Immunization

Metro Detroit's high auto insurance rates are well documented, but it's actually another monthly bill that the region's bill payers are spending more money on compared with other large metropolitan areas. Metro Detroiters, on average, are paying more for health insurance each month than 24 other top metros, according to a new report by doxo, a bill pay service , that looked at the 2018 costs of the country's nine most commonly paid bills. Monthly health insurance bills in the metro Detroit region averaged at $214. That's $78 more per month, or 57% higher, than the average for top 25 metros, according to the report. Doxo included Detroit, Warren and Ann Arbor in its Detroit classification. Doxo's data is "based on anonymized, aggregated payment statistics to more than 45,000 billers from 2.5 million users," according to the report. The report also showed that metro Detroiters spend $1,061 on average for monthly bills, ranking at No. 7 overall. The...

Democrats have spent years complaining that Republican health care legislation would result in fewer people with health insurance, often while pointing to Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates showing just how many would go without coverage. But now Democrats in the House are backing legislation that would result in 500,000 people losing coverage, according to a new report from the CBO . The bill would prohibit the sale of renewable short-term health plans allowed by a Trump administration rule that went into effect last year. These plans, which can be extended for up to three years, tend to offer more limited coverage than the plans sold under Obamacare's rules, and they also tend to be significantly less expensive. If the bill were to go into effect, about 1.5 million fewer people would end up purchasing short term plans, CBO estimates. About half a million of those people would end up purchasing coverage through Obamacare's exchanges instead. Others would obtain cove...

Do you consider going to the dentist an experience one could only loathe? Or is it an opportunity you merely dream of having? Many people take for granted cleanings, fillings and other vital dental care, while others live in pain for years. Last week, the Legislature’s Committee on Health and Human Services heeded Mainers’ personal testimonies in support of L.D. 1453, An Act to Improve Dental Health for Maine Children and Adults with Low Incomes. Currently, adults with MaineCare only receive emergency dental care to eliminate severe pain, treat oral infections, and prevent tooth loss. Treatment is often provided in Maine’s emergency departments, which are becoming increasingly scarce and overburdened. L.D. 1453 would ensure that adults with low incomes receive comprehensive preventive, diagnostic, and restorative dental services that are necessary to maintain both their oral and overall health. Poor oral health is linked to chronic medical conditions such as heart disease and diabete...

[unable to retrieve full-text content] Changes to Canadian health insurance may affect WNY hospitals - Buffalo    Buffalo Business First Hospitals in Erie and Niagara counties provided 1000 Canadian patient visits during 2017, some of whom paid for at least part of their care through the Ontario ... http://bit.ly/2WaJrmV

PHOENIX — The national measles outbreak continues to grow, with the Centers for Disease Control now reporting more than 700 cases in the U.S. There has only been one case so far in Arizona, reported last month in Pima County , but health officials say it's just a matter of time before we get another case, and also possible is an outbreak. "With our low vaccination coverage and all of the measles activity that's going on around the country, we are concerned we'll see another measles case," said Jessica Rigler, with the Arizona Department of Health Services. A key indicator health officials look at is "community immunity," meaning that we count on each other to stop the disease if it comes here. But right now, the community immunity numbers are very low, especially as kindergartners, required to have a measles shot by the time they attend school, are showing lower numbers of immunization compared to years past. "We are lower than that threshol...

Keep an eye on your mailbox; the AAFP is sending new immunization resources to all active and resident members. This week, the Academy is mailing family physicians full-color laminated copies of the 2019 adult, childhood/adolescent and catch-up immunization schedules developed by the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices with help from the AAFP, as well as other medical specialty groups. Additionally, members can access the immunization schedules for children, adolescents and adults on the AAFP mobile app. These immunization materials are intended to keep FPs and, by extension, their patients on top of the latest vaccine-related information and joint recommendations from the ACIP, AAFP and other medical professional organizations. Funding to print and mail the immunization schedules was provided by a grant from Merck & Co. Inc. AAFP liaison to the ACIP Pamela Rockwell, D.O., of Ann Arbor, Mich., told AAFP News that vaccination is one of the most important...

HARTFORD, CT — As measles continues to spread in the United States with cases surpassing 700 this year, the Connecticut Department of Public Health plans to release information on just how many unvaccinated children attend each school in the state. Department of Public Health Commissioner Renee Coleman-Mitchell sent a letter Tuesday to all school superintendents to let them know they will be posting public and private school immunization-related rates on their website by the end of the week. Coleman-Mitchell said the school-level information is to “increase public awareness of immunization rates in local communities, which may lead to increased engagement and focus on increasing immunization rates to reduce the risk of vaccine-preventable diseases.” Previously, the Department of Public Health said it would not publicly disseminate school-based information or even the number children per town that aren’t vaccinated based on their religious or medical exemptions. In response to a C...

As measles cases reach their highest levels in 25 years in the United States, one Pennsylvania lawmaker is now pushing legislation which would make it harder for doctors to crack down on those who choose not to vaccinate their children. Flanked by parents and children, Representative Daryl Metcalfe on Tuesday introduced House Bill 286, the Informed Consent Protection Act.  Metcalfe says, "We live in the United States of America, where you should have the freedom to decide what is injected inside your body or your child's body." The bill would force doctors in Pennsylvania to treat unvaccinated children, limit what they can do to encourage families to get vaccinated and bar them from requiring patients or parents from having to sign a liability waiver if they decline or delay vaccinations. It comes as more than 700 measles cases are reported in the US, the highest this century. Metcalfe says, "There's this huge outbreak! Of, what? 300 million people in the Un...

Isabelleza Kris Tabios, Medical Assistant, 2019 CDC Childhood Immunization Champion for Hawai‘i. PC: Hawai‘i Department of Health The Hawai‘i State Department of Health (DOH) and the Hawai‘i Immunization Coalition (HIC) congratulate medical assistant, Isabelleza Kris Tabios, for receiving the 2019 Childhood Immunization Champion Award for Hawai‘i. On Monday, April 29, 2019, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Association of Immunization Managers (AIM) recognized Tabios for her significant contribution to improving public health through her work in childhood immunization. The CDC Childhood Immunization Champion Award , announced annually during National Infant Immunization Week (April 27-May 4), recognizes one individual from each of the 50 U.S. states, eight U.S. territories and freely associated states, and the District of Columbia for their efforts to improve public health through childhood immunizations. Honorees are evaluated based on their lea...

[unable to retrieve full-text content] National Infant Immunization Week celebrates and raises awareness for immunizations    WWMT-TV The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization sponsor National Infant Immunization Week. Bronson Methodist Hospital ... http://bit.ly/2XVA62P

Yenagoa, 28 April 2019 -“We had not seen vaccination teams in our community for a very long time. Sometimes we have to stay for months without vaccinating our children, if we don’t take our children to the mainland to get them vaccinated”, says Mr. Atebakuro Oton George, a fisherman and father of five, residing at Itohono-ama settlement of Minibie ward of Bayelsa State. “Now on weekly basis, health workers brave the Seas and visit our communities to vaccinate our children”, an elated Mr. George continues. In Bayelsa, a largely riverine State, accounting for over 60% of the delta mangrove of the oil-rich Southern part of Nigeria, known as the Niger Delta, many children continue to be ‘missed’ with life-saving vaccination. In 2018 a number of innovative strategies such as mid-sea immunization, community engagement through the traditional hierarchy and sensitization activities, supported by World Health Organization (WHO) through the Government of Bayelsa were introduced to address som...

ROCHESTER, Minn. - On Tuesday at the Rochester Public Library, Health Access MN, a MNsure grantee put on a Health Insurance Matters presentation in the auditorium. They broke down how people can better understand their coverage and how to address healthcare disparities. Health Access MN offers free health insurance enrollment assistance. Click here to get in contact with Health Access MN. http://bit.ly/2DJGKBI

Occasionally there are glimmers of bipartisan hope in the midst of today’s political storm. One appeared in the Minnesota Legislature with the introduction of House and Senate bills proposing a claims expenditure assessment (CEA) to replace the 2% provider tax that is set to end this year. The provider tax was instituted in 1991 to provide funding for safety net health programs. An abrupt end to those funds in January 2020 would significantly compromise the health care of 200,000 of the most vulnerable Minnesotans. The sun-setting of the provider tax was a bipartisan compromise between the GOP Legislature and Gov. Mark Dayton back in 2011, but a solution for this looming problem was put off until now. Political caricatures would assume a GOP reflex to rejoice in the end of the tax and a DFL impulse to reimpose it. For a few thoughtful and courageous legislators, the assumption would be wrong. The current 2% tax is levied on the gross revenue of all health care providers on a quart...

Rita Price The Columbus Dispatch @RitaPrice Tuesday Apr 30, 2019 at 12:59 PM Apr 30, 2019 at 12:59 PM Columbus Area Integrated Health Services, a long-time provider of mental health care and addiction treatment in the central city, has collapsed financially. "The agency is no longer viable. Liabilities far exceed any assets that they have," David Royer, CEO of the Alcohol, Drug and Mental Health Board of Franklin County, said on Tuesday. "The bank has frozen their accounts; people have not been paid in over two weeks. As you can imagine, it's a very difficult situation." The nonprofit organization's board of trustees asked the ADAMH board to take over, and the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services approved that request, effective Tuesday. Royer said that Columbus Area's president CEO, Anthony Penn, and its chief financial officer, Lisa Skidmore, were "relieved of their duties" by the board. Approximately 80 t...

The department is proposing taking $240,000 from various reserve funds to launch a Comprehensive Community Services program in Douglas County. After losing one potential partner because of funding issues, the county is searching for a new partner without promises of funding for non-billable services that support the program. Funding for administrative costs is recaptured through a year-end reconciliation, a process that could take up to 16 months to reclaim, said Pat Schanen, director of Health and Human Services. She said the one-time funding from Douglas County could fill the gap for administrative costs for the program until the first reconciliation is complete. In subsequent years, the annual reconciliation would pay for those costs. "Most agencies don't have the money to fund those services on the front end without reimbursement," said Dave Longsdorf, mental health and substance abuse supervisor for the Health and Human Services Department. In fact, one potential...

KING OF PRUSSIA, Pa. , April 29, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Universal Health Services, Inc. (NYSE: UHS ) announced today that Steve Filton , Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer will present at the following conferences: Tuesday, May 14, 2019 at 9:20 a.m. (PT) at the Bank of America Merrill Lynch 2019 Healthcare Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada Monday, May 20, 2019 at 10:30 a.m. (ET) at the UBS 2019 Global Healthcare Conference in New York, New York Tuesday, May 21, 2019 at 8:00 a.m. (ET) at the RBC Capital Markets 2019 Healthcare Conference in New York, New York Live audio webcasts of the presentations will be available on the Company's website ( www.uhsinc.com ).  For those unable to listen to the live webcast, replays of the presentations will be available on the Company's website for 90 days following the conferences. Headquartered in King of Prussia, PA , UHS has more than 87,000 employees and through its subsidiaries operates 350 inpatient acute care...

Operating income held steady last year at Fairview Health Services as the Minneapolis-based operator of hospitals and clinics continues to work on improving financial results from its HealthEast business in the east metro. The 2018 numbers fit with the broader trend of stabilization in revenue and expense for nonprofit health care systems across the country, said Hayes Batson, the Fairview chief financial officer, in an interview. Income for 2019 could be lower, Batson added, because Fairview this year will put more money toward its partnership with the University of Minnesota, a new marketing campaign and a project to realign operations around service lines rather than geography. Batson offered no news on the future of St. Joseph's Hospital in St. Paul, which Fairview took over as part of its 2017 merger with HealthEast. "What I'm struck by is just the number of investments that we're making right now that we know will produce future benefits," Batson said. ...

News Release Tuesday, April 30, 2019 NIH study identifies importance of support for critical suicide prevention services. The United States may lack the resources needed to meet increases in demand for suicide prevention services that occur after celebrity suicides, according to a recent study of crisis mental health services. The study, conducted by a team of researchers, which included scientists from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), part of the National Institutes of Health, highlights the need for suicide prevention hotlines to procure additional funds, allocate existing funds more efficiently, and develop contingency plans to accommodate increases in call volumes, particularly for the first two days after a celebrity suicide. The findings appear in the journal  Psychiatric Services . “Suicide prevention is a significant public health concern and a top priority for NIMH,” said Joshua A. Gordon, M.D., Ph.D., director of NIMH. “This study highlights the importa...

CLEVELAND– The Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center is emphasizing its mental health services after a veteran took his own life. The suicide happened Monday morning outside of Wade Park’s emergency department. The facility did not release any additional details because of privacy regulations. “Our deepest condolences go out to the loved ones affected by this death,” the VA Northeast Ohio Healthcare System said in a statement. “Suicide prevention is VA’s highest clinical priority. One life lost to suicide is one too many.” All VA facilities offer same-day urgent primary and mental health care services to veterans, the hospital said. The Cleveland VA Medical Center encourages family member or friend concerned about a veteran’s mental health to contact the Veterans Crisis Line at 1-800-273-8255 and press 1 or text 838255. Trained professionals are also available to chat at www.veteranscrisisline.net . The lines are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. 41.513271 -81.61369...

NEW YORK , April 30, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- BNY Mellon today announced that it has been chosen by Horizon Healthcare Services, Inc. (Horizon), New Jersey's largest and oldest health insurer, to be its sole provider of global custody services, accounting and reporting, benefit disbursements, performance measurement, and analytics. BNY Mellon's New York and Pittsburgh offices will jointly support Horizon. Horizon is a tax-paying, not-for-profit health services corporation, providing a wide array of medical, dental, vision and prescription insurance products and services. Horizon serves more than 3.8 million members with headquarters in Newark and offices in Wall , Mt. Laurel , and West Trenton.  It is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association.   Horizon selected BNY Mellon given its strong focus on client support, ability to handle complex asset classes across a variety of asset pools, and its commitment to technology resources.   ...

The Birds and the Beavs is a weekly column answering your questions on the topics of sexual health, consent, and relationships, written by the Oregon State University Sexual Health Team. Welcome back to Sexually Transmitted Infections: Part 2! Here at OSU Student Health we recommend getting tested regularly if you are sexually active. Most of the time, STIs do not have any symptoms. Getting tested is the only way to know your status and can help you get treatment earlier to prevent the further spread of infection to partners. Q: I’ve never been tested for an STI before and don’t know how to talk to my health care provider about it. Do you have tips? Yes! There are a couple of things to keep in mind if you plan on getting STI tested. This does not matter if you plan on getting STI tested through Student Health Services or by an outside provider. Here are some tips: • Be honest. The first thing you want to discuss with your provider is what kinds of tests you should be get. It is im...

UTICA ­— Oneida County officials are urging parents to vaccinate their children during National Infant Immunization Week, touting the benefits of vaccinations for a host of diseases from mumps and measles to the chicken pox. The county operates public health clinics in both Rome and Utica through the Department of Health, where children and adults can be immunized and parents can receive immunization counseling and education. The clinics see an average of 3,500 immunization visits per year. Immunization clinics are by appointment only; appointments may be made by calling (315) 798-5747. The recommended immunization schedule can protect children from 14 serious and potentially deadly diseases before their second birthday, according to county officials. Most vaccine-preventable diseases are spread from person to person. A person who is immune to a disease because she has been vaccinated can’t get that disease and can’t spread it to others. The more people who are vaccinated, the f...

IMMUNIZATION CLINIC: The Warren Health District, 258 E. Market St., Warren, will hold child immunization clinics 9 to 11 a.m. and 1 to 3 p.m. May 6 and 20. All clinics are walk-ins with no appointment necessary. An updated shot record for each visit is required. A $21.25 administration fee is charged. Medicaid is accepted. Bring an insurance card. For information, call 330-841-2596. SKIN SCREENING: Mercy Health is holding a free skin screening from 5 to 7 p.m. May 7 at St. Joe’s Cancer Center, 667 Eastland Ave. SE. An appointment is required — please call 330-480-3183 to schedule. Physicians participating are: Drs. Timothy Chang; David Hamrock, Morgan Hott and Kyle Wagamon, plus Krista Burns, PA-C, and Wendy Demetrios, CNP. GRIEFSHARE: Howland United Methodist Church, 730 Howland Wilson Road NE, will offer GriefShare sessions 1 to 3 p.m. Sundays through June 2. GriefShare is a Christ-centered grief support group for those who have lost a loved one to death. Each session is self-c...

Harrisburg, PA — The Pennsylvania Department of Health is encouraging people to get vaccinated, particularly against measles and other serious illnesses, such as mumps and hepatitis, which can be life-threatening. “It is essential that all Pennsylvanians from infants to older adults are up to date on all recommended immunizations,” Dr. Rachel Levine, who leads the department, said in a news release last week. “Vaccines are a safe and effective way to protect yourself from serious, life-threatening diseases. Getting your vaccinations can help protect those around you, including those with compromised immune systems who cannot get vaccinated.” According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 695 individual cases of measles had been confirmed in 22 states as of Wednesday afternoon, a 25-year high; Pennsylvania was not among them. A mumps outbreak that began at Temple University and rose to 106 cases in Philadelphia last month was among more than 400 confirmed infection...

Quebec is introducing a new, streamlined immunization schedule aimed at maximizing the population's protection against diseases by making it even easier for parents to inoculate their newborns. The new schedule, which goes into effect June 1, means newborns will need one less inoculation appointment in the first year of life.  The Health Ministry says some parents end up putting off — or even refusing — vaccination appointments because of the time it takes out of their hectic lives. The new schedule reduces the number of vaccination visits, Quebec's Health Minister Danielle McCann said in a statement. The six-month visit, where children used to have a shot, is now gone. Instead, vaccinations will be given only at two months, four months and 12 months of age. Simplifying the schedule will "encourage parents to vaccinate their children within a time frame that promotes the best possible protection against preventable diseases." Dr. Caroline Quach, an infectious ...

Isabelleza Kris Tabios, Medical Assistant, 2019 CDC Childhood Immunization Champion for Hawai‘i. PC: Hawai‘i Department of Health The Hawai‘i State Department of Health (DOH) and the Hawai‘i Immunization Coalition (HIC) congratulate medical assistant, Isabelleza Kris Tabios, for receiving the 2019 Childhood Immunization Champion Award for Hawai‘i. On Monday, April 29, 2019, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Association of Immunization Managers (AIM) recognized Tabios for her significant contribution to improving public health through her work in childhood immunization. The CDC Childhood Immunization Champion Award , announced annually during National Infant Immunization Week (April 27-May 4), recognizes one individual from each of the 50 U.S. states, eight U.S. territories and freely associated states, and the District of Columbia for their efforts to improve public health through childhood immunizations. Honorees are evaluated based on their lea...

Just before the almost-over State Legislature session began, in our pre-session conversations with local legislators , 34th District Rep. Eileen Cody told us she had hopes for approval of a “public option” for health insurance. This news release we received today says it’s on its way to reality: A bill passed April 27 by the Washington State Legislature would create a public option for health care coverage, available through Washington’s Health Benefit Exchange. The plan would be known as Cascade Care, and would be the first public health insurance option in the nation. Senate Bill 5526 , sponsored by Sen. David Frockt (D-Seattle), and led in the state House of Representatives by Rep. Eileen Cody (D-West Seattle), will give Washingtonians who purchase healthcare coverage on the individual insurance market an option that would decrease the cost of premiums, copays and other out-of-pocket expenses. Gov. Jay Inslee also supported the legislation, and worked with lawmakers through...