2.1 million sign up for ‘Obamacare’ health insurance
And in June, Secretary of State John Kerry announced the birth of the millionth baby born HIV-free because of the President’s Plan for Emergency AIDS Relief, or PEPFAR. The 10-year-old aid program, launched by George W. Bush, pays for treatment, testing and counseling for millions of Africans every year. Mental health In June, the White House hosted a National Conference on Mental Health, part of the Obama administration’s response to the December 2012 mass shooting in Newtown, Conn. Thirty-six states and the District of Columbia increased funding for mental health, and in December, the White House announced $100 million in federal funding. In November,the Department of Health and Human Services issued final rules on implementing a 2008 law guaranteeing that insurance plans provide equal coverage for mental and physical health. Food-borne illness A national outbreak of antibiotic-resistant salmonella that began in October has sickened more than 416 people in 23 states as of mid-December, and is hospitalizing people at double the rate expected. Salmonella is a type of bacteria that can cause diarrhea, cramps and fever and sometimes chills, nausea and vomiting for up to seven days. The outbreak is linked to Foster Farms-brand chicken. The seven strains of salmonella Heidelberg involved in the outbreak appear to be especially virulent. Thirty-nine percent of those who fell ill have been hospitalized, compared with the usual 20% hospitalization rate with salmonella, according to the CDC. A 2012 outbreak in 13 states that sickened 134 people with the same type of salmonella was also linked to Foster Farms. “We never seem to have a shortage of food-borne outbreaks,” says Douglas Powell, a food safety researcher who tracks outbreaks on barfblog.com. “The Foster Farm salmonella outbreak was sort of unique because it shows the ‘Just cook it’ message doesn’t really work. People got sick from cooked Costco chickens” because of cross-contamination between raw meat and rotisserie chickens. Growing concerns over dietary supplements Both retailers and regulators expressed growing concern over the safety of dietary supplements , particularly those claiming to help people burn fat and build muscle.
helpful site http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/12/30/health-news-of-2013/4130337/
ObamaCare warning: Insurers struggling with enrollment surge Washington (AFP) – More than 2 million people have signed up for private health insurance through President Barack Obama’s signature reform after a botched rollout, the US government said Tuesday. The Affordable Care Act, widely known as Obamacare, is designed to offer insurance to millions of Americans who have never been able to secure it before — some because of pre-existing health conditions like heart disease that insurers were unwilling to cover. But its launch was hobbled by technical problems, casting doubt that the government could reach its 7 million enrollment goal by the end of March. Since October 1, more than 2.1 million have secured coverage via Web portals set up by the federal government in 36 states and by local authorities in 14 others, Health Secretary Kathleen Sebelius told reporters in a conference call. The bulk of the enrollment took place in December after a litany of glitches with the government website, healthcare.gov, which wasn’t able to handle the full onslaught of users until the end of November. The rocky start has played into the hands of Republicans who say the federal government has no business intervening in the private health care market and and should not be dictating health choices to Americans. View gallery In this Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2013, file photo, Rosemary Cabelo uses a computer at a public library to In addition, 3.9 million people found out via the sites that, due to the reform, they were eligible for coverage through public health insurance programs including Medicaid, which is geared toward the poorest, according to figures from October and November. The government did not specify how many of the 6 million people total had previously not had health insurance — a figure that will be key in determining the success of the reform deemed Obama’s top domestic achievement to date. In particular, it was unclear how many simply renewed their coverage. Some 50 million people currently do not have health insurance in the United States. Those individuals who signed up for insurance before December 24 on the federal site will have coverage as of Wednesday, New Year’s Day. “Tomorrow, January 1st, will be a new day in health care for millions of Americans,” Sebelius said. US Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius testifies before the Senate Finance Committ Health Care Policy Stephen Sawyer of Ellenville, New York was a volunteer EMT and squad leader with the Ellenville First Aid and Rescue Squad until very recently. Odd News WASHINGTON (AP) In an almost annual ritual, Congress is letting a package of 55 popular tax breaks expire at the end of the year, creating uncertainty once again for millions of individuals and businesses.
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