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Issue No. 110
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March 29, 2016
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Where did the month of March go? And, has it really been two years since the prelude to the transformation of what was to come in 2014 arrived? Obamacare is in effect and almost all Americans have access to affordable health insurance that covers essential care.
At Texas Ag Coop Trust, we are always looking for ways to reduce cost and improve benefits for our members. In today's uncertain financial environment, combined with the ever increasing cost of health care and health insurance, it is more crucial than ever that we are committed to providing our members with the benefits and coverages they need and generate additional revenues to offset cost increases.
TACT aids in providing group benefits to members in the agricultural industry. TACT provides quality life and health benefit plans and works to hold down future rate increases for participants.
We look forward to continuing our provision of great service, outstanding benefits and SAVINGS to you!
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. With TACT, YOU are our business.
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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Improper disclosure of research participants' protected health information results in $3.9 million HIPAA settlement
Feinstein Institute for Medical Research agreed to pay the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights (OCR) $3.9 million to settle potential violations of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) Privacy and Security Rules and will undertake a substantial corrective action plan to bring its operations into compliance. This case demonstrates OCR's commitment to promoting the privacy and security protections so critical to build and maintain trust in health research. Feinstein is a biomedical research institute that is organized as a New York not-for-profit corporation and is sponsored by Northwell Health, Inc., formerly known as North Shore Long Island Jewish Health System, a large health system headquartered in Manhasset, New York that is comprised of twenty one hospitals and over 450 patient facilities and physician practices.
OCR's investigation began after Feinstein filed a breach report indicating that on September 2, 2012, a laptop computer containing the electronic protected health information (ePHI) of approximately 13,000 patients and research participants was stolen from an employee's car. The ePHI stored in the laptop included the names of research participants, dates of birth, addresses, social security numbers, diagnoses, laboratory results, medications, and medical information relating to potential participation in a research study. OCR's investigation discovered that Feinstein's security management process was limited in scope, incomplete, and insufficient to address potential risks and vulnerabilities to the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of ePHI held by the entity. Further, Feinstein lacked policies and procedures for authorizing access to ePHI by its workforce members, failed to implement safeguards to restrict access to unauthorized users, and lacked policies and procedures to govern the receipt and removal of laptops that contained ePHI into and out of its facilities. For electronic equipment procured outside of Feinstein's standard acquisition process, Feinstein failed to implement proper mechanisms for safeguarding ePHI as required by the Security Rule. "Research institutions subject to HIPAA must be held to the same compliance standards as all other HIPAA-covered entities," said OCR Director Jocelyn Samuels. "For individuals to trust in the research process and for patients to trust in those institutions, they must have some assurance that their information is kept private and secure."
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Banks Making More Farm Loans
Courtesy - AgWeb.com
 With farm income continuing to erode, banks are making more farm loans to ranchers and farmers, according to the American Bankers Association.
In 2015, farm banks upped their lending by 7.9%, holding just more than $100 billion in farm loans at the end of last year. Much of that borrowing comes from smaller loans ($500,000 or less), which are typically taken out by smaller farm operations. "Banks reported holding nearly $75 million in small farm loans with $20 billion in micro farm loans (of $100,000 or less) at the end of 2015," ABA's 2015 Farm Bank Performance Report said. "The number of outstanding small farm loans totaled 1.2 million, with the vast majority-more than 790,000 loans-under $100,000." So far, farm banks are weathering the additional demand for debt, according to the ABA. "Farm banks have reported improved asset quality, strengthened balance sheets and solid earnings in 2015," the report said. "In addition, farm banks, as a group, remained well capitalized through 2015." "Getting farm operations to cash flow for 2016 will be a big challenge," admitted one Missouri banker.
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Courtesy - USDA
WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently announced that producers who have crops pledged as collateral for a marketing assistance loan can now purchase a commodity certificate that may be exchanged for the outstanding loan collateral. The authority is provided by the 2016 Consolidated Appropriations Act, legislation enacted by Congress in December. Commodity certificates are available beginning with the 2015 crop in situations where the applicable marketing assistance loan rate exceeds the exchange rate. Currently, the only eligible commodity is cotton.
USDA's Farm Service Agency (FSA) routinely provides agricultural producers with marketing assistance loans that provide interim cash flow without having to sell the commodities when market prices are at harvest time lows. The loans allow the producer to store and delay the sale of the commodity until more favorable market conditions emerge, while also providing for a more orderly marketing of commodities throughout the marketing year. These loans are considered "nonrecourse" because the loan can be redeemed by delivering the commodity pledged as collateral to the government as full payment for the loan upon maturity. Commodity certificates are available to loan holders having outstanding nonrecourse loans for wheat, upland cotton, rice, feed grains, pulse crops (dry peas, lentils, large and small chickpeas), peanuts, wool, soybeans and designated minor oilseeds. These certificates can be purchased at the posted county price (or adjusted world price or national posted price) for the quantity of commodity under loan, and must be immediately exchanged for the collateral, satisfying the loan. Producers may contact their FSA office that maintains their loan or their loan service agent for additional information. Producers who do business with Cooperative Marketing Associations (CMA) or Designated Marketing Associations (DMA) may contact their respective associations for additional information. To learn more about commodity certificates, visit www.fsa.usda.gov/pricesupport or contact your local FSA office. To find your local FSA office, visit http://offices.usda.gov .
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Quarterly Food Basket Prices Drop $46.43
Courtesy Texas Farm Bureau
 Quarterly food basket prices drop to $46.43, according to TFB's Grocery Price Watch survey.
The consumer dollar bought a bigger basket in the first quarter of 2016 as retail food prices continued to drop, according to the latest Texas Farm Bureau (TFB) Grocery Price Watch survey.
The first quarter survey results recorded a total balance of $46.43 for a 16-staple item basket including produce, meat, grain and dairy products. It's a decrease of more than 2 percent over last quarter and 5.32 percent compared to this time last year. "Grocery prices affect all Texans, including farmers and ranchers," TFB President Russell Boening said. "Our survey shows a trip to the grocery store is costing consumers less than a short time ago." Leading the decrease at the meat counter is sirloin steak, which fell to $6.29 per pound. That's down 13.95 percent from $7.31 last quarter. Lean ground beef dropped 5.12 percent, or 21 cents, to $3.89 per pound. "A growing cow herd and less expensive input costs-like feed and fuel-have protein prices, especially beef, falling," Boening said. Prices for pork chops saw a decrease of 6.19 percent to $3.94 per pound, compared to $4.20 last quarter. Boneless, skinless chicken breasts were the only protein to see a price increase in the first quarter. The slight increase was less than 1 percent, for a total of $3.36 per pound. Shoppers looking for fresh produce paid less for lettuce, grapefruit and fresh tomatoes. "Texas-grown grapefruit and citrus are harvested during the first few months of the year, making them an affordable and nutritious option," Boening said. Of the 16 food staples surveyed, four other items decreased in price or stayed the same, while three increased in price from last quarter. The TFB Grocery Price Watch is conducted quarterly by shoppers strategically located across the state of Texas. The current survey data was collected by 42 shoppers from March 3-10, 2016. TFB has monitored Texas food prices through its Grocery Price Watch survey since March 2009.
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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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National Public Health Week Recognized
National Public Health Week, recognized April 3-9, is a time to acknowledge progress made in strengthening and protecting the public health and rededicating ourselves to the work of improving the health and well-being of Americans by preventing disease, supporting medical research, and promoting safer and healthier communities.
This year, one of the continuing themes of National Public Health Week, "Building Momentum," is particularly appropriate, as we demonstrate momentum is building around a higher commitment to our nation's public health.
The Affordable Care Act's focus on prevention and expanding access to quality care is rooted in the concept of "building momentum." Because of the law, millions more Americans have quality affordable coverage, including preventive services, through the Marketplace or Medicaid. Not only can they get the care they need when they need it, but they can get preventive care as well. The Affordable Care Act also establishes the National Prevention Council, which, through the National Prevention Strategy, strives to move the nation from a focus on sickness and disease to one based on wellness and prevention across all sectors. The Council works in conjunction with the Prevention and Public Health Fund and other efforts to prevent heart attacks, strokes and cancer, reduce tobacco use, prevent obesity, combat health disparities and improve the nation's health. To help gauge advancements in America's public health, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services tracks leading health indicators via the Healthy People initiative, which provides science-based 10-year national objectives for improving the health of all Americans. ( www.healthypeople.gov) National Public Health Week is an opportunity to recognize not only the important work of public health workers in communities across our country, but also the role every citizen plays in the effort to "Build Momentum"! By taking better care of ourselves, and supporting friends and family in their efforts to lead healthier lives, we can all play an important role in National Public Health Week.
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: April 12, 2016
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