Ukraine war latest: US embassy in Kyiv closes after 'specific' threat; Biden approves use of US anti-personnel mines – Sky News

Ukraine war latest: US embassy in Kyiv closes after 'specific' threat; Biden approves use of US anti-personnel mines – Sky News

British-made Storm Shadow missiles have been fired into Russian territory by Ukraine for the first time, a source has told Sky News. Listen to the latest Daily podcast as you scroll.
Wednesday 20 November 2024 22:01, UK
We reported earlier that the US embassy in Kyiv would reopen tomorrow and operate as normal (see post at 6.37pm).
This is after it was closed today after receiving what it said was “specific information of a potential significant air attack”.
US ambassador to Ukraine, Bridget A. Brink, has now said US citizens must “remain vigilant” and “monitor official Ukrainian sources for updates”.
She also said people should “prepare to shelter in place if an air alert is announced”.
If you’re just checking in, here is a roundup of the key developments that have taken place so far today.
Ukraine fired British Storm Shadow missiles into Russia
British-made Storm Shadow missiles were fired into Russian territory by Ukraine for the first time, a source told Sky News.
Earlier this week, news broke that the US would allow Ukraine to fire long-range ATACMS missiles against Russia.
The UK government then faced questions over whether it would do the same, and Sir Keir Starmer dodged queries on the matter during a G20 summit. 
A spokesperson for the prime minister said his office would not be commenting on reports or operational matters. 
Nor has Ukraine confirmed the use of the Storm Shadow missiles in Russia, but their deployment has been widely reported.
Biden approves provision of anti-personnel mines
Joe Biden approved the use of American anti-personnel landmines in Ukraine, a US official told Reuters.
The move could help slow Russian advances in the east of the country or help Ukraine defend the territory it has occupied in Kursk.
According to reports, the US expects Ukraine to use the mines in its own territory and it has committed not to use them in areas populated by civilians.
US closed Kyiv embassy after warning of ‘significant air attack’
This morning, the US temporarily closed its embassy in Kyiv after receiving what it said was “specific information of a potential significant air attack on November 20”.
Later in the evening, the state department said the embassy would reopen tomorrow and operate as normal.
Netherlands delivers last F-16 fighter jets
The Netherlands handed the final two of 18 promised F-16 fighter jets to a training facility in Romania, where Ukrainian pilots and ground staff are being taught to fly.
The Netherlands has been one of the driving forces behind an international coalition to supply Ukraine with F-16s to strengthen its air defence against the Russian invasion.
Hundreds of people in Belarus who have shown solidarity with Ukraine have been arrested in a sweeping crackdown under President Alexander Lukashenko, a report shows.
At least 1,671 Belarusians have been detained for their anti-war stance or for expressing solidarity with Ukraine, and at least 200 of them have been given prison sentences ranging from one to 25 years during the war, according to a report by the Viasna human rights centre.
In addition to the arrests, convictions and prison sentences, the report alleges that people have been tortured, held in inhumane conditions and given fines, with some subjected to forced psychiatric treatment.
For context: Belarus shares a 670-mile border with Ukraine, and the two countries have longstanding cultural and historic ties. 
Lukashenko, who has ruled Belarus for more than 30 years, has relied on Moscow’s subsidies and support and is a close ally of Vladimir Putin.
He allowed the Kremlin to use his country’s territory to invade Ukraine in February 2022, as well as to deploy some of Russia’s tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus.
Belarusian authorities have intensified their crackdown on dissent ahead of a presidential election in January, in which Lukashenko is seeking a seventh term.
Joe Biden is trying to get as much weaponry into Ukraine before Donald Trump returns to the White House, our US correspondent Mark Stone says.
“I think it is Trump-proofing to a certain extent – getting in as much as possible to help Ukraine before Trump finds, as he says, peace in a day,” he says.
“Everyone wants peace but the concern is what that peace looks like and whether Ukraine manages to regain territory taken from it by Russia.
“The Biden administration is trying to get as much weaponry into Ukraine now so that it can be in as strong a position as possible when the time comes for negotiation.”
Even though they won’t admit it in this current administration, “they too believe that at some point the two sides will need to sit down”, Stone notes.
“But they need Ukraine to be in a strong position.”
The risks are too great for Vladimir Putin to start a nuclear war, former defence minister Tobias Ellwood has told Sky News this evening.
Mr Ellwood said there had been a “lack of commitment” from the West to give the Ukrainians the weapons they need since the war began in 2022.
“Hesitance and delay has given the space for Russia to rearm and regroup,” he said.
“Finally we are doing this but it is very late in the day, possibly too late. I hope Germany will follow suit.”
Asked about Putin’s threats to escalate the war if Ukraine attacks Russia with Western-supplied long-range missiles, he noted it was something to be “concerned” about but also added that any escalation would put the Russian leader in a difficult place.
“Were Putin to use a nuclear weapon he would immediately alienate his two biggest security allies – India and China,” he said.
“They would distance themselves and that would affect his economy. It would also go down badly in Russia.
“There would also be retaliation by the West, particularly the US and UK.
“I have no doubt that every F-35 would then be launched to take out Russian assets in Ukraine. The consequences would be huge.
“Would Putin be willing to risk all that? I don’t think so at all.”
The Kremlin is attempting to apply “pressure” with increased strikes so “Western allies and Ukraine blink first”, a Ukrainian MP has told Sky News.
Yevheniya Kravchuk said the pressure on Kyiv “will be enormous in the coming months”, both on the battlefield but also for civilians as Russia ramps up its attacks.
“The Kremlin understands that they need to apply this pressure so that Western allies and Ukraine will blink first and fall into this emotional drain,” she said.
“But I would say we are under much better conditions right now – we produce our own weapons, we have a lot of weapons from allies and it’s not as gloomy as it was on the first day of the full scale invasion.”
Asked if Ukraine would accept a deal that involved the loss of the territory in Russian hands, she said: “I can just repeat the words of Volodymyr Zelenskyy – we understand not all Ukrainian territories that are occupied can be returned from a military point of view.
“We do not want to send our best people to fight for every inch.
“But it can be returned in a diplomatic way – if not now, then later.
“It’s one country that attacked another sovereign country and if we decide it’s okay for another country to take the land then we will have problems in other corners of the world.”
The US embassy in Kyiv will reopen tomorrow and operate as normal, the state department has said.
The embassy closed this morning after information about a “significant air attack” on Kyiv came to light (see post at 5.47am). 
The decision to close came days after the Biden administration announced it would allow US-made long-range weapons to be fired into Russia. 
The Italian, Spanish and Greek embassies also closed. 
If there has been escalation in the war over the past couple of weeks it is from Russia, chief correspondent Stuart Ramsay says.
While Moscow may view Ukraine’s use of UK-supplied Storm Shadow missiles as escalatory, Ramsay says, it only brings Kyiv to more of a level playing field. 
“The Ukrainians have been after this for a very long time. They want to be able to attack bases where drones and missiles from Russia are launched from,” he says.
This includes military bases and supply routes.
While Russia may be talking about escalation, he says, “they are able to hit any city in Ukraine at any given time and have been doing so since the war started”.
“The escalatory rhetoric from Russia will continue but I have to say over the last couple of weeks if there has been escalation it is from Russia,” he adds.
“They have carried out big drone and missile attacks.
“It has been escalating and it was perhaps inevitable that this permission was going to be given first by Joe Biden and now apparently by the British government.
“It was inevitable.”
Investigations have been launched into the destruction of two fibre-optic communications cables earlier this week: one linking Finland and Germany and the other connecting Sweden and Lithuania.
Some fingers were quickly pointed at Russia, with Western nations expressing concerns about “hybrid warfare”.
Here, OSINT editor Adam Parker takes a look at the incidents’ possible links to China…
The Danish military says it is staying close to a Chinese ship in the country’s waters amid an investigation into damage caused to underwater cables in the Baltic Sea.
Sky News’ Data & Forensics unit has analysed marine tracking data that shows the Chinese ship Yi Peng 3 left the Russian port of Ust-Luga on 15 November. It passed close to both internet cables around the time each was damaged on Sunday and Monday.
The Danish navy has been following the Chinese-flagged carrier since Monday evening using at least five different patrol ships as it travelled through Denmark’s waters, according to data from MarineTraffic.
The Yi Peng 3 has now stopped in the Kattegat Sea area and is currently at anchor with a Danish navy ship anchored close by.
The Danish Armed Forces told Sky News they are “present in the area near the Chinese ship Yi Peng 3”.
Sweden is “taking a hard look” at vessel Yi Peng 3 and the role it might have played, a source familiar with the investigation told the Financial Times.
Read on here…
Millions interned in camps? Assassinations? Political imprisonments? That is what America’s leading liberal commentator Rachel Maddow – and The World podcast’s first guest – says could happen during Trump’s next stint in the White House.   
Richard and Yalda also bring listeners up to date with the conflict in Ukraine and the latest developments in the Middle East, as both are just back from the region. 
Click here to watch the full episode on YouTube. 
To get in touch or to share questions for Engel and Hakim, email theworld@sky.uk.  
Episodes of The World with Richard Engel and Yalda Hakim are available every Wednesday on all podcast platforms.
Be the first to get Breaking News
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2024 Election Implications: Healthcare Organizations & Health Policy – Forvis Mazars

2024 Election Implications: Healthcare Organizations & Health Policy – Forvis Mazars

The results of the 2024 federal elections signal a significant shift in health policy. With President Trump’s re-election and Republican control of the Senate and House, administrative and legislative actions will attempt to let market forces and innovation address long-standing cost, quality, and access issues. Specific policy details ultimately will depend on who is appointed to key roles within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and CMS. However, based on policy papers from think tanks aligned with President Trump, we can likely expect the health policies of the new Trump administration to be similar to those under his first administration.
Below, we discuss anticipated legislative and regulatory changes in the wake of the election that may impact healthcare organizations’ operations and finances for the remainder of this Congress and the next.
The continuing resolution currently funding the federal government expires on December 20, 2024. With Republicans retaining control of the House, it is likely they will delay major policy changes until the next Congress, when they will control both chambers and the White House. During the lame duck period, healthcare organizations will look to Congress to address key items such as:
Whether Congress passes another continuing resolution for federal fiscal year (FFY) 2025 or a full appropriations package in December, the new year is likely to be challenging for healthcare organizations from a health policy perspective.
Beyond the FFY 2026 budget, there are two “forcing events”—the reinstatement of the statutory limit on the Treasury’s borrowing authority on January 2, 2026 and the expiration of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (TCJA) on December 31, 2025—that will create opportunities for significant legislative action on health policy issues. The debt limit will likely need to be addressed by summer 2025 at the latest.
To address both, a Republican-controlled House will likely pass a budget resolution with reconciliation instructions.2 This will allow legislation to pass the Senate with a simple majority. Both forcing events will increase the federal debt. Historically, Republicans have been willing to pass tax cuts with limited spending offsets. However, narrow margins in the Senate and House may necessitate offsetting spending cuts to secure the votes of fiscal conservatives, in which case Republicans may look for cuts to Medicaid.
Beyond legislative action, the Trump administration will likely pursue a range of policies intended to increase competition and reduce costs for consumers. These may have a significant impact on healthcare organizations. Below is a summary of regulatory and legislative issues to watch for.
During his campaign, President Trump promised not to extract savings from Medicare and Social Security. This leaves Medicaid as the primary available source of significant healthcare savings should Congress determine offsets are necessary to extend the TCJA or increase the debt ceiling.
Legislative Outlook: Historically, conservatives have supported “block granting” the Medicaid program, which transforms the federal share of Medicaid funding into a fixed amount per enrolled individual, indexed to a measure of general inflation. However, this approach has fallen out of favor in recent years. Instead, attempts to reduce Medicaid spending could focus on rationalizing the enhanced match rate for the ACA expansion population.3 Despite Republican control of both chambers of Congress, this could be difficult to pass given the impact on state budgets.
Further, while the ACA-mandated DSH cuts have been delayed since their enactment, the chance the new Congress will allow them to go into effect in 2026 should not be discounted. While this would not create savings, it would eliminate the need for additional offsets in the 2026 budget.
Administrative Action: CMS likely will provide states additional flexibility to manage costs in their Medicaid programs. Like under the prior Trump administration, we can anticipate openness to work requirements, copayments, and additional scrutiny of eligibility management.
Medicaid supplemental payments also will remain an area of attention. As an example, the Medicaid and CHIP Managed Care, Finance, and Quality rule finalized in April 2024 contains provisions prohibiting separate payment terms and requiring hospitals to attest they did not participate in a hold-harmless funding arrangement. If these provisions are not modified, they could reduce the supplemental payments that support many hospitals. While these provisions are not effective until 2028, it may be more challenging to negotiate the necessary changes to these requirements with the new administration given Republicans’ historical challenges to Medicaid.
Policy changes outside of CMS are likely to impact Medicaid and CHIP coverage as well. During President Trump’s first administration, the Department of Homeland Security finalized a rule that included the use of non-cash benefits such as Medicaid and CHIP as factors that indicate an individual seeking permanent residency in the U.S. is a “public charge,” making it more difficult for them to obtain a green card or temporary visa. While the Biden administration rescinded the rule, the second Trump administration likely will pursue a similar policy, which could have the effect of reducing coverage among certain populations.4
Neither Congress nor the incoming administration appears poised to attempt another repeal of the ACA. However, Congressional action (or inaction) coupled with regulatory changes is anticipated to impact the number of insured and the comprehensiveness of their coverage.
Legislative Outlook: The Biden administration’s American Rescue Plan and Inflation Reduction Act expanded eligibility for exchange subsidies. If the subsidies are allowed to expire at the end of 2025, an estimated 4 million people would lose exchange coverage. Conventional wisdom is these subsidies will be allowed to expire if Republicans control both the House and Senate. However, as Texas, Florida, and other states that have not expanded Medicaid are receiving a higher percentage of these federal funds,5 allowing them to expire may be politically complicated.
Administrative Action: The Biden administration limited the availability of association health plans (AHPs) and short-term limited duration health plans (STLDHPs). Regulations expanding the availability of these product types were issued during the first Trump administration as an alternative to plans offered on the health insurance exchanges and small group market. It is anticipated CMS and the Department of the Treasury under a second Trump administration will take steps to again expand access to AHPs and STLDHPs.6,7,8 STLDHPs may leave individuals underinsured, as they typically provide a fixed dollar amount of coverage per day.
The new administration likely will take additional steps to encourage adoption of individual coverage health reimbursement arrangements (ICHRAs), which allow employers to provide tax-exempt subsidies to workers to purchase exchange plans. This may lead to individuals selecting exchange products with higher cost-sharing and narrower networks to stretch the subsidy from their employers.
In early trading Wednesday, November 6, after the election results were reported, health plans with large MA businesses experienced a bump in share prices.9 This reflects the expectation that MA plans will see a more favorable regulatory environment under the new administration.
Legislative Outlook: Prior authorization reform legislation that mirrors the rule CMS finalized earlier this year is likely to pass Congress.
Think tanks like Heritage Foundation10 and the America First Policy Institute11 have recommended making MA the default enrollment option when an individual ages into Medicare. Beyond being politically difficult given recent concerns some Republicans have expressed about MA plans, this would pose technical challenges related to setting county-level benchmarks, which would need to be resolved prior to implementing this policy.
Administrative Action: Under the new administration, CMS likely will provide more favorable payment updates, overturn changes that reduced star ratings bonuses, and minimize scrutiny of risk coding.
The 340B Drug Pricing Program likely will face continued scrutiny by Congress and the new Trump administration.
Legislative Outlook: While there are several bills introduced in the current Congress that would reform the 340B program, they are unlikely to advance in the near term. While it may take a successful legal challenge to the program by manufacturers to precipitate major Congressional action, it is possible that legislation gains passage requiring 340B hospitals to report additional information related to the program.12
Administrative Action: The Supreme Court overturned the first Trump administration’s Medicare Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) reimbursement cut for separately payable Part B drugs acquired under the 340B program on grounds that CMS did not follow statutorily required administrative procedures. In Trump’s second term, CMS likely will execute the required survey—as it attempted to do in spring 2020—to calculate the reduction in Medicare payments. Like the prior reduction, these cuts will occur in a budget-neutral manner with the savings used to increase other OPPS payments.
The next Congress likely will expand Medicare site-neutral policies to help pay for other policy priorities and to reduce costs for beneficiaries. Further, CMS may act to encourage migration of care to lower-cost sites of service. Policies expanding site-neutral payments and supporting care delivery in lower-cost settings are widely supported by think tanks aligned with President Trump.13,14
Legislative Outlook: A range of bills expanding Medicare site-neutral payments were introduced in the current Congress. Thus far, hospital advocates have successfully prevented their passage by raising concerns about the impact on access to care in rural and safety net hospitals.
Recently, Sens. Cassidy (R-LA) and Hassan (D-NH) introduced a legislative framework that would greatly expand site-neutral payments and use a portion of the savings to support rural and safety net hospitals. Legislation based on either this framework or one of the existing bills may pass in 2025, as advocates for site-neutral payments have offered an option that attempts to address the most successful argument against the policy. It also has the potential to divide the hospital field, further complicating advocacy efforts.
Beyond Medicare, Congress likely will pass legislation requiring hospitals to include a distinct identifier on claims for services provided in off-campus hospital-based outpatient departments (HOPDs). This will help health plans identify these services and attempt to negotiate lower payment rates when care is provided in an off-campus HOPD.
Administrative Action: Under the first Trump administration, CMS finalized regulations phasing out the Inpatient Only (IPO) list and expanding the Ambulatory Surgical Center (ASC) Covered Procedures list. These policies likely will be reprised in a future rule. Advocates for the policies point to the removal of total knee and hip replacement from the IPO list in 2018 and 2020 as evidence that deregulation reduces cost to the program and beneficiaries.15
Some Republicans view price transparency policies as a core strategy for increasing competition between providers and sites of service.16,17,18 These policies also have garnered support from some Democrats.
Under a second Trump term, CMS and the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) likely will take a similar approach to experimenting with and expanding value-based care as in the first term. This may include creating new or expanding existing models, such as ACO REACH. These models likely will focus on managing populations and providing a vehicle for health plans and other private sector entities to organize care delivery and take on risk for assigned populations of Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries.
As part of a program to reduce regulatory burden, CMS under the new administration may reverse the SNF staffing ratio rule. If Congress believes the administration is poised to do so, it may take legislative action to create a “pay-for” for other priorities. The Congressional Budget Office has estimated a bill prohibiting CMS from finalizing the staffing ratio rule would save $22 billion.
President Trump’s economic plan for a second term involves levying tariffs ranging between 10% and 20% on imported goods. Imports from China could see tariffs as high as 60% under this plan.19 The proposed tariffs may increase supply and drug costs for providers, which would necessitate reconfiguring supply chains.
Our healthcare professionals at Forvis Mazars are committed to helping healthcare organizations understand and adapt to the impact of evolving federal policies. If you have questions about upcoming policy changes and how they may affect your organization, please reach out to a professional on our team.

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Model Teachers: Startups Make Schools Smarter With Machine Learning – NVIDIA Blog

Model Teachers: Startups Make Schools Smarter With Machine Learning – NVIDIA Blog

Like two valedictorians, SimInsights and Photomath tell stories worth hearing about how AI is advancing education.
SimInsights in Irvine, Calif., uses NVIDIA conversational AI to make virtual and augmented reality classes lifelike for college students and employee training.
Photomath — founded in Zagreb, Croatia and based in San Mateo, Calif. — created an app using computer vision and natural language processing to help students and their parents brush up on everything from arithmetic to calculus.
Both companies are a part of NVIDIA Inception, a free, global program that nurtures cutting-edge startups.
Rajesh Jha loved simulations since he developed a physics simulation engine for mechanical parts in college, more than 25 years ago. “So, I put sim in the name when I started my own company in 2009,” he said.
SimInsights originally developed web and mobile training simulations. When AR and VR platforms became available, Jha secured a grant to develop HyperSkill. Now the company’s main product, it’s a cloud-based, AI-powered 3D simulation authoring and analytics tool that makes training immersive.
The software helped UCLA’s medical center build a virtual clinic to train students. But they complained about the low accuracy of its rules-based conversational AI, so Jha took data from the first class and trained a deep neural network using NVIDIA Riva, GPU-accelerated software for building speech AI applications.
“There was a quick uptick in the quality, and they say it’s the most realistic training they’ve used,” said Jha.
Now, UCLA wants to apply the technology to train thousands of nurses on dealing with infectious diseases.
“There’s a huge role for conversational AI in education and training because it personalizes the experience,” he said. “And a lot of research shows if you can do that, people learn more and retain it longer.”
Because SimInsights is an NVIDIA Inception member, it got early access to Riva and NVIDIA TAO, a toolkit that accelerates evaluating and training AI models with transfer learning. They’ve become standard parts of the company’s workflow.
As for Riva, “it’s a powerful piece of software, and our team really appreciates working with NVIDIA to brainstorm our next steps,” Jha said.
Specifically, SimInsights aims to develop larger conversational AI models with more functions, such as question answering so students can point to objects in a scene and ask about them.
“As Riva gives us more capabilities, we’ll incorporate them into HyperSkill to make digital learning as good as working with an expert — it will take a while, but this is the way to get there,” he said.
In Zagreb, Damir Sabol got stuck trying to help his eldest son understand a math problem in his homework. It sparked the idea for Photomath, an app that’s been downloaded more than 300 million times since its 2015 release.
The app detects an equation in a smartphone picture, then shows step-by-step solutions to it in formats that support different learning styles.
“At peak times, we get thousands of requests a second, so we need to be really fast,” said Ivan Jurin, who leads the startup’s AI projects.
Some teachers have students open the app as an alternative to working on the blackboard. It’s the kind of anecdote that makes Jurin’s day.
“We want to make education more accessible,” he said. “The free version of Photomath can help people who lack resources understand math almost as well as someone who can afford a tutor.”
Under the hood, one large neural network does most of the work, detecting and parsing equations. It’s a mix of a convolutional network and a transformer model that packs about 100 million parameters.
It’s trained on local servers with NVIDIA RTX A6000 GPUs. For a cost-sensitive startup, “training in the cloud didn’t motivate us to experiment with larger datasets and more complex models, but with local servers we can queue up experiments as we see fit,” said Vedran Vekić, a senior machine learning engineer at the company.
Once trained, the service runs in the cloud on NVIDIA T4 Tensor Core GPUs, which he described as “very cost effective.”
The startup is migrating to a full stack of NVIDIA AI software to accelerate inference. It includes NVIDIA Triton Inference Server for maximum throughput, the TensorRT software development kit to minimize latency and NVIDIA DALI, a library for processing images fast.
“We were using the open-source TorchServe, but it wasn’t as efficient as we hoped,” Vekić said. NVIDIA software “gets 100% GPU utilization, so we’re using it on our smaller models and converting our large model to it, too.”
It’s a technical challenge that NVIDIA experts can help address, one of the benefits of being in Inception.
SimInsights and Photomath are among hundreds of startups — out of NVIDIA Inception’s total 10,000+ members — that are making education smarter with machine learning.
To learn more, check out these GTC sessions on NVIDIA Riva, NVIDIA Tao and NVIDIA Triton and TensorRT.
The Need for Speed: NVIDIA Accelerates Majority of World’s Supercomputers to Drive Advancements in Science and Technology
AI at COP29: Balancing Innovation and Sustainability
How the Department of Energy’s AI Initiatives Are Transforming Science, Industry and Government
NVIDIA and Microsoft Showcase Blackwell Preview, Omniverse Industrial AI and RTX AI PCs at Microsoft Ignite
Microsoft and NVIDIA Supercharge AI Development on RTX AI PCs




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The CMS Director Oversees Healthcare & 22% of the Federal Budget: We Need Someone Experienced in Managing a Large Organizations & Navigating Complex System to Run CMS — Not an Entertainer – AZ Public Health Association – AZ Public Health Association

The CMS Director Oversees Healthcare & 22% of the Federal Budget: We Need Someone Experienced in Managing a Large Organizations & Navigating Complex System to Run CMS — Not an Entertainer – AZ Public Health Association – AZ Public Health Association

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services runs with an annual budget of $1.5 trillion—22% of the total federal budget. That’s more than the Defense Department! With this massive responsibility, CMS is at the heart of the U.S. healthcare system, overseeing programs and policies that touch the lives of nearly every American.
Running an agency with such a scope and impact requires a leader with deep administrative experience managing large budgets and complex systems.
CMS, located within the US Department of Health and Human Services, plays a pivotal role in administering Medicare, the federal program that provides healthcare for Americans over 65 and those with certain disabilities. They’re also responsible for making sure states are implementing their Medicaid programs following federal law and regulations. Beyond that, CMS ensures states manage their Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Programs in line with federal standards.
CMS also regulates a large portion of the private insurance market. The agency oversees health plans offered through the Affordable Care Act marketplaces, ensuring they follow ACA requirements. This includes setting standards for coverage, protecting consumers from discriminatory practices, and fostering affordability and accessibility in health insurance.
Another essential part of CMS’ mission is quality assurance. The agency ensures that healthcare facilities receiving Medicare and Medicaid funds meet rigorous standards. From hospitals to nursing homes, CMS holds care providers accountable to ensure safety, effectiveness, and dignity in the services they offer.
These programs collectively provide care for millions of vulnerable Americans, making CMS critical to the health and well-being of the nation.
With such enormous responsibilities, CMS is arguably one of the most consequential federal agencies. That’s why choosing a leader for this organization is not a decision to take lightly.
President Trump’s proposal to appoint Dr. Mehmet Oz, a TV personality with little administrative or managerial experience, raises serious concerns.
Running CMS is not about charisma or media skills; it’s about managing a vast and complex system that directly affects the health of millions and the stability of our economy.
The stakes couldn’t be higher.
For an agency overseeing 22% of the federal budget and shaping the health of a nation, we need a leader with proven experience in managing large organizations and navigating complex systems—not someone whose background is in entertainment.
Let’s hope that in this critical moment that the US Senate actually does their job during the confirmation process for Mr. Oz.
I. for one, am not confident they will.
PO Box 5297 Phoenix, AZ 85010
Willhumble@azpha.org

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Ai Machine Learning Bootcamp – WNC News

Ai Machine Learning Bootcamp – WNC News

Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) are among the most in-demand skills in the world. With the growth in automation and robotics across industries, there are massive job opportunities in AI programming, data science, engineering, and research.
The AI Machine Learning Boot Camp is a six-month comprehensive training course for professionals interested in pursuing a career in AI and ML. You will complete over 300 hours of self-paced training learning key concepts and models along with practical programming skills in Python and ML. You will also prepare to pass the Microsoft Azure AI Engineer Certification Exam AI-102: Designing and Implementing an Azure AI Solution.
Enroll Now
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), employment for AI and machine learning professionals is estimated to grow by 22% until 2030, almost three times the rate for all occupations.
The BLS also states that median annual salary in this industry is $126,830 as of May 2020. The lowest 10% earned less than $72,210, and the highest 10% earned over $194,430. The top-paying employers of professionals with AI and ML skills are software publishers, followed by research and development in the physical, engineering, and life sciences.
In our AI & Machine Learning Boot Camp, you will explore:
Enroll Now
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Felix Quinque has a Ph.D. in Quantum Computing from the University of Portsmouth and a B.S. degree in Artificial Intelligence and Physics from Maastricht University. He is the Co-Founder & Director of OctoShrew, a machine learning consultancy, and software development firm.
After you complete our bootcamp, you will be able to apply various AI and ML concepts in real-life projects in a variety of roles such as:
Given the technical nature of our AI & Machine Learning Bootcamp, it is ideal if you are an existing data professional with experience in data analysis or data science. Otherwise, you must have experience with algebra, mathematics, and calculus and have some basic programming knowledge.
This course will prepare you to pass the Microsoft Azure AI certification (MS AI-102), which allows you to work as an AI Engineer. In this role, you will build, manage, and deploy AI applications leveraging Azure Cognitive Services, Azure Cognitive Search, and Microsoft Bot Framework. The course will use C# or Python as the programming language.
Learning is entirely online and self-paced to suit your schedule. Youll have access to interactive video lessons, labs for real-world practice, discussion boards to engage with peers, and live one-on-one coaching sessions with an industry expert instructor.
Yes, you will go through exercises based on real-life use cases. The results are discussed during the mentoring sessions. You are also required to work on and submit a capstone project related to autonomous cars. You need to pass this to graduate.
You have coaching sessions where you get advice from the instructor. You have access to five coaching sessions that they can schedule.
This is a self-paced course that can be completed 100% online. Open enrollment means that you can start anytime.
Enroll Now
Continuing Education
Bristlecone Building, Bristlecone Information Desk
2201 West College Parkway, Carson City, NV 89703
conted@wnc.edu
775-445-4210

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IRS expands preventive care benefits for high-deductible health plans – Business Insurance

IRS expands preventive care benefits for high-deductible health plans – Business Insurance

The IRS has expanded preventive care benefits for high-deductible health plans, now covering items like condoms and certain breast cancer screenings at no cost to policyholders, BenefitsPro reports. Notice 2024-71 allows tax deductions for condoms, while Notice 2024-75 permits coverage of over-the-counter contraceptives and other items before meeting deductibles. These changes aim to enhance preventive care access without affecting health savings account eligibility.

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Seasonal shifts: focusing on our mind and body with Zumbro Valley Health Center – KTTC

Seasonal shifts: focusing on our mind and body with Zumbro Valley Health Center – KTTC

ROCHESTER, Minn. (KTTC) – As the seasons change, it can be common to feel down and get the winter blues, but now is the time to start creating those good habits as we get into the colder months.
Alyssa Sumner, psychotherapy supervisor for Zumbro Valley Health Center, said our mental and physical health are intertwined.
It’s fairly common to gain weight during the winter months with holiday feasting. Sumner said enjoy the holidays, but think about what makes you feel the best in terms of your personal wellness.
She also tells KTTC that as we age, the risk for Seasonal Depression Disorder increases, so it’s important to think about how you can be proactive now.
“Get back into some of those summer habits, even though it is cold, and it can be a little miserable at times, but really still thinking about, like, how do we get outside, be active, still engage,” Sumner said. “It can be easy to isolate in the winter and we want to lean on our social supports, really reach out, taking advantage of some of those holiday activities.”
Sumner said even for children, it’s important not to rely on screentime during this hibernation.
If you or someone you know is having a hard time, you can call the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
For more mental health resources from Zumbro Valley Health Center, please click here.
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