FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
HHS launches partnership and video contest with Young Invincibles
HOUSTON, Texas – Today, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Young Invincibles announced the Healthy Young America video contest in an effort to inform young people about health insurance coverage and new options under the Affordable Care Act. People can submit entries and vote for their favorite videos at www.healthyyoungamerica.org.
“Health insurance is out of reach for millions of young people today—because it costs too much, or isn’t offered through a job,” Secretary Sebelius said. “Soon the Health Insurance Marketplace will give uninsured young people the opportunity to enroll in affordable health insurance, and the Healthy Young America video contest will help them tell their stories to other young people.”
The Affordable Care Act is making health care more affordable and accessible for 19 million uninsured young adults across the country. Three million previously uninsured young adults have joined their parents’ health insurance plan because of the health care law.
“The Millennial generation has always been a creative generation, which is why we are so pleased to partner with HHS in launching the Healthy Young America video contest. “Educating millions of young people about the changes coming this year is vital to helping them achieve economic security,” Aaron Smith, co-founder and executive director of Young Invincibles. “This competition will engage young people by reaching them through a medium that they prefer to use when sharing and receiving content.”
Young Invincibles is in the midst of a nationwide campaign designed to inform young adults about coming changes and new options. “The campaign includes health care “train the trainers” to help community leaders be informed about new changes. A website with frequently-asked questions and a mobile app to help consumers learn about their options, find local health care services, and get information on enrollment events this fall are also included in the campaign.
Young people can access a variety of online tools now, through HealthCare.gov, and count on in-person help to get answers to their questions to help them enroll October 1. Young people can use HealthCare.gov to join web chats or call toll free 1-800-318-2596, to get help from a trained customer service representative.
There will also be people in local communities who can provide direct help with their coverage choices. Last week, HHS awarded $67 million to 105 Navigator grant applicants and recognized more than 100 national organizations and businesses who have volunteered to help Americans learn about the Marketplace. More than 1,200 community health centers across the country are preparing to help enroll uninsured Americans in coverage, and a partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services will help trusted local libraries be a resource for consumers who want information on their options.
Showing posts with label HHS SECRETARY SEBELIUS. Show all posts
Showing posts with label HHS SECRETARY SEBELIUS. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
STATEMENT BY HHS SECRETARY SEBELIUS ON BULLYING PREVENTION AWARENESS MONTH
FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 21, 2013
Contact: HHS Press Office
202-690-6343
Bullying Prevention Awareness Month
A statement by HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius
October is Bullying Prevention Awareness Month - when individuals, families, schools, and communities across the nation help to raise awareness about bullying prevention. Bullying remains a widespread problem with nearly 30 percent of adolescents in the U.S. reporting some experience with bullying, whether as the victim, the bully or both. An infographic developed by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) highlights important facts and information about bullying prevention. We know that there are a number of emotional effects that can result from bullying such as depression and anxiety. There are also physical effects as well, like headaches and stomachaches, and sleep problems. In a special supplement of the Journal of Adolescent Health supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in collaboration with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) we see how researchers continue to investigate the complex relationship between bullying and suicide.
But help is available. I am very pleased to highlight a number of exciting activities and initiatives that HHS will be launching during Bullying Prevention Awareness Month.
Media Guidelines for Bullying Prevention. Media coverage of social issues can have a widespread impact on how communities understand and address problems. SAMHSA has developed media guidelines conveniently located in the newsroom of stopbullying.gov. This guidance offers help to journalists, bloggers, and others to engage in responsible reporting on this important topic.
Conversation Starters Mobile App. Later this month, SAMHSA will release a mobile app for parents to help start conversations with their children about bullying. This app will be available for both Android and Apple platforms.
Bullying Prevention Training Center. This revamped section of stopbullying.gov provides a one-stop-shop for training materials for educators and community leaders. These new materials, developed by HRSA, will be available in late October in our training section on stopbullying.gov.
Successful bullying prevention can’t happen alone! We work closely with the Departments of Education, Justice, and Agriculture, and others, through the Federal Partners in Bullying Prevention; including supporting stopbullying.gov, which continues to be an excellent resource for bullying prevention information.
We are collaborating with these offices to support youth engagement. Across the country, youth are encouraged to talk about bullying by organizing bullying prevention social and educational events through youth organizations in their communities. Youth can report back on these activities through our Tumblr page.
The Department of Education has issued guidance in the form of a Dear Colleague letter that provides an overview of school districts’ responsibilities under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act to address bullying of students with disabilities.
With all of these resources available, it’s a great time to consider how you can help raise awareness about bullying and take action to stop it. Find out the latest policies and laws that are in your state. Teens can find inspiration by visiting our Tumblr site. Tell us what you are going to do by engaging on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. And follow along with Bullying Prevention Awareness Month Activities at #StopBullying13.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 21, 2013
Contact: HHS Press Office
202-690-6343
Bullying Prevention Awareness Month
A statement by HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius
October is Bullying Prevention Awareness Month - when individuals, families, schools, and communities across the nation help to raise awareness about bullying prevention. Bullying remains a widespread problem with nearly 30 percent of adolescents in the U.S. reporting some experience with bullying, whether as the victim, the bully or both. An infographic developed by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) highlights important facts and information about bullying prevention. We know that there are a number of emotional effects that can result from bullying such as depression and anxiety. There are also physical effects as well, like headaches and stomachaches, and sleep problems. In a special supplement of the Journal of Adolescent Health supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in collaboration with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) we see how researchers continue to investigate the complex relationship between bullying and suicide.
But help is available. I am very pleased to highlight a number of exciting activities and initiatives that HHS will be launching during Bullying Prevention Awareness Month.
Media Guidelines for Bullying Prevention. Media coverage of social issues can have a widespread impact on how communities understand and address problems. SAMHSA has developed media guidelines conveniently located in the newsroom of stopbullying.gov. This guidance offers help to journalists, bloggers, and others to engage in responsible reporting on this important topic.
Conversation Starters Mobile App. Later this month, SAMHSA will release a mobile app for parents to help start conversations with their children about bullying. This app will be available for both Android and Apple platforms.
Bullying Prevention Training Center. This revamped section of stopbullying.gov provides a one-stop-shop for training materials for educators and community leaders. These new materials, developed by HRSA, will be available in late October in our training section on stopbullying.gov.
Successful bullying prevention can’t happen alone! We work closely with the Departments of Education, Justice, and Agriculture, and others, through the Federal Partners in Bullying Prevention; including supporting stopbullying.gov, which continues to be an excellent resource for bullying prevention information.
We are collaborating with these offices to support youth engagement. Across the country, youth are encouraged to talk about bullying by organizing bullying prevention social and educational events through youth organizations in their communities. Youth can report back on these activities through our Tumblr page.
The Department of Education has issued guidance in the form of a Dear Colleague letter that provides an overview of school districts’ responsibilities under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act to address bullying of students with disabilities.
With all of these resources available, it’s a great time to consider how you can help raise awareness about bullying and take action to stop it. Find out the latest policies and laws that are in your state. Teens can find inspiration by visiting our Tumblr site. Tell us what you are going to do by engaging on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. And follow along with Bullying Prevention Awareness Month Activities at #StopBullying13.
Friday, July 12, 2013
GOVERNMENT AWARDS $150 MILLION FOR ENROLLMENT ASSISTANCE
FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Health centers to help uninsured Americans gain affordable health coverage
Obama administration awards $150 million to provide enrollment assistance
Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced $150 million in grant awards to 1,159 health centers across the nation to enroll uninsured Americans in new health coverage options made available by the Affordable Care Act. Speaking at the Mountain Park Health Center in Phoenix, Ariz., later in the day the Secretary noted that, with these funds, health centers are expected to hire an additional 2,900 outreach and eligibility assistance workers to assist millions of people nationwide with enrollment into affordable health coverage.
HHS Secretary Sebelius said, “Investing in health centers means that people in neighborhoods and towns across the country have one more resource to help them understand their insurance options and enroll in affordable coverage.”
Health centers have a long history of providing eligibility assistance to patients along with delivering high-quality, primary health care services in communities across the nation. Today, health centers serve more than 21 million patients annually.
With these awards, which health centers in all 50 states have received, consumers will get help understanding their coverage options through the new Health Insurance Marketplace, Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program; determine their eligibility and what financial help they can get; and enroll in new affordable health coverage options.
These awards, issued by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), complement and align with other federal efforts, such as the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services-funded Navigator program.
Today’s announcement is part of the administration's broader effort to make applying for health coverage as easy as possible. The new, consumer-focused HealthCare.gov website and the 24-hour-a-day consumer call center help Americans prepare for open enrollment and ultimately sign up for health coverage. These new tools will help Americans understand their coverage options and select the plan that best suits their needs when open enrollment in the new Health Insurance Marketplace begins Oct. 1, 2013.
“Health centers are excited to help individuals in their communities take advantage of the benefits of new health insurance coverage options that start January 2014,” said HRSA Administrator Mary Wakefield, Ph.D, R.N. “Having trained, face-to-face assistance in enrollment from trusted resources at local health centers means that more people will get the help they need.”
Health centers to help uninsured Americans gain affordable health coverage
Obama administration awards $150 million to provide enrollment assistance
Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced $150 million in grant awards to 1,159 health centers across the nation to enroll uninsured Americans in new health coverage options made available by the Affordable Care Act. Speaking at the Mountain Park Health Center in Phoenix, Ariz., later in the day the Secretary noted that, with these funds, health centers are expected to hire an additional 2,900 outreach and eligibility assistance workers to assist millions of people nationwide with enrollment into affordable health coverage.
HHS Secretary Sebelius said, “Investing in health centers means that people in neighborhoods and towns across the country have one more resource to help them understand their insurance options and enroll in affordable coverage.”
Health centers have a long history of providing eligibility assistance to patients along with delivering high-quality, primary health care services in communities across the nation. Today, health centers serve more than 21 million patients annually.
With these awards, which health centers in all 50 states have received, consumers will get help understanding their coverage options through the new Health Insurance Marketplace, Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program; determine their eligibility and what financial help they can get; and enroll in new affordable health coverage options.
These awards, issued by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), complement and align with other federal efforts, such as the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services-funded Navigator program.
Today’s announcement is part of the administration's broader effort to make applying for health coverage as easy as possible. The new, consumer-focused HealthCare.gov website and the 24-hour-a-day consumer call center help Americans prepare for open enrollment and ultimately sign up for health coverage. These new tools will help Americans understand their coverage options and select the plan that best suits their needs when open enrollment in the new Health Insurance Marketplace begins Oct. 1, 2013.
“Health centers are excited to help individuals in their communities take advantage of the benefits of new health insurance coverage options that start January 2014,” said HRSA Administrator Mary Wakefield, Ph.D, R.N. “Having trained, face-to-face assistance in enrollment from trusted resources at local health centers means that more people will get the help they need.”
Sunday, March 31, 2013
HEALTH EDUCATION CAMPAIGN TARGETS SMOKERS WITH STORIES
FROM: CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL
Education campaign returns with powerful stories to help Americans quit smoking
Campaign to expose tragic health impact of smoking
Continuing with the success of last year’s national education ad campaign, "Tips from Former Smokers," a second series of ads was launched today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The ads, funded by the Affordable Care Act’s Prevention and Public Health Fund, feature compelling stories of former smokers living with smoking-related diseases and disabilities. Beginning Monday, ads will run for at least 12 weeks on television, radio, and billboards, online, and in theaters, magazines, and newspapers nationwide.
"This campaign is saving lives and saving dollars by giving people the facts about smoking in an easy-to-understand way that encourages quitting," Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. This campaign is effective. The increase in calls to quitlines after last year’s campaign shows that more people are trying to quit smoking as a result of these ads."
The messages in these new ads are emotional, telling the story of how real people’s lives were changed forever due to their smoking or exposure to secondhand smoke. The ads feature smoking-related health conditions— including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or COPD, more severe adult asthma, and complications from diabetes, such as blindness, kidney failure, heart disease, and amputation—and candidly describe the losses from smoking and the gains from quitting.
"Smoking and secondhand smoke kill – and they also harm smokers and non-smokers. The Tips from Former Smokers campaign shows the painful effects of smoking through former smokers, in a way that numbers alone cannot," said CDC Director Tom Frieden, M.D., M.P.H. "These are the kinds of ads that smokers tell us help motivate them to quit, saving lives and money."
The new ads feature Tiffany, who lost her mother when she was 16 to lung cancer, and recently quit smoking herself as her own daughter turned 16 because she did not want her daughter to suffer the way she did; Bill, a 40-year-old with diabetes whose smoking led to heart surgery, blindness in one eye, amputation, and kidney failure; Michael, who suffers from COPD, and is agonizing about how to tell his grandson he may not be around to share his life much longer; as well as Nathan, who suffered severe lung damage from secondhand smoke exposure at work. And, a new ad featuring Terrie, who appeared in last year’s ads showing what a head and neck cancer survivor has to do to "get ready for the day," and who wishes she had recorded her voice before she had to have her voicebox removed, since her grandson has never heard any voice but her current one.
Despite the known dangers of tobacco use, nearly one in five adults in the United States still smoke. Almost 90 percent of smokers started before they were 18, and many of them experience life-changing health effects at a relatively early age. Smoking harms nearly every organ in the body. A "tip" from Bill, the ad participant with diabetes: "Make a list. Put the people you love at the top. Put down your eyes, your legs, your kidneys, and your heart. Now cross off all the things you’re OK with losing because you’d rather smoke."
The ads that ran last year had immediate and strong impact. Compared with the same 12-week period in 2011, overall call volume to 1-800-QUIT-NOW more than doubled during the Tips campaign, and visits to the campaign website for quit help increased by more than five times.
More than 440,000 Americans each year lose their lives to smoking-related diseases, and for every one death 20 more continue living with one or more serious illnesses from smoking. Nearly 70 percent of smokers say they want to quit. This education campaign provides motivation, information, and quit help to those who want it.
Education campaign returns with powerful stories to help Americans quit smoking
Campaign to expose tragic health impact of smoking
Continuing with the success of last year’s national education ad campaign, "Tips from Former Smokers," a second series of ads was launched today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The ads, funded by the Affordable Care Act’s Prevention and Public Health Fund, feature compelling stories of former smokers living with smoking-related diseases and disabilities. Beginning Monday, ads will run for at least 12 weeks on television, radio, and billboards, online, and in theaters, magazines, and newspapers nationwide.
"This campaign is saving lives and saving dollars by giving people the facts about smoking in an easy-to-understand way that encourages quitting," Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. This campaign is effective. The increase in calls to quitlines after last year’s campaign shows that more people are trying to quit smoking as a result of these ads."
The messages in these new ads are emotional, telling the story of how real people’s lives were changed forever due to their smoking or exposure to secondhand smoke. The ads feature smoking-related health conditions— including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or COPD, more severe adult asthma, and complications from diabetes, such as blindness, kidney failure, heart disease, and amputation—and candidly describe the losses from smoking and the gains from quitting.
"Smoking and secondhand smoke kill – and they also harm smokers and non-smokers. The Tips from Former Smokers campaign shows the painful effects of smoking through former smokers, in a way that numbers alone cannot," said CDC Director Tom Frieden, M.D., M.P.H. "These are the kinds of ads that smokers tell us help motivate them to quit, saving lives and money."
The new ads feature Tiffany, who lost her mother when she was 16 to lung cancer, and recently quit smoking herself as her own daughter turned 16 because she did not want her daughter to suffer the way she did; Bill, a 40-year-old with diabetes whose smoking led to heart surgery, blindness in one eye, amputation, and kidney failure; Michael, who suffers from COPD, and is agonizing about how to tell his grandson he may not be around to share his life much longer; as well as Nathan, who suffered severe lung damage from secondhand smoke exposure at work. And, a new ad featuring Terrie, who appeared in last year’s ads showing what a head and neck cancer survivor has to do to "get ready for the day," and who wishes she had recorded her voice before she had to have her voicebox removed, since her grandson has never heard any voice but her current one.
Despite the known dangers of tobacco use, nearly one in five adults in the United States still smoke. Almost 90 percent of smokers started before they were 18, and many of them experience life-changing health effects at a relatively early age. Smoking harms nearly every organ in the body. A "tip" from Bill, the ad participant with diabetes: "Make a list. Put the people you love at the top. Put down your eyes, your legs, your kidneys, and your heart. Now cross off all the things you’re OK with losing because you’d rather smoke."
The ads that ran last year had immediate and strong impact. Compared with the same 12-week period in 2011, overall call volume to 1-800-QUIT-NOW more than doubled during the Tips campaign, and visits to the campaign website for quit help increased by more than five times.
More than 440,000 Americans each year lose their lives to smoking-related diseases, and for every one death 20 more continue living with one or more serious illnesses from smoking. Nearly 70 percent of smokers say they want to quit. This education campaign provides motivation, information, and quit help to those who want it.
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