Affordable Care Act, Healthcare Reform
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Open Enrollment by the Numbers

Open enrollment for Affordable Care Act (ACA; aka Obamacare) coverage ended across the United States in mid-December, but the last few states ended their open enrollment period at the end of January. We wrote in November about the state of Open Enrollment, and discussed the impacts of confusion surrounding the healthcare law earlier this year. Now that the open enrollment period has ended, we’re able to look at the numbers of people who took advantage and those still left underserved. Even with enrollment period cut in half and other changes enacted by the Trump administration, nearly 11.8 million people signed […]

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Awareness, Health, Heart Health
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American Heart Month

February marks American Heart Month in the US.  Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men and women, affecting Americans of all backgrounds. In the United States, someone has a heart attack every 40 seconds and someone dies from heart-disease related causes every minute. During American Heart Month, everyone is encouraged to examine their heart health and take charge with heart-healthy behavior. There are a number of risk factors for heart disease. High blood pressure, high LDL cholesterol, and smoking are major risk factors for one’s heart health. Almost half of Americans (47%) are affected by at least […]

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Awareness, Health
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Tips for Managing your Weight

Last week was National Healthy Weight Week in the United States. So close to the New Year, many are still chasing resolutions they made – often to lose weight. An estimated 80% of New Year’s resolutions are abandoned by the first week of February, so we are offering some tips from our partners at Health Storylines.   Top 4 Tips to Manage your Weight By: Zana Toulany, R.Ph, Director, Patient Experience Health Storylines   It’s the new year, and for many of us, that means new goals.  The most common New Year’s Resolution is to lose weight!  See below for […]

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Awareness, Health
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Thyroid Awareness Month

January is Thyroid Awareness Month. The thyroid is a small hormone-secreting organ in the neck that helps regulate the body’s metabolic needs. When the thyroid isn’t producing enough hormone the body slows all of its functions, a condition known as hypothyroidism. Alternatively, an overactive thyroid could produce too much hormone sending the body’s systems into overdrive causing a condition called hyperthyroidism.   Your thyroid’s function is incredibly important to many of the body’s systems, including heart, brain, liver, kidneys, and skin. If something is wrong with the thyroid there are a wide variety of symptoms that may occur. Hypothyroidism often […]

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Affordable Care Act, Healthcare Reform, Medicaid
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Medicaid Work Requirement

Medicaid is the United States’ public health insurance program for people with low incomes and chronic health conditions. Medicaid covers one in five Americans; mostly children, people with disabilities, and the elderly. The Affordable Care Act (ACA; aka Obamacare) expanded Medicaid coverage to include the working poor (those who make 138% of the Federal Poverty Level or below) who do not typically have access to affordable care. Thirty-two states have implemented the ACA’s Medicaid expansion. Some states, along with the Trump administration, have pushed for imposing a work requirement for Medicaid recipients.   Of the 25 million affected by the […]

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About Us

Welcome to the NeedyMeds Voice! We look forward to presenting you with timely, provocative pieces on healthcare reform, patient advocacy, medication and healthcare access, and other health-related news. Our goals are to educate, enlighten, and elucidate; together, we will try to make sense of the myriad and ongoing healthcare-related changes in the U.S. today.