COP 24/7 Monday Buzz Feed

Six out of ten uninsured African Americans may be eligible for Medicaid, CHIP or tax credits in the Health Insurance Marketplace

95 percent of uninsured African Americans might qualify for lower costs on coverage if all states expanded Medicaid

 

According to a new report released today by the Department of Health and Human Services, six out of ten (4.2 million) uninsured African Americans who may be eligible for coverage through the
Health Insurance Marketplace might qualify for Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), or tax credits to help with the cost of premiums.
 Locally you can contact a direct ACA LGBTQ Help Line at (501) 349-7777 for individual appointments or group enrollments opportunities provided by licensed In-person assister.

If all states took advantage of new opportunities to expand Medicaid coverage under the Affordable Care Act, 95 percent of uninsured African Americans who may be eligible for the Marketplace might qualify for Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), or tax credits to help with the cost of premiums.

“The health care law is working to address long standing disparities in health care coverage and improve the health of the African American community,” said Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius.  “Through the Health Insurance Marketplace, 6.8 million uninsured African Americans have new options for affordable health coverage that covers a range of benefits, including important preventive services with no out-of-pocket costs.“

Today’s report also details uninsurance rates by state and provides several examples of what premiums might look like for African Americans living in major metropolitan areas.  One fifth of uninsured African American citizens and permanent residents live the greater Atlanta, New York, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, and Detroit metropolitan areas.  A 27-year-old in Atlanta with an income of $25,000 can pay as little as $105 a month for a bronze plan after applying the tax credit, while a family of four with an income of $50,000 could pay $148 a month for a bronze plan after applying the tax credit.

Nationwide, about 2 million uninsured African Americans may be eligible for coverage through Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).
States have new opportunities to expand Medicaid coverage to include Americans with family incomes at or below 133 percent of the federal poverty level (generally $31,322 for a family of four in 2013). This expansion includes adults without dependent children living at home, who have not previously been eligible in most states.

An additional 2.2 million eligible uninsured African American adults with family incomes below 100 percent of the federal poverty level live in states that are not expanding Medicaid. The number of uninsured African Americans who may be eligible for access to health coverage at a lower cost would increase from 60 to 95 percent if all states adopted the Medicaid expansion.

To read today’s report, visit: http://aspe.hhs.gov/health/reports/2013/UninsuredAfricanAmericans/ib_UninsuredAfricanAmericans.cfm
To learn more about the Health Insurance Marketplace, including to shop and enroll in coverage online, visit HealthCare.gov.

\You can also enroll by phone by calling our call center 1-800-318-2596 (TTY: 1 855-889-4325) 24 hours a day, 7 days a week where help is available in 150 languages, or you can find in-person help from certified assisters in your area by visiting localhelp.healthcare.gov/.  You can sign up for a health insurance plan through the Marketplace between now and the end of March 2014.


Christmas Caravan Gets Renegade Support

RZN2LV Award winner Renegades for a Cause has gathered an array of entertainers for its next fundraising round up for the Christmas Caravan. This Friday ( 12.13.13) at Miss Kitty's Saloon, 307 West 7th Street, starting at 11 pm.

The show will feature Mr. Justin Case, Gigi Galore, Alotta Cummings, Miss DSRA 2013 Marvella, Imani Starr and many other guest will donate their tips and time for the cause of homelessness. Renegades for Cause has been a fundraising force in the city since 2011 raising funds for a variety of charitable causes both statewide and regionally.

The Christmas Caravan is an annual outreach event December 21 at the Clinton Presidential Center Complex. that provides basic necessities to homeless adults, and toys and other items as gifts for homeless and near-homeless children.

The mission of the Caravan is to ensure that those without homes and those without adequate resources will have the opportunity to experience true joy in the celebration of the season.

This year, they are combining the Christmas Caravan with an Outreach Services event which involves volunteer organizations from throughout the community. These groups will provide homeless citizens of Central Arkansas with access to needed services and resources including medical and dental screenings, entitlement assistance and access to the Affordable Care Act services, legal advocacy, haircuts, and other services. For more info on the Christmas Caravan event go to www.christmascaravan.org or to learn more about supporting or participating in the Caravan, contact event coordinator Sandra R. Wilson at 501-580-6185 or sandra@christmascaravan.org This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Forward Motion Friday

Remembering Mandela

The tributes and accolades continue to come forth concerning the death of former South African President Mandela from all over the world. Yet even as this wonderful poetry set to video by former U.S. Poet Laureate Dr. Maya Angelou can not be overshadowed by hateful and demonstrative comments being left on the YouTube channel where it can be viewed.  I was sicken as the level of the rhetoric and the utter gutter type of remarks posted in a effort to diminish his true contributions to his country and world at large.

No matter where you may fall on the issue of his tactics , beliefs or his final evolution that forgiveness would be his hallmark, consequently as Dr. Angelou stated, "our planet has lost a friend,"
is a simple and yet profound statement to the legacy of a man who will never be forgotten.

Rollout of Repeal HIV Discrimination Act

In advance of World AIDS Day, Senator Chris Coons (D-DE) announced plans to introduce a Senate version of the Repeal Existing Policies that Encourage and Allow Legal (“REPEAL”) HIV Discrimination Act. The Act was previously introduced in the House by Representatives Barbara Lee (D-CA) and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL). Senator Coons has been actively looking for conservative co-sponsors. Senator Coons noted his planned introduction of the law at a World AIDS Day event with the Delaware HIV Consortium (DHC), a member of the AIDS United Public Policy Committee. Thirty-two States and 2 U.S. territories still have criminal statutes based on perceived exposure to HIV. The bill would require the Attorney General, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, and the Secretary of Defense to work with state stakeholders to review laws, policies and cases, develop “best practices,” issue guidance to States and monitor whether/how states change policies related to the treatment of HIV in criminal and civil commitment cases. In his statement, Senator Coons noted that many state and local criminal laws regarding people with HIV run counter to effective public health strategies, discourage HIV testing, and perpetuate unfair stigma and discrimination. “Our laws need to catch up to our science,” he said. AIDS United’s Political Director, William McColl, was quoted in the press release. AIDS United has strongly supported ending laws that criminalize perceived HIV exposure and commended the Senator for his work.

President Obama Focuses on Inequality

In a speech on Wednesday at the Town Hall Education Arts Recreation Campus (THEARC) in the Anacostia area of Washington, D.C., President Obama addressed head-on the issues of increasing inequality and decreasing upward mobility. He said that the combined, decades-long trends pose a “fundamental threat” to “our way of life” and cited them as “the defining challenge of our time.” He noted that the contentious nature of political debates, the recent partial federal government shutdown, and the “admittedly poor execution on my administration’s part in implementing” the rollout of the Affordable Care Act’s health insurance marketplaces have left Americans frustrated that Congress and the federal government are not addressing the economic pain that many are feeling every day. The President pledged to focus the attention of his remaining administration on decreasing inequality and increasing upward mobility.  The President’s speech on inequality comes one month before the 50th anniversary of President Lyndon Johnson’s first State of the Union Address, in which he declared an “unconditional war against poverty in America.” The speech also comes at a time when many conservative Members of Congress seem determined to wage an unconditional war against the hallmark programs that fight poverty, including Medicare, Medicaid, and the food stamps program (now called SNAP). President Obama did not lay out specific initiatives but presented a few key principles that he called a roadmap to guide the legislative agenda and administrative efforts. The principles included the need to push relentlessly for an agenda of economic growth, the need for education and skills building programs, the need to empower workers by strengthening collective bargaining, the need to target programs to communities most impacted by inequality, and the need to revamp retirement plans and the safety net for older Americans. In the speech the President clearly linked passage and implementation of the Affordable Care Act to efforts to reduce inequality, quoting Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who said, “Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health care is the most shocking and inhumane.”

 

Mandela: A Good Bye Salute to a Giant

A Legacy of Grace and Forgiveness for the Ages 

 

 

Since learning of his departure, I echo the global chorus of those who were inspired and uplifted by Former South African President Nelson Mandela. His heroic persistence, continuing evolution and God given vision of knowing that we are all brothers of the earth will resonate to the end of time.

Unfortunately even in death, there have been repugnant voices spewing hate over the Internet in attempts to denigrate his vital contributions to the social consciousness of the world. I can not will not allow much of this revisionist history to overshadow the facts that former President Reagan was an ardent supporter of the apartheid enslavers and was not for the sanctions needed to break this dastardly situation that the nation's black countrymen lived.

 

Let us not forget that the United States own CIA played an significant role in hunting Mr. Mandela while branding him a "terrorist," meanwhile surrendering him to his captors resulting in his 27 yewar long prison stay. It was the cries of "Free Mandela" as the murders continued and state side student groups and a cadre of activist that demanded divestment and free elections in South Africa that we now know that Mandela himself stated that he was willing to die for. 

 

Fortunately, Congress over road Reagan's veto in response to outcries from the citizenry and the mounting global movement to vanquish that system. Through all of this, I was reminded of his personal lost of his last living son, Makgatho Mandela, to a AIDS related illness and his clarion call to his countrymen that, "AIDS is not longer just a disease, its a human rights issue," which resonates to this day.

 Furthermore, he also proclaimed that "By all accounts, we are dealing with the greatest health crisis in human history. By all measures, we have failed in our quest to contain and treat this scourge," is a statement that is eerily prophetic as infections rates among Black gay men, 13-24 continue to alarmingly rise in Arkansas despite this population being only 1 percent of the state's citizens.

Mandela continuously emphasized that this health dilemma must become a global priority is a testament to his determination to not be about politics but the people whom he served to which I fully subscribe and hope to live up to. I would hope that this Black man is the type of man that should be looked up to instead of fluffy pop idols, insipid housewives and characters of little to no substance.

At the opening of the Second International AIDS Society (IAS) Conference on HIV Pathogenesis and Treatment (July 14, 2003), he said "The more we lack the courage and the will to act, the more we condemn to death our brothers and sisters, our children and our grandchildren. When the history of our times is written, will we be remembered as the generation that turned our backs in a moment of a global crisis or will it be recorded that we did the right thing?"

It is my personal goal and challenge to all who read this to ask themselves what are you doing as the "right thing" in supporting those living with HIV and AIDS, as well as, those in the struggle to address this chronic health issue.

Thank you President Mandela for being a beacon of fortitude, a Black man who stood for something when we have leaders who stand for nothing and being a teacher to all that none of us are free until all of us are free. Here's to celebrating your life with honor and dignity. I send prayers and condolences to his family and all of my brothers and sisters of his beloved South Africa.

 

 

Keeping it Real and On Point Wednesday

Indexing COP 24/7

With over more than 155 Million sites and counting, sometimes I think its going to knife fight to get noticed among the hundred's of millions of pathways to discover content that you as a reader may be
seeking. Our recent reboot complete with refreshing our site with more links and access to video streams, it is my goal to be more aggressive about engaging readers and connecting this site to more  platforms including the now burgeoning mobile roll out.

Over the last few months I've been immersed in trying to understand how this site could be more useful as well as revenue driven to sustain it self.

 I have noticed that many blog outpost and other websites are running their courses and many long time content creators such a Pam's House Blend which shuttered in July, the D List which shut down few years ago and many local outlets that came and went in a hurry that we didn't notice that they had left.

Its a tough game and I am trying to learn how to better the game. I've been checking our stats, how we are trending and where we are indexing on the Net. Seems like I've got some catching up to do and how! So as we move forward, there will be additional ads, partnerships, affiliate connections and shout outs with COP 24/7 gear. Who knows what we will do! Stay tuned and if you've got ideas, observations, or come backs, let's get this party re-started!!

And Winners Are...

Congratulations are in order for those nominees of The Living Affected Corporation's RZN2LV
Distinguished Service Awards bestowed during their World AIDS Day 2013 event held December 1, 2013 on the campus of Philander Smith College. The event also served as a platform to launch the organizations RZN2LV campaign designed as another tool in the groups intervention and prevention arsenal.

 Keynote Speaker, Dr. Nathaniel Smith, ADH State Director spoke to the state of HIV/AIDS infections in the state which he cited as "leveling," but countered that additional aggressive methods should be engaged to get Arkansas in the endgame to end such infections. (pictured: Mr. Justin Case/ Renegades )

The campaign is "social media" driven designed to further tease out the organizations scope of work in health disparities with a emphasis on HIV/AIDS messaging to gay men.

The video featured captured snapshots of individuals sharing their "reasons to live," with the ultimate message to be disseminated that knowing one's HIV status should be a primary reason to live.

The video has been uploaded to the group's blog page at www.livingaffected.blogspot.com and RZNLV YouTube Channel. A link to COP 24/7 serves as a community service on the agencies main webpage. (www.livingaffected.org ) (pictured Left to Right: J. Case, Keith W. James M. Kendra J. Connie N. Terry Nash.)

1. Mr. Nathaniel Smith, MD MPH
2. Nu Delta Fraternity (organization)
3. Connie "The C...ondom Lady" Roebuck (advocate)
4. Miss K. Frazier (advocate)
5.Ms. Joyce Bryant (clinician- Jefferson Comprehensive Care Service)
6.Ms. Wanda Douglas (clinician- JCSSI)
7.Ms. C. Hampton (professional - Arkansas Department of Health)
8.Renegades for a Cause (fundraising group)
Rising Star Award: Mr. L.L. Woodley, educator, LRSD
Volunteer of the Year: Mr. James McLaughlin
Again, congratulations to these dedicated community warriors whom demonstrate that the power of one can make a difference and be a reason to live!! Don't forget that you can make those year end tax deductible donations at www.livivngaffected.org  Do it Today!!

 

Finding the Spirit to Keep Moving

Coaching Cornelius

You just never know what life will unfold before you and how it will impact you. At one point I
believed that I was pretty damn lucky to have survived this far but I now understand that a higher  power always had my "6" and had charted a pathway that I was destined to walk. Where it was going, or who I was to meet  or just how all this was to come together seemed like a mystery to me.

 Yet along the way I've uncovered that although I thought I as was just being actually I was being positioned to get prepared for the "universe" to meet me in soulful place to continue for what I was born to do and that being a leader in transforming communities.

At this junction of my life, I'm continuing to learn the lessons of "the laws of attraction," not mention soaking up as much wisdom and as many as purposeful explanations to "what's really going on," that I can find. Recently as the current AHPG (Arkansas HIV Planning Group)  Community Co-Chair, I was afforded a chance to participate in the a leadership and coaching program initiated by the National Minority AIDS Council.(www.namac.org )

 Entitled the "Strengthening Community Leadership to Influence Change Initiative" is a comprehensive program to enhance the leadership capacity of HIV planning leaders to lead change and guide their HIV Planning Groups and Ryan White Planning Councils. The initiative focuses on the role of HIV planners from a community leadership perspective. The goal of this training is to enhance the capacity of HIV Planning Group co-chairs to lead HIV Planning Groups efficiently and to effectively represent and engage their communities. 

The sessions are divided into a group session and most importantly a "one on one" session with my coach Peter Heinrichs whom I have developed great stimulating conversations and dialog since our beginning in late November. Although much of the training is related to my service to the AHPG, it has gone deeper in understanding my leadership style, how I interact with others, and what my "vision board," should mirror who I am destined to be. Through my sessions we've had some "aha" moments and breakthroughs that Peter coached me to continue to unpack, relook, reflect and affirm much that I had lingering in the shadows of my being.

 In one session, he stated to me that as I felt that it was he that was asserting who I was, it was rather myself embracing and owning whom I was always destined to be. These instances when the light bulb goes on, have had me not only looking inward but also taking stock of my use of  "I" statements that may allowed me to limit my self achievements thusly not leveraging opportunities that may have come my way.

 Consequently, my work with Peter culminated in my eventual "I" statement that "I have the courage not be a victim." I am not going to victimized how I see myself or what I may or may not have accomplished thus far. I am a work in progress making my way to defining who will share my space, how I operate within it and creating a body of service that will eventually be my legacy.

Author Louise Hay offers daily affirmations such as "gratitude brings more to be grateful about. Today I am grateful." (www.louisehay.com ) And truly I am grateful for all that I am learning, those who are suppose to meet me and being ready for when the universe shares it bounty on me!!

 

The COP 27 Reboot 2.0 and Thensome

The Overhaul of COP 24/7

What can one say when they are overscheduled, multi-tasking in a dizzying array of teleconferences, personal meetings, group meet up's, video conferences, cross country travel, back logged projects,
moving policy targets and then trying to have a life that encompasses it all. By now most of you and many of you have said it to my face, "WTF!?...how do you do this and who keeps up this type of pace?

The answer, "you can but a price" and often times it can be bone crushing if not downright infuriating that you have put yourself in such a position in the first place. Even as on may think that its their "calling," you have to take a moment to endure a reality bite. With that said, many other components of my lively hood were "deprioritized" resulting in idleness that gave me great angst. Of course COP 24/7 has always been my baby that I had nurtured and keep kicking until I was swept up into the notorious challenge of making a living in the non-profit world. Not to mention the struggle to find a balance plus stay engage with the readership that I had built but unfortunately had not served with updates content.

Expert call this action a "blog killer" in this blink society where you are here today and gone tomorrow if you don't keep the beast you created with the fuel that is needed to keep eyeballs clicking in to see what you are up to. Also, I had some gadgets that I thought was helping with this process but discovered that maybe I didn't have a full understanding of how they worked. Believe it or not, in February of this year I actually had the opportunity to do a an actual presentation at a Regional AIDS conference on "Reaching Gay Men through Social Media." Who Knew?

 I never thought that my little experiment which started over six years ago would take me to a place to use what I have self learned to share with an audience. Amazing to say the least in a journey that has pushed me to learn so much about how the digital revolution is shaping our world.

 COP 24/7 was supposed to be that little blog that perhaps a few folks would read but I have found that it became an important tool to inform, educate and at some times infuriate those who simply don't have the temerity to "stand for something, out loud." Asking the hard questions or questioning the answers takes nerves that can't be rattled or character that can't be diced and sliced by haters who don't want to hear or know most truth.

Although its been hard and often times painstakingly annoying that I don't always demand the time to keep it refreshed as it should, but I affirm that I am moving forward with reassessing my time commitment meanwhile taking a strong look at what's meaningful to myself as well as where I see me moving forward into the future. COP 24/7 may have taken a detour but its is not down for the count. Get set, Get ready, come on through CorneliusOnpoint giving you more of what you been looking for!

 

World AIDS Day 2013: COP 24/7 Staying in the fight to Educate and Empower

World AIDS Day 2013: COP 24/7 Staying in the fight to educate and empower

Our platform, CorneliusOnPoint has been committed in our efforts to raise awareness and the community education viral load concerning this ongoing health dilemma. December 1, 2013 marks the 25th Anniversary of World AIDS Day. COP 24/7 joins with the global community united in the fight against HIV, to affirm and support those living with HIV, and to remember those we have lost from the virus. We applaud President Obama for his leadership through NHAS( National HIV AIDS Strategy) and his insights to equip many phases of the Federal government in addressing this matter as a national health priority. COP 24/7 believes there are great strides to be made based on the theme:

"Getting to Zero:
Zero New HIV Infections. Zero discrimination.
Zero AIDS-related deaths."

We stand firm that our entity will continue to share updates and vital information from our local health department as they monitor the implementation of high impact programming that will support decreasing infection rates across the state. COP 24/7 is further confounded that although statistics show an infection rate plateau overall, this is not the case as new infection rates among Black gay men, 13-24 continue to alarmingly rise in Arkansas despite this population being only 1 percent of the state's citizens. 
 

Furthermore, that many of these new cases are being diagnosed with "co-infections" of STI's ( sexually transmitted infections) such as Syphilis which has been shown as a significant portal for ongoing infections. Moving forward COP 24/7 will seek and demand answers to strategies in place, future developments and policy updates concerning possible barriers and challenges of those in need of such services. We urge the local community not to succumb to "AIDS Fatigue" but rather share your time and treasure with local ASO's and other community based organizations striving to stay viable amidst  budget shortfalls and retreating funding thresholds.
  No life is can be considered collateral damage in the ongoing struggle to raise awareness viral loads in the LGBTQ community and beyond.

Meanwhile it is paramount that area agencies continue to collaborate and cooperate with sharing there expertise and resources as 2014 dawns. Please take a moment to remember a family member, partner, next door neighbor or those who you may have never known.

The "See What had Happen," COP 24/7

"WTF" is not the way I usually start off any conversation, but the last month has been nothing short of mind boggling to say the least. Just how in the heck can a guy keep a home life, work for change in his community, do outreach, be "every women," and produce a blog too! Its just almost damn impossible but believe it or not I've been trying to do it and I've found that something had to give. With that said, this was the reason that COP 24/7 was sorting happening and not happening at the same time. I had hoped to have developed some help with this little production, but that fell through. Then I thought I could do a series of work at least one day a week to make up the difference, but that too became over demanding. And finally it happen, I just couldn't keep up and well that's what happen.  Thank you all who have hit me up with e-mail and notes wanting to know just what the heck is going on with the blog. As you now know, although I love bringing it to my public, the demands on my time just got the best of me and this digital mistress that don't happen with out me. So, I'm not sure just what I'm going to do but I'll do what I can to move forward. I've tried to find contributors to no avail. I thought that maybe I could share the work load with some kindred spirit but its been a no go. And last but not least, I really thought if there was some type of incentive involved that would do the trick, however, finding the right person to make it happen is the key. So far, no takers. Therefore, its back to the drawing board to figure out how to keep giving you more of what you are looking for!
Any suggestions??

GOT HIV?

The International Association of Providers of AIDS Care (IAPAC) today announced the addition of new content on myHIVclinic.org, a multi-language web portal meant to support busy clinicians in the management of HIV-associated comorbidities as well as the promotion of healthy aging with HIV.

The new content focuses on viral hepatitis infection, with particular focus on hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, as well as the prevention and management of tuberculosis (TB) in people living with HIV. 

 

Visit myHIVclinic.org to learn more about and/or to access the web portal's content.

 

 

 

The Freedom Refresh of COP 24/7

Welcome to the newly refreshed, re-booted and re-launch of CorneliusOnpoint. This blog has been on a brief hiatus which allowed me to be involved in numerous projects, other productions and it seemed like even a kitchen sink or two. However, with work plans, agendas and days that go into nights, COP 24/7 sat idle and updated as it awaited a breath of fresh air and a swath of new look and feel including our new logo mash-up that's under development ( see below)

 Even though it I re-vamped the look, I want you to know that our basic tenants of empowerment, education and enlightenment continue to be our hallmark. Also we will not waiver from my walking the edge insights, discussing the topics that often get overlooked and always keeping it on point. Don't forget that we are available on your mobile devices and we will continue to build out on the social networks such as Twitter and Facebook using our Hoot Suite dashboard.

Since our inception I've taken considerable effort to stay trendy while embracing the latest gizmos and widgets that are being deployed. Our newly updated sidebar which pops out from the margins, allows readers to access our links, archives, video stream and our recent addition of a translation widget that offer a "global village" of language options.

 The overall look has been designed to give readers a "fast track" experience with brief story lines, headline items and a capsulized view that is demanded due to our blink culture that desires a quick and to the point reading. Ladies and Gentle and all those who haven't decided, CorneliusOnpoint continues to rise like a phoenix with the passion and power that has forged us to the front as Arkansas Number One leader as the cyber public square for the LGBTQ community and beyond. Stay with us, come grow with us and by all means staying on point with us. Get ready for more of what you've been looking for!  Let me know what you think as more exciting improvements keep coming into 2014.

The Swirl Edition

Producing COP 24/7 and More

It never amazes me at the time and effort that it takes to put this little exercise in citizen journalism and town square piece. For those of you who are new to COP 24/7, welcome. If not, welcome back. According to the Google metrics and analytical tools that allow me to get snapshots of the inner workings or behind the scenes connection of this forum often gives me some surprises. As I've stated many times before, I'm totally blown away at exactly who is "checking in" or stopping by to see what I'm up too.

However, as time would have it, often I get "back logged" and sometimes find myself over loaded with the process of sorting, editing, sifting and doing what I felt is my damn best to keep bringing my audience not only "what's really going on" regionally but staying on point throughout my postings. There has been talk of using this platform as a frame for an "experimental" platform to communicate prevention messages as well as other vital information within the LGBTQ community. So far, its all been lot's of "talk-talk" with some hints that some how someone over the rainbow will perhaps decide that its a good idea. Well, let's not hold our breathe on any of that but you can be assured that if any of this rolls forward, you'll be the first to know. If you think its a good idea, then by all means let's hear from any or all of you.

 So if you roll through and it seems that we may be running behind or caught up in other processes, then don't worry. We are always just a click away from refreshing and updating! If you are not following us, then why not? Do it today and don't forget to share your comments or observations.


New USPSTF HIV Testing Recommendation Paves the Way for Increased Testing and Timely HIV Diagnosis in the U.S.

This week, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) released a new Recommendation Statement on screening for HIV, giving a “Grade A” recommendation for routine HIV screening for all people aged 15 to 65, as well as younger adolescents and older adults who are at an increased risk for HIV infection. It also gave a “Grade A” recommendation for HIV screening for all pregnant women, including those in labor whose HIV status is unknown. (Read a fact sheet  [PDF 120KB] about the new USPSTF HIV screening recommendations.)

Implementation of these recommendations will aid substantially in efforts to improve the HIV treatment cascade and achieve the goals of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy.

The new Recommendation Statement aligns with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Revised Recommendations for HIV Testing of Adults, Adolescents, and Pregnant Women in Health-Care Settings, issued in 2006. In that document, the CDC recommended that opt-out HIV screening be a part of routine clinical care for American adolescents and adults aged 13-64.

Contact your local health provider or primary care physician for more information on screening availability or referrals.


Get your Tickets today! Its going to be sell out...do it at www.trdfmemphis.com

 

Staying Wired and COP Connected

Alicia Keys Introduces New National “EMPOWERED” Campaign, Reaching U.S. Women on All Platforms

Editorial Note: Many organizations are using new media channels to reach communities in the response to HIV/AIDS. Recently, we asked our colleagues at the Kaiser Family Foundation to share some information on the EMPOWERED campaign. The following guest post is about EMPOWERED, an example of a national campaign using traditional and new media. Among federal examples, the CDC’s Act Against AIDS
 has taken a similar approach.

---

 On April 15  in Washington, D.C, as she introduced EMPOWERED , her new campaign developed as part of the Greater Than AIDS initiative , recording artist Alicia Keys called on the women of America to use their power to help bring an end to AIDS.

“Women and girls have been affected by HIV since the start, but that impact has not been recognized,” Ms. Keys said. “And as the sisters, mothers, daughters, and caregivers, we are the backbones of families, communities, and entire societies. We will never see an AIDS-free generation without harnessing the power and strength of women.”

 

EMPOWERED is a new, national cross-platform HIV awareness campaign that includes TV, radio, and outdoor and print ads , in addition to digital content and social media. By joining with Greater Than AIDS, Alicia Keys is reaching women in the U.S. in everyday ways—on their computers, on their phones, at bus stops—to make everyday choices that can change the course of this epidemic.

EMPOWERED’s digital focus revolves around the powerful stories of five women living with HIV in the U.S. Alicia Keys met with these women and they shared their struggles and triumphs living with HIV. A six-minute signature video excerpt of that conversation was released exclusively online, then promoted widely with direct prompts to watch the video from all outdoor ad placements and through social media distribution by both Greater Than AIDS and Ms. Keys.

 

One recent Tweet from Ms. Keys read, “Its time2change the way we think about HIV. We R #EMPOWERED ! I’m so moved by this,” with a link to the video. The video has also been featured widely on online media sites, including BET, Huffington Post, and the Grio. Greater than AIDS will make a 30-minute version of the video to community groups, for use at events that serve and educate women.

 

EMPOWERED also continues to roll out new online exclusive features, including five recently released personal profile videos for each of the women in the EMPOWERED signature video with Alicia Keys. These intimate portraits of the women, whose faces grace the EMPOWERED outdoor ads, allow a greater understanding of their EMPOWERED statements and what led each to speak out about HIV. By creating layers of content that build as viewers explore different platforms, EMPOWERED creates a rich learning experience, with the ultimate endpoint of informational resources on HIV prevention, testing, and treatment.

 

As the campaign goes on, Greater Than AIDS and Ms. Keys will use social media to continue to promote these online features and the actions every woman can take in her own life to protect herself from HIV. Already the campaign has received a wave of positive feedback. For example, a recent Facebook posting by Ms. Keys of photos from the EMPOWERED launch event garnered nearly 49,000 “likes.” An online call out from Ms. Keys for responses to the EMPOWERED video started a conversation among commenters, such as, “This really changed my perspective about HIV,” “I cried watching this,” “Newly diagnosed, thank you.”

 

Through dialogues about HIV, Alicia Keys CAN help to change the way America thinks about HIV/AIDS. We are EMPOWERED .

May Poles and More

May Is Hepatitis Awareness Month

By Ronald Valdiserri, M.D., M.P.H., Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health, Infectious Diseases, and Director, Office of HIV/AIDS and Infectious Disease Policy, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Dr. Ronald Valdiserri

May 1 marks the start of the month-long observance of Hepatitis Awareness Month. The observance is an important element of government-wide efforts to raise awareness about viral hepatitis and decrease health disparities by educating communities about the benefits of viral hepatitis prevention, testing, care, and treatment.

Throughout the month of May, HHS and our partners who support the Action Plan for the Prevention, Care and Treatment of Viral Hepatitis will be engaged in a variety of activities to increase awareness—among the public and healthcare providers—about viral hepatitis, including the importance of testing, the availability of care and treatment, and associated adverse health effects resulting from undiagnosed and untreated viral hepatitis. In the coming weeks, we’ll be sharing several blog posts about implementation of the Action Plan.

On May 19, we will observe the second annual Hepatitis Testing Day. Viral hepatitis is the leading cause of liver cancer and the most common reason for liver transplantation in the United States. An estimated 4.4 million Americans are living with chronic hepatitis; most do not know they are infected. This places them at greater risk for severe, even fatal, complications from the disease and increases the likelihood that they will spread the virus to others.

Hepatitis Testing Day was established in the Action Plan as a means to raise awareness and educate health care providers and the public about who should be tested for chronic viral hepatitis. Unfortunately, many communities and populations remain uninformed about various facets of viral hepatitis, including associated adverse health effects, the need for testing and care, and the availability of vaccines (for hepatitis A and hepatitis B) and treatment – especially priority populations at high risk for viral hepatitis, such as injection drug users; people living with HIV; gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men; baby boomers (people born between 1945-1965); African Americans; and Asians and Pacific Islanders.

Please join us in promoting both of these important observances—Hepatitis Awareness Month and Hepatitis Testing Day—to enhance public awareness of viral hepatitis prevention, testing, care and treatment across the United States. Here are a few things you can do:

• Learn more about awareness activities, including testing events, taking place in communities around the country to mark Hepatitis Testing Day. This page from CDC allows people to search for Hepatitis Testing Day events taking place near them in May. Event organizers can also list their events.
• Review the web badges, digital tools, fact sheets, posters and other resources available from CDC on this page and find one you can use this month.
• Take this 5-minute online hepatitis risk assessment developed by the CDC and get a personalized report on hepatitis testing and vaccination recommendations.
• Read more about the Viral Hepatitis Action Plan on our recently updated page.

Won’t you please commit to learning more yourself and/or sharing information about viral hepatitis with at least two other people this month?  Working together, we can raise greater awareness about the epidemic of viral hepatitis in the United States and, in so doing, make great strides in improving the health of persons who are at risk for or living with viral hepatitis.

Welcome to 2nd Quarter 2013

A Simpler Way to Apply for Health Care
by Kathleen Sebelius,  Secretary of Health and Human Services

Editor's Note: The Affordable Care Act, commonly known as "Obamacare," will have several access points throughout the state. The Living Affected Corporation has been selected as a designated point within the LGBTQ community. Through this organization individuals and or families will be able to get "in-person" assistance as everyone is give access to an insurance marketplace to choose appropriate coverage for their circumstances. For more information contact the group at 501.379-8203 or info@livingaffected.com

Today, we take one more step toward meeting the promise of helping millions of Americans access quality, affordable health coverage.

We have finalized the application you can complete later this year to learn what health insurance programs you are eligible for and the discounts to help pay for it. Starting in October, it will be the Health Insurance Marketplace, Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program, and tax credits that will help pay for premiums.
one application you can use to apply for the new

I’m also pleased to say the application has been simplified and significantly shortened. The application for individuals is three pages, and the application for families is reduced by two-thirds, to seven pages.

This is much shorter than industry standards for health insurance applications today.
Whether you choose to use this application to apply for coverage online, by phone, or on paper, the Health Insurance Marketplace will give you better options than they have today – with one destination to apply and many resources to get help.

In-person counselors and a toll free phone line will be available to help you through every step of the process.
The online application that will go live on Healthcare.gov when the Health Insurance Marketplace opens for enrollment on October 1, can be found here: http://cciio.cms.gov/resources/other/index.html#hie
You can sign up to learn more and get ready to enroll at signup.healthcare.gov.
 

April Roll Out and Away

 

 

U.S. Preventive Services Task Force Issues Final Recommendation Statement on Screening for HIV

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (Task Force) today released its final recommendation

statement on screening for HIV. The Task Force recommends that clinicians screen all people aged 15 to 65, as well as younger adolescents and older adults who are at an increased risk for HIV infection. It also recommends that all pregnant women, including those in labor whose HIV status is unknown, also be screened for HIV.

“While the best way to reduce HIV-related disease and death is to avoid getting infected, screening is also extremely important,” says Task Force member Douglas K. Owens, M.D., M.S. “Nearly a quarter of people with HIV don’t know that they have it, and they’re missing out on a chance to take control of their disease. Universal screening will help identify more people with HIV, allowing them to start combined antiretroviral therapy earlier and live healthier and longer lives.”

The Task Force found that although there is no cure for HIV infection, treating people with HIV earlier can not only reduce their risk of developing AIDS and delay its onset, but it also decreases the chance that they will pass on the infection to someone else. Treating pregnant women also reduces the chances that the virus will be transmitted to their babies.

“HIV is a critical public health problem and, despite recent medical advances, still a devastating diagnosis for the 50,000 people in the United States who contract HIV each year. In order to help reduce the suffering of those with HIV and their loved ones, we must continue finding better ways to prevent and treat this disease,” says Task Force chair Virginia Moyer, M.D., M.P.H.
Other groups, such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), American College of Physicians, and the American Academy of Pediatrics, have similar recommendations for HIV screening.

“Primary care clinicians can play an important role in reducing HIV-related disease and death,” states Dr. Owens. “That is why our recommendation, which closely aligns with the HIV screening guidelines from the CDC, encourages clinicians to screen their patients for HIV.”

The Task Force’s recommendations have been published online in the Annals of Internal Medicine, as well as on the Task Force Web site at: http://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org . A fact sheet that explains the recommendation statement in plain language is also available.
The Task Force is an independent, volunteer panel of national experts in prevention and evidence-based medicine that works to improve the health of all Americans by making evidence-based recommendations about clinical preventive services such as screenings, counseling services, and preventive medications.

Round Up and OUT

Community Climb Shaping Up

The Living Affected Corporation is continuing its planning for a community building exercise through supporting a 1 pm climb/walk along the Ouachita trail which is adjacent to the Pinnacle State Park Visitors Center.
Participants are encouraged to gather at the Rocky Valley trail picnic area which will host the event featuring locally based groups whom will share their missions and involvement within the LGBTQ community as well as field questions from those in attendance. According to organizers, a free mini-cook out and beverages will be available on first come, first serve basis. If you are interested in volunteering with set-up, clean-up or service during the event hit up cornelius@livingaffected.org  The Living Affected Corporation is a statewide 501 c3 charitable organization with the mission to transform communities through holistic well-being by providing, education and advocacy. The organization is committed to promoting empowerment and inclusion while decreasing the prevalence of HIV/AIDS by pursuing social justice, equality and sexual health within the LGBGTQ community and beyond.


A Simpler Way to Apply for Health Care

By Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of Health and Human Services
Cross-posted from HealthCare Blog

Today, we take one more step toward meeting the promise of helping millions of Americans access
quality, affordable health coverage.

We have finalized the application you can complete later this year to learn what health insurance programs you are eligible for and the discounts to help pay for it. Starting in October, it will be the one application you can use to apply for the new Health Insurance Marketplace, Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program, and tax credits that will help pay for premiums.

I’m also pleased to say the application has been simplified and significantly shortened. The application for individuals is three pages, and the application for families is reduced by two-thirds, to seven pages. This is much shorter than industry standards for health insurance applications today.

Whether you choose to use this application to apply for coverage online, by phone, or on paper, the Health Insurance Marketplace will give you better options than they have today – with one destination to apply and many resources to get help. In-person counselors and a toll free phone line will be available to help you through every step of the process.

The online application that will go live on Healthcare.gov when the Health Insurance Marketplace opens for enrollment on October 1, can be found here:

http://cciio.cms.gov/resources/other/index.html#hie
You can sign up to learn more and get ready to enroll at signup.healthcare.gov.

Franklhy Speaking Friday

2013 National Transgender Health Summit

Cosponsored by the UCSF Center of Excellence for Transgender Health and the World Professional Association for Transgender Health, the National Transgender Health Summit aims to provide a
multidisciplinary program presenting cutting edge research in transgender health and evidence-based clinical training curricula for healthcare providers of all backgrounds.

The National Transgender Health Summit will take place May 17-18, 2013, at the Oakland Marriott City Center in Oakland, California, and will feature programming by world-renowned experts in the field of transgender health on a variety of tracks. For more information, email transhealthsummit@ucsf.ed




COP 24/7 Executive Producer cited as Flamethrower

The Red Door Foundation has formally announced recipients of their annual FlameThrower Award to be presented during it's June 8 gala in Memphis Tennesse. According to organizers. It is their goal to recognize indiviudals for years of blazing trails in entertainment, leadership, community, medicine, public health and advocacy for the African American LGBTQ Community to follow.
As Executive Producer of this forum as well as my community connections, I'm proud to have been chosen to be recognized by the nominations and award selection committees. I find it exciting to share this award among those other designated as flamethrowers in the respective disciplines or professions.

 

Per their official press release, I would like to take this opportunity to announce whom you will sharing this special occasion with:

Entertainment: Terryl Buckner- Memphis Black Pride- Memphis, Tennessee

Leadership: Dr. June Gipson- My Brother's Keeper, Inc.- Ridgelake, Mississippi

Public Health: Dwayne Jenkins- Brothers United Network, Inc.- Nashville, Tennessee

Advocacy: Diedra Levi- The Living Affected Corporation- Little Rock, Arkansas

Community: Cornelius Mabin- The Living Affected Corporation- Little Rock, Arkansas

Medicine: Dr. Leandro Mena- University of Mississippi Medical Center

You can find an official promotional flyerhttp://www.trdfmemphis.com/).

April Periscopes UP and OUT

Devastating Gay Viral Video Turned Film Wins Award and Presidential Praise

Director Linda Bloodworth Thomason's documentary got $25,000 prize after wowing audiences, including former President Clinton, at Tribeca Film Fest.

BY Diane Anderson-Minshall

Shane Bitney Crone's devastating 2012 Youtube video, chronicling his relationship with his late fiance, inspired Bridegroom, the documentary directed and co-produced by Linda Bloodworth Thomason, the creator of Designing Women. That riveting and moving documentary about love and loss, was announced as the winner of Tribeca's Heineken Audience Award for the Documentary last night at the wrap party in New York City. The award comes with a cash prize of $25,000.

"We are shocked. We were so grateful to just be selected for the Festival; we never imagined we would win the audience award," said Bloodworth Thomason. "Hopefully the power of this story will propel the film into theaters across America and beyond.”

Former President Bill Clinton introduced Bridegroom at the film's premiere, saying, "This is really on one level a wonderful, sad, heartbreaking, yet exhilirating and life-affirming story, and on another level, it's a story about our nation's struggle to make one more step in forming a more perfect union, for which marriage is both the symbol and the substance. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did."

Bridegroom will screen on Sunday, April 28, as will the rest of the films that won awards at the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival. Full details and specific timing can be found at TribecaFilm.com.

Local Community Based LA Corp Recognized by RED Door Foundation 

 

Congratulations to The Living Affected Corporation's founder and CEO, Diedra Levi and colleague COP 24/7 Execurtive Producer, Cornelius Mabin on being selected as "Flamethrower" honorees of the Red Door Foundation. This important recognition continues to engergize my comittment to bridging my online persona and my work throughout the local LGBTQ community and beyond. Even though I certainly appreciate being singled out for my body of work, what matters for myself is the imagery, communication and leadership I attempt to provide to those future "flamethrowers" who will fill my blazed path. I encourage my readers, supporters and subscribers to consider sharing a monetary gift with this vital community based organization that is pursuing chainging social norms and transforming individuals through advoacy and empowerment. Go to www.livingaffected.org to make your tax deductiable contribution.    

Raging the Machine Forward and More

Marriage Equality Discussed on Minority Matters

On yesterday I was asked to participate in a round table discussion on AETN's Minority Matters talk show hosted by Sylvester Smith. The topic was concerning the marriage equality question with Rev. Wendell Griffin of New Millennium Church and myself representing the favorable position with
Family Council President and lobbyist, Jerry Cox and Rev. Aaron Agnew of the Word of Outreach Christan Center who are opposed to the measure. Now let me be clear, I'm not exactly sure if I was the best choice to discuss the matter but nevertheless I got the opportunity to at least try to share my concept of the issue. The week prior to the appearance I was a bit torn as to what will I say and what will they say that I may need to have a response to. Although I had done media appearance previously, I wasn't spooked about that aspect but rather being prepared to discuss marriage equality as a single issues as opposed to my view that as a people we are not "single silo" dedicated bur rather a wide berth of issues ranging from economic parity to food justice.

Yet marriage equality has become the "hot button" topic that is being discussed all over the place. As usual and as I had suspected, Mr. Cox and Agnew took positions rooted in their evangelical background. Especially the "slippery slope" tactic that marriage equality will cause marriage to suddenly go into decline. Then Agnew rolled out the tale of "Sodom and Gomorrah" which is a favorite diatribe of those whom oppose anything LGBTQ. Rev. Griffin cited that religion has been used as a means to deride everything from Galileo to marginalizing communities.

My distinct points were that if we are a nation that chides other nations on their human rights abuses and the lack of civil rights being extended then how can we as a country continue to deny a segment of its citizens the fundamental right to choose who they love and how that love is to be celebrated. Cox retorted that we are tyring to "redefined marriage," of which I don't agree. Marriage for many years has been redefined by heterosexuals in many ways including those who are not formally "married" with no papers or ceremony. Ultimately everyone will be awaiting the decision of the Supreme Court in its ruling concerning DOMA ( Defense of Marriage Act) and California's Prop 8 which was recognized the one man/ one women recognition.

Furthermore, there are long distance marriages, loveless marriages, and those who have had multiple marriages. Of course there was no way to sum this complex issue up in about 27 minutes. However, I felt good to at least have had the chance to chime in on the discussion while keeping a positive image in the public eye.  To help further the discussion and your awareness of the issue I'm posting some key points for your consideration. If you got observations, comments or viewpoints to share, let's hear them!!

MARRIAGE BENEFITS

 

Civil marriage will give same-sex couples the same economic security, protections and peace of mind that is enjoyed by heterosexual married couples.
There are 400 state benefits and 1,100+ federal benefits granted to married couples. Here are just a few:

• Access to employer-provided health and retirement benefits for partner and nonbiological/adoptive children.
• Access to partner's coverage under Medicare and Social Security.
• Ability to visit or make medical decisions for an ill or incapacitated partner.
• Right to sue for wrongful death of partner.
• Ability to sponsor one's partner for immigration.
• Marital children gain family stability and economic security because of their parents' legal marriage that is inaccessible to nonmarital children, including the enhanced approval of marital children in society and streamlined adoption processes.
• Access to health benefits and inheritance from both parents.
• Right to maintain a relationship with the non-biological/adoptive parent in the event of the death of one parent (in states without same-sex second-parent adoptions).
• Joint insurance policies for home, auto and health.
• Joint parenting and Joint adoption.
• Bereavement or sick leave to care for a partner or child.

 

Rainbow Spotlights and Highlights

Even though I've been seeking content contributors or item of interest from parties that would like to showcase their work, so far the response has been nothing more than "crickets." Imagine that? I realized that the new frontier of the Internet is now allowing folks to say almost anything, any time or anywhere. So I guess my asking individuals to share their thoughts here doesn't seem to warrant the attention that one would think. So we go on with bringing you fresh content and sourced materials from unique places. Case in point is my discovery of the website Healthy Black Men which contains a variety of interesting items and topics that had me searching the site with vigor. Now for those of you who want to go left with the backtalk, "why is there a Healthy Black Men website as oppose to a "Health White Men" site,?" Well that's because there are plenty of outlets that target the health of white men when there's not such for men of color. Its just that simple. Now with that said, I hope that you will enjoy the piece below that features the story of Nevada Senator Kelvin Atkinson. His story is important to me because this forum has always been about demonstrating that none of us can assume anything about who is apart of the rainbow spectrum. If you've got a coming out story that you want to share, you can always do it in this medium. Have a great week and keep coming back to COP 24/7 for all our best!

Coming Out’ is Healthier

Being open about their sexual orientation offers health benefits for lesbians, gays and bisexuals, according to a new study. But it also underscores the recent ‘Coming Out’ of state Nevada senator, Kelvin Atkinson.

Researcher Robert-Paul Juster, of the Centre for Studies on Human Stress at the University of Montreal’s Louis H. Lafontaine Hospital said “Our goals were to determine if the mental and physical health of lesbians, gay men and bisexuals differs from heterosexuals and, if so, whether being out of the closet makes a difference.”
He and his colleagues looked at 87 men and women, about age 25, who had different sexual orientations (gay, lesbian, bisexual or heterosexual) and found that lesbians, gays and bisexuals who were out to others had lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol and fewer symptoms of anxiety, depression and burnout. When a person is under chronic stress, cortisol contributes to “wear and tear” on a number of the body’s systems. This strain is called allostatic load, the study said.

It was just April 22^nd when the Nevada state senate debated a measure that would allow voters to repeal the State’s constitutional ban on same-sex marriage. The chamber debate made national news when Nevada Senator Kelvin Atkinson, supporting repeal of the ban, announced: “I’m 44 years old. I have a daughter. I’m Black. I’m gay. I have dealt with a lot of what folks are talking about…If [gay marriage] hurts your marriage, then your marriage was in trouble in the first place.”

What was most powerful about Sen. Atkinson’s testimony was the recognition of his intersecting identities as a means for challenging beliefs that serve to further marginalize and oppress the LGBT community. Through acknowledging that he is a Black Gay Man who also happens to be an established lawmaker and father, Sen. Atkinson provided an alternative narrative and face to what it means to be gay. As a result, he was able to boldly challenge the arguments of his colleagues by simply being visible.

The public proclamation made Senator Atkinson the fifth openly LGBT member of the Nevada legislature and the first openly Black gay man to hold legislative voting power in the State. Nationwide, many LGBT people and allies praised the Senator for his courageous decision to “come out” and share with his colleagues how homophobic comments have personally affected him. The moment also demonstrated the impact openly identifying as gay, and discussing the experiences attached to that identity, can play in inspiring others and generating social change. And if research is any indication, ‘coming out’ of the closet may also be a good way to relieve anxiety and mental stress.

Mr. Corey Yarbrough is a co-founder of the Hispanic Black Gay Coalition (HBGC) and serves as the organization’s Executive Director. He serves as a Contributor for Healthyblackmen.org.