Topic: Preventative Care

A panel of college students and millennials provides feedback on the Democratic debate, focusing on systemic issues. One panelist discusses the preventative care model in relation to root causes of gun control, healthcare, and economic disparity.

Media reports from CBS and other outlets confirm a projected 25% average increase in mid-level health plan premiums for 2017. Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz defends the Affordable Care Act by citing the 20 million people who gained coverage, a figure the hosts dispute as inflated. The segment also critiques the concept of "preventative care" as a marketing term for pharmaceutical interventions like vaccines and statins.

The establishment of the National Prevention, Health Promotion and Public Health Council under the new healthcare law is discussed. New dietary guidelines from 13 nutrition experts recommend limiting salt intake to 1,500 milligrams per day, a move the hosts characterize as the government overstepping its bounds to control individual lifestyle choices.

An analysis of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act suggests the legislation mandates coverage for vaccines recommended by industry-connected panels. The discussion links new screening guidelines for mammograms and pap smears to the development of new vaccines, such as those for breast cancer. The hosts argue that the medical industry is shifting from treatment to high-profit "prevention" through immunization.

President Obama suggests that investing in health information technology and preventive care is the primary method for reducing long-term health care costs. The hosts express skepticism, linking the push for medical IT to government surveillance and DNA databases. They reference a listener email regarding DynPort and Baxter, companies involved in vaccine distribution, suggesting a convergence between government IT services and public health mandates.