Month: January 2017

Commentary: Trump and Obama’s legacy

… to go down in history. Obamacare was passed into law to give some 20 million Americans the opportunity to purchase health Insurance through private Insurance companies subsidized by the Federal government. But from the start it wasn’t presented …

Things to do in Morgan County

Author, educator and entrepreneur Steve Spangler will present “The Science of Building Communities and Making Connections” at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 31, at The Sanctuary, 14587 U.S. Highway 34, in Fort Morgan. Spangler will entertain, educate and fascinate attendees using principles of science to demonstrate how to improve business and communication practices.

Case of mumps diagnosed at WWU

… can protect themselves with vaccinations. A residential student was diagnosed, according to William Woods University Health Services officials, noting the student has left the university until the illness has cleared. To protect your health and the …

Rep. Doggett encouraging people to sign up for healthcare

In an effort to get people to sign up for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, Congressman Lloyd Doggett, D-Austin, stopped by the Foundation Communities office in Central Austin Monday to spread the word. While at the center, Doggett talked about the future of the ACA now that Republicans have vowed to repeal it.

Kinzinger sets traveling office hours

U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Channahon, is offering traveling office hours throughout the 16th District through Thursday, Feb. 2. Staffers will be available to assist and provide guidance for constituents on issues such as veterans and Social Security benefits, Medicare, immigration and more.

Is it still worth signing up for Obamacare?

Chief among them is that the last day to enroll for health care insurance in 2017 is Tuesday, Jan. 31. Second, despite the confusion about Obamacare’s future, people who sign up before the deadline will lock in coverage for the year, as well their tax subsidies. What happens to the law into 2018 remains unclear, however.

Here’s What Expect From Anthem, Cigna, Aetna, Humana Earnings

Analysts say to watch for 2017 guidance for signals on how insurers believe President Trump will handle the repeal of the Affordable Care Act. As earnings season heats up, analysts say to watch the Big Five health insurers for guidance on how they will respond to impending changes to the Affordable Care Act ushered in by the Trump administration.

What Will You Hear on Pfizer’s Fourth-Quarter Call Tuesday?

What’s likely to be at the top of investors’ minds during Pfizer’s fourth-quarter conference call Tuesday morning? How about Pfizer’s plans to overcome oncoming competition involving several important products while navigating what remains a difficult pricing environment? Clues from CEO Ian Read and the management team about the company’s capital deployment plans ought to be of high interest, too. In the wake of continued speculation around the sale of its consumer business, which operates as part of its Innovative Health segment and is home to the Chapstick and Advil brands, potential strategic M&A and divestitures could make up for slowing revenue growth seen across existing therapies.

Busy minds may be better at fighting dementia

Mentally stimulating activities can protect your brain against aging, even if you’re genetically predisposed toward dementia or Alzheimer’s disease , a new study reports. Activities that keep the brain busy — using a computer, crafting, playing games and participating in social activities — appear to lower the risk of age-related mental decline in people 70 and older, the Mayo Clinic study found.

Tuesday is last day to sign up for Obamacare

This year, many enrollees have added questions as the Trump administration and legislators in Washington dismantle the Affordable Care Act, often referred to as Obamacare, which established the marketplace and created penalties for people who forgo health insurance. Yes. “Though consumers may have concerns about the future of the Affordable Care Act, as of now, nothing has changed about the fourth enrollment period - not plans, not prices, and not dates,” according to Enroll America, which seeks to get the uninsured signed up for coverage.

European agency will review BioCryst’s flu drug

BioCryst Pharmaceuticals Inc., maker of the flu drug Rapivab, announced Monday that the European Medicines Agency will review its drug for the treatment of flu symptoms in adults. The London-based overseer of drugs sold in the European Union will issue a decision within 210 days on whether to allow the sale of Rapivab in the EU’s 28 member states and Norway and Iceland, a market of more than 500 million consumers.

Nats pack up truck, prep for spring

While snow flurries were falling around Washington on Monday morning, there was a sign at Nationals Park that spring was on its way. The Nationals held their annual Truck Day, where they packed the first 53-foot tractor trailer with equipment for Spring Training.

This Woman Used A Pair Of Tights To Make A Point About Body Image

While side-by-side photos are often used on Instagram to document athletic progress, many body-positive advocates have been using them to post photos taken only minutes apart to show just how deceptive social media can be. Body-positive advocate Milly Smith, also known as @selfloveclubb , posted photos of herself on Instagram on Sunday to make a point about unrealistic body standards.

HPV vaccine now funded for boys

… experience. This vaccine has an excellent safety profile which has been reviewed and supported by the World Health Organization. The most common concern that arises is syncopal attacks (i.e. fainting), an effect of having an injection, which can be …

Renee Grubb to Lead Heart Association Board

Renee Grubb, co-founder of Village Properties, has been named chair of the Board of Directors for the American Heart Association Central Coast Division. She will be responsible for guiding the board to achieve the American Heart Association’s mission of building healthier lives, free of cardiovascular diseases and stroke.

Games, crafts, other activities may safeguard aging brain

In this April 10, 2014, file photo, a card player studies her hand during a bridge game at a restaurant in St. Paul, Minn. Research published on Monday, Jan. 30, 2017, shows that even in one’s 70s and beyond, simple activities including web-surfing, playing bridge and socializing can stave off mental decline.

Open Minds Launches Stats For Strategy Series With Top Medicaid…

More managed care, new financing models, changing service delivery and care management requirements — these factors are all shaping the health and human service market and require executives of payer and provider organizations to build a new strategy for success. To help organizations build strategies and position to compete in the market, OPEN MINDS has released a new market intelligence series on the data health and human services organizations need to make strategic decisions for success in today’s changing market.

Adult swaddling therapy fad hits Tokyo

Wrapped up from head to toe in a white bag and gently rocking from side to side, five Japanese mothers are hopeful Tokyo’s latest health trend can cure their post-pregnancy aches and pains. According to its exponents, Otonamaki, which translates as “adult wrapping”, was devised by a Kyoto midwife who thought replicating how children are swaddled at birth could help mothers overcome post labor shoulder and hip pain.

Donna Dunn (left) at the Phoenix Theatre in London

THE mother of an inspirational teenager from Cwmbran honoured the wish of her daughter by attending a preview performance of a new musical. Aged only 18, Emily Clark passed away in March of last year from breathing difficulties, having previously beaten cancer on two occasions.

Hugo Chavez returns to life in TV show criticized by allies

The life of Hugo Chavez, who mesmerized Venezuela’s impoverished masses before dying of cancer in 2013, is being dramatized in a Spanish-language TV series that is generating a backlash even before it airs. Produced by Sony Pictures Television, “El Comandante” premieres this week throughout Latin America and in the spring will be broadcast in the U.S. by the Telemundo network.

Living at high altitudes linked to lower risk of developing Metabolic Syndrome

Could something as simple as the geographic area in which you live contribute to your risk of developing heart disease and diabetes, or suffering a stroke? A new study, published in the open-access journal Frontiers in Physiology , has revealed that the incidence of Metabolic Syndrome could be linked to the altitude of where a person lives. Metabolic syndrome is the medical term for the combination of high blood pressure, sugar and cholesterol levels, as well as excess body fat around the waist, and contributes to serious health problems.

Research findings could lead to effective repair therapies for peripheral nerve damage

Research published today, 30th January 2017 online in the Journal of Cell Biology , has for the first time identified how a bodily protein allows nerves of the peripheral nervous system to repair following injury. The findings, discovered by research neuroscientists at Plymouth University Peninsula Schools of Medicine and Dentistry and funded by the Medical Research Council, could lead to effective repair therapies for those who have suffered peripheral nerve damage in trauma cases or perhaps via battlefield injuries.