American Healthcare continues to go backward

Not if the anti vax people have anything to say about it.
Or the anti-Big Pharma people, which are pretty much the same people. That is certainly a consideration.

But I have been in healthcare long enough to remember when being diagnosed as HIV+ was a death sentence and now eradicating it is a real possibility.
 
Or the anti-Big Pharma people, which are pretty much the same people. That is certainly a consideration.

But I have been in healthcare long enough to remember when being diagnosed as HIV+ was a death sentence and now eradicating it is a real possibility.

Everyone remembers it as a death sentence. Heck, I still wonder if its a death sentence if you are poor but I don't know how lifelong drug regimens work if your insurance sucks.
 
Everyone remembers it as a death sentence. Heck, I still wonder if its a death sentence if you are poor but I don't know how lifelong drug regimens work if your insurance sucks.
Magic Johnson announced that he was HIV+ in 1991. Gen Z and Alpha really don’t know HIV as a death sentence. They haven’t experienced it that way. Magic Johnson’s announcement was a turning point.
 
Magic Johnson announced that he was HIV+ in 1991. Gen Z and Alpha really don’t know HIV as a death sentence. They haven’t experienced it that way. Magic Johnson’s announcement was a turning point.
I was a huge Magic and Lakers fan. Went to their 2nd game of the season that yr in Dallas. Couldn’t believe he had the “flu” and missed the game. Luckily I had seen him play in Dallas before.
 
Magic Johnson announced that he was HIV+ in 1991. Gen Z and Alpha really don’t know HIV as a death sentence. They haven’t experienced it that way. Magic Johnson’s announcement was a turning point.
One of about 6 or 7 times that I have a very vivid memory of when it happened. I was in the OSU Student Union and several gathered around a TV as Magic made the announcement. I certainly thought it was a death sentence for him. Wonderful that he not only survived it, but has been a champion showing courage in the face of massive adversity.
 
Interest on the U.S. national debt is projected to become the largest single item in the federal budget by around 2051, according to projections from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO). However, more recent trends suggest it could happen even earlier, potentially in the early to mid-2030s, depending on several factors:

Key Points:

  1. Rapid Growth in Interest Payments:
    • In 2024, the U.S. is expected to spend over $1 trillion on interest alone — more than it spends on defense or Medicaid.
    • Interest is now one of the fastest-growing budget items, driven by both rising interest rates and the ballooning national debt (over $34 trillion as of mid-2025).
  2. Comparison to Other Spending:
    • Currently, the largest budget categories are Social Security, Medicare, and defense.
    • As the population ages, Social Security and Medicare will continue to grow, but interest is catching up fast.
  3. When Will Interest Be #1?:
    • Most likely by the mid-2030s, if current trends continue.
    • If interest rates stay high and Congress doesn’t reduce borrowing, it could even surpass Social Security or defense earlier, depending on budget choices.
Bottom Line:

If the U.S. doesn’t reduce deficits or if interest rates stay elevated, interest on the debt could become the single largest federal expense within the next decade, well before 2050.

Would you like a chart or a breakdown of future budget projections?
 
No wonder I suggested giving birth in the USA should be free:

$44,318.41 to give birth with no complications!​

I wonder if having to declare medical bankruptcy over that is often and helps to explain why it's so high.

Solipsism. The global birth rate is declining, not just in the United States.

Global birth rates are declining, both in terms of total fertility rate (children per woman) and crude birth rate (births per 1,000 people):




🌍 Fertility Trends​


  • The global total fertility rate (TFR) dropped from about 4.9 children per woman in the 1950s to roughly 2.3 in 2023 (theguardian.com, ourworldindata.org).
  • Projections show it falling further—to about 2.0 by 2050 and 1.8 by around 2100 (healthdata.org).
  • Over half of countries already have fertility below the replacement level (around 2.1 children per woman) (healthdata.org).

📉 Birth Rate Decline​


  • The crude birth rate (births per 1,000 population) has declined from ~37 in the 1950–55 period to about 17 in 2024 (en.wikipedia.org).
  • While there was a slight uptick in 2024 (likely statistical noise), the long-term pattern remains downward .



💡 Implications & Commentary​


  • The decline is part of a global demographic transition, driven by factors like better access to education, contraception, urbanization, and changes in social norms (en.wikipedia.org).
  • Many wealthy nations now hover well below replacement levels, contributing to aging populations, shrinking workforces, and shifts in economic dynamics (theatlantic.com).
  • In contrast, high-fertility regions like sub‑Saharan Africa still contribute the bulk of births, though their rates are also slowing (healthdata.org).



✅ Bottom Line​


Yes—the global birth rate is declining significantly. Women are having fewer children on average, and the number of births per capita is steadily decreasing worldwide. Projections indicate this trend will continue, with important implications for economies and societies globally.




 
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