The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a new drug called Tecfidera to treat adults with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS). For most MS patients, periods of worsening disability (relapses) are usually followed by recovery periods (remissions). Over time, these recovery periods may be incomplete, resulting in a progressive increase in disability. Tecfidera may help protect the body from infection and decrease the number of relapses.

Low Performing Plans (LPP) get one more year. LPPs, which are Medicare Advantage plans or prescription drug plans with overall ratings of fewer than 3 stars for 3 consecutive years, were supposed to be terminated as of Dec 31, 2014, but the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has decided to give them one more year.

About 165,000 beneficiaries throughout the U.S. and Puerto Rico are in consistently low-performing plans and will receive a notice from CMS reminding them that they can switch to a higher performing plan during the Annual Election Period (AEP) between Oct 15 – Dec 7. If they miss the AEP opportunity, they still have a Special Election Period (SEP) to change to a plan with 3 or more starts in 2015. To use this SEP, beneficiaries must call 1-800-MEDICARE.

Note that:

• This is a one-time SEP for individuals enrolled in a plan indicated with the Low Performance Icon in the Medicare Plan Finder.
• The SEP can only be effectuated by CMS.
• All enrollments under this SEP are prospective (no retro-active enrollments).
• Individuals may use the SEP to disenroll from Medicare Advantage (MA) into Original Medicare.
• A Part D coordinated SEP exists for individuals to enroll in Part D if they select an MA Private-Fee-for-Service plan as long as they make that enrollment at the same time.

Beneficiaries with questions about their plan choices can call their local Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program (HICAP) at 1-800-434-0222. HICAP provides free, individual and unbiased counseling on Medicare questions and ways to supplement Medicare.

Being mugged or randomly attacked in the street often leaves people paranoid and distrustful of others long after the attack, according to a study just published. The research highlights a previously under-recognised consequence of physical assault which will help to inform therapy for those seeking help.

The U.S. Department of Labor has issued two briefs that give recommendations to state and federal policymakers, employers and health care industry leaders on retaining experienced, older workers in the workforce. The recommendations come from the Department’s Office of Disability Employment Policy, which gathered experts on aging, disability and employment to discuss the impact of aging on the national workforce and health care systems.

Researchers have found a gene linked to the most common form of epilepsy that could one day lead to a genetic test for the condition. They suggest the discovery will also give new insights into other neurological conditions such as autism.

Asthma is becoming an epidemic in the United States. The number of Americans diagnosed with asthma grows annually, with 26 million currently affected. And according to a new study, nearly two-thirds or more of all asthmatics also have an allergy, which can make this spring season particularly bothersome.

Our emotional responses to the stresses of daily life may predict our long-term mental health, according to a new study led by a UC Irvine psychologist. The research, which appears online in the journal Psychological Science, suggests that maintaining emotional balance is crucial to avoiding severe mental health problems down the road.

The National Institutes of Health funded a study examining the costs of caring for people with dementia in the United States. The 2010 study reviewed medical costs and costs of informal and unpaid care for people with dementia. The care costs totaled between $159 – $215 billion dollars, rivaling the costs for cancer and heart disease. These findings are especially important as people age 65 and older are expected to double in the next 20 years.

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has charged Dependable Health Services, Inc. (DHS) with disability discrimination under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The San Antonio-based company fired an employee after she returned to work after being hospitalized for stroke-like symptoms. The employee had been medically cleared to return to work, but was still having temporary facial paralysis when she was fired. DHS has agreed to train its staff on the ADA.

A new study of Hong Kong chronic pain patients suggests that targeting feelings of mental defeat could prevent severe depression, anxiety and interference with daily activities. The concept of mental defeat has previously been associated with post-traumatic stress disorder, but the new study applies it to the experience of chronic pain.

Successful Interim Results from Harvard Clinical Trial Followed by Studies at Other Key Research Centers in the U.S. Yokneam, Israel – An emerging technology using focused computer brain exercises may offer new hope to Alzheimer’s patients and their families. The NeuroAD system works like this: patients solve challenging computer exercises ranging from identifying colors, shapes, letters and animals to solving memory games.

For the first time scientists in the US have managed to harvest viable stem cells from human gut, opening the door to a valuable resource for stem cell research. They hope the discovery will also help find new ways to treat inflammatory bowel disease or to alleviate the side effects of chemotherapy and radiation, which often damage the intestines.. Researchers from the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill, and other colleagues, report their findings in the 4 April online issue of Stem Cells.

We all have those morning when we are running to late to work and whatever the reason we skip breakfast and now we are out looking for something quick and easy, so picking up a doughnut and cup of Joe may sounds good.  However this common quick fix for morning breakfast if done too often can land you in the dental chair.

The Academy of General Dentistry has reported findings that show the sugars in oatmeal cookies amount to only one-fifth of the sugars in plain doughnuts, and that the sugars in doughnuts have been identified as a risk factor for gum inflammation and cavities.  In addition the amount of sugar and cream you put in your coffee can also have a direct effect on the amount of cavity-causing bacteria.

Less salt and more potassium in a person’s diet can lower blood pressure and the risk of stroke. Making these simple changes can save millions of lives each year, according to new studies published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ). Scientists have known that reducing the amount of salt people eat can lower their blood pressure, which ultimately reduces the risk of heart disease and stroke. A previous study in the same journal showed that high salt intake is linked to a significantly increased risk of stroke and cardiovascular disease.

A second pathway through which Alzheimer’s develops has been discovered after researchers identified a new set of genetic markers for the disease. Most Alzheimer’s genetic research focuses on amyloid-beta, which contributes to the formation of plaques found in the brains of people suffering from Alzheimer’s. In this study, published in the journal Neuron, researchers were able to identify genes linked to the tau protein, a protein which develops in the brain as Alzheimer’s slowly progresses.

The simple fact is that brushing can not reach the tight spaces between your teeth or under your gum-line. If you are only brushing your teeth you are only getting the job half done.  Which means you are more likely to have tooth decay, bad breath and gum disease. Flossing is easy and only takes a few minutes out of your day.

How to floss:  When flossing do not skimp. You want to use around 18 inches of dental floss.  Wind most of the floss around the middle finger on one hand, and the rest around the middle finger on the other hand leaving about 1 inch to floss your first tooth. Floss one tooth at a time. Use your thumbs and forefingers to gently pull the floss from the gum-line to the top of the tooth to scrape off plaque. Rub the floss against all sides of the tooth. Unwind to fresh floss as you progress to the next tooth.  Make sure to floss daily.