|
|
Issue No. 99
|
October 27, 2015
|
|
|
|
|
For the first time in American history, all Americans have the opportunity to shop for quality health coverage without being denied or charged more because they have a pre-existing condition.
The Health Insurance Marketplace is a way for uninsured Americans and their families to purchase health insurance in one place. And, the financial, physical or mental health that millions of Americans suffered because they couldn't afford the care they or their family needed is changing. The launch began a new day almost two years ago when health care coverage became more accessible than ever before.
TACT welcomed the change as needed for Americans. Coverage offered through the Marketplace includes a range of options so consumers can pick a plan that best meets their needs, the needs of their family, and their budget and encourage consumers to find and compare options.
But, in the midst of all that has changed and is changing, TACT remains steadfast in coverage, quality and competitive pricing.
Education and understanding is key in this new environment. Thankfully, you have a partner in TACT. Let us answer your questions. Let us CONTINUE to help you field your options. When you speak, we listen! Read more below! Your options, your coverage - you needed change to benefit you in a more specific way and WE LISTENED!
Now serving ALL of Texas Agriculture -
Contact us for more information
TACT - Dedicated Insurance Professionals
you know and trust...like Family.
|
|
improved quality - increased provider accessibility - continued low costs
With TACT You Get More!
We have heard you and know that you want better provider coverage, more access to your doctors and facilities.
We have worked very hard to find YOUR solution! We are excited to announce our new partnership with CIGNA!! Effective November 1, you will have access to all the providers and facilities CIGNA has to offer! This will be a long term relationship, providing the solution to make sure our members receive the best care available! Watch for more information and updated ID cards soon!
|
HHS Advances Development of Novel Drug to Treat Flu
A monoclonal antibody therapeutic drug, a novel approach to treating patients with influenza, will advance in development with funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response ( ASPR). No monoclonal antibody antiviral drugs to treat patients with influenza have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Monoclonal antibodies bind to specific parts of the virus, neutralizing the virus and decreasing the amount of virus in the body. The drug VIS410 is being developed by Visterra Inc. of Cambridge, Massachusetts, and targets a part of the influenza virus that is common to a wide range of flu strains. The target area evolves much more slowly than areas targeted by currently approved drugs, which could allow VIS410 to be effective against flu strains that become resistant to current antiviral drugs. "Having multiple antiviral treatment options available for influenza is essential to saving lives in a pandemic and every day," said Robin Robinson, Ph.D., Director of ASPR's Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority ( BARDA) whose office will oversee the project. "Developing antiviral drugs that work against many strains of influenza provides a cost-efficient way to boost pandemic preparedness and at the same time potentially alleviate the suffering of hundreds of thousands of people who are hospitalized with influenza every year." Under a 40-month, $29.1 million agreement with BARDA, Visterra Inc. will conduct clinical studies of safety and efficacy of VIS410, manufacture materials for use in clinical studies, and optimize manufacturing processes. This work will provide support and data needed for the company to submit a request for FDA review and approval of the drug. The studies also will seek to determine the drug's efficacy when administered more than 48 hours after the onset of influenza symptoms and to rule out side effects. Current treatment options work best when administered within 48 hours of symptom onset. Pre-clinical studies suggest that VIS410 may be more effective than currently approved antiviral drugs and could be safe and effective in treating patients for whom influenza poses high risks, such as the elderly, children, and those with chronic conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or heart disease. The contract between BARDA and Visterra Inc. could be extended up to a total of five years and $204.5 million. If the contract is extended, the company will conduct larger clinical studies of the drug's efficacy in severely ill and hospitalized patients including children. If full development is successful, the drug would provide another treatment option for patients who are hospitalized due to seasonal or pandemic influenza infections. In the United States, more than 200,000 people are hospitalized each year due to seasonal flu complications, and seasonal influenza contributes to approximately 36,000 deaths annually. The new antiviral monoclonal antibody development project is part of BARDA's integrated portfolio for advanced research and development, innovation, acquisition, and manufacturing of vaccines, drugs, diagnostic tools, and non-pharmaceutical products for public health emergency threats. In addition to pandemic influenza, these threats include chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear agents, emerging infectious diseases, and antimicrobial resistance. ASPR leads HHS in preparing the nation to respond to and recover from adverse health effects of emergencies, supporting communities' ability to withstand adversity, strengthening health and response systems, and enhancing national health security. HHS is the principal federal agency for protecting the health of all Americans and providing essential human services, especially for those who are least able to help themselves.
|
Good Grief!!!
It's the Great Pumpkin Shortage,
Charlie Brown!
 Pumpkin crops are down by about a half this year and the harvest concluded this week, much earlier than normal.
That won't make it hard to find the pumpkin you'll need for a jack-o-lantern on Halloween. But don't wait to get your canned pumpkin to make pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving.
Libby's, the unit of Nestle (NSRGF) that has an estimated 80% of the canned pumpkin market, says that it thinks it will have enough canned pumpkin to make it through Thanksgiving, but the short harvest means it will be tight.
"We're disappointed that the yields this year are less than we anticipated," said Roz O'Hearn, spokeswoman for Nestle. "We won't have much 'reserve' stock -- if any at all -- to carry us into the new year."
That means when stores sell out, they'll likely be out until next year's harvest. Not that pumpkin pie is a major staple for Easter or Memorial Day.
The shortage won't hurt the supply of Halloween decorations is because the pumpkins used in your pies are very different than the ones you carve for Halloween Those ornamental pumpkins are bright orange, have thin, stringy walls and are mostly hollow, which make them ideal for carving. The canned pumpkin comes from what is known as sugar pumpkins. They are more oval in shape, very dense with thick walls and are also a pale color.
The sugar pumpkins are grown primarily in Illinois, which produces about 90% of the supply each year. Libby's processes all the pumpkin it buys at a plant in Morton, Ill. But this year heavy rains hit Illinois and cut deeply into the sugar pumpkin crop.
STARBUCK'S FAN? Click here! Starbuck's Pumpkin Spice Latte will be made with REAL pumpkin.
|
|
Doctors Anticipate
Nasty Flu Season
Courtesy - USA Today
 WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. - It's officially flu season. Dr. Robin Altman, chief of general pediatrics for Children's & Women's Physicians of Westchester, suspects this may be another tough battle with the virus. Altman is urging patients to get vaccinated now, since it takes two weeks for the body to build up immunity. The flu vaccine remains the best protection against the virus.
Richard Kanowitz of Scarsdale, N.Y., whose daughter Amanda died of the flu 11 years ago, believes every child and adult needs to be vaccinated each year.
"It is this part of getting vaccinated - even if efficacy is not 100% - that people don't understand," said Kanowitz, founding member of Families Fighting Flu, a national advocacy organization. "Even if you end up getting the flu, the vaccine helps protect you by regulating your immune system so you don't suffer from a more severe case of the flu, or even worse, from death." Vaccination is critical before flu hits, no matter what sort of season we'll have, said Dr. Robert Amler, dean of the School of Health Sciences and Practice at New York Medical College.
"It's very difficult to predict how wide it will spread and how severe the cases will be," said Amler. "It's based on a number of factors, not the least of which is which strain of flu will be most prevalent."
Although the CDC officially begins tracking the spread of the virus later this month, there's good news: According to the agency, early tests point to a better match between circulating viruses and those found in the vaccine, making this year's shot potentially more effective than last year's. "The 2015-2016 #flu vaccine includes updated H3N2 and influenza B virus components," tweeted CDC director Tom Frieden, citing two strains of the virus that sickened many last season, even those who were immunized. The CDC estimates that last year's vaccine was about 19% effective. "Last year's shot got a bad rap because one of the strains of the virus mutated," said Dr. Deborah Nunziato-Ghobashy, of Family Practice Associates of Rockland in Valley Cottage, N.Y., who is affiliated with Nyack Hospital. Although she hasn't yet seen cases of the flu, she believes the upcoming season may indeed be severe. "History kind of dictates what will happen, and the past few years have been bad, so I assume it's going to be the same," she said. According to the CDC, all versions of this year's vaccine will protect against three viruses (two A and one B). The quadrivalent vaccine will protect against an additional B virus. Altman, who treats children, offers two versions of the quadrivalent flu vaccine in her practice: the intramuscular shot, which contains inactivated virus, and the nasal spray (FluMist), which has a live attenuated virus. "It's sort of squirted into the nostrils, so there's no shot involved," she said. "There's been some research to suggest it has a better immune response and gives better protection than the intramuscular version." People cannot get the flu from the flu shot, she said. And it's important to get the vaccine even if you think you already came down with a case of the flu this season. "Don't self-diagnose influenza," Altman said. Some of the symptoms of a cold and the flu can overlap, said Nunziato-Ghobashy, but the flu packs a harder punch. "You'll get a high fever, body aches, chills, a cough, and a lot of times it comes on really quickly," she said. "In a matter of hours you feel like you've been hit by a truck. Patients can literally point to the time in the day that they started to feel terrible." Antiviral drugs, including Tamiflu, can work well to shorten the course of the illness, provided they're given promptly, Nunziato-Ghobashy said. "The sooner you get in to see someone, the better, because that's your best chance at trying to fight it off."
To read featured health news
|
|
REFER US!
Click above to learn more or
to contact the TACT office.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Facebook Feature
Find us on Facebook and
access more detailed,
industry-related information.
Interact with us!
We're waiting to talk to you!
|
|
Contact Us
Texas Ag Coop Trust
915 Austin Street
Levelland, TX 79336
806-747-7894
|
|
Texas Ag Coop Trust
Officers, Board of Trustees
Kimberly Tullo-Holcomb
TACT Executive Director
Lubbock, TX
Jim Turner, Chairman
Dalhart Consumers Fuel Association
Dalhart, TX
Bret Brown, Secretary/Treasurer
Ag Producers Co-op
Sunray, TX
Craig Rohrbach
Parmer County Cotton Growers
Farwell, TX
Dean Sasser
Farmers Coop Elevator
Levelland, TX
Tony Williams
Texas Cotton Ginners' Association
Austin, TX
Paul Wilson
United Cotton Growers
Levelland, TX
|
|
Texas Ag Coop Trust
is endorsed by:
Texas Grain & Feed
Association
Texas Cotton Ginners Association
 Texas Coop Marketing Exchange
Texas Corn Producers
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Breast Cancer Awareness Month Continues
Get Smart About Screening
 The mammogram debate has raged since 2009, when the U.S. Preventive Services TaskForce stated that women at average risk should start having them regularly at age 50. Meanwhile, many groups, including the American Medical Association, still suggest beginning at age 40. From the National Breast Cancer Coalition: "There is insufficient evidence to recommend for or against universal screening...in any age group." It's enough to make your head spin!
"If you or your doctor detect a lump, you definitely need the test," says Lisa Schwartz, M.D. But she and Steven Woloshin, M.D., feel the benefits for those without symptoms have been oversold. In a new British Medical Journal analysis, they explain that early detection saves lives, but not as many as you might think. They also note that "for every life saved by mammography, two to 10 women are overdiagnosed" (meaning they received treatment they didn't need). "
"Deciding about the risks of screening is a value judgement," says Woloshin, who suggests reviewing the pros and cons with your doctor.
You are a partner in decision making and you are partnered with a thriving coverage provider.
Keeping YOU the priority. Keeping YOUR NEEDS in perspective.
TACT - Dedicated Insurance Professionals
you know and trust...like Family.
Next Issue: November 10, 2015
Newsletter Archives - click here
|
|
|
