The prevalence of diabetes more than doubled over two decades from 1986 to 2006, making diabetes the fifth deadliest disease in the nation. Families with a member who has diabetes not only shoulder the emotional burden of caring for a sick loved one, but also the economic burden of the growing cost for treatment.

INTRODUCTION

Skyrocketing health care costs leave an increasing number of Americans uninsured or with less meaningful coverage than they need and deserve—especially the 24 million Americans with diabetes.¹ The results of a recent survey found that 72 million, or 41 percent, of nonelderly adults have accumulated medical debt or experienced difficulty paying medical bills in the past year – 61 percent of whom had insurance.² Any medical event, like the diagnosis of diabetes, could place a person at risk for potentially devastating financial costs, even if they have health insurance.

The prevalence of diabetes more than doubled over two decades from 1986 to 2006,³ making diabetes the fifth deadliest disease in the nation.⁴ And its prevalence is expected to continue to grow in the coming years, as risk factors such as obesity, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure continue to rise.

Families with a member who has diabetes not only shoulder the emotional burden of caring for a sick loved one, but also the economic burden of the growing cost for treatment. Diabetes cost the United States $174 billion in 2007, an increase of $8 billion per year over the last 5 years. The total cost is a combination of $116 billion in direct costs of treatment and $58.3 billion in indirect costs of lost productivity.⁵

Americans diagnosed with diabetes, whether insured or not, face significant and sometimes devastating hurdles to receiving timely, affordable treatment in our health care system.  Health insurance reform seeks to eliminate these hurdles to ensure that people with diabetes, along with all other Americans, get the quality, affordable health care they deserve.

Read the full report here:  http://www.healthreform.gov/reports/diabetes/index.html

With the arrival of the novel H1N1 (“swine flu”), many people are understandably confused about how to protect themselves against the flu this year. AARP is working with the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID) to encourage older Americans to protect themselves and those in their care by getting vaccinated. 

Do You Need Help With Your Prescriptions?

• See if you qualify for Medicare Rx Extra Help—you can pay even less for your drugs:

• Use meds wisely— download or order a personal medication record to keep track of your medicines, including over-the-counter medication and dietary supplements:

www.aarp.org/ medicationrecord

The Rhode Island Department of Health and the Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency (RIEMA) have developed this registry as a service to   Rhode Island adults and children with chronic conditions, disabilities and special healthcare needs, such as people who:

• Use life support systems such as oxygen, respirator, ventilator, dialysis, pacemaker or are insulin dependent;

• Have mobility disabilities and use a wheelchair, scooter, walker,cane or other mobility devices;

 You can find more information on our website:  

http://www.health.state.ri.us/family/specialneeds/emergency/registry.php

Message from A. Barry Rand, AARP CEO

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President Obama again took his appeal for health care reform directly to the American people Tuesday, this time at a telephone town hall meeting at AARP’s Washington headquarters where he answered questions from older men and women concerned about how proposed changes to the current health system would affect them.

“Nobody’s trying to change what does work in the system,” Obama told the estimated 180,000 listeners. “We are trying to change what doesn’t work in the system.”

In the face of growing public skepticism and congressional delay, the president used his 75-minute town hall to address the concerns of callers from across the country and to answer recurring questions—including the bizarre charge that every five years government bureaucrats would visit all older Americans to counsel them on ending their lives early. Will care be rationed? Is America heading toward socialized medicine and a system like Canada’s? Will Medicare benefits be cut?

“Nobody is talking about cutting Medicare benefits. I just want to make that absolutely clear,” he said emphatically.

Seated on a stool in front of the small studio audience, Obama appeared relaxed and confident, sometimes using kitchen table analogies to explain knotty health care proposals and to untangle some of the myths now widely circulating on the Internet.

Introducing Obama, AARP CEO A. Barry Rand said: “There’s a lot of misinformation about health care reform—even on what AARP stands for, and what AARP supports. This town hall is part of our ongoing effort to debunk myths and provide accurate information.”

He added: “I want to make it clear that AARP has not endorsed any particular bill or any of the bills being debated in Congress today. We continue to work with members of Congress on both sides of the aisle and with the administration to achieve what is right for health care reform.”

AARP president Jennie Chin Hansen also cited confusion expressed in questions that have come from thousands of members who have participated in previous AARP town halls. “Like, will the government tell my doctor how to practice medicine?”

Obama said he understands that overhauling the health care system is not easy. “I know there are folks who will oppose any kind of reform because they profit from the way the system is right now. They’ll run all sorts of ads that will make people scared.”

But, he added, this has all happened before. “Back when President Kennedy and then President Johnson were trying to pass Medicare, opponents claimed it was socialized medicine,” he said. “When you look at the Medicare debate, it is almost exactly the same as the debate we’re having right now. Everybody who was in favor of the status quo was trying to scare the American people saying that government is going to take over your health care, you won’t be able to choose your own doctor, they’re going to ration care.” Obama added: “You know what? Medicare has been extraordinarily popular. It has worked. It has made people a lot healthier, given them security. And we can do the same this time.”

Share the Road with Bicyclists 

Under RI law, a bicycle is considered a vehicle with equal rights and responsibilities as cars and other vehicles on the road. When bicyclists or automobile drivers do not understand or obey the law, confusion or accidents
can result.

Potholes, puddles, poor road conditions,

Dogs and other animals, railroad tracks,
manhole covers or grates, broken glass
and other debris: all these obstacles
can seriously hinder bicyclists’ safety
on the road.

The Greenways Alliance of Rhode Island, Narragansett Bay Wheelmen,
Providence Bicycle Coalition, RI Chapter  of the Sierra Club, and U.S. Open Cycling Foundation created this brochure to explain what motorists need to know so that everyone can use our roads safely.

Greenways Alliance of Rhode Island

www.rigreenways.org
www.bikeprovidence.org www.nbwclub.org
This brochure was published with funds
from the NBW/GARI grant program.
http://rhodeisland.sierraclub.org/index.html
www.usopencycling.com
Some graphics courtesy of Bicycle
Coalition of Maine www.bikemaine.org

Rhode Island Cyclists and Motorists Let’s Share the Road

Share the Road with Bicyclists

If automobile drivers and bicyclists follow common safety practices and respect the rights of others we can all “Sharethe Road”
 

1• When passing cyclists leave adequate space and be aware of road surface conditions like potholes, puddlesor debris which may force cyclists to move further left 3' than usual.

• Don’t blast your horn as you approach a cyclist as the loud noise can startle them and cause them to swerve.
 

• Avoid talking on a cell phone, text messaging, or being otherwise distracted when approaching or passing a bicyclist.
 

• Avoid driving or swerving into bicycle lanes.
 

2• When approaching or passing a bicycle be prepared to stop suddenly if the person enters the driver’s lane. 
• In bad weather give bicyclists extra trailing and passing room like you would give other motorists.
 

3• When a road is too narrow for cars and bicycles to travel safely side by side, be prepared to slow down or stop when the bicyclist ahead of you “takes the travel lane,”, i.e., proceeds in the center of the road.

4• Do not pass bicyclists if oncoming traffic is near. Wait until there are nooncoming automobiles before you pass.
• After you have passed a bicyclist, do not slow down or stop quickly directly in front of them.

5• When turning left at an intersection yield toncoming bicyclists just as you would to an oncoming motorist.

6• Before turning right at an intersection or drivewaycheck for bicyclists on your right or behind you whoare continuing straight ahead.

7• Look behind you for a cyclist approaching your parked car before you open the door into a traffic lane.

Watch for Children on Bicycles
Children cannot see things out of the corner of their eyes as well as adults, andcannot judge the speed and distance of oncoming vehicles. They lack a sense of danger and believe adults will look out for them.
 

8• Always reduce speed and use extra caution when children are in the vicinity, particularly in school zones.
• Check for bicyclists in the street or on the sidewalks at intersections. Rhode Island law
“Every person operating a bicycle upon a roadway shall ride as near to the right side of the roadway as practicable, exercising due care when passing a standing vehicle or one proceeding in the same direction except where official traffic control devices (signs or pavement markings)

To learn more about bicycling resources in Rhode Island, visit The Rhode Island
Department of Transportation web site: http://www.dot.ri.gov/bikeri/
specifically direct bicyclists to do otherwise.”

RIGL § 31-19-6 Bicycles to right of road