President Barack Obama has proposed an end to abstinence-only-until-marriage funding as Americans have known it for the better part of the last decade. This marks a significant change in direction, one that finally brings science and evidence back into government policy. His leadership on this new direction will be essential in the coming…

Claims that the lifetime cost of medicare per acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) patient will not exceed $80,000, an amount similar to the cost of treating other serious illnesses. Argues that the total projected costs for treating AIDS patients between 1981 and 1991 will not exceed $22 billion. (TW)

Excerpts from a paper on policies affecting chronically ill children touch upon such issues as the epidemiology of chronic childhood illness, organization of health services, costs of care, and financing of care. Principles underlying public policy are suggested, and issues for change in existing services are examined. (CL)

Care required by chronically ill children is often far more expensive and recurs over a far longer interval than for other children. Serious limitations exist in private insurance and serious inequities exist in eligibility criteria for Medicaid and other public programs. These and related issues must be addressed for more equal allocation of…

The paper examines policy options for schools regarding appropriate services for children with highly communicable, potentially life threatening diseases such as Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) and Herpes. Briefly considered are the school's legal responsibility, implied risk and inability, and actual risk and its control. General…

Medicine needs a revised conceptual framework: biologic concepts need to be joined with concepts stemming from social, economic, governmental, and cultural phenomena. Health should be understood in sociocultural and behavioral as well as biological terms. (MLW)

The debate about cost as it pertains to medical technology misses the mark by not pressing on the central problem of increased prevalence of chronic illness. Far from cost containment, what are needed are additional services which may in the end reduce total costs. (Author/MJL)