Category: Politics and Regulation
New Florida law forces physicians to endorse pseudoscience
A new Florida law forces physicians to endorse chiropractic, acupuncture, and massage as non-opioid alternatives for pain, even if the physician disagrees with that advice.
The long, strange road to passing SB 276 appears to be near its end…finally
In 2015, California passed SB 277, which eliminated religious and personal belief exemptions to school vaccine mandates. Unfortunately, there was a problem; a weakness in the law allowed antivaccine quacks to help parents get around the law by writing medical exemptions not supported by science. The long strange battle to get SB 276, the law designed to close that loophole, reveals a...
Generic Drugs and Global Deception
Generic drugs are supposed to be equivalent to brand-name drugs, but all too often they are defective. Katherine Eban's book shows that corrupt overseas manufacturers have committed intentional global fraud. The system is broken and the FDA lacks the power to correct abuses.
The DC wants to play PCP on your dime: H.R. 3654 forces Medicare to cover full chiropractic scope of practice
A bill pending before Congress (H.R. 3654) would expand Medicare coverage of chiropractic services to their full scope of practice under state laws. Chiropractors claim they are primary care physicians and want to force Medicare to pay them as such, just like an M.D. or D.O.
Americans still (mostly) trust scientists and doctors, but there are some troubling warning signs
Given all the denial of the science behind vaccines, GMOs, evolution, and climate science, you might think that Americans in general distrust scientists and physicians. It's actually not true. Trust in scientists and doctors remains high, but there are still areas where mistrust of scientists is a significant problem. What can be done?
Is today’s generation of children “the sickest generation”?
Presidential candidate and New Age self-help guru Marianne Williamson has been repeating a claim that over half of our children have chronic illness and implying that the expansion of the vaccine schedule since the late 1980s is responsible. But is it true? Are over half of our children sick? Is this "the sickest generation"?
Anti-vaccination ideology in chiropractic continuing education and conference (again!)
Yet another chiropractic pediatrics conference features anti-vaccination ideology. Chiropractic institutions approve anti-vaccination CE course content. To protect public health, if chiropractic regulators won't stop this, the states should do it for them.
Medicare proposal covers acupuncture for back pain study participants: A prelude to full coverage?
Medicare coverage of acupuncture is under consideration. A new proposal would provide coverage to Medicare patients participating in studies of acupuncture for back pain. This research would be used in making a final decision.
CBD Oil: The new miracle cure
CBD oil is hyped as a miracle product to treat virtually everything. What is the evidence to support this?
HB 4710: Licensing and expanding the scope of practice of acupuncturists in Michigan
Last week, HB 4710, a bill to license acupuncturists, was considered by the Michigan House of Representatives Health Policy Committee. If passed into law, HB 4710 would do far more than license the quackery that is acupuncture. It would also expand the scope of practice of acupuncturists to include homeopathy, "health coaching", and dietary advice, and is yet another example of what...