ProfNet Experts Available on Drug Spending, Eating Disorders, ACA, Dating and More

NEW YORK, March 13, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Below are experts from the ProfNet network that are available to discuss timely issues in your coverage area. You can also submit a query to the hundreds of thousands of experts in our network – it's easy and free! Just fill out the query form to get started: http://bit.ly/findexperts?tc=expertalerts.

EXPERT ALERTS

• Drug Spending Increase Highest in a Decade
• Baby Play Time Should Begin in Utero
• Health Insurance Law, Mental Health Parity and Eating Disorder Insurance
• Lack of ACA Awareness Among Uninsured Americans
• Why Men Do Dumb Things to Impress Women
• International Dating Maximizes Chances of Finding Love

MEDIA JOBS

• Staff Writer – Miami New Times (FL)
• Education Reporter – High Point Enterprise (NC)
• Social Media Reporter – DNAinfo (NY)

OTHER NEWS & RESOURCES

• Brand Journalism: What Journalists and PR Pros Need to Know
• The Blog Blog: Seven Tips for Creating Viral Content
• Blog Profiles: Agriculture Blogs

EXPERT ALERTS:

Drug Spending Increase Highest in a Decade
Kyle Simon
Director of Policy and Advocacy
Center for Lawful Access and Abuse Deterrence
"U.S. prescription drug spending rose 13 percent last year, the largest increase since 2003, according to a new report from Express Scripts, the largest U.S. manager of prescription benefits. Much of the spike in drug prices was driven by increases in a few specialty areas. Medicare drug spending is affected at about the same rate as overall drug spending, with Medicare spending increasing 13.8 percent. The report projects that spending on traditional drugs for conditions like high cholesterol and heart disease will not increase substantially in coming years, in part because of competition from generic drugs."
In his role, Simon manages policy and advocacy initiatives, provides policy analysis and drafting, directs rapid response efforts, and oversees a coalition of allied organizations focused on advancing common goals. His background includes several years of health care policy, advocacy, and political experience. He has worked with policy makers on Medicare, Medicaid, and regulatory issues, served members of Congress, managed a statewide political organization representing the president of the United States, and held leadership roles in multiple political campaigns.
Media Contact: Mark Goldman, [email protected]

Baby Play Time Should Begin in Utero
Linda Rosenthal, M.Ed.
Assistant Executive Director, Early Childhood Services
Leake & Watts
"Play should begin while the baby is in utero. You can play music, talk to the baby, rub your stomach. You make a connection. Babies develop hearing by the sixth month of pregnancy, and although the sounds are muffled, studies have shown that after they are born, babies recognize their mother's and father's voices, and will turn to the music they heard when they were in the womb. Once the baby is born, begin playing from the get-go. Sing, coo and talk to the baby, as it is part of the bonding process. Engaging with a baby provides comfort and helps them to start 'attending' [i.e., paying attention]. Mobiles in the crib help their eyes focus and help them begin to swipe and reach. At first, it's primitive reflexes, then the baby starts to make voluntary moves. Provide a stimulating environment to encourage movement and curiosity. We recommend placing toys just out of reach so they find a way to get to it. Babies are born to play. Play should focus on the process, not the 'product.'"
Based in Yonkers, N.Y., Leake & Watts is an award-winning nonprofit social services agency that supports 8,000 vulnerable children, adults, and families. The agency operates 43 programs at 24 sites in the New York metropolitan area. Rosenthal oversees its robust early childhood education services, which serve more than 500 children in Head Start, universal pre-kindergarten, special education (with special expertise in autism), childcare, and parent-child home programs. She is available to discuss early childhood development and education, early intervention success with autism and other disabilities, Head Start, parent-child home programs, universal pre-K, special education and mainstreaming.
Website: http://www.leakeandwatts.org
Media Contact: Jeannie Ashford, [email protected]

Health Insurance Law, Mental Health Parity and Eating Disorder Insurance
Lisa S. Kantor, Esq.
Founding Partner
Kantor & Kantor, LLP
"Eating disorders are the deadliest of all mental illnesses and should be treated as the complex, serious, pervasive and potentially deadly diseases that they are. It's crucial understand your rights to obtain insurance coverage for treatment. Every day I witness the devastating impact these insidious disorders have on my clients and their loved ones, especially when treatment is denied, and I will continue to work tirelessly so that those suffering have access to the insurance benefits that they are entitled to, and deserve."
Kantor, an authority on health insurance law and mental health parity, represents people denied health benefits for treatment of both physical and mental illnesses. Her firm, Kantor & Kantor, is the only law firm in the country with a distinct eating-disorder practice staffed with lawyers and other professionals experienced in the specific needs of people who have been denied benefits for eating disorder treatment. Kantor sues health plans that refuse coverage, or agree to pay for treatment for a short period of time, forcing patients to be discharged before their health is restored. In 2007, she won the first published eating-disorder decision in California in which the court applied the state's mental health parity law to beneficiaries who sought treatment outside California. In August 2012, she won the first federal court ruling that determined health plans must pay for all medically necessary treatment for mental illnesses, including residential treatment. For her achievements, she was named a Top Woman Lawyer by the Los Angeles Daily Journal and an Attorney of the Year by the San Francisco Recorder. She received a "Special Recognition" award from the International Association of Eating Disorders Professionals Foundation and a California Women Lawyers' Woman of Distinction Award. She will soon be featured in the movie "Just Eat," which explores the deadly world of eating disorders and the havoc that eating disorders wreak on the millions of lives of Americans and their families each year.
Website: http://www.kantorlaw.net
Media Contact: Rachel Teicher, [email protected]

Lack of ACA Awareness Among Uninsured Americans
Hector de La Torre
Executive Director
Transamerica Center for Health Studies
Earlier this week, the Department of Health and Human Services released a report stating that over 11 million people have enrolled in health care coverage through the ACA -- and more than half of those will pay less than $100 per month in premiums. While the open enrollment period ended last month, a special enrollment period has opened (online at HealthCare.gov) for those that have not enrolled and are eligible for the tax penalty. Says de La Torre: "Our research suggests that lack of awareness about the ACA is the primary cause of failure to enroll among uninsured Americans. Filing taxes may prompt some of these uninsured Americans to seek more information, and the extended enrollment period will allow them to enroll and avoid the tax penalty. Two years after its inception, the requirements of the ACA are starting to become the norm for many Americans, but I believe it's crucial to continue to try to reach and educate the American population that remains uninsured."
ProfNet Profile: http://www.profnetconnect.com/hectordelatorre
Website: http://www.transamericacenterforhealthstudies.org
Media Contact: Meghan Graham, [email protected]

Why Men Do Dumb Things to Impress Women
Dr. Frieda Birnbaum
Research Psychologist, Psychoanalyst
"Sometimes a man will think if he can play guitar poorly or send an intimate picture of himself or brag about his lovemaking skills, it will impress a woman. Most of the time, these actions and other similar actions will send a woman running. Why, then, do men continue these behaviors? Some of it has to do with maturity -- some men never quite grow up and therefore may face a challenging time to be able to partake in a serious relationship. Men who engage in cringe-worthy gestures intended to sweep a woman off her feet may also be completely oblivious to their actions. Times like these are when men need other men most to offer caution and advice."
Based in the New York metropolitan area, Dr. Birnbaum is a research psychologist, psychoanalyst and author of "What Price Power: An In-Depth Study of the Professional Woman in a Relationship." She's an expert on depression, women's issues, and attaining happiness, and has been featured on "Oprah" and "20/20" as the oldest woman in the U.S. to have twins.
Media Contact: Ryan McCormick, [email protected]

International Dating Maximizes Chances of Finding Love
Anthony Volpe
CMO
AsianDate
"Online dating has become much more mainstream over the years, and now international dating is seeing a rise in popularity."
Volpe is the CMO of AsianDate, which boasts four million members. He is available to discuss the phenomenon of international dating, its growth, what makes it appealing; and important things to look for when vetting out potential online dating sites.
Website: http://www.asiandate.com
Media Contact: Mark Goldman, [email protected]

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MEDIA JOBS:

Following are links to job listings for staff and freelance writers, editors and producers. You can view these and more job listings on our Job Board: https://prnmedia.prnewswire.com/community/

• Staff Writer – Miami New Times (FL)
• Education Reporter – High Point Enterprise (NC)
• Social Media Reporter – DNAinfo (NY)

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OTHER NEWS & RESOURCES:

Following are links to other news and resources we think you might find useful. If you have an item you think other reporters would be interested in and would like us to include in a future alert, please drop us a line. 

• BRAND JOURNALISM: WHAT JOURNALISTS AND PR PROS NEED TO KNOW. Many companies are getting into the publishing business, creating original, journalism-style stories to reach their desired audience. Some are even hiring freelance journalists or building in-house news operations. So, what do PR professionals and journalists need to know about brand journalism? We asked journalists and PR pros to weigh in: http://prn.to/1AK8ry7
• THE BLOG BLOG: SEVEN TIPS FOR CREATING VIRAL CONTENT. Every blogger dreams of "going viral," but it is almost impossible to predict what type of content people will share. Although going viral is not an exact science, there may be a few things you can do to increase those chances: http://prn.to/1AVHA2e
• BLOG PROFILES: AGRICULTURE BLOGS. As PR Newswire's media relations manager, Christine Cube comes across great blogs that cover a wide variety of topics and interests. This week, she shares reviews of a few agriculture blogs: http://prn.to/1FRUEK7

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