Community News

 

RALEIGH, NC – May 3, 2024 – The latest update of the NC Medicaid Expansion Enrollment Dashboard was on May 3^rd. Last month, enrollment in NC increased by almost 31 thousand to more than 447 thousand people. Buncombe County enrollment increased by almost 800 to more than 11 thousand people. It is estimated that a total of 600 thousand North Carolinians will be eligible for ME, with almost 17 thousand from Buncombe County. In 5 months of accepting applications, the state is almost 75% of the way to enrolling all eligible persons and Buncombe County is 2/3^rds of the way there.

“From the day we launched Medicaid expansion, we’ve been committed to getting people covered and getting them care as fast as possible,” said NC Health and Human Services Secretary Kody H. Kinsley in a press release. “We are doing that even faster than expected and ensuring North Carolinians receive the health information, support and care they need to help them stay healthy.”

On December 1^st, North Carolina officially became the 40^th state to expand Medicaid, the federal program for health insurance for low-resource individuals. ME increases health care access to eligible North Carolinians ages 19-64 and their families with earnings to 138 percent of the federal poverty level based on their household size, up from 100 percent. The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) dashboard to track ME enrollment is at medicaid.ncdhhs.gov/reports.

There are many ways to apply for NC Medicaid for eligible persons. Those who have not yet applied should visit Medicaid.nc.gov to see if they qualify. Applications can be taken by phone, email, fax, or in person. Buncombe County residents can apply for Medicaid online and at any time at ePASS.NC.gov. Applications can be done in-person at the HHS Building on 40 Coxe Avenue, by calling 828-250-5500, or by mail. A printable application can be obtained online at the NCDHHS website.

 

Listen to the full report below:

 

 

Contact: Dr. Dick Needleman, Health reporter, 103.3 AshevilleFM, [email protected]

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ASHEVILLE, NC –  May 29, 2024 – The CDC’s COVID Dashboard for the week ending on May 18^th shows:  

• About 1% of the deaths in North Carolina were due to COVID, the 2^nd lowest level of 6 groups.
• Emergency room visits for COVID-19 are minimal in North Carolina, less than 1% of all ER visits

Wastewater monitoring can be used to provide early warning for COVID outbreaks. The Buncombe & Henderson counties wastewater data on the North Carolina COVID Dashboard for the week ending on May 15^th shows:

• The number of viral gene copies in each water sample is between 0-20%, the lowest level of 5 groups.
• The 15-day rate of change of the number of viral gene copies in each water sample has decreased from the previous week to between -99% to -10%, the lowest level of 2 groups with a negative rate of change.

 

Listen to the full report below:

 

 

Contact: Dr. Dick Needleman, Health reporter, 103.3 AshevilleFM, [email protected]

More Posts for Show: Asheville FM News Hour

 

UNITED STATES – May 16, 2024 –  Non-hormonal menopause medicines are new for the treatment of “hot flashes” and sleeplessness during menopause. However, they are expensive. Traditional medical treatment has included hormone replacement therapy (HRT) like estrogen and progesterone. However, some women can experience HRT-related medical problems like heart disease, blood clots, stroke, and hormone-sensitive cancers. Other drugs are recommended for the treatment of hot flashes but must be used off-label.

Menopause is when women stop having their monthly menstrual periods. The time leading up to menopause is called menopause transition or perimenopause. Menopausal transition usually occurs in women between ages 45 and 55 and lasts from 7 to 14 years, when there is a big drop in the production of estrogen and progesterone. Each woman can be affected differently.

Women in menopause can frequently suffer “hot flashes” and/or mood changes. Hot flashes include sensations of heat, sweating, flushing, and chills that lasts from 1-5 minutes. This occurs in more than 80% of women. Symptoms can recur for several years in most women. Hot flashes are directly related to the decreasing levels of estrogen. Mood changes can include anxiety, depression, sleep disturbances, and brain fog. Hot flashes and mood changes vary in frequency and intensity for each woman.

Last year, the FDA approved the nonhormonal oral medicine fezolinetant [fe-zo-li-ne-tant], brand name Veozah [ve-o-zah], manufactured by Astellas. The drug can reduce hot flashes in almost half of the people who take it. It may not be as effective as HRT, which is effective in more than 90% of patients. However, Veozah may appeal to women who can’t or won’t take HRT. Side-effects are not common and may include liver disease and abdominal pain. Its cost is $550 a month.

Kaiser Permanente HMO requires that woman try 2 off-label drugs for menopause symptoms before taking Veozah. These drugs are gabapentin, FDA-approved for pain, and Effexor, an FDA-approved antidepressant.

On May 16^th, the pharmaceutical company Bayer announced the result of their clinical trial for its new nonhormonal medicine elinzanetant [e-lin-za-ne-tant] The drug reduced the number and severity of hot flashes, enhanced sleep, and improved quality of life. The drug is awaiting FDA approval. Its cost is not known, but it is anticipated to be similar to Veozah.

KFF has some suggestions if your insurance company won’t cover the cost of the medicine:

• Look at the insurance company website to learn how to be eligible for coverage
• Your doctor can assist with coupons, drug discounts, and writing letters to the insurance company recommending drug coverage
• You can appeal insurance denials

 

Listen to the full report below:

 

 

Contact: Dr. Dick Needleman, Health reporter, 103.3 AshevilleFM, [email protected]

More Posts for Show: Asheville FM News Hour

 

BALTIMORE, MD – April, 2024 –  Health care systems account for 4-5% of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions worldwide. In the U.S., this sector accounted for about 8.5% of GHG emissions in 2018. Almost one-third comes from hospitals. Therefore, it is ironic that the health care industry is a significant source of harmful greenhouse gases.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is beginning a pilot program to collect GHG emissions data from the nation’s healthcare systems. The program is part of the Decarbonization and Resilience Initiative. Hospitals would voluntarily report data for its commitment to sustainability, energy use, and GHG emissions. In turn, CMS would give participating hospitals technical assistance and guidance to reduce their carbon emissions and improve sustainability. The federal agency would also publicly recognize hospital participation and performance. The initiative will last 5 years, beginning on January 1, 2026. CMS feels that decarbonization measures can improve health outcomes and quality of care for Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries while saving tax dollars.

Climate change has been shown to be driven by human-produced GHG emissions that in turn threaten our health. More sick people will increase the total cost of health care, stress the capacity of the health care system, keep people from working, reduce the labor force, and shorten many lives.

Here are some of the metrics that hospitals can report to CMS:

• Establishment of an executive-level sustainability team
• Electricity and natural gas use
• Greenhouse gas emissions
  • From motor vehicles
  • From the use of inhaled anesthetic gases in the operating room
    • The anesthetic agent, desflurane, is the most potent greenhouse gas.
    • The storage of anesthetic gas is significant, because more nitrous oxide leaks from pipelines than from portable tanks.

Many public health experts believe that the Decarbonization and Resilience Initiative is a small step in the right direction. However, the Initiative is voluntary, limiting the number of participating hospitals, and the emissions metrics do not include most of the sources.

 

Listen to the full report below:

 

 

Contact: Dr. Dick Needleman, Health reporter, 103.3 AshevilleFM, [email protected]

More Posts for Show: Asheville FM News Hour

 

ASHEVILLE, NC –  May 22, 2024 – The CDC’s COVID Dashboard for the week ending on May 11^th shows:  

• Fewer than 10 deaths in North Carolina were due to COVID, the lowest level of 6 groups.
• Emergency room visits for COVID-19 are minimal in North Carolina, less than 1% of all ER visits

Wastewater monitoring can be used to provide early warning for COVID outbreaks. The Buncombe & Henderson counties wastewater data on the North Carolina COVID Dashboard for the week ending on May 8^th shows:

• The number of viral gene copies in each water sample is between 0-20%, the lowest level of 5 groups.
• The 15-day rate of change of the number of viral gene copies in each water sample has increased from the previous week to between 10% to 99%, the middle group of 3 with a positive rate of change.

 

Listen to the full report below:

 

 

Contact: Dr. Dick Needleman, Health reporter, 103.3 AshevilleFM, [email protected]

More Posts for Show: Asheville FM News Hour

 

NORTH CAROLINA  –  Ticks thrive in North Carolina during  warm weather between April to October so everyone must be careful of contracting Lyme disease, the most commonly transmitted tick-borne illness. Lyme disease is an infection caused by the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi that is carried by the deer tick, also known as the black-legged tick. The ticks can carry bacteria if they feed on infected animals like mice and deer. Infected deer ticks are found throughout North Carolina. Ticks are active when the temperature is above 45 degrees Fahrenheit. Therefore, milder winters mean that the warmer weather and tick season arrives sooner and remains longer. According to the CDC, almost one-half million Americans are diagnosed with Lyme disease each year.

People who spend time outdoors are at a greater risk of exposure to infected ticks, especially if they have been in grassy or wooded areas. Care needs to be taken during camping, hiking, golfing, working or playing. When a person or an animal brushes tall grass or woods, the tick lets go of the vegetation and crawls on the host. The disease is transmitted to humans through tick bites and by slowly sucking blood from the host. The risk of acquiring the infection is greater if the tick remains attached for more than 36 hours while feeding. In the U.S., Lyme disease is most common in the northeastern, midwestern, and mid-Atlantic states.

The early symptoms and signs of Lyme disease can occur 3 to 30 days after an infected tick bite. A circular bull’s eye rash appears near the bite in more than half of the cases. Early symptoms can include: fever, chills, headache, fatigue, stiff neck, swollen glands, and painful joints and muscles. Most patients can have a complete recovery with a 2 to 4-week course of oral antibiotics within the first 3 weeks.

If left untreated, Lyme disease can progress to severe fatigue, a stiff painful neck, numbness in the arms or legs, and brain fog. Severe headaches, arthritis, joint swelling, and heart and neurologic problems, can occur months and years after the tick bite.

You can protect yourself from getting Lyme disease. Stay out of high grass and wooded areas, and away from dead branches and leaves. Wear protective clothing like a long-sleeved shirt, long pants, and socks. Clothing can be treated with permethrin or may come pre-treated. Dressing in light-colored clothing allows ticks to be seen more easily. Apply tick repellant with DEET. Perform inspection of skin, hair and clothing after being outside and repeat it later in the day. Ticks like to be in the arm pit region, near ears and the hairline, behind knees, in the belly button, between the legs, in hair, and around the waist. You can also remove ‘hard to get’ ticks by taking a bath or a shower within 2 hours after being outside. Wash your clothes and dry them in the dryer, if possible. You can reduce the number of ticks in the yard by mowing the lawn and clearing tall grass, dead leaves, rotten wood and brush. Tick migration can be restricted from recreational areas by placing a 3-foot-wide barrier of wood chips or gravel.

Deer ticks are brownish in color, about the size of a sesame seed and have 8 black legs. Its bite is not painful. They are generally smaller than many common species of ticks. However, the deer tick expands after feeding on the blood of the host.

If a tick is attached to your skin, it is important to remove the whole tick promptly. Pull the tick slowly and steadily with fine-tipped tweezers until the tick lets go. After the tick is removed, clean the bite site with rubbing alcohol and your hands with soap and water. The tick can be immersed in rubbing alcohol and then flushed down the toilet.

You can also get Lyme disease if your pet goes outdoors and brings infected ticks inside your home. The ticks can hide more easily in long-haired pets. Consider keeping pets out of the woods and long grasses during tick season. There are many different topical and chewable preventative medicines for your pets because they can get sick with Lyme disease too. Inspection and tick removal can remove ticks before they get to you.

If you think that you have a tick bite or Lyme disease, you should be seen by a health care provider soon. Early treatment can cure the infection most of the time without any long-term damage.

 

Listen to the full report below:

 

 

Contact: Dr. Dick Needleman, Health reporter, 103.3 AshevilleFM, [email protected]

More Posts for Show: Asheville FM News Hour