From WisPolitics.com/WisBusiness.com …
— Wisconsin’s 2025 open enrollment total has already exceeded last year’s record high with more than a week left to go, according to federal figures released today.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ latest national snapshot shows 306,470 plan selections have been made in Wisconsin during the open enrollment period as of Jan. 4. This year’s open enrollment period continues through Jan. 15.
During the entirety of last year’s open enrollment period, a total of 266,327 plan selections were made, marking a new record high at the time and a 20% increase over the previous record, according to a release from the state Office of the Commissioner of Insurance.
At the national level, CMS reports 23.6 million consumers have selected coverage for 2025, including 3.2 million new consumers. That total exceeds last year’s “record-setting” open enrollment period in which 21.4 million people got coverage, the agency says.
See the latest CMS snapshot.
— The Lions Eye Bank of Wisconsin has launched a virtual reality app to teach people about visual impairment.
The nonprofit group, which aims to foster corneal donation and transplants, today announced the launch of the app, which was developed and donated by ophthalmologist Dr. Michael Ullman. It can be used on a smartphone or tablet, offering a “fully immersive educational experience” focused on visual challenges, such as corneal-related vision loss.
The app can be used by eye health specialists to help patients and their families better understand what it’s like to live with visual impairment, as well as training eye care teams, according to the announcement. It also has applications in the classroom, as educators can use it to teach students about “eye health, anatomy, and the social impact” of blindness, the nonprofit says.
Users can register in the app as cornea donors and donate to the Lions Eye Bank of Wisconsin, which says any funds raised will “directly support” its efforts to provide corneal donations and transplant services.
See details on how to download in the release below.
— Two companies with solutions for addressing microplastics contamination have won $10,000 prizes through the Water Council’s Tech Challenge.
The Milwaukee-based organization yesterday announced the winners of its latest round of competition, focused on products for detecting, treating and removing microplastics. These miniscule pieces of plastic have been deemed a major environmental and health hazard, with accumulation in the body linked to inflammation, lower fertility and death.
Karen Frost, vice president of economic development and innovation for the Water Council, says scientists are “only beginning to understand the alarming scope and scale” of microplastic solution, but argues solutions are needed.
“By connecting these innovators with water technology corporations, we help nourish solutions in the effort to fight water contamination,” she said in a statement.
One of the contest winners, California-based Lucendi, Inc., is developing AI technology for detecting and characterizing micro-scale objects within liquids. The company’s Aqusens platform can identify microplastics as well as tiny harmful organisms such as toxic algae and cyanobacteria.
The other winner, New Jersey’s PolyGone Systems, was chosen for its treatment and removal solution. Based on Princeton University research, the company has created a filtration system that captures microplastics below 1 millimeter in scale and can be used in rivers, lakes and wastewater discharge areas.
See the release.
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