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Issue No. 106
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February 16, 2016
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Are you still reeling from Super Bowl party snack calories? With Valentine's Day having passed only days ago, is the gift chocolate still on your desk? Do you plan to work out this afternoon? Life in the norm can wreak havoc on well-intended health habits. Simple steps offer many different health benefits and National Heart Month is as good a time as any to start putting them into action!
TACT is joining forces with a health and fitness mind affiliated with America's well-known Monday night weight loss challenge television show,
The Biggest Loser!
Yes - you read that right - The Biggest Loser!
You will have access to Zach Taylor, one of the most respected of trainers who has helped to train at-home contestants.
Recall Gina McDonald of NBC's Season 14 in 2012 - McDonald managed to win the at home cash prize of $100,000 by losing 114 pounds and 46 percent of her body weight during her time in the competition and at home.
Even though there was a prize hanging in the balance, she told host Alison Sweeney losing the weight wasn't her only source of pride."The most important thing is how I feel on the inside and how healthy I am now," she said. She said that she finally able to see what her trainer saw in her from the beginning. And her trainer is now your trainer!
As part of our health efforts geared toward you, we are beginning a health blog that will be available to you next week! This blog not only features fitness and health tips to help inspire and further your health journey, but is being overseen by Zach!
You now have access to one of the most respected of fitness trainers who helped to take one at home televisin contestant to the winner's podium! This is for you - we are for you!
TACT reminds you that, though we are here to answer your health coverage questions, we are also here to help manage your health and health habits!
February continues to highlight National Heart Month.
Staying current with healthcare trends is crucial and this is a great time to brush up on heart disease knowledge and current information.
You will want to 
Now serving ALL of Texas Agriculture -
Contact us for more information
TACT - Dedicated Insurance Professionals
you know and trust...like Family.
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February is National
Heart Month
Courtesy - American Heart Association
"My Administration is committed to leading a new era of medicine - one that delivers the right treatment at the right time - and to ensuring Americans live longer, healthier, more productive lives," Obama wrote.
As the federal declaration notes, "cardiovascular disease - including heart disease, stroke, and high blood pressure - is responsible for one out of every three deaths. It is the No. 1 killer of American women and men, and it is a leading cause of serious illness and disability."
"That is why it is important to understand the risk factors for cardiovascular disease, such as obesity, inactivity, and diabetes, and to keep your blood pressure and cholesterol under control," Obama wrote. "By maintaining a healthy diet, getting regular exercise, and not smoking, you can control risk factors and help protect your heart."
The American Heart Association helps lead the fight through awareness, education and funding of medical research. The organization has invested more than $3.7 billion into studies, including more than $100 million annually since 1996, the most of any entity outside the federal government. The AHA began in 1924, and the tradition of American Heart Month began in 1964. Amazing progress has been made since that heightened awareness. Still, cardiovascular disease account for 17.3 million deaths per year, a number that is expected to grow to more than 23.6 million by 2030. "We have lost devoted mothers and fathers, loved siblings, and cherished friends to this devastating epidemic," Obama wrote. "During American Heart Month, as we honor their memories, let us recommit to improving our heart health and continuing the fight against this deadly disease, for ourselves and our families." Obama pointed out that millions of Americans have greater access to health care through the Affordable Care Act. He added other steps his administration has taken, including the Million Hearts Hearts initiative and First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move! initiative.
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Agriculture News
news from The Hill affecting you
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By Chris Clayton, DTN
 President Barack Obama kept true to his word and disappointed most people in agriculture late last month by vetoing legislation meant to block the EPA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' rule broadening the definition for waters of the U.S.
Farm groups argue the waters of the U.S. rule will allow EPA and the Corps to demand farmers apply for permits to conduct basic farming practices because the land could have vernal pools or ditches that fill during heavy rains.
The presidential veto leaves the fate of the rule to federal courts. The rule is already under a federal court injunction blocking it from being implemented until the federal courts determine whether it is legal. More than half the states in the country have filed suits to block the rule from going into effect.
Agricultural groups have been at the forefront of efforts to block EPA and the Corps from implementing the waters of the U.S. rule, commonly called WOTUS. Critics of the rule call it a regulatory "land grab" that will give regulatory agencies broad control over land use nationally. Farm groups argue the rule will allow EPA and the Corps to demand farmers apply for permits to conduct basic farming practices because the land could have vernal pools or ditches that fill during heavy rains. EPA argues the rule only clarifies the Clean Water Act following two divergent Supreme Court rulings a decade ago. The Senate voted 53-44 to block the WOTUS rule under language in the Congressional Review Act. The House of Representatives voted multiple times last year to block WOTUS, but voted last week 253-166 to adopt the Senate resolution. Neither vote in the House or Senate was large enough to overcome a presidential veto. In his veto, the president stated the waters of the U.S. rule was a product of extensive public involvement and years of work. The president called the rule "critical to our efforts to protect the Nation's waters and keep them clean." The president added, "We must protect the waters that are vital for the health of our communities and the success of our businesses, agriculture, and energy development. As I have noted before, too many of our waters have been left vulnerable. Pollution from upstream sources ends up in the rivers, lakes, reservoirs, and coastal waters near which most Americans live and on which they depend for their drinking water, recreation, and economic development. Clarifying the scope of the Clean Water Act helps to protect these resources and safeguard public health."
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In a Final Budget Pinch,
White House Seeks Crop Insurance Cuts
Courtesy - DTN.com
 Despite being rebuked by Congress last fall for a far smaller cut to crop insurance, President Barack Obama in his final proposed federal budget calls for cutting crop insurance $18 billion over 10 years as the biggest single cut in mandatory spending in the budget.
In making the pitch to cut crop insurance, the White House budget for USDA proposes more spending on conservation, research and issues such as dealing with forest fires.
The crop insurance cuts, proposed repeatedly by the Obama administration, account for 31% out of $58 billion in proposed mandatory cuts over 10 years proposed by the administration. The plan calls for reducing the farmers' subsidy by 10 percentage points for harvest-price revenue coverage and reforming coverage for prevented planting. Effectively, the plan would call for capping the premium subsidy for these policies at 50% of the total premium. The White House has pushed repeatedly in past budgets for crop-insurance cuts that have made it into a final budget deal. Last fall, the president brokered a deal with then-Speaker John Boehner to cut crop insurance $3 billion over 10 years by reducing the percentage of profits that crop-insurance companies could keep. Those cuts, however, drew howls from the House and Senate agriculture committees, and the farm lobbies, leading Congress to reverse the cuts just weeks later. USDA's budget notes that lowering premium subsidies and making changes to prevented-planting coverage would require congressional action. The White House states its proposals "would incentivize farmers to choose production practices that minimize climate-change impacts, discourage farming on environmentally sensitive lands and highly-erodible soils, and enhance resiliency in the future through soil protection." In a call last Tuesday with reporters, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack sought to highlight areas of the budget where spending would increase for farmers and other areas of rural America. Vilsack said part of the proposal for crop insurance cuts comes from criticism by the Government Accountability Office over the way USDA now handles prevented-planting claims. He also said crop insurance is a public-private partnership and thus should be a 50-50 deal in cost to taxpayers and farmers when it comes to revenue policies. "The reality is that in some of our price-harvest loss programs we are subsidizing 62% or so of the premium -- the taxpayers are," Vilsack said. "We think it makes more sense in a partnership that it be closer to 50-50. So that's the reason. The fact is, if you surveyed the population of the United States and you posed the question to them about this, I would be surprised if there wasn't support for the administration's position." Vilsack also said the funding for crop insurance will pay for $1.5 billion in return in investment for insurers, representing an 18% return. House Agriculture Committee Chairman Michael Conaway, R-Texas, criticized the White House for proposing increases in spending and taxes while also undermining the U.S. economy and hurting farmers and ranchers. "The harmful changes to U.S. farm policy contained in the Obama administration budget come on the heels of attempts by the administration last year to kill federal crop insurance," Conaway said. To continue reading, click here
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Top Healthy Habits
for Your Heart
WebMD Health News
 You can dramatically lower or nearly wipe out your chances of a heart attack and heart disease by following healthy lifestyle habits. Two recent studies show it's true whether you're a man or a woman, and even if you already have risk factors like high cholesterol.
The healthy habits for guys and ladies aren't quite the same (although they're similar), and researchers didn't directly compare what works for men vs. women.
WHAT WORKS FOR WOMEN:
One of the new studies followed nearly 70,000 women for 20 years. The women reported on their habits, such as diet and exercise, and gave the researchers other health information every 2 years. At the start of the study, the women were an average age of 37 and none had diabetes or diseases of the heart or blood vessels. Not only did the women who followed all six healthy habits nearly get rid of their heart attack risk -- cutting it by 92% -- they also lowered their odds of getting a risk factor, like high blood pressure, by 66%. Here are the six habits that mattered:
- Don't smoke.
- Have a normal body mass index (BMI).
- Get moderate to vigorous exercise for at least 2.5 hours a week.
- Watch 7 or fewer hours of television weekly.
- Drink one or fewer alcoholic beverages daily.
- Eat a healthy diet of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, fish, or omega-3 fatty acids -- as well as limit sugary drinks, processed and red meats, trans fats, and sodium.
Meeting all of these habits can be a lofty goal. Less than 5% of the women followed them all, according to the study.
But it's not a case of all or nothing, says study leader Andrea Chomistek, ScD. She's a researcher from the Indiana University Bloomington School of Public Health. "Even women who reported only one or two healthy behaviors had a lower risk of heart disease than those who did zero," she says.
Having a normal BMI had the most impact on lowering the risk, she says.
Even for women who developed risk factors, such as high blood pressure or high cholesterol, following at least four of the habits was linked with a lower risk of getting heart disease, compared to women who followed none.
The study reinforces research showing that what works for older women also works for younger women -- those who are premenopausal and who may not consider themselves old enough for a heart attack, she says. These habits are important because the overall death rate from heart disease in the U.S. has increased among younger women ages 35 to 44.
WHAT WORKS FOR MEN:In another recent study that looked at men and heartdisease, Swedish researchers followed more than 20,000 men from 1997 through 2009. At the study start, the men were ages 45 to 79 with no histories of heart or blood vessel diseases, diabetes, high blood pressure, or high cholesterol. They gave the researchers info on their health habits during the study, too.
The researchers found that following these five habits cut men's heart attack risk by 86%: - Don't smoke.
- Eat a healthy diet.
- Drink alcohol moderately: about two or fewer drinks daily.
- Be physically active -- walk or cycle at least 40 minutes daily.
- Have a waist circumference of less than 37 inches.
The researchers, from the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, found that only 1% of the men followed all five healthy habits.
A healthy diet and moderate drinking had the most impact on reducing men's risk, they found.
A Heart Doctor's Opinion
The researchers gathered some of their information from participants' self-reports, which might not always be accurate. Most participants in both studies were white, so results might not apply to people from other ethnic backgrounds. Even so, the research gives valuable perspective about  how bad health habits, even in young adults, can have ill effects, says Ravi Dave, MD. He's a cardiologist at the UCLA Medical Centers in L.A. and Santa Monica. He reviewed the findings but didn't participate in the studies. "You really can see your bad habits, at a certain point in time, negatively influence you in the future," he says. In the past, he says, women were often told, even by their doctors, that they were protected from heart disease until they reached menopause. The recent study on women "changes the mindset of doctors now not to give that bad advice anymore," he says. Women, like men, need to pay attention to good habits early in life, he says.
How to Get StartedFirst, figure out why you aren't taking on more healthy habits, Dave says. He finds that stress prevents many people from doing so, as well as "leads to a lot of these [unhealthy] behaviors," he says.
One good way to bust stress, he says, is to exercise. For some people, exercise can be ''me time." For others, it can be time with family or friends.
Both studies suggest a valuable payoff, he says. Even if you practice just some of the healthy habits, you are likely to stay free of heart disease.
Make those habits part of your normal routine, Dave says, similar to brushing your teeth in the morning.
To read featured health news
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weighing in...
TACT/TABA Staff Employs Health, Fitness as Part of Beginning 2016 
Cardiovascular disease - including heart disease, stroke, and high blood pressure - is responsible for one out of every three deaths. It is the number one killer of American women and men, and it is a leading cause of serious illness and disability. (American Heart Association)
While nearly half of all Americans have at least one major risk factor, many don't know it, and others are slow to act upon warning signs. Thus, it is important to understand the risk factors for cardiovascular disease, such as obesity, inactivity, and diabetes, and to keep your blood pressure and cholesterol under control. By maintaining a healthy diet, getting regular exercise, and not smoking, you can control risk factors and help protect your heart.
Texas Ag Coop Trust staff have been doing just that!
Well into month 2 and the over 45 days has yielded a compiled weightloss of 30 pounds and inches lost still nearing the century mark! We are truly in a new era of medicine with Americans living longer and more productive lives. Employing accountability alongside fitness efforts, change is inevitable! Merge your journey of fitness and health with ours and together, let's make a lifestyle of change that inspires!
To read this featured health news, be watching our Facebook Page each Friday!
Be inspired, join the action!
We'd love to hear from you!
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REFER US!
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to contact the TACT office.
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industry-related information.
Interact with us!
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Contact Us
Texas Ag Coop Trust
915 Austin Street
Levelland, TX 79336
806-747-7894
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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
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Texas Ag Coop Trust
is endorsed by:
Texas Grain & Feed
Association
Texas Cotton Ginners Association
 Texas Coop Marketing Exchange
Texas Corn Producers
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Your Health Care Needs
The Importance of Choosing an In-Network Provider
 The TACT health coverage plan allows you to see any doctor in your Plan Administrator's network, including specialists, without a referral. This means that you have the freedom to choose a physician or specialist without first seeing a primary care physician. There are two levels of coverage under the Plan. If the doctor, hospital or health care facility you visit is part of your insurance company's network (Cigna), you'll get your health care at lower prices. But, if you go to out of network for health care, it can become a lot more expensive! IN-NETWORK: Providers have contracted with Cigna to accept certain negotiated rates. YOU WILL PAY LESS! OUT-OF-NETWORK: Providers have NOT agreed to the discounted rates. Examples: You go to an in-network doctor and the charge is $250. A discount is applied to that amount for our negotiated rate with the doctor - $75. TACT/TABA pays $140. You'll have to pay the remaining $35 - your copay amount for each doctor you see within the Cigna network. If you go to a doctor that's out of network, no discount is applied to the total. TACT/TABA still pays $140, but you'll be responsible for the remaining $110. You have the right to take an active role in containing your health care costs. For more information, or for questions locating an in-network provider, please call Texas Ag Benefit Administrators at 806-747-7894.
What can we do to help you? What questions do you have? We are here to answer your questions.
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: March 1, 2016
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Days after detailing 
