Author: Evan O'Connor

Health, Safety
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Holiday Tips for Safe Travel and Mental Health

The holiday season in the United States and throughout the world has begun, and many people travel to visit family during these months — including some who may be traveling with a chronic illness, all of which have added complications due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. We at NeedyMeds have some tips for healthy travel over the holidays along with suggestions for staying safe and mitigating the spread of coronavirus. Getting fully vaccinated and/or receiving boosters of available COVID-19 vaccines is the best way to protect yourself from infection while traveling — especially if you are uninsured; COVID vaccines will […]

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An unhoused man holds a sign that reads "Seeking human kindness" on the MBTA
Awareness
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Hunger & Homelessness Awareness Week 2022

Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week is an annual observance when people and organizations draw attention to the problems of hunger and homelessness and show compassion for our unhoused neighbors. While the issues are broad and causes are varied, the solutions that have been shown to work (but are rarely employed in the United States) are centered around harm reduction as opposed to increased criminalization.   Homelessness can take many forms, with people living on the street, in encampments or shelters, in transitional housing programs, or staying with family or friends. While the U.S. government reports 1.5 million people a year […]

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Awareness
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Transgender Awareness Week 2022

Transgender is an umbrella term for people whose gender identity is different from their sex assigned at birth; ‘gender identity’ is one’s innermost concept of self as male, female, a blend of both (gender fluid), or neither (nonbinary). Gender expression involves expressing one’s gender identity through their social roles, appearance, and behaviors. Many health concerns that transgender people face are due to minority stress, such as discrimination and social/internalized stigma. Gender affirming care is essential to transgender health.   Transgender people experience gender dysphoria, a clinically significant distress recognized by the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental […]

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Affordable Care Act
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Open Enrollment for 2023 Coverage

The Affordable Care Act (ACA; aka Obamacare) Health Insurance Marketplace is set to begin its Open Enrollment period today. American healthcare consumers can sign up on the federal insurance exchange at healthcare.gov or through their state marketplaces. In recent years there has been increased confusion surrounding Open Enrollment due to changes (and proposed changes) made to the ACA under the past administrations.    Open Enrollment lasts at least 75 days — running from November 1 to January 15, 2023. Some states have longer enrollment periods, and special enrollment periods are available for those with a qualifying life event. Premiums are […]

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COVID-19
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Cold/flu Season During Ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic

The change of the seasons is in full swing throughout the country, and the United States is heading towards another cold and flu season in the midst of an ongoing pandemic. Children returning to school (which are significant sites of COVID transmission) amid the dangerous politicization of public health attempts to increase vaccination rates and promote mitigation measures such as masks and social distancing has created a risk-filled environment for many across the country.   It is vital to know the difference between symptoms for viral conditions such as a cold, the flu, and COVID-19. All three are spread in […]

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About Us

Welcome to the NeedyMeds Voice! We look forward to presenting you with timely, provocative pieces on healthcare reform, patient advocacy, medication and healthcare access, and other health-related news. Our goals are to educate, enlighten, and elucidate; together, we will try to make sense of the myriad and ongoing healthcare-related changes in the U.S. today.