Tennis champion, Monica Seles, shares her story about Binge Eating Disorder (B.E.D.) (:60) – Video


Tennis champion, Monica Seles, shares her story about Binge Eating Disorder (B.E.D.) (:60)
Tennis star, Monica Seles, talks about misconceptions that adults with B.E.D. fit a certain profile. She hopes that her story can inspire other adults to talk to their health care providers.

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Tennis champion, Monica Seles, shares her story about Binge Eating Disorder (B.E.D.) (:60) - Video

Netherlands tops health care rankings, with UK in 14th place

Other statistics released last month showed a small improvement in NHS accident and emergency performance after three of the worst weeks on record over Christmas.

The EHCI report said the UK "is still definitely a part of European waiting list territory" adding that "unfortunately, in 2014, the English waiting time scores are worsening slightly, which is confirmed by English press reports on health care accessibility".

However, it said that efforts within the NHS to reduce hospital infections have paid off.

The Netherlands has been in the top three countries in each report published since 2005. The latest one said the Netherlands has addressed a weak spot accessibility by setting up 160 primary care centres which have open surgeries 24 hours a day, seven days a week. In addition, politicians and bureaucrats seem farther removed from operative health care decisions in the Netherlands than in almost any other European country. This could in itself be a major reason behind the Netherlands' landslide victory".

The authors praised the very respectable amount of money ploughed into the Swiss health care system, coupled with a good score for accessibility. Norway has benefited from a very high per capita spend on health care services which is finally paying off according to the report. Meanwhile Finland has made a remarkable advance, and seems to have rectified its traditional waiting time problems".

The report was supported by two unrestricted grants. The first came from Medicover S.A in Belgium, a private health care organisation dealing in health insurance, prepaid health and medical services, occupational medicine and laboratory services. The other came from the New Direction Foundation in Belgium, which describes itself as a free market, European-realist think-tank affiliated to the Alliance of European Conservatives and Reformists.

According to the report authors, the results show the flaws in health care systems like the NHS model, known as the Beveridge system, where the financing and provision of health care are handled within one organisation.

The other type of system, the Bismarck system, is based on insurers who are organisationally independent of care givers and health care providers. This is the case in the Netherlands, Germany (ranked ninth) and Switzerland.

The Netherlands example seems to be driving home the big, final nail in the coffin of Beveridge health care systems, and the lesson is clear: remove politicians and other amateurs from operative decision making in what might well be the most complex industry on the face of the Earth: health care, wrote the report authors.

Beveridge systems seem to be operational with good results only in small population countries such as Iceland, Denmark and Norway.

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Netherlands tops health care rankings, with UK in 14th place

Shopping smart for health care? Good luck with that

You're personally paying more for health services. But good luck trying to shop around for a better deal.

A new analysis finds that Americans with health insurance through their employers paid almost 7 percent more for out-of-pocket medical costs in 2013 compared to 2012rising from an average of $662 per person annually to $707.

The increase comes as more people are enrolled in so-called high-deductible health plans, which require them to directly bear a larger share of health costs.

The same study by the Health Care Cost Institute also looked at what people paid out-of-pocket for services in nine states, and found a wide range of costs.

Some people paid less out-of-pocket for certain services, while others getting the same services in the same state paid significantly more, according to HCCI. The study examined variations in costs of five services: new doctor visits, cataract removal, colonoscopies, lower leg MRIs and pregnancy ultrasounds.

Provided by CNBC

"Some may interpret the out-of-pocket variations as discouraging, but the results demonstrate that there are real opportunities for consumers to save on health-care spending," noted the HCCI report entitled "Shopping for Health Care Makes 'Cents' for Consumers."

Those opportunities come from discretionary medical services that can be scheduled by patients, and which they can theoretically shop for based on price.

HCCI's Executive Director David Newman said, "I'm not going to be shopping for the ambulance and the hospital during my heart attack."

Nationally, on average, the prices people directly paid for a new doctor's visit varied by $19, according the report.

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Shopping smart for health care? Good luck with that

Board: Prognosis poor for health-care cost containment

By Michael Norton

State House News Service

BOSTON -- Health-care cost growth in Massachusetts during 2013 held below the 3.6 percent benchmark set under a 2012 cost-control law, but leaders of a state commission overseeing the market are worried about the future.

According to Health Policy Commission Chairman Stuart Altman, many important aspects of the health-care delivery system have not changed since passage of that law and that's "troubling." And commission Vice Chair Wendy Everett says some aspects of the Massachusetts system are "embarrassing" and out of sync with the 2012 law's goals.

At a recent commission meeting at the Statehouse, Altman cautioned that forces that helped keep per-capita cost escalation at 2.3 percent from 2012 to 2013 -- raising total costs from $49 billion to $50.5 billion -- may not be repeated.

Dr. Marian Wrobel, the commission's director for research and cost trends, also said Massachusetts had been riding a national wave of lower cost growth that may not continue.

The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services projects health-care spending growth rates nationally of more than 5 percent in 2014 and beyond, according to the commission, based on an aging population, the economic recovery, and additional utilization of services among those newly covered under the Affordable Care Act.

The commission in late January adopted far-reaching recommendations, including consideration of whether additional legislative authority is necessary to help the panel determine whether parties in health care transactions -- the Bay State market has undergone significant consolidation in recent years -- have fulfilled efficiency, quality and access commitments made in those deals.

Everett was the most vocal in warning that Massachusetts health-care providers are "outliers" in major areas with implications for costs, including high re-admission and emergency department usage rates and high levels of patients referred to post-acute care, such as nursing, home health or rehabilitative services, after inpatient care.

Eighty percent of Massachusetts hospitals are being penalized for "extraordinarily high" readmission rates, Everett said, calling that "not acceptable."

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Board: Prognosis poor for health-care cost containment

Supporting health care needs of the transgender community

Updated: 02/02/2015 4:17 PM Created: 02/02/2015 1:23 PM WNYT.com By: Benita Zahn

Saratoga Hospital is known for its inpatient and outpatient care. But it's especially proud of a unique honor -- recognition, twice by the Healthcare Equality Index as a "Leader in LGBT Healthcare Equality" -- one of just 23 health care organizations in New York State to earn the distinction last year.

"We began to have open groups with our employees who were interested in the LGBT community. And we had a series of meetings and got their feedback with regards to what they saw as opportunities within our culture and where we could do better," explained Mary Jo LaPosta, senior vice president of patient care.

She says someone from the local Rainbow Access Initiative reached out to the hospital. That triggered a self-assessment of how the hospital was doing in providing care for the LGBT community.

That self-assessment yielded a cascade of ideas and suggestions generated by staffers. Some were simple, but with a profound effect on attitudes -- like gender-neutral rest rooms and reviewing how patients are identified.

"And it also starts even with the forms you have to fill out prior to seeing the doctor. If it says a certain thing, seeing your pediatrician [for example], instead of saying mother or father it will say parent or parent" said Amy Smith.

Amy and Caroline Smith are married with two young sons and say the changes helped make them feel more welcome at the hospital, where both babies were born.

"Lends a greater sense of credibility to what we need and that our health care needs are valid and important," said Caroline Smith.

The effort at inclusion is ongoing, says LaPosta, but there's still work to be done.

"I think we had experience in caring for the lesbian, gay and bisexual community, but I think we could argue we had work to do in meeting the unique needs of the transgendered community," she admitted.

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Supporting health care needs of the transgender community

Commission leaders see health care cost control concerns

Stuart Altman

Sun staff photos can be ordered by visiting our SmugMug site.

By Michael Norton

STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE

BOSTON -- Health care cost growth in Massachusetts during 2013 held below the 3.6 percent benchmark set under a 2012 cost control law, but leaders of a state commission overseeing the market are worried about the future.

According to Health Policy Commission Chairman Stuart Altman, many important aspects of the health care delivery system have not changed since passage of that law and that's "troubling." And commission vice chair Wendy Everett says some aspects of the Massachusetts system are "embarrassing" and out of sync with the 2012 law's goals.

At a recent commission meeting at the State House, Altman cautioned that forces that helped keep per capita cost escalation at 2.3 percent from 2012 to 2013 - raising total costs from $49 billion to $50.5 billion - may not be repeated.

Dr. Marian Wrobel, the commission's director for research and cost trends, also said Massachusetts had been riding a national wave of lower cost growth that may not continue.

The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services projects health care spending growth rates nationally of more than 5 percent in 2014 and beyond, according to the commission, based on an aging population, the economic recovery, and additional utilization of services among those newly covered under the Affordable Care Act.

The commission in late January adopted far-reaching recommendations, including consideration of whether additional legislative authority is necessary to help the panel determine whether parties in health care transactions - the Bay State market has undergone significant consolidation in recent years - have fulfilled efficiency, quality and access commitments made in those deals.

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Commission leaders see health care cost control concerns

Health Care Sector Update for 02/02/2015: HART,HEB,PSTI

Top Health Care Stocks

JNJ +0.50%

PZE +1.15%

MRK +0.87%

ABT +0.87%

AMGN -0.01%

Health care stocks were mixed in late trade with the NYSE Health Care Sector Index declining 0.1% and shares of health care companies in the S&P 500 climbing 0.5% as a group.

In company news, Harvard Apparatus Regenerative Technology ( HART ) tumbled today after the medical device company late Friday disclosed it will need additional development and testing of its HART-Trachea under it ongoing preclinical testing in large animals.

According to the Jan. 30 regulatory filing, HART executives said they anticipate the additional testing will require an additional two to six months beyond its original projections.

Based on those expectations, the company said it will likely file its application for to begin clincial testing in human subjects with UK authorities during the first half of 2016 rather than its previous goal of starting those tests before the end of 2015.

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Health Care Sector Update for 02/02/2015: HART,HEB,PSTI

Health Care Sector Update for 02/02/2015: CCM,HEB,PSTI

Top Health Care Stocks

JNJ -0.10%

PZE +0.18%

MRK -0.60%

ABT -0.44%

AMGN -1.29%

Health care stocks were mostly lower, with the NYSE Health Care Sector Index declining 0.6% and shares of health care companies in the S&P 500 also down 0.6% as a group.

In company news, Concord Medical Services Holdings Ltd. ( CCM ) was rising after the radiotherapy and diagnostic imaging company late Friday said it issued nearly 45.8 million newly created Class B shares to an entity controlled by the company's top two executives and giving them control of over 86% of CCM's voting rights.

Under the resolution adopted by shareholders participating in a Jan. 27 special meeting, each of the new Class B shares are eligible to cast 10 votes on future proposals. CCM ordinary shares, which became Class A shares on a one-for-one basis, can cast one vote while American despository shares will have three votes each, matching their current ratio with ordinary shares.

With the addition of the convertible Class B shares, Morgancreek Investment Holdings Ltd. - an investment vehicle 60% owned by CCM Board Chairman and CEO Jianyu Yang with Chief Operating Officer Zheng Cheng owning the other 40% - now controls 44.33% of all CCM issued stock and 86.28% of its voting rights, the company said.

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Health Care Sector Update for 02/02/2015: CCM,HEB,PSTI

Plant Food Toxins in an Evolutionary Context George Diggs, Ph D AHS14 – Video


Plant Food Toxins in an Evolutionary Context George Diggs, Ph D AHS14
healthy food healthy recipes - healthy breakfast ideas healthy healthy snack ideas healthy lunch ideas healthy snacks healthy eating healthy lifestyle healthy breakfast health ? health...

By: My health

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Plant Food Toxins in an Evolutionary Context George Diggs, Ph D AHS14 - Video

Understanding Vata Health Imbalances (anxiety, poor digestion, constipation and poor circulation) – Video


Understanding Vata Health Imbalances (anxiety, poor digestion, constipation and poor circulation)
This lecture is NOT meant to be a lesson in Ayurveda but a simplified explanation for Vata dominant people to learn more about how Ayurveda can help improve their health. An Ayurvedic explanation...

By: Khabir Southwick

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Understanding Vata Health Imbalances (anxiety, poor digestion, constipation and poor circulation) - Video