UBCNews

An estimated 4.8 million could go uninsured this year following the expiration of ACA Marketplace subsidies on Dec 31, causing some 2026 plan premiums to rise sharply, in many cases several-fold, with small businesses getting hit the hardest. 48% of adults with ACA Marketplace coverage are small business owners, small business employees, or self-employed, according to KFF , a nonpartisan health policy research group, with small business owners three times more likely to rely on the Marketplace for coverage than other enrollees. Small Business Owners Face Sudden Coverage Loss Chiropractor Eric Frankenfeld and wife/office manager Lisa decided to forgo coverage in 2026 after learning that their ACA Marketplace plan’s premium would skyrocket from $340/mo to $1,928/mo. “We are health care providers who cannot afford benefits. Oh, the irony. Purchasing a plan doesn’t make financial sense. We’re just going to cross our fingers and hope for the best.” Rick Cole with Martinsburg Service in Mart...

Austin Small Business Group Health Insurance has become a critical consideration as employers reassess how leadership quality and employee experience influence workplace stability. Effective leadership is increasingly viewed as the foundation of healthy organizations, shaping how teams communicate, collaborate, and remain engaged. Employees expect clarity, empathy, and consistency from management, and these expectations directly affect morale and retention. Health benefits now play a deeper role in this equation, acting as a visible signal of how much an organization values its workforce. When leadership aligns benefit offerings with a culture of care and accountability, employees are more likely to feel supported. This shift reflects a broader movement toward workplaces that prioritize long-term well-being rather than short-term fixes, especially in competitive local markets where attracting and retaining talent requires more than traditional management approaches. More information c...

Why Most 'Remote Closer' Courses Are a Scam—And What We Built Instead By Kane Hammontree, Founder & CEO, Virtual Sales Society Let me tell you what nobody in the "remote closer" space wants to admit. Most of the courses, programs, and "mentorships" promising you a six-figure income from your laptop are, at best, incomplete—and at worst, outright scams. They take your money, dump some theory on you, maybe throw in a few scripts, and then disappear. You're left with a certificate nobody recognizes, skills you can't prove, and zero job opportunities. I've watched this industry for years. I've seen the promises. I've seen the results. And I've seen thousands of people get burned. That's why we built Virtual Sales Society differently. But before I explain what we built and why it actually works, let me tell you why the current model is broken—and why I'm the right person to fix it. The Scam Economy of Remote Closer Courses Here...

National School Chaplain Association publishes the Dangers of Identity Crisis and how School Chaplains can uniquely circumvent damaging consequences. Spiritual support is the missing link to complete the multidisciplinary approach. Chaplains are needed to work alongside secular, medical and psychiatric modalities for better outcomes. Target audience includes mental health providers, schools, safety officers, suicide prevention groups, economists, physicians, legislators, teachers, parents, faith groups and religious liberty advocates. Law enforcement, will appreciate learning more because unnecessary turmoil, violence and loss of life has transpired. Also, this topic affects employers who suffer productivity inefficiency. Valuable time is lost addressing conflict resolution among coworkers. School administrators will find this interesting because they suffer academic decline, public pressure and financial loss due to parents removing their children from public schools. Academic decline...

Key Takeaways Testosterone Replacement Therapy can worsen existing sleep apnoea or trigger new cases by reducing respiratory control responses and altering upper airway muscle tone during sleep. A meta-analysis of 24 studies involving 1,268 participants found a statistically significant association between TRT and increased sleep apnoea risk, though some research presents conflicting findings. Men with obesity, large neck circumference, or pre-existing breathing issues face substantially higher risks when combining TRT with sleep apnoea conditions. The dangerous combination of TRT and sleep apnoea can lead to polycythaemia (blood thickening), dramatically increasing stroke and cardiovascular complications. Thorough medical screening before starting TRT helps identify sleep-related risks when they're most manageable and treatable. The relationship between testosterone replacement therapy and sleep apnoea represents one of the most concerning yet complex interactions in men's ho...

Key Takeaways Low testosterone disrupts critical neurotransmitters including dopamine, serotonin, and GABA, leading to mood crashes, anxiety, and loss of motivation that directly undermine confidence. Brain fog and cognitive decline affect at least 50% of men with testosterone deficiency, creating workplace performance issues and social withdrawal patterns. Physical changes from low T—including muscle loss, increased abdominal fat, and sexual performance decline—create a negative feedback loop that destroys self-image. Evidence-based treatment combining Testosterone Replacement Therapy with targeted lifestyle modifications can restore brain chemistry and rebuild confidence within months. Men experiencing symptoms should seek hormone testing, as confidence issues may persist even within 'normal' testosterone ranges. The Hidden Brain Chemistry Crisis in Men While precise figures for men feeling 'shadows of their former selves' are not available, low testosterone is a comm...