Organizers in Thunder Bay are urging residents to participate in a ‘people’s referendum’ they hope will demonstrate widespread opposition to the Ford government’s moves to deliver more health services through private clinics.
THUNDER BAY — Advocates are urging Thunder Bay residents to have their say in a ‘people’s referendum’ campaign looking to build opposition to the Ford government’s moves to expand the role of for-profit clinics in Ontario’s health system.
Organizers with the Ontario Health Coalition are soliciting votes in-person and online on Friday and Saturday in Thunder Bay and across the province.
The ‘referendum’ is not officially sanctioned and…
obamacare
Tips on planning for dental costs if you don’t have coverage
A freelance photographer living in downtown Toronto, Armin Fares is living his dream. The 32-year-old says he worked hard to be his own boss and set his own schedule.
But while working for himself offers independence, what he doesn’t offer is access to dental coverage.
“I don’t have access to health benefits like you would work for a company,” Fares says. “I often fear getting some sort of dental issue like a cavity or a root canal because it’s so expensive to fix and could leave me financially vulnerable.”
Fares says he has an emergency fund for unexpected health expenses,…
How health care teams can help people with bedbugs: a patient’s perspective
As a patient with very low vision, chronic heart failure, type 2 diabetes, weight management concerns and fluctuating hemoglobin levels, it is difficult to not have feelings of isolation, poor body image and self-blame that impact my mental health and wellness. These feelings also impact my honesty and relationship with my primary care team. Being afraid that I’ll be looked down on is one of the main factors that makes me not want to share information with them.
A few months ago, I disclosed that I had a bed bug infestation by my family doctor and nurse practitioner who visited…
Illinois health care program for noncitizens, including illegal immigrants, balloons to $1.1B
An Illinois program to provide health care coverage to noncitizens, including illegal immigrants, will cost the state $1.1 billion for the upcoming fiscal year, officials said this week, an enormous increase from the $220 million initially earmarked for the benefit.
The health care program provides state-funded health care to immigrants age 42 and older who would otherwise qualify for Medicaid if they weren’t for their citizenship status. That includes those who are here legally on a green card for fewer than five years, and illegal immigrants. The state began providing Medicaid-like benefits to those 65 and over in 2020 and…
Massachusetts’ Misguided Middle-Class Health Insurance Subsidy Expansion
Proposal to Expand Subsidies Up to $150,000 for a Family of Four Will Have Huge Unintended Consequences
The average annual family health insurance premium in Massachusetts costs more than buying a new compact car (over $21,000/yr), so it is understandable that some are calling for ways to shield patients from this ever-increasing expense. However, the latest proposal on Beacon Hill to expand insurance subsidies up to 500 percent of the federal poverty level (FPL) (ie $150,000 for a family of four or $73,000 for an individual), could have long-term irreversible impacts that merit its rejection .
(Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty…
Prince Edward Island News: health-care workers
CHARLOTTETOWN –
A report on Prince Edward Island’s ailing health-care system says the province needs about 1,200 additional workers over the next 10 years.
The report by Halifax-based health-care consulting firm Health Intelligence says the province will need 1,194 more workers across all health disciplines by 2032.
Health Intelligence says its forecast is based on the province’s plan to reform the health-system by adding more nurses, doctors and pharmacists to the network.
It says the province would only need 245 more health workers over the same period should the government implement a less ambitious reform.
The consulting firm says its…
US health care system benefits insurers, not patients
Could this be the year when America starts to shift away from the employer-sponsored health insurance model?
To be sure, health care is an issue that concerns most people. Whether it is accessing care or paying for health care services, few people are free of the anxiety that comes when they or a loved one must undergo treatment for an acute life-threatening or debilitating chronic condition.
In spite of the $4 trillion spent in 2021 on health care in the United States, the highest per capita spending in the world, life expectancy in our nation continues to languish in comparison…
Local nurses share stories, perspective for National Nurses Week
May 14—Linda Busch has a plaque on the wall of her home. It says, “if you save one life, you’re a hero. If you save 100 lives, you’re a nurse.”
Last week, health care workers celebrated National Nurses Week in honor of the millions of often-unsung heroes of health care.
In recognition of that work, the Tribune interviewed several active and retired nurses from the Quad Cities to talk about their experiences, perspectives and wisdom they’ve gleaned from their years of work.
Linda Bush
Linda Busch, a nurse and instructor at Lewis-Clark State College, started her career in 1981. At…