Consulo Indicium - 12/22/25

Information for your Consideration…

Kudos To North Dakota, My Home State – As the first in the nation, North Dakota has set a goal of making high-speed internet access available across the entire state by 2028. Funding for the project will come partially through federal funding from the Broadband Equity, Access. The initiative will result in nearly 280 installations and cover a wide swath of the state that currently lacks high-speed internet services. In effect, the rural areas will become part of the connected world – which represents much of the geographical presence of the state. While North Dakotans will still have to subscribe to the service, it will be provided at a nominal level AND available – a far distance from the current environment. Also, it’s notable that the carriers of internet service have collaborated on the entire effort! This is an important change for rural health because the use of “digital health” capabilities is part of the coming age. Again, Kudos to the NoDak team!!

Tis The Season for Communal Singing – No wonder I like to sing! In a recent study reported in Sage Journals, researchers noted that singing as part of a choir provides important health benefits such as support for interpersonal bonding, improved immune and heart function, stress reduction, and the like. The reason for the study was to determine if the effect was related to simply singing or to choral singing. The researchers, therefore, compared choral singing to two other solo activities: singing and playing a team sport. They used self-reported measures of well-being, entitativity, need fulfilment, and motivation to determine the effect. While singing solo probably helps, participating in a choir or other group singing is particularly calming. These events stimulate the production of endorphins, resulting in the calming of our neural pathways. In essence, it brings us together with those who are participating in such events, boosts endorphins, strengthens social connections, and aligns with humans’ deeply social evolutionary nature.

The Turmeric Solution For Effective Depression Tx?? – A recent notice that floated across my inbox from WebMD suggested that the use of the spice turmeric for spice turmeric might be effective in the treatment of depression. Turmeric is a common ingredient for many Indian and Asian foods and is found in the root stalk of curcumin. Wowser!!! Evidently, it works by settling the immune system a bit and the reason depression is impacted is that there is growing evidence that inflammation of the immune system is part of the problem. In animal research, turmeric has been shown to reduce the inflammation due to its effects on serotonin and dopamine – the mood and behavior brain chemicals – which can cause the inflammation. BTW, turmeric is the major ingredient in “curry powder” so eating all manner of Asian and Indian foods should settle those of us with evolving symptoms of depression. I for one am running out to my favorite local Indian restaurant and ordering a big helping of all things curry. I hope to go beyond depression to giddy 😊. Stay well. My guess is that in the current environment, if this works you cannot eat enough Indian or Asian food. Besides it will be good politics of “engagement” with supposed challengers to the American way (i.e. China). Thanks to WebMD for the information.

The State Attorney Generals Arched Their Backs – Of the many changes emanating from Washington these days, there’s often grumbling but little action. In fact, I missed one that, in retrospect, is quite important. The issue relates to “who” is going to regulate artificial intelligence. When the One Big, Beautiful Bill Act was under consideration by Congress, several Attorney General leaders got together and formed a bipartisan collection of 36 State Attorneys General to push back on a Congressional effort that would have barred states from regulating AI. And, the coalition worked from and to both sides of the aisle where they expressed their “opposition to a moratorium on state laws addressing artificial intelligence.” And they were successful. At the last minute the effort to block state action was removed from the “BBB.” Their argument was that regulatory innovation needs to be continued as a “state’s rights” issue rather than subjugated to a federal position, especially given the rapidity of AI evolution. Now, it will be important for the healthcare community to monitor the legislative machinations evolving at the state level. While it appears to be a “good” thing, it also will no doubt require “rapid” responses to “diverse initiatives” across the nation. The healthcare community needs to come together as part of that monitoring effort. But, who will take the lead? It’s an important question…

Health Care As A Percent Of GDP – One of the issues I’ve been thinking about of late is the growing percentage of healthcare costs represented as part of the overall national Gross Domestic Product (GDP). In fact, I was sufficiently concerned that I did some research on the issues to find the correct numbers. And, my findings were a bit startling. Why? Because of the massive gap that exists between USA expenditure for healthcare services compared to other nations with whom we compete. And, the problem is not just the gap. It’s also the pace at which the gap is increasing between the USA and the other countries. Here are some interesting stats:

United Kingdom	~10.9% (2023)
France	~11.9% (OECD Database)
India	~3.3% (World Bank / WHO Database)
China	~5.6% (World Bank / WHO Database / G20
USA	~19.1% (2025 / Commonwealth Fund)

The kicker is that while the other nations will remain relatively flat over the next decade (i.e. 2025 – 2035), the USA's percentage spend will continue to grow, thereby increasing the gap. It’s estimated that the USA's spending will be roughly ~20+% by 2030 and ~22% by 2035. A comment that I’ve shared before: “Houston…we have a problem!” or, one could say, “Oy vey” very loudly!! I raise the issue because the USA needs to proactively set a direction for a review of existing policies and analysis of those that should change. And, the sooner the better. Furthermore, any kind of change will require bipartisan support with active involvement and debate from the healthcare community!!! We can solve this problem, but we need to work on it together. It will not be solved by short-term proposals designed to attract one’s partisan base. Rather, it will be solved by coming together. What will no doubt accelerate the recognition of the problem and a potential “coming together” is the cost of healthcare statements arriving at homes throughout the USA shortly after the first of the year. I anticipate a groundswell of angst from the American public. The time has come, although we may have to wait a couple of years to start the process, given the current rhetoric emanating from Washington, DC.

Oh No!! – The Coffee vs. Tea Debate – As my long-time readers know, I’m a coffee-holic! I admit and I can’t control it or, so it seems. While the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) – under prior administrations – stipulated that adults should not have more than 400 mg of caffeine per day (or, about 3 cups of Joe), I’m at least double if not triple that amount when consumed throughout the day. Is that good kidneys getting rid of caffeine or some other factor? Who knows. The major disruptions are sleep disruption and anxiety – neither of which seem to be a problem for me, with little or no reaction.

However, a recent report came out about the “health benefits” of switching to Green Tea as an alternative to coffee. First, green tea is widely consumed throughout the world as a $300 billion business and dates back to 3000 BC in China. It is derived from the Camellia Sinensis plant and holds anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, which are two elements that help to prolong life. And, green tea only contains about 15 – 50 mg of caffeine per cup. As a result, there are strong reasons for those of us who want to de-caffeinate ourselves to consider a cup-o-tea rather than a cup-o-joe if the health issues are becoming a dominant force in your daily life. So, I’m going to think about it. However, it may require a considerable amount of deliberation since I seem to be hooked on my favorite French Roast coffee. I’ll let you know it a couple of months so…stay tuned!!