by James Hubbard, M.D., M.P.H.

Of course not, you say.  Ridiculous.  But could a report by ABCNews.com about 64-year-old Oregon woman Barbara Wagner suggests otherwise?  When she was dying of lung cancer, the state insurance refused to pay for her cancer treatment because the drug didn’t give her a “5 percent survival after five years.”

Sarah Palin recently stirred up some controversy when she wrote she thought the congressional universal-health overhaul would lead to a “death panel,” a central group of chosen ”experts” in charge of making life-or-death decisions for everyday people.  She thought those disabled or elderly would fare the worst.  While many claim her assertions are ridiculous, the conservative online publication American Thinker suggests Wagner’s story is an example of just such death panels.

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by Leigh Ann Otte, managing editor

We’re tired of wondering.

As the world’s governments prepare for a potentially huge outbreak of H1N1 this fall, we regular people are left to wonder, what’s the big deal?  Are we supposed to be worrying?  Running around in mass panic?  Moving to caves in the hills?  Or is this all just a bunch of sensationalism?

So we’re going straight to the experts—to ask them our questions, and yours.

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IF YOU LIKE …

butter on baked potatoes

… TRY …

olive oil and balsamic vinegar for more flavor and less saturated fat.

—Robyn Priebe, R.D., C.D., Director of Nutrition, Green Mountain at Fox Run women’s health retreat, Ludlow, Vt.

by Leigh Ann Otte, managing editor

Do you like to cook?

Some of our favorite things to post on Twitter are healthy recipes. For this Twitter Friday, we’ve rounded up a few of the best from the last month or so.

We’d love it if you’d share links to your favorite online healthy recipes in the comments section below.

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by James Hubbard, M.D., M.P.H.

“If you want an example of a successful single-payer system, just look at Medicare,” many say.

I say, not really.

A single-payer system is the form of universal health-care Canada and Great Britain use.  Several groups are advocating for it.  People on the right tend to view it as socialized medicine at its worst. Many on the left think it’s ideal. President Obama has tried to distance himself–and his plan–from it, frustrating some Democrats.

With Medicare, the government is the single payer.  And it’s worked so well, some say, why not just extend it to all?

The problem is, Medicare is not working well. The reason it’s been somewhat successful is it has been subsidized, in an indirect way, by private insurers.

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IF YOU LIKE …

muffins, pancakes or waffles

… TRY …

adding puréed, cooked pumpkin, sweet potato or carrots for beta carotene. Grated carrots or zucchini also works well in pancakes and muffins when trying to eat more vegetables.

—Robyn Priebe, R.D., C.D., Director of Nutrition, Green Mountain at Fox Run women’s health retreat, Ludlow, Vt.

by Leigh Ann Otte, managing editor

It’s time for our monthly Twitter roundup. This time, we have a ton of tweeters and bloggers to highlight. If you’re not on Twitter but like reading health blogs, just skip to the second section.

But before I get to that: a quick plug for our free preview issue since the offer ends Sunday. My Family Doctor is a unique, fun-to-read, trustworthy, magazine written by health-care providers for the general public. We feature the latest information on how to prevent and treat disease, tell you which alternative remedies really work, and tackle widespread myths and rumors.

Now, on to the Twitter fun.

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by James Hubbard, M.D., M.P.H.

President Obama’s pick for the new surgeon general, Regina Benjamin, M.D., is drawing a little controversy.  She appears overweight.

Here at My Family Doctor we have a little argument going on whether this should matter.

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“For portion control on foods that you pour out of a container, such as cereal and dry pasta, keep the accurate portion-size measuring cup right in the package. This way you can scoop out a portion instead of easily pouring out more food than you need.”

—Janel Ovrut, M.S., R.D., L.D.N., registered dietitian, Fitness Works at Work, Sherborn, Mass.

by Leigh Ann Otte, managing editor

For Baby Boomers and more, it’s just plain dangerous to eat at Denny’s! So says the activist group Center for Science in the Public Interest, often called “the food police.” They’re suing Denny’s because, they say, its food has too much sodium. Some of the meals have more than the recommended daily limit for salt, CSPI says.

What do you think: Is this lawsuit necessary or ridiculous? Please vote in the poll at the end of this post. Here’s the background.

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