In our increasingly interconnected world, global health is facing a further challenge—new diseases are emerging at the rate of one per year. Since 1967 at least 39 new pathogens have been identified, including HIV, Ebola fever, Marburg fever, and SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome). Other century-old threats such as pandemic influenza, malaria, TB, continue to […]
Healthcare
News from The Ethical Culture Society of Bergen County
Looking Under the Hood of Healthcare Reform Whether you are uninsured, have insurance through your employer, use Medicare/Medicaid or purchase your own insurance, you are affected by the Healthcare Reform legislation passed this year. Want to know more? Dr. Richard Bernstein, a physician and health-economics teacher, will discuss key aspects of the health-insurance changes underway […]
Ration Healthcare?
The new Socrates Café season opened with the above question. Some participants questioned the need to ration medical care at all and felt that we should reorient our national priorities, stop the tax cuts and stop wasting so much money on the military. Most, however, felt that no amount of money would satisfy a seemingly […]
Moving Toward Universal Healthcare Coverage: Principles, Political Rhetoric and Stakeholders’ Tug-of-War
Dr. Richard H. Bernstein’s platform address of Sunday 30 March 2008 OPENING WORDS Outlook Remains Bleak for 2 Programs By ROBERT PEAR Published: March 26, 2008 WASHINGTON – The Bush administration issued a grim report on Tuesday on the financial outlook for Medicare and Social Security, but said the condition of the programs had not […]
World Health Report 2006
Asklepios, the ancients’ god of health, had two daughters, Hygeia and Panakeia. Hygeia is the caregiver who promotes wellness, and Panakeia is the healer who treats illness. The UN is committed to both, and clearly, both are needed. The UN agencies WHO and UNICEF have had remarkable success in treating major diseases and making medical […]