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January 2015
As the new year kicks off, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) shares great news for consumers visiting the Health Insurance Marketplace. Among people who selected health plans through HealthCare.gov during the first month of open enrollment in 2014, 87 percent were eligible for financial assistance to lower their premiums – up from 80 percent who selected plans over a similar period last year. Overall, 4 million Americans selected new coverage or reenrolled during the first month – that’s over 133,000 people per day.
One thing is clear: the Affordable Care Act is working to make quality health care more affordable and accessible.
It’s not too late to get covered for 2015. Open enrollment ends February 15. Help spread the word to friends and family that they can visit HealthCare.gov or call 1-800-318-2596 to enroll today and enjoy the peace of mind that comes from quality, affordable health insurance.
Are you already covered? Learn how to make the most of your new health insurance.
Are you organizing a health insurance enrollment event in your community? Post it to the online events calendar. Visitors can search the calendar 24/7 to find upcoming events in their city or town to sign up.
As we celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., we can also commemorate a significant milestone on our journey toward health equity.
One year after Dr. King displayed the power of perseverance and partnership in a five-day march from Montgomery to Selma, he delivered a speech in Chicago at the annual meeting of the Medical Committee for Human Rights. In that speech he linked the quest for equality to health care, saying: “Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health care is the most shocking and inhumane.” Read the Director's Blog.
Glaucoma doesn't have to result in vision loss or blindness. With early detection and treatment, you can protect your sight. People at higher risk for glaucoma – including African Americans age 40 and older; everyone over age 60, especially Hispanics/Latinos; and those with a family history of the disease – should check out these glaucoma prevention resources in English and Spanish from the National Eye Health Education Program (NEHEP).
The American Diabetes Association (ADA) announced this month in the journal Diabetes Care that the organization has lowered the Body Mass Index (BMI) cut point at which it recommends screening Asian Americans for type 2 diabetes. The new recommendations align with evidence that many Asian Americans develop the disease at lower BMI levels than the population at large. Read the statement by ADA or access the full article.
By 2030, the number of U.S. older adults (aged 65 or older) will more than double to about 71 million. About 80 percent of older adults have one chronic condition, and 50 percent have at least two. The HHS Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion’s first-ever Healthy Aging Summit July 27-28 in Washington, DC, will highlight interventions and strategies for how we as a nation can best structure and deliver services that promote healthy aging in community.
HHS is accepting abstracts for the summit that address a range of topics related to helping older Americans stay healthy and improve quality of life.
• Submit abstracts by February 2.
• Register to attend the summit.
Join us in commemorating these health observances for the month of January.
• Cervical Health Awareness Month
• National Birth Defects Prevention Month
• National Glaucoma Awareness Month
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