State agencies gathered in Austin last week for hurricane drills. They emphasize that all Texans must prepare before the next disaster.
Harris County Public Information Officer Brian Murray said the Atlantic hurricane season began June 1 and will continue through the end of November. He said most people in vulnerable areas have heard what they need to do to be ready.
“Have a disaster kit – food, water, medicine, supplies for your pets for seven to 10 days so you can be independent,” Murray said. “Having a plan – do you need to worry about having to evacuate in a storm surge or are you able to get to where you are? And then be able to stay informed.”
Staying informed can mean extra battery for your phone and the phone numbers of important contacts. Exercises over the past week by 30 state agencies covered preparedness, response, recovery and mitigation.
Juanita Jiménez-Soto, Deputy Director of State Communications with AARP Texas, said being prepared can mean peace of mindespecially for older Texans and their families.
“If you rush at the last minute, you forget things,” Jiménez-Soto said. “Sometimes you forget things vital to your health — vital to your financial future. So being prepared means you’ve basically put a sense of relief in your life.”
Murray said he was surprised by the number of people in Harris County telling him they weren’t expecting a hurricane.
“Everyone always thinks, ‘This can’t happen to me,’” Murray said. “Well, sorry, we have more federally declared disasters than any county in the United States. If you think this can’t happen to you – no matter where you are – I’m going to tell you that you’re wrong.”
Jiménez-Soto said the organization has created hurricane checklists and an instructional video in English and Spanish – at AARP.org/Houston. She said everyone should know the checklist, especially older family members.
“And if you have someone who is over 50,” Jiménez-Soto said, “you have medication — you have doctor appointments — maybe they have a nutritional need.”
Disclosure: AARP Texas contributes to our fund for reports on energy policy, health issues, living wages/working families, senior citizen issues. If you would like to help support news in the public interest, click here.
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Without federal intervention, a new report warns, rural hospitals across the United States, including many in Nebraska, could be forced to reduce services or even close after pandemic relief funds expire.
Nemaha County Hospital chief executive Marty Fattig said ending across-the-board federal spending cuts, known as sequestration, would be a good start. Since lawmakers haven’t used the cuts to reduce the national debt as promised, Fattig said, he thinks hospitals should receive a full refund from Medicare.
“So it seems to me that the only people paying for this thing are those of us who are caring for Medicare patients,” he said. “And we’re getting 2% off what we would normally be paid. That’s a big deal.”
Researchers at Bipartisan Policy Center found that 30 rural hospitals in Nebraska suffered financial losses for patient services over an average of three years. More than 20 hospitals had negative profit margins. Current and long-term financial liabilities exceed current assets for 18 Nebraska hospitals. Nationally, the report says 441 rural hospitals face multiple financial risk factors.
In addition to putting a pause on sequestration, the report recommends making higher Medicare payments permanent and maintaining telehealth flexibility until at least two years after the federal public health emergency ends.
Report co-author Julia Harris, a senior policy analyst at the think tank, said 116 hospitals closed between 2010 and 2019, but that pace slowed when COVID hit its peak.
“So the CARES Act and the US bailout really did a lot to keep more hospitals from closing,” she said, “but that aid masked the fact that the underlying finances of rural hospitals continue to deteriorate, especially with new pressures brought in the wake of the pandemic.”
Fattig said lawmakers should also push back on drug companies’ efforts to make it harder to get discounted drugs through a program known as “340-B.” He said these savings help pay for patient services that are not otherwise financially viable.
“Right now, ‘Big Pharma’, the big pharma companies, are putting up all kinds of roadblocks,” he said, “so they don’t pay for the 340B program like they should.”
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Ohioans are facing record heat in June this week. Experts have warned that staying cool is as much about health and safety as it is about comfort.
High temperatures combined with humidity, it makes it difficult for the body’s natural cooling system – sweat – to function effectively.
Kevin Brennan, communications manager for the Cuyahoga County Board of Health, added that dehydration can occur, especially when a person is exercising outdoors.
“You also run the risk of heat cramps, heat exhaustion, or heat stroke, and those come with prolonged activity, prolonged exposure to the sun,” Brennan explained. “You don’t get a chance to breathe efficiently, so a lot of the heat gets trapped inside your body.”
Elderly people, children, people with disabilities and people who work outdoors are most at risk of contracting heat-related illness. Brennan recommended staying hydrated and avoiding sugary, alcoholic or heavily caffeinated drinks, which can lead to dehydration. Also, limit time spent outdoors to the morning and evening hours and wear loose, lightweight, light-colored clothing.
If your home doesn’t have air conditioning, Brennan suggested spending time cooling off at a local library or mall. Or call the county board of health to find a cooling center in the community. Fans can also be helpful in maintaining air circulation. He also noted that it can help to turn off lights during the day and reduce other energy consumption.
“What we all want to make sure, if we can, is that if we have a supply of food, we want to make sure our fridge doesn’t go out if possible, and leave us without the possibility of having cold water and fresh food for a while,” Brennan pointed out. “So cut down on electricity, keep your curtains closed, just try to reflect the heat out of your house.”
Brennan also reminded Ohioans to avoid leaving children and pets in cars during the summer months. When it’s 90 degrees outside, the temperature inside a car can reach 138 degrees.
Reporting by Ohio News Connection in association with Media in the Public Interest and funded in part by the George Gund Foundation.
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Colorado’s Community Health Centers are joining a national effort to push back on recent Big Pharma moves that are making it harder to get discounted drugs to people living in extreme poverty.
Donald Moore, executive director of the Pueblo Community Health Center, said a federal program known as 340B has helped more of Pueblo’s Latino community, which has much higher rates of chronic disease and more barriers to accessing primary health care.
“We totally meet the purpose of the legislation,” Moore explained. “Which is maximizing our public funding to reach those most in need, which in our case includes minority populations.”
According to a new report calling on Congress to add new protections. Industry has claimed that discounted drugs are being diverted to ineligible patients under 340B, or the savings are not being used to expand access.
Moore noted that the law provides a dispute resolution process to determine if health centers aren’t doing what they’re supposed to. But drug companies and benefit managers are acting unilaterally, adding restrictions and new rules limiting access to discounted drugs at community health centers and their contracted pharmacies.
“They tried to reduce that,” Moore argued. “And keep more money in their pockets, [rather] than allowing those savings to trickle down to safety net providers like community health centers to ensure people have access to the medicines that are important for good patient outcomes.
The report found that 92% of the country’s 1,400 health centers are using the $340 billion savings to increase access for low-income and/or rural patients. Moore pointed to a new clinic, which has added 300 to 400 new patients every month since it opened in January, and six school clinicsall made possible in part through savings under 340B.
“These clinics are an important access point for teens and young adults. But they’re not operating cost-effectively. And we’re using savings from the 340B program to ensure these access points can stay open.”
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