Campaign launched to reach uninsured
CHICAGO – A nonprofit group helping to spread the word about President Barack Obama’s health-care overhaul launched a campaign Tuesday that will target states with high numbers of uninsured Americans and tackle their skepticism with straightforward messages.
The “Get Covered America” campaign will include door-to-door visits by volunteers, brochures handed out at farmers markets and churches and, possibly, partnerships with sports leagues and celebrities, said Anne Filipic, a former White House official who recently became president of Enroll America, the group sponsoring the campaign.
The group’s research shows 78 percent of uninsured adults don’t know about opportunities that will be available to them in 2014 under the Affordable Care Act, Filipic said Tuesday during a phone call with reporters. The campaign is expected to cost tens of millions of dollars, including a seven-figure media ad buy.
Study finds housing bias against gay couples
WASHINGTON – A new study finds that same-sex couples are treated less favorably than heterosexual couples when seeking information about rental housing advertised online.
The Department of Housing and Urban Development commissioned the national study, the first of its kind.
It finds that gay and lesbian couples are less likely to receive a favorable response to email inquiries about rental properties than straight couples.
Federal housing laws do not bar discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. But 20 states and Washington, D.C., have passed laws that prohibit discrimination against people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender.
HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan says the Obama administration is committed to making sure people are treated the same when searching for a home, regardless of sexual orientation.
Medical group regards obesity as a disease
The American Medical Association, the nation’s largest physician organization, decided Tuesday to recognize obesity as a disease that requires a range of medical interventions for treatment and prevention.
The decision was made at the group’s annual meeting in Chicago.
Experts in obesity have struggled for years to have obesity recognized as a disease that deserves medical attention and insurance coverage as do other diseases. Previously the AMA and others have referred to obesity as “a major public health problem.”
Associated Press and USA TODAY
