title: Health insurance in the United States

text: Hospital and medical expense policies were introduced during the first half of the 20th century. During the 1920s, individual hospitals began offering services to individuals on a pre-paid basis, eventually leading to the development of Blue Cross organizations in the 1930s. The first employer-sponsored hospitalization plan was created by teachers in Dallas, Texas in 1929. Because the plan only covered members' expenses at a single hospital (Baylor Hospital), it is also the forerunner of today's health maintenance organizations (HMOs).


title: Health insurance in the United States

text: In 1935 the decision was made by the Roosevelt Administration not to include a large-scale health insurance program as part of the new Social Security program. The problem was not an attack by any organized opposition, such as the opposition from the American Medical Association that derailed Truman's proposals in 1949. Instead, there was a lack of active popular, congressional, or interest group support. Roosevelt's strategy was to wait for a demand and a program to materialize, and then if he thought it popular enough to throw his support behind it. His Committee on Economic Security (CES) deliberately limited the health segment of Social Security to the expansion of medical care and facilities. It considered unemployment insurance to be the major priority. Roosevelt assured the medical community that medicine would be kept out of politics. Jaap Kooijman says he succeeded in "pacifying the opponents without discouraging the reformers." The right moment never came for him to reintroduce the topic.


title: Health insurance in the United States

text: Some of the first evidence of compulsory health insurance in the United States was in 1915, through the progressive reform protecting workers against medical costs and sicknesses in industrial America. Prior to this, within the Socialist and Progressive parties, health insurance and coverage was framed as not only an economic right for workers health, but also as an employer’s responsibility and liability- healthcare was in this context centered on working-class Americans and labor unions.


title: Health insurance in the United States

text: Employer-sponsored health insurance plans dramatically expanded as a direct result of wage controls imposed by the federal government during World War II. The labor market was tight because of the increased demand for goods and decreased supply of workers during the war. Federally imposed wage and price controls prohibited manufacturers and other employers from raising wages enough to attract workers. When the War Labor Board declared that fringe benefits, such as sick leave and health insurance, did not count as wages for the purpose of wage controls, employers responded with significantly increased offers of fringe benefits, especially health care coverage, to attract workers. The tax deduction was later codified in the Revenue Act of 1954.


title: Health insurance in the United States

text: President Harry S. Truman proposed a system of public health insurance in his November 19, 1945, address. He envisioned a national system that would be open to all Americans, but would remain optional. Participants would pay monthly fees into the plan, which would cover the cost of any and all medical expenses that arose in a time of need. The government would pay for the cost of services rendered by any doctor who chose to join the program. In addition, the insurance plan would give cash to the policy holder to replace wages lost because of illness or injury. The proposal was quite popular with the public, but it was fiercely opposed by the Chamber of Commerce, the American Hospital Association, and the AMA, which denounced it as "socialism".


title: Health insurance in the United States

text: Foreseeing a long and costly political battle, many labor unions chose to campaign for employer-sponsored coverage, which they saw as a less desirable but more achievable goal, and as coverage expanded the national insurance system lost political momentum and ultimately failed to pass. Using health care and other fringe benefits to attract the best employees, private sector, white-collar employers nationwide expanded the U.S. health care system. Public sector employers followed suit in an effort to compete. Between 1940 and 1960, the total number of people enrolled in health insurance plans grew seven-fold, from 20,662,000 to 142,334,000, and by 1958, 75% of Americans had some form of health coverage.


title: Health insurance in the United States

text: Still, private insurance remained unaffordable or simply unavailable to many, including the poor, the unemployed, and the elderly. Before 1965, only half of seniors had health care coverage, and they paid three times as much as younger adults, while having lower incomes. Consequently, interest persisted in creating public health insurance for those left out of the private marketplace.


title: Health insurance in the United States

text: The 1960 Kerr-Mills Act provided matching funds to states assisting patients with their medical bills. In the early 1960s, Congress rejected a plan to subsidize private coverage for people with Social Security as unworkable, and an amendment to the Social Security Act creating a publicly run alternative was proposed. Finally, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Medicare and Medicaid programs into law in 1965, creating publicly run insurance for the elderly and the poor. Medicare was later expanded to cover people with disabilities, end-stage renal disease, and ALS.


title: Health insurance in the United States

text: Prior to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, effective from 2014, about 34 states offered guaranteed-issuance risk pools, which enabled individuals who are medically uninsurable through private health insurance to purchase a state-sponsored health insurance plan, usually at higher cost, with high deductibles and possibly lifetime maximums. Plans varied greatly from state to state, both in their costs and benefits to consumers and in their methods of funding and operations. The first such plan was implemented In 1976.


title: Health insurance in the United States

text: Efforts to pass a national pool were unsuccessful for many years. With the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, it became easier for people with pre-existing conditions to afford regular insurance, since all insurers are fully prohibited from discriminating against or charging higher rates for any individuals based on pre-existing medical conditions. Therefore, most of the state-based pools shut down. As of 2017, some remain due to statutes which have not been updated, but they also may cover people with gaps in coverage such as undocumented immigrants or Medicare-eligible individuals under the age of 65.


title: Health insurance in the United States

text: Persistent lack of insurance among many working Americans continued to create pressure for a comprehensive national health insurance system. In the early 1970s, there was fierce debate between two alternative models for universal coverage. Senator Ted Kennedy proposed a universal single-payer system, while President Nixon countered with his own proposal based on mandates and incentives for employers to provide coverage while expanding publicly run coverage for low-wage workers and the unemployed. Compromise was never reached, and Nixon's resignation and a series of economic problems later in the decade diverted Congress's attention away from health reform.Shortly after his inauguration, President Clinton offered a new proposal for a universal health insurance system. Like Nixon's plan, Clinton's relied on mandates, both for individuals and for insurers, along with subsidies for people who could not afford insurance. The bill would have also created "health-purchasing alliances" to pool risk among multiple businesses and large groups of individuals. The plan was staunchly opposed by the insurance industry and employers' groups and received only mild support from liberal groups, particularly unions, which preferred a single payer system. Ultimately it failed after the Republican takeover of Congress in 1994.


title: Health insurance in the United States

text: Finally achieving universal health coverage remained a top priority among Democrats, and passing a health reform bill was one of the Obama Administration's top priorities. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act was similar to the Nixon and Clinton plans, mandating coverage, penalizing employers who failed to provide it, and creating mechanisms for people to pool risk and buy insurance collectively. Earlier versions of the bill included a publicly run insurer that could compete to cover those without employer sponsored coverage (the so-called public option), but this was ultimately stripped to secure the support of moderates. The bill passed the Senate in December 2009 with all Democrats voting in favor and the House in March 2010 with the support of most Democrats. Not a single Republican voted in favor of it either time.


title: Health insurance in the United States

text: Historically, health insurance has been regulated by the states, consistent with the McCarran-Ferguson Act. Details for what health insurance could be sold were up to the states, with a variety of laws and regulations. Model acts and regulations promulgated by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) provide some degree of uniformity state to state. These models do not have the force of law and have no effect unless they are adopted by a state. They are, however, used as guides by most states, and some states adopt them with little or no change.


title: Health insurance in the United States

text: However, with the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, effective since 2014, federal laws have created some uniformity in partnership with the existing state-based system. Insurers are prohibited from discriminating against or charging higher rates for individuals based on pre-existing medical conditions and must offer a standard set of coverage.


title: Health insurance in the United States

text: In 2007, 87% of Californians had some form of health insurance. Services in California range from private offerings: HMOs, PPOs to public programs: Medi-Cal, Medicare, and Healthy Families (SCHIP). Insurers can pay providers a capitation only in the case of HMOs.


title: Health insurance in the United States

text: California developed a solution to assist people across the state and is one of the few states to have an office devoted to giving people tips and resources to get the best care possible. California's Office of the Patient Advocate was established July 2000 to publish a yearly Health Care Quality Report Card on the top HMOs, PPOs, and Medical Groups and to create and distribute helpful tips and resources to give Californians the tools needed to get the best care.


title: Health insurance in the United States

text: Additionally, California has a Help Center that assists Californians when they have problems with their health insurance. The Help Center is run by the Department of Managed Health Care, the government department that oversees and regulates HMOs and some PPOs.


title: Health insurance in the United States

text: The state passed healthcare reform in 2006 in order to decrease the uninsured rate among its citizens. The federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (colloquially known as "Obamacare") is largely based on Massachusetts' health reform. Due to that colloquialism, the Massachusetts reform has been nicknamed as "Romneycare" after then-Governor Mitt Romney.


title: Health insurance in the United States

text: Public programs provide the primary source of coverage for most seniors and also low-income children and families who meet certain eligibility requirements. The primary public programs are Medicare, a federal social insurance program for seniors (generally persons aged 65 and over) and certain disabled individuals; Medicaid, funded jointly by the federal government and states but administered at the state level, which covers certain very low income children and their families; and CHIP, also a federal-state partnership that serves certain children and families who do not qualify for Medicaid but who cannot afford private coverage. Other public programs include military health benefits provided through TRICARE and the Veterans Health Administration and benefits provided through the Indian Health Service. Some states have additional programs for low-income individuals. U.S. Census Bureau, "CPS Health Insurance Definitions" </ref> In 2011, approximately 60 percent of stays were billed to Medicare and Medicaid—up from 52 percent in 1997.


title: Health insurance in the United States

text: In the United States, Medicare is a federal social insurance program that provides health insurance to people over the age of 65, individuals who become totally and permanently disabled, end stage renal disease (ESRD) patients, and people with ALS. Recent research has found that the health trends of previously uninsured adults, especially those with chronic health problems, improves once they enter the Medicare program. Traditional Medicare requires considerable cost-sharing, but ninety percent of Medicare enrollees have some kind of supplemental insurance—either employer-sponsored or retiree coverage, Medicaid, or a private Medigap plan—that covers some or all of their cost-sharing. With supplemental insurance, Medicare ensures that its enrollees have predictable, affordable health care costs regardless of unforeseen illness or injury.


title: Health insurance in the United States

text: As the population covered by Medicare grows, its costs are projected to rise from slightly over 3 percent of GDP to over 6 percent, contributing substantially to the federal budget deficit. In 2011, Medicare was the primary payer for an estimated 15.3 million inpatient stays, representing 47.2 percent ($182.7 billion) of total aggregate inpatient hospital costs in the United States. The Affordable Care Act took some steps to reduce Medicare spending, and various other proposals are circulating to reduce it further.


title: Health insurance in the United States

text: Medicare Advantage plans expand the health insurance options for people with Medicare. Medicare Advantage was created under the Balanced Budget Act of 1997, with the intent to better control the rapid growth in Medicare spending, as well as to provide Medicare beneficiaries more choices. But on average, Medicare Advantage plans cost 12% more than traditional Medicare. The ACA took steps to align payments to Medicare Advantage plans with the cost of traditional Medicare.


title: Health insurance in the United States

text: There is some evidence that Medicare Advantage plans select patients with low risk of incurring major medical expenses to maximize profits at the expense of traditional Medicare.


title: Health insurance in the United States

text: Medicare Part D provides a private insurance option to allow Medicare beneficiaries to purchase subsidized coverage for the costs of prescription drugs. It was enacted as part of the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 (MMA) and went into effect on January 1, 2006.


title: Health insurance in the United States

text: Medicaid was instituted for the very poor in 1965. Since enrollees must pass a means test, Medicaid is a social welfare or social protection program rather than a social insurance program. Despite its establishment, the percentage of US residents who lack any form of health insurance has increased since 1994. It has been reported that the number of physicians accepting Medicaid has decreased in recent years because of lower reimbursement rates.


title: Health insurance in the United States

text: The Affordable Care Act dramatically expanded Medicaid. The program now covers everyone with incomes under 133% of the federal poverty level who does not qualify for Medicare, provided this expansion of coverage has been accepted by the state where the person resides. Meanwhile, Medicaid benefits must be the same as the essential benefit in the newly created state exchanges. The federal government will fully fund the expansion of Medicaid initially, with some of the financial responsibility (10% of medical costs) gradually devolving back to the states by 2020.


title: Health insurance in the United States

text: The Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) is a joint state/federal program to provide health insurance to children in families who earn too much money to qualify for Medicaid, yet cannot afford to buy private insurance. The statutory authority for CHIP is under title XXI of the Social Security Act. CHIP programs are run by the individual states according to requirements set by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and may be structured as independent programs separate from Medicaid (separate child health programs), as expansions of their Medicaid programs (CHIP Medicaid expansion programs), or combine these approaches (CHIP combination programs). States receive enhanced federal funds for their CHIP programs at a rate above the regular Medicaid match.


title: Health insurance in the United States

text: Health benefits are provided to active duty service members, retired service members and their dependents by the Department of Defense Military Health System (MHS). The MHS consists of a direct care network of Military Treatment Facilities and a purchased care network known as TRICARE. Additionally, veterans may also be eligible for benefits through the Veterans Health Administration.


title: Health insurance in the United States

text: The Indian Health Service (IHS) provides medical assistance to eligible American Indians at IHS facilities, and helps pay the cost of some services provided by non-IHS health care providers.


title: Health insurance in the United States

text: Private health insurance may be purchased on a group basis (e.g., by a firm to cover its employees) or purchased by individual consumers. Most Americans with private health insurance receive it through an employer-sponsored program. According to the United States Census Bureau, some 60% of Americans are covered through an employer, while about 9% purchase health insurance directly. Private insurance was billed for 12.2 million inpatient hospital stays in 2011, incurring approximately 29% ($112.5 billion) of the total aggregate inpatient hospital costs in the United States.


title: Health insurance in the United States

text: The US has a joint federal and state system for regulating insurance, with the federal government ceding primary responsibility to the states under the McCarran-Ferguson Act. States regulate the content of health insurance policies and often require coverage of specific types of medical services or health care providers. State mandates generally do not apply to the health plans offered by large employers, because of the preemption clause of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act.


title: Health insurance in the United States

text: As of 2018, there were 953 health insurance companies in the United States, although the top 10 account for about 53% of revenue and the top 100 account for 95% of revenue.


title: Health insurance in the United States

text: Employer-sponsored health insurance is paid for by businesses on behalf of their employees as part of an employee benefit package. Most private (non-government) health coverage in the US is employment-based. Nearly all large employers in America offer group health insurance to their employees. The typical large-employer PPO plan is typically more generous than either Medicare or the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program Standard Option.


title: Health insurance in the United States

text: The employer typically makes a substantial contribution towards the cost of coverage. Typically, employers pay about 85% of the insurance premium for their employees, and about 75% of the premium for their employees' dependents. The employee pays the remaining fraction of the premium, usually with pre-tax/tax-exempt earnings. These percentages have been stable since 1999. Health benefits provided by employers are also tax-favored: Employee contributions can be made on a pre-tax basis if the employer offers the benefits through a section 125 cafeteria plan.


title: Health insurance in the United States

text: Workers who receive employer-sponsored health insurance tend to be paid less in cash wages than they would be without the benefit, because of the cost of insurance premiums to the employer and the value of the benefit to the worker. The value to workers is generally greater than the wage reduction because of economies of scale, a reduction in adverse selection pressures on the insurance pool (premiums are lower when all employees participate rather than just the sickest), and reduced income taxes. Disadvantages to workers include disruptions related to changing jobs, the regressive tax effect (high-income workers benefit far more from the tax exemption for premiums than low-income workers), and increased spending on healthcare.


title: Health insurance in the United States

text: Costs for employer-paid health insurance are rising rapidly: between 2001 and 2007, premiums for family coverage have increased 78%, while wages have risen 19% and inflation has risen 17%, according to a 2007 study by the Kaiser Family Foundation. Employer costs have risen noticeably per hour worked, and vary significantly. In particular, average employer costs for health benefits vary by firm size and occupation. The cost per hour of health benefits is generally higher for workers in higher-wage occupations, but represent a smaller percentage of payroll. The percentage of total compensation devoted to health benefits has been rising since the 1960s. Average premiums, including both the employer and employee portions, were $4,704 for single coverage and $12,680 for family coverage in 2008.


title: Health insurance in the United States

text: However, in a 2007 analysis, the Employee Benefit Research Institute concluded that the availability of employment-based health benefits for active workers in the US is stable. The "take-up rate," or percentage of eligible workers participating in employer-sponsored plans, has fallen somewhat, but not sharply. EBRI interviewed employers for the study, and found that others might follow if a major employer discontinued health benefits. Effective by January 1, 2014, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act will impose a $2000 per employee tax penalty on employers with over 50 employees who do not offer health insurance to their full-time workers. (In 2008, over 95% of employers with at least 50 employees offered health insurance.) On the other hand, public policy changes could also result in a reduction in employer support for employment-based health benefits.


title: Health insurance in the United States

text: Although much more likely to offer retiree health benefits than small firms, the percentage of large firms offering these benefits fell from 66% in 1988 to 34% in 2002.


title: Health insurance in the United States

text: According to Jacob Hacker, the development of employer-based health insurance during World War II has contributed to the difficulty in the United States of enacting reforms to the health insurance system.


title: Health insurance in the United States

text: According to a 2007 study, about 59% of employers at small firms (3–199 workers) in the US provide employee health insurance. The percentage of small firms offering coverage has been dropping steadily since 1999. The study notes that cost remains the main reason cited by small firms who do not offer health benefits. Small firms that are new are less likely to offer coverage than ones that have been in existence for a number of years. For example, using 2005 data for firms with fewer than 10 employees, 43% of those that had been in existence at least 20 years offered coverage, but only 24% of those that had been in existence less than 5 years did. The volatility of offer rates from year to year also appears to be higher for newer small businesses.


title: Health insurance in the United States

text: The types of coverage available to small employers are similar to those offered by large firms, but small businesses do not have the same options for financing their benefit plans. In particular, self-funded health care (whereby an employer provides health or disability benefits to employees with its own funds rather than contracting an insurance company) is not a practical option for most small employers. A RAND Corporation study published in April 2008 found that the cost of health care coverage places a greater burden on small firms, as a percentage of payroll, than on larger firms. A study published by the American Enterprise Institute in August 2008 examined the effect of state benefit mandates on self-employed individuals, and found that "the larger the number of mandates in a state, the lower the probability that a self-employed person will be a significant employment generator." Beneficiary cost sharing is, on average, higher among small firms than large firms.


title: Health insurance in the United States

text: When small group plans are medically underwritten, employees are asked to provide health information about themselves and their covered family members when they apply for coverage. When determining rates, insurance companies use the medical information on these applications. Sometimes they will request additional information from an applicant's physician or ask the applicants for clarification.


title: Health insurance in the United States

text: States regulate small group premium rates, typically by placing limits on the premium variation allowable between groups (rate bands). Insurers price to recover their costs over their entire book of small group business while abiding by state rating rules. Over time, the effect of initial underwriting "wears off" as the cost of a group regresses towards the mean. Recent claim experience—whether better or worse than average—is a strong predictor of future costs in the near term. But the average health status of a particular small employer group tends to regress over time towards that of an average group. The process used to price small group coverage changes when a state enacts small group reform laws.


title: Health insurance in the United States

text: Insurance brokers play a significant role in helping small employers find health insurance, particularly in more competitive markets. Average small group commissions range from 2 percent to 8 percent of premiums. Brokers provide services beyond insurance sales, such as assisting with employee enrollment and helping to resolve benefits issues.


title: Health insurance in the United States

text: Many colleges, universities, graduate schools, professional schools and trade schools offer a school-sponsored health insurance plan. Many schools require that you enroll in the school-sponsored plan unless you are able to show that you have comparable coverage from another source.


title: Health insurance in the United States

text: Effective group health plan years beginning after September 23, 2010, if an employer-sponsored health plan allows employees' children to enroll in coverage, then the health plan must allow employees' adult children to enroll as well as long as the adult child is not yet age 26. Some group health insurance plans may also require that the adult child not be eligible for other group health insurance coverage, but only before 2014.


title: Health insurance in the United States

text: This extension of coverage will help cover one in three young adults, according to White House documents.


title: Health insurance in the United States

text: In addition to such public plans as Medicare and Medicaid, the federal government also sponsors a health benefit plan for federal employees—the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP). FEHBP provides health benefits to full-time civilian employees. Active-duty service members, retired service members and their dependents are covered through the Department of Defense Military Health System (MHS). FEHBP is managed by the federal Office of Personnel Management.


title: Health insurance in the United States

text: The Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 (COBRA) enables certain individuals with employer-sponsored coverage to extend their coverage if certain "qualifying events" would otherwise cause them to lose it. Employers may require COBRA-qualified individuals to pay the full cost of coverage, and coverage cannot be extended indefinitely. COBRA only applies to firms with 20 or more employees, although some states also have "mini-COBRA" laws that apply to small employers.


title: Health insurance in the United States

text: In the late 1990s federal legislation had been proposed to "create federally-recognized Association Health Plans which was then "referred to in some bills as 'Small Business Health Plans.' The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), which is the "standard-setting and regulatory of chief insurance regulators from all states, the District of Columbia and territories, cautioned against implementing AHPs citing "plan failures like we saw The Multiple Employer Welfare Arrangements (MEWAs) in the 1990s." "[S]mall businesses in California such as dairy farmers, car dealers, and accountants created AHPs "to buy health insurance on the premise that a bigger pool of enrollees would get them a better deal." A November 2017 article in the "Los Angeles Times" described how there were only 4 remaining AHPs in California. Many of the AHPs filed for bankruptcy, "sometimes in the wake of fraud." State legislators were forced to pass "sweeping changes in the 1990s" that almost made AHPs extinct.


title: Health insurance in the United States

text: According to a 2000 Congressional Budget Office (CBO) report, Congress passed legislation creating "two new vehicles Association Health Plans (AHPs) and HealthMarts, to facilitate the sale of health insurance coverage to employees of small firms" in response to concerns about the "large and growing number of uninsured people in the United States."


title: Health insurance in the United States

text: In March 2017, the U.S. House of Representatives passed "The Small Business Health Fairness Act (H.R. 1101)", which established "requirements for creating a federally-certified AHP, including for certification itself, sponsors and boards of trustees, participation and coverage, nondiscrimination, contribution rates, and voluntary termination."


title: Health insurance in the United States

text: AHPs would be "exempt from most state regulation and oversight, subject only to Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) and oversight by the U.S. Department of Labor, and most proposals would also allow for interstate plans."


title: Health insurance in the United States

text: Critics said that "Exemptions would lead to market instability and higher premiums in the traditional small-group market. AHPs exempt from state regulation and oversight would enable them to be more selective about who they cover. They will be less likely to cover higher-risk populations, which would cause an imbalance in the risk pool for other small business health plans that are part of the state small group risk pool. Adverse selection would likely abound and Association Health Plans would be selling an unregulated product alongside small group plans, which creates an unlevel playing field." According to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), "[p]remiums would go up for those buying in the traditional small-group market." competing against AHPs that offer less expensive and less comprehensive plans.


title: Health insurance in the United States

text: The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), the National Governors' Association and "several insurance and consumer groups" opposed the AHP legislation. The NAIC issued a Consumer Alert regarding AHPs, as proposed in "Developing the Next Generation of Small Businesses Act of 2017. H.R. 1774". Their statement said that AHP's "[t]hreaten the stability of the small group market" and provide "inadequate benefits and insufficient protection to consumers." Under AHPs, "[f]ewer consumers would have their rights protected, "AHPs would also be exempt from state solvency requirements, putting consumers at serious risk of incurring medical claims that cannot be paid by their Association Health Plan."


title: Health insurance in the United States

text: In November 2017, President Trump directed "the Department of Labor to investigate ways that would "allow more small businesses to avoid many of the [Affordable Care Act's] costly requirements." Under the ACA, small-employer and individual markets had "gained important consumer protections under the ACA and state health laws — including minimum benefit levels." In a December 28, 2017 interview with the "New York Times", Trump explained that, "We've created associations, millions of people are joining associations. ...That were formerly in Obamacare or didn't have insurance. Or didn't have health care. ...It could be as high as 50 percent of the people. So now you have associations, and people don't even talk about the associations. That could be half the people are going to be joining up...So now you have associations and the individual mandate. I believe that because of the individual mandate and the association".


title: Health insurance in the United States

text: Final rules were released by the Department of Labor on June 19, 2018. Prior to the effective date of April 1, 2019, a federal judge invalidated the rule. The court found that the DOL had failed to set meaningful limits on AHPs. The Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit granted the Trump Administration an expedited appeal. A three-judge panel heard oral arguments on November 14, 2019.


title: Health insurance in the United States

text: Prior to the ACA, effective in 2014, the individual market was often subject to medical underwriting which made it difficult for individuals with pre-existing conditions to purchase insurance. The ACA prohibited medical underwriting in the individual market for health insurance marketplace plans.


title: Health insurance in the United States

text: Prior to the ACA as of 2007, about 9% of Americans were covered under health insurance purchased directly, with average out-of-pocket spending is higher in the individual market, with higher deductibles, co-payments and other cost-sharing provisions. While self-employed individuals receive a tax deduction for their health insurance and can buy health insurance with additional tax benefits, most consumers in the individual market do not receive any tax benefit.


title: Health insurance in the United States

text: Early hospital and medical plans offered by insurance companies paid either a fixed amount for specific diseases or medical procedures (schedule benefits) or a percentage of the provider's fee. The relationship between the patient and the medical provider was not changed. The patient received medical care and was responsible for paying the provider. If the service was covered by the policy, the insurance company was responsible for reimbursing or indemnifying the patient based on the provisions of the insurance contract ("reimbursement benefits"). Health insurance plans that are not based on a network of contracted providers, or that base payments on a percentage of provider charges, are still described as indemnity or fee-for-service plans.


title: Health insurance in the United States

text: The "Blue Cross Blue Shield Association" ("BCBSA") is a federation of 38 separate health insurance organizations and companies in the United States. Combined, they directly or indirectly provide health insurance to over 100 million Americans. BCBSA insurance companies are franchisees, independent of the association (and traditionally each other), offering insurance plans within defined regions under one or both of the association's brands. Blue Cross Blue Shield insurers offer some form of health insurance coverage in every U.S. state, and also act as administrators of Medicare in many states or regions of the United States, and provide coverage to state government employees as well as to federal government employees under a nationwide option of the Federal Employees Health Benefit Plan.


title: Health insurance in the United States

text: A "health maintenance organization" ("HMO") is a type of managed care organization (MCO) that provides a form of health care coverage that is fulfilled through hospitals, doctors, and other providers with which the HMO has a contract. The Health Maintenance Organization Act of 1973 required employers with 25 or more employees to offer federally certified HMO options. Unlike traditional indemnity insurance, an HMO covers only care rendered by those doctors and other professionals who have agreed to treat patients in accordance with the HMO's guidelines and restrictions in exchange for a steady stream of customers. Benefits are provided through a network of providers. Providers may be employees of the HMO ("staff model"), employees of a provider group that has contracted with the HMO ("group model"), or members of an independent practice association ("IPA model"). HMOs may also use a combination of these approaches ("network model").


title: Health insurance in the United States

text: The term managed care is used to describe a variety of techniques intended to reduce the cost of health benefits and improve the quality of care. It is also used to describe organizations that use these techniques ("managed care organization"). Many of these techniques were pioneered by HMOs, but they are now used in a wide variety of private health insurance programs. Through the 1990s, managed care grew from about 25% US employees with employer-sponsored coverage to the vast majority.


title: Health insurance in the United States

text: Many managed care programs are based on a panel or network of contracted health care providers. Such programs typically include:


title: Health insurance in the United States

text: Provider networks can be used to reduce costs by negotiating favorable fees from providers, selecting cost effective providers, and creating financial incentives for providers to practice more efficiently. A survey issued in 2009 by America's Health Insurance Plans found that patients going to out-of-network providers are sometimes charged extremely high fees.


title: Health insurance in the United States

text: Network-based plans may be either closed or open. With a closed network, enrollees' expenses are generally only covered when they go to network providers. Only limited services are covered outside the network—typically only emergency and out-of-area care. Most traditional HMOs were closed network plans. Open network plans provide some coverage when an enrollee uses non-network provider, generally at a lower benefit level to encourage the use of network providers. Most preferred provider organization plans are open-network (those that are not are often described as exclusive provider organizations, or EPOs), as are point of service (POS) plans.


title: Health insurance in the United States

text: The terms "open panel" and "closed panel" are sometimes used to describe which health care providers in a community have the opportunity to participate in a plan. In a "closed panel" HMO, the network providers are either HMO employees (staff model) or members of large group practices with which the HMO has a contract. In an "open panel" plan the HMO or PPO contracts with independent practitioners, opening participation in the network to any provider in the community that meets the plan's credential requirements and is willing to accept the terms of the plan's contract.


title: Health insurance in the United States

text: Other managed care techniques include such elements as disease management, case management, wellness incentives, patient education, utilization management and utilization review. These techniques can be applied to both network-based benefit programs and benefit programs that are not based on a provider network. The use of managed care techniques without a provider network is sometimes described as "managed indemnity."


title: Health insurance in the United States

text: Over time, the operations of many Blue Cross and Blue Shield operations have become more similar to those of commercial health insurance companies. However, some Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans continue to serve as insurers of last resort. Similarly, the benefits offered by Blues plans, commercial insurers, and HMOs are converging in many respects because of market pressures. One example is the convergence of preferred provider organization (PPO) plans offered by Blues and commercial insurers and the point of service plans offered by HMOs. Historically, commercial insurers, Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans, and HMOs might be subject to different regulatory oversight in a state (e.g., the Department of Insurance for insurance companies, versus the Department of Health for HMOs). Today, it is common for commercial insurance companies to have HMOs as subsidiaries, and for HMOs to have insurers as subsidiaries (the state license for an HMO is typically different from that for an insurance company). At one time the distinctions between traditional indemnity insurance, HMOs and PPOs were very clear; today, it can be difficult to distinguish between the products offered by the various types of organization operating in the market.


title: Health insurance in the United States

text: The blurring of distinctions between the different types of health care coverage can be seen in the history of the industry's trade associations. The two primary HMO trade associations were the Group Health Association of America and the American Managed Care and Review Association. After merging, they were known as American Association of Health Plans (AAHP). The primary trade association for commercial health insurers was the Health Insurance Association of America (HIAA). These two have now merged, and are known as America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP).


title: Health insurance in the United States

text: The US health insurance market is highly concentrated, as leading insurers have carried out over 400 mergers from the mid-1990s to the mid-2000s (decade). In 2000, the two largest health insurers (Aetna and UnitedHealth Group) had total membership of 32 million. By 2006 the top two insurers, WellPoint (now Anthem) and UnitedHealth, had total membership of 67 million. The two companies together had more than 36% of the national market for commercial health insurance. The AMA has said that it "has long been concerned about the impact of consolidated markets on patient care." A 2007 AMA study found that in 299 of the 313 markets surveyed, one health plan accounted for at least 30% of the combined health maintenance organization (HMO)/preferred provider organization (PPO) market. In 90% of markets, the largest insurer controls at least 30% of the market, and the largest insurer controls more than 50% of the market in 54% of metropolitan areas. The US Department of Justice has recognized this percentage of market control as conferring substantial monopsony power in the relations between insurer and physicians.


title: Health insurance in the United States

text: Most provider markets (especially hospitals) are also highly concentrated—roughly 80%, according to criteria established by the FTC and Department of Justice—so insurers usually have little choice about which providers to include in their networks, and consequently little leverage to control the prices they pay. Large insurers frequently negotiate most-favored nation clauses with providers, agreeing to raise rates significantly while guaranteeing that providers will charge other insurers higher rates.


title: Health insurance in the United States

text: According to some experts, such as Uwe Reinhardt, Sherry Glied, Megan Laugensen, Michael Porter, and Elizabeth Teisberg, this pricing system is highly inefficient and is a major cause of rising health care costs. Health care costs in the United States vary enormously between plans and geographical regions, even when input costs are fairly similar, and rise very quickly. Health care costs have risen faster than economic growth at least since the 1970s. Public health insurance programs typically have more bargaining power as a result of their greater size and typically pay less for medical services than private plans, leading to slower cost growth, but the overall trend in health care prices have led public programs' costs to grow at a rapid pace as well.


title: Health insurance in the United States

text: While the term "health insurance" is most commonly used by the public to describe coverage for medical expenses, the insurance industry uses the term more broadly to include other related forms of coverage, such as disability income and long-term care insurance.


title: Health insurance in the United States

text: Disability income (DI) insurance pays benefits to individuals who become unable to work because of injury or illness. DI insurance replaces income lost while the policyholder is unable to work during a period of disability (in contrast to medical expense insurance, which pays for the cost of medical care). For most working age adults, the risk of disability is greater than the risk of premature death, and the resulting reduction in lifetime earnings can be significant. Private disability insurance is sold on both a group and an individual basis. Policies may be designed to cover long-term disabilities (LTD coverage) or short-term disabilities (STD coverage). Business owners can also purchase disability overhead insurance to cover the overhead expenses of their business while they are unable to work.


title: Health insurance in the United States

text: A basic level of disability income protection is provided through the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) program for qualified workers who are totally and permanently disabled (the worker is incapable of engaging in any "substantial gainful work" and the disability is expected to last at least 12 months or result in death).


title: Health insurance in the United States

text: Long-term care (LTC) insurance reimburses the policyholder for the cost of long-term or custodial care services designed to minimize or compensate for the loss of functioning due to age, disability or chronic illness. LTC has many surface similarities to long-term disability insurance. There are at least two fundamental differences, however. LTC policies cover the cost of certain types of chronic care, while long-term-disability policies replace income lost while the policyholder is unable to work. For LTC, the event triggering benefits is the need for chronic care, while the triggering event for disability insurance is the inability to work.


title: Health insurance in the United States

text: Private LTC insurance is growing in popularity in the US. Premiums have remained relatively stable in recent years. However, the coverage is quite expensive, especially when consumers wait until retirement age to purchase it. The average age of new purchasers was 61 in 2005, and has been dropping.


title: Health insurance in the United States

text: Private insurers offer a variety of supplemental coverages in both the group and individual markets. These are not designed to provide the primary source of medical or disability protection for an individual, but can assist with unexpected expenses and provide additional peace of mind for insureds. Supplemental coverages include Medicare supplement insurance, hospital indemnity insurance, dental insurance, vision insurance, accidental death and dismemberment insurance and specified disease insurance.


title: Health insurance in the United States

text: Medicare Supplement policies are designed to cover expenses not covered (or only partially covered) by the "original Medicare" (Parts A & B) fee-for-service benefits. They are only available to individuals enrolled in Medicare Parts A & B. Medigap plans may be purchased on a guaranteed issue basis (no health questions asked) during a six-month open enrollment period when an individual first becomes eligible for Medicare. The benefits offered by Medigap plans are standardized.


title: Health insurance in the United States

text: Hospital indemnity insurance provides a fixed daily, weekly or monthly benefit while the insured is confined in a hospital. The payment is not dependent on actual hospital charges, and is most commonly expressed as a flat dollar amount. Hospital indemnity benefits are paid in addition to any other benefits that may be available, and are typically used to pay out-of-pocket and non-covered expenses associated with the primary medical plan, and to help with additional expenses (e.g., child care) incurred while in the hospital.


title: Health insurance in the United States

text: Scheduled health insurance plans are an expanded form of Hospital Indemnity plans. In recent years, these plans have taken the name mini-med plans or association plans. These plans may provide benefits for hospitalization, surgical, and physician services. However, they are not meant to replace a traditional comprehensive health insurance plan. Scheduled health insurance plans are more of a basic policy providing access to day-to-day health care such as going to the doctor or getting a prescription drug, but these benefits will be limited and are not meant to be effective for catastrophic events. Payments are based upon the plan's "schedule of benefits" and are usually paid directly to the service provider. These plans cost much less than comprehensive health insurance. Annual benefit maximums for a typical scheduled health insurance plan may range from $1,000 to $25,000.


title: Health insurance in the United States

text: Dental insurance helps pay for the cost of necessary dental care. Few medical expense plans include coverage for dental expenses. About 97% of dental benefits in the United States is provided through separate policies from carriers—both stand-alone and medical affiliates—that specialize in this coverage. Typically, these dental plans offer comprehensive preventive benefits. However, major dental expenses, such as crowns and root canals, are just partially covered. Also, most carriers offer a lower rate if you select a plan that utilizes their Network providers. Discount dental programs are also available. These do not constitute insurance, but provide participants with access to discounted fees for dental work.


title: Health insurance in the United States

text: Vision care insurance provides coverage for routine eye care and is typically written to complement other medical benefits. Vision benefits are designed to encourage routine eye examinations and ensure that appropriate treatment is provided.


title: Health insurance in the United States

text: Specified disease provides benefits for one or more specifically identified conditions. Benefits can be used to fill gaps in a primary medical plan, such as co-payments and deductibles, or to assist with additional expenses such as transportation and child care costs.


title: Health insurance in the United States

text: AD&D insurance is offered by group insurers and provides benefits in the event of accidental death. It also provides benefits for certain specified types of bodily injuries (e.g., loss of a limb or loss of sight) when they are the direct result of an accident.


title: You Can Dance

text: You Can Dance is the first remix album by American singer and songwriter Madonna. It was released on November 17, 1987, by Sire Records. The album contains remixes of tracks from her first three studio albums—"Madonna" (1983), "Like a Virgin" (1984) and "True Blue" (1986)—and a new track, "Spotlight". In the 1980s, remixing was still a new concept and technology, by which a particular vocal phrase could be endlessly copied, repeated, chopped up, transposed up and down in pitch and give them more echo, reverberation, treble or bass. Madonna became interested in the concept, noting that she hated when others remixed her songs and wanted to do it by herself.


title: You Can Dance

text: Madonna turned to her old friend and producer John "Jellybean" Benitez to help her remix the songs, and also enlisted the help of Patrick Leonard, the producer of "True Blue". The mixes on "You Can Dance" exhibited a number of typical mixing techniques. Instrumental passages were lengthened to increase the time for dancing, which undermined the tighter structure of the original pop song. Vocal phrases were repeated and subjected to multiple echoes, panned across the stereophonic sound outlets. At certain points, almost no music is heard except the drums and at other times, the drums are removed with only the hi-hat left to keep time. The album cover denoted Madonna's continuous fascination with Hispanic culture.


title: You Can Dance

text: After its release, "You Can Dance" received generally positive reviews from critics, some of whom noted how the already known songs appeared to them in a complete new structure, calling it an essential album to be played at parties. "You Can Dance" was a commercial success, earning a platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for shipment of a million copies, and reaching the top twenty of the "Billboard" 200. It reached the top ten of the album charts of France, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway and the United Kingdom, and went on to sell five million copies worldwide, making it the second best-selling remix album of all time, behind only "" from Michael Jackson. "Spotlight" was the only single released from the album in Japan, but charted on the airplay charts of "Billboard" due to radio play and peaked at number 32. "You Can Dance" has been credited for setting the standard of the remix albums afterward both in terms of concept and commercial success in record charts.


title: You Can Dance

text: In October 1986, Sire Records made the announce of the EP of 6-cuts called "You Can Dance" to be released a month or so before Christmas of that year. However, the idea was postponed a month later and held up until a full 12 months by the new singles to be released from her album "True Blue" (1986). In November 1987, Warner Bros. Records commissioned the release of "You Can Dance"—Madonna's first retrospective—which was aimed at the dance segment of her audience. It was an album containing seven of Madonna's songs in remixed format, which was still a revolutionary concept in the 1980s. By the mid-eighties, post-disco dance music was extremely popular and the concept of remix was widely regarded as a new direction of music. Several artists were remixing their tracks and compiling them to create new albums. Mixing was an interpretative process, where the artist was usually involved, but the development was generally looked after the record producer. The different parts of a song, including the lead vocals, background vocals, guitars, bass, synths, drum machine—all went through the process of mixing to sound considerably different from their original counterpart. Mixing determined how loud these instruments were going to sound in relation to each other and what particular sound effects should be added to each instrument. Improvements in studio technologies meant the possibility of shaping the sound of a song in any way, after it has been recorded. The arrangements were itself created at the mixing stage, rather than being created previously. A particular vocal phrase could be endlessly copied, repeated, chopped up, transposed up and down in pitch and give them more echo, reverberation, treble or bass.


title: You Can Dance

text: It was this concept which intrigued Madonna, while she was developing her third studio album "True Blue". She said, "I hate it when people do master mixes of my records. I don't want to hear my songs changed like that. I don't know that I like it, people screwing with my records. The jury is out on it for me. But the fans like it, and really, this one was for the fans, for the kids in the clubs who wanted to hear these songs in a fresh new way." She went to Warner with the idea of releasing her songs by remixing them in a complete dance tune. From Warner's point of view, the rise of remix was a commercial boon, because it meant making more money out of the same piece of music. Instead of paying Madonna to go to studio and record different tracks, they found that allowing her to record the same tracks in different formats was much less costly. Hence they decided to release the album, but gave full freedom to Madonna to choose the producers with whom she wanted to develop the remixes.


title: You Can Dance

text: Madonna turned to her old friend and producer John "Jellybean" Benitez to help her remixing the songs, and also enlisted the help of Patrick Leonard, the producer of "True Blue". Together they chose six of Madonna's old songs and decided to give it a remixed form. The songs chosen were "Holiday", "Everybody" and "Physical Attraction" from "Madonna" (1983), "Into the Groove" and "Over and Over" from "Like a Virgin" (1984), and lastly, "Where's the Party" from "True Blue". Along with the pre-released tracks, a never-before released song called "Spotlight" was included as a bonus. Madonna said that she was inspired by the song "Everybody Is a Star" (1970), by American rock band Sly and the Family Stone. Written by Madonna, Stephen Bray and Curtis Hudson, "Spotlight" was originally recorded during the "True Blue" recording sessions. It was omitted from the album because Madonna felt that it was similar in composition and structure to "Holiday".


title: You Can Dance

text: After the remixing of the songs started, Benitez noted, "We decided on basic questions like 'How loud should the drums be? How much should the vocals stand out?' These are creative decisions which will change the finished piece of music." Shep Pettibone, one of the producers of the album commented that "normally, without some music to work on, the remixer has nothing. But we already had Madonna's catalogue of danceable songs which was enough material for lifetime." The mixes on "You Can Dance" exhibited a number of typical mixing techniques. Instrumental passages were lengthened to increase the time for dancing, which undermined the tighter structure of the original pop song. Vocal phrases were repeated and subjected to multiple echoes, panned across the stereophonic sound outlets. At certain points, almost no music is heard except the drums and at others, the drums are removed with only the hi-hat left to keep time.


title: You Can Dance

text: The album cover denoted Madonna's continued fascination with Spanish culture and fashion. She wore a female toreador outfit with a lacy bustier, embroidered bolero jacket and a cummerbund with a flouncy bustle. Jeri Heiden, who had worked on the cover art for "True Blue", was given the task of editing the photos and making them compatible for appearance in an album cover. Shot by Herb Ritts, the cover showed Madonna again as a platinum blond. Heiden explained in an interview with "Aperture" magazine in October 2006 that the cover was not meant to be a tie-in with the "True Blue" cover. "It was just Madonna's look at the time – Platinum Blond. And of course the handwriting reappears on that album." The album sleeve included a free poster and the gold wrap-around liner notes contained approximate running time to indicate the difference between the length of the remix and the original track. Brian Chin, a "Rolling Stone" journalist, wrote the liner notes for the album, explaining the process of remix and why the seven songs were chosen for the track list.


title: You Can Dance

text: According to Rikky Rooksby, author of "The Complete Guide to the Music of Madonna", "Improvements in studio technology meant that possibilities for shaping the sound after it has been recorded are almost limitless." Such possibility were applied in the song composition and the remixes present in "You Can Dance". Previously to change the sound of an instrument, or to jump from one sound to another, recordings used to stop playing the instrument and the drums at that point. But for the remixes on "You Can Dance", the fade engineering technology was applied to the songs, wherein the fader was simply pulled down, and was pushed up again when the sound of the instruments were made to come up to the surface. The first song on the album is "Spotlight" which begins with the sound of drums, bass synths and handclaps, followed by Madonna uttering the words "Spotlight, shine bright". After the first verse, the sound of keyboard is heard during the chorus. It continues like this through the second verse, which is followed by an interlude featuring vocal echoes, a piano segment and violin phrases. Madonna follows the music played by the piano and utters the words "Pa-da-pa-da-pappa pappa pa pa" in the same melody. The lyrics deal with Madonna making the listener remember that "everybody is a star" and that if one wants to be famous and be under the "spotlight", the person should sing about it and reality may catch up with him or her. According to the sheet music for the song, is set in the time signature of common time, with a tempo of 100 beats per minute. It is set in the key of F major with Madonna's voice spanning from the notes of C to B. "Spotlight" has a basic sequence of Am–C–Am–C–G–F as its chord progression.


title: You Can Dance

text: The second track is "Holiday", which Benitez said that he always wanted to remix, commenting "There are new sounds on the 1987 remix [of 'Holiday'], but it had a groove that needed no improvement." The sound of the guitar is brought to the front in the remix, with a piano break and a middle section consisting of drum beats. The mix for "Everybody" starts with four repetitions of the vocal hook and then moves into a rhythm centered arrangement. Like "Holiday", the middle section of "Everybody" features a drum break, with a synth tune backing it up. The word "dance" is echoed and slowed-down continuously through the break, gradually changing into the intermedia verse. At the very end, the drums are pulled out, leaving Madonna repeating the "get up and do your thing" phrase, which hovers over to the intro of the next song "Physical Attraction". In the "Into the Groove" remix, overdubs are present with the continuous repetition of the phrase "c'mon". The first verse does not start until about ninety seconds into the remix. After the first "Now I know you're mine" line is sung, there is a percussion break, and repetition of the phrases "step to the beat" and "c'mon". The last verse incorporates echoing on the vocals, causing overlap of the phrases. The remix ends with instrumentation from congas, whistles and timbales, giving it a Mexican ending.


title: You Can Dance

text: Stephen Thomas Erlewine from AllMusic said that "["You Can Dance"] keeps the spotlight on her first record, adding non-LP singles like 'Into the Groove' for good measure, along with a bonus track of 'Where's the Party'. Since it is a dance album, it doesn't matter that 'Holiday' and 'Into the Groove' are here twice, once each in dub versions, because the essential grooves and music are quite different in each incarnation. It is true that some of this now sounds dated—these are quite clearly extended mixes from the mid 80s—but that's part of its charm, and it all holds together quite well. Not essential, but fun." In "The Village Voice", Robert Christgau considered that "the effects, repeats, breaks, and segues added by a star crew of remixers [...] amount to new music—this time the songs don't surface, they reach out and grab you". He also argued that "You Can Dance" reminded the audience that before MTV, they "loved the way she "sounded"". Author J. Randy Taraborrelli noted that ""You Can Dance" made one point clear about Madonna. While she was evolving into a serious pop star, musically she still knew how to host the best party." He complimented the remixed versions of "Holiday", "Everybody", "Physical Attraction" and "Into the Groove". Writing for About.com, Bill Lamb called it "another outstanding greatest hits collection" from Madonna's discography.


title: You Can Dance

text: Timothy Green from "The Miami Herald" said that "[The album has] got a good beat and you can dance to it. Madonna's new album isn't really new, but rather a collection of danceable hits, remixed by club deejays masterful at that peculiar art of taking the artists' work, track by track, and reconstructing it. Most such remixes become 12-inch dance singles, and "You Can Dance", is basically a compilation of these. The remixes sound fresh and gives a new outlook on the already famous and popular songs." However, Daniel Brogan from the same newspaper praised the album, saying that "Madonna has brought a new joy to the people buying gifts for Christmas, as "You Can Dance" is a fun-filled, fast-paced retrospective that will burn the dance floor till New Year." Richard Harrington from "The Washington Post" called the album "an energetic collection of extended dance remixes, that will surely be the highlight of the party crowds flocking around the town." John Milward from "USA Today" felt that "although the remixes sound a little exhaustive, its nevertheless party time with Madonna's album." Jan DeKnock from the "Chicago Tribune" was not impressed with the album, calling it calculative.


title: You Can Dance

text: In the United States, the album was released on November 18, 1987, and reached a peak of number 14 on the "Billboard" 200. The LP cuts debuted at number 41 on the Dance Music/Club Play chart, and moved up to number 17 the next week. The LP cuts ultimately topped the Dance chart, becoming Madonna's seventh number one entry. The album was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for shipment of one million copies across the United States.


title: You Can Dance

text: In Canada, the album debuted at number 55 on the "RPM" Albums Chart on December 5, 1987. After five weeks, it reached a peak of number 11 on the chart. It was present for a total of 21 weeks on the chart. In Australia, "You Can Dance" debuted at number 15 on the Kent Music Report albums chart, and peaked at number 13. It was certified platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) for shipment of 70,000 copies of the album. "You Can Dance" reached a peak of number four in New Zealand.


title: You Can Dance

text: In the United Kingdom, "You Can Dance" was released on November 28, 1987, and entered the UK Albums Chart and peaked at number five. It was Madonna's fifth top-ten album there present for a total of 16 weeks on the chart, and was certified platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) for shipment of 300,000 copies of the album. The album re-entered the chart at number 69, on March 4, 1995, after being released in mid-price in the United Kingdom. Across Europe, the album reached number three on the European Top 100 Albums chart, and the top five in Norway and Netherlands, while charting within the top twenty of Austria, Germany, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. "You Can Dance" also reached number two in France. Worldwide, it went on to sell five million copies, becoming the second best-selling remix album of all time.


title: You Can Dance

text: "Spotlight" was released as the only single from the album in Japan on April 25, 1988. It was not officially released as a single in the United States; therefore it was not eligible at the time to appear on "Billboard"s Hot 100. Even so, it managed to garner enough airplay to appear on the publication's Hot 100 Airplay survey in early 1988. It debuted on the Airplay chart at 37 on the issue dated January 16, 1988. After three weeks, "Spotlight" reached a peak of 32, but fell to 40 the next week before exiting the chart. It had also reached the Hot Crossover 30 chart beginning on the issue dated December 12, 1987, peaking at 15 for two consecutive weeks beginning January 9, 1988 and spending eight total weeks on the chart. The song was released commercially in Japan on April 25, 1988. "Spotlight" peaked at number 68 on the Oricon weekly singles chart, remaining on the chart for five weeks. It also charted on the Oricon international singles chart, reaching a peak of three on May 19, 1988, staying on the chart for ten weeks.


title: You Can Dance

text: Jon O'Brien from "Billboard" commented that Madonna became "the first major pop artist" to release a hits collection with its extended 12" versions. "You Can Dance" is one of the first sets of remixes to be conceived as a full-length album. Shortly after its release, Madonna was called "the most important dance artist" by a number of media outlets, and described by the pan-European magazine "Music & Media" as "the world's most successful artist in bridging the dance and pop audiences".


title: You Can Dance

text: Matthew Rettenmund author of "Encyclopedia Madonnica" (1995), praised her first retrospective record because, rather than releasing a greatest-hits album, her first compilation was a "groundbreaking remix album". The entire concept of copying, repeating, pasting and playing was still in its "infancy" when Madonna released this project. Writing for "Reader's Digest", Jon O'Brien stated "Madge was the first genuine superstar to realise the power of the DJ". Biographer David James commented that "Madonna broke fresh ground". Daryl Easlea, in "Madonna: Blonde ambition" (2012) wrote that what was particularly successful about "You Can Dance", was the way the tracks were mixed into a continuous segue, further asserting that "it was very much a forerunner of today's club mixes" and that this had been happening in clubs for years, "but Madonna once again popularized a breaking wave by capturing it on vinyl".


title: You Can Dance

text: J. Randy Taraborrelli credits Madonna for being part of jump-started the trend of releasing remix albums. According to O'Brien, Madonna "inspired generations of pop artists to rework their bops for club dance floors". Steffanee Wang from "Nylon" has noted its influence on "Club Future Nostalgia" by Dua Lipa. Shortly after the release of "You Can Dance", major acts of the day were following suit with their own, including Bobby Brown's "Dance!...Ya Know It!", New Kids on the Block's "No More Games/The Remix Album", Jody Watley's "You Wanna Dance with Me?" and Paula Abdul's "" contributing to the perception that dance remix albums weren't viewed as "rarities". Kelefa Sanneh in "Major Labels: A History of Popular Music in Seven Genres" (2021) describes how she "released a type of record that many of her fans had probably never previously encountered". Despite this, according to biographer Michelle Morgan, the album was well-received by fans.


title: You Can Dance

text: The influence of "You Can Dance" as a remix album on record charts was also commented on. Rob Copsey from the Official Charts Company stated that "You Can Dance" "set the bar for how it should be done". Easlea wrote that while the record missed out on the US Top Ten, it still managed to sell more than a million copies—"no mean feat" for a material that had "largely been previously released elsewhere". Its worldwide results led to it becoming the best-selling remix album for nearly ten years until the release of "" by Michael Jackson.


title: You Can Dance

text: According to Wang, "You Can Dance" is one of the first major remix albums in pop music. To O'Brien, the album is among her "groundbreaking" records, along with the likes of "Like a Prayer" and "Ray of Light". Music critic Robert Christgau called both "You Can Dance" and "The Immaculate Collection" "stunning" records, while the staff of "Rolling Stone" called both compilations "perfect Madonna CD[s]".


title: You Can Dance

text: "You Can Dance" made appearances on a number of year-end and best-of lists. Upon its release, the record was chosen as "album of the week" by "Music & Media", issued on November 28, 1987. The same publication named it "The Dance Record of the Year". Lucinda Prince of the Australian website Cool Accident listed the compilation as one of the "Best 5 Pop Remix Albums".


title: UFC Apex

text: UFC Apex (stylised as UFC APEX) is a live events and production center in Enterprise, Nevada, operated and owned by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). The facility was chosen in part due to its close proximity to the UFC Performance Institute, which serves as the company headquarters and is located across the street. The Apex was built to host live events as well as studio shows.


title: UFC Apex

text: The facility was officially opened on June 18, 2019. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, following three events in Jacksonville, all U.S.-based UFC events were held at the Apex behind closed doors. As of July 2022, the Apex continues to host select Fight Night events, and now allows for limited public spectators. The Apex features the 25-foot diameter Octagon variant typically used for smaller events and venues, as opposed to the standard 30-foot diameter version. As UFC began staging the majority of its events at the Apex, early fight data and fan speculation suggested that the use of the smaller Octagon resulted in higher-volume and faster-pace striking fights, along with more finishes.


title: UFC Apex

text: In late January of 2022, there was an article from the Las Vegas Review-Journal stating the UFC Apex plans to expand seating up to 1,000 people, adding food / alcohol service, ticket sales, souvenir shop, along with adding extra parking.


title: Eastern Canada

text: Eastern Canada (also the Eastern provinces or the East) is generally considered to be the region of Canada south of the Hudson Bay/Strait and east of Manitoba, consisting of the following provinces (from east to west): Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Quebec and Ontario.


title: Eastern Canada

text: Ontario and Quebec, Canada's two largest provinces, define Central Canada; while the other provinces constitute Atlantic Canada. New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island are also known as the Maritime provinces.


title: Eastern Canada

text: The total population of this region is about 23,946,177 in 2016, or about 70% of Canada's population. Most of the population resides in Ontario and Quebec. The region contains 3 of Canada's 5 largest metropolitan areas, Toronto being the fourth largest municipality in North America.


title: Eastern Canada

text: Eastern Canada is represented by 213 Members of Parliament out of the 336 (106 in Ontario, 75 in Quebec and 32 in the Atlantic Provinces) and 78 senators out of 105.


title: Lotus seed

text: A lotus seed or lotus nut is the seed of plants in the genus "Nelumbo", particularly the species "Nelumbo nucifera". The seeds are used in Asian cuisine and traditional medicine. Mostly sold in dried, shelled form, the seeds contain rich contents of protein, B vitamins, and dietary minerals.


title: Lotus seed

text: Two types of dried lotus seeds can be found commercially; "brown peel" and "white". The former is harvested when the seed head of the lotus is ripe or nearly ripe and the latter is harvested when the seed head is still fully green but with almost fully developed seeds. White lotus seeds are de-shelled and de-membraned. At harvest, the bitter-tasting germ of most seeds is removed using a hollow needle. Brown peel lotus seeds are brown because the ripened seed has adhered to its membrane. The germ of these hard seeds is removed by cracking the seeds in half.


title: Lotus seed

text: Dried lotus seeds past their prime oxidize to a yellow brown color. However, some sellers of dried lotus seeds bleach their products with hydrogen peroxide, sodium hydroxide, or other chemicals.


title: Lotus seed

text: In a 100 gram reference amount, dried lotus seeds supply 332 calories and contain 64% carbohydrates, 2% fat, 15% protein, and 14% water. The seeds contain B vitamins in rich content, particularly thiamin at 43% of the Daily Value (DV), and numerous dietary minerals, such as manganese (116% DV) and phosphorus (63% DV).


title: Lotus seed

text: The most common use of the seed is in the form of lotus seed paste (蓮蓉), which is used extensively in Chinese pastries as well as in Japanese desserts.


title: Lotus seed

text: Dried lotus seeds must be soaked in water overnight prior to use. They can then be added directly to soups and congee or used in other dishes. Fresh lotus seeds are sold in the seed heads of the plant and eaten by breaking the individual seeds out of the cone-shaped head and removing the rubbery shell. Crystallized lotus seeds (蓮子糖), made by drying lotus seeds cooked in syrup, are a common Chinese snack, especially during Chinese new year. Xiangtan or Xianglian lotus seeds, along with Yongfeng chili sauce and Changsha stinky tofu are collectively referred to as "Hunan Sanbao" or Hunan's three treasures.


title: Lotus seed

text: Lotus seeds are also common in the northern part of Colombia, especially in cities like Barranquilla and Cartagena. Locals usually refer to lotus seeds as "martillo." Fresh lotus seeds are sold in street markets and are generally eaten raw by the locals.


title: Syngonium podophyllum

text: Syngonium podophyllum is a species of aroid that is a popular houseplant. Common names include: arrowhead plant, arrowhead vine, arrowhead philodendron, goosefoot,nephthytis, African evergreen, and American evergreen. The species is native to a wide region of Latin America from Mexico through Bolivia, and naturalized in the West Indies, Florida, Texas, Hawaii, and other places.


title: Syngonium podophyllum

text: "Syngonium podophyllum" is the most commonly cultivated species in the genus "Syngonium", and is often referred to simply as syngonium. It was originally confused with the similar-looking African genus "Nephthytis", and this is still used as a common name for the plant. It was given its own genus in 1879.


title: Syngonium podophyllum

text: It climbs a few meters tall over the trunks of tropical jungle trees, clinging by its roots. The cultivars cultivated indoors reach a height of up to . During the year, the plant grows about and produces 6-7 leaves. Its single leaves, usually arrow-shaped, are up to long. In the wild, the leaves are dark green and without variegation. Cultivated varieties have leaves in various shades of green, often light green and usually with different types of lighter tannins. There are several variegated cultivars, the main differences being in the position and extent of the cream or white markings. Some leaves are almost entirely white, pink or yellow.


title: Syngonium podophyllum

text: Its flowers are small, greenish or whitish on spadices within light-yellow through green spathes. However, the plants grown indoors do not bloom, aside from the older, well-cared-for specimens.


title: Syngonium podophyllum

text: As a vine, it requires some support. It can also be grown as a groundcover plant. The soil should be humus and systematically watered. Varieties with leaves with pink, reddish, or white markings require a well-lit place, though those with dark green leaves can grow in a darker place. The summer temperature should not exceed . In winter, it should not be lower than . Preferring moist air, it should be watered 2-3 times a week in summer but much less often in winter.


title: Syngonium podophyllum

text: To ensure adequate humidity, the plant pot should be placed in a larger container with constantly moist peat and sprayed with water daily. Dusty leaves should be wiped clean with a damp cloth. Feed in the summer with a small dose of fertilizers dissolved in water. After a few years of cultivation, the plant becomes unattractive, where its cutting is advisable, and then it will produce new shoots. It should be transplanted only when necessary.


title: Syngonium podophyllum

text: "Syngonium podophyllum can also be grown directly in water (roots submerged 24/7), which it’s a perfect candidate for, or in hydroculture (wash roots free of soil and pot up in clay pellets), which helps eliminate all water woes. If you decide to grow in water, keep the water properly oxygenated at all times by changing it often (at least once a week would be terrific)."


title: Syngonium podophyllum

text: The plant can be propagated by cuttings in water, or straight into potting compost. Nonetheless, both methods have a good success rate, providing the right part of the plant is cut. Cuttings using the rooting machine are rooted in a multiplier at a temperature of . Cuttings from the tops of the shoots are easier to root than cuttings from lower areas of shoots.


title: Syngonium podophyllum

text: All parts of "Syngonium podophyllum" are poisonous and cause severe mouth pain if eaten. It is not unusual to find these growing in Sub-tropical Florida landscapes, where homeowners and Gardeners need to be aware of the severe skin burning sensations caused by the plants sap containing oxalic acid and the eye damage potential from raphides.


title: Tata Motors Cars

text: Tata Motors Cars is a division of the India-based automaker Tata Motors which produces cars under the brand name Tata Motors . It is currently the 2nd largest car manufacturer in India in terms of sales after Maruti Suzuki .


title: Tata Motors Cars

text: Tata Motors entered the passenger vehicle market in 1991 with the launch of the Tata Sierra, a multi utility vehicle. This was followed by the launch of the Tata Estate in 1992 (a stationwagon based on the existing TataMobile light commercial vehicle) and the Tata Sumo in 1994, India's first sports utility vehicle.


title: Tata Motors Cars

text: Tata launched the Indica in 1998, the first fully indigenous Indian passenger car. Although initially criticised by auto-analysts, its excellent fuel economy, powerful engine and an aggressive marketing strategy made it one of the best selling cars in the history of the Indian automobile industry. A newer version of the car, named Indica V2, was a major improvement over the previous version and quickly became a mass favourite. Tata Motors also successfully exported large quantities of the car to South Africa. The success of Indica played a key role in the growth of Tata Motors.


title: Tata Motors Cars

text: In January 2008, Tata Motors launched Tata Nano, the least expensive production car in the world at about 120,000 (3,000). The city car was unveiled during the Auto Expo 2008 exhibition in Pragati Maidan, New Delhi.


title: Tata Motors Cars

text: Tata has faced controversy over developing the Nano as some environmentalists like Anumita Roychoudhury, of the Centre for Science and Environment in Delhi, and Rajendra K. Pachauri, chairperson of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), are concerned that the launch of such a low-priced car could lead to mass motorization in India with adverse effects on pollution and global warming. Tata had set up a factory in Sanand, Gujarat and the first Nanos were rolled out in summer of 2009.


title: Tata Motors Cars

text: Tata Nano Europa had been developed for sale in developed economies and it hit markets in 2010 while the normal Nano had hit markets in South Africa, Kenya and countries in Asia and Africa by late 2009.


title: Tata Motors Cars

text: Tata Motors Cars has launched further expansion into Southeast Asia by expanding into Vietnam and the Philippines.


title: Tata Motors Cars

text: At the 12th Auto Expo in February 2014, Tata Motors unveiled The Bolt, a hatchback and The Zest, a compact sedan. They are slated to launch in August 2014.


title: Tata Motors Cars

text: Tata Motors increased its capital expenditure by 30 per cent to Rs 32,000 in order accelerate its shift toward electric vehicles


title: Tata Motors Cars

text: In 2020, there were plans for Chinese auto maker Chery to buy a percentage of Tata Motors in order for Chery (who already make Jaguar Land Rover cars in a joint venture in China) to gain entry into the Indian market and in order for Tata Motors to get technology for cars such as the proposed Tata Blackbird. However, due to Covid-19 and the continuing political tensions over the Chinese/Indian border and other geopolitical reasons it is extremely unlikely that the company Chery will buy any part of Tata Motors.


title: Tata Motors Cars

text: It was announced on May 30, 2022, Tata Motors signed an MOU with the Gujarat Government to acquire Ford India’s Sanand manufacturing plant.


title: Garo (TV series)

text: , sometimes referred to as , is a Japanese tokusatsu television series broadcast on TV Tokyo and its affiliates from October 7, 2005, to March 31, 2006, lasting 25 episodes (with one additional "Overview" special, summarizing the events of episodes 1 through 13, aired before episode 14). The series was created and directed by Keita Amemiya "(Kamen Rider ZO", "Zeiram") with supporting direction from Makoto Yokoyama ("Power Rangers") and Kengo Kaji ("Uzumaki"). The creature designer was Yasushi Nirasawa, known for his later work as the designer of the Imagin for "Kamen Rider Den-O", as well as for his work designing the monsters of "Kamen Rider Blade" and "Kamen Rider Kabuto".


title: Garo (TV series)

text: Since 2007, the show has also been aired in other countries such as Italy (on MTV), Malaysia (on 8TV), and Spain (on ). The show's HD remastered version was broadcast on TV Tokyo starting July 8, 2016. The television series is the first installment of the "GARO" metaseries, which is composed of several installments, including a live action television series, films, TV & film specials, and anime series. The television series has been licensed for a North American release by Kraken Releasing.


title: Garo (TV series)

text: "Garo" focuses on the life of Kouga Saejima, who has assumed the title of Makai Knight to protect humanity against dark demonic manifestations called "Horrors". In his quest to destroy them, he encounters a young girl named Kaoru, whom he saves from a Horror, though he learns that she is stained with its demonic blood. As a rule, those that have been stained by the blood of a Horror must be killed, or else they will die painfully in approximately 100 days. Kouga spares Kaoru and tries to find a way to purify her before her remaining time expires. Thus, the series focuses on Kouga's developing relationship with Kaoru, and his responsibilities protecting humanity in accordance with the wishes of his father, the previous Garo. In the process, he encounters another Makai Knight named Rei Suzumura, who eventually becomes his ally. Later Kouga confronts his father's former disciple who is revealed to be the cause of a recent series of Horror attacks in preparation of a more sinister advent of the Horrors' originator, Messiah.


title: Garo (TV series)

text: The main antagonistic form in the series, Horrors are demons that reside in a realm known as the netherworld, and thrive on the darkness of humanity. The Horrors enter the human world through everyday objects known as Inga Gates, which are created through a mass of darkness. When the Horrors first come through, they also known as Inga Horrors, and must possess the body of the first human with inner darkness they come across. Because the Horrors feed on humans it is a Makai Knight's duty to hunt and slay the demons. Later entries in the series reveal more types of Horrors.


title: Garo (TV series)

text: In all the sequels and spinoffs in the Garo series, Hironobu Kageyama continues to reprise his role as the voice of Zaruba in each entry.


title: Garo (TV series)

text: A video game based on the series was produced by Bandai for the PlayStation 2, under the name "Golden Knight Garo". Two versions were released: a 'normal' version with the game disk, instructions, and standard pamphlets, and a more expensive 'Limited Edition' version which came with a green 'Fire' recolor of the metal Zaruba ring from the "Equip and Prop Vol. 1" Garo toy.


title: Garo (TV series)

text: A mobile game titled was released on May 27, 2016, commemorating the 10th anniversary of the "Garo" franchise. The game includes all characters from the live action series and the anime series.


title: Garo (TV series)

text: In July 2009, Tohokushinsha Film announced that a "GARO" feature film will be released in the fall of 2010. was theatrically released in Japanese theaters on October 30, 2010. The story is a sequel to the original TV series, with Keita Amemiya reprising his role as head director. Ryosei Konishi and Hironobu Kageyama reprise their roles as Kouga/Garo and voice of Zaruba, with Makoto Yokoyama returning to choreograph the action sequences as well. "Red Requiem" uses 3D image technology developed by the Tohokushinsha group company Omnibus Japan for its visual effects.


title: Garo (TV series)

text: , released on September 7, 2011, is a spin-off V-Cinema featuring the story of Barago and Kiba the Dark Knight.


title: Garo (TV series)

text: is a second season of the "Garo" television series that premiered in select Japanese theaters on September 24, 2011, before beginning broadcast on TV Tokyo on October 6, 2011.


title: Garo (TV series)

text: was released in Japanese theaters on February 23, 2013, serving as an epilogue to "Makai Senki", depicting Kouga Saejima's journey to the Promised Ground to retrieve Gajari's body. Ryosei Konishi was initially the only confirmed member of the cast, but Ray Fujita, Shouma Yamamoto, Ozuno Nakamura, Yukijirō Hotaru, Hironobu Kageyama, and Hiroyuki Watanabe were later confirmed to appear in the film. Guest stars include Yuki Kubota as Kakashi, Anna Aoi as Meru, Tetsuya Yanagihara as Esaruto, and Keiko Matsuzaka as Judam.


title: Garo (TV series)

text: A third TV series titled was broadcast on TV Tokyo from April 5 to September 20, 2013. The series is set in the near future, and features an entirely new story with a new Garo named Ryuga Dougai venturing into the Horror-plagued Vol City. The series also presents a brand new main cast that includes Wataru Kuriyama, Tsunenori Aoki, Junya Ikeda and fashion model Miki Nanri.


title: Garo (TV series)

text: In March 2013, the "Garo" team announced a new film titled , which was released in Japanese theaters on July 20 of that year. Set during the time of "Soukoku no Maryu", "Tougen no Fue" follows Makai Priestesses Jabi and Rekka as they travel to the northern forests to protect the mystical and titular flute. Yasue Sato, Mary Matsuyama, Masahiro Kuranuki, and Kanji Tsuda reprise their roles from the franchise as Makai Priestess Jabi, Makai Priestess Rekka, Makai Priest Shiguto, and Makai Knight Kengi, respectively, also appearing in the film are Kumi Takiuchi and Miku Oono.


title: Garo (TV series)

text: is a spin-off six-episode miniseries starring Ray Fujita as his character Rei Suzumura from the original TV series. Rounding out the cast are Riria as Yuna, Naoki Takeshi as Kain, and Thane Camus as Ring. Keita Amemiya serves as executive director, with Ryu Kaneda directing and Yasuko Kobayashi writing. It was broadcast on Family Gekijo in March 2014 and shown in Japanese theaters in a limited release. JAM Project performed the opening theme "ZERO-BLACK BLOOD-" and Fujita's band Dustz performs the ending .


title: Garo (TV series)

text: A fourth "Garo" television series titled was broadcast on TV Tokyo from April 4 to September 26, 2014, and takes place between "Makai Senki" and "Yami o Terasu Mono". With the exception of Yukijiro Hotaru reprising his portrayal of Gonza, it features a new cast consisting of Masei Nakayama as Raiga Saejima, the son of Kouga and Kaoru who inherited his father's title as the Golden Knight Garo, Atomu Mizuishi as Crow the Phantom Knight, and Natsumi Ishibashi as Mayuri, a mysterious tool with mystical powers that takes the form of a young woman.


title: Garo (TV series)

text: An anime adaptation of "Garo" was released in October 2014, titled in Japan as . It is produced by Studio MAPPA and directed by Yuichiro Hayashi. Taking place in the fictional country of Valiante in the Middle Ages, head writer Yasuko Kobayashi explained that, with the exception of Zaruba, it is unrelated to any characters or stories in the rest of the "Garo" continuity, though still exists as part of the larger universe's timeline. The series has been licensed by Funimation as "Garo: The Animation", making it the first "Garo" installment to see a North American release.


title: Garo (TV series)

text: A second series titled , taking place in Japan's Heian period, was announced for a 2015 release, alongside a film sequel of the first series titled "Garo: Divine Flame", to coincide with the "Garo" tenth anniversary.


title: Garo (TV series)

text: is both a film and a television series that serve as sequels to "Yami o Terasu Mono". Wataru Kuriyama and Miki Nanri reprise their roles and are joined by new cast members, among them Masahiro Inoue as the series antagonist Jinga. The film adaptation was released in Japanese theatres on March 28, 2015, while the television series was broadcast on TV Tokyo from April 3 to September 18, 2015.


title: Garo (TV series)

text: is a film starring Sayaka Akimoto reprising her role as Bikuu from "Makai no Hana". It was released in Japanese theaters on November 14, 2015. Akimoto performs the ending theme .


title: Garo (TV series)

text: is an omnibus television series which features the cast of the previous live action series. It celebrates the 10th anniversary of the "Garo" franchise and was broadcast on TV Tokyo from April 8 to June 24, 2016.


title: Garo (TV series)

text: is a special episode, with the "Garo" production team collaborating with New Japan Pro-Wrestling to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the "Garo" franchise. It features Hiroshi Tanahashi as Gouki and Togi Makabe and was broadcast on TV Tokyo on July 1, 2016. Taking place between "Makai Senki" and "Makai no Hana", Kaoru tells a young Raiga the story of one of the first Makai Knights to bear the Garo title: Gouki.


title: Garo (TV series)

text: A brand new television series about Ray Fujita's character Rei Suzumura was originally announced as one of many new projects the "Garo" Project team were working on in 2015 and it was originally just known as "Zero". In June 2016, it was announced that the series would be titled to be broadcast in 2017. It was broadcast on TV Tokyo from January 6 to March 31, 2017.


title: Garo (TV series)

text: features Masahiro Inoue's character Jinga and is connected to "Garo: Kami no Kiba". It was held between November 29 to December 3, 2017, at Space Zero in Yoyogi.


title: Garo (TV series)

text: is a film of the series featuring Wataru Kuriyama's character Ryuga Dougai, along the main cast of "Yami o Terasu Mono" and "Gold Storm Sho". It was released in Japanese theaters on January 6, 2018.


title: Garo (TV series)

text: In November 2017, series creator Keita Amemiya announced plans for a spin-off television series, titled , featuring Masahiro Inoue's character Jinga was in the works. In July 2018, it was announced that the series is scheduled to be broadcast in October of that year. It was broadcast on Tokyo MX from October 4 to December 27, 2018.


title: Garo (TV series)

text: is film that stars Masei Nakayama as Raiga Saejima serving as a sequel to the "Makai no Hana" television series, also including Hiroki Konishi who reprise his role as the original protagonist Kouga Saejima. After the production announcement in November 2014, it was announced in November 2018 that the film is scheduled to be released in theaters in 2019. It was released in Japanese theaters on October 4, 2019.


title: Garo (TV series)

text: A three part mini series, "P Garo Saejima Kouga" was streamed on YouTube prior to the release of the film.


title: Garo (TV series)

text: "Garo: Versus Road" is a television series, which celebrates the 15th anniversary of the "Garo" franchise that premiered on Tokyo MX on April 2, 2020. It features a brand new cast that includes Koya Matsudai, Yuhi, Tokito, Toman, Naoya Shimizu, and Shutaro Kadoshita. This series is set in a different continuity from those of previous entries in the franchise.


title: Rifle grenade

text: A rifle grenade is a grenade that uses a rifle-based launcher to permit a longer effective range than would be possible if the grenade were thrown by hand.


title: Rifle grenade

text: The practice of projecting grenades with rifle-mounted launchers was first widely used during World War I and World War II and continues to the present, with the term "rifle grenade" now encompassing many different types of payloads including high explosive, fragmentation, anti-tank warheads, concussion, smoke, incendiary, and flare missiles.


title: Rifle grenade

text: Rifle grenades have largely been supplanted in the infantry fire support role by a combination of grenade launchers (typically affixed to rifles) and disposable anti-armor rockets.


title: Rifle grenade

text: Adaptation of grenades for use in rifles began around the 18th century, when cup-shaped dischargers were fitted to the barrels of flintlock muskets, with the grenades propelled by the force of a blank cartridge. During the early 20th century a Japanese Colonel Amazawa experimented with rifle fired grenades during the Battle of Port Arthur in the Russo-Japanese War, and the idea was further used by the Spanish, though the French were the first to put it to widespread use during the trench warfare of World War I.


title: Rifle grenade

text: In 1908, Frederick Marten Hale patented the rod grenade. "A simple rod was attached to a specialized grenade, inserted into the barrel of a standard service rifle and launched using a blank cartridge." The British did not immediately adopt the idea and entered World War I without any rifle grenades. However, as soon as the trench warfare started, there was a sudden need for rifle grenades. The British government purchased a rodded variant of the No 2 grenade as a temporary solution.


title: Rifle grenade

text: By 1915, Hales had developed the No 3, which is commonly known as the Hales rifle grenade. The Hales grenade was improved throughout World War I to make it more reliable and easier to manufacture. However, production of the grenade was slow. In order to speed rod grenades to the front, the British also made rodded versions of the Mills bomb.