text:
John Money, né le  et mort le , est un psychologue et sexologue néo-zélandais.

Il a notamment introduit les notions de paraphilie  et de « rôle de genre » () qui sera repris par la suite dans le cadre des études de genre mais avec une acception différente.

Il a été sévèrement critiqué pour l'opération chirurgicale de réattribution sexuelle réalisée sur David Reimer, alors âgé de 22 mois. Cette affaire a considérablement terni sa réputation et a amené à mettre en doute le caractère scientifique de sa théorie de la plasticité du genre sexuel.

Biographie

Né à Morrinsville en Nouvelle-Zélande, d'une famille issue du courant des Frères de Plymouth, John Money étudie la psychologie à l'université Victoria de Wellington et y obtient un double master en psychologie et éducation fin 1944. En 1947, à l'âge de 26 ans, il émigre aux États-Unis pour étudier à l'Institut psychiatrique de l'université de Pittsburgh puis obtient son PhD à l'université Harvard en 1952. Il a été brièvement marié dans les années 1950 et n'a pas eu d'enfants.

Au cours de sa carrière, Money propose et développe plusieurs théories auquel il associe une terminologie spécifique : l'identité de genre, les rôles de genre, et les . Il fut professeur de pédiatrie et de psychologie médicale au Centre médical de l'Université Johns Hopkins de Baltimore de 1951 à sa mort. Durant cette période, il participa au département sur les comportements sexuels (), qui lança des études sur la chirurgie de réattribution sexuelle. La  lui décerne la médaille Magnus Hirschfeld en 2002.

Money était un grand amateur d'art néo-zélandais, aussi bien littéraire que visuel. Il était l'ami et le partisan notoire de l'écrivaine Janet Frame. En 2002, alors que sa maladie de Parkinson s'aggrave, il fait don d'une part substantielle de sa collection d'art à l'Eastern Southland Art Gallery de Gore en Nouvelle-Zélande. En 2003, la première ministre de Nouvelle-Zélande, Helen Clark, y inaugure l'aile John-Money.

Money meurt le , à Towson dans le Maryland, des suites de complications de sa maladie de Parkinson.

Travaux

Identité sexuelle, identité du genre et gender roles
La définition du genre de Money repose sur sa compréhension des différences entre les sexes parmi les êtres humains. Selon lui, le fait qu'un sexe produise des ovules ou des spermatozoïdes est l'irréductible critère de différenciation des sexes. Cependant, d'autres différences dérivent de cette première dichotomie.

Ces différences impliquent la manière dont l'urine est expulsée du corps, ainsi que d'autres dimorphismes sexuels. Selon la théorie de Money, les différences sexuelles « connexes » sont caractérisées par la plus petite taille des femelles, ainsi que leurs problèmes de déplacements pendant la grossesse ; ce qui rendrait les mâles plus aptes à l'itinérance et à la chasse. Les différences sexuelles « arbitraires » sont celles purement conventionnelles : par exemple le choix des couleurs (bleu pour les garçons, rose pour les filles). Certaines différences apparaissent plus tardivement, comme les opportunités de carrières pour les hommes par rapport aux femmes.

Enfin, Money crée le terme  (rôle de genre) qu'il différencie du concept plus traditionnel de « rôle des sexes ». Selon lui, les organes génitaux ainsi que les rôles érotiques sexuels devaient désormais, selon sa définition, être désignés par le terme plus général de « rôle des genres », ainsi que les activités non-érotiques et non-génitales définies conventionnellement par la société comme s'appliquant aussi bien à l'homme qu'à la femme.

Money fait du genre un concept plus large que celui de mâle/femelle. Il y intègre non seulement le statut d'homme ou de femme, mais aussi une question de reconnaissance personnelle, de place dans la société, une définition juridique ; il ne se fonde pas seulement sur les organes génitaux mais aussi sur des critères comportementaux et somatiques qui vont au-delà de la différenciation génitale.

L'identité de genre est la catégorisation de soi-même comme homme, femme ou ambivalent, en fonction de ce que le sujet ressent et de ce qu'il perçoit de son comportement.

Le « rôle du genre » est la manifestation publique de son identité de genre, ce que l'on dit ou fait qui donnent aux gens une base pour déterminer si untel est un homme, une femme, ou n'entre dans aucune de ces deux catégories.

Pour souligner l'idée que l'identité de genre et les rôles de genre sont deux aspects de la même question, Money inventa un nouveau terme : Gender-Identity/Role ou G-I/R (l'identité/rôle de genre).

Money inventa également le terme de .

En 1972, Money présenta ses théories dans , ouvrage grand public de vulgarisation. Le livre prend comme point de départ le cas David Reimer (voir plus bas).

Sexologie
Dans son ouvrage Gay, Straight and In-Between: The Sexology of Erotic Orientation (Oxford 1988 : 116), Money définit le concept de , « corps-esprit », comme un moyen pour les scientifiques de sortir des lieux communs de la dichotomie entre inné et acquis, nature et éducation, biologique et social et psychologique et physiologique en développant une science de la sexualité. Il suggère que toutes ces dichotomies se fondent sur l'ancienne conception, préplatonicienne et prébiblique, de l'opposition du corps et de l'esprit, du physique et du spirituel. En fabriquant ce terme de « corps-esprit », Money souhaite aller au-delà de ces principes profondément enracinés dans notre folklore et notre psychologie vernaculaire.

Money développe en même temps (Oxford 1988: 114-119) une vision des "concepts du déterminisme" qui sont transculturels, transhistoriques et universels : tous les humains les ont en commun, sexologiquement parlant ou non. Ceux-ci incluent le  (l'attachement deux par deux, mère-enfant et mâle-femelle), le  (le regroupement en famille, tribu…), l' (la survivance dans un milieu donné), l' (la tendance à nommer) et le  (la condition mortelle), ainsi que les stratégies d'évitement dites d'engagement, d'inhibition et d'interprétation.

Controverses

La réattribution sexuelle de David Reimer

Durant sa vie professionnelle, Money fut considéré comme un expert des comportements sexuels, spécialement pour avoir démontré que le genre était un acquis, un apprentissage plutôt que quelque chose d'inné. Plusieurs années plus tard, cependant, son cas le plus célèbre se révélera un échec. Il s'agit de la réattribution sexuelle de David Reimer, également connue comme « le cas John/Joan » dans le monde académique.

En 1966, une circoncision ratée laissa Bruce Reimer, alors âgé de 8 mois, sans pénis. , John Money conseille à ses parents de le transformer en fille. Sur sa recommandation, 14 mois plus tard, on décida de faire du bébé une fille : on procéda à une ablation des testicules et on rebaptisa Bruce « Brenda ». Money recommanda également un traitement hormonal lourd à base d'œstrogènes (ce qui fut fait) ainsi qu'une vaginoplastie à la puberté (ce qui ne fut pas fait). Il publia un nombre important d'articles affirmant que la réattribution était un succès.

Avec le cas Reimer,  Il rédige de nombreux articles consacrés à ce cas, et, en 1972, un livre, Man - Woman, Boy - Girl.

En 1997, Milton Diamond rapporta que la réattribution était au contraire un échec, que Reimer ne s'était jamais identifié comme femme ou comporté d'une manière typiquement féminine, qu'il avait changé de traitement hormonal pour prendre de la testostérone, et qu'il avait pris le nom de David à l'adolescence. Money fut accusé d'avoir falsifié ses recherches, mais ses défenseurs répondirent qu'il ne voyait Reimer qu'une fois par an durant toute la période de son implication sur ce cas, qu'il n'avait eu aucun contact avec la famille Reimer après 1978, et que durant ses visites annuelles, la famille avait menti à l'équipe du laboratoire sur les progrès de l'enfant.

 déclara David à la presse. Dès l'âge de six ans. Money l'inonde ainsi de questions lancées en rafale : As-tu le goût de faire l'amour avec des garçons ? Quelle est la différence entre un garçon et une fille ? Aimes-tu ce que tu as entre les deux jambes ?

 avouera plus tard David au journaliste John Colapinto, lequel écrira un livre dévoilant l'affaire, As Nature Made Him: The Boy who Was Raised as a Girl.

En 2000, David et son frère jumeau, Brian, déclarent que le  Money a pris prétexte de leur traitement pour les forcer à répéter des actes sexuels, croyant que cela les aiderait à bâtir leurs identités sexuelles respectives. Ils affirment que Money les a forcé à répéter des actes sexuels, Brian « [pressait] son entrejambe contre » les fesses de David. Money a également forcé les deux enfants à se déshabiller pour des « inspections génitales », prenant parfois des photos. Money justifiait ces actes criminels en affirmant que « le jeu de répétition sexuelle de l'enfance » était important pour une « identité de genre adulte en bonne santé ».

En 2002, le frère jumeau de David est trouvé mort des suites d'une overdose des médicaments qu'il prenait pour traiter sa schizophrénie. Le , peu après avoir rompu avec sa femme, David Reimer se donne la mort. Ses parents déclarent qu'ils croient que les méthodes de Money sont responsables du décès de leurs deux fils.

Money répondit que la réaction des médias aux révélations était le fait de l'extrême droite et des mouvements antiféministes. Il déclara notamment que ses détracteurs croyaient que . Cependant, les activistes intersexes ont aussi critiqué Money, déclarant que l'échec dissimulé du cas David Reimer avait conduit à la réattribution sexuelle traumatique de milliers d'enfants.

D'après ses collègues, en privé, Money aurait été mortifié par le scandale, et personne ne devait l'évoquer en sa présence. Ses propres opinions se développèrent et changèrent au fil des ans.

Tolérance de la pédophilie

John Money joua un rôle dans les débats sur la chronophilie, incluant l'infantophilie, l'éphébophilie, et la pédophilie. Il affirmait que ni les chercheurs ni le public ne faisaient la distinction entre pédophilie affective et pédophilie sadique. Il croyait que la pédophilie affective se fondait sur l'amour et non sur le sexe. Son opinion était que la pédophilie affective était causée par un surplus d'amour parental qui devenait érotique, et n'était donc pas un trouble du comportement.

.

Réception critique
La philosophe américaine Judith Butler, connue pour ses travaux sur la performativité du genre, a sévèrement critiqué John Money. Étudiant dans le détail le cas Reimer, elle condamne la malhonnêteté de Money, son manque d'écoute, évoque ses  ainsi que la publication d'articles louant le succès de cette  alors que l'échec en était manifeste.

Dans la fiction
L'histoire de David Reimer et de son frère a inspiré l'épisode 12 (Identité intime) de la saison 6 de la série New York, unité spéciale.

Références

Annexes

Bibliographie
 Judith Butler, Défaire le genre, traduction de Maxime Cervulle, Éditions Amsterdam, Paris, 2006 ; nouvelle édition augmentée, 2013
Lisa Downing, Iain Morland, Nikki Sullivan, dir., Fuckology. Critical Essays on John Money's Diagnostic Concepts, Chicago, University of Chicago Press, 2015
  John Colapinto, As Nature Made Him: The Boy Who Was Raised as a Girl, Harper Collins, 2000
  Diamond M, Sigmundson HK. « Sex reassignment at birth. Long-term review and clinical implications. » Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine. 1997 Mar; 151(3):298–304. . texte complet

Liens externes

 John Money Collection via l'Institut Kinsey.

Psychologue néo-zélandais
Sexologue
Apologie de la pédophilie
Genre (sciences sociales)
Étudiant de l'université Harvard
Personnalité impliquée dans une affaire de fraude scientifique
Transidentité et médecine
Intersexuation et médecine
Chercheur en études de genre
Docteur honoris causa de l'université Hofstra
Étudiant de l'université de Pittsburgh
Naissance en juillet 1921
Naissance dans la région de Waikato
Décès en juillet 2006
Décès à 84 ans
Décès à Towson
Page sans Infobox SHS souhaitée


text:
Former Consultant for the New York State Office of the Attorney General Joins Shenker Russo & Clark
Shenker Russo & Clark LLP announced today that Mia N. Wolfe joined their firm as an associate bringing her consulting experience for the New York State Office of the Attorney General and a fresh perspective to the firm.
Wolfe has worked as consultant for the New York State Office of the Attorney General. There she managed a team of forty document review attorneys working on the discovery phase for New York State's lawsuit against the manufacturers and distributors of opioid drugs. She also assisted the Attorney General's office on other major litigation cases.
"With the start of a new year we are pleased that Shenker Russo & Clark continues to grow as a firm and attract talent of Mia's caliber," CEO and Co-Managing Partner Theresa Russo said. Douglas Clark, Co-Managing Partner, said "This new hire is yet another sign of our expanding capacity and will advance the superior services we already provide for our clients."
"I'm thrilled to be joining Shenker Russo & Clark," Wolfe said. "Their core principles of integrity, knowledge and creative solutions drew me to the firm, almost magnetically, and I am excited to be part of a team founded on those values."
She can be reached at mia.wolfe@srclawoffices.com and 518-407-5800.
Best Place to Work (again)!
Theresa Russo publishes Practice Note related to alcohol regulation in New York

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


LORMAN, MS (WLBT) - Arthur Davis was visiting his sons at Alcorn State University a couple of decades ago when he saw this building for sale in Lorman. At first he wanted to buy it and flip it for a profit. But instead he turned it into a restaurant.
First time I met Mr. Davis, who has since become better known as Mr. D was a bunch of years ago, after I stopped by one hungry day and, and after eating, declared he had the best fried chicken in the world. And then after Southern Living did an article and then The Food Network highlighted his fried chicken and CBS featured the Old Country Store at Lorman, people all over the globe are familiar with Mr. D and how he sings to you when you come in.
He teases that if the Colonel had had his recipe he'd be a five star general.
"It's funny about it. You know like have beautiful ladies coming though every day. Guys bringing beautiful ladies and most of the time it's a special occasion that they'll bring somebody.," said Mr. D. "And I get a chance to sing to them. And even have the gentleman say this is my wife and she doesn't want to leave before she gets a picture with you."
Well, Mr. D had some health problems earlier this summer that kept him in away from his Old Country Store Restaurant at Lorman for several weeks. The chicken was just as good as ever, but the place just wasn't the same. But I'm pleased to say Mr. D is back.
"I am healthy. I feel good. And I've been refreshed," said Mr. D. "I got some rest that I haven't gotten in a long time."
People from all over have left their business cards as wall paper. And the European visitors write notes and even draw maps of where they're from and leave them as souvenirs of their visit.
And the thousands of tourists who travel up and down highway 61 just itching for a good place to stop have found one at the Old Country Store in Lorman to meet one of Mississippi's favorite tourist attractions, Mr. D.


text:
Today this town "Belongs to Marty"
Marty Brennaman says today is "going to be a tough day, a very emotional day for me." The Hall of Fame broadcaster will sign off on the Reds Radio Network for the final time this afternoon and he says he has not rehearsed or written down how he will say goodbye. On last nights broadcast, Marty said he has no regrets about his decision to call it a career. He told his son Thom on Newsradio 700WLW, "I don't feel like I have second guessed my decision at all and feel very good with it."
Brennaman says he is most proud of the fact that his entire 46 year career was spent in Cincinnati. He says he has had offers to leave for bigger markets but never regretted his decision to stay. He says Cincinnati has everything you could ask for plus "the best people in the world." The soon to be retired Reds broadcaster says he has been overwhelmed by the cards and gifts he has received congratulating him on his retirement. "Thanks Marty" banners are up today in the Banks where they are throwing a Marty party.
Appropriately enough, Reds fans going to the game this afternoon will be given transistor radios so that they can listen to Marty's final broadcast. The broadcast will be synced to the action on the field so you can hear Marty in real time describe the action. Tune in to Newsradio 700WLW or 94.5 FM for all the action beginning at 11:35.
To hear some of Marty's classic calls of Reds action, click here.


Make the smart choice when shopping the smart styles at TM Lewin by claiming free delivery now.
Make the most of this offer and get £10 off your next order with this discount code!
Make the most of this offer and get 10% off sale orders!
Make the most of this offer and get casualwear from a great price!
Make the most of this great deal and get a £5 instore voucher for free when you click and collect!
The suit makes the man – and TM Lewin makes the suit.
Make sure your formal fashion collection is hot to trot with a range of stunning suave staples from TM Lewin.
Every man needs a good suit. Something that fits well, makes you feel fantastic and works wonders for a host of occasions. Weddings, interviews, formal evenings and business meetings are all times where you need a suit that stands out from the crowd – and TM Lewin's collection can help.
Offering everything you need to stay suave, you can shop shirts, suits, ties and accessories to keep you toeing the trend line and feeling fantastic in your formalwear.
Ladies – you're not forgotten either! Its women's collection spans stunning shirts and workwear, helping you upgrade your wardrobe so that you can boss the boardroom and turn heads at the bar in one fell swoop.
Don't miss our TM Lewin discount codes, only available in The Sun Vouchers.
Looking for a gift? TM Lewin has got you covered. Shop sleek Moleskine notebooks, multi-pack sock giftsets and the perfect coffee table books – there really is something for everyone. Perhaps a textured shirt accessory gift set will do the trick? Treat the man in your life to something special and head to the TM Lewin gift section to get it right every time.
While you can't put a price on looking and feeling fantastic in your formalwear, it certainly helps if that price is a little less than you expected. Follow these TM Lewin money-saving tips to save some pennies on your posh new clothes.
TM Lewin Clearance: Shop savvy and swing by the clearance section to see which styles have the biggest discounts. You'll be able to pick up a new interview outfit for a fraction of its original cost and stock up on suave shirts for when you inevitably bag the job!
£5 off Click & Collect: If you choose to click and collect your order from one of TM Lewin's local stores, not only will your delivery be free, but you'll get a handy £5 voucher for the next time you shop too!
Make the Most of Multi-Buys: TM Lewin knows what its customers want. It offers many multi-buy bargains which help you save money as you buy more, stocking up on 3-for-2 goodies and the likes.
Savvy Student Discount: Students – stay suave without splashing the cash by shopping at TM Lewin with student discount. Whether you're looking for a shirt for graduation, a job interview or a hot date, you can bag 15% off once you've verified your student status!
Don't miss a TM Lewin discount opportunity – hunt down the best TM Lewin voucher codes online and slash those prices even further.
As with all fancy formal outfits, the devil is in the detail – and nowhere does details quite like TM Lewin does. Its collection of accessories offers the ultimate finishing touch every time, from smart socks and boxers so you feel great from the inside out, to pocket squares, tie slides, cufflinks and ties.
Its editorial section offers everything you might need in the way of inspiration, helping you style your formal fashion into something trendy and cool every time.


Both the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) have introduced proposed rules on Target Data Blocking, which, if properly tailored and modified, have the potential to substantially impact Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs), Independent Physician Associations (IPAs), Clinically Integrated Networks (CINs) and other value-based care organizations (VBCOs) by greatly expanding data transparency as between payers, including Medicare Advantage Organizations (MAOs), and VBCOs.
The CMS proposed rule on target data blocking is designed to transition the industry towards interoperability, and further builds upon CMS' goals, deriving from the 21st Century Cures Act and Executive Order 13813, to improve access to, and the quality of, information that Americans need to make informed health care decisions, including data about health care prices and outcomes, while minimizing reporting burdens on affected plans, health care providers, or payers.
According to the ONC, their proposed rule on target data blocking would implement certain provisions of the 21st Century Cures Act, including more fully and completely describing the conditions and maintenance of certification requirements for health information technology (health IT) developers under the ONC Health IT Certification Program (Program), the voluntary certification of health IT for use by pediatric health care providers, and by insulating certain reasonable and necessary IT activities that do not constitute information blocking. The implementation of these provisions would advance interoperability and support the access, exchange, and use of electronic health information. The proposed rule would also modify the 2015 Edition health IT certification criteria and Program in additional ways to advance interoperability, enhance health IT certification, and reduce burden and costs.
For VBCOs, expansion and clarification of the 21st Century Cures Act prohibition on "information blocking" presents a rare opportunity to create a more level playing field as between VBCOs and payers by forcing the enhancement of payer data transparency, which is critical for VBCOs to gather and/or review the data and methodologies held/employed by payers to calculate patient risk scores and to confirm the accuracy of payer-calculated accrued shared savings (or shared risk). Additionally, VBCOs, being in the unique position of having comprehensive in-house data analytics departments and proprietary healthcare data analytics methodologies or software, must be certain that the new Health IT requirements imposed by the proposed rulemakings are both clear and reasonably implementable from both a cost and technological standpoint.
Submitting targeted, concise comments to CMS and ONC expressing questions and concerns relevant to the above issues is one means of ensuring your company's continued success in the fast-changing value-based care landscape. Indeed, even if the agencies disagree with a proposed suggestions for improving the rules, in so doing, they will have to provide reasons therefor, thereby providing you with invaluable advanced guidance for full compliance with the rules prior to their implementation.
There are multiple ways to respond to the ONC's "21st Century Cures Act: Interoperability, Information Blocking and the ONC Health IT Certification Program" and/or CMS' "Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act; Interoperability and Patient Access for Medicare Advantage Organization and Medicaid Managed Care Plans, State Medicaid Agencies, CHIP Agencies and CHIP Managed Care Entities, Issuers of Qualified Health Plans in the Federally-facilitated Exchanges and Health Care Providers" proposed rules. Contact Frier Levitt Government Affairs to have your voice heard.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is out with a new proposed rule targeting pharmaceutical manufacturer and specialty pharmacy stakeholder interests. With the new proposed rule, the FDA is looking to amend its regulation that defines "biological product" to incorporate changes made by the Biologics Price Competition and Innovation Act of 2009 (BPCI Act), and provide an interpretation of the statutory terms "protein" and "chemically synthesized polypeptide." Under this interpretation, the term "protein" would mean any alpha amino acid polymer with a specific, defined sequence that is greater than 40 amino acids in size. A "chemically synthesized polypeptide" would mean any alpha amino acid polymer that is made entirely by chemical synthesis and is greater than 40 amino acids but less than 100 amino acids in size.
The comment period for the new proposed rule on biologics is now open. The deadline to comment is February 25, 2019.
Biologics is a cutting-edge sector within the healthcare industry. Since biologics are not traditional drugs, they will need their own classification as they become more utilized. Reimbursement and regulatory oversight involving safety of biologics will depend on how the term "biological product" is defined in this proposed rule. Pharmaceutical manufacturers and specialty pharmacy stakeholders can participate in this decision by submitting comments. Contact Frier Levitt Government Affairs today to have your voice heard on this very important topic.
Public comment is being sought on the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review's (ICER) recently posted draft protocol titled the "Unsupported Price Increase" (UPI) report. This report analyzes significant prescription drug increases and looks to determine whether or not new clinical evidence exists that could be used to support those increases. Once finalized, the protocol will guide the development of the first of these annual reports, currently scheduled for release in October 2019.
The comment period closes on February 13, 2019.
ICER is an independent non-profit research institute that produces reports analyzing the evidence on the effectiveness and value of drugs and other medical services. They are quietly becoming a strong influential force on government policy. The recent announcement of ICER's collaboration with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Pharmacy Benefits Management (PBM) Services to support VA coverage and price negotiations with drug manufacturers makes it clear that their influence on drug pricing will only continue to increase in the future.
If you are a manufacturer, GPO, wholesaler or similarly situated life science or healthcare stakeholder, it is imperative that you participate to ensure having your voice heard. Contact Frier Levitt Government Affairs today for assistance in submitting your comments for this very important policy development before the upcoming deadline.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued a new proposed rule targeting Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs), payers and Affordable Care Act (ACA) exchange stakeholders. The proposed rule, titled "Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act; HHS Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters for 2020", reflects a priority of the Administration around the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) of reducing fiscal and regulatory burdens across various areas within the law. This proposed rule has several components that affect different stakeholders.
Copay accumulators are being implemented by insurance companies and Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs), harming patient access. With this payor program, the value of copay assistance cards/coupons issued by manufacturers do not count towards out-of-pocket costs that are applied toward deductibles. The result has caused a cost shift onto consumers and away from employers and payers.
Participating in this proposed rule is crucial for manufacturer and patient assistance programs to maintain patient access and stop unnecessary risk shifting from occurring in consumer spending. We can help advocate your concerns.
Specifically, the proposed rule would set forth parameters and provisions related to the risk adjustment and risk adjustment data validation programs, cost sharing parameters, and user fees for Federally-facilitated Exchanges and State-based exchanges on the Federal Platform.
The proposal outlines changes that would allow greater flexibility related to the duties and training requirements for the Navigator program and proposes changes that would provide greater flexibility for direct enrollment entities, while strengthening program integrity oversight. Lastly, the proposal discusses policies that are intended to reduce the costs of prescription drugs. This includes proposed changes to Exchange standards related to eligibility and enrollment, exemptions, and other related topics.
The Administration has been making several changes to the ACA via regulation, as earlier Executive Orders described how regulatory changes would be used to make drastic reductions to the ACA. If you have an interest in the ACA or a direct one based off of an interest in the Exchanges, it is advised that you participate in this rule to ensure that your interests are represented. Not doing so will subject your organization to whatever policies may or may not arise from this rulemaking, potentially placing your organization and your priorities at a disadvantage.
Frier Levitt Government Affairs (FLGA) helps stakeholders comment on proposed regulations. FLGA understands the nuances around industry and has strategies that can help successfully communicate stakeholders' positions to CMS.
The deadline to comment is February 19, 2019, so it is important that you contact Frier Levitt Government Affairs today to make sure your voice is heard.
The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has issued a Request for Information (RFI) seeking input from the public on ways to modify the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). OCR intends to use the public's comments to remove regulatory obstacles and decrease regulatory burdens in order to facilitate efficient care coordination and case management to promote value-based health care while preserving the privacy and security of protected health information.
Covered entities and business associates often defer thorough HIPAA compliance due to the onerous requirements and/or limited administrative resources required to develop and enforce a comprehensive policy and procedure manual. However, this places these companies at significant risk. OCR's HIPAA enforcement has, and will likely continue, to rise.
This proposal offers providers an opportunity for physicians, hospitals and healthcare stakeholders to submit feedback to OCR highlighting certain obstacles they may face due to HIPAA regulations that do not meaningfully contribute to the privacy and security of protected health information.
The deadline for the comment period ends February 12, 2019. If you are a healthcare stakeholder and would like to participate, contact Frier Levitt Government Affairs today. We have several strategies to help you or your organization engage in this process and have your voice heard.


Just when I thought things were going back to normal, I had to go and change things up again.
So after being gluten free for about 2 weeks, the skin on my face has cleared up, but not completely. There's still a bit of redness that comes and goes and I want to know exactly what's wrong. I didn't do a proper re-introduction of foods after the Daniel Fast, so starting today I'm doing a round of Whole30.
Yes, after a week of being done with the Daniel Fast, I'm starting over with another new way of eating.
I'm going into a lot more details in a post on Wednesday; but I'm desperate to know exactly what's wrong with me and if food is the culprit. I hope I have your support for the next 30 days! John and Allison won't be participating fully, although most of the dinners I make will be Whole30-compliant for them. They can just add rice, pasta, cheese, etc. as they wish.
In preparation, I also went to Costco with my parents and used up some cash that wasn't included in our grocery budget. I bought a few essentials, along with some yummy dairy (for everyone else). Man, I just love that place! A girl could go crazy in there.
Weekly Total: $63.90. What's left will be used to buy fruit for Allison's Valentine party on Thursday.
Also received 75 points from Fetch Rewards! Sign up and use the code PV2QH and we'll both receive 2,000 points when you scan your first receipt!
I came back from a work trip last Thursday night to find that my fridge/freezer had stopped working. Had to throw out almost everything! We've been building up and eating out of our freezer for some time now. I wasn't able to get anyone out to look at it until yesterday and now the part I need wont be here until Thursday! Luckily my family lives close, so I did my usual weekly shopping on Sunday and put all my stuff in their fridge. It's been a chore to drive over their every meal time, so we ate out a lot this past weekend. I did buy some ice and put it in an ice chest in my garage to keep some small things at hand. We will be eating simply the rest of the week until I get my fridge back up and running!


Join Fifth Estate founder and independent film producer, Harvey Ovshinsky and long-time staff member and WRIF radio show host, Peter Werbe, as they discuss the impact of alternative news on reporting and what media of the future can offer. We join an exhibit, "Start the Presses: 50 Years of the Fifth Estate" at the Detroit Historical Museum.
When a Mumford High School kid got fed up with lopsided coverage of the Vietnam War and social justice issues he founded his own newspaper, as the voice of dissent and resistance. Through five decades, the Fifth Estate has served as an outlet for countercultural ideas and statements. It led the way to new journalism with personal and passionate style. It also boosted the careers of numerous reporters and brought sassy, unconventional story telling to all the local news outlets.


text:
Vivek Kaul
About Vivek Kaul
Bad Money
Easy Money: Book 1
India's Big Government
Econ Central
Why are People So Touchy About EPF
There has been a lot of drama surrounding the changes that the Narendra Modi government has tried to introduce in the Employees' Provident Fund(EPF) in the recent past. It started with the government trying to tax the EPF.
In the budget speech made in February, 2016, the finance minister Arun Jaitley said: "I propose to make withdrawal up to 40% of the corpus at the time of retirement tax exempt in the case of National Pension Scheme. In case of superannuation funds and recognized provident funds, including EPF, the same norm of 40% of corpus to be tax free will apply in respect of corpus created out of contributions made after 1.4.2016."
Just the word tax was enough to get the protests going. The social media went berserk. And so did television channels as well as newspapers, protesting vehemently against this move.
In clarifications that followed the actual plan of the government came forth. The change actually applied only to private sector employees who earned more than the statutory wage of Rs 15,000 per month.
If these employees chose to withdraw 100% of their EPF corpus, 60% of the corpus created after April 1, 2016, would be taxable. Further, there was a
around it. As the clarification later issued by the finance ministry pointed out: "It is expected that the employees of private companies will place the remaining 60% of the Corpus in Annuity, out of which they can get regular pension. When this 60% of the remaining Corpus is invested in Annuity, no tax is chargeable. So what it means is that the entire corpus will be tax free, if invested in annuity."
The clarification did not help. The protests continued and the proposal to tax EPF was then withdrawn. All this is well known by now. The question I want to ask here is, what led to the people protesting as vehemently as they did?
The middle class in this country is not known to protest against anything. They generally get around to accepting most things over a period of time. So what happened here? The answer perhaps lies in what behavioural economists refer to as the phenomenon of loss aversion.
And what is loss aversion? As economist Robert H Frank writes in his new book Success and Luck—Good Fortune and the Myth of Meritocracy: "[The] sense of entitlement to the fruits of one's labours may owe much to the phenomenon known as loss aversion. One of the most reliable findings in behavioural economics loss aversion refers to the fact that people will fight much harder to avoid a loss than they would to achieve a gain of the same amount. Since most…people work hard for the money they earn, it feels like they own it, and that makes taxation feel like theft."
And this precisely what explains all the protests that erupted against the government trying to tax the EPF. While protests in this case were justified, what followed was uncalled for.
Before trying to tax the EPF, the government had put out a notification on February 10, 2016. As per this notification an individual investing in EPF could withdraw only his contribution made to the EPF and the interest accumulated thereon, in case he was unemployed for a period of at least two months.
Before this notification was issued 100% withdrawal was possible. Further, those who changed jobs also withdrew 100% of their accumulated EPF. All they had to do was to declare that they were unemployed. This wasn't a healthy phenomenon given that money invested into EPF is essentially being put aside for retirement.
The Employees' Provident Fund Organisation(EPFO) was not structured to be able to keep track of individuals changing jobs. The introduction of Universal Account Number(UAN) along with the February notification, made it impossible for those changing jobs to withdraw 100% of EPF. And this was a good move.
But there were huge protests against this as well. And the government had to withdraw this notification. In fact, this happened primarily because people saw this as another attempt of the government to play around with their EPF and loss aversion kicked in.
In fact, the media created confusion around the question, by asking questions like why an employee should not be allowed to withdraw money for weddings, education of their children, building/buying a home and medical emergencies.
Take the case of an editorial that appeared in The Times of India on April 21, 2016. It asked: "People may need to withdraw from EPF to tide over a situation when they are between jobs. Or they may want to build a house. Or they may face a medical emergency. In all these cases EPF withdrawals enhance their economic security, which was the core idea behind EPF. There is no case, therefore, for debarring such withdrawals."
This gave the impression that no withdrawal from EPF was possible anymore. This was totally wrong. Those unemployed could withdraw their contribution to the EPF as well as the interest accumulated on it.
Further, the EPF already had rules for money to be withdrawn for medical emergencies, housing, education as well as weddings. These rules were not fiddled around in the new notification issued on February 10, 2016.
The Section 68K of the Employees' Provident Fund Scheme 1952, allows an individual to withdraw up to 50% of his contribution and the interest accumulated thereon, "for his or her own marriage, the marriage of his or her daughter, son, sister or brother or for the post-matriculation education of his or her son or daughter."
As far as medical emergencies are concerned, the amount that can be withdrawn from the EPF should not exceed, the individual's "basic wages and dearness allowances for six months or his own share of contribution with interest in the Fund, whichever is less." Withdrawal is allowed for buying/building a home as well.
After hungama around this move ended, the government decided to cut the interest rate on the EPF for 2015-2016 to 8.7%. This was 10 basis points lower than the 8.8% recommended by the Central Board of Trustees(CBT) of EPFO. Further, it was 5 basis points lower than the interest of 8.75% paid in 2014-2015 and 2013-2014.
This means that the interest paid in 2015-2016 would have been Rs 50 per lakh lower than what was paid in 2014-2015. This is a very small amount. But there were protests against this move as well, primarily by trade unions.
The explanation for this again lies in loss aversion. People now believe that the government is trying to play around with their hard earned money. And any small change attempted on part of the government is likely to lead to protests.
These protests finally led to the government reversing its earlier decision and deciding to pay an interest of 8.8% on EPF for 2015-2016, as recommended by the CBT.
The question that crops up here is, what economic reforms can be expect from a government which isn't even in a positon to pass on an interest rate cut of 5 basis points (from 8.75% in 2014-2015 to 8.7% in 2015-2016).
Further, the government could have handled the situation better by at least trying to explain the logic behind its moves. But that doesn't seem to have happened and it has ended up with creating needless trouble for itself.
The column originally appeared in the Vivek Kaul Diary on May 2, 2016
Support Vivek's writing
Categories Equitymaster, Investing, Personal Finance, Vivek Kaul's Diary Post navigation
New Tax Data Is Unambiguous: Black Money Is A Huge Part Of Indian Economy
0.11 Per Cent of India's Population Pays 80% of Its Personal Income Tax
Get notified of new posts by email.
Vivek Kaul is a widely published economic commentator. He is also the author of five books. His fifth book Bad Money—Inside the NPA Mess and How It Threatens the Indian Banking System, has just been released. He is also the author of the Easy Money trilogy.
10 Things You Need to Know About Indian Real Estate in 2021
[email protected],000 – How RBI Played a Part in Creating the Stock Market Bubble
An Open Letter to Bitcoin Bhakts
Bitcoin is a bubble, a way to speculate and not the future of money
Indian Banks Will Have Rs 17-18 Lakh Crore Bad Loans By September
Categories Select CategoryAgricultureAnalysisAnchoringArun JaitleyAsiaTimesAutomobilesbad loansBangalore MirrorBankingBBCBitcoinsBJPBook ReviewBooksBrandingBusinessBusiness StandardBusiness TodayBusiness WorldCarsChidambaramCinemaCoalCongressCricketDaily News and AnalysisDailyODeccan ChronicleDeccan HeraldDemocracydemonetisationDhoniEasy MoneyEasynomicsEquitymasterExplainerFinancial CrisisFirstBizFirstpostForbes IndiaGDPGoldGSTHindiHuffington Post IndiaHumorIncentivesIncome TaxIndia TodayIndian economyIndira GandhiInflationInterest RatesInterviewInvestingJawaharlal NehruKhaleej TimesLow interest ratesMacroeconomyMediaMiddayMintMoney printingMoviesMumbai MirrorMutual Fund InsightMutual FundsMxMIndiaNarendra ModiNewslaundryObituaryOilPersonal FinancePoliticsPonziPragatiPublic Sector BanksQuartzRaghuram RajanRahul GandhiRantRBIReal EstateRupeeSatireSelfsocial objectivesSonia GandhiStocksSwarajyaThe 5 Minute WrapupThe Asian AgeThe Corporate DossierThe Daily ReckoningThe QuintUncategorizedValueResearchOnlineVivek Kaul's DiaryWealth InsightYahoo
Copyright 2021 Vivek Kaul.
Design: Madhu Menon


text:
Two arrested after teenage boy stabbed in altercation on a residential road in Basildon
The altercation happened on Maplin Gardens in Vange
Brad GrayMultimedia Reporter
The stabbing happened down Maplin Gardens in Vange (Image: Google)
Two people have been arrested after a teenage boy was stabbed outside an address in Vange, Essex.
Police were called to Maplin Gardens at 10pm last night (Saturday, August 8) to the residential road after reports a boy had been stabbed.
When they arrived, they found a 17-year-old boy who was treated at the scene for his injuries.
They were not deemed to be life-threatening or life-changing.
An 18-year-old man from Stanford-Le-Hope was arrested at the scene on suspicion of common assault.
In addition, a 17-year-old girl from Benfleet was arrested on suspicion of assaulting an emergency worker and on suspicion of affray.
Both remain in custody.
Police are now appealing for anyone with information to come forward.
If you witnessed the attack or know anything else which may be of use to officers, call 101 quoting 1597 of 8 August.
Alternatively you can call independent charity Crimestoppers completely anonymously.


text:
Organization Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG) 2 Organization Ships Amphibious Assault Ships USS Kearsarge (LHD 3)
Welcome to the official website of amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge (LHD 3)
USS Kearsarge (LHD 3) Menu
USS Kearsarge Home
LHD Home
Tweets by esgtwo
Welcome aboard and congratulations on your orders to USS Kearsarge (LHD 3), the best amphibious assault ship in the fleet! Kearsarge is the third ship of the Wasp-class multipurpose amphibious assault ships. Our mission is to embark, deploy, land and support a Marine landing force. The ship was specifically designed to accommodate air cushion, landing craft (LCAC) for fast troop movement over the beach and AV-8B Harrier aircraft to provide close-in air support for the assault force. Kearsarge can also carry up to 26 Navy/USMC helicopters for troop movement, air support, and search-and-rescue movements.
We look forward to your arrival. USS Kearsarge - Proud, Trustworthy, BOLD!
Finnish Minister of Defense Visits USS Arlington in Norfolk on Same Day U.S. Destroyer Visits Helsinki
NORFOLK, Va. - As Finland awaits the finalization of their NATO membership process following its May North Atlantic Treaty Organization application, the Honorable Antti Kaikkonen, Finland Minister of Defense, visited the San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship USS Arlington (LPD 24), Dec.
Kearsarge ARG Returns after Deployment in the High North and Baltic Sea
Sailors and Marines assigned to the Kearsarge Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) returned home to Norfolk and Virginia Beach, Virginia after completing a seven-month deployment in the Sixth Fleet area of operations, Oct. 13.
Kearsarge Health & Wellness Class Encourages Sailors Feeling Blue to 'Go for Green'
The amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge (LHD 3) Medical Department hosted a general wellness class on healthy eating, weight management, heart health, and performance nutrition, May 12, 2021. With Kearsarge joining the rest of the Navy in preparation for its first Physical Fitness Assessment (PFA)


The Women's Frozen Four will be contested at Agganis Arena in Boston for the second time in history. Eight teams will be selected and the four winner's of the quarterfinal games will be participate in the semifinals. The winner's from these semifinal games will participate in the championship game to be held two days later. This will be the 20th Women's Frozen Four to be held, with the first one being held back in 2001.