When It Costs Too Much to Support the Troops

Marie Cocco / Truthdig May 20, 2008 The comment was outrageous, but it was not the least bit surprising. A psychologist responsible for assessing returning war veterans for post-traumatic stress disorder -- a psychological ailment that could entitle them to monthly disability payments -- told staff members not to diagnose the illness because to do so would increase the government's costs. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

Campaign ’08: Giving U.S. Health Care a Checkup

Bill Boyarsky / Truthdig May 14, 2008 On May 5, the day before Barack Obama all but clinched the Democratic presidential nomination, I visited Harbor-UCLA Medical Center in Torrance, Calif., because I was sick -- sick of stories about the Rev. Jeremiah Wright and his most famous parishioner and of television close-ups of Obama drinking beer and Hillary Clinton belting straight shots in efforts to show their inner blue collars. Dig deeper ( 4 Min. Read )

The Single-Payer Solution

Amy Goodman / Truthdig Apr 24, 2008 As the media coverage of the Democratic presidential race continues to focus on lapel pins and pastors, America is ailing. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

Burning Down the House

Staff / Truthdig Apr 21, 2008 From the L Times: "In what appears to be the latest symptom of the nation's mortgage meltdown and credit crisis, insurers, law enforcement officials and state agencies nationwide report a jump in home and automobile fires in the last year believed to have been set by owners unable to pay their debts". Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Are Medical Insurance Mandates Constitutional?

Staff / Truthdig Apr 5, 2008 Both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama's health-care plans contain some form of mandate -- a requirement that Americans purchase insurance. At least one legal scholar wonders whether that's constitutional. At the very least, Karl Manheim argues in an Op-Ed article, it's "certainly unprecedented." Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Doctors and Patients Agree

Marie Cocco / Truthdig Apr 3, 2008 Add doctors to that growing list of Americans who would like to see some form of national health insurance. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

The Mail War

Staff / Truthdig Feb 26, 2008 Hillary Clinton was so irked by a couple of Barack Obama campaign mailers that a few days ago she publicly scolded him and said "every Democrat should be outraged" Clinton herself has been accused of sending misleading mailers to voters, including one that went out shortly after her now infamous "shame on you" news conference For inundated Ohioans, it's a question of whom to trust Updated. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

Paying More and Dying Sooner

Eugene Robinson / Truthdig Nov 13, 2007 Not only are Rudy Giuliani's figures about prostate cancer survival rates in the United States and Britain wildly misleading, but he's also wrong on his general point: that a single-payer system, of the kind that Republicans call "socialized" medicine, inevitably would deliver inferior care. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

Giuliani’s Health Care Cherry-Picking

Eugene Robinson / Truthdig Nov 2, 2007 In slamming Clinton-style reforms, "America's mayor" uses data in a way that shows disregard for the truth. Does that remind you of any other famous politician? Maybe the one in the Oval Office? Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

Dems Blow Override, Vow to Keep On Fighting

Staff / Truthdig Oct 19, 2007 House Democrats managed to pick up a few more votes for the State Children's Health Insurance Program, but not enough to override the president's veto. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi promised to keep fighting for the overwhelmingly popular program: "In the next two weeks we will send the president another bill that insures coverage for 10 million children." Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Gouging Grandma

Marie Cocco / Truthdig Oct 18, 2007 The elderly are paying for waste in the GOP-crafted Medicare drug benefit. Rep. Waxman, D-Calif., is lifting the lid on this kettle, and what's inside ain't pretty. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

Our Offspring Fontanel

Will Durst / Truthdig Oct 17, 2007 Oooh. He's clever. And obviously knows exactly what he's doing. This is all a setup, people. Has to be. Yes, I'm talking about George Bush's veto of the State Children's Health Insurance Program. Who but a total stoned horned ogre would do that? Maybe an ogre with something up his sleeve, eh? Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )