Health Highlights: Oct. 23, 2018

• Tweet
• Pin It

Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by the editors of HealthDay:

White House to Unveil New Health Insurance Option for Small Businesses

A plan to allow small businesses to use tax-free accounts to provide health coverage for employees is expected to be announced Tuesday by the Trump administration.

It would expand health reimbursement arrangements (HRAs) so workers could buy their own individual health coverage, the Associated Press reported.

The accounts could also be paired with workplace health plans to help workers obtain other benefits such as dental care.

Critics say the plan will enable employers to find ways to move workers with high health care costs from their business policies to individual insurance, the AP reported.

The plan includes protections for workers, according to administration officials.

—–

Selma Blair Reveals MS Diagnosis

Actress Selma Blair says she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in August.

The 46-year-old actress made the announcement in a selfie posted on her Instagram account Saturday, CBC News reported.

“I am in the thick of it but I hope to give some hope to others. And even to myself,” wrote Blair, best known for her roles in films like “Legally Blonde” and “Cruel Intentions.”

She plans to continue her work, starring in the upcoming Netflix series “Another Life,” and writes: “I want to play with my son again. I want to walk down the street and ride my horse. I have MS and I am OK.”

MS, a nervous system disease that can cause pain and numbness, loss of vision and motor functions, affects nearly one million people in the U.S. There is no cure, but treatment can help manage symptoms and slow its progression, CBS News reported.

—–

WWE Star Roman Reigns Battling Leukemia

The professional wrestler Roman Reigns is giving up his championship title and leaving the ring to battle leukemia.

The former football player, whose real name is Leati Joseph Anoaʻi, said Monday that he had been living with the cancer for 11 years and that it had returned, CNN reported.

“When I was 22 years old, I was diagnosed with this. And very quickly I was able to put it in remission. But I’m not going to lie, that was the hardest time in my life. I didn’t have a job, I didn’t have any money, I didn’t have a home and I had a baby on the way,” Reigns said in a speech Monday in Rhode Island at the start of WWE’s Monday Night Raw program.

“I want to make one thing clear — by no means is this a retirement speech,” Reigns said. “I will beat this and I will be back, so you will see me very very soon.”

He placed his WWE Universal Title belt on the floor and left the ring, CNN reported.

Copyright © 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

• Tweet
• Pin It