Tag Archives: health

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

National Immunization Awareness Month … usa.gov


August is National Immunization Awareness Month, and with school just right around the corner, it is a good time to check that your kids are up to date on shots. Young kids have a series of shots required to protect them from measles, polio, chicken pox, and hepatitis, but preteens should have shots for a variety of illnesses, as well.

Check out these immunization resources to learn more about which shots are required for your child and get tips on how to reduce your child’s anxiety about getting shots:

 

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

sign the “MY BOSS IS NOT MY DOCTOR” petition … Al Franken


Al Franken - U.S. Senator, Minnesota

Here’s a handy way to tell the difference between your boss and your doctor: Ask to see a stethoscope (doctors usually have those handy). If the person who’s trying to control your access to health care can’t produce one, that’s your boss — and you shouldn’t let him or her decide what care you can get.

 
This is pretty simple: Bosses aren’t doctors. And Republicans shouldn’t put them in charge of your health care. No wonder 26,545 people have already signed our “MY BOSS IS NOT MY DOCTOR” petition.
That’s 26,545 people whose bosses are not their doctors, and don’t want their bosses deciding what health care they can and can’t get.
So if you haven’t signed our petition — and your boss is not, in fact, your doctor — don’t wait another minute. Click here, sign now.
Thanks for reading — and remember: If it walks like a boss, talks like a boss, and can’t produce a stethoscope on demand, it isn’t a doctor.
Al
P.S.: It took hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of research to develop the stethoscope test. Okay, no, it didn’t. But a grassroots campaign like this one does cost money. And it would be great if you could chip in a few dollars to help us keep it going.
~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Help Close the Pregnancy Loophole …Emily J. Martin, National Women’s Law Center


National Women's Law Center
 
 
     
                  Help Close the Pregnancy Loophole  
     
 

 
     
                  Tell your Representative to co-sponsor the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act to ensure that pregnant women are treated fairly on the job.  
     
  Call (202) 224-3121 today!  
     

Yes it’s true: In 2012, getting pregnant can still cost you your job.
Thanks to a gap opened between discrimination laws and disability laws by court decisions, some employers are refusing to accommodate even simple requests that help workers maintain a healthy pregnancy.
Here are three startling examples of women who, thanks to the pregnancy loophole, were fired for doing what was best for their pregnancies:

  • A retail sales associate in Salina, Kansas was fired for drinking water while working because it violated store policy.
  • A nursing home activities director in Valparaiso, Indiana lost her job because she could no longer lift heavy tables, an activity that took up less than 10 minutes of her workday and with which her coworkers routinely volunteered to assist.
  • A pregnant truck driver in Tennessee was instructed by her obstetrician not to lift more than 20 pounds and sought light duty work. Her employer terminated her, as it made such modifications only to those injured on the job.

Sounds crazy, right? Unfortunately, thousands of pregnant women are forced to choose between losing their jobs (or taking unpaid leave) and endangering their pregnancies, when just a few small workplace accommodations are usually all that’s needed.
To close this egregious pregnancy loophole, Pregnant Workers Fairness Act was introduced today in the House of Representatives by Reps. Nadler (D-NY) and a number of his colleagues. To give this bill a solid start, we need as many Representatives to co-sponsor this bill as possible.
Will you take 3 minutes to call your Representative and ask them to co-sponsor the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act? Calling is easy to do.

  1. Call (202) 224-3121.
  2. Tell the operator who answers the phone the name of your Representative. (Not sure? Look it up here.)
  3. Once you are connected to the office of your Representative, tell the staff person who answers:
    • Your name, that you are a constituent from (city, state).
    • I am calling to ask you to co-sponsor the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act. It’s time to close the pregnancy loophole and ensure that pregnant women are treated fairly on the job.
    • Thank you.
  4. Hang up and ask your friends or co-workers to make a call as well.

Thank you for your continued support.
Sincerely,
 
Emily J. Martin   Emily J. Martin Vice President and General Counsel National Women’s Law Center     

P.S. Want to learn more? Read the Op-Ed in The New York Times that inspired this bill. And check out a fact sheet on the bill from the National Women’s Law Center.
~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

This is Men’s Health Week … usa.gov


It’s Men’s Health Week! If you haven’t been for a physical examin awhile, it’s probably time to:

Find some helpful publications for men on USA.gov, including information about prostate cancer, depression, and physical activity and healthy eating.

 
~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Social Security … get the answers


How to Get Quick Approval for Certain Disability Claims

 The Social Security Administration provides long-term disability benefits to U.S. workers who are unable to work for more than 12 months due to a physical, mental or emotional medical condition.

Although evaluating each case might take several months or even years, Social Security can fast-track the process for some cases if they fall under its Compassionate Allowances Program.

Learn more about the Social Security Compassionate Allowances Program.