Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin New data has raised a tantalizing possibility: That for the first time, America's uninsured rate will fall below 10%. (If it hasn't already; the most recently reported data was collected three months ago.) The findings come from the Urban Institute's Health Reform Monitoring Survey , a quarterly survey of non-elderly Americans. And as of March 2015, the Urban Institute's survey found that 10.0% of nonelderly adults were uninsured, down from 17.8% in September 2013, before the Affordable Care Act's insurance exchanges first launched. No major survey has ever found that the uninsured rate in America has hit single digits. However, the uninsured rate is already down to 7.5% in states that have expanded Medicaid under Obamacare, Urban researchers concluded. Of course, Urban's data is just one snapshot of the uninsured in America. Different surveys use different questions and methodologies. Some are thought … [Read more...] about Survey: America’s Uninsured Rate Is Down To 10% – And Falling
Mid level health providers
North Korea Claims Covid Outbreak Is Taking A ‘Favorable Turn’ As WHO Frets About Lack Of Data
Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Topline North Korea on Wednesday claimed its Covid-19 outbreak was taking a “favorable turn” while still reporting more than 200,000 new suspected cases as the World Health Organization expressed concerns about the lack of proper data from the country and the risk of unchecked spread. Key Facts On Wednesday, North Korea reported 232,880 new cases of “fever” and six additional deaths, according to the state-controlled Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). The country has reported 62 deaths in total and 1.72 million suspected cases, of which authorities claim more than 1 million have recovered. State media is only reporting the number of cases with fever—one of many symptoms of Covid—as North Korea is believed to lack adequate testing supplies, indicating that it may be missing out on cases that are asymptomatic or mild. In a Politburo meeting on Tuesday, leader Kim Jong Un once again took aim at his … [Read more...] about North Korea Claims Covid Outbreak Is Taking A ‘Favorable Turn’ As WHO Frets About Lack Of Data
Anthem Just Paid $54B To Buy Cigna. No One Knows What Will Happen Next.
Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Anthem and Cigna on Friday morning announced a historic $54 billion merger that would make the new, combined company the largest health insurer in the country, by total customers. The deal's size is especially notable. (It's the largest-ever merger in the insurance industry). And the timing is remarkable. Just three weeks ago — to the day — rival insurers Aetna and Humana announced their own mega-merger , a $37 billion deal. If both deals get federal approval, America's Big Five health insurers will be winnowed to a Huge Three. So what happens next? And what will it mean for consumers? Anyone who says he knows those answers isn't worth trusting: America's health care system is in uncharted waters. First, there are real questions over whether either or both mergers will receive federal approval. The Department of Justice was already scrutinizing the Aetna-Humana deal — which now … [Read more...] about Anthem Just Paid $54B To Buy Cigna. No One Knows What Will Happen Next.
Greedy Pharma CEO Cancels 5,000% Price Hike — But He Didn’t Fix The Real Problem
Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin America is outraged — outraged! — that Turing Pharmaceuticals hiked the cost of a drug called Daraprim by 5,000% last month. (The drug is used to fight infections in patients suffering from AIDS and other conditions.) What took everyone so long? Turing CEO Martin Shkreli is a repeat moral offender. He pulled off similar price hikes at his previous company, before getting fired and sued for $65 million. Martin Shkreli, the CEO of Turing, says the company will cancel its planned 5,000% price hike to a ... [+] drug used to treat infections in AIDS patients. (Paul Taggart/Bloomberg.) But there's a much bigger problem than Shkreli here: The skyrocketing cost of generic drugs. It's nothing new. And it hadn't gotten much attention until this week, partly because most pharma companies aren't run by evil executives who happily explain they're making a profit by over-charging AIDS patients. Here's an … [Read more...] about Greedy Pharma CEO Cancels 5,000% Price Hike — But He Didn’t Fix The Real Problem
No One at the Ukrainian Fashion Brand Thought Russia Would Really Invade, But They’re Glad They Planned for It Anyway
For one small Ukrainian company, conflict has become a key mile marker. Fashion editors Kate Zubarieva, 33, and Asya Varetsa, 31, conceived of the idea for their fashion label, Sleeper , during the 2014 Revolution of Dignity--a five-day clash between protesters and the Ukrainian government in Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, which eventually led to the ousting of the country's president, Viktor Yanukovych. Then, in February 2022, after Russia invaded the country , the Ukrainian company rapidly laid down manufacturing roots in another country. As Russia began planning a military offensive against Ukraine in December 2021, the Sleeper team began to prepare for the worst, and the founders knew they had to make a series of tough decisions. In about two to three weeks, the apparel company helped relocate 30 employees abroad and 40 to more western regions of Ukraine. It also transitioned its production to Turkey. "We knew we had a good amount of savings to sustain the … [Read more...] about No One at the Ukrainian Fashion Brand Thought Russia Would Really Invade, But They’re Glad They Planned for It Anyway
US Will Soon See Average Gas Prices Above $6 A Gallon, JPMorgan Says
The average price of gasoline nationwide could reach $6 per gallon this summer, far above historic levels and near California’s current prices, an analyst at JPMorgan said Tuesday. “U.S. gasoline prices to break above $6,” Natasha Kaneva, JPMorgan’s head of global oil and commodities research, wrote in a note to investors titled “Cruel Summer,” according to Bloomberg. “Typically, refiners produce more gasoline ahead of the summer road-trip season, building up inventories. But this year, since mid-April, U.S. gasoline inventories have fallen counter seasonally.” The average pump price in California surpassed $6 a gallon on Tuesday, increasing more than 46% year-over-year, and increased again to $6.05 per gallon Wednesday. The increase represented the first time a state’s average gasoline price was $6 a gallon or more. The nationwide price of gas hit $4.57 a gallon on Wednesday, an all-time record, according to AAA data. If Kaneva’s forecast proves true, prices, which have … [Read more...] about US Will Soon See Average Gas Prices Above $6 A Gallon, JPMorgan Says
Experts say Americans can assume COVID infections much higher than official counts: media
LOS ANGELES, May 18 (Xinhua) -- Experts say Americans can assume COVID-19 infections in their communities are five to ten times higher than official counts, said an article published by The Washington Post on Tuesday. Some Americans are now navigating murky waters in the latest wave of the pandemic, with highly transmissible subvariants of Omicron spreading as governments drop measures to contain the virus and reveal less data about infections, the article, titled "How big is the latest U.S. coronavirus wave? No one really knows," pointed out. With public health authorities shifting their focus to COVID-related hospitalizations as the pandemic's U.S. death toll hits 1 million, people are largely on their own to gauge risk amid what could be a stealth surge, the article noted. "Any sort of look at the metrics on either a local, state or national level is a severe undercount," Jessica Malaty Rivera, an epidemiologist at the Pandemic Prevention Institute housed at The Rockefeller … [Read more...] about Experts say Americans can assume COVID infections much higher than official counts: media
Singapore Airlines’ second-half loss narrows as travel picks up
- A + A (May 18): A welcome revival in travel and cargo demand helped Singapore Airlines Ltd narrow losses in the second half of the fiscal year through March, though the high price of oil weighed on the carrier, its annual results showed. The airline’s net loss in the October-March period was S$125 million (US$90 million), it said in a statement Wednesday, compared with a loss of S$804 million a year earlier. Sales more than doubled in the six-month period to S$4.79 billion. Singapore started unraveling tight Covid-19 travel restrictions in September, allowing fully-vaccinated people from certain countries to enter without having to quarantine — a boost to the flag carrier, which had suffered record losses in the height of the pandemic. With Singapore further loosening curbs in April, quarantine-free entry is available for inoculated travelers from anywhere. “Key markets around the world have further eased travel restrictions, supporting a strong recovery in … [Read more...] about Singapore Airlines’ second-half loss narrows as travel picks up
Here’s How Many Migrants Biden’s DHS Released Into The US In April
As border encounters broke historic levels in April, over 117,000 migrants were allowed to stay in the country, according to a court filing. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) reported the release of 117,989 out of the 234,088 migrants encountered at the U.S.-Mexico border in April, according to the filing. Meanwhile, DHS expelled 113,248 migrants under Title 42 or Title 8, for inadmissibility , in April. The number of migrants authorities encountered is the highest since DHS began recording southwest border encounters. (RELATED: Migrants Bused To DC Don’t Stay There. Here’s Where They’re Going) Title 42, the Trump-era policy used to quickly expel certain migrants to Mexico, is set to end May 23, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced April 1. However, a federal judge indicated Friday he would make a decision on whether to grant a pause in a Republican attorneys general lawsuit against Biden before the planned end date, according to … [Read more...] about Here’s How Many Migrants Biden’s DHS Released Into The US In April
Multigenerational Survey Shows How Retirement Planning Is Changing
For many investors, retirement planning represents the bulk, or even the sum total, of their investment activity. As of 2020, there were roughly 60 million active 401(k) participants, in addition to former employees and retirees. But while millions of adults in the United States contribute toward retirement, views on retirement investing and all that goes along with it are anything but uniform. Investopedia conducted a online survey of 4,000 U.S. adults to quantify Americans’ understanding of financial literacy on a generational level, from baby boomers down to Generation Z. Below, we explore some of the top findings of this survey as it pertains to retirement investing and planning. Key Takeaways A small majority of U.S. adults expect to retire, with Gen Z the most optimistic about retiring early. Two-thirds of millennials and Gen X adults are planning for retirement, as are 42% of Gen Z members. Younger generations believe that cryptocurrencies will feature … [Read more...] about Multigenerational Survey Shows How Retirement Planning Is Changing