Strange fact of the day: services for children with special health care needs and disabilities vary dramatically from state to state. What are some examples, and how can parents find the services they need? This story is Part Two of a two-part story from National Family Voices which examines some of the questions raised when Eva Cameron, a mother of three from outside Chicago, dropped off her 19 ...
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Margot Kingston, a women's health nurse practitioner at Families First and Harbour Women's Health of Portsmouth is pleased about the Affordable Care Act's comprehensive coverage for women's preventative care, which goes into effect today.Rich Beauchesne/rbeauchesne@seacoastonline.com
Beginning today, comprehensive preventive care coverage for women goes into effect as part of the latest rollout of reforms under the Affordable Care Act. Under the law, almost all new or renewed private health care plans issued after Aug. 1 must cover comprehensive women's preventive services with no cost sharing, or co-payments.
One local health care practitioner believes the elimination of a co-pay requirement for preventive care is an important shift toward healthier outcomes that will decrease the number and cost of chronic illnesses.
"We have seen there are many women who don't come in for an appointment because of a $10 to $25 co-pay," said Margot Kingston, a women's health nurse practitioner who works at the Families First Health and Support Center in Portsmouth and at Harbour Women's Health. "More women need routine health care but they don't get it because they can't afford the co-payment. No woman should die of cervical cancer because they can't afford a checkup."
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, in 2011 an estimated 20.4 million American women with private health insurance gained expanded no-cost sharing preventive services, including mammograms, cervical cancer screenings, prenatal care, flu and pneumonia shots, and regular well-baby and well-child visits. DHHS estimates that more than 253,000 women in New Hampshire on private insurance plans are now covered by the expanded preventive care provisions. By 2014, all Americans with private insurance will have a wide range of no co-pay, preventive care services as part of their basic coverage.
This new expansion of preventive services with no cost-sharing will cover so-called well-woman visits, which include contraceptive services and screening for gestational diabetes, domestic violence and sexually transmitted infections.
"This is an important part of the work to improve access and will include all preventive care," said Lisa Kaplan Howe, policy director for the advocacy organization N.H. Voices for Health. "It's incredibly important for women to be able to maintain their health and monitor their health without increasing cost sharing. Frankly, it's also good for insurers because patients who stay on top of preventive health don't cost as much money as those who don't."
Kingston said contraceptive services coverage will also be important as the up-front costs can be prohibitive for many women. In a conference call with New Hampshire journalists, Jennifer Frizzell of Planned Parenthood of Northern New England said that reducing the co-payment cost of preventive services is a critical step in challenging economic times. "We see this every day. Whether to pay for birth control or pay for groceries these are very real choices for New Hampshire women," Frizzell said. "That burden will get easier."
While the new guidelines go into effect today, Kaplan Howe said it can be confusing because actual comprehensive coverage doesn't begin for many with existing policies until they are renewed, which usually happens in the fall and winter. The provisions are also not impacted by the declining number of "grandfathered" group plans that were in effect when the ACA became law in 2010 and are expected to lapse in the next couple of years.
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The same week that President Obamas health regulations go into effect, forcing people of faith to violate their conscience or shut their doors, Mitt Romney was preaching the gospel of economic and religious freedom in Poland and Israel.
By that juxtaposition, the contrast in presidential candidates could not be starker.
Kathleen Parker
Parker writes a twice-weekly column on politics and culture.
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Ann Telnaes animation: Mitt Romney continues his overseas trip after his London debut.
Romneys recent tour, the reporting of which has tended to focus on his gaffes noting, for instance, that economic culture matters when it comes to a nations prosperity and his questioning of security at the London Olympics has provided a far more important glimpse of how, as president, he would view and reward Europe.
His speeches and comments in both Poland and Israel were testaments to the strength of U.S. alliances based on shared economic principles, as well as a rebuke to Obamas perceived lack of conviction regarding same. Romney pounded his free-market message by noting Polands heroic struggle for freedom against an oppressive government. He made clear the point that individual freedom, rather than government largesse, had created one of the strongest economies in Europe.
Your nation has moved from a state monopoly over the economy, price controls and severe trade restrictions to a culture of entrepreneurship, greater fiscal responsibility and international trade, said Romney.
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Romney’s speeches in Poland address economic and religious freedom
International Criminal Court Examining Eugenics in New Zealand
Life itself is a basic human right that is deserving of all humanity. But sadly in our country eugenics is denying that right to a group of individuals based on their genetic difference. Mr Mike Sullivan, spokesperson for Saving Downs says The situation is so serious here that the International Criminal Court is now carrying out a preliminary examination into our genetic screening practices. These practices are discriminatory and eugenic in nature, as they prevent the births of children because of their biological differences.
The term eugenics was coined by Sir Francis Galton in 1883. Under Galtons vision of eugenics, negative eugenics includes decreasing the occurrence of so-called undesirable genes. Eugenics is one dynamic that influences the judgment of peoples abilities and the disabling consequences. In New Zealand genetic screening is decreasing the natural occurrence of people with conditions such as Down syndrome and reinforcing discrimination against our community.
To raise awareness around this issue, and as part of an ongoing social justice campaign, Saving Downs and Family Life International , are joining together to hold a one day seminar on Saturday 4 August in Ponsonby, Auckland. Loving Every Child: Defying Eugenics is being held to educate the public and discuss the ramifications of eugenics and what the International Criminal Court case means for the disabled. Topics include: a personal testimony of a young man with Down syndrome; by what right are they not human beings?; a history of eugenics; current practice and how it links with eugenics; advocating for Down syndrome in the room and in the womb; and a Spina Bifida perspective.
Mike Sullivan who laid the complaint with the International Criminal Court says, This seminar is vital for informing the public of a eugenic program which is being thrust upon the vulnerable in our community and our response to secure social justice for them.
Mrs Colleen Bayer, director of Family Life International says Genetic screening practices devalue the lives of people with disabilities and endangers them, as the history of the use of genetic selection shows . We encourage media participation in facilitating public debate around this issue. Our seminar presents an excellent opportunity to learn more about the case under examination by the International Criminal Court, and the eugenic nature of genetic screening programmes. Mr Sullivan says.
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Longer hours also boost revenues at Long Branch beaches
BY KENNY WALTER
Staff Writer
Long Branch beaches have become safer and more profitable just one month after the City Councils decision to extend lifeguard hours from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on the weekends, according to Dan George, Long Branch beach manager.
George said during the July 24 council workshop meeting that the extra revenues would cover all the expenses related to keeping the beach staffed with lifeguards and ticket takers for the extra two hours.
I think it is definitely going to cover the cost of what we would incur from keeping it open, he said. From a lifeguard standpoint, we have a natural resource that everyone flocks down to, especially with these heat waves.
The decision to extend lifeguard hours came after two drownings off local beaches. A 17-year-old swimming with family members drowned on May 27 at an unprotected Long Branch beach. His body was not recovered until June 2 in the ocean off Pier Village.
A second incident occurred off the coast of Bradley Beach, where a 24-year-old swimmer drowned while swimming after hours on May 29.
George explained the procedures for the extra two hours that the beach now remains open.
Basically we are keeping it open from Morris Avenue to Laird [Avenue] because that is where the concentration of lifeguards are, he said. We have lifeguards patrolling the north and the south just to keep an eye out.
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Recreational beaches in a large area of Western Washington have been closed to shellfish harvesting because of dangerous levels of paralytic shellfish poison (PSP), the State Department of Health announced Tuesday.
The area affected by the sometimes-fatal poison includes beaches in parts of King, Snohomish, Pierce, Kitsap, Island and Jefferson counties, the department said in a news release.
The department said affected beaches have signs warning not to collect shellfish including clams, oysters, mussels, scallops and geoducks. Crabs are OK to harvest, but only the meat, not the "crab butter," is safe to eat. The poison cannot be cooked out.
PSP symptoms can appear within minutes or hours of eating contaminated fish and usually begins with tingling lips and tongue that moves to the hands and feet, according to the Health Department. Difficulty breathing and potential death can follow. Medical help should be called immediately for anyone affected.
The department also warns that people cannot know if PSP is present by looking at the water or shellfish and that the "red tide" some associate with PSP is not inaccurate indicator. Presence of the poison can only be determined through lab testing.
Shellfish collected from commercial beaches in the area should be safe to eat because of regular testing showing their waters are safe, the department said.
PSP is produced by algae that is more common during warm parts of the year, according to the department.
Those wishing to check for updated closures can call the department's Biotoxin Hotline at 800-562-5632, or check the department's interactive closure map (seati.ms/OlFk0t) or lists (seati.ms/NTc6EA) updated on its website.
Alexa Vaughn: 206-464-2515 or avaughn@seattletimes.com. On Twitter @AlexaVaughn.
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by Bennett Brumson , Contributing Editor Robotic Industries Association Posted 07/31/2012
The role of robotics in the manufacture of aerospace products is important although not as pervasive as in the automotive industry. While robotics play an important function in the fabrication of aircraft engines, aerospace companies are increasingly investing in robots to perform drilling, painting and other tasks on airframes. Robots ability to repeatedly position very large aerospace components with a high degree of precision ensures that flexible automation has potential market growth.
Traditional robots that have worked so well in Detroit for the last 30 years do not work well in Everett, begins Erik Nieves, Technology Director with the Motoman Robotics Division of Yaskawa America Inc. (Miamisburg, Ohio). Todays new robots have become more capable and accurate, bringing them within the performance levels required for aerospace applications
Drill, Robot, Drill Drilling holes into components is the largest use of robotics in the aerospace industry. Precision requirements of this application gives end-users an incentive to look at robotics as a means to quickly and consistently undertake this chore. A fuselage needs thousands of holes drilled and drilling them manually is not feasible, says Chris Blanchette, National Account Manager with FANUC Robotics America Corp. (Rochester Hills, Michigan). Vision systems allow the robot to accurately locate where on the airframe that robot will be drilling.
Drilling is not only the most common job robots are called on to do, but has the longest track record within the aerospace industry. Robots do a wide variety of jobs in the aerospace industry but drilling holes is far and away the number one application robots do. Robots drill, put fasteners into the holes and assemble the parts, says Curtis Richardson, Associate Technical Fellow at Spirit AeroSystems Inc. (Wichita, Kansas).
Richardson says Robots fill the middle void between manual labor and hard automation. Spirit AeroSystems approach is to use the right tool for the job. Robots drill holes very efficiently, precisely, repeatedly and to a very high degree of quality. Manual drilling is difficult to do by hand. Drilling manually takes a tremendous amount of skill and experience to get to the level of quality that a robot can.
Tooling costs are reduced using robotics for drilling. Manual drilling requires expensive tooling such as jigs and fixtures. Powerful drilling equipment can be costly and robots are often a good alternative, says Richardson.
Likewise, Robots have been used extensively for over 30 years to drill fastener holes. Drilling is the primary application Lockheed Martin uses robots for in our Fort Worth, Texas facility. Drilling fastener holes is an extremely redundant and difficult task, particularly when working on titanium parts, says David Siedal, a Technical Fellow with Lockheed Martin. When done manually, drilling requires multiple steps, such as drilling a pilot hole, drill to the final diameter, then reaming it.
While manual drilling may take up to four operations, robotic drilling can be accomplished in a single pass, says Siedal. Robots drill the hole to its full diameter and depth, including the countersink, in a single pass. Robots are a huge time-saver in a job impossible for people to do in one pass
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