The Health News USA February 19 2018

• Hundreds of hardy Penn State students have raised more than $10 million for pediatric cancer patients in the annual 46-hour dance marathon known as Thon. The $10,151,663.93 total was announced Sunday afternoon at the conclusion of the Penn State Interfraternity Council/Panhellenic Dance Marathon, billed as the world’s largest student-run philanthropy.
• United States health spending is projected to rise 5.3 percent in 2018, reflecting rising prices of medical goods and services and higher Medicaid costs, a U.S. government health agency said on Wednesday, an upward trend it forecasts for the next decade.
  The increase represents a sharp uptick from 2017 spending, which the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) now estimates to have been a 4.6 percent climb to nearly $3.5 trillion. It had previously forecast a 2017 rise of 5.4 percent.
• In an effort to make their meals healthier, McDonald’s is eliminating two long-time staples in their child-friendly Happy Meals. The fast-food company is removing cheeseburgers and chocolate milk to reduce calories, sodium, saturated fats and added sugars, the company announced in a press release. According to the press release, these changes will lead to a 20 percent reduction in calories, 50 percent reduction in added sugars, 13 percent reduction in saturated fat and a 17 percent reduction in sodium depending on the customer’s specific meal choice.

News on Health Professional Radio. Today is the 19th of February 2018. Read by Tabetha Moreto.

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/penn-state-students-raise-10m-dance-marathon-53185626

Hundreds of hardy Penn State students have raised more than ten million dollars for pediatric cancer patients in the annual forty six-hour dance marathon known as Thon. The ten million one hundred fifty one thousand six hundred sixty three dollars and ninety three cents total was announced Sunday afternoon at the conclusion of the Penn State Interfraternity Council/Panhellenic Dance Marathon, billed as the world’s largest student-run philanthropy.

Money raised benefits pediatric cancer patients and their families at the Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. Child cancer survivors and their families also participate along with the dancers, who aren’t allowed to sleep or even sit and are helped by thousands of other students in support roles. The two thousand eighteen total was about one hundred six thousand dollars over the total raised last year. The event has raised more than one hundred forty seven million dollars since nineteen seventy seven.

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/02/15/us-health-care-spending-to-climb-5-point-3-percent-in-2018.html

United States health spending is projected to rise five point three percent in two thousand eighteen, reflecting rising prices of medical goods and services and higher Medicaid costs, a U.S. government health agency said on Wednesday, an upward trend it forecasts for the next decade.The increase represents a sharp uptick from two thousand seventeen spending, which the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services now estimates to have been a four point six percent climb to nearly three point five trillion dollars. It had previously forecast a two thousand seventeen rise of five point four percent.

The primary drivers of the increased spending include the aging baby-boom population that will increase enrollment in the Medicare health insurance program for the elderly and disabled, a climb in the prices of medical goods and services and more disposable personal income, the report said. CMS projected that health-care spending will on average rise five point five percent annually from two thousand seventeen to two thousand twenty six and will comprise nineteen point seven percent of the U.S. economy in two thousand twenty six, up from seventeen point nine percent in two thousand sixteen. By two thousand twenty six, health spending is projected to reach five point seven trillion dollars.
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Republicans last year repeatedly failed to repeal and replace Obamacare, a top campaign promise of President Donald Trump. Instead, the Trump administration has weakened the law through a series of regulatory actions and rules, causing a rise in premiums in the individual markets created under the Affordable Care Act.

https://www.usnews.com/news/national-news/articles/2018-02-15/mcdonalds-cuts-calories-by-removing-cheeseburger-from-happy-meal

In an effort to make their meals healthier, McDonald’s is eliminating two long-time staples in their child-friendly Happy Meals. The fast-food company is removing cheeseburgers and chocolate milk to reduce calories, sodium, saturated fats and added sugars, the company announced in a press release. The release says: “By two thousand twenty two, McDonald’s will make improvements to the Happy Meal menu across one hundred twenty markets to offer more balanced meals, simplify ingredients, continue to be transparent with Happy Meal nutrition information, reinforce responsible marketing to children, and leverage innovative marketing to help impact the purchase of foods and beverages that contain recommended food groups in Happy Meals.”

Customers in the U.S. will begin seeing the changes to their Happy Meals in June. All meals will be under six hundred calories and be compliant with new nutrition requirements for added sugars, saturated fats and seventy eight percent compliant with new sodium requirements. Only the hamburger, four-piece and six-piece Chicken McNuggets will be available in the Happy Meal, but customers can still request a cheeseburger. Chocolate milk will also be available at the customer’s request while the company removes it from the meal and reformulates it to reduce added sugars. Bottled water will be the featured beverage on Happy Meal menu boards.
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According to the press release, these changes will lead to a twenty percent reduction in calories, fifty percent reduction in added sugars, thirteen percent reduction in saturated fat and a seventeen percent reduction in sodium depending on the customer’s specific meal choice. The fast-food chain first made similar changes in two thousand thirteen, when it began working with Alliance for a Healthier Generation to develop plans to increase consumers’ access to healthier foods.