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Opinion | Why American health care is so expensive
David Goldhill’s Dec. 2 op-ed, “In health care, America is the world’s indispensable nation,” was a classic example of using somewhat misleading evidence to tell a story about how innovative our pharmaceutical industry and health-care system are. Yes, it is true that Americans spend far more on pharmaceutical products than people in other highly developed nations. It’s also true that foreign pharmaceutical companies, such as the mentioned Swiss company Novartis, avail themselves of our markets to increase their profits. But Mr. Goldhill didn’t mention that pharmaceutical companies in the United States spend more on sales and marketing (including consumer advertising and direct marketing to physicians and other health providers) than…
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September is self-improvement month | Opinion
By Irene Duncan, Friends of the Library This month marks the end of one era (summer) and the start of a new one (fall). Now is a time to reflect on all you’ve accomplished this year before identifying which goals you still need to work toward. Think of this as preemptive work for your New Year’s Resolutions. The following three factors are considered much more important than intelligence in determining success: self-confidence, goal setting, and perseverance. An individual’s self-esteem, or your self-confidence, is basically what you think about yourself. Personal development is an ongoing process of self-improvement either in your career, in your education, in your personal life, or in…
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Opinion: European-style health care may not work in Alberta
Breadcrumb Trail Links Columnists Health care workers transport a patient at the Royal London Hospital, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues, in London, Britain, January 19, 2021. Photo by HANNAH MCKAY /REUTERS Article content In the battle for hearts and minds on health care, invoking “American-style health care” is kryptonite. When NDP Leader Rachel Notley accused Jason Kenney of seeking a U.S.-style, privatized system, the premier shot back that he had no intention of adopting the “deeply flawed” American model which lacks universal insurance. His preference is for aligning our system with countries in western Europe where the private sector plays a role. Advertisement 2 This advertisement…
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Opinion | When Health Care Workers Are Protected, Patients Are, Too
America was in a health care crisis before Covid, and the stresses of the pandemic have made it worse. Since the pandemic began, the health care work force — the country’s largest industry by employment — has shrunk by nearly 2 percent. That may seem like a small amount, but historically, the health care work force doesn’t shrink; it only grows. Now, with astronomical turnover and rising demand as patients seek care that they may have put off during the height of the pandemic, hospitals, clinics, nursing homes and home care agencies across the country lack sufficient staff members to adequately care for patients. The health care system, before it…
