Cancer News :) & ACA Fraud :(
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Cancer and Accelerated Cell Aging
Researchers looking for clues about why some types of cancer are on the rise in younger adults say they’ve found an interesting lead: a connection to accelerated biological aging. Aging is the major risk for many types of cancer, meaning the older you get, the more likely you are to be diagnosed. And increasingly, experts recognize that age is more than just the number of candles on a birthday cake. It’s also the wear and tear on the body, caused by lifestyle, stress and genetics, which is sometimes referred to as a person’s biological age. (CNN)
They looked at the medical records of 148,724 people ages 37 to 54 who are participants in a large data registry called the UK Biobank and found 9 markers of cell aging. The list of markers is here.
These nine values were then plugged into an algorithm called PhenoAge that was used to calculate each person’s biological age. The researchers determined accelerated aging by comparing people’s biological ages with their chronological ages.
They then checked cancer registries to see how many in the group had been diagnosed with early cancers, which the researchers defined as cancers appearing before age 55. There were nearly such 3,200 cancers diagnosed.
The researchers found that people born in 1965 or later were 17% more likely to show accelerated aging than those born from 1950 through 1954.
After adjusting the data for factors they thought might bias their results, the researchers found that accelerated aging was associated with increased risk for cancer especially lung, stomach and intestinal, and uterine cancers.
Compared with people who had the smallest amount of faster aging in the biobank sample, those who scored highest had twice the risk of early-onset lung cancer, more than 60% higher risk of a gastrointestinal tumor and more than 80% higher risk of uterine cancer.
There are medications that also look like they can slow down accelerated aging. Cancer survivors often show greater biological aging, perhaps because of the after effects of therapies like chemotherapy and radiation.
The medications belong to a class called senolytics, drugs thought to target and get rid of damaged and aging cells.
Right now, it’s not clear who might benefit from these drugs, but assessments of accelerated aging like PhenoAge could one day help point doctors to the people who most need them.
New Medicine For Multiple Myeloma
Myeloma, also called multiple myeloma, is a cancer of the plasma cells. Plasma cells are white blood cells that make antibodies that protect us from infection. In myeloma, the cells grow too much, crowding out normal cells in the bone marrow that make red blood cells, platelets, and other white blood cells. Here’s a link to the Cleveland Clinic for more details on the disease.
Multiple myeloma is rare, affecting about 7 people out of 100,000 people each year. There is no known cure but there are treatments to try and hold the cancer at bay.
The Food and Drug Administration approved Johnson & Johnson and Bristol Myers Squibb’s CAR-T cell therapies for earlier treatment of multiple myeloma. These techniques are both one time infusions to help the patient’s immune system fight off the cancer.
Insurance Fraud in the ACA Marketplaces
WARNING - DESCRIPTION OF CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR
Insurance agents are supposed to look out for their clients. Now it seems that some agents are getting access to the databases that contain the personal information of those who have signed up for Affordable Cara Act health insurance policies either at the national site, healthcare.gov, or at the 18 individual state sites. What they have done is fraudulently moved patients from their current health insurance policy to another and have collected a commission for doing so.
Some switched policyholders end up in plans that don’t include their doctors or the medications they regularly take, or come with higher deductibles than their original coverage choice. If their income or eligibility for premium tax credits is misrepresented, some people can end up owing back taxes.
Low-income consumers are often targeted, possibly because they qualify for zero-premium plans, meaning they might not know they’ve been switched or enrolled because they aren’t paying a monthly bill.
If you have been fraudulently switched you need to report it. (KFF reference article)
REPORT THE FRAUD
Federal Plans
1(800)318-2596 to report the fraud if you use healthcare.gov. They will open a Health Insurance Casework System (HICS) case and once the fraud is verified, they should switch you back to your original policy. (CMS Site).
State Plans and D.C.
Here is a link to get to the 18 state plans and D.C to report the fraud. Good luck.
Resources
Healthcare Advocacy (Us)
Website
Our Newsletter resources including reproductive healthcare
Healthcare Advocacy Reading List
Find My Elected Officials
Contact the White House https://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/
Contact State and Federal Representatives
By phone: (202) 224-3121
By email: democracy.io
Important Healthcare Resources
League of Women Voters Healthcare Reform Toolkit
Organizations to Contact
National Nurses United Medicare4All
Physicians for a National Health Program
One Payer States
Healthcare Now
Reproductive Health
NARAL - Pro Choice America
Charley. chatbot abortion resource - make sure to use a secure incognito browser if you live in a state that has banned abortion
Planned Parenthood
Miscarriage and Abortion Hotline has references about where to procure abortion medications. They also assist women in the process of self managed abortion or miscarriage by phone or text and will respond in an hour. Details and hours of operation at their website.
United State of Women Reproductive health page (bottom of the page) has important resources such as medical support, access to Telehealth, prescriptions by mail, and legal support references.
Practice careful communications - The Digital Defense Fund has a number of tips to keep texts, calls, and internet use private. Here is their site.
If you need financial help with an abortion try abortionfunds.org
Claims Denials and Appeals & What to Do
Appeal a Healthcare Decision
Appeal/Negotiate a Hospital Bill
Disinformation Management
Cybersecurity Infrastructure Security Agency
Save Democracy
Chop Wood, Carry Water by Jessica Cravens
RESISTBOT
Link to the RESISTBOT site to learn more
Link to Chop Wood, Carry Water RESISTBOT write up
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