I received innumerable calls in the last few months encouraging me to sign up for Medicare. The callers know one important fact about me: I’m turning 65 soon. With a few exceptions, age is all that counts with Medicare. Turn 65 and you’re eligible. The story was different when my 27-year-old daughter enrolled in Medicaid … Continued
Testimony Delivered at the Meeting of the FDA Obstetrics and Gynecology Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee February 12, 2019 [Docket No. FDA-2018-N-4395] My name is Cindy Pearson, and I am the executive director of the National Women’s Health Network. The National Women’s Health Network is a nonprofit advocacy organization that works to … Continued
By Cynthia Pearson I originally intended to title this column: “Trump officials can’t disguise their anti-birth control lies by claiming to care about women’s right to know the truth about their health.” But, that’s way too long, and Al Franken’s book title is the perfect description of leading anti-family planning policymakers. Trust me, they’ve really … Continued
The reasons that Donald Trump was able to win the U.S. presidential election may take many years to fully understand. For now, though, it is clear that Trump simultaneously took advantage of and fomented a new wave of populism, targeting the government as the cause of economic misery, and positioning himself as uniquely capable to … Continued
Okay, I admit it. Sometimes I try to cheer myself up by turning on some upbeat music and dancing by myself. Although I wouldn’t want anyone to see me bouncing around when I’ve cranked up the music (I’m a lousy dancer), I don’t mind people knowing that one of my favorite cheer-me-up songs is Aretha … Continued
By the time this column is printed, the election will be over, and we’ll know what we’re facing. As I write this, though, we don’t yet know what the results will be. Will this country elect a man who jokes about touching women without their consent, whose running mate tried to defund Planned Parenthood, and … Continued
Good health depends on more than just good medical care. Healthy food, clean air, and safe workplaces are just some of the non-medical parts of our lives with a tremendous impact on our health. We know that discrimination can compromise people’s health — whether those attitudes are expressed in the exam room, when a clinician … Continued
There’s been lots of shouting about the Affordable Care Act (ACA) lately, especially in the political arena — and there have been so many political arenas this year! Opponents of government involvement in health care attack the ACA, claiming that it’s “hurting families,” the nation’s “biggest job killer,” and that premiums are “going up 35, … Continued
I still remember how I felt when I saw the sign warning of potential traffic jams due to a special event at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). It was early morning on July 19, 1996, and four NWHN colleagues and I were on the way to attend the FDA Advisory Committee meeting about mifepristone … Continued
I hope you enjoy this issue as much as I do; it includes a selection of interesting articles and commentary on cutting-edge issues. A couple of articles, “Don’t Hate the Player, Hate the Game: Drug Pricing in America” and “Abortion Disconnect” directly address high-profile issues that are in the news on a daily basis. Our … Continued