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Amanda Blankenship

This Deadly ‘Kissing Bug’ is Making Its Way Through the U.S.

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Kissing Bug

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials confirmed the migration of the kissing bug into North America. Here’s what you need to know about the insect and the potentially deadly disease it carries…

What is a Kissing Bug?

Triatomine bugs, also known as the kissing bug, carry Chagas disease and can infect humans with their bite, according to the CDC. Currently, Chagas disease is only found in the Americas. More specifically, it is found in the rural regions of Latin America. However, more recently, cases of the disease in the United States have been confirmed.

The bugs get their “kissing” nickname because of the location they typically bite people. Oftentimes, triatomine bugs bite people’s faces, but just because you’ve been bitten doesn’t mean you’ll contract the disease.

CDC officials say that transmission of Chagas is not that easy. The bugs typically suck a person’s blood after biting them, similar to a mosquito, then they defecate immediately afterward. If the infected feces enters the body, an infection may occur.

Congenital transmission is also possible. Chagas can be transmitted from a pregnant woman to her baby, through blood transfusion, contaminated food, and even organ donations.

Where Kissing Bugs Hide

Kissing bugs can be found hiding in cracks and corners of your home. Typically, they come out at night and approach people while they are sleeping. If a bug bites and defecates on you while you are sleeping, it would be easy to accidentally rub feces into the bite or your eyes or mouth.

A girl in Delaware was recently bitten and the family believes the bug was hiding in the air conditioner in her window. Thankfully, the young girl did not fall ill.

Diagnosis and Treatment

To be diagnosed with Chagas, you have to have a blood test. Most people with the disease may have little-to-no idea that anything is wrong. Common symptoms are also associated with a number of other common diseases (body aches, diarrhea, fatigue, fever, headache, loss of appetite, rash, and vomiting). Most people don’t even consider Chagas as a possibility.

Other symptoms that are more uncommon may include an enlarged liver or spleen, swollen glands, and swelling around the bite itself.

Chagas can be chronic and many people don’t have any of the symptoms above. However, it can be fatal if certain complications arise. Cardiac and gastrointestinal complications occur in 20 to 30 percent of people who have Chagas and can lead to death.

With early diagnosis, an antiparasitic treatment can kill Chagas. Those with chronic Chagas can also benefit from treatment. There is no drug or vaccine to ward off the disease though.

How to Avoid This Deadly Insect

Surprisingly, more than 300,000 people in the Americas have been infected by the kissing bug. Most infections that have been reported occurred in Latin American countries.

That isn’t to say folks in the U.S. are safe from the deadly insect or disease. There have been 11 sightings of kissing bugs in the States, mostly in the South.

When it comes down to it, folks living in the U.S. who aren’t traveling to Latin America are probably safe from contracting the disease. If you’re traveling, it is recommended you sleep indoors in a building without cracks. It is also a good idea to check any uncooked food and unpeeled fruits for the bug as well.

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MoviePass Subscribers Dropped By 90% in Less Than One Year

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MoviePass subscribers

We’ve been watching the steady decline of MoviePass and its subscribers over the past year or so. The most recent data shows that MoviePass subscribers have actually dropped to a startling 225,000 (from 3 million).

MoviePass Subscribers See a Huge Decline

When asked for a comment about the latest subscriber counts, MoviePass spokespeople have declined to comment. However, in June of last year, the company was claiming to have 3 million subscribers signed up for its $9.95 monthly subscription plan.

That plan allowed subscribers to see one movie per day, which the company discovered was unsustainable. In August 2018, the company dialed it down to three movies a month. When doing so, MoviePass also offered its annual subscribers two options. You could either cancel and get a refund or continue with the new three-per-month plan.

Now, seeing the dramatic decline in numbers, it is evident that most of the current subscribers didn’t care to pay for the new plan.

New MoviePass Offerings

According to the recently fired co-founder, the unlimited plan was supposed to be part of a promotional deal after the company was acquired by Helios & Matheson Analytics. Although it helped MoviePass increase its subscriber count greatly, it did not help them retain any of those customers.

Last month, the company reintroduced an “unlimited” plan. This plan starts at $14.95 per month ($119.40 annually). Subscribers who choose this plan will be able to see a movie every day, as the original plan. There are some stipulations, however. For instance, the company notes that “Your movie choices may be restricted due to excessive individual usage which negatively impacts system-wide capacity.”

Even though MoviePass “brought back” unlimited movies, there have still only been 13,000 new people who have signed up. Helios & Matheson reported a $256.4 million loss in the September 2018 quarter.

Lawsuits

The New York Attorney General opened a probe into Helios & Matheson Analytics last fall to see if company leaders had misled investors in any way. Investigators are also looking to see if MoviePass was offering a “bait and switch” with its unlimited plan and changes made.

Additionally, MoviePass has its own lawsuit in the works. The company is suing Sinemia for patent infringement. A judge ruled to allow the lawsuit hearings to proceed.

More likely than not, MoviePass will be bought out by one of the larger cinema companies who have launched versions of the movie-on-tap service. Here are just a few…

Sinemia

Sinemia is one of the first companies to launch a similar program to MoviePass. However, as noted above, they are being faced with a lawsuit. Its first subscription plan allowed two people to see one movie for $8.99 per month. The company later rolled out plans for families of all sizes (and budgets).

Plans for two:

  • $8.99 – As mentioned above, you will get one movie day for two each month.
  • $14.99 – Two movie days for two (or four tickets).
  • $19.99 – Add IMAX and 3D to the above and pay just $20 per month.
  • $29.99 – Get six tickets a month (three movie dates for two), including IMAX and 3D films.

Families of four:

  • $19.99 – Get four movie tickets per month.
  • $34.99 – Get two movie days a month for four (or eight tickets).
  • $39.99 – Add IMAX and 3D to the above for $5.
  • $59.99 – Get three movie days for four people each month (12 tickets total), including IMAX and 3D.

Plans for five:

  • $24.99 – Five tickets every month
  • $44.99 – Ten tickets per month
  • $49.99 – Ten tickets (including IMAX and 3D) per month
  • $74.99 – 15 tickets each month (including IMAX and 3D).

Plans for groups of six:

  • $29.99 – Six tickets per month or one movie day for six.
  • $54.99 – Twelve tickets (two movie days for six people).
  • $59.99 – 3D and IMAX viewings for two days for six people.
  • $89.99 – This includes IMAX and 3D and gives 12 tickets per month (three movie days for six).

AMC Stubs A-List Program

AMC is one of the most well-known movie theater companies around and it has launched its own version of MoviePass. You can plan $19.95 per month and see three movies a week. You can even see three in a single day if you wanted to! This adds up to a potential 12 to 15 movies per month.

These two are the major competition when it comes to movie subscription services. While MoviePass hasn’t hammered any nails into its coffin, it is probably only a matter of time before AMC or a similar outfit buys them out (or they fizzle out entirely).

Readers, did you cancel your MoviePass subscription? 

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Employee Wellness Programs Are Largely Ineffective, Says Study

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Employee workplace programs

Companies have implemented employee wellness programs for years to encourage workers to improve their health. A new study has found that employers may want to take a second look at what they are offering because, by in large, the programs have been ineffective.

How Effective Are Employee Wellness Programs?

The study was published in the Tuesday edition of JAMA. It took a look at 33,000 workers employed by BJ’s Wholesale, a wholesale retailer, which offers a wellness program for its employees.

What researchers found was that, although employees learned more about exercise and watched their weight, there were no significant health benefits seen. Blood pressure, blood sugar, and other health measures remained about the same across the board. There was also no real change in health care costs, which is the main goal of employee wellness programs.

“These findings may temper expectations about the financial return on investment that wellness programs can deliver in the short term,” the study concluded.

Are Wellness Programs a Waste?

Currently, more than 82 percent of companies that have 200 employees or more, offer some sort of wellness program or health program. These may include “Stop Smoking” programs or weight management programs as well.

Typically, these programs are offered with some sort of financial perk as well. For instance, some companies will offer a gift card for jumping on the wagon to lose weight. Others might discount your health insurance.

Executives are establishing these wellness programs to cut down on the overall cost in health care. However, if they are looking for a way to save these employee wellness programs aren’t the way to go. “Wellness is this multibillion-dollar industry where there has been a really weak evidence base of what these programs do,” Dr. Katherine Baicker, one of the study’s authors, said.

However, that isn’t to say they aren’t doing any good. Employee wellness programs do seem to encourage workers to make positive changes where their health is concerned. Down the road, employers may see overall lower medical expenses. Dr. Zirui Song, another author of the study, notes that wellness programs are still a fairly new concept.

Successful Wellness Programs

Workplace wellness programs will differ from company to company. Some employers have been able to establish better, more effective programs than others. Depending on what employers are looking to accomplish, they can be extremely successful.

If the employer is solely looking for savings on health care spending, it is not clear that wellness programs will be beneficial. On the other hand, if they are looking to encourage their employees to be happier and healthier, these wellness programs can be great.

Readers, does your workplace offer a wellness program? Do you take part in it? 

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Measles Cases Have Tripled Globally: What Are Anti-Vaxxers Costing You?

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Measles cases

You’ve seen it every day in the news recently. Anti-vaccination efforts have ramped up diseases that were otherwise eradicated and people are getting sick. In some cases, they are dying. Measles cases alone have tripled around the world in 2019.

Measles Cases Are Up 300% Worldwide

That’s right – the upward trend in measles cases isn’t just happening in the United States. It is happening all over the world in all regions. Africa saw the largest increase in cases with a 700 percent increase in the first three months of this year, compared to the first three months of 2018.

“Preliminary global data shows that reported cases rose by 300% in the first three months of 2019, compared to the same period in 2018. This follows consecutive increases over the past two years,” the World Health Organization (WHO) said in a statement.

According to WHO, those numbers could also be drastically underplayed. Only one in 10 cases of measles are reported globally. However, the number of deaths and cases of illness continues to climb.

“While this data is provisional and not yet complete, it indicates a clear trend. Many countries are in the midst of sizeable measles outbreaks, with all regions of the world experiencing sustained rises in cases,” WHO stated.

The Rise in Measles Cases

This year, there have been 112,163 measles cases reported in 170 countries. At this time last year, there had only been 22,124 cases reported in 163 countries. And the numbers don’t stop there…

Since September, more than 800 people have died in Madagascar from measles alone. Outbreaks have hit a number of other underdeveloped countries, including Brazil, Pakistan, and Yemen, where a number of deaths have also occurred.

Even in places with high vaccination coverage, like the U.S. and Thailand, there has been an increased number of cases. WHO says this is because vaccination efforts have stalled at just 85 percent, falling short of what is needed. For vaccinations to prevent outbreaks, coverage needs to be at least 95 percent.

Some countries have rallied for the parents’ right to choose to vaccinate their children, ignoring the fact that a 95 percent vaccination rate is necessary for controlling outbreaks. Not only are anti-vax folks causing deaths, but they are also costing you some money.

How the Anti-Vax Movement is Affecting Your Wallet

When it comes to vaccines, not many people talk about the cost of anti-vaxxers to the economy. “It is extremely frustrating,” said John Wiesman, an epidemiologist. “To know the financial cost of this but also to know all the work that is not getting done, or getting backlogged.”

It isn’t unusual for an outbreak of preventable diseases, such as measles, to rack up a tall bill. For instance, a girl in 2005 caused an outbreak in Europe. To contain the outbreak, it cost more than $167,000. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, that outbreak took 3,650 work hours, 4,800 phone calls, and 5,500 miles of trips to find and contain the outbreak.

Another case in 2008 caused an outbreak of measles in two Tucson hospitals. Officials estimate it took $800,000 to control that case.

Both YouTube and Facebook have decided to begin quieting the voices of the anti-vaccination movement. YouTube has removed advertising from anti-vax videos, while Facebook has begun removing anti-vaccination groups and communities from its platform.

When it comes down to it, there is no debate to be had about the profound benefits of vaccines. More than 20 million lives have been saved from the measles vaccine alone since 2000. While some hesitation is understandable, lives are being put at risk and it is costing you cold, hard cash.

Readers, what do you think about the spike in measles cases? Is it something to be concerned about?

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Is the New Disney Streaming Service Worth the Money?

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Disney streaming service

Disney announced its plans to launch a streaming service where it will stream all of its films and television. This will include Disney, Pixar, Star Wars, and Marvel. If you’re a fan of any of those, hold on to your seat, because the Disney streaming service will only cost you $6.99 per month. But what all is the company promising and how does it stack up to Netflix?

About the New Disney Streaming Service

Disney Chairman and CEO Bob Iger announced in the summer of 2017 that the company was looking into a streaming service under its own brand. Previously, Disney had worked with Netflix and Hulu to stream some of its movies here and there. The only problem was, Netflix (or whatever streaming service it was) only had the films for a short period of time.

The decision to break off and start Disney+ (the name of the streaming service) cost licensing relationships with Netflix and added pressure to compete. Of course, Disney sees the $159 billion leader in streaming, Netflix, as its main competition.

Despite the huge reach Netflix has (more than 140 million paid subscribers), it is still no match for Disney’s global presence or brand. Not to mention, Disney has a closer connection to its consumer base.

“While I think Netflix has done a good job of creating brand value, and name value and a product that I think is considered of great value to a lot of people, they’re still building their brand in many respects,” Iger said.

How Does It Compare to Netflix?

While both companies are offering streaming services, there really is no comparison between the two. Disney knows it has an advantage over competitors because it is offering exclusive content. All of your favorite Disney, Marvel, Star Wars, and Pixar movies and shows will be in the same place (and you won’t be able to get it anywhere else).

Price wise, Disney is also offering an extremely competitive monthly and annual rate. If you pay for a full year, you get a bit of a break ($69). However, if you choose the month-to-month option, it is still only $6 per month. You can’t really beat that, especially when you’re getting Disney movies that are locked in the vault and can’t be bought. And when you look at Netflix’s recent price hikes, it is a really great value.

When Will Disney+ Be Available?

You’ll be able to start streaming with Disney+ starting November 12. As mentioned above, you’ll get the streaming service for $6.99 per month or $69.99 per year. Unlike other streaming services, Disney+ is also offering its customers unlimited downloads. This will give people the ability to view Disney+ content offline.

All in all, if you are a huge fan of anything Disney owns, the new Disney streaming service may be a must-have! Best of all, it won’t break the bank.

Readers, will you subscribe to the Disney streaming service?

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Congress is About to Ban Free Online Tax Filing

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Ban free online tax filing

Just in time for Tax Day, Congress is backing a bill that will ban the Internal Revenue Service from creating a free tax filing system. The for-profit tax preparation industry is ecstatic to see this long-sought-after goal finally get attention on Capitol Hill. But what do these companies have to gain when we ban free online tax filing?

Can They Really Ban Free Online Tax Filing?

Well, that’s not exactly what is happening. You’ll still be able to file for free through third-party services. However, under the new bill, you would not be able to file for free online with the IRS.

Last week, the House Ways and Means Committee passed the Taxpayer First Act. The bill covers a large number of administrative changes to the IRS.

One of the many provisions outlined in the bill will make it illegal for the IRS to create its own online tax filing system. This will help shield the tax preparation industry’s profits. Popular tax filing companies, such as TurboTax, Intuit, and H&R Block, have lobbied for this for years.

In previous years, the IRS hasn’t made it easy for people to file with them (or cheap). The agency could provide even better services than the aforementioned companies with free online systems, pre-filled tax forms, and salary data. However, the IRS just hasn’t put that together for taxpayers. And, now, it may never get the chance to. The new bill would bar the IRS from doing so.

“This could be a disaster. It could be the final nail in the coffin of the idea of the IRS ever being able to create its own program,” said Mandi Matlock, a tax attorney with National Consumer Law Center.

Who Files For Free?

To be eligible to file your taxes for free, you have to make less than $66,000. About 70 percent of American taxpayers qualify to file for free but only 3 percent of eligible people do so.

Critics of the free filing program say the tax preparation companies deliberately underpromote the free services so that they don’t know they are eligible. Or, in some cases, they are upselling paid products versus informing people about their free tax filing options.

Banning the IRS Free Filing Service is a Business Move

There is already an understanding between The Free File Alliance, a private industry group, and the IRS that the IRS cannot create its own filing system. In exchange, the companies offer free services for folks who are eligible.

Passing the bill would solidify that “unspoken” agreement and put it into law. The Free File Alliance has told shareholders an IRS-created software or other IRS systems could pose a direct threat to their business dealings.

Last year, Intuit and H&R Block spent $6.6 million on lobbying related to this deal with the IRS. Not to mention, the House Ways and Means Committee received $16,000 in contributions from the two companies during the last two election cycles.

An H&R Block spokesperson said, “Free File should be the subject of ongoing improvement, and we are committed to working with all parties to strengthen and improve Free File on behalf of the American taxpayer.” The current bill, according to a spokesperson for Rep. Wyden (D-Oregon), is bipartisan and includes priorities of the chairmen and other ranking members.

Before anyone gets too excited about these changes (one way or another), the bill is currently being looked at by members of Congress. While previous efforts to pass similar bills have died out in the past, many people are worried that this may be the year the IRS gets cut out of the free filing game. The Taxpayer First Act, should it be passed, is also aiming to restrict the use of private debt collectors by the IRS to individuals over a certain income threshold.

Readers, what do you think about the potential ban for the IRS? Is it a good thing?

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