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Is Insurance Company Long Term Stability More Important Than The Financial Stability of Seniors?

by RDavis | Health

The February 19 edition of the Vermont Business Magazine carried a piece written by Dawn Schneiderman, Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont, claiming that if Vermonters are allowed to enroll in Medicare supplemental plans after their initial six month eligibility period costs will rise for everyone else. She does a poor job of defending her position.

To make this issue real look at the current cost of a Vermont Medigap Blue Plan G policy for someone initially enrolling during the initial six month window. It will cost that person $152.33 a month. If that person wants to enroll in that same plan after the six month window it will cost them $268.91 for the same coverage under Vermont Blue 65 Plan G.

Brattleboro Walk-In Clinic Providing Primary Medical Treatment at No Charge to Persons Ages 18-64

by asegar | Health

A reminder that the Brattleboro Walk-In Clinic is open Tuesday evenings with sign-in from 5:00 – 6:30 PM. We’re a non-profit that provides primary medical treatment to persons ages 18-64 in our community, thanks to a pool of volunteer physicians, nurses, nurse practitioners, and receptionists.

Even if you have health insurance, you may hesitate to get medical care because your policy has high deductibles or co-pays. Remember that the Brattleboro Walk-In Clinic does not charge our patients for the medical care we provide.

Harris Hill Ski Jump – Saturday, February 19, 2022 – Results, Highlights and Quotes

by Not Signed In | Recreation & Sports
Ole Kristian Baarset Norway winning jump PepsiChallenge 2022 PHOTO Dana Sprague

The 100th anniversary of the Harris Hill Ski Jumping competition got underway today with the Pepsi Challenge and the US Cup competition. With blustery temperatures in the 20s and snow qualls throughout the day, the weather delayed jumping by two hours. However, the record crowd was committed to staying at the hill to cheer on the 40+ ladies and men who jumped at the iconic 90 meter ski jump in Brattleboro, Vermont.

The biggest jump of the day came at the very end of competition by Norwegian Ole Kristain Baarset who jumped 101.5 meters in his second jump. Today was Baarset’s first time ever jumping at Harris Hill and his first trip ever to the United States. The current Harris Hill record is held by Slovenian Blaz Plavic who jumped 104 meters in 2017. 

The Continuing Threat To Medicare

by RDavis | Health

A few months ago I talked about a threat to the traditional Medicare program beyond the threat that Medicare Advantage poses to the public nature of the program. That threat is called Direct Contracting Entities (DCEs).

The Trump administration initiated the DCE change to push Medicare in the direction of privatization. That kind of move is going to chip away at the equality and near-universal access that Medicare offers because private insurance companies will be more in control of how health care is delivered and paid for.

Harris Hill 100th Anniversary Ski Jump February 19-20, 2022

by Not Signed In | Recreation & Sports

The Harris Hill Ski Jump, the only Olympic sized ski jump in New England, is celebrating its 100th anniversary this weekend, February 18-20 in Brattleboro, Vermont.

On Friday, February 18, an evening of FREE festivities will be held to kick off the weekend and celebrate the community as Harris Hill Ski Jump and The Brattleboro Outing Club celebrate their 100th anniversaries. The evening, which will run from 6-8 pm under the new lights, will include a ski jumping exhibition, local food and beverages and a fireworks display. The Harris Hill Ski Jump and Brattleboro Outing Club were founded by Fred Harris in 1922.

The Common Good Is Becoming Uncommon

by RDavis | Activism

The words “common good” recently popped into my brain and I have been trying to understand what that means in a world that is increasingly being turned upside down on a daily basis. I looked for definitions of the common good and have come up with one, from the web site ThoughtCo, that describes what I am thinking about.

“The “common good” refers to those facilities or institutions that benefit all members of a given community. The common good contrasts with those things that benefit only specific individuals or parts of the community. Examples of elements making up the common good include basic rights and freedoms, police and fire departments, national defense, courts of law, highways, public schools, safe food and water, and natural resources. In most cases, providing the elements of the common good requires a degree of individual sacrifice such as the payment of new or higher taxes. Today, many impactful social problems are caused by the lack or failure of essential elements of the common good.”

Politics Before Science

by RDavis | Health

There was a time when scientists would err on the side of caution and make decisions based on the best outcome for the most people. In the case of how long to isolate or quarantine after a positive test for COVD-19, the CDC has caved-in to politics and shortened the isolation period to five days.

If you look at the science and try to examine all of the available information it is clear that five days is not enough to provide safety to people you come in contact with. The CDC does suggest that after five days of isolation an infected person get re-tested and then wear a mask for another five days. That is almost a concession to the fact that there is a high likelihood they can transmit the virus beyond five days.