Today’s OpEds: FDA And Conflicts of Interest, Defensive Medicine Costs, UAW Chief On Health Care Critics
Health Care Critics Missing The Point The Detroit News
Rep. Boehner doesn't really think it's the end of the world. He just wants to join an increasingly shrill minority who want to use health care reform as a hammer against the Democrats in Congress who had the courage to stand up and pass legislation that will ensure quality, affordable health care coverage for most Americans (Ron Gettelfinger, 5/4).
The Lawsuit Against Health Care Reform The Denver Post
Making social welfare programs mandatory and universal has been a challenge in American politics, both in legislatures and in courts. The new federal health insurance program joins Social Security, the Civil Rights Act, and the Voting Rights Act as programs that were challenged in court once they had been enacted in legislatures over bitter opposition (Susan Sterett, 5/5).
Experts, Conflicts And The F.D.A. The New York Times
Although laws and regulations are supposed to screen out scientists with financial conflicts, the F.D.A. routinely granted waivers to allow participation by specialists whose hard-to-find expertise was deemed essential. ... We would prefer no conflicts at all. But more disclosure is better (5/4).
Defensive Medicine: An Unhealthy Cost The (Jacksonville) Florida Times-Union
[P]hysicians said they thought that, on average, 26 percent of all health care costs are for defensive medicine. That probably is a gross overestimation. Still, it shows that the fear of lawsuits drive up medical costs, at least to some extent (5/4).
U.S. Health-Care Debate: Lessons For Canadians The (Halifax, Canada) Chronicle
First, Canadians would be well advised to temper our criticism of our U.S. neighbours; hysteria and hyperbole are not the sole domains of Americans regarding health care (Byrne, 5/4).