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Some Small Businesses Must Cut Employee Health Benefits Or Lay Off Workers Amid Economic Recession
Small businesses increasingly are eliminating their employee health coverage plans because of rising health care premiums and declining revenue attributed to the current economic recession, the Wall Street Journal reports. About 10% of small companies are considering ending their employee health coverage plans over the next year, compared with 3% of small businesses in 2005, according to a recent survey by the National Small Business Association. In 2008, 38% of small companies offered health coverage, compared with 41% in 2007 and 61% in 1993, according to NSBA. According to a Hewitt Associates survey, 19% of all U.S. businesses plan to halt providing health care benefits to their employees in the next three to five years.A rise in health care coverage premiums has contributed to employers eliminating plans, according to the Journal. Premiums for single policies increased by 74% for small businesses from 2001 to 2008, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. According to Scott Krienke, senior vice president of product lines for Assurant Health, health insurance premiums for small businesses increase by 8% to 16% annually on average, with smaller firms often having the highest increases. According to the Journal, many employers are choosing to eliminate health coverage instead of eliminating jobs or closing down their business. Some businesses have chosen instead to shift more health care costs to workers, change health insurers, switch prescription drug plans to encourage employees to purchase more generic drugs or offer employees wellness plans that encourage healthy habits as a strategy to reduce health care costs, the Journal reports (Mattioli, Wall Street Journal, 5/26).

GENEART Supports The UK HIV Vaccine Consortium (UK HVC) In Developing A DNA Vaccine Candidate Against HIV
GENEART AG, global leader in gene synthesis and specialist in the field of Synthetic Biology, announces being awarded a contract for the design and production of two DNA vaccine candidates against HIV by the UK HVC. The genes (blueprints for virus proteins), optimized and customized by GENEART, are to be used as basis for clinical studies.
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A Feasible, Simple And Convenient Model For Study Of Rectal Carcinoma
The method of building a rabbit rectal VX2 carcinoma model by injecting the cell suspension of VX2 cells into the wall of the rectum guided by X-ray fluoroscopy is feasible. The advantages of the model are ease of establishment, short growth period, and high stability. The rectal VX2 carcinoma established in this rabbit model is similar to human rectal carcinoma in aspects of pathological representation, tumor development, and metastasis. It offers an ideal major animal model for the study of rectal carcinoma, and especially profits the study of the staging of rectal carcinoma in imaging.
Cardiovascular

State Regulation Of Massage Therapy Will Improve Public Health, Safety

At its initial meeting today, the State Board of Massage Therapy began drafting preliminary regulations that will protect the health and safety of residents, said Secretary of the Commonwealth Pedro A. Cortes. "By requiring massage therapists in Pennsylvania to obtain proper education, skills and training, we can provide the best and most up-to-date health procedures for the general public," Cortes said. "Creating a freestanding board of regulation for massage therapy will allow practitioners" needs to be more directly addressed, allowing for efficiency and professionalism in business." The State Board of Massage Therapy met today in Harrisburg to begin drafting preliminary regulations, to elect officers and address other operational matters. The board operates under the Department of State"s Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs, which now provides administrative and legal support to 29 professional and occupational licensing boards and commissions. "Professional licensing protects the health, safety and welfare of the public from fraudulent and unethical practitioners," said Commissioner of the Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs Basil L. Merenda. Governor Edward G. Rendell signed Act 118 of 2008 into law on Oct. 8. The act created a board that includes Commissioner Merenda, two public members, the Secretary of Health or designee, the Attorney General or designee, and six professional members. The act requires that the professional members must have practiced massage therapy for at least five years immediately preceding their appointment. The initial board members are: -- Loreli H. Bauer, professional member, Bucks County -- Nicole Beck, Office of Attorney General Designee, Dauphin County -- Toni L. Felice, public member, Butler County -- Susan Gobreski, public member, Philadelphia County -- Robert C. Jantsch, chairman, professional member, Allegheny County -- Martha Kollar Malina, vice chairwoman, professional member, Dauphin County -- Donna K. Ponessa, professional member, Lancaster County -- William F. Vogel, professional member, Allegheny County. An additional professional member will be appointed in the near future, and the Department of Health expects to name its designee shortly. One means of obtaining a license is completion of at least 600 hours of in-class, postsecondary massage education. The education must include training about HIV and related risks, along with cardiopulmonary resuscitation techniques. The act also requires applicants to pass a national examination. A provision of the act "grandfathers" existing practitioners, though they must have been in active practice for at least five years and demonstrated competence to practice. All licensees are required to complete at least 24 hours of continuing professional education every two years. The licensure law restricts use of the titles "licensed massage therapist," "massage therapist," and the abbreviation "L.M.T." to licensed massage therapists only; it also prohibits holding oneself out to others as a massage therapist without licensure. This restriction includes advertising as a massage therapist and using any title or description including massage therapist, massage practitioner, masseur, masseuse, myotherapist or any derivative of these terms. The act generally prohibits licensure of individuals who have been convicted of felonies under the Controlled Substance Act. It also authorizes the board to refuse, suspend or revoke a license if the licensee is convicted of a crime of moral turpitude or a felony, or if the licensee engages in immoral or unprofessional conduct. The licensure law authorizes the board to impose a $10,000 civil penalty on a massage therapist who violates the act, a person who employs a massage therapist in violation of the act, or an individual who holds himself out as a licensee without being properly licensed. Pennsylvania Department of State


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