The SpokeSman • TueSday, auguST 23, 2022 A7
REDMOND SPOKESMAN
Write to us: news@redmondspokesman.com
COLUMN
Congress must
act to ensure
vital pharmacy
services for all
BY MARK GIBBONS
E
ven in communities hardest hit by the effects of
COVID-19, a constant safe haven exists. Seniors have
continued to rely on pharmacists as a trusted source of
care and support to manage their health. The pandemic ex-
posed how fragile our healthcare system is and demonstrated
how essential pharmacists are to bridging gaps in access for
older Americans.
But those lessons are lost if we fail to ensure
that older Americans have continued access to
pharmacist services beyond COVID-19. Con-
gress has the opportunity to ensure seniors
maintain access to tests, vaccines and treat-
ments from pharmacists now and in the future
— something the overwhelming majority of
Gibbons
older Americans agree needs to happen now.
The pandemic has taken the greatest toll on
older adults. Those 65 and older account for 16 percent of the
U.S. population but 80 percent of all COVID-19 deaths. Research
had found that transportation barriers to health are significant
for older adults and can prevent access to essential services,
which was made more critical at the height of the pandemic
when tests and then vaccines were made available to seniors in
their communities.
Pharmacists have been essential in protecting seniors from
COVID-19 at those moments and ensuring older Americans can
manage their health during the pandemic, including the 85 per-
cent of adults 65 and older who have at least one chronic condi-
tion such as diabetes, arthritis and hypertension.
Unfortunately, pharmacists are providing these services under
temporary federal authorities that were implemented with the
COVID-19 Public Health Emergency. When the emergency dec-
laration ends, seniors and other vulnerable communities could
lose access to the essential services they rely on for COVID-19
and other infectious diseases like influenza and strep throat.
This March, Congress introduced federal legislation to
smooth over a potential access gap for seniors and ensure Medi-
care beneficiaries maintain access to essential care and services
provided by pharmacists. Championed by Reps. Ron Kind,
D-Wis., David McKinley, R-W.Va., Nanette Barragán, D-Calif.,
and Buddy Carter, R-Ga., the bipartisan legislation that would
create Medicare Part B reimbursement mechanisms for phar-
macists’ services related to the COVID-19 pandemic and other
infectious diseases, including flu, strep throat and RSV. The bill
would also ensure pharmacists are compensated for these ser-
vices after the Public Health Emergency ends and during future
health emergencies.
There is overwhelming support for the legislation. According
to a new national survey, more than 80 percent of older Ameri-
cans — including more than 90 percent of Hispanic-Americans
— agree that the government should reimburse pharmacists for
testing, vaccination and treatment for COVID-19 and other in-
fectious diseases. The same survey shows that four in every five
older Americans want access to testing, vaccination and treat-
ment at the pharmacy, including nearly 60 percent of minority
communities.
The 65-and-older population grew by more than a third
during the past decade and is projected to nearly double from
52 million in 2018 to 95 million by 2060. Aging populations will
continue to rely on pharmacists as an accessible source of care
and support today and tomorrow. Older Americans — partic-
ularly those in rural and underserved communities — rely on
pharmacists to access care and services where limited or no other
options exist.
Congress should heed the call of Americans who agree that
the government should preserve patient access to essential ser-
vices provided by pharmacists. Congress should act on the legis-
lation to ensure patients can continue to have access to essential
services from pharmacists now and in the future.
█
Mark Gibbons is the president and CEO of RetireSafe, helping to raise
the platform in education and awareness for seniors. He wrote this for
InsideSources.com.
CONTACT YOUR PUBLIC OFFICIALS
Redmond
Mayor George Endicott: george.endicott@redmondoregon.gov, 541-948-3219
Deschutes County
County Commission Chair Patti Adair: patti.adair@deschutes.org, 541-388-
6567
County Commission Vice Chair Tony DeBone: Tony.deBone@deschutes.org,
541-388-6568
County Commissioner Phil Chang: phil.Chang@deschutes.org, 541-388-6569
Your Legislators
Rep. Jack Zika (District 53): 503-986-1453; 900 Court St. ne, h-387, Salem, oR
97301, Rep.JackZika@oregonlegislature.gov
Sen. Tim Knopp (District 27): 503-986-1727; 900 Court St. ne, S-425, Salem, oR
97301, Sen.Timknopp@oregonlegislature.gov
State
Oregon Gov. Kate Brown: 254 State Capitol, Salem, oR 97310; 503-378-3111;
www.governor.oregon.gov.
Oregon State Treasurer Tobias Read: oregon.treasurer@ost.state.or.us; 350
Winter St. ne, Suite 100, Salem oR 97301-3896; 503-378-4000.
Oregon Attorney General Ellen F. Rosenblum: Justice Building, Salem, oR
97301-4096; 503-378-4400.
Oregon Legislature: Legislative documents and information are available online
at www.leg.state.or.us.
GUEST COLUMN
Everyone has their biases
BY STEVE TROTTER
W
e’re all in the same boat. We
may protest, insisting “Not
me!”
But it is in me. It’s in you, too. Every-
one. No exceptions.
Cognitive bias.
“Cognitive” has to do
with thinking, aware-
ness, the way things get
processed in the space
between our ears.
“Bias” has to with
decisions, making a
judgment, and the way
we are almost pre-pro-
Trotter
grammed to see things
or people or situations a
certain way. Bias is a shortcut, helping us
decide or judge quickly, without having to
spend much time considering or thinking.
A few nights ago we had corn on the
cob as part of dinner. My wife and I love
the stuff. As I shucked the two ears I re-
membered spending the night with my
cousins in British Columbia. My aunt
Yvonne had found a nearby farm selling
fresh corn. She bought, to my young eyes,
what seemed to be at least fifty ears.
That was supper. Corn, which requires
no improvement but some butter and a
little salt, sure don’t hurt. My cousin Drew
and I consumed corn as if it were our
last meal. We gorged ourselves. And then
some.
Why not one more ear, just to top
things off? OK.
I was awake the entire night, moving
the contents of my digestive system into
the bucket Yvonne placed on the floor be-
side my bed.
For years afterward I couldn’t eat corn
on the cob. I had developed a cognitive
bias against corn on the cob. Frozen corn?
No problem. Canned? If I have to. On the
cob? Nope. Ain’t gonna happen. I am bi-
ased against that horrific form of corn
that caused me a long night of unpleas-
antness.
A few nights ago? I’ve learned a few
things since that night at my aunt’s. I had
one ear I enjoyed with a little salt, no but-
ter. It was tasty and satisfying. My bias
didn’t get in the way of my enjoyment.
What happened to that bias? I thought
about it. I examined it thoroughly. Was
corn the problem? Clearly not. Was it my
aunt’s house? No. Being in Canada? No,
again. The problem was me: I was a glut-
ton; I ate too much corn. It had unpleas-
ant results. My bias formed and stuck for
many years.
That’s a bit silly, I admit. But biases fre-
quently are. And the biases we all carry
around stick around unless we pull them
out, take a good long look at them, and
make decisions about what is cooking in
our brain whether we acknowledge it or
not.
That’s the challenge: we’re not always
aware of the biases we have. We see some-
thing or someone and our brain processes
what we’re seeing using our biases. But
there’s no flashing sign saying “Bias at
work, a shortcut in your thinking. Be sure
the conclusion fits the evidence.”
I would see an ear of corn in a grocery
store and feel myself getting uncomfort-
able, remembering that blessed night with
the bucket. Rational? If “rational” means
“thoughtfully considered,” then no, it’s not
rational. That’s how biases work.
Years ago I was interested in cars. Car
repair. Automobile racing, etc. Some-
where, I have no clue where or when or
how, I developed a bias against anything
with four wheels manufactured by Gen-
eral Motors. Ford? OK. Chrysler? Less OK
but better than GM. American Motors?
(remember the Javelin? The Pacer?) OK
Responses welcome
The Spokesman invited me to
send in a column or essay,
something that’s not
controversial, something that’s
perhaps light or perhaps with a bit
more substance. It’s a sort of
journal, an invitation into the way
I see the world and respond to
what I see.
I plan to continue examining
cognitive biases for a few essays,
since they’re something we all
have in common. I’m guessing
now, but I’ll bet many of the
biases we each have sit in our
brain unexamined.
You may write me care of the
Spokesman if I’ve raised
something you’re wondering
about.
(we had a Rambler in my childhood.)
I have never owned a Chevy or Pontiac
or Cadillac or GMC. Haven’t even looked.
Why? Well, I’m biased. It’s not rational.
General Motors makes many fine prod-
ucts, rated approvingly by critics. I have a
bias against their products.
Crazy, huh? Yes. It is. That’s how biases
work and their short cut ways are crazy
indeed.
█
Steve Trotter, with his wife Bonnie, has lived
in many places before settling in Redmond for
retirement. His last for-pay job was teaching at a
small university in Central Washington.
GUEST COLUMN
Mayoral candidate favors ‘one child’ policy
H
ello, my name is Charles Baer. I
want to talk about the meaning of
one word. The word is “depopu-
lationism.”
I don’t know who
came up with this word
first, but I came up
with it in 2019. I don’t
know what the true
meaning of this word is
but I do know what the
Baer
true meaning of this
word is to me.
In 1980, China came up with the “One
Child” policy. In 1985, when I was 16, I
realized that this was not only the only
way to save Earth, but that I would spend
the rest of my life trying to explain this
to my species.
The definition of depopulationism,
according to me, is that it is illegal for
humans to reproduce more than once
for the first few centuries of this millen-
nium.
Humans do not have the right to kill
Earth. Humans do not have the “freedom”
to destroy the planet. Smart people realize
this. Smart people are depopulationists.
Smart people are the solution. Smart peo-
ple are trying to save earth now.
Unfortunately, we are in the minority.
However, we will not quit. We will not
give up. We will continue to work in a
peaceful and legal and political way to
save the planet .
If you have kids, then you can be-
come a born again depopulationist. It’s
never too late to change sides and hop
the fence and be on the correct side of
history.
The human population will soon reach
8 billion and continue to rise. This is a
suicide course because when we kill the
earth, we die with it. The Earth will sur-
vive however it will not be habitable for
people. The only way out of this mess is
to create a significant, sustained and im-
mediate decline in the human popula-
tion on Earth.
This will allow the environment time
to heal itself. This will allow the human
population on earth to move to a sus-
tainable level. This is a number that fu-
ture generations will determine but I will
guess that it is around 2 or 3 billion.
The voters of Redmond have a historic
opportunity in the mayoral election of
2022 to lead the world by example. We
can save Earth right now.
If elected mayor, I will work hard all
2023 and 2024 and hopefully beyond to
make Redmond a depopulationist city,
Oregon a depopulationist state, USA a
depopulationist country and Earth a de-
populationist planet.
Any Redmond resident found guilty
of reproducing more than once will be
fined and will have to do community
service.
Once we accomplish this as a commu-
nity, as a society, we will have the moral
high ground and we can ask the world to
join us because we did it first (actually
that was the Chinese, but we are now the
only ones doing it now). Because people
are good and have common sense they
will join us.
█
— Charles Baer is a candidate for Redmond mayor.