The Paradocs Podcast

We're back at it again discussing the Coronavirus pandemic. The shutdowns/lockdowns continue in the United States and the tenor of the debate or discussion had changed within the media and culture. At the beginning of the pandemic the focus was on flattening the curve. Today, it is about stopping people from 'catching' the coronavirus. This is a mistake.

Now that we are over a month into the variable stay at home orders in the United States for the coronavirus it is probably a good time to reflect and guess as to how this all unfolds. Today I interviewed infectious disease specialist Dr. David Graham. Dr.Graham lives in Billings, Montana and provides a perspective on the pandemic that I had not yet heard. He suggests that at the forefront of this nationwide panic is that our media and government are not being honest with us.

The response from state governments in the United States have varied in how they are responding to the Coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19). Michigan has been in a state of emergency for weeks with it now extending through the end of the month. Our government deems "allowed" instituted more draconian rules in the face of no evidence of benefit. This is not to say that there is no risk to resources or people from the virus - simply that we need to consider the differences within the state and the real tradeoffs.

Once again I discuss the coronavirus outbreak in the US. Today, I speak with Dr. Michel Accad about the ways the US has bungled the response. We specifically look at how the mistakes from ossified bureaucracies have prevented decision makers from having necessary data and the ability to make informed decisions. Also, what is the financial impact to doctors and their practices and what about the loosening of scope of practice restrictions within the states?

Five months ago, my family dropped our health insurance and switched to a health sharing ministry (Samaritans). So far, so good. We've gotten better medical care by hiring a DPC doctor and have saved over $2000 in five months. What will it be like dealing with coronavirus without insurance? I'm pretty sure fine. However, the second half of the show I talk about the reasons the US response has been so poor to coronavirus. Tariffs, certificate of need laws, the FDA, and more.

Dominating the news today is the pandemic coronavirus or COVID 19. It is unique in that its hosts are often asymptomatic but infectious for days making its spread so effective. There is some reason for concern that the response in the US may have been too swift. Perhaps we should have waited another week or so to allow some more community infections to improve herd immunity since there is no vaccine on the near horizon.

Child abuse is a something we can all agree is a terrible crime. It is something that we must work to stop. But what is the best way? And how can we be sure that those accused of abuse actually did? Because we can agree that child abuse is bad - so it removing children from their family if people are wrongly accused. My guest is Dr. Niran Al-Agba who details the story of her patient who was taken from his family after sustaining innocent injuries. The story is how they got him back and how it happened.

A discussion on where the lines are on making vaccinations mandatory. Are you compelled to get vaccinated to help the overall population's herd immunity? Or do you have a right to control what is injected into your body no matter the consequences to others. We tackle those questions and try to get to the bottom of the question of where your rights end and mine begin.

Today I discuss how Dr. Bill Hennessey of Pratter, Inc. is already forcing price transparency in the market for health care products. He helps self insured businesses and unions save money by showing them lower cost alternatives for their members. By showing the price for every imaging exam, lab, etc. in town it is then easy for people to decide where to go to get the best price. Without any laws this is the sort of market disruption that will revolutionize health care as we know it.

A new phenomenon of the 21st century is the online attack. This is where people launch a coordinated attack on a business with the intent on destroying its reputation. The attackers hit you on Facebook, Yelp, Google Reviews and aren't interested in a discussion - just destruction. This can be very damaging to a business but also it causes many doctors and professionals to withdraw from the public square.j Dr. Todd Wolynn gives his personal story on the attack and how they won. And how you can win too.

In today's special Patreon release we enter the world of politics and discuss independent Rep. Justin Amash from Michigan. I speak with Nathan Leamer, a former state house and federal staffer in Amash's office. This unique exposure to who Amash is as a person and boss leads to a better understanding of what his goals are in politics. We discuss Amash's run for Congress as an independent and whether if he instead chooses to run for president as a Libertarian - can he actually win?

Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBM) have been villains in earlier episodes. Basically, PBM are the largest health care corporations in the US and exert tremendous lobbying pressure. Although their role in health care is to settle claims they make their billions through a complicated series of kickbacks and rebates from drug companies. My guest today is Vinay Patel, a pharmacist who was frustrated by the actions of the PBM and decided to do something about it.

It isn't often that people walk into hospitals and ask themselves how does this thing work? In fact, the same can be said for those who work in hospitals too. Whether you're a doctor, nurse, phlebotomist, orderly, or patient - how the whole enterprise works is usually a mystery. Also, what protections are there for patients so that they don't have people who are grossly negligent or dangerous caring for them like what happened with the famous case of Dr. Death - Dr. Christopher Muntsch of Texas.

The beginning of a new year is always a good time to reflect on the medical trends on where we've been and where we are going. What are the positive and negative medical trends we're seeing right now. Despite all the negativism about health care I believe that there is much to be hopeful about whether you are a patient or physician. Of course, there is no shortage of potential policy misadventures that could make things much worse too. I discuss both the good and bad medical trends in this episode.

As sure as life exists, death will follow. As such, people will continue to try to control not only their life but the circumstances of their death. Life is also full of instances of suffering, pain, and despair. Those who are in significant pain, the throes of depression or despair may not see any solution to suffering except taking their own life. The questions then come down to whether we need to have doctors involved and whether we should encourage those looking to end their life.