Health
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Social Justice & Healthcare

Today is World Day of Social Justice, when we promote efforts to tackle issues such as poverty, exclusion, and unemployment. Social justice is the concept that all individuals deserve equal rights and opportunities — including the right to health. Even in 2019, inequities remain in healthcare that are avoidable, unnecessary, and unjust. These inequities are the result of established policies and practices that maintain an unequal concentration of money, power, resources, and perceived value within society among communities based on gender, age, race, ethnicity, religion, culture, country of origin, or disability.   Racism, homophobia/transphobia, and misogyny are all insidious forms […]

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Health, Medicine Safety, Safety, Social Media and Healthcare
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Online Health Information: Not Always Doctor-Approved

“Can Parasitic Worms Cure Seasonal Allergies?” “New Study Shows Too Much of This Breakfast Staple Will Literally Kill You” “Here’s Why Sitting is Worse for Your Health than Smoking” You  — or someone you know — is bound to see headlines like these every day. After all, looking up health information remains one of the most popular internet activities. But as the saying goes, you can’t believe everything you read. Kelly McBride, vice president of the Poynter Institute, last year told The Atlantic that “of all the categories of fake news, health news is the worst. There’s more bad health […]

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Health, Safety
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How to Choose Between an ER, Urgent Care and Retail Clinic

This blog post originally appeared on Zaggocare.org When you or a loved one is sick or injured, where should you go for medical care? Your primary care doctor? The emergency room (ER)? A retail clinic at your local pharmacy or big box store or an urgent care center? With so many options for care, it can be hard to know which is the best choice in your given circumstances. How should you choose between an ER, urgent care and retail clinic? Read on to learn what factors to consider when you or a loved one need care. Should you go […]

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Affordable Care Act, Healthcare Reform, Prescription Drugs
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The Donut Hole is Closed!

The year 2019 is here, and there is some good news to those who have had experience with the Medicare Part D “donut hole.” Since the passage of the Affordable Care Act in 2010, the “donut hole” has been on track to close by 2020. Due to the passing of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018, which stopped last year’s nine-hour shutdown of the federal government, the Part D “donut hole” has actually closed a year ahead of schedule. Medicare, one of the publicly funded health insurance programs for people over 65 or people younger than 65 with a qualifying […]

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BeMedWise, Health, Mental Health, NeedyMeds, Safety, Social Media and Healthcare, Technology
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Making the Self-Care Commitment, One Step at a Time

There’s no better time than right now to invest in your health. Odds are you do it every day — even if you don’t know that’s what you’re doing. From taking over-the-counter (OTC) medication for headaches, to setting weight loss goals or wearing a fitness tracker, most of us practice self-care every day without realizing it. New research from BeMedWise details just how common self-care is. Among the report’s 2,000+ survey respondents: The full report, titled “Empowering Americans to Take Greater Responsibility for Their Health,” examines how self-care can improve an individual’s health while also reducing medical costs. It comes […]

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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.