Ceremony held at museum helps mark World AIDS Day

Gainesville Sun
By Christopher Curr

A ceremony at the Florida Museum of Natural History Butterfly Rainforest marked World AIDS Day Monday.
For the HIV positive women and their caregivers in attendance, the setting was significant.

By morphing from a crawling caterpillar into a brightly colored flying butterfly, the butterfly was a symbol of transformation, they said.

The members of the Rural Women’s Health Project Let’s Talk About It peer group who gathered Monday see a similar transformation in their lives.

Walking to a podium to share their stories to […]

The Gainesville Sun

Based on its grade of D on the recent March of Dimes Premature Birth Report Card, Florida needs to do more to avoid the health and societal risks linked to preterm births.

Florida received the grade based on its rate of 13.6 percent preterm births among all births statewide in 2013. The rate was 11.8 percent in Alachua County.

Babies born before the 37th week of pregnancy are considered preterm.

The U.S. rate is far above the rates of other industrialized countries. The […]

Citrus County Chronicle
By Abdon Sidibe

Today is the kick-off of a three-month period when those without health insurance can get it. Officials with the Affordable Care Act are hoping to enroll up to one million Floridians.

Florida was one of the surprises last year when 980,000 residents signed up — the most among the 36 states using the federally run exchange. State lawmakers refused to expand Medicaid, which would have ensured health coverage for all residents. Medicaid provides coverage for low-income families, children, the elderly and […]

Special to The Gainesville Sun
By Lauren Vagelakos

On Saturday, open enrollment will begin for the second year of the Health Insurance Marketplace through the Affordable Care Act.

According to the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation, over 200,000 more Floridians are projected to sign up for health insurance through the Health Insurance Marketplace this year. As an informed consumer, there are a few important things to remember when it comes to your insurance coverage for you and your family as you prepare for Open Enrollment.

Even if you […]

Senior Times Magazine
by Kendra Siler-Marsiglio, PhD

As you know, “walk for your health” is now very common advice. Now studies are showing that just “standing up” provides huge health benefits.

If you take a minute to sit and think about it, you can quickly come to the conclusion that we live in a “Sit Down” society. Most of us sit down to eat, work, and socialize. Running errands? I bet you’re sitting in a car or on a bus to get around.

Here’s what science worldwide is […]

Gainesville Sun
By Christopher Curry

This year, the penalty rises to 2 percent of income, or $325 per person — whichever is higher. The household cap is $975. Next year, the penalty goes up again to between 2.5 percent of income or a $695-per-person fee for individuals. After that, it continues to rise based on inflation.

The penalty rises over time until it is roughly equal to the amount a person would pay to buy insurance.

Some businesses that do not purchase insurance for their employees also […]

The Guardian
Guest column by Lauren Vagelakos

On Saturday, open enrollment will begin for the second year of the Health Insurance Marketplace, commonly known as Obamacare.

For African-American communities, getting health coverage is especially important. In the United States, more than 20 percent of African Americans do not have health insurance. African Americans experience higher rates of certain health issues, such as high blood pressure, prostate cancer and glaucoma.

With affordable health insurance through the Health Insurance Marketplace, residents are able to get coverage that provides them with the […]