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Health Insurance Coverage Estimates by County

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The U.S. Census Bureau today published 2006 estimates of health insurance coverage for each of the nation’s counties.

Small Area Health Insurance Estimates (SAHIE) are based on models combining data from a variety of sources, including the Annual Social and Economic Supplement of the Current Population Survey, Census 2000, the Census Bureau’s Population Estimates Program, the County Business Patterns data set and administrative records, such as aggregated federal tax returns and Medicaid participation records.

Although SAHIE currently is the only source for county-level estimates of health insurance coverage status, the Census Bureau in late September will release for the first time health insurance coverage estimates from the American Community Survey (ACS). These ACS single-year estimates will be available for all geographic areas with total populations of 65,000 or more, including all congressional districts. The health insurance question was added to the 2008 American Community Survey to permit the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to more accurately understand state and local health insurance needs.

SAHIE is used by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in support of its National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program. The program provides free cancer screenings to low-income, uninsured women.

“The health insurance estimates assist us in determining the level of need for breast and cervical cancer screening in communities nationwide,” said Marcus Plescia, director of the CDC’s Division of Cancer Prevention and Control in Atlanta. “The data permit us to plan our various programs and help us make decisions on how to allocate resources.”

Among numerous combinations of age, sex, income and (for states only) race and Hispanic origin, SAHIE includes data on low-income children. SAHIE offers an important snapshot as to the location and characteristics of those with and without health insurance. These data will help local planners make decisions concerning the number of uninsured in special populations. The data pertain only to those younger than 65.

Editor’s note: The report can be accessed at http://www.census.gov/did/nas/content/live/hispanic/sahie/.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau

Seventeen Magazine and Bank of America Partner To Reveal Teens’ Anxieties About the Economy

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Results give key insight into teens and their money worries

Latina Teens

Latina Teens

As back-to-school approaches, teens have lots on their minds – from classes to social calendars. If that weren’t enough, teens – especially girls — are also stressed out about the economy and money matters, according to a new survey from Seventeen magazine and Bank of America that explores teens’ saving and spending habits.

Most teens are stressed about money, but teen girls are feeling slightly more anxious in today’s climate than boys, with more than eight in ten girls (85%) saying they’re worried about the economy, vs. 75% of teen boys. And nearly nine of ten girls (88%) say they’re fretting about money, vs. 82% of teen boys, according to the survey.

Girls’ fears range from not having enough cash to pay for things they want — like lip gloss and mini dresses — to how to pay for college, to having money to hang out with friends. Teen girls are more likely to be stressed about college funding than teen boys, with more than two-thirds of girls (69%) saying they’re frazzled about paying for education costs, vs. 59% of teen boys.

“Teens are largely recession-proof. They are still buying clothes, beauty products and entertainment. But they can’t avoid the larger cultural anxiety about the economy,” says Seventeen editor-in-chief Ann Shoket. “It’s our job to calm their fears and help them to make smart decisions about their money so they can grow into fiscally responsible adults.”

Two out of three girls say they save some cash, but admit it’s not enough, according to the survey. Girls also say they’re better at spending than stashing, and only one in three (34%) believe they’re in total control of their finances. The Seventeen magazine and Bank of America survey also revealed that when given a choice, teen girls are more likely to choose fun over finances. Notably, if given $100 for their birthday, 55% of teen girls say they would spend it on clothes, while 45% would save it for college.

Regardless of financial anxieties, the large majority of teen girls (76%) are still optimistic about their future and their ability to support themselves as adults. More than eight in ten girls (82%) think they’ll be better off than their parents some day. Nearly two-thirds (64%) of girls says they’d rather have a career that makes a difference over one that makes a lot of money.

“Teen attitudes about spending and saving mirror what all consumers are feeling,” says Beverly Ladley, Customer Strategy Executive at Bank of America. “While their parents still largely support them, teens are interested in learning how to become more financially independent and make smarter decisions about money — and we have the opportunity to help them.”

Other findings from the survey:

  • Nearly half (45%) of teens say their parents are worrying/fighting about money more often lately.
  • Four in 10 teens (38%) have had to alter their college plans in some way because of the current economic downturn, while one in five have had to either go with their second choice of because of cost or attend a state school instead of a private one in order to save money.
  • A large portion of teens have changed their spending habits as a result of the economy (65%); this is especially true among Hispanic teens (75%).

Methodology:

The research, conducted in April, surveyed 2,000 teens in the U.S. ages 16 to 21.

ABOUT SEVENTEEN:

Seventeen reaches more than 13 million readers every month and is today’s largest selling teen beauty and fashion magazine. Seventeen is published by Hearst Magazines, a unit of Hearst Corporation (www.hearst.com) and one of the world’s largest publishers of monthly magazines, with a total of 19 U.S. titles and nearly 200 international editions. Hearst Magazines reaches more adults in the U.S. than any other publisher of monthly magazines (73.4 million according to MRI, fall 2006). The company also publishes 19 magazines in the United Kingdom through its wholly owned subsidiary, The National Magazine Company Limited.

ABOUT BANK OF AMERICA:

Bank of America is one of the world’s largest financial institutions, serving approximately 55 million consumer and small business relationships with more than 6,100 retail banking offices, more than 18,500 ATMs and award-winning online banking with nearly 30 million active users. Bank of America offers industry-leading support to more than 4 million small business owners through a suite of innovative, easy-to-use online products and services. Bank of America is among the world’s leading wealth management companies and serves clients in more than 150 countries.

Source: Hearst Magazines

Honoring Judge Sonia Sotomayor a new line of products

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I am a Wise Latina Too!

I am a Wise Latina Too!

A line of products to celebrate the historic Confirmation of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court

New York, August 7th – Cristina Mella, the entrepreneur and founder of Cristina Mella-Latino Living has launched a line of products honoring Judge Sonia Sotomayor and her historic confirmation to the Supreme Court of the United States. All products (from T-Shirts and coffee mugs to greeting cards and small gifts) are designed with the logo I am a Wise Latina Too!

“My goal is to recognize the amazing achievement of Judge Sonia Sotomayor and to provide Latinas with a line of stylish and colorful everyday products and accessories to show their Latin pride” explains Latino Living founder Cristina Mella. “I think that ‘Wise Latina’ is a sentence that resonates with many Latin women because in our culture Wise or Sabia implies a richness of life experiences and a way of seeing life” – continued Cristina Mella.

All I am a Wise Latina Too! products are available online at http://www.wiselatinatoo.com

About Cristina Mella-Latino Living

A native of Spain living in New York for the last twenty years, Cristina Mella is a Home and Lifestyle specialist with a Latin heart, an American mind and a European touch. Cristina appears regularly on TV, radio and print as a lifestyle personality sharing tips and practical advice and inspiring Latin families to live their best lives in the USA. Cristina is also the founder and creative director of Cristina Mella-LatinoLiving (http://www.cristinamella.com), a high-traffic blog with a contemporary look serving a daily dose of inspiring ideas and affordable solutions.

Source: Cristina Mella, Founder and Managing Director Cristina Mella-Latino Living, +1-914-630-4935 (office), info@cristinamella.com

Prescription Assistance Partnership Prepared to Help NJ Workers

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The ‘Help Is Here Express’ bus tour will be stopping in New Jersey throughout the week of August 9-15 at various cities in order to help uninsured and financially-struggling New Jersey residents access information on programs that provide prescription medicines for free or nearly free. With the state’s unemployment rate now hitting 8.8 percent — compared to 5.1% a year ago — the Partnership for Prescription Assistance (PPA) bus tour is raising awareness of patient assistance programs among state residents who face layoffs and loss of health care benefits.

The PPA, a nationwide effort sponsored by America’s pharmaceutical research companies, provides a single point of access to more than 475 patient assistance programs that help those who are uninsured or struggling financially. Nearly 200 of the programs are provided by pharmaceutical companies.

The “Help Is Here Express” bus will be at the following New Jersey locations:

Sunday, August 9, 2009

WHEN: 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.

WHERE: Crawford Rodriguez Elementary School

1025 Larsen Road

Jackson, NJ 08527

Monday, August 10, 2009

WHEN: 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

WHERE: NJ STEPS

14 South Clifton Avenue

Lakewood, NJ 08701

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

WHEN: 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

WHERE: Neighborhood Health Center

1700 Myrtle Avenue

Plainfield, NJ 07063

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

WHEN: 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

WHERE: Neighborhood Health Center

250 Second Street

Elizabeth, NJ 07206

Saturday, August 15, 2009

WHEN: 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

WHERE: Shappell Park

427-429 South Main Street

Phillipsburg, NJ

“The PPA, so far, has helped well over 239,000 New Jersey residents find out if they may qualify for free or discounted medicines and as we move forward into 2009, the assistance is still available,” said PhRMA President and CEO Billy Tauzin. “That’s good news for the citizens of New Jersey, where there are more than 400,000 people out of work.”

Patients who qualify for help from the PPA’s participating patient assistance programs have access to more than 2,500 brand-name and generic prescription medicines. In addition, the PPA provides information on more than 10,000 free health care clinics in America and has connected more than 281,600 patients with clinics and health care providers in their communities.

Patients seeking help from PPA can call a toll-free number (1-888-4-PPA-NOW) to talk to a trained operator or access the PPA Web site (www.pparx.org). It only takes 10 to 15 minutes to find out if someone may qualify for free or discounted medications.

To help spread the word about the assistance available, the PPA’s “Help Is Here Express” buses continue to visit communities all over the country with trained specialists on board to provide information on how to access patient assistance programs. All 50 states and more than 2,500 towns and cities have been visited so far, and nearly 6 million patients have been helped nationwide since the PPA began in April 2005.

“At a time when national unemployment is the highest in almost two decades, the PPA has become an important lifeline for a growing number of patients,” PhRMA’s Tauzin said. “Millions of Americans have been added to the jobless rolls over the last several months and there could be a sharp increase in the number of our citizens losing health care benefits.”

“PPA is currently helping thousands of people every day,” Tauzin added, including those who need treatments to fight such debilitating chronic diseases as cancer, heart disease, diabetes and asthma.

On a national level, the Partnership for Prescription Assistance is represented by Emmy-winning syndicated television talk show host Montel Williams, named PPA’s national spokesman in January 2006. In addition, nationally recognized Telemundo talk show host and author Mayte Prida leads the PPA’s Hispanic outreach effort.

“Since January 2006, I’ve been traveling the country talking about the Partnership for Prescription Assistance, urging people to pick up the phone, log on to the Web site or visit the big, orange PPA bus to see if they may qualify for assistance,” said Williams. “As a patient who must cope every day with the effects of multiple sclerosis, I understand only too well the importance of having access to the medicine you need.”

More than 1,300 national, state and local partners are working with America’s pharmaceutical research companies to spread the word about the program. Trained specialists work with doctors, pharmacists, health care providers and community groups, educating them on the process and use of the PPA’s easy-to-access Web site and toll-free number.

To find out if there are patient assistance programs that may meet their needs, patients should call toll-free 1-888-4PPA-NOW (1-888-477-2669) to speak with a trained specialist or visit www.pparx.org.

Source: Partnership for Prescription Assistance

Walden University Launches Online Degree in Spanish

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Extends access to higher education for Spanish-dominant adults. Walden University Launches Degree Taught in Spanish, Delivered Online; Offers Tuition Success Award

MINNEAPOLIS, July 29 /PRNewswire/ –Walden University has launched an online B.S. in Business Administration degree taught in Spanish with the option to learn English. The curriculum is fully delivered in Spanish, and is supported by a full suite of Spanish-language services. Walden’s program is designed to serve those for whom the English-language barrier is an obstacle to a degree from an accredited U.S. university.

Census data show that one-half of the foreign-born population of the United States is Hispanic. Members of the Hispanic community are, in particular, expected to benefit from this program offering.

“The segment of the Latino population that prefers learning and communicating in Spanish has not been well served by U.S. higher education institutions,” said Dr. Ivonne Chirino-Klevans, director of the Spanish-language B.S. in Business Administration program at Walden University. “Walden’s degree program removes the language obstacles preventing many eligible Hispanics from earning a degree. College ready, Spanish-dominant individuals now have a greater opportunity to improve their lives and advance their careers.”

To help provide an opportunity for all eligible students to pursue a degree, Walden has announced it will offer a Walden University Academic Success Award. Open to all students enrolled in the Bachelor of Science in Business Administration program (taught in Spanish with the option to learn English), this award can provide a 15 percent tuition reduction, which equates to between $6,000 and $6,750 over the life of the program*.

Walden’s bachelor’s program provides a full suite of Spanish-language support services, including enrollment and academic advising, writing assistance, tutoring, library resources, technical support, financial and personal counseling, and career services. For those students who want to become English-proficient, Walden offers an optional English-language component (ESL). With the ESL component, students can learn English while earning their degree, and eventually may become eligible to transfer into Walden’s English-language B.S. in Business Administration program. Regardless of the path students choose, upon graduation and with demonstrated proficiency, they may be able to enter Walden’s M.B.A. program.

The program combines academic theory with practical application. The Spanish-language program is designed to achieve the same outcomes as Walden’s English-language B.S. in Business Administration program and prepares students for real-world jobs in a global economy. For example, students will learn how to apply basic business principles to solve problems and leverage domestic and global opportunities; how to use critical thinking and business application skills to make strategic business decisions; how to evaluate the use of technology in a competitive global economy; and how to work effectively across cultures.

Students in the program will communicate in Spanish with other students and faculty members to exchange ideas; discuss key concepts, theories, and issues; practice new skills and strategies; and apply new knowledge to prior experiences.

Walden has long been a champion of the Latino community. In April 2009 The Hispanic Outlook in Higher Educationmagazine ranked Walden University No. 12 on its list of the top 25 colleges and universities with the largest Hispanic graduate student enrollment. The program, targeted to meet the specific and unique needs of the Latino community, is based in Walden’s College of Management and Technology. For the second year in a row, Walden was listed as having the No. 4 largest online graduate management program by enrollment by U.S. News & World Report. Walden is also a part of the Laureate International Universities network, with sister universities located across eight countries in Latin America.

For more informationabout Walden University’s B.S. in Business Administration (taught in Spanish with the option to learn English), visit www.licenciatura.waldenu.edu.

*Award, tuition and fees are for the 2009 – 2010 academic year and are subject to change. The total award amount is dependent upon each student’s transfer of credits and prior learning assessment totals. This award cannot be combined with any other Walden scholarship or tuition reduction offer. Not valid to Tennessee residents.

About Walden University

Since 1970, Walden University has supported working professionals in achieving their academic goals and making a greater impact in their professions and their communities. Today, more than 33,000 students from all 50 states and more than 90 countries are pursuing their bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degrees at Walden. The university provides students with an engaging educational experience that connects them with expert faculty and peers around the world. Walden is the flagship online university in the Laureate International Universities network–a global network of 45 online and campus-based universities in 20 countries.

Walden offers more than 36 degree programs with more than 140 specializations and concentrations. Areas of study include: health sciences, counseling, human services, management, psychology, education, public health, nursing, public administration, technology and engineering.

For more information, visit www.WaldenU.edu. Walden University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission and a member of the North Central Association, www.ncahlc.org.

Source: Walden University