues from private insurance to prescription drugs.

Health Policy Watch

To follow the debate on health care policy and get in-depth ideas on achieving universal coverage, visit healthpolicywatch.org.