Commentary
March 30, 2026
Confused About Alcohol Safety? I’ll Try to Help. Say, “Moderate.”
Moderate consumption of alcohol by adults is low-risk but fundamentally safe. I provide a review of the supporting research as well as detailed behavioral guidance.
December 30, 2025
Better Late Than Never — Correcting Hormone Therapy Misinformation After 20 Years
FDA Commissioner Makary just approved hormone therapy as safe for menopause symptoms in women. This is a welcome announcement though 20 years overdue.
December 4, 2025
Vaccine Availability at Risk From RFK Jr. Actions
RFK Jr is narrowing the CDC recommendations for Covid-19 vaccines and has announced his intentions to do the same with many other childhood vaccines. This likely will result in sharply reduced insurance coverage for the vaccines and much higher cost, as well as resurgence of those diseases.
December 4, 2025
AI Should Be Able to Block Scam Calls — Why Do We Still Get Them?
The usefulness of our landlines and cell phones are being undermined by an escalating barrage of scam phone calls from fake numbers. Artificial intelligence and databases of real phone numbers could easily stop this plague. Why hasn't the FCC ordered it done?
November 7, 2025
Traditional Medicare Is Safer Choice, Medicare Advantage May Not Be
Traditional Medicare with a Medigap secondary insurer is the better choice for complete and more flexible coverage with no deductible surprises compared to Medicare Advantage plans, which appear slightly cheaper but are likely not if you actually have significant illness.
July 17, 2025
Defunding Science — What’s Trump’s Goal?
The Trump administration is revoking billions of dollars of NIH grants and drastically reducing funding at CDC, FDA, and EPA. American scientific leadership and world health are being gravely harmed. What's the goal?
February 28, 2025
Unionizing Doctors Might Save Primary Care
Primary care physicians at Mass General Brigham facilities moved to unionize last fall. I totally support this. Unionization may allow for a revival of primary care, which has barely been functional for the past two decades.
February 28, 2025
Keep an Eye on Bird Flu and MPox
Bird flu has spread to cows and infected some humans. Fear of human-to-human transmission is real, though has not yet occurred. With drastically reduced funding for CDC, NIH and related agencies, our risk of an epidemic is much greater. Pay attention.
December 23, 2024
Where Does Health Care Money Go? Look at DME!
Durable medical equipment prices paid by Medicare may be 3-4 times that for same device online.
November 29, 2024
Influenza and Covid-19 Vaccine Risk and Benefit in 2024
Influenza and Covid-19 remain substantial infectious diseases which will cause serious disease and death this fall. We have effective and safe vaccines that sharply reduce the risk of serious outcomes. It is clearly a better choice to get these vaccines than not and to protect yourself and your family.
November 27, 2024
A Better Way to Wordle?
Wordle is one pastime that many of us enjoy in the NY Times. And then there are Quordle and Octordle.
November 27, 2024
Bake Chestnuts Great Again
Soaking chestnuts in water vastly improves the edibility of the roasted nut. Poke a hole, soak, roast, enjoy.