Here’s what’s at risk in the Texas Obamacare ruling | CNN Politics
Whether you know it or not, Obamacare has affected nearly every American. The Affordable Care Act does far more than allow millions of people to get health insurance through exchanges or Medicaid expansion. It saves senior citizens money on their Medicare coverage and prescription drugs. It lets many Americans obtain free birth control, mammograms and cholesterol tests. It requires many restaurants to post the calorie counts of their menu items. And it allows children to stay on their parents’ health insurance plans until they turn 26.
AARP Statement on Texas Court Ruling on ACA | PR Newswire
“AARP is deeply disappointed in yesterday’s court verdict. This decision is a profound blow to millions of Americans who have benefited from the ACA, including its protections against charging older Americans an age tax and for people with preexisting health conditions. The ACA has impacted the lives of every American—including older adults who can finally secure affordable access to health care, Medicare beneficiaries who can more reasonably afford their prescription medications, and people under age 26 who can remain on their parent’s insurance. If upheld, this decision will throw both the U.S. economy and health care system into turmoil because millions of people will be cut off from the health care coverage and essential health benefits upon which they have depended since the ACA became law.
Wearable purchases growing among older Americans | CNBC
Wearable purchases growing among older Americans, health seen as biggest benefit from CNBC.
Apple Watch Series 4 Health Features Help Smartwatches Reach 1 In 10 US Adults In 2019 | Forbes
Intriguingly, smartwatches in general are expected to grow to 11.1% of all U.S. adults in 2019, that’s 28.7 million of them. Smartwatches are seen as a key driver of all wearable tech and more than half of adult wearable tech users, that’s people over 18, will use a smartwatch.
In total, 60.5 million people will us a wearable device in the U.S. next year, a figure which includes some under-18s. This figure means more than one in five people (specifically 21.5%) who use the internet will have a wearable device.
Public’s Own Mental Health Description Stays Slightly Down | Gallup
Americans’ assessment of their mental health slipped in 2017 and remains lower this year. Still, a huge majority (83%) say they are in “good” (40%) or “excellent” (43%) mental health. A slightly smaller percentage, 79%, describe their physical health as good (51%) or excellent (28%).
Controversial Federal Regulation Shakes Utah Disability Community | Utah Public Radio
A federal Affirmative Action requirement designed to help individuals with disabilities find employment has parents of children with intellectual or physical disabilities concerned. The regulation, known as the Settings Rule, forces people with disabilities to find a suitable job in their community in order to receive federal funding.
2-year-old with disability receives specialized toy car | ABC 27
There’s nothing like receiving new toys for the holidays. And in the case of one 2-year-old boy from Manheim, he received much more than a toy at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. “The first thing we did with the car is we added a kill switch in the back so the parents can turn it on and off,” said Patrick Hansell. Hansell is one several students from Cedar Crest High School modifying toy cars. “Our main goal is just to make the car easier to use,” one student said. The cars, while bought off store shelves, are anything but ordinary.
Two-year-old Miles Bischoff is one of the first recipients of a brand new toy car. It’s part of a new program at Penn State Health called Go Baby Go.
With Great Power Comes Great Accessibility – How the Death of Stan Lee Affects the Disability Community | Rooted in Rights
“For many of us in the disability community, The X-Men is the first indication of a world in which otherness and disability could be more than just a difference; it could be a path to personal power. With a focus on common human themes of good versus evil and prejudice and racism, Stan Lee’s collaboration with Jack Kirby ended up becoming the archetype for acceptance in education, and power in our personal and social worlds. While attempting to create a group of teen heroes who had been segregated because of “differing abilities,” Lee and Kirby instead stumbled on the experience that every child with a disability has faced in managing their disability, finding a mentor, learning how to adapt, and turning that experience into a power.”
Your aging brain: Is it ‘use it or lose it’? | LA Times
Yes, your brain is like a muscle: If you don’t strengthen and stretch its capacities, it will not deliver high performance. But your brain is not like one of those forgiving muscles that lets you engage in a lifetime of indolence and then perks up willingly when you take up weight-training upon retirement. No, your brain is more like one of those muscles that will reward you for having worked it across the full length of your lifespan.
The Loneliest Generation: Americans, More Than Ever, Are Aging Alone | The Wall Street Journal
Loneliness undermines health and is linked to early mortality—and baby boomers are especially feeling the effects. Danny Miner, a 66-year-old retired chemical plant supervisor, spends most days alone in his Tooele, Utah, apartment, with “Gunsmoke” reruns to keep him company and a phone that rarely rings. Old age wasn’t supposed to feel this lonely. Mr. Miner married five times, each bride bringing the promise of lifelong companionship. Three unions ended in divorce.
A brief tour of Boston’s anti-aging industry | Boston Globe
The quest to turn back the clock has never been more desirable — or more lucrative. WITH THE “SILVER TSUNAMI” of baby boomers on the horizon, the quest to turn back the ravages of time has never been more desirable — or more lucrative. The anti-aging remedy industry, with products aimed at everything from filling laugh lines to reversing bald spots, is set to be a $303 billion market by 2025, according to a report by P&S Intelligence. And researchers aren’t simply advancing the latest techniques to erase wrinkles — they’re exploring whether it’s possible to slow the process of aging itself.
If You’re a Gig Worker, Here’s How You Can Still Get Disability Protection | Kiplinger
Company benefits are great to have, but if you’re a contractor, chances are you’re out of luck. And if you get injured or are too sick to work, you could quickly find yourself in hot water. However, those self-employment taxes you’re paying come with a federal benefit ready to act as your safety net.
9-year-old with disability inspires mom to create special ‘body coat’ | UpNorthLive
Life has its obstacles, but for one mid-Michigan 9-year-old, she knows no such thing. 9-year-old Zoey Harrison’s disability gave her the ability to help others around the world.
George H.W. Bush on Death, the After Life and Almost Dying in World War II | Time
George H.W. Bush, who died on Nov. 30, 2018 at the age of 94, lived a long and remarkable life, serving as the nation’s 41st president and xaising its 43rd. He also spent 73 of his 94 years married to his wife, Barbara, before her death in April.
Disability Abroad
Having a disability can prove a powerful motivation in realising political ambitions | The Irish Times
Growing up in the West Kerry Gaeltacht was tough for Micheál Kelliher. He was the only deaf person in a very large area. And while his Irish-speaking mother and sisters learned Irish sign language, it was still isolating for him as a child. When he moved to Dublin aged 12 to attend the school for the deaf in Cabra, he discovered a strong deaf community (5,000 in Ireland in total) which was a step-change. But he still had a sense of being isolated, but on a wider level.
Elections in India still not Accessible to Persons with Disabilities, Here’s Proof | The News Minute
In July this year, the Election Commission of India (ECI) conducted a two-day National Consultation on Accessible Election in Delhi with the aim of making elections accessible for Persons with Disability (PwDs) in India. Five states went to polls in December after that, including Telangana, but an RTI query reveals that the EC has not acted upon any of the recommendations specific to persons with intellectual and psycho-social disabilities across the country.
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