Op Ed - 7 Things Women Need To Know About The Affordable Care Act

7 Things Women Need to Know about the Affordable Care Act

October 1^st marked a turning point for nearly 12 million uninsured women, ages 19-44, in the U.S. Young women, in particular, stand to benefit dramatically from the Affordable Care Act, often called, “Obamacare”.

Women have unique health care needs during their reproductive years. The average woman spends three decades actively trying to prevent pregnancy and about five years trying to get pregnant, being pregnant, or in the immediate post-partum state. During these years, she experiences ongoing health care needs and major health care events. Yet this is also the age when many women have spotty health insurance coverage or none at all. Women ages 18 to 29 need access to health care mostly for reproductive health services, yet they are disproportionately in the ranks of the uninsured: representing more than one-fourth of all uninsured women.

The new law will dramatically change this statistic and improve the health coverage and care for millions of Americans.  That’s why it’s critical for women without insurance to understand what the law means for them, what sort of financial help they are eligible for, and how to get enrolled.

Here are 7 ways women will benefit from the Affordable Care Act: 

1. Prescription birth control will be available without a co-pay. Every plan will cover all kinds of birth control (pill, implants, IUDs) but the specific brands available without a co-pay vary by insurance plan.

2. Annual well-woman exams will be provided without a co-pay. These regular checkups may include pelvic exams, breast cancer screenings, STI testing, and counseling on birth control options.

3. Women cannot be charged more for their health plans simply because of their gender.’

4. Women can no longer be denied insurance for pre-existing conditions like breast cancer, having a C-section, or being the victim of domestic violence.

5. All insurance plans will have to cover birth control and maternity care, as well as doctor visits, hospitalizations, prescription medications, ER care and more.

6. Some maternity services will be available without a co-pay, including breastfeeding counseling and supplies.

7. Testing for HIV and other STIs will also be available without a copay.

As the leading women’s health care provider in Suffolk County, Planned Parenthood Hudson Peconic is particularly aware of how the new law will impact young women – and we are committed to helping everyone understand how they can get covered. The website plannedparenthoodhealthinsurancefacts.org is the go-to destination for information for women about the new health care law and for help getting enrolled.  The site, available in English and Spanish, offers a plan finder, checklist, calculator, cheat sheets, infographics, FAQs, lists of insurance and health care words to know.  It’s all there to help women get themselves — and their families— covered. 

Reina Schiffrin,

President/CEO

Planned Parenthood Hudson Peconic

Kings Park Girls Soccer Team Stays Strong For Lauren Lenardi

Alone With Lauren – KP Soccer Team Stays Strong

by Maureen Rossi

On March 1^st Kings Park High School Varsity goalie Carly Greco was sitting in her room when she read a Facebook post that would change the young athlete’s life and the lives of the girls on her soccer team.   She learned that her teammate Lauren Lenardi had left the world.   “I was so shocked, I felt optimistic about Lauren, the last time I saw her was the best I had seen her,” said the now HS senior.   Varsity soccer coach Bryan LaPalo had rang the captains of the team with the ominous news and like adolescents all over the world; they took to social media to share their innermost feelings.

Greco’s mother was out of state on a road trip when her daughter received the news.    “I felt so helpless, I was all the way in Pennsylvania, I didn’t know what to do,” she recalled.    Greco’s mother knew that her daughter should not be alone so she prompted her youngest child to call the team and invite them to the house.   Before long, Junior Varsity coach Bridgit Keenan and Coach LaPalo were present with the entire team.   “Carly began to bake, that’s what she does,” said her mother.    Greco’s dad appeared with some food for the team.   As the sweet treats erupted from the professional grade kitchen, (Greco’s dad is one of Long Island’s celebrated chefs), the girls cried, they talked, they shared memories.   “The coaches were telling stories about Lauren, we were more celebrating her life than mourning, it was really good for the whole team,” explained Greco.  

Their fellow teammate and friend Lauren Lenardi had been diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of cancer in freshman year while playing on the J.V. team.    She fought a long and harrowing battle of multiple rounds of chemotherapy and radiation.   However, despite the horrific physical journey she endured, the child was a beacon of light to all who knew her.  Known to be wise beyond her years; she stole the hearts of her friends, coaches, teammates and an entire town.   Greco said the LaurenStrong organization they started after Lauren got sick was to help raise funds for her treatments.   The girls sold baked good, t-shirts and held a host of various fundraisers.   “Yellow was her favorite color so it’s been all about the yellow,” said Greco.    She said this year; the money was for a scholarship for someone on the soccer team.   Despite Lauren’s gaping absence, her teammates and coaches held the third LaurenStrong game on September 12^th, the day before what would have been the teen’s 17^th birthday.   The Lenardi family was on hand for the game and the dedication of a plaque in Lauren’s memory.  Beside the stone was a soccer ball and a beautiful picture of the teen with her cropped hair and a glorious smile.

“We played West Islip, they were there last year when we celebrated Lauren’s 16^th Birthday, they knew the situation and they were very understanding,” added Greco.  The girls took the game 3 and 0 but after the very emotionally wrought halftime dedication, it was difficult for the tearful athletes to continue with the game.    “Every game we play we say it’s for her, we don’t’ want to lose, we know she’s always there for us,” said Greco.  The team has been pulling through for Lauren this entire season; their record is 6, 2 and 2.  

The evening before the LaurenStrong game, the girls planted yellow flowers by her memorial, they wrote letters to Lauren and they lit candles.   “It was kind of like speaking to her, it was like we were with her,” said Greco.   This was not to be a feeling that was short lived for Greco or her team.  The day after the LaurenStrong game, in the late afternoon, in a small break in the clouds a rainbow appeared over Kings Park.   Once again the teens took to Facebook to report the news- one by one the girls looked into the sky, one by one they looked into the rainbow and they felt Lauren’s presence.   Scientifically speaking, a rainbow is an optical and meteorological phenomenon that is caused by reflection of light in water droplets in the Earth’s atmosphere, resulting in a spectrum of light appearing in the sky.   It takes the form of an arch.   In many cultures it is a symbol of a bridge from earth to heaven. For the Kings Park Varsity Soccer team it was their friend Lauren acknowledging their love.  For Lauren, they will all remain Strong.  

44 Tons Of Household Hazardous Waste Collected At Town's Collection Event

Residents in the Town of Smithtown took advantage of the Town’s Household Hazardous Waste Collection Event in a big way. On Saturday, October 5th, four hundred and thirty-five families went to the Municipal Services Facility on Old Northport Road in Kings Park to rid their homes of 88,490 pounds of hazardous waste.

According to the Town collected items included pesticides, liquid mercury, waste base oil paints, gasoline, paint thinners, waste gases, petroleum distillates, flammable solids, liquid and solid oxidizers, sodium and potassium nitrates, acids, corrosives, miscellaneous toxic liquids and solids, lacquers and other toxic compounds. The improper disposal of these items can damage the environment and cause health problems. 

The event was conducted by Care Environment Corp. of Landing, New Jersey. Care Environment specializes in waste removal. They were awarded the contract in a competitive bid process with a bid of $11,900.00. New York State Department of Environmental Conservation will reimburse the Town for one half the cost or $5,950.00.

“The household hazardous waste collection event has been a real success. Participating in a household hazardous waste collection event allows people to safely dispose of old chemicals. It also heightens awareness that not everything offered for sale is a good thing to have and use around the house.  We should try to minimize or avoid buying toxic products in the first place,” said Smithtown Town Supervisor Patrick R. Vecchio in a released statement. 

The Town hosts two collection events a year. The next Household Hazardous Waste Collection Event will be held in the spring of 2014.   

Asphalt Plant, Recycling Facility ? Toby Carlson Explains To KPCA

Toby CarlsonAn indoor- yard waste recycling plant is being proposed for Old Northport Road in Kings Park. The proposal comes from business owner Toby Carlson of Carlson Associates located at 140 Old Northport Rd. in Kings Park.

Mr. Carlson was a guest speaker at the October 3^rd meeting of the Kings Park Civic Association (KPCA).

Mr. Carlson, addressing those at the KPCA meeting, spoke of his family’s history in the community, current plans before Smithtown’s Town Board to build an asphalt plant and his vision for the 50 acres of property he owns on Old Northport Road.

Currently, there are three different types of zoning on the Carlson property, Heavy Industry, Light Industry and 1-acre residential (R-43).  According to Town Planning Director, Frank DeRubeis, there are violations in all three districts. One of the largest uses on the property, processing yard waste, is not currently permitted in the town. Legalizing this operation would require amending the Town Code. 

Carlson was taken to court by the Town for the violations on his property and according to DeRubeis, “As part of a settlement of this issue, the applicant agreed to submit the proper applications for approval of the uses on the property.”

click on image to enlargeCarlson, reluctantly, has submitted a plan to build an asphalt plant on property currently zoned for heavy industrial use. He revealed that mulch, not asphalt was his choice. He stated, “I would like, in my heart of hearts, I like making mulch and I like recycling.”

Carlson made it clear that the tabling of the asphalt plant plan by the Town Board was a good thing stating, “I don’t think another asphalt plant in the area is a good solution, but we do need a solution and we can only do this by working together.”

Carlson’s solution is to amend the Town Code to permit yard waste recycling indoors. “What I have proposed to the Town is moving our most obnoxious uses indoors. Inside a building so when the wind blows it doesn’t catch any dust or pick up any odors. All the odors created in the building get filtered. All the floors in the building are paved and catch the leachate, which gets recycled.”

This statement drew a mixed reaction from the audience. Many expressed their support for this type of facility as opposed to an asphalt plant. Others were not so sure. “Mr. Carlson has admittedly violated Town Code and it’s difficult for me to believe that he won’t continue to do so,” said one audience member preferring not to give a name.

KPCA meeting Oct.3 - click on photo to enlargeBut, Mr. Carlson acknowledged that mistakes had been made in the past and he spoke of bringing the Town, DEC and DEW together to build a facility “that will work in our community and bring us to the next level.” The Town is currently considering the concept of an indoor facility.  A green light by the Town will allow Mr. Carlson to invest in a plan that could eventually lead to a $25-50 million dollar investment. The operation will, according to Carlson, bring tax revenue to the Town and reduce the trucks on Indian Head Rd. and Town Line Road.

Will it work? The devil is in the details. Promised buffers, plantings and berms sound great but often are removed by landowners. Mining has already been done on the residential acres of Mr. Carlson’s property. Neighbors have complained about violations on the property and horrendous odors emanating from the processing of mulch.  Bringing the operation inside seems like a starting point for discussion. But there are other factors: will concrete and other materials be recycled what will be stored outside of the facility, how do you control the odors, how close to residential areas, are some of the questions.

Carlson admits there is a lot of research that needs to take place to see if this is a viable option. Planning Director Frank DeRubeis is supportive of an indoor facility, but he too feels there is a lot more information that needs to be presented.

The biggest problem for some in the audience was trust.  Can they trust Carlson to create a state of the art facility? Can they trust the Town to enforce a new code when current code hasn’t been enforced? And finally can they trust that this will resolve a problem that has been ongoing for a very long time? 

10-Year Old Brandon Fried 10:19 In 5k - Next Race The Turkey Trot

By Brandon Fried

Brandon Fried in trainingI have run 3 5k distance races so far and I wanted to do another.  My dad and Grandpa signed up for the Entenmann’s Great South Bay 1/2 Marathon and there was also a 5k, so I found my next race!

I had been training up at the Smithtown West high school track.  Just a few weeks ago I ran the Cow Harbor 2k race.  There were a lot of big hills!

I woke up early on race morning and was grumpy because I was VERY tired.  I ateBrandon at Smithtown West HS track two pieces of a bagel and drank water. We got to the Bayshore Marina and I looked out at the Great South Bay and saw lots of boats, including ferries.  I also saw the bridge to Fire Island and a light house on the other side.  It was not really cold, it felt good because it was a little breeze. We ran along the with a view of the bay for a little bit, then left the marina and ran along lots of houses.  Then we ran down the main street in town and saw lots of stores.  

I kept running but stayed at the same pace.  I was passing some people here and there.  Some of them were slowing down because they were tired.  I sped up a little, passed 3 more people and crossed the finish line!

I came in 137th out of 334 people of all ages that ran this race today!  My pace was 10:19 and it feels exciting that I ran so far and so fast; even faster than a lot of grownups.

I think I may want to run this race again next year.  Now I’m going to keep training for the Turkey Trot.  I’m going to ask my dad if there are any other races we should sign up for soon.

- Brandon, 10, 1Quest2theNext.com Co-Creator/Blogger