The Washington Times (8/13, Howell) reports, “The District and Maryland are moving aggressively to implement virtual markets of insurance plans, becoming national leaders in carrying out President Obama’s vision for health care reform.” In the district, the Health Reform Implementation Committee “has met twice, to organize itself and to elect Dr. Mohammad Akhter as its chairman,” and “needs to submit a proposal on its exchange to the federal government by Wednesday to obtain an estimated $70 million to $80 million in federal funding this October.” The exchange may be designed as “an open system that welcomes all providers, or it can be selective about which providers fit the city’s needs.” Maryland “has already received $34.4 million in federal grants and is expecting to receive additional federal funds,” to implement an exchange on the basis of a state law enacted last year with the strong support of the governor.

Related Links:

— “Health law readiness follows state, party lines, “Tom Howell Jr., The Washington Times, August 12, 2012.

USA Today (8/6, Jayson) reports on psychologist Robert Hogan’s presentation, during a psychology conference this past weekend, about the stress impact of poor management. USA Today quotes Hogan as saying, “Seventy-five percent of working adults say the worst aspect of their job — the most stressful aspect of their job — is their immediate boss. Bad managers create enormous health costs and are a major source of misery for many people.” USA Today adds, “Other leadership consultants across the country agree that the impact of immediate supervisors is more far-reaching than many would believe.”

Related Links:

— “Bad bosses can be bad for your health, “Sharon Jayson, USA Today, August 06, 2012.

HealthDay (8/4, Gordon) reported, “Middle school students who are physically fit are likely to score higher on standardized tests measuring reading and math abilities,” according to a study of 1,200 middle-school students presented at a psychology meeting. What’s more, “the average scores went up in correlation with levels of fitness, the findings showed.”

Related Links:

— “Fitter Kids May Make Better Grades: Study, “Serena Gordon, HealthDay, August 03, 2012.

HealthDay (8/4, Dallas) reported, “Girls who are sexually or physically abused may start menstruating earlier or later than average,” according to a study published online July 26 in the Journal of Adolescent Health. “After analyzing information on nearly 69,000 women, researchers from Boston University School of Medicine found those sexually abused during their childhood were 49 percent more likely to have their first period before age 11 than women who were not abused,” while “women who suffered severe physical abuse had a 50 percent increased risk for starting their menstrual cycles late, or after age 15.”

Related Links:

— “Child Abuse Might Alter Onset of Menstruation in Girls, “Mary Elizabeth Dallas, HealthDay, August 03, 2012.

USA Today (8/6, Jayson) reports, “Honesty may boost your health, suggests a study that found telling fewer lies benefits people physically and mentally.” During “the study period, the link between less lying and improved health was significantly stronger for participants in the no-lie group, the study found.” Researchers found that “when participants in the no-lie group told three fewer minor lies than they did in other weeks, for example, they experienced, on average, four fewer mental-health complaints and three fewer physical complaints.”

Related Links:

— “Study finds that avoiding lies can improve your health, “Sharon Jayson, USA Today, August 05, 2012.