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Arson attacks paralyze French high-speed rail network hours before start of Olympics, the Obamas endorse Harris for President; A NY county creates facial recognition, privacy protections; Art breathes new life into pollution-ravaged MI community; 34 Years of the ADA.

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Harris meets with Israeli PM Netanyahu and calls for a ceasefire. MI Rep. Rashida Tlaib faces backlash for a protest during Netanyahu's speech. And VA Sen. Mark Warner advocates for student debt relief.

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There's a gap between how rural and urban folks feel about the economy, Colorado's 'Rural is Rad' aims to connect outdoor businesses, more than a dozen of Maine's infrastructure sites face repeated flooding, and chocolate chip cookies rock August.

Doctors say voting brings Mainers a clean bill of health

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Friday, January 5, 2024   

Voting is not only good for democracy - it's also good for your health, according to one of the nation's largest medical associations.

The American College of Physicians says voting empowers people to engage with their community, while ballot initiatives and elected officials determine just how well the health-care system works. So, according to ACP President Omar Atiq, voters ultimately determine people's access to health-care services and physicians' ability to treat them.

"If there is more voter participation," he said, "there will be better health-care policies and therefore, better health care."

Atiq said research shows states with fewer barriers to voting have better health outcomes than states with restrictive voting laws or gerrymandered maps. Maine ranks 15th in the nation for ease of access to the ballot.

The ACP is encouraging all health-care professionals and medical students to engage patients in nonpartisan, health care-related conversations about voting, as a way to increase health equity. Atiq said even posting voter-registration information in patient waiting rooms is a good place to start.

"We are looking at talking to patients about the importance of their voice in making sure that the national resources are allocated to where we have optimal health for everyone," he said.

Despite being one of the richest and most technically advanced nations in the world, Atiq said, the United States ranks lowest in life expectancy for both men and women among comparable countries. He said physicians have a responsibility to help their patients when they need it, and talking about voting on issues that improve health care is part of that process.

Support for this reporting was provided by the Carnegie Corporation of New York.


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