By Margaret Ragni, MD, MPH
2008-07-01
Dr. Ragni is Professor of Medicine in the Division of
Hematology/Oncology at the University of Pittsburgh and Director of the
Hemophilia Center of Western Pennsylvania. She is also a member of the medical/scientific advisory committee at the National Hemophilia Foundation.
Editor's Note: This is the second in a
series of articles illustrating how hematologists can become involved
with the presidential election. ASH members are encouraged to take
advantage of and create new opportunities to become involved in the
election and particularly to share their views about health-related
issues with the candidates. The first article, "Grassroots Advocacy Visible From 30,000 Feet," appeared in the March/April edition of The Hematologist.
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Do
election politics leave you cold? Have political pundits got you down?
Have you grown tired of the political bickering? One possible solution
has been offered by Vice President for Public Policy Glenn Mones at the
National Hemophilia Foundation (NHF). Mr. Mones is developing something
refreshing and relevant. He is creating a patient-focused guide about
the upcoming presidential election and its potential impact on health
care in general and on individuals with bleeding or clotting disorders
in particular. Dr. Craig Kessler, of Georgetown University, and chair
of NHF's Medical and Scientific Advisory Committee (MASAC), asked Mr.
Mones to give a short presentation on the subject at their recent
meeting in Chicago. Dr. Kessler mentioned that he had received a lot of
positive feedback on the presentation; thus, the idea of the patient
guide came about. Mr. Mones' analysis is not intended to be an
endorsement of any candidate, but rather a look at where the candidates
stand on key health-care issues and how their proposals might affect
individuals with bleeding and clotting disorders.
As Mr. Mones describes, "This is a campaign: We are hearing what the
candidates are saying but not necessarily whether they will carry
through on their promises, nor whether their policies will work. None
of the plans are detailed enough to determine how well they would meet
the particular needs of the bleeding and clotting disorders community."
While Mr. Mones' guide does not attempt to solve your patients'
health-care issues, his effort highlights how one can make this
presidential campaign more relevant to the hematology community.
Interested readers can obtain the guide by contacting the National Hemophilia Foundation at 800-42-HANDI. The chart to the right displays a few examples from the guide. ASH has also prepared a side-by-side comparison of the presidential candidates' positions on health care.
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