Center for Rural Affairs analyzes benefits of Medicaid in rural areas
Rural children increasingly reliant on public health insurance

LYONS, NE - Medicaid protects long-term care for millions of seniors, helps people with disabilities live independently and provides health coverage that ensures children can see a doctor when they get sick. The Center for Rural Affairs released a new health care report today, entitled - Medicaid and Rural America - that examines these and other vital roles Medicaid plays in rural areas.

"A variety of unique characteristics of rural communities make Medicaid crucial for rural people and rural places," said Jon Bailey, Rural Research Director at the Center for Rural Affairs and author of the report.

"The demographics and health care infrastructure of rural America make Medicaid a vital source of insurance coverage, filling gaps in Medicare coverage and the availability of private insurance," Bailey continued.

According to Bailey, rural poverty rates are generally higher. Rural residents have lower rates of employer-sponsored health insurance. And rural areas have a higher proportion of older persons in their total population.

Bailey's report goes on to explain that about 65 percent of families with non-elderly Medicaid enrollees have at least one worker in the family, with nearly half having at least one full-time worker.

"Many perceive Medicaid as the classic 'welfare' program," said Bailey. "That perception is simply not true."

A full copy of the report can be viewed and downloaded at: http://files.cfra.org/pdf/Medicaid.pdf.

The Center for Rural Affairs report makes a detailed case that Medicaid is a critical piece of the rural health care system. The connections between rural areas and Medicaid include :

• The unique rural demographics of an older, lower income, more disabled and less healthy population with lower rates of private health insurance require a well-functioning Medicaid program.
• Medicaid provides health insurance coverage and health care access for rural children and the disabled, both with limited health insurance options.
• Significantly more people in rural areas would be without health insurance without Medicaid coverage.
• Medicaid is a primary financer of long-term care, vital in rural areas with higher rates of elderly population and greater reliance on nursing facilities.
• Medicaid helps expand health services?particularly mental health services?that would otherwise be limited or nonexistent in rural areas.
• Medicaid keeps health care facilities and health care providers in rural areas by providing a significant portion of patient revenue.
• Medicaid enhances the quality of life in rural areas by providing greater access to rural health care services.
• Medicaid helps the rural economy by providing jobs and local revenue.

In the report, Bailey also provides evidence that Medicaid is also vital to the rural health care infrastructure and to rural communities. Health care providers, especially those who serve large percentages of Medicaid patients, rely on Medicaid payments to cover the costs of treating those patients. Federal and state Medicaid dollars contribute to rural economic development by generating health care jobs and other related businesses and services.

"In many respects, Medicaid has become a rural program," explained Bailey.

The most recent data on Medicaid coverage show that 16 percent of rural residents had Medicaid coverage in the past year, compared to 13 percent of urban residents. And a recent analysis of those eligible for Medicaid from state data affirms the importance of Medicaid to rural people.

The data from 35 states and the District of Columbia shows that more rural than urban residents are eligible for Medicaid in 31 states. (New Jersey and the District of Columbia, have no rural counties). In 13 states the rural-urban variation was five percentage points higher for the rural population.

"The importance of Medicaid to certain populations - children, low-income disabled, low-income elderly and pregnant women - in rural America is especially striking," Bailey concluded.

Obesity has become such an epidemic in the United States, the FDA is considering approving a new prescription weight-loss drug - despite safety concerns about it.

It seems the health effects of being overweight override officials' concerns about Qnexa, a drug the FDA rejected two years ago.

That shocks weight-loss expert Don Ochs, who says neither diets nor drugs are effective, long-lasting solutions.

"When you understand the biology behind burning off fat versus packing it on, the whole notion of starving yourself on a low-calorie diet is absurd," says Ochs, developer of the physician-recommended Mobanu Integrated Weight Loss Solution (www.mobanu.com). "And certainly taking a drug that can damage your heart is out of the question."

Here's what people should know about biology and weight loss, Ochs says.

• Your body was designed to temporarily store fat because food was not consistently available to our ancestors. They relied on that stored fat to get them through famines, winters and dry seasons. That worked very well until we made huge advances in agriculture and food supplies became abundant and consistently available.

• When food is plentiful, your body will quickly burn fat deposits - those bulges you want to get rid of - for energy. When food is scarce, it burns fat more slowly, to help ensure your survival. That's why simply eating less is not the best way to lose weight. A low-calorie diet actually tells your body to store fat because food is in short supply.

• You can control whether or not your body stores fat for survival or dumps it for an upcoming time of plenty by sending it the right signals. The types of food you eat, and how much you eat of them, send biologically ingrained messages to your body about whether to store fat or burn it - just like flipping a switch.

• Your body is very efficient at converting certain types of food to fat. These were the foods with natural carbohydrates that were available to our ancestors before a dry season or another winter, such as apples, which ripen in the fall. If you eat these foods, your body interprets it as a signal that lean times are coming so guess what? It starts stocking up on the stored fat.

To address his own weight problem, Ochs spent years studying the biology of fat burning versus fat storing based on research conducted at The Mayo Clinic and the National Institutes of Health. From that perspective he figured out how to recognize when the foods he ate were signaling his body to produce a lot of insulin, which results in storing fat instead of burning it off.

"When you feel very sleepy after a meal, or when you're full and yet you still crave food, those are signals that you've flipped the switch and turned on your insulin production," he says. "How many carbohydrates flip that switch is different for every person based on genetics.

Losing weight by working with biology and your own individual, genetically encoded insulin triggers is natural and a prescription for long-term success. It doesn't mean you can eat whatever you want and never exercise, but it does mean you'll feel full and satisfied and have lots of energy. And keep the weight off.

About Donald Ochs

Donald Ochs is a Colorado entrepreneur, the president and CEO of Ochs Development Co. and M4 Group, an inventor and sports enthusiast. He developed the Mobanu weight loss system based on research conducted at The Mayo Clinic and the National Institutes of Health. The program is endorsed by physicians, nutritionists and exercise experts.

APhA Releases Results of 2011 Pharmacy Today Over-the-Counter Product Survey

WASHINGTON, DC - With cold and flu season still active and allergy season on its way, the American Pharmacists Association (APhA) encourages patients to actively seek their pharmacist's advice about the proper use of medications. Pharmacists are the most accessible health care provider and are available to help the public choose the best over-the-counter (OTC) medication for cold, flu and allergy symptoms.

As the medication experts, pharmacists are trained in prescription medications, over-the-counter products and dietary and herbal supplements, and can provide patients with important information about how those medications and products may interact with certain foods or one another. Pharmacists can help patients determine whether they are suffering from a cold, flu or allergies and select products that address their individual needs, or recommend a patient see a doctor or other health care provider when symptoms warrant. A pharmacist can also provide a patient and their family with a flu vaccination and, in many states, other immunizations that prevent the spread of vaccine-preventable diseases.

Treating and preventing cold, flu and allergy-related symptoms are common inquiries for a pharmacist, especially at this time of year. The listing below highlights the #1 recommended products** from the 2011 Pharmacy Today Over-The-Counter Product Survey in the adult allergy, sinus and decongestant product categories.

• Adult Antihistamines - Claritin (27% of 3,976 pharmacist recommendations)
• Adult Antitussives - Dextromethorphan - Delsym (41% of 2,984 pharmacist recommendations)
• Adult Cold-Liquid Products - Tylenol Cold Multi-Symptom (22% of 2,529 pharmacist recommendations)
• Adult Decongestants - Sudafed (58% of 1,932 pharmacist recommendations)
• Adult Expectorants - Mucinex/Mucinex D/Mucinex DM (70% of 1,645 pharmacist recommendations)
• Adult Multisymptom Allergy and Hay Fever Products - Claritin-D (33% of 2,307 pharmacist recommendations)
• Adult Multisymptom Cold or Flu Products - Mucinex D (30% of 2,177 pharmacist recommendations)
• Adult Multisymptom Cold or Flu Products-Nighttime - NyQuil (30% of 1,234 pharmacist recommendations)
• Adult Topical Decongestants - Afrin (64% of 1,372 pharmacist recommendations)

The 2011 Pharmacy Today Over-The-Counter Product Survey reveals pharmacists top OTC product picks in 77 categories. The survey was conducted in September 2011 and published in the February 2012 edition of Pharmacy Today. It was completed by over 1,400 practicing community pharmacists who are recipients of Pharmacy Today.

The annual survey tracks the OTC products that pharmacists are recommending to their patients as well as the interactions they are having with those patients. With more than 100,000 nonprescription medications on the market and more than 1,000 active ingredients, it's critical that patients consult their pharmacist to maximize the benefits from medications and minimize the potential for harmful drug interaction and/or side effects.

Optimizing Your Pharmacist's Over-The-Counter Medication Suggestions

• Discuss the symptoms you are trying to treat, and the duration of those symptoms, with your pharmacist.
• Provide the age and weight of the patient to your pharmacist. This is especially important with children's products or if you are caring for an elderly family member, as formulations may differ depending on weight.
• Read product labeling, take the medication exactly as directed, learn of possible side effects, and ask your pharmacist what should be avoided while taking the medication.
• Watch for duplicate ingredients. If you are taking or giving more than one OTC medication check the active ingredient(s) used in each medication to make sure you are not using more than one product with the same active ingredient.
• Do not use a kitchen spoon to measure liquid medications. Obtain appropriate medication administration aids (i.e. droppers, syringes, spoons, etc.) and ask the pharmacist how to use them properly.

• Don't give medications in the dark. Turn on the lights if your child or family member needs medication at night. Do not give medication to anyone who is not fully awake.
• Follow good health practices to prevent the spread of contagious illnesses. Cover the mouth and nose during a cough or sneeze, avoid touching the eyes, nose or mouth and wash the hands or use alcohol-based hand sanitizer frequently.
• Remember, most OTC medications are for temporary relief of minor symptoms. Contact your pharmacist or health care provider if your condition persists or gets worse.

Pharmacists work with doctors and other health care providers to optimize care, improve medication use and to prevent disease. To achieve the best outcomes for their condition, patients should maintain regular visits with all of their health care providers. APhA encourages patients to fill all their prescriptions with one pharmacy, get to know their pharmacist on a first name basis, discuss their medications with their pharmacist, carry an up-to-date medication and vaccination list and share all medical information with each of their health care providers.

** Being a #1 recommended product in the Pharmacy Today OTC Product Survey does not indicate Pharmacy Today or APhA endorsement of any product or service.

About the American Pharmacists Association
The American Pharmacists Association, founded in 1852 as the American Pharmaceutical Association, is a 501 (c)(6) organization, representing more than 62,000 practicing pharmacists, pharmaceutical scientists, student pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and others interested in advancing the profession. APhA, dedicated to helping all pharmacists improve medication use and advance patient care, is the first-established and largest association of pharmacists in the United States. For more information, visit www.pharmacist.com.

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Recent media reports have drawn attention to instances of dangerous air quality, lack of standards 

Des Moines, IA - Rep. Bruce Braley (IA-01) joined concerned parents and their children today on the steps of the Iowa state capitol to call on the state of Iowa to pass a law requiring indoor ice rinks to install air monitoring equipment to alert patrons to the presence of unhealthy levels of dangerous fumes, like carbon monoxide.

Recent media reports have drawn attention to numerous instances across the country of children getting sick after being exposed to dangerous levels of noxious gasses like carbon monoxide.  Just last fall in Iowa, several Des Moines-area children were hospitalized after being exposed to carbon monoxide at a local ice rink.

"Smoke detectors are required in Iowa homes and carbon monoxide detectors are almost as common," Braley said.  "Yet there is no requirement for carbon monoxide detectors to be installed in ice rinks where levels of toxic fumes can reach dangerous levels.

"It shouldn't take people getting sick and children going to the hospital to realize there's a dangerous situation at hand.  Air monitoring detectors should be standard equipment in Iowa ice rinks.  It's an inexpensive, common sense way to keep our kids safe and give parents peace of mind."

Only three states regulate air quality at indoor ice rinks - Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Minnesota.  Iowa has no indoor ice arena air monitoring requirement.

Data on the number of children hospitalized because of dangerous gasses at indoor ice rinks is hard to find because there is no national reporting requirement.  However, an April 2009 ESPN report found that in the previous six months, nearly 200 people had been sickened by carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, or other harmful emissions at indoor ice arenas.

Braley has visited several ice rinks across eastern Iowa to learn more about steps being taken to safeguard children, including rinks in Davenport, Dubuque, Waterloo, and Cedar Rapids.

In addition to the event at the state capitol today, Braley has sent a letter to state legislative leaders and the Iowa governor requesting action on the issue.  Full text of the letter follows; a copy of the letter can be downloaded at the following link: http://go.usa.gov/UDU

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February 23, 2012

The Honorable Terry Branstad

Governor of Iowa

State Capitol

1007 East Grand Avenue

Des Moines, IA 50319

The Honorable Michael E. Gronstal                      

Majority Leader                        

Iowa Senate                        

Second Floor, State Capitol                       

Des Moines, IA 50319                         

The Honorable Jerry Behn

Minority Leader

Iowa Senate

Second Floor, State Capitol

Des Moines, IA 50319

The Honorable Kraig Paulsen                       

Speaker                       

Iowa House of Representatives               

Second Floor, State Capitol                       

Des Moines, IA 50319                         

The Honorable Kevin M. McCarthy

Minority Leader

Iowa House of Representatives

Second Floor, State Capitol

Des Moines, IA 50319

Dear Governor Branstad, Majority Leader Gronstal, Minority Leader Behn, Speaker Paulsen, and Minority Leader McCarthy,

I am writing today to urge you to enact legislation requiring the installation of air quality monitoring devices in Iowa's indoor ice arenas.  Recent news reports have shown numerous instances around the country of children getting sick as a result of poor air quality in indoor arenas. Just last year, young hockey players in Urbandale, IA were sent to the hospital as a result of poor air quality in the rink where they were practicing.

At the height of hockey season, we must work to ensure the safety of these facilities. Over the past week, I've had the opportunity to visit with ice rink managers, children and families in Waterloo, Davenport, Dubuque and Cedar Rapids to discuss the issue of ice rink safety.  In every place, I've seen managers working to ensure the safety of their facility, and I have faith that they have the best interests of their customers in mind. However, with no state guidelines, air quality monitoring and safety is inconsistent across the state as a whole.

I urge you to work together to enact legislation requiring monitoring of air quality in indoor ice rinks to reassure Iowa families that the facilities where they go for recreation are safe. Minnesota, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island have enacted similar laws to ensure the safety of these facilities in their states. We have a responsibility to Iowa families to assure the safety of our children.

I appreciate your consideration of this request, and thank you for your continued work on behalf of Iowans.

Sincerely,

Bruce Braley

Member of Congress