Last week’s healthcare rhetoric provided the suspected uncertainty of the constitutionality of the individual mandate and its severability from the Affordable Care Act. Where the individual mandate proves inapplicable through the federal government, states will maintain the means to do so. California is among the states that are moving in the direction of reform. Legislators … Continue reading
Author Archives: kristenhayford
Primary Care’s Primary Problem
America is facing a shortage of primary care physicians. In recent years advanced specialties have become more appealing than ever to medical students because specialists can make triple that of primary care physicians. This is alarming as the aging population will create a skyrocketing need for primary care. According to the Census Bureau, 13.0% of … Continue reading
The Accountability of Social Media
Social media instigated major political change in 2011. Most notably the Arab Spring saw governments corrode under the pressure of its citizens who were fed up with years of corruption, poverty and joblessness. Social media sites, Facebook and Twitter, enabled people to quickly learn about the demonstrations, organize and react through massive protests. The accessibility … Continue reading
Health Care Reform: Recent Poll Shows Signs of Confusion
HealthDay and Harris Interactive conducted a recent poll measuring current support for the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Their recent results were not too surprising: 36% of adults say they want the law repealed, 25% want to see the law modified and 21% want the law to remain as is. The apparent divide has been linked … Continue reading
America / Colbert Report / Culture / Politics
The Political Power of Satire
The year was 1968. Tensions were boiling as America was still in Vietnam and the Civil Rights movement was at its peak. Patriotism turned to cynicism as hopes for change were turning desperate. Pat Paulsen, meanwhile, was gaining fan fair as a comedian who appeared regularly on the show “The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour” from … Continue reading
Communication: Improving Relationships, Learning and… Healthcare?
Healthcare can be a daunting topic for most Americans. There is a very negative stigma attached to it: expensive, complex and bureaucratic – just to name a few. According to the HealthLiteracyFactst2009(1), eighty-eight percent of Americans aged 16 and older do not have proficient health literacy. Unable to interpret clinical information, like prescriptions, health charts … Continue reading
Policy Interns 