ssbet77 net Mavericks star Luka Doncic to be re-evaluated after one month with left calf strain(BPT) - The new year is a good time to reset. From a fresh start on lifestyle choices, hobbies or pursuits, to the less exciting — but no less important — aspects of life, like memberships, contracts and even health insurance. Health insurance deductibles reset in the new year, so it's a good idea to keep that in mind as you plan for healthcare expenses. Any changes made to your health insurance plan during open enrollment go into effect as well. "Even if you spent hours researching your health plan before making a selection, there's always a possibility for the occasional surprise once coverage kicks in, which is why it's important to assess your healthcare coverage and address any gaps before January 1," said Doug Armstrong, Vice President of Health Products and Services at AARP Services, Inc. "AARP members can take advantage of benefits available to them to help find the coverage and savings information they seek." 1. Examine your vision coverage Eye health is important to quality of life, both in terms of moving around safely and appreciating your surroundings. Regular eye exams with an ophthalmologist or optometrist can help make sure your vision is sharp while also monitoring for any issues. However, many health insurance plans don't include vision coverage. If you do see a gap in your coverage, AARP members have access to information on vision insurance options that offer individual and family plans, featuring a large doctor network, savings on frames, lens enhancements, progressives and more. 2. Plan for prescriptions While several health plans offer coverage for prescription drugs, discounts can vary, especially when it comes to different types of medication. AARP ® Prescription Discounts Provided by Optum RX ® can help with savings. This program offers a free prescription discount card that can be used at over 66,000 pharmacies nationwide for savings on FDA-approved medications. Additional benefits for AARP members include home delivery, deeper discounts on medications, coverage for dependents and more. 3. Confirm your primary care With a new health insurance plan, you might find that your primary care physician is no longer in-network or that they no longer accept your insurance. Perhaps you have relocated and are in the market for a new doctor. Whatever the case, there's no time like the present to search for a new primary care physician who meets your needs. If you're on Medicare, Oak Street Health can be a great resource. The only primary care provider to carry the AARP name, Oak Street Health provides primary care for adults on Medicare and focuses on prevention with personalized care to help keep you healthy — physically, mentally and socially. Benefits include same-day/next-day appointments where available, convenient locations, a dedicated care team and a 24/7 patient support line. AARP membership is not required to visit an Oak Street Health location. 4. Protect your smile Optimal dental care includes daily brushing and flossing and a visit to the dentist every six months. During your visit, the dentist can monitor for and treat any issues, such as cavities or gum disease. However, not all plans include dental insurance, which means you might end up paying out of pocket for your cleaning and other procedures. To avoid that, take a look at your coverage. If needed, explore information on dental insurance options that offer individual or family coverage for the most common dental procedures. Dental insurance generally pays for regular check-ups, so many people who purchase protection will benefit from it immediately. 5. Clarify your hearing coverage Hearing loss is a common age-related ailment. According to the National Institute on Aging , one-third of older adults have hearing loss, and the chance of developing hearing loss increases with age. Hearing aids can be an enormous help, improving socialization, boosting confidence and even helping to increase balance. However, many insurance plans do not include coverage for hearing aids. AARP ® Hearing SolutionsTM provided by UnitedHealthcare ® Hearing provides savings on hearing aids and hearing care . Members can save an average of $2,000 per pair on prescription hearing aids and 15% on accessories — no insurance needed. Plus receive a hearing exam and consultation at no cost and personalized support through a large nationwide network of hearing providers. 6. Consider physical therapy Often, the only times that people consider whether their health insurance covers physical therapy is if they already participate in it or after the doctor has prescribed it. As we age, though, physical therapy can be a useful tool in improving balance or recovering from an injury or procedure to help you remain active. Fortunately, the question of coverage or finding an in-network location doesn't have to derail you. AARP ® Physical Therapy At HomeTM by Luna accepts most insurances and Medicare and is available to members and non-members alike. Plus, Luna's experts come to you, so you can receive quality care from the comfort of your home. If you're creating an end-of-year to-do list, consider adding an assessment of your healthcare coverage. After all, the best time to realize you have a gap in coverage is before you need it. To learn more about AARP member benefits, visit aarp.org/benefits . AARP and its affiliates are not insurers, agents, brokers or producers. AARP member benefits are provided by third parties, not by AARP or its affiliates. Providers pay a royalty fee to AARP for the use of its intellectual property. These fees are used for the general purposes of AARP. Some provider offers are subject to change and may have restrictions. Please contact the provider directly for details.

The Salvation Army came to the aid of folks who were having a tough time paying their medical bills in 1921. In November, the Salvation Army announced a free medical clinic each week on Tuesdays from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. All of the community physicians agreed to participate and for two hours per week, their services were free. ADVERTISEMENT Even the pharmacies in Jamestown got involved, offering medicine at cost for any prescription written during the free clinic. “All residents of the city who cannot afford medical attention along the regular channels will not only be permitted but urged to take advantage of the clinic,” wrote The Jamestown Alert. The officers of the Salvation Army saw a need in the community. “It is stated by Captain Larsen that many people in Jamestown without funds are doing without medical attention,” The Alert wrote. While the Great Depression did not officially begin until the stock market crash in 1929, hard times struck rural areas that relied on agriculture much sooner. Crop prices fell dramatically when the battlefields of France and Belgium returned to agricultural production. That decline in prices hit farm towns like Jamestown hard with some of the businesses of the community failing or cutting their payrolls. This left a lot of people unable to afford a trip to the doctor for themselves and their children. ADVERTISEMENT In fact, the Salvation Army was considering a special Saturday afternoon free clinic for children. Clinic planners thought the clinic would specialize in “undernourishment or other trouble.” Keep in mind this was eight years before the start of what we now know as the Great Depression. There is no record of how many people took advantage of the Salvation Army’s free clinic in 1921. We do know that the folks in need a little more than a century ago had a chance to get the help they needed right in Jamestown. Author Keith Norman can be reached at www.KeithNormanBooks.com

Kadary Richmond slowly but surely showing he can be ‘one of one’ for St. John’s

NEW YORK — Shohei Ohtani won his third Most Valuable Player Award and first in the National League, and Aaron Judge earned his second American League honor on Thursday. Ohtani was a unanimous MVP for the third time, receiving all 30 first-place votes and 420 points in voting by the Baseball Writers' Association of America. New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor was second with 263 points and Arizona second baseman Ketel Marte third with 229. Judge was a unanimous pick for the first time. Kansas City shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. got all 30 second-place votes for 270 points, and Yankees outfielder Juan Soto was third with 21 third-place votes and 229 points. Ohtani was unanimously voted the AL MVP in 2021 and 2023 as a two-way star for the Los Angeles Angels and finished second to Judge in 2022 voting. He didn't pitch in 2024 following elbow surgery and signed a record $700 million, 10-year contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers last December. People are also reading... Ohtani joined Frank Robinson for Cincinnati in 1961 and Baltimore in 1966 as the only players to win the MVP award in both leagues. He was the first player to twice become an unanimous MVP. He had combined with Atlanta outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. in 2023 for the first year both MVPs were unanimous. Ohtani hit .310, stole 59 bases and led the NL with 54 homers and 130 RBIs exclusively as a designated hitter, becoming the first player with 50 or more homers and 50 or more stolen bases in a season. He helped the Dodgers to the World Series title, playing the final three games with a torn labrum in his left shoulder. "The ultimate goal from the beginning was to win a World Series, which we are able to accomplish," he said through a translator. "The next goal is for me to do it again and so right now I'm in the middle of rehab and working out and getting stronger." When Ohtani returns to the mound, could he win MVP and the Cy Young Award in the same year? "That would obviously be great, but right now my focus is just to get to get back healthy, come back stronger, get back on the mound and show everybody what I can do," Ohtani said. Ohtani became the first primary DH to win an MVP in a season that started with the revelation his longtime interpreter and friend, Ippei Mizuhara, had stolen nearly $17 million from the star to fund gambling. Ohtani is the 12th player with three or more MVPs, joining Barry Bonds (seven) and Jimmie Foxx, Joe DiMaggio, Stan Musial, Roy Campanella, Yogi Berra, Mickey Mantle, Mike Schmidt, Alex Rodriguez, Albert Pujols and Mike Trout (three each). Balloting was conducted before the postseason. Judge led the major leagues with 58 homers, 144 RBIs and 133 walks while hitting .322. Witt topped the big leagues with a .332 average, hitting 32 homers with 31 stolen bases and 109 RBIs. Soto batted .288 with 41 homers and 109 RBIs. When Judge won his first MVP award in 2022, he received 28 first-place votes while Ohtani got the other two. Judge had discussed the MVP award with Philadelphia's Bryce Harper, the NL winner in 2015 and '21. "I was telling him, `Man, I'm going to try to catch up to you with these MVPs here, man,'" Judge recalled. "He'd say, hopefully, he could stay a couple ahead of me, which I think he'll do." When Judge won his first MVP award in 2022, he received 28 first-place votes while Ohtani got the other two. He is the Yankees' 22nd MVP winner, four more than any other team. Judge was hitting .207 with six homers and 18 RBIs through April, then batted .352 with 52 homers and 126 RBIs in 127 games. "March and April were not my friend this year." Judge said. "Just keep putting in the work and things are going to change. You can't mope. You can't feel sorry for yourself. Especially in New York, nobody's going to feel sorry for you. So you just got to go out there and put up the numbers?" St. Pete rejects money to repair Tropicana Field roof ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The St. Petersburg City Council reversed course Thursday on whether to spend more than $23 million to repair the hurricane-shredded roof of the Tampa Bay Rays' ballpark, initially voting narrowly for approval and hours later changing course. The reversal on fixing Tropicana Field came after the council voted to delay consideration of revenue bonds for a proposed new $1.3 billion Rays ballpark. Just two days before, the Pinellas County Commission postponed a vote on its share of the new stadium bonds, leaving that project in limbo. “This is a sad place. I'm really disappointed,” council chair Deborah Figg-Sanders said. “We won’t get there if we keep finding ways we can’t.” The Rays say the lack of progress puts the new stadium plan and the future of Tropicana Field in jeopardy. “I can't say I'm confident about anything,” Rays co-president Brian Auld told the council members. The Trop's translucent fiberglass roof was ripped to pieces on Oct. 9 when Hurricane Milton swept ashore just south of Tampa Bay. There was also significant water damage inside the ballpark, with a city estimate of the total repair costs pegged at $55.7 million. The extensive repairs cannot be finished before the 2026 season, city documents show. The Rays made a deal with the Yankees to play next season at 11,000-seat Steinbrenner Field, New York's spring training home across the bay in Tampa. The initial vote Thursday was to get moving on the roof portion of the repair. Once that's done, crews could begin working on laying down a new baseball field, fixing damaged seating and office areas and a variety of electronic systems — which would require another vote to approve money for the remaining restoration. The subsequent vote reversing funding for the roof repair essentially means the city and Rays must work on an alternative in the coming weeks so that Tropicana Field can possibly be ready for the 2026 season. The city is legally obligated to fix the roof. BRIEFLY PIRATES: Pittsburgh hired Matt Hague as its hitting coach, bringing him back to the team that drafted him in 2008. Hague replaces Andy Haines, who was fired after Pittsburgh finished in the bottom 10 in the majors in every significant statistical category last season, including runs (24th) and home runs (25th), while also striking out a club-record 1,504 times, second-most in the National League behind Colorado. The 39-year-old Hague spent last season as an assistant hitting coach with the Toronto Blue Jays. Be the first to knowBritish Columbia’s new health minister says she’s aiming for more treatment beds and fewer deaths in a revamped approach to the province’s drug overdose crisis. It comes after David Eby’s newly elected government eliminated the stand-alone Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions, which advocates say had no “teeth.” The former ministry was created in 2017 to provide co-ordinated responses to the toxic drug crisis, which has killed more than 15,000 people in the past eight years, but it has now been absorbed into the Health Ministry. “Certainly, I really do think the time is right to fold the ministry back into the Ministry of Health,” said Josie Osborne, who was appointed health minister last week, replacing former minister Adrian Dix. “I think we’re in a much better position to expedite action and decision making,” Osborne said in an interview. “Now is the time to bring that together. The premier’s been very clear he expects an all-of-government approach to this.” The B.C. Coroners Service says 1,749 people have died of toxic drug overdoses so far this year. Last year the service reported 2,551 overdose deaths, the most ever recorded in a single year in the province. “We are going to do everything possible that we can to reduce the number of deaths and the impacts on people and families,” Osborne said. “This is one of the toughest challenges our government, our society, that B.C. faces and one of our government’s top priorities. The key here is helping people and doing everything we can from all different approaches to reduce the number of deaths and to help people recover and be well.” B.C. drug policy advocates who are calling on the government to support more safe supply and drug decriminalization policy initiatives say they will watch for signs that the changes, and Osborne’s appointment, result in shifts in direction and approaches. “It’s good because the Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions wasn’t ever really set up to succeed,” said DJ Larkin, executive director of the Canadian Drug Policy Coalition and an adjunct professor at the faculty of health sciences at Simon Fraser University. “It didn’t have the budget or the authority to do what needed to happen and it set expectations they couldn’t meet,” Larkin said. “It didn’t have the teeth. That sets up people for disappointment because they gather the data. They get the expert input. They get the ideas but they didn’t have the teeth to make it happen.” Leslie McBain, co-founder of Moms Stop the Harm, a harm-reduction advocacy group, said she’s looking forward to the ministry change because “we have not got very far in terms of the toxic drug crisis.” She said she believed the Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions was “a little bit hooped,” because it fell under the health ministry but had little power. “I’m optimistic now, of course,” said McBain. “I think change is better than being stuck in a place where there hasn’t been great movement. These seven or eight years we’ve been waiting for things to improve and they have not. So, with a change, there’s hope.” But Larkin and McBain, whose son Jordan died of an overdose more than a decade ago, say they will continue to push Osborne and the NDP government to support efforts to back decriminalization and safe supply efforts. The government flatly rejected calls from the province’s chief coroner Lisa Lapointe earlier this year to provide non-prescription access to controlled drugs. It also rolled back a decriminalization pilot project after political and public outcry over open drug use. “Decriminalization has been basically gutted by the premier,” McBain said. “It needs to be strengthened rather than gutted for people to be able to use drugs safely.” Larkin said advocates intend to push Osborne and the government to continue to initiate policy reform towards more decriminalization of drugs. “There are hundreds and hundreds of thousands of people every year who use unregulated drugs. That is the source of this problem. If we want to save heath care dollars, policing dollars and reinvest in communities we need to deal with the unregulated drug supply, and that means changing the law,” Larkin said. Osborne acknowledged the issues of decriminalization, safe supply and involuntary care, but said as a new minister she is looking to address the overdose crisis by reaching out to agencies, communities and people. “Right now what’s ahead of me is learning about and listening to people, communities and all the agencies and organizations to understand the real on-the-ground impacts of different approaches to this,” she said.

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