Dear Contrarian, please note my appreciation for the everpresent Transcript option on these talks. I need a quiet house and I prefer reading. That's it. You let me do that every day. Fan for life!
On the bottom right of the screen (for video interviews), there is a little icon button that looks like a sheet of paper. That provides transcripts of the great interviews.
Dr. Georges Benjamin’s analysis of RFK Jr’s confirmation hearing was spot on and he completely confirmed who would have the best qualifications for that job. Great questions and complete responses by the interviewee. His explanation of the importance of DEI in the field of medicine was absolutely exemplary. Very impressive from both sides!
Medicaid plays a key role in supporting people with disabilities across the age span - from the cradle through the end of life. It covers long term services and supports in the community that are not covered by private insurance. I was surprised and disappointed that Dr Benjamin omitted this in his overview of Medicaid so elevating it here. Medicaid is so essential for so many Americans who have a disability or chronic health condition - and with the current administration there is great fear that this critical coverage may be at risk. Could be the topic for one of your future speakers.
Deliberately elevating this guy on the heels of a 100-year deadly pandemic is the height of crapitude for these people. So glad my physician father died and won't have to witness this. For myself, I'm updating the last 3 needed vaccinations while I still can.
Thank you for interviewing Dr. Benjamin. As a long time member of the public health community in DC/federal political circles, I know Dr. Benjamin as an anchor for our broad community and an articulate spokesperson about public health to the public at large. We will need his voice as we go into this misinformation nightmare that is the Trump-Musk creation.
America's chaotic, overpriced, unfair health system will only be made worse by having someone in charge of it who does not believe in the efficacy of vaccines, dismisses medical evidence if it does not agree with the President's ignorant views, and doesn't even understand the difference between Medicare and Medicaid.
Israel, a Middle-Eastern country, has a government-run healthcare system.
It spends less than 9% of its GDP on healthcare (vs 19% of GDP in the U.S.), covers all of its citizens, and has better medical outcomes and better life expectancies than the U.S.
If we were serious about improving healthcare we would hire the people responsible for the Israeli healthcare system and have them institute similar programs here.
The insurance companies would howl but their interest is purely pecuniary. As they prove daily, with their denial of medically-recommended treatments and procedures, they have no interest in the lives or well-being of Americans.
Public Health - think Covid! Now think Avian Influenza, anothe virus that could become zoonotic. We need doctors like Dr. Benjamin to keep us informed and making the right choices with our votes. Excellent interview and an honest review of some of RFK Jr.’s prejudices, ignorances and reasons for not being a Secretary of Health in any capacity. What a frightening possibility. We might very well have another pandemic - and we won’t be in a position to have vaccines with a conspiracy theorist in the US Cabinet. In addition, other countries will not share their research since we won’t be a member of the WHO.
As a Medicaid provider in NM, I am paid more per visit by Medicaid, than private insurance and Medicare. Our Governor and legislature got this right! This serves all of us.
Kudos to Dr. Benjamin. We entered medicine around the same time, DEI, before it was DEI. My med school class had 25% women and one black person out of 110. The year before had 3% women and no black people. It was 1979 in Atlanta. What president might have had something to do with that? Let me just say, I seldomly go to the doctor, but far and away, the best doctors I have visited are women and people of color. Some of the worst residents I have been responsible for were white men and some men of color (cultures who disregard women) who have no regard for women. I hope medicine survives the orange dump. Don’t play with dead chickens. We don’t need another criminally unsupervised pandemic.
Thanks Jen Rubin and Dr. Benjamin. I spent my life as a mental health practitioner and learned a lot from this interview. Dr. Benjamin was so relaxed and fluid in his answers to JR's good questions. Thank you both!
Very good idea to provide basic information to people who don't know how government programs work. Might I suggest that a program re the federal-state financial relationship and the "block grant" process, both application and dispersal.
"It's not an exclusive concept. In fact, I talk a lot about Appalachia and rural America and some of the disparities that they have. There are two counties, for example, in Putnam and Mason County in West Virginia, which have a two-year life expectancy between those two counties. And by the way, West Virginia is 97% white." I am confused by this statement; it should be clarified. I tried to determine if these two counties had a 2-year life expectancy. I could not find that information. I believe he meant that it had dropped by 2 years?
Dear Contrarian, please note my appreciation for the everpresent Transcript option on these talks. I need a quiet house and I prefer reading. That's it. You let me do that every day. Fan for life!
Likewise on the transcript being great (and fan/supporter of independent good faith journalism for life!)
I have an Android phone and didn't see the transcript option. Can someone please clarify?
On the bottom right of the screen (for video interviews), there is a little icon button that looks like a sheet of paper. That provides transcripts of the great interviews.
I have an iPhone 8 Plus iOS 16.7.1. I don’t see that feature to get a transcript. I guess I can’t since my phone is too old. 😒
Dr. Georges Benjamin’s analysis of RFK Jr’s confirmation hearing was spot on and he completely confirmed who would have the best qualifications for that job. Great questions and complete responses by the interviewee. His explanation of the importance of DEI in the field of medicine was absolutely exemplary. Very impressive from both sides!
Medicaid plays a key role in supporting people with disabilities across the age span - from the cradle through the end of life. It covers long term services and supports in the community that are not covered by private insurance. I was surprised and disappointed that Dr Benjamin omitted this in his overview of Medicaid so elevating it here. Medicaid is so essential for so many Americans who have a disability or chronic health condition - and with the current administration there is great fear that this critical coverage may be at risk. Could be the topic for one of your future speakers.
Deliberately elevating this guy on the heels of a 100-year deadly pandemic is the height of crapitude for these people. So glad my physician father died and won't have to witness this. For myself, I'm updating the last 3 needed vaccinations while I still can.
Thank you for interviewing Dr. Benjamin. As a long time member of the public health community in DC/federal political circles, I know Dr. Benjamin as an anchor for our broad community and an articulate spokesperson about public health to the public at large. We will need his voice as we go into this misinformation nightmare that is the Trump-Musk creation.
America's chaotic, overpriced, unfair health system will only be made worse by having someone in charge of it who does not believe in the efficacy of vaccines, dismisses medical evidence if it does not agree with the President's ignorant views, and doesn't even understand the difference between Medicare and Medicaid.
Israel, a Middle-Eastern country, has a government-run healthcare system.
It spends less than 9% of its GDP on healthcare (vs 19% of GDP in the U.S.), covers all of its citizens, and has better medical outcomes and better life expectancies than the U.S.
If we were serious about improving healthcare we would hire the people responsible for the Israeli healthcare system and have them institute similar programs here.
The insurance companies would howl but their interest is purely pecuniary. As they prove daily, with their denial of medically-recommended treatments and procedures, they have no interest in the lives or well-being of Americans.
Thank you for the transcript. Thank you thank you.
Public Health - think Covid! Now think Avian Influenza, anothe virus that could become zoonotic. We need doctors like Dr. Benjamin to keep us informed and making the right choices with our votes. Excellent interview and an honest review of some of RFK Jr.’s prejudices, ignorances and reasons for not being a Secretary of Health in any capacity. What a frightening possibility. We might very well have another pandemic - and we won’t be in a position to have vaccines with a conspiracy theorist in the US Cabinet. In addition, other countries will not share their research since we won’t be a member of the WHO.
As a Medicaid provider in NM, I am paid more per visit by Medicaid, than private insurance and Medicare. Our Governor and legislature got this right! This serves all of us.
I really appreciate Dr. Benjamin’s clear explanation of Medicaid — Thanks!
Kudos to Dr. Benjamin. We entered medicine around the same time, DEI, before it was DEI. My med school class had 25% women and one black person out of 110. The year before had 3% women and no black people. It was 1979 in Atlanta. What president might have had something to do with that? Let me just say, I seldomly go to the doctor, but far and away, the best doctors I have visited are women and people of color. Some of the worst residents I have been responsible for were white men and some men of color (cultures who disregard women) who have no regard for women. I hope medicine survives the orange dump. Don’t play with dead chickens. We don’t need another criminally unsupervised pandemic.
Thanks Jen Rubin and Dr. Benjamin. I spent my life as a mental health practitioner and learned a lot from this interview. Dr. Benjamin was so relaxed and fluid in his answers to JR's good questions. Thank you both!
Very good idea to provide basic information to people who don't know how government programs work. Might I suggest that a program re the federal-state financial relationship and the "block grant" process, both application and dispersal.
"It's not an exclusive concept. In fact, I talk a lot about Appalachia and rural America and some of the disparities that they have. There are two counties, for example, in Putnam and Mason County in West Virginia, which have a two-year life expectancy between those two counties. And by the way, West Virginia is 97% white." I am confused by this statement; it should be clarified. I tried to determine if these two counties had a 2-year life expectancy. I could not find that information. I believe he meant that it had dropped by 2 years?