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WGDR Interview: VT AFL-CIO President Van Deusen on the CoronaCrisis & Rebuilding Through A Green New Deal

by Not Signed In | Health

The Coronavirus public health crisis is rapidly becoming an economic crisis for the working class. In this interview (WGDR 91.1 FM) Vermont AFL-CIO President David Van Deusen discusses the steps already taken to address the needs of working people, what still has to be done in the here and now, and the need for a Green New Deal to rebuild society after the immediate danger passes.

Click on the below video link to listen to the full interview:

Reflections In The Time of Pandemic

by RDavis | Health

We are focusing our efforts on self-preservation and prevention during this time of pandemic. But we will all have more time on our hands for reflection and I urge people to stand back a little and try to take the bigger view whenever possible. It will help with the state of your mental health and it may provide some comfort, even if fleeting.

Most of us have had little experience with the process of death and dying and that inexperience tends to create fear. In past generations death was a part of life that everyone watched play out in their family. They had a chance to understand what lay ahead and they learned acceptance of that inevitability.

Information About Alternative Disinfectants and Hand Santizers

by Not Signed In | Health

Because rubbing alcohol, disinfectant spray, and hand sanitizer are still difficult or impossible to find, here are two ideas:

1. Grain alcohol –  BE CAREFUL,   IT IS VERY FLAMMABLE!  and it’s not cheap ($19- $21), but these are unusual circumstances!

Everclear Vodka is 151 proof (75.5% alcohol) available at NH Liquor Stores. Here is link to the current supply on hand at each store, and what’s on order:    https://www.liquorandwineoutlets.com/products/detail/1692/everclear_151

VT AFL-CIO On Combating the Coronacrisis: Where We Stand – Where We Need To Be

by Not Signed In | Health

Montpelier, Vermont – In the seven days since the Vermont AFL-CIO put forth a list of demands to State government on behalf of ALL working class Vermonters, we have seen meaningful progress. The following steps have either already been taken, or are in the process of being implemented:

· Our Labor and Health: An overwhelming number of Unionized employees of Towns & Cities continue to receive full pay and benefits even if ordered home (and in many communities older or health compromised workers have been afforded the right to go home with said pay, even when their job responsibilities are important to base line operations);

There’s Something Very Unifying About A Global Crisis

by Lise | Health, Op/Ed
Cruise Ship

There’s something very unifying about a global crisis — a great inescapable event that affects us all at the same time.  Such crises seem rare but in modern times, they happen often.  We have world economic crises, a global climate crisis, and a crisis of faith in our leaders that’s led to widespread social uprisings around the world.  These sorts of crises affect everyone to some extent, but the effects are hard to gauge.  Some people are affected disproportionately, others not at all.

COVID 19 and the U.S. Health Care System

by RDavis | Health

There may be a bright side to the current COVID 19 pandemic, at least in terms of showing how the current U.S. for-profit health care system fails people when they get sick. In the political debate about a Medicare for All plan the defensive posture is to tell people not to support it because they will have to give up their current health insurance.

Last time I checked I couldn’t find people who tell me they love their current health insurance plan and that they would never give it up. As things stand now for people who have private insurance that they pay for in part, or in whole, contracting a serious case of COVID 19 could mean bills anywhere from $10,000 to one million dollars depending on the type of insurance they have or don’t have.

Coronavirus: We Need Public Healthcare, Paid FMLA, Paid Unemployment Benefits For All – Not More Rhetoric

by Not Signed In | Health

As Vermonters, we have heard the warnings to avoid crowds and unnecessary travel. We have heard the recommendation to wash hands frequently. And now we are hearing that some institutions, like Vermont Law School, Middlebury College, & Champlain College are closing their campuses. We also hear rumblings that school districts and perhaps even aspects of State Government will follow suit if and when the infection rate grows. We are being told that this is to diminish the transmission of the Coronavirus and therefore to save lives. What we have NOT heard is how 10,000s of workers are expected to survive with no wages and a limited access to healthcare if and when more workplaces shutdown.

So if I work for private non-union shop that closes its doors in reaction to the virus, and if I am receiving no pay, and if I have no healthcare, how I am expected to feed my family, pay rent, get medical care, and not face an economic disaster? Conversely, what if my work stays open but my kid’s school closes down? Without public (or affordable) childcare how am I suppose to care for my children? Where is the plan to protect working people not only from the virus, but also from economic ruin? Must we as workers decide between exposure to a deadly disease or total economic collapse? Or will that bad choice be made for us?

Coronavirus – How Much of A Threat?

by RDavis | Health

We are being bombarded with information, misinformation, warnings and all kinds of reports about the spreading coronavirus. How do you know which information is factual and how do you know what to do to be able to deal with an outbreak of the virus in your community or in your home? Should you be concerned, or is there just too much fearmongering and hype to take this new disease outbreak seriously?

The only accurate, factual and up-to-date information is being provided by the World Health Organization (WHO), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (NCEZID which is part of the CDC) and infectious disease specialists and clinicians who work for state health departments throughout the U.S.

Legislative Efforts To Lower Prescription Drug Prices

by RDavis | Health

The political process is rarely proactive. When it comes to dealing with the obscene prices charged for prescription drugs politicians, both locally and nationally, have been too slow to react. People are suffering and dying while legislators and policymakers offer us little more than words.

The Maze of One Care

by RDavis | Health

The public is not engaged enough in the process of health care reform. That is nothing new. Most people don’t get worked up about health care issues until they get sick and have to use their health insurance, if they have it, or when they find out about all the details of payment and coverage.

Yet, many polls indicate that health care is one of the most important issue for voters. What that means is that Americans who have to use their health insurance or who pay premiums are sick and tired of being used as pawns in a money game that should be focusing more on health and not as much on finances.

Help Yourself While Helping a Brattleboro Business

by Not Signed In | Health

It’s a nightmare for a small business owner: a major chain moves into town, undercutting a small business owner on price, and customers flee – with some just aiming to try the competition for a while. If the small business fails, it is not only a tragedy for its owner; the ramifications are also dire for its employees, for its loyal customers, and for those who have fled and who would no longer have the option to go back if they are not satisfied with the new competitor.

So Brattleboro’s Supreme Fitness finds itself in a battle for survival, and as a long time member, I and other members are asking for your help, and in the process you will help yourself get in shape! Here’s what you need to do: join or rejoin Brattleboro’s Supreme Fitness.

Where Have All The Nurses Gone

by RDavis | Health

In his recent budget address Vermont Governor Phil Scott pointed out that Vermont is spending too much money to hire traveling nurses. He has come to recognize something that has been causing economic pain to Vermont’s health care institutions for many years.

When an institution cannot hire enough nurses from the local community and they want to provide optimum staffing, they often turn to one of the national traveling nurse companies to fill vacancies. The overall cost of contracting with these agencies significantly hurts the bottom line of institutions and that means that overall health care costs increase for everyone eventually.

Thai Massage Thursdays In February (in Putney)

by Not Signed In | Health

Hello Neighbors, I am new to the area, and want to let you know that I am offering a very special type of massage called Thai Massage, every Thursday in February in Putney. I am a fully licensed and insured Massage Therapist, RN, and Yoga Instructor with a great deal of experience and skill. I’d love to see you for a session in February.

Thai Massage (aka ‘Thai Yoga Massage’) differs from traditional Western modalities in that it is done on a comfortable mat on the floor, and the recipient wears clothes that allow for complete range of motion.

VFW $6.50 Lunch Specials Open to the Public 11-18 to 11-22 & Fish Fry 11-22

by Not Signed In | Health

The Brattleboro VFW located at 40 Black Mountain Road is open to the public for lunch. Lunch is served Mon-Fri from 11:30 – 1:30. Specials listed below are only $6.50 a plate. Hand made burger, fries, sweet potato fries, wings, onion rings, soups and sandwiches are also available. Take outs available by calling 257-0438

Mon – chicken n’ biscuits w/ salad

Too Big To Fail?

by RDavis | Health

Three years ago Vermont started an experiment to try to improve the quality of health care and to lower costs. A for-profit entity called One Care was created and, from the start, the organization’s complexity and lack of transparency has been an issue.

Those problems surfaced in a recent public hearing before the Green Mountain Care Board, the entity that has regulatory control over One Care. One Care is proposing a budget of $1.43 billion. Those funds come from insurers such as Medicare and Medicaid and private insurers and are then funneled directly to hospitals and providers.

It’s Not Happening Here

by RDavis | Health

An October 18 article on the Medscape web site titled, “Over 700 Doctors Paid More Than $1 Million by Drug, Medical Device Companies”, got me to wondering about how our local doctors compare to some of their greedy counterparts in other areas of the country.

The article noted that, “Back in 2013, ProPublica detailed what seemed a stunning development in the pharmaceutical industry’s drive to win the prescription pads of the nation’s doctors: In just four years, one doctor had earned $1 million giving promotional talks and consulting for drug companies; 21 others had made more than $500,000. Six years later — despite often damning scrutiny from prosecutors and academics — such high earnings have become commonplace.”

Beware of Medicare Advantage

by RDavis | Health

Anyone who is 65 years or older is most likely receiving notices about changing their Medicare plan by postal mail, e-mail or through a variety of other media. Medicare open enrollment period is from October 15 to December 7 and anyone enrolled in either traditional Medicare or a Medicare Advantage plan can switch coverage. New coverage would begin on January 1, 2020.

It is important to understand the history of the Medicare Advantage program. In 2003 President Bush signed into law changes to the Medicare program that included the creation of Part D Medicare which turned out to be a financial bonus for American pharmaceutical manufacturers.

VFW $6.50 Lunch Specials Open to the Public 10-14 to 10-18

by Not Signed In | Health

The Brattleboro VFW located at 40 Black Mountain Road is open to the public for lunch. Lunch is served Mon-Fri from 11:30 – 1:30. Specials listed below are only $6.50 a plate. Hand made burger, fries, sweet potato fries, wings, onion rings, soups and sandwiches are also available. Take outs available by calling 257-043

Stents, and Bernie

by tomaidh | Health

About a dozen years ago, I was having heart problems. I couldn’t walk more than a block without needing to stop and catch my breath.

The docs said I had a blocked coronary artery (just like Bernie) and recommended a stent.

I went over to Keene to get it done.