SCROLL NEWS / DISCOVERY
Search headlines
Find the stories shaping the conversation.
Results for " lan " 37,849 found 🔀 AI-powered Shuffle
The Future of Democracy
The 2026 midterm elections didn’t just determine who controls Congress for the next two years—they also determined whether the United States, 250 years after its founding, remains a democracy, Anne Applebaum says. She explores what citizens and lawmakers can do next to strengthen the institutions and values that have been threatened in the Trump era.
Steelers land franchise QB in new mock draft update
In this new five-round mock draft, the Steelers rebuild their offense, starting with a potential franchise quarterback to replace Aaron Rodgers.
Global Entertainment Holdings Highlights PyX Wallets Business Combination and Smart Wallet Development Plans
Global Entertainment Holdings, Inc. (USOTC:GBHL) announced the release of a video interview with PyX Wallets Chief Executive Officer Ryan Contardi, outlining the company’s product development strategy following the recently completed business combination between the two businesses.
Kraft Heinz to divest its North American coffee business in $650 million deal
Kraft Heinz will divest its North American coffee business to private equity firm One Rock Capital Partners as CEO Steve Cahillane works to revive the company.
New Research Tests Whether AI Models Know Their Own Thoughts
By injecting “thoughts” directly into large language models, researchers are trying to map out AI’s capacity for introspection.
Fitness studio Swoot with nightclub-inspired classes to open second location Uptown
The upbeat, boutique fitness studio Swoot plans to open a second location this weekend in Uptown New Orleans, near Loyola and Tulane universities.
Kentucky basketball scores huge commitment from 7-foot-5 center
Kentucky basketball lands 7-foot-5 center Cherif Millogo, the No. 36 recruit in the 2027 class, giving the Wildcats their second commitment.
UK government announces public interest investigation into Sky deal to takeover ITV's media arm
U.K. Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy says she will intervene in the planned 1.6 billion-pound or $2.2 billion deal between Sky and ITV’s media and entertainment arm. Nandy said Wednesday that
UK government announces public interest investigation into Sky deal to takeover ITV's media arm
U.K. Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy says she will intervene in the planned 1.6 billion-pound or $2.2 billion deal between Sky and ITV’s media and entertainment arm. Nandy said Wednesday that she will...
Old Forge Library to host Social Security workshop
Old Forge Library will host a free Social Security planning workshop Nov. 10, covering retirement benefits, claiming ages, taxes and options for couples.
Melco Resorts & Entertainment: Disciplined spending and lower CapEx anchor plans amid softer Macau demand
Q3 adjusted property EBITDA was $288 million, while Macau demand softened in October amid broader China economic weakness and intense competition. Deleveraging and disciplined reinvestment remain priorities; FY2027 CapEx guidance fell to ~$275 million.Based on Melco Resorts & Entertainment Q3 2026…
Back to the Future with Jean-Baptiste Lamarck
Lamarck believed that “all living beings are constantly transforming themselves” and thus life forms shape their own evolution.
Farm acres the top recent property deal in Craighead County
Bane Land Farm and Cattle and Tebo Land LLC made the most significant residential and commercial property transfer in Craighead County from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, according to the...
TPA WellNet Healthcare Selects EHVAhealth Voice AI to Automate Health Plan Provider Calls
EHVAhealth, the health payer platform of EHVA.ai, today announced that WellNet Healthcare, a third-party administrator (TPA), has selected EHVAhealth's conversational voice AI to automate its inbound provider calls. EHVAhealth is purpose-built for health plans, TPAs, payers, and benefit administrators that need to answer high volumes of provider calls without adding headcount.
Detroit Red Wings Suffer Another Major Injury Blow
Detroit Red Wings goalie John Gibson exits Tuesday's loss to Tampa Bay with an injury. Todd McLellan discusses Daniil Tarasov and what's next.
Browns make seven roster moves after Steelers loss
Practice squad shakeup for the Cleveland Browns heading into Week 9
Brewing up brilliance with the Clinical and Diagnostic Sciences Society
On Friday, Oct. 30, the Clinical and Diagnostic Sciences Society (CDSS) held a Potion Making event in the Lake Erie room of the Oakland Center, combining clinical concepts with Halloween fun. The event ran from 2 to 3 p.m., allowing new students to learn dilution skills while experienced students gained practice. Attendees experimented with dilution...
This Week In Politics: G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting
Amid national divides over the upcoming midterm elections, international friction also surfaced at the Group of Twenty’s (G20) foreign ministers’ meeting in Atlanta, Georgia, on Friday, Oct. 30, and Saturday, Oct. 31. Top diplomats from the G20, an international forum comprising the world’s largest economies that convene to address global economic policy and development, gathered...
Health Plan Unlocks More Than $10M in Savings in Six Months Using Cohere Health's AI-Powered Pre-Payment Review
Cohere Health®, the leading clinical intelligence and operations platform for health plans, today announced that a Medicare Advantage client identified more than $10 million in savings in six months by finding complex clinical and coding errors in high-cost drug and durable medical equipment claims before payment.
Deen’s Daily: Iginla Facing Health Issues; Avalanche Road Woes; Jets Complete Improbably Comeback
An unfortunate story broke yesterday about Jarome Iginla and his current health battles. The Colorado Avalanche had one road win […]
USC political science expert breaks down S.C. elections
South Carolina voters reshaped the state’s political landscape Tuesday night.
Braves News: Salary cap proposal, Rolddy Muñoz review, and more
Atlanta Braves news and notes from Tuesday.
The National STEM Festival is taking its science fair global
After three years of showcasing young innovators from across the U.S., the festival is expanding internationally, with events planned for the U.K. and Mexico.
TCA Health Nutrition and Wellness Center celebrates ribbon cutting
TCA Health was recently joined by DPD Commissioner Boatright and 10th Ward Alderman Chico to celebrate the ribbon cutting for the TCA Health Nutrition and Wellness Center at 1029 E. 130th. Located in Altgeld Gardens, the center is planned by TCA Health to help address the longstanding food desert that was created when the area lost its only full-service grocery store in 2018.
Askeland upsets Ladyman in House race
In a surprise state house race, Democrat Erika Askeland defeated her incumbent opponent Jack Ladyman R-Jonesboro on election night (Nov. 3). With more than 100% of the votes counted, she...
Askeland upsets Ladyman in House race
In a surprise state house race, Democrat Erika Askeland defeated her incumbent opponent Jack Ladyman R-Jonesboro on election night (Nov. 3). With more than 100% of the votes counted, she...
Cook County Public Health: Vaccinate Now Before the Holidays - Cook County Department of Public Health
As families make plans for holiday gatherings, health officials say now is a good time to get vaccinated against flu, COVID-19 and RSV. "It takes two to three weeks for respiratory vaccinations to provide maximum protection in vaccinated individuals. So, this is a perfect time to get vaccinated before gathering with family and friends for Thanksgiving," said Dr. Kiran Joshi, chief operating officer of Cook County Department of Public Health.
CVS announces plan to split into 2 companies, separating pharmacy from insurance
CVS announced plans to separate into two independent, publicly traded companies on Wednesday, reshaping one of the largest healthcare companies in the US.
Report Milan agree record 50m-a-year Adidas kit deal
La Gazzetta dello Sport reports that Milan have reached a record €50m-a-year agreement with kit manufacturer Adidas, which will design the Rossoneri’s shirt for ten years starting in 2028.Milan wi...
CVS Health beats estimates, raises guidance amid split plans
Investing.com -- CVS Health Corporation (NYSE: CVS) reported third-quarter adjusted EPS of $2.09, beating analyst estimates of $1.65, as the healthcare giant announced plans to separate into two independent companies.
Two home health agencies in N.J. gain recognition from Newsweek
Valley Home Care and Atlantic Visiting Nurse have ranked on Newsweek’s list of “America’s Best Home Health Agencies 2027.”
On the advantages of health system-owned health plan, what Medicaid cuts might mean and the future of U.S. health insurance: A conversation with Geisinger's Jeremy Gaskill
Jeremy Gaskill took the reins at the Geisinger Health Plan earlier this year after a long career at Humana. He discusses the similarities and differences between Geisinger and Humana and the advantages of a health plan that is part of a health system.
‘A mandate for change’: Democrats remake Texas politics in election rout
By Brad Brooks Nov 4 (Reuters) - Texas Democrats, shut out of every statewide office for more than three decades, have toppled Republicans from the top of the ballot to the bottom, remaking the political landscape of the nation’s largest conservative s...
'A Mandate for Change': Democrats Remake Texas Politics in Election Rout
By Brad Brooks Nov 4 (Reuters) - Texas Democrats, shut out of every statewide office for more than three decades, have toppled Republicans from the top of the ballot to the bottom, remaking the political landscape of the nation’s largest conservative state in a single earth-shattering night.
CVS reveals plans to split into two companies
CVS Health is splitting up. | CVS Health is splitting up. The healthcare giant announced Wednesday morning that it would divide its business units into two companies.
CVS to Split Off Pharmacy Business, Ending the Healthcare Conglomerate Era
In a breakup planned for 2028, CVS Health intends to split off its pharmacies into a new company, while keeping together its businesses in insurance and pharmacy benefits.
CVS to Split Off Pharmacy Business, Ending the Healthcare Conglomerate Era
In a breakup planned for 2028, CVS Health intends to split off its pharmacies into a new company, while keeping together its businesses in insurance and pharmacy benefits.
Scientists call on Ecuador to stop the rising trafficking of Galápagos iguanas
Ecuadorian authorities said they caught a Russian woman at the airport in Quito, the capital city, trying to smuggle 32 live marine iguanas, endemic to the Galápagos Islands. The iguanas — bound and stuffed in eight plastic boxes — were headed to Iceland. The dehydrated lizards were transferred to a conservation center in Pichincha for […]
Hidden planet emerges from the glare
Stars are so bright that their glare overwhelms faint nearby planets. Scientists combined detailed physics from telescope observations with modern computational techniques to precisely remove this glare. After applying the tool to existing JWST images, they found a previously hidden giant exoplanet. Technique could improve planet-detection sensitivity without requiring changes to telescope hardware.
How space weather shapes young planets
Scientists suspect powerful solar flares helped strip away the atmospheres of planets like Mars. A Michigan State University researcher is now searching for evidence of how those same forces shape planets beyond our solar system. Adina Feinstein, assistant professor of physics and astronomy, believes exoplanets are the key to understanding the early days of our solar system. This week, she received a Schmidt Sciences FirstLight grant to investigate how space weather influences young planets.
Rising Stars: Publicis Health’s Ariel Rabinowitz knows what it takes to 'meet people where they are'
Marketing was always the plan for Ariel Rabinowitz, who felt a pull to an agency job in New York City upon graduating from Syracuse University with a dual degree in marketing and advertising. | Publicis Health’s Ariel Rabinowitz learned lessons about health literacy, trust and access firsthand while teaching at a school in the Bronx.
Council to consider entertainment director hire for amphitheater
The city council is considering hiring a director of entertainment for the Sen. Terry Brown Amphitheater on the Island ahead of its completion.
Alabama's College Football Playoff ranking creates major Tennessee controversy
Alabama has two losses and already fell to Tennessee, yet the Crimson Tide opened fifth in the College Football Playoff rankings while the Volunteers landed 13th.
CVS Health plans to split in two. Here’s what is driving the massive healthcare breakup.
The healthcare giant surprised analysts with the decision to separate its business.
The political map is anyone's guess after a Democratic wave in the midterm elections
Voters have dramatically shifted the political landscape by electing Democrats in traditionally Republican states.
The political map is anyone's guess after a Democratic wave in the midterm elections
Voters have dramatically shifted the political landscape by electing Democrats in traditionally Republican states.
The political map is anyone's guess after a Democratic wave in the midterm elections
Voters have dramatically shifted the political landscape by electing Democrats in traditionally Republican states.
State employees to see small jump in health premiums under new PEIA proposal
During a hearing Thursday, Oct. 29, 2026, the PEIA Finance Board released a plan that raised health insurance premiums 2% next year. This affects West Virginia state government employees.
Patriots Get Offensive Line Reinforcement Ahead Of Packers Game
New England made several roster moves Tuesday, but the return of an offensive tackle could become particularly important as the Patriots prepare for Green Bay.
CVS Raises Guidance After Announcing Plan to Split in Two
CVS Health raised its full-year guidance on gains in its health-care benefits and pharmacy segments, but said it remains cautious amid high costs and potential macroeconomic headwinds.
CVS Health: Q3 Earnings Snapshot
(AP) — CVS Health Corporation (CVS) on Wednesday reported third-quarter net income of $2.The Woonsocket, Rhode Island-based company said it had net income of $1.
A blue tsunami wipes out Republicans
Jonathan Freedland and Shrai Popat run through the results of the US midterms, on a historic night for Democrats and a night to forget for Republicans
How Anthony Ippolito talked his way into playing Sylvester Stallone in 'I Play Rocky'
Anthony Ippolito took a bold step to land the starring role in “I Play Rocky.” | WBBM Newsradio 780 AM & 105.9 FM
Remedy Entertainment PLC (RMDEF) (Q3 2026) Earnings Call Highlights: Control Resonant Becomes ...
Remedy Entertainment PLC (RMDEF) posted EUR39.6 million in Q3 revenue and turned EBIT positive, but negative operating cash flow and a critical Q4 leave full-year profitability hanging in the balance.
Why big mergers aren’t in Inova’s playbook
Inova President and CEO Dr. J. Stephen Jones outlined the system's growth plans and capital project strategy.
2 Central Florida restaurants shut down after health inspections last week
The Department of Business and Professional Regulation shut down two Central Florida dining venues during the week from Oct. 25-31 after conducting health inspections.
Abnormal AI hires Don Jeter as CMO
Don Jeter plans to use unconventional marketing techniques to grab attention in the fiercely competitive and increasingly noisy AI market.
Market Chatter: CVS Health Reportedly Planning to Split Businesses in 2028
CVS Health (CVS) plans to split its business into two companies in early 2028, separating retail pha
Historic election reshapes Georgia's political future: Here's what happened
Georgia voters made history Tuesday, electing Keisha Lance Bottoms as the state's first female governor, returning Sen. Jon Ossoff to Washington and flipping several statewide offices to Democrats.
Terry Pluto on Cleveland sports TV 'chaos': Where did the games go?
Ideastream sports commentator Terry Pluto explains how shifting broadcast deals and streaming services are creating chaos for Cleveland sports fans trying to watch the Cavs and Guardians.
Quinn to exhibit photography at Blackstone River Theatre
CUMBERLAND – Blackstone River Theatre’s Art Gallery will host an exhibit and sale of concert photography by Kerry Quinn on display through Dec. 20, viewable two hours before and during
Letters: Science isn’t scary, it’s educational | Book-ban hypocrisy
Science is wonder; evolution isn’t scary Regarding the claim that the state education plan is de-emphasizing evolution (“Florida education chief defends science plan as critics say it ‘danced around’ evolution,” Oct. 28): Science is won…
Reports: CVS Health plans breakup that would separate Hartford-based Aetna from drugstore chain
The CVS Health Aetna breakup would separate its drugstore chain from Hartford-based Aetna and Caremark, creating two public companies by early 2028.
Cava CEO Brett Schulman discusses his daily routine
Brett Schulman, the CEO of Cava, describes a day in his life, from early workouts to balancing work and family with efficient time management.
\'You\'re going to have fun\': Metal band Nail Bite to perform its last show of 2026 at Phantom Power
Lonna Nelson, one of two vocalists in metal band Nail Bite, says that concertgoers will often walk up to the band after it performs, saying that the band reminds them
A year after UPS plane crash, South End business owners struggle to stay afloat
Near the site of the fatal UPS plane crash in Louisville, some of the area is still closed to vehicular traffic. Business owners there have struggled to pick up the pieces.
Missouri sets 2027 health rates as plan networks change
Missouri finalized 2027 health insurance rates as consumers face increases, changing provider networks and key enrollment deadlines.
Benefits Can Help Older Adults Stretch Their Budgets and Protect Their Health
Every year, older adults leave $58 billion in benefits unused, money that could help cover groceries and prescriptions.
I moved to Europe for free health care. I miss my patient portal
“To be honest, in Malta, I pay for medical care all the time. I just pay differently,” writes Mariska Breland.
‘Enraging’: WA residents despair as insurance premiums climb again
SEATTLE — Kate Neville is dreading the new year. As a freelance grant writer, Neville has to buy her own health insurance, and for years her premiums have been climbing.
Super 25 Massachusetts high school football rankings entering playoffs
Jason Snow, Chris McDaniel and Tim Whelan rank the top MIAA football teams every week of the season. This is the Super 25 entering the state playoffs.
15-Minute Lesson Plan: A Teen Tracks Down Over 11,377 Moths
Violet Clinton is doing award-winning entomological field research. Is there a citizen science project you might want to conduct?
No catastrophic financial hit required to fight climate change, scientists say in landmark court case
Canada does not need to shut down its industries or take a catastrophic financial hit to effectively fight climate change, one of the country's leading climate scientists testified during a landmark trial in a Vancouver courtroom this week.
New Children’s Entertainment Releases: What Families Can Watch Together in November 2026
Plan family movie nights with November 2026 kids' releases, featuring animated films, holiday stories and familiar characters.
“I Don’t Know If I’m Willing to Do It Just to Fight” – UFC Fans May Have Seen the Last of Beneil Dariush Inside the Octagon
Fans may have already seen the last of Beneil Dariush inside the Octagon. The veteran lightweight has endured a difficult stretch lately, losing four of his last five UFC fights, with all four defeats coming by knockout. Most recently, Dariush was stopped by Quillan Salkilld at UFC Perth in May 2026. Before that, he suffered …
Flats plan for aparthotel in Reading after business changes
City Wall House's apartments are used less following the pandemic, the building's owner says.
Shapiro becomes first Democrat to win Lancaster County vote since 1990
Gov. Josh Shapiro not only won reelection Tuesday, he became the first Democratic gubernatorial candidate to win Lancaster County since Robert P. Casey won here in 1990.
The Unlikeliest Democratic Win of All
Few thought South Carolina was really in play until it had already flipped.
The historic firsts of the 2026 election
Winners up and down the 2026 ballot will make history this year, CNN’s Decision Desk projects, including the first Black woman governor and the first out gay male US senator.
How the Stock Market Is Reacting to the Midterm Elections
U.S. stock futures fell as the first results came in, but later traded higher as investors assessed the outlook for artificial intelligence and other key sectors as the balance of power shifts in Washington.
Michele Tafoya Loses Senate Race Amid Nationwide Democratic Rout
Tafoya came up short against Democratic Lt. Gov Peggy Flanagan.
Incumbent Republican Dave Zimmerman handily wins 99th House District
Republican Rep. Dave Zimmerman was reelected to an eighth term in Pennsylvania’s 99th House District on Tuesday with 68% of the vote. He defeated Democratic challenger Ethan Gabrick, who received
Hal E. Kovert, Architect, Business Leader, Crothersville Native Succumbs
Hal E. Kovert, founder of Kovert Hawkins Architects in Jeffersonville and a longtime contributor to the civic and philanthropic life of Southern Indiana and Kentucky, died Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026, at the age of 73. He was a native of Crothersville. Kovert co-founded Kovert Hawkins Architects with longtime business partner and friend John Hawkins in […]
Before the Dawn in America’s Heartland
With hardly a cloud in sight, astronauts had a sweeping view of nighttime lights in the U.S. Midwest.
Republican Steve Mentzer wins another term to the 97th House District
Republican Steve Mentzer will serve another term in Pennsylvania’s 97th House District after winning 55.6% of the vote Tuesday.
AFGHS co-signatory countries ask health care users to help fill the financing gap
Hundreds of thousands of Ugandans living with HIV on antiretrovirals could be targeted for user fees or community health insurance schemes requiring modest premium payments, according to the April 2026 version of the country’s America First Global Health Strategy implementation narrative.1 As part of the “sustainable financing for the private not for profit sector” strategy, 491 facilities will be targeted for a phased introduction of user fees and scale up of community health insurance programs.2 In the Ugandan context, PNFP facilities include faith-based hospitals and other health facilities, US missionary organizations and centers of excellence—services that are often co-located at government facilities but run with additional financial and technical resources. 402,000 people—or about 28 percent of the total Ugandan adult PLHIV population on treatment—get ART from the private not for profit sector. The selected facilities provide the majority of ART and prevention of mother to child transmission (PMTCT) services. The plan doesn’t give the total number of clients served by the 491 facilities, so it is not possible to give a precise number. But the majority of 402,000 is a figure in the hundreds of thousands—hence the estimate I’m using.3 The April draft of the Ugandan implementation plan narrative is the only one I’ve been able to review. But the government of Uganda is not alone in turning to health care users to help fill the financing gaps caused by the abrupt withdrawal of US funds. In July 2025, the Government of Liberia introduced user fees for previously free services including “registration, accommodation, patient feeding, hospitalization, and a wide range of surgical and diagnostic procedures.”4 Earlier that year, Liberia rolled out a revolving drug fund designed to stabilize drug supplies by “allowing patients to pay a small fee for standardized, quality medications,” according to a Ministry of Health press release.5 (Both of these approaches had been proposed in the National Health Policy 2022-2031; media coverage explicitly connects the launch with the US foreign aid cuts.) The health financing strategies proposed by Uganda and established in Liberia are qualitatively different from user fees officially adopted by specific health facilities to cover funding shortfalls caused by the new US approach.6 The latter is a stopgap, adhoc change. The former is a national governmental adoption of policies that pass costs on to health care users, despite evidence that such approaches can exacerbate inequities and leave deficits unfilled. Two countries does not make a pattern, but they do point to urgent questions: Have other countries, including Liberia, included user fees or community health insurance schemes in their implementation plans? If so, do any of these narratives have what Uganda’s lacks: a fall-back plan in place in case these strategies for sustainable health systems fail to deliver—as they have before? I wonder if you think about it Subscribe Predictable pitfalls Both community-based health insurance and user fees are as old as the hills. And after decades of people climbing up these hills, duking it out, climbing back down—neither strategy has shown the results the Ugandan implementation plan is counting on. This is, in fact, a hill some folks are willing to die on. (You knew I’d get there, right?) In November 2025, an African-led team of health system experts published a paper directed at low- and middle income country governments trying to figure out how to create self-sustaining health systems. The money wasn’t coming back. It had been more than nine months since the season of freezing, waivering and wood-chippering; two months since AFGHS tumbled into the world touting co-financing requirements and reductions in future US government health aid. Governments were looking for strategies for sustainable, self-financed health systems, the authors wrote. For countries considering user fees and community health insurance to fill the financing gaps, they had a simple message: Don’t. On user fees, the paper states: “Reliance on user fees is ultimately a regressive and inequitable approach. It places a disproportionate burden on the poor and undermines health system goals of equity and financial protection. […] There is overwhelming evidence that user fees mobilise very limited resources for the public health sector, making it an inefficient mechanism for revenue mobilisation.” On community health insurance: “Attempting to shift the burden of funding previously donor-funded services, such as HIV care and management, and TB treatment, onto contributory schemes would exacerbate their fragility and fail to protect the population.”7 The WHO says that community-based health insurance “cannot be expected to provide a major source of funding or coverage,” and noted that most schemes offer only moderate benefit to individuals paying into them, and exclude the poorest segment of the population.8 And yet, the US-Ugandan implementation plan says that community health insurance is “the central pillar of this [PNFP] sustainability strategy” and that this approach that will generate “pre-paid pooled funding at facility and community level [that] improves financial risk protection for households, reduces catastrophic out-of-pocket expenditure, and generates structured, transparent revenue streams that can progressively absorb recurrent costs including health worker salaries.” Unfortunately, Uganda’s own history suggests the pillar might not be able to bear this weight. Ugandans Have Been to this Rodeo Before—and Some Want Their Money Back Uganda introduced its first community health insurance scheme in 1996 with support from international donors.9 Thirty years later, somewhere between 0.2 and 0.3 percent of the population is covered by CHI; just over 1 percent has any kind of health insurance.10 User fees were universally introduced in 1993 as a condition of a World Bank loan.11 They were abandoned in 2001, and in 2004—the year I moved to Uganda to watch the free HIV program get underway—a definitive study found that the fees did not improve health systems and outcomes.12 In 2004, most clinics and hospitals had ‘free’ and ‘fee for service’ options for getting care.13 The fee for service, or “cash and carry” programs had often been established in the years prior to PEPFAR and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. People who could afford to paid for the drugs, often at facilities in the private-not-for-profit (PNFP) sector. When free drugs arrived, some people who’d been paying kept on doing so, perhaps because of shorter wait times, greater confidentiality, convenience or other factors. But in the year that I spent visiting the same clinics around the country week after week—including a “center of excellence” that maintained separate days for cash and carry clients and those accessing free ARVs—lots of people who had been paying tried to switch to the free option. They’d paid because they had no other choice. They’d sold pieces of family land, begged family members for loans, bought pills by the week, and sometimes by the day. Or they were just cash-strapped, like most of us, and wanted the funds for other things. 14 Twenty-two years later, this hasn’t changed. Ugandans pay out of pocket for 30-40 percent of their health care costs, leading one paper to declare that “falling ill is more than a health crisis. It is a financial emergency.”15 One recent study found that up to 48.5 percent of households dealing with tuberculosis sold something, took out a loan or dug into savings to defray the costs of TB care—which is supposed to be universally free.16 The Ugandan implementation plan does anticipate challenges. It proposes a phased approach, with 187 facilities introducing user contribution systems in Year 1, 152 in Year 2, and 153 in Year 3. Willingness to pay and feasibility studies will precede roll out; fees will be tiered by region, and a waiver system is proposed to ensure that no one has to pay who is unable to. Moreover, the plan provides for quarterly reviews of epidemiological data to “ensure that user contributions do not compromise epidemic control gains, ART continuity for the client cohort, TB case management, or PMTCT services.” Alt text: A screenshot of a table included in the implementation plan narrative that is the subject of this stack. It’s got a fetching pink bar at the top. It uses the abbreviation “CHI” which is Community Health Insurance, and FBO which is Faith Based Organizations, and it details the number of facilities that will implement user fees with waivers and community health insurance schemes over the five years of the agreement. As I said in the footnote, this is a super interesting document with a lot of other rich material. Tell me what you see—and what you would have focused on. And if you’ve seen something like this, or anything else that strikes you, in another implementation plan, tell me that too. You can use the Substack message platform or try me on Signal at @endaplague_again.25 (because @mercoonfan was, weirdly, taken). But the plan doesn’t fully explain what will happen if this approach doesn’t work out. Yes, progress will be monitored, and corrective action triggered. However, there is no specified funding replacement if premium and fee revenue prove inadequate. Instead, the authors write, “Currently, COEs serve a total client cohort of over 180,000 across 28 facilities. In the initial years, the U.S. Government (USG) will provide financial support for clients; over time, user fees generated by COEs will become the primary source of funding for sustaining their services.” Failure does not really seem to be an option. Health insurance schemes are more acceptable to the Ugandan population than user fees. Members of Parliament and civil society traveled to Ethiopia to see how that country’s scheme worked. In a follow up report, a veteran civil society group recommended allowing the “health insurance ecosystem to grow organically and [to] keep reviewing the law and regulations as this growth takes root.”17 One study found that more than three-quarters of Ugandans were willing to join a health insurance program.18 However, coverage of community-based health insurance is minimal, as is coverage of any kind of insurance—including private plans.19 A national health insurance scheme bill has been stalled for several years and presently sits with President Yoweri Museveni.20 Community-based health insurance scheme that do exist are expanding in number, but losing enrollees. Between 2022 and 2026, the number of community-based health financing schemes across the country increased by 42 percent, while the number of people enrolled decreased by nearly 11 percent.21 None of this means that community-based health insurance should not happen in Uganda—or that people do not want insurance. It doesn’t even mean that user fees and waivers won’t ever work. But there is highly relevant evidence from Uganda and the surrounding region that it is quite optimistic to describe community health insurance and user fees as central supports for sustainable financing in any sector of the health system. And now for the best-case scenario In the best-case scenario22, the Ugandan approach does exactly what it sets out to do, and so does the Liberian fee structure and revolving pharmacy fund—though I’ve not confirmed that these are in the MoU. In one best-case scenario, Uganda is an outlier, and user fees and community health insurance are not recurrent pillars of self-sustaining financing in other countries’ implementation plans. In another best-case scenario, all countries that include these strategies enjoy success beyond anyone’s evidence-informed wildest dreams: reliable funding generated by health care users fees, great health care outcomes for everyone, no exacerbation of inequities, no crippling household debt. No sold land, repurposed school tuition or high-interest loans. In the best-case scenario, not one of the hundreds of thousands of Ugandans living with HIV receiving antiretrovirals from 491 PNFP facilities misses a refill or leaves care because of user fees or community health insurance premiums. This is the best-case scenario for these people for their own health, and for their families. It is also the best-case scenario if Uganda wants to stay on the path to eliminating HIV as a public health threat. According to the country’s most recent data, 96.5 percent of people living with HIV on antiretrovirals are virologically suppressed. Epidemic control depends ensuring that 95% of people living with HIV know their status, 95 percent of those individuals are on ART, and 95% of those individuals are virologically suppressed. Uganda is still struggling with the first “95"—a frankly abysmal 85.3 percent. If HIV epidemic control and the attendant prevention of new infections, avoidable suffering and premature death matter, the country cannot afford to lose any clients who are currently in care.23 As I write this a couple hours before the polls close for the US elections in the city I live in, I say with soul-deep sincerity: I am rooting for the best-case scenario. I think it’s safe to say that we all are.24 I think it’s also safe to say that if the US and co-signatory governments have inked plans that lead to successful expansion of community health insurance and strategic use of user fees, we all would like to know, now, so that we don’t miss the opportunity to celebrate when success happens. The implementation plan narratives have to enter the public domain. They are the fullest expression of a strategy co-created by two governments. There are assumptions and details that people living in the US and co-signatory countries need to understand that are not available in the MoUs or, to date, in the Congressional Notifications. Some of these details can help other countries that are, as I write this, still working on implementation plans. Others, like a solid count of how many other countries have plans for expanding user fees or health insurance, are important for regional and global health architecture reform initiatives. No matter how this election night turns out, there will be a slew of new Congressional member orientations, briefings and talking points papers in the next few months. Release of implementation narratives should be a bullet point in every context that AFGHS is discussed. These documents can be redacted so that procurement sensitive information isn’t disclosed. There is much more historical precedent for sharing such documents than there is for relying on user fees to fill health financing gaps. Let’s look at the information together so we can hope for the best and prepare for, you know, the other thing. Alt text: A substack first: a bicep selfie! It’s my arm - peachy-white skin, black shirt (flannel, notch neck, too hot for this appallingly balmy November weather, if you’re wondering) and a sticker that says I VOTED 2026. Beige letters on red for I voted. Beige on blue for 2026. You bet I did.25 In your wildest dreams. Subscribe 1 This is a really, really rich 95 page document. There are fascinating ideas and detailed plans in it. It is all worth reading AND I have, in this post, highlighted an instance of content that could pose challenges and certainly posits success of strategies that haven’t worked before. I would love to hear what readers’ see that’s interesting and should be lifted up as something to check for in other implementation plans. I will also shortly be adding a static page to the substack site where implementation plan documents will live. I will put the url into this footnote and it will also be there on emilybass.substack.com by the end of the week. Uganda Implementation Narrative Section 4 April 22 2026 Draft 1.51MB ∙ PDF file Download Download 2 User fees are costs charged for visits, labs, medicines or other health services, usually at the time they are provided. Community health insurance, or community-based health insurance, is what the World Health Organization calls “micro insurance,” which is health insurance targeted at low-income people. 3 As usual (by which I mean always), please prove me wrong. 4 https://smartnewsliberia.com/liberias-ministry-of-health-announces-2025-hospital-service-fees-for-public-facilities/?utm 5 https://moh.gov.lr/news/2025/grand-cape-mount-leaders-residents-embrace-new-community-pharmacy-program/?utm 6 https://www.christianitytoday.com/2026/09/hiv-usaid-pepfar-africa-foreign-aid-cuts-mission-hospitals/?utm 7 https://gh.bmj.com/content/10/11/e021270 8 https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/community-based-health-insurance-CBHI 9 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2827475/ 10 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10861328/#b3-jpmph-23-110 11 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC527704/ 12 Same citation as the footnote 2 - the article is called “Learning from failed health care reform in Uganda.” To which I say: If only. If. Only. 13 There is a whole taxonomy of user fees to be aware of, if not commit to memory. Out of pocket costs are everything that someone pays for themselves. In this Stack, user fees are planned and policy-supported out of pocket costs. There are also out of pocket costs that people pay to buy drugs or receive tests or health care assessments that would be free if the drugs were on the shelves, or the machines or kits were available, or the staff were on site. A user fee is usually designed to be modest, pegged to willingness to pay, and may be waiveable at the point of care for anyone who is unable to do so. The costs for things that would otherwise be free are whatever the market will bear and people either have to pay them or go without. Out of pocket costs for services and stuff that aren’t available in public facilities are different again from bribes or unofficial fees that some health workers may impose, even though most are indefatigable, tireless and tired, and devoted to their clients. 14 For the record—which really is these footnotes—I would give a whole stack of fridge magnets for a systematic analysis of the economic and social impact of the Mass Unemployment Event in AFGHS countries among the very people who used to be able to afford and cover user fees, both for themselves and vast family networks. Locally employed USAID technical staff, house cleaners, caregivers, drivers and technicians were financial anchors for cousins, friends, friends’ children, friends’ childrens’ cousins, teachers, pastors, neighbors and so many other kinds of kin. Aid recipients lost direct funding; many other people who had not been aid recipients, but parts of the elaborate care webs that function as safety nets for so many people, lost crucial support too. And that’s even before we get to the people who worked at the hotels and restaurants and bars where people employed by the US and its implementing partners used to spend disposable income. Those businesses have lost revenue; those folks have lost jobs. It will be some time coming—and someone will have to fund this work—but I do hope it happens. And I hope, as usual, to be proven wrong. 15 https://eprcug.org/blog/how-out-of-pocket-healthcare-costs-keep-driving-ugandans-into-poverty/ 16 Another straight-to-the-point journal article title. Households experiencing catastrophic costs due to tuberculosis in Uganda: magnitude and cost drivers. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32938411 17 https://www.cehurd.org/download/technical-policy-brief-on-community-health-insurance-scheme/?wpdmdl=13661&refresh=6ae9122f5d4ed1793659439 18 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10125197/ 19 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10861328/#b3-jpmph-23-110 20 https://ugandapost.news/uganda-to-make-health-insurance-mandatory-by-2026/ 21 https://shu.org.ug/download/235 22 With a nod, tip of the stack hat, and wag of the Mercoon tail to a deeply valued reader who told me that I have a tendency to speculate about the worst-case scenarios a little too much of the time. 23 https://news.mak.ac.ug/2026/10/uphia-2025-shows-ugandas-hiv-status-awareness-gap-despite-strong-treatment-outcomes/ As you’ll see in the next footnote, I’ve already written a subSubstack on another topic, so I will be brief with regard to the study referenced in this article. The Uganda Population-Based HIV Impact Assessment, or UPHIA, will never happen in this way again. For more than a decade, PHIAs have been supported by the US government as a way to generate accurate estimates of country progress on key HIV indicators. They are a holdover from the PEPFAR program that was laser focused on ensuring US taxpayer dollars subsidized progress in pandemic control. There may be other population-level surveys and the data may even be publicly released, as the entire set of FY2026 MER data have not. But PHIAs will never happen again. If you’re wondering whether the estimates of HIV progress at country level might get less reliable….you’re not alone. 24 Ooh baby, I hate “we” in almost all forms. But sometimes I go there, when I am looking for company, which I am. Because this Stack moves into the somewhat-uncharted territory of assessing what the implementation plan narratives may suggest about co-signatory countries’ roles and responsibilities to the people living within their borders. The MoUs, specimen and data sharing agreements were templates. Countries’ answers fit into pre-specified questions that did not include, “how are you going to fill financing gaps and stabilize your health system as this plan unfolds?” In contrast, the implementation narratives are open form—the product of co-creation between the two governments. Co-creation can mean lots of things, but nothing leads me to believe that implementation plans are ghost-written by the US government, or that contents were imposed by the US counterparts. Instead, I think the parts of the plans that read like country government initiatives are endorsed, if not initiated by, those governments. For instance, the Ugandan implementation plan narrative describes plans for revenue-generation through fees charged for equipment calibration, repair and maintenance provided through Uganda’s National Equipment Calibration Laboratory, and laboratory accreditation through the Uganda National Accreditation Service (UGANAS), targeting private sector, PNFP, research and academic clients. That’s super specific and also quite ambitious. It doesn’t read like an American idea. There’s also a provision for solar panels, and other stuff that feels country owned and driven. This is where it gets interesting. If co-creation is the case, then both the US and co-signatory governments are accountable for the contents and the outcomes. Most discourse about AFGHS to date has focused on the decisions that America has made, or demanded that other countries make. The AFGHS architects have monopolized the hot seat. As they should, in so many ways. America absolutely created the conditions under which countries needed to come up with health financing strategies to fill unanticipated, catastrophic funding gaps. And with not-too-long a lens, we can look back and see that America is also on the hook for its role in the Bretton Woods institutions that made user fees and health system fiscal austerity conditions of loans during the era of structural adjustment. But in the here and now, it is not at all clear to me that the US is requiring Uganda or any other country to implement specific approaches to sustainable financing. Instead, it is as the authors of that paper up in footnote 6 suggest: African governments have agency. As implementation plans roll out—whether or not the narratives are shared—it will be important to understand what this agency looks like and what it means for people, including the poorest of the poor. And it will be important to figure out how to talk about it safely, respectfully and critically in places other than the literal and metaphorical footnotes. 25 This week’s song is “Once upon a time” by the Moody Blues. (I know, this is gonna be a weird, largely banger-free end of 2026 playlist. HMU with requests.) AND please do watch the video and appreciate the truly amazing opening sequence—a drum kit wasteland, a coupla plastic bags, a bit of sand. Sort of like the hill where fiscal austerity policies that put costs on health care users might go to perish. But then there’s a lady with amazing hair. It’s worth it.
Biz leaders react as a 'blunami' sweeps America on Election Night
Business leaders and tech executives are now weighing in on what the new political landscape could mean for their industries.
Constitutional convention fails, Money Out of Politics approved
LANSING, MI (WKZO AM/FM) - Michigan voters have said a loud "no" to Proposal 1 to hold a constitutional conven...
Why Everyone Is Watching Hinge Health (HNGE) Now
Hinge Health (HNGE) just posted third quarter 2026 results that flipped the business from loss to profit, with sales of US$234.97 million and net income of US$57.4 million catching investor attention. That earnings surprise has landed on a strong run in the Hinge Health share price, with a 30 day share price return of 19.63% and a 90 day gain of 44.62%, building on a year to date share price return of 156.45% and a 1 year total shareholder return of 118.64% at a latest share price of...
Tom Jones reclaims 36th Senate District for Republicans
Republicans took back Lancaster County’s 36th Senate District Tuesday, a year-and-a-half after a shock special election win by Democrat James Malone.
Takeaways from election night: Young voters, Hispanics shift away from the GOP as voters show unhappiness with Trump
President Donald Trump repeatedly encouraged voters to pretend he's on the ballot this Election Day. They appear to be taking his advice — and that's not a good thing for the Republican president or his party.
Schmaltz scores game-winner in Mammoth 3-2 win
TORONTO (ABC4 Sports) – Nick Schmaltz scored the winner on a power play with 6:48 left in regulation and the Utah Mammoth beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-2 on Tuesday night. Dylan Guenther and Andrew Peeke also scored for Utah. Sebastian Cossa made 27 saves. Clayton Keller added three assists and Mikail Sergachev had a […]
‘One Tree Hill’ star Bethany Joy Lenz recalls ‘worst audition of my life’ for Broadway role
‘One Tree Hill’ star Bethany Joy Lenz was so close to landing the starring role of Satine in Broadway’s ‘Moulin Rouge,’ until the ‘worst audition’ of her life dashed those dreams.
U.S. Rep. Lloyd Smucker reelected to 6th term
U.S. Rep. Lloyd Smucker was reelected Tuesday to the Republican-friendly 11th District seat, even as Democrats picked up at least three other Pennsylvania seats held by Republicans.
Trump’s Lame-Duck Era Begins
The president told voters to act like his name was on the ballot—and they did.