This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

A healthcare theme to the sltrib.com opinion offerings:

If you are upset by this one ...

Other states show that Utah did right to skip Medicaid expansion — Derek Monson | The Sutherland Institute | For The Salt Lake Tribune

" ... Medicaid expansion enrollment in states that expanded Medicaid has been nearly 50 percent more than projected. This has left clinics, hospitals and state Medicaid program administrators unprepared to handle the rush of newly covered patients, to the detriment of the lowest-income and disabled individuals for which Medicaid was originally designed. ..."

[Yes, that line is plucked from a much larger essay for maximum effect. But I still think its fair. The conservative objection to Medicaid expansion is that a whole lot of people who needed access to healthcare now have it. The horror.]

... this one might make you feel better:

Republicans predicted an Obamacare apocalypse. It hasn't happened. — Dana Milbank | The Washington Post

" ... Obamacare extended health insurance to 20 million people who were previously uncovered, and of those only about 6 million get their insurance through the exchanges; the rest are covered because of the expansion of Medicaid, because they are young adults now covered on their parents' plans, or because of other reforms. ...

" ... The irony here is that the 'big government' parts of the program — expanding Medicaid, ordering coverage expansions and removing coverage limits and exclusions — are working just fine. What's struggling is the law's attempt to preserve the free market: the Obamacare exchanges. ..."

Related:

Why medical marijuana? Because it may be the answer — Brian Shiozawa | For The Salt Lake Tribune

"As a physician, I want to help people. I see patients every day and night in the ER with pain, nausea, seizures, muscle spasticity and many other devastating conditions like cancer, paralysis and chronic pain. I am frustrated that we do not have better choices to treat them. ..."

This New England state wants researchers to begin studying its medical marijuana — Susan Haigh | The Associated Press |The Denver Post

"HARTFORD, Conn. — The New England state is encouraging its hospitals, universities and licensed marijuana producers to embark on research that could improve understanding of Connecticut medical marijuana qualities, something officials hope will also boost the state's biotech industry. ..."

Utah students need real sex ed, not 'Fight the New Drug' — Natasha Helfer Parker, Kristin Hodson, Kristin Marie Bennion and Shannon Hickman | For The Salt Lake Tribune

" ... Unapproved curriculum, offered by untrained professionals, is happening right under our noses. For many kids growing up in Utah this will be the only form of sex education they will receive. Before we educate students about the positive and negative aspects of porn, we need a positive curriculum that educates them about sexuality and human development. Utah families deserve to be informed and given the skills and resources to provide accurate, age-appropriate information around sexual health."