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Issue No. 109
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March 15, 2016
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The clocks have sprung forward! Spring break is in full swing. Time for spring cleaning? Rain has been falling, wildflowers are blooming, longer, warmer days are here...SPRING is in the air! And, just as spring and the Easter season bring about a sense of newness and refresh, TACT aims to bring about a new refresh in healthcare and insurance.
Healthcare, health insurance, new medical research, disease prevention, drug treatments and...how do you make a claim? It can all be very overwhelming. As a member participant with Texas Ag Coop Trust, you are a partner in healthcare decision making and you are partnered with a coverage provider that is gives personal service and is growing and thriving!
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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HHS Ships Blood, Products
to Puerto Rico in Response
to Zika Outbreak
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced that it is arranging and funding shipments of blood products from the continental United States to Puerto Rico to ensure an adequate supply of safe blood for island residents as the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico experiences active mosquito-borne Zika transmission. The first batch of blood products arrived in Puerto Rico on Saturday, March 5.
In the absence of special measures to screen for infection or reduce pathogens, the risk of Zika virus transmission through blood products is considered likely based on the most current scientific evidence of how Zika virus and similar viruses (flaviviruses) are spread, and what is currently being reported about transfusion-associated infection occurring outside of the United States. Blood products shipped to Puerto Rico will be collected from areas in the continental United States without active transmission of Zika virus so that blood products used in Puerto Rico can meet all of the same high safety standards as those used elsewhere in the United States.
The shipments are being provided to Puerto Rico through the American Red Cross, the Blood Centers of America, and America's Blood Centers. Existing blood collection centers in Puerto Rico will then supply that imported blood to transfusion providers. "Availability of safe blood products for the residents of Puerto Rico is a major priority for HHS," said Karen B. DeSalvo, M.D., M.P.H., M.Sc., HHS acting assistant secretary for health. "We are arranging the importation of blood products from areas unaffected by local Zika transmission to ensure the safety of Puerto Rico's blood supply." The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends that whole blood and blood components for transfusion be obtained from areas of the United States without active transmission of Zika virus until a blood donor screening test or pathogen reduction technology (where applicable) for Zika virus becomes available. Blood establishments may continue collecting and preparing platelets and plasma if an FDA-approved, pathogen-reduction device is used. Once a blood donor screening test becomes available and is implemented, blood establishments in Puerto Rico will be able to resume routine collection of blood and blood components. Although an FDA-licensed blood donor screening test and pathogen reduction technology for whole blood and red blood cells are not currently available, facilitating the availability of such a test or technology is a top priority for HHS. A number of HHS components, including the FDA, the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR)/Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are working actively with product manufacturers to develop blood donor screening tests and additional pathogen reduction technologies to help protect the nation's supply of blood and blood components during this outbreak. The Administration has submitted a $1.9 billion emergency funding request to Congress to respond to the Zika virus both domestically and internationally. Funding requested for ASPR/BARDA, FDA, and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) will accelerate the development of blood donor screening tests, additional pathogen reduction technology, as well as other potential therapies.
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Texas State Lab
Testing for Zika -
Case Count Up To 18
Courtesy Outbreak News Today
The Texas Department of State Health Services has ramped up efforts to protect people from Zika virus and is urging people to follow mosquito precautions.
"Mosquito season is approaching, and the number of travel-related cases continues to inch up for Texas. It's only a matter of time before Zika virus is locally transmitted here by mosquitoes," said Dr. John Hellerstedt, DSHS commissioner.
 While there is no evidence of local transmission by Texas mosquitoes now, state health officials have quickly implemented Zika virus prevention plans in anticipation of increased mosquito activity and the potential for local mosquito transmission. Zika virus is spread to people primarily through the bite of an infected Aedesaegypti mosquito. Aedes aegypti mosquitoes can be found in Texas, particularly urban areas in the south and southeast portions of the state, but can live anywhere humans are present.
Texas has confirmed 18 cases of Zika virus disease. Seventeen of those are related to travel abroad to areas with active Zika transmission. One case, from Dallas County, was likely the result of sexual contact with someone who acquired the Zika infection while traveling abroad.
State Action Texas is now testing for Zika virus at its public health lab in Austin. Current state lab capacity is up to 135 human specimens per week, and capacity across the state is increasing as local labs add testing capability in anticipation of a possible surge in demand. This testing, called polymerase chain reaction or "PCR" testing, is used to detect Zika virus in human specimens collected less than seven days after illness onset. The PCR test is considered confirmatory for the presence of Zika virus. Specific testing guidance is available at www.TexasZika.org.
Texas is also adding the more complex serologic testing for Zika virus. The benefit of serologic testing is that it can detect Zika infection in people who may not have had symptoms, and the test can be conducted up to 12 weeks after a person is infected. A positive serologic test result requires confirmatory testing to definitively pinpoint Zika because it can cross-react with other viruses, such as dengue.
Texas is working with local officials in the Rio Grande Valley area to monitor mosquito activity and conducted spot trapping in the area in February, which yielded no Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. The Rio Grande Valley is considered to be a potential area of increased risk of Zika virus transmission. DSHS is urging communities to consider expanding their surveillance in coordination with local mosquito control efforts.
The agency's Birth Defects Epidemiology and Surveillance Branch is analyzing historical microcephaly data to better understand patterns, trends and causes of microcephaly in Texas. Microcephaly is a birth defect that may be linked to Zika virus infection in other parts of the world. Texas also is implementing the "rapid ascertainment" of microcephaly, which means the condition will be closely monitored going forward for Zika virus and other causes.
The Governor's 31-member Task Force on Infectious Disease Preparedness and Response, directed by Dr. Hellerstedt, met in Austin March 9 to discuss infectious disease prevention, Zika was part of that discussion.
To read featured health news
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Courtesy - The Washington Post
Old guideline: Restrict cholesterol intake to 300 milligrams daily.
 2015 guideline: No limit is included, but "this change does not suggest that dietary cholesterol is no longer important to consider when building healthy eating patterns. ... Individuals should eat as little dietary cholesterol as possible." Cholesterol warnings have been around in the United States since at least 1961 and have helped shift eating habits from foods like eggs. But scientific thinking on the issue has evolved.
Nutritionists now believe that foods high in cholesterol may not significantly affect cholesterol levels or increase the risk of heart disease in healthy adults. But individuals with health issues such as diabetes should continue to avoid cholesterol-rich foods.
The government's new stance on dietary cholesterol is in line with that of other nations, which do not single out cholesterol as an issue. Yet it should not be confused with officials' continued warning about high levels of "bad" cholesterol in the blood -- something that has been clearly linked to heart disease.
Experts emphasize that while the hard limit on cholesterol consumption was removed, that doesn't mean a green light to eat cholesterol-laden foods with abandon.
"Cautions about cholesterol intake are addressed in the text of the [guideline] report, including a clear statement that people do not need to obtain cholesterol through food and should limit their intake of cholesterol and saturated fat as much as possible through healthy eating patterns," American College of Cardiology President Kim Allan Williams said. Williams explained that Americans can meet these recommendations by eating more unprocessed foods -- especially fruits, vegetables and whole grains -- and by replacing unwanted sugar and fat with plant-based foods, including whole grains, fruits and vegetables. The federal government's influential Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which were released last Thursday, are updated every five years, and the debate over saturated fats, red meat, caffeine and salt was especially intense this time around. The guidelines are the basis of everything from school lunch programs to the diets promoted in bestselling books, but in recent years some scientists have begun to question the one-size-fits-all approach. A growing body of research supports the theory that a person's genetic makeup or microbiome (the organisms that live on or inside of you and help to make you who you are) plays a key role in how food affects the body -- and that the impact can be different from one individual to another. That work supports a more personalized approach to diet, which some researchers argue have argued is the future of nutrition science.
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March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month
 Of cancers that affect both men and women, colorectal cancer is the second leading cancer killer in the Nation.
Colorectal cancer affects all racial and ethnic groups and is most often found in people age 50 and older.
If all men and women age 50 and older were screened regularly, 6 out of 10 deaths from colorectal cancer could be prevented. Communities, health professionals, and families can work together to encourage people to get screened.
Make a difference! Spread the word about strategies for preventing colorectal cancer and encourage communities, organizations, families, and individuals to get involved.
How can Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month make a difference?
We can use this month to raise awareness about colorectal cancer and take action toward prevention both at home and in the larger community. Here are just a few ideas: - Encourage families to get active together - exercise may help reduce the risk of colorectal cancer.
- Talk to people in your community about the importance of getting screened for colorectal cancer starting at age 50.
- Ask doctors and nurses to speak to people age 50 and older about the importance of getting screened.
Preventable. Treatable. Beatable. Colorectal cancer screening saves lives. It is one of only a few cancers that can be prevented through screening; among cancers that affect both men and women, colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States. The risk of developing colorectal cancer increases with advancing age. More than 90 percent of cases occur in people aged 50 or older. Building awareness is an important part of helping to increase screening and decrease mortality rates. Visit the National Colorectal Council Roundtable Website to learn more.
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REFER US!
Click above to learn more or
to contact the TACT office.
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GOOD FRIDAY OFFICE HOURS
The TACT office will be closed
Friday, March 25 in observance of Good Friday.
Have a wonderful Easter Holiday!
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industry-related information.
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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 29, 2016
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