From approximately April 2011 to approximately December 2012, Ye, Jian, Li, Shaoming, Lin, Yong, Wang, Hongwei, and Wang, Lei allegedly conspired to steal the intellectual property of several United States-based seed manufacturing companies and transport the intellectual property to the People's Republic of China.  These individuals have been charged with conspiracy to steal trade secrets and federal warrants have been issued for their arrest in the United States District Court, Southern District of Iowa.

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Hundreds of forms cause delays, pain and suffering to patients waiting for relief

SPRINGFIELD, IL -- February 3, 2014 - Cancer patients waiting in pain for relief ... quality of life being compromised ... these are just a few of the concerns legislators will hear Wednesday, February 5^th when the Illinois House Human Services Committee takes up a bill designed to standardize the hundreds of different forms used by insurance companies to authorize medical treatment.

Health advocacy organizations from around the state are urging the Illinois General Assembly to support House Bill 3638 sponsored by Rep. Laura Fine (D-Glenview) and Senate Bill 2585 sponsored by Senator Dan Kotowski (D-Park Ridge) and Senator Mattie Hunter (D-Chicago) to ensure prompt patient access to life-saving medications by streamlining the prior authorization process in the state - a process where patients must wait until the insurance company approves the use of a medication recommended by their physician. It has meant mounds of paperwork for doctors and nurses, and days, even weeks, of delays for patients seeking critical care.

According to a 2010 American Medical Association survey on prior authorization, physicians and staff spend about 20 hours per week on average dealing with prior authorizations. In Illinois alone, there are more than 300 different forms used by various insurance companies for prior authorization, which according to health care providers, is causing alarming, even dangerous delays in access to medication.

"The prior authorization process can absolutely have an impact on the health of our patients," said Nancy Leone, a registered nurse in Antioch. "Recently, a patient needed a specific type of chemotherapy for abdominal cancer. It was denied by the insurance company, and then it took about a month of waiting and back and forth before the patient was finally approved and could receive it."

At least 20 Illinois health advocacy organizations, representing tens of thousands of patients, have sent a letter to the Illinois General Assembly supporting HB 3638 and SB 2585 and stating, in part:

Standardization of prior authorization should be part of Illinois' efforts to improve health care and reduce costs, as it has clear implications for improved efficiency and enhanced patient outcomes. As organizations that represent a wide variety of patients, we urge you to support legislation that would standardize the state's prior authorization system.

Organizations include :

AIDS Foundation of Chicago

American Cancer Society-Cancer Action Network

American Heart Association/American Stroke Association

American Lung Association of Illinois

American Nurses Association of Illinois

Chicago Hispanic Health Coalition

Epilepsy Foundation of Chicago

Epilepsy Foundation of North Central Illinois, Iowa and Nebraska

Epilepsy Foundation of Greater Southern Illinois

Epilepsy Therapy Project

Gateway Hemophilia Association

Gilda's Club of Chicago

Illinois African American Coalition for Prevention

Illinois Psychiatric Society

Illinois Rural Health Association

Illinois Society for Advance Practice Nursing

Leukemia and Lymphoma Society-Gateway Chapter

Leukemia Lymphoma Society of Illinois

Lupus Foundation of America-Illinois Chapter

Mental Health America of Illinois

NAMI Greater Chicago
State Pain Policy Action Network

"There have been times when I've had to wait for up to three weeksafter requesting my prescriptions, because the doctor must fill out any number of forms and wait for approval from the insurance company," said Columbia resident and arthritis sufferer Kim Kitowski. "Access to medication is critical to my ability to go to work, care for my twin boys - live my day-to-day life."

HB 3638 and SB 2585 would amend the Illinois Public Aid Code and the Illinois Insurance Code and require the Department of Healthcare and Family Services and the Department of Insurance to jointly develop a uniform prior authorization form for prescription drug benefits on or before July 1, 2014.

"Pain remains one of the most feared and burdensome symptoms for cancer patients and survivors, and waiting for prior authorization approval can have significant negative impacts on a patient's treatment and quality of life," said Heather Eagleton, director of public policy & government relations of the American Cancer Society-Cancer Action Network. "When a person has a disease like cancer, they need to be focusing on getting better and fighting the disease, not administrative barriers to care."

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Make sure to join us for our Kid's Cooking Class from 2pm until 3:30pm on Sunday, February 9th. Also, our Couple's Cooking Class is from 6pm until 8pm on the same day.

Call 563-659-0770 for more details.

Nearly 150 million Americans will file federal income tax returns this year and, unfortunately, many will be shelling out much more of their hard-earned money than necessary, says veteran financial expert Jeff Gorton.

"With the ridiculous complexity of our tax code, I can understand how the average person might want to put off doing their homework, but that'll cost you," says Gorton, a veteran Certified Public Accountant and Certified Financial Planner®, and head of Gorton Financial Group (www.gortonfinancialgroup.com).

"When you think about all you do to earn your money, and the lengths we'll go to save a few bucks, it doesn't make sense to not do all we can to prepare for the inevitable - our compulsory contribution to Uncle Sam's bank account."

There is nothing unpatriotic about taking advantage of legal measures to reduce your tax bill, Gorton says. Most Americans, however, don't understand the basics of how to minimize the tax burden, he says.

"If you wait until the last minute to do your taxes, you're sure to miss out on savings," says Gorton, who offers some basic and more advanced tax-saving options.

· Credits: Tax credits are usually subtracted dollar for dollar from the actual tax liability and may be utilized when filing for 2013. They include the Child Tax Credit, which allows up to $1,000 for children younger than 17; the American Opportunity Credit, featuring up to $2,500 in tax savings per eligible student for tuition costs for four years of post-high-school education; and the Energy-Efficient Home Improvement Tax Credit, which grants qualifying taxpayers 10 percent of the cost of certain energy-efficient building materials ? up to a $500 lifetime credit. The Child and Dependent Care Credit, for those who have to pay someone to care for a child younger than 13, or another dependent, offers up to $3,000 for one qualifying individual, or up to $6,000 for two or more qualifying individuals.

· Deductions: Like tax credits, deductions have phase-out limits, so you may want to consult with a professional. Deductions are subtracted from your income before your taxes are calculated, which may reduce the amount of money on which you are taxed and, by extension, your eventual tax liability. Some examples include contributions made to qualifying charitable organizations. And, you may be able to write off out-of-pocket costs incurred while doing work for a charity. Others may include amounts set aside for retirement through a qualified retirement plan, such as an Individual Retirement Account; medical expenses exceeding 10 percent of your adjusted gross income are now deductible - expenses exceeding 7.5 percent are still deductible for those older than age 65; and, potentially, mortgage interest paid on a loan secured for your primary residence.

· Tax-favored investing: This involves both tax-exempt investments and tax-deferred investments. Tax-exempt investments, which include such vehicles as municipal bonds and certain money market funds, offer a way to grow your money that's exempt from federal taxes. Municipal bonds are free of federal income tax and may be free of state and local income taxes for investors who live in the area where the bond was issued. Tax-deferred investments, on which taxes are postponed until you withdraw your money, include qualified retirement plans, such as traditional IRAs and employer-sponsored plans, as well as insurance products such as annuities and, sometimes, life insurance.

About Jeff Gorton, CPA, CFP®

Jeff Gorton is a Certified Public Accountant and a Certified Financial Planner® specializing in individual tax and retirement planning. He is also an Investment Advisor Representative under Alphastar Capital Management, an SEC Registered Investment Advisor, and has a life and health insurance license. Gorton works with individuals and their families to create and protect their financial legacies. He specializes in working with retirees in the areas of tax planning, benefits, retirement planning, estate planning and safe money techniques. He received his BBA in Accounting from the University of Oklahoma. Gorton previously worked for 10 years as the Chief Financial Officer for a large retail organization, overseeing their accounting, benefits and 401(k) retirement plans.