Health and Science
Thinking About Enrolling In Obamacare? Keep These 5 Tips In Mind; Supreme Court to Take Case On Health Law Subsidies
Just because you're enrolled in a policy now doesn't means it's the best deal for you next year. If you're currently in the federal marketplace and don't take any action, you'll be re-enrolled in the same plan you're in now. Federal officials, as well as many analysts, are urging consumers to go back to the exchanges to compare plans and prices. You might discover that you have more – or different – choices than you had a year ago. more »
"We're Not In a Panic Now, But We're Starting to Get Tired": Ebola Efforts Tax Strapped Health Agencies
Dwindling resources may make it difficult for public health departments across the country to carry out intensive airport screenings, patient monitoring, public education and other preparations for a potential Ebola outbreak in the US. Since 2008, diminishing federal funding for public health preparedness has meant the loss of 51,000 state and local public health jobs — more than one in five, according to a new survey. more »
Promotion of Brain-Training Products Reassures and Entices a Worried Public
"Do scientists have specific recommendations for effective ways to boost cognition in healthy, older adults? Are there merits to the claimed benefits of the brain games and if so, do older adults benefit from brain-game learning in the same ways younger people do? How large are the gains associated with computer-based cognitive exercises? Are the gains restricted to specific skills or does general cognitive aptitude improve? How does playing games compare with other proposed means of mitigating age-related declines, such as physical activity and exercise, meditation, or social engagement?"
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Stateline's Q&A: What Are States Doing to Prepare for an Ebola Outbreak?
As fears of an Ebola outbreak rise, federal agencies are taking steps to protect and inform the public. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta is taking the lead on most aspects of the effort — issuing containment guidelines to hospitals and other health workers, training airport personnel on screening methods, and creating uniform lab tests to diagnose the deadly disease. But as in all public health emergencies, state and local public health departments are the nation’s first line of defense. more »