A Special Message From Vik Rajan, M.D. - President and Founder of Houston Patient Advocacy
Do you or your family: 1. Go to doctors #39; offices or hospitals and come out with more questions than answers about your medical condition? 2. Feel like doctors don #39;t spend enough time explaining...
By: Houston Patient Advocacy, LLC
More here:
A Special Message From Vik Rajan, M.D. - President and Founder of Houston Patient Advocacy - Video
Danny asks:
I am a self-funded retiree and draw an allocated pension from my super fund and currently have a Low Income Health Care Card. Am I going to lose this from January 1 under the new Centrelink rules?
Olivia says:
Changes are certainly coming and from January 1 and the way income from superannuation pensions is means tested will change. The result could be that many Low Income Health Care Cards will be cancelled in the coming week.
Advertisement
The changes
Currently, the full value of an account-based superannuation pension or commonly referred to as an allocated pension, is not counted towards the income test to determine eligibility for the Low Income Health Care Card. The amount received is concessionally assessed and is reduced by a deductible amount based on the member's life expectancy.
By comparison, other financial assets such as bank accounts and shares are 'deemed' to earn a certain amount of income that is assessed under the income test, regardless of how much they have actually earned.
But from January 1, 2015 income from account-based superannuation pensions will also be deemed, putting it on a level footing with assets held outside of super.
Unfortunately, this means that many will lose their Low Income Health Care Card and will be advised of this from Centrelink directly in the coming week.
See the article here:
The 40-year-old man didnt want rehabilitation.
He knew he had a drinking problem, knew if he kept drinking nearly a case of beer a day it would kill him. But he wasnt ready to quit.
So psychologist Suzanne Bailey waited. And waited.
A typical doctor probably wouldnt have waited so long -- more than a year -- for the man to be ready for substance abuse treatment, but Bailey isnt a typical doctor.
As a member of an integrated health care team in Knoxville, Tennessee, she is charged with treating the bodies and the minds of some of her communitys most desperate and poverty-stricken residents.
She works for a Cherokee Health Systems clinic that combines the expertise of behavioral health specialists, accustomed to addressing mental health issues like depression and bipolar disorder, with primary care physicians.
With 57 clinical sites in 14 Tennessee counties, Cherokee Health is one of the largest integrated health care providers in America, and a health care initiative to be launched in January in Lincoln is expected to be built partially on Cherokee's integrated approach to health care.
Nonprofit health providers Lutheran Family Services of Nebraska and the Peoples Health Center plan to combine operations to form the Health 360 Clinic, which is expected to open in December 2015 in the former OfficeMax building at 23rd and O streets.
On Jan. 12, the two nonprofits will open a smaller integrated clinic in Lutheran Family Services offices at 2201 S. 17th St. That smaller clinic will be open until the larger one opens, when Lutheran Family Services plans to move into the space at 23rd and O as well.
By the end of 2015, the Health 360 Clinic will have one physician, one nurse practitioner and one nurse practitioner/physician assistant. Organizers are expecting 20,000 medical patient visits and 12,000 behavioral health visits within the first three years.
See original here:
JUDY WOODRUFF: Lets turn to the latest on expanding health insurance coverage and the real costs for people.
The law is called the Affordable Care Act. And while theres been much attention on enrollment, theres been less discussion about a key question, affordability. The first month of the new enrollment season through has gone a lot more smoothly than last year. More than 2.5 million people have selected a plan through the federal exchange so far.
But what about premiums and out-of-pocket costs?
Mary Agnes Carey covers this for Kaiser Health News. I sat down with her the other day to discuss the latest.
Mary Agnes Carey, welcome back.
MARY AGNES CAREY, Kaiser Health News: Thanks for having me.
JUDY WOODRUFF: So lets talk first about enrollment. We understand there has been a surge in interest just in the first month. What are you seeing?
MARY AGNES CAREY: From November 15 to until December 10, which was the last set of reported figures, 2.5 million people have signed up for a health plan on healthcare.gov.
And, by comparison, this is what happened in the first three months of last year, when you had all those Web site problems. Were not seeing those this year. But there seems to be real interest.
JUDY WOODRUFF: Can you so is it just the fact that the Web site is up and working? Is there something else going on here?
See original here:
Why changes in health care costs vary widely around the U.S.
By - Associated Press - Tuesday, December 23, 2014
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) - Health-care leaders have asked Rhode Islands top elected officials to back efforts improving health care delivery in Rhode Island.
The Providence Journal reports (http://bit.ly/1gE23RO ) that a group convened several months ago by U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., and Neil Steinberg, president and chief executive of the Rhode Island Foundation, wrote to Gov.-elect Gina Raimondo, Senate President Teresa Paiva Weed and House Speaker Nicholas Mattiello.
The group says that among the goals for 2015 are developing a strategy to control costs, such as linking health-care inflation to the gross state product, a measurement of the economic output of a state.
Members of the group also call for health providers, insurers, employers and consumers to collaborate with the state. It also says baseline information on health-care spending should be collected to track progress.
___
Information from: The Providence Journal, http://www.providencejournal.com
Read more here:
Tieraona Low Dog, M.D. - Greening Medicine | Bioneers
A leading national expert on botanical medicine and integrative approaches to health care, Dr. Low Dog challenges America #39;s healthcare system. She advocates for a holistic approach drawing...
By: Bioneers
Read the original here:
Tieraona Low Dog, M.D. - Greening Medicine | Bioneers - Video
whiplash Tarpon Springs Tarpon Total Health Care Call 727-934-0845
whiplash Tarpon Springs http://www.tarpontotalhealthcare.com/http://tarpontotalhealthcare.com/ 727-934-0845 The leading wellness professionals at Tarpon Total Health Care are dedicated to...
By: Rose Hafe
Read the original post:
whiplash Tarpon Springs Tarpon Total Health Care Call 727-934-0845 - Video
7 Changes in Health Insurance | Why Are American Health Care Costs So High?
http://www.easyhealthcarereform.com/3-options Okay. It #39;s that time of year. It #39;s time to think about health insurance and you might be hearing a lot of about Obamacare. Did you know that...
By: Jim Conway
More here:
7 Changes in Health Insurance | Why Are American Health Care Costs So High? - Video
New health care mandates could cost $5.5 million in 2016
A new state law designed to curb opioid abuse and addiction could cost health insurers millions of dollars. 22News took a closer look.
By: WWLP-22News
See more here:
New health care mandates could cost $5.5 million in 2016 - Video
DIABETIC EYE PROBLEM LIVE AT KANDUNGAN BAYAN SOCIAL MEDIA NETWORK YUJ GUANG DOIN ASSN
YUJ GUANG DOIN GERONTOLOGIST ASSN MENTAL MARTIAL ART MEDICAL HEALTH CARE HEALING..MISSIONARY PHIL #39;
By: jesus ogayre
Read the original post:
DIABETIC & EYE PROBLEM LIVE AT KANDUNGAN BAYAN SOCIAL MEDIA NETWORK YUJ GUANG DOIN ASSN - Video
The health care sector in the Kingdom will register strong growth in the coming years due to an overall increase in spending on specialized treatment, said a health expert. Speaking at a health conference here recently, Abdulrahman Al-Nuaim, senior health care consultant and adviser at the King Faisal Specialist Hospital, said that the medical device sector will register strong growth due to an overall increase in health care spending like specialized treatment, growing penetration by health care insurance, increase in per capita income and huge investments in both human resources and infrastructure. Citing statistics, Al-Nuaim asserted that there are ample opportunities in this sector in the Kingdom, which accounts for nearly 50 percent of the total Middle East market. The Kingdoms medical device market was estimated at around $1.1 billion in 2013 and is expected to surpass $1.6 billion by 2018, he added. He said that several initiatives have been introduced on the health front in the Kingdom which will have a positive impact on all the allied fields of this sector. Many new specialties and super specialties are being introduced which will lead to an upsurge in the demand for medical devices, equipment and services. He noted that domestic production of medical devices is limited and restricted to a few items. Therefore, imports are estimated to account for more than 80 percent of the overall market value. Imports of medical devices to the Kingdom reached a new high of $1.864 billion, a rise of 14 percent compared to the previous year, he said. He said that the main suppliers for medical devices and equipment to the Kingdom are the United States with a 22.6 percent share, Germany (21.3 percent), the Netherlands (12.5 percent), China (7 percent) and Belgium (6 percent). He added that in 2013, the Kingdom exported medical equipment worth $19.7 million. Referring to the untapped opportunities in this sector Al-Nuaim underlined that there is big appetite for industrial localization with several semi-government companies being established to cater to this demand. He also said that the Kingdoms good track record of importing medical devices ensures stability and continuity for foreign companies. On a recent visit to the country, officials of Korean companies showed a keen interest. One of their representatives told Arab News: Our motto is to deepen the understanding regarding the health care market and introduce competitiveness of Korean medical industries in the Kingdom.
Excerpt from:
Health care in the United States is provided by many distinct organizations.[1]Health care facilities are largely owned and operated by private sector businesses. 80% of the hospitals are non-profit, 2% are government owned, 18% are for-profit.[2]
6065% of healthcare provision and spending comes from programs such as Medicare, Medicaid, the Children's Health Insurance Program, and the Veterans Health Administration. Most of the population under 67 is insured by their or a family member's employer, some buy health insurance on their own, and the remainder are uninsured. Health insurance for public sector employees is primarily provided by the government.
The United States life expectancy of 78.4 years at birth, up from 75.2 years in 1990, ranks it 50th among 221 nations, and 27th out of the 34 industrialized OECD countries, down from 20th in 1990.[3][4] Of 17 high-income countries studied by the National Institutes of Health in 2013, the United States had the highest or near-highest prevalence of infant mortality, heart and lung disease, sexually transmitted infections, adolescent pregnancies, injuries, homicides, and disability. Together, such issues place the U.S. at the bottom of the list for life expectancy. On average, a U.S. male can be expected to live almost four fewer years than those in the top-ranked country.[5]
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the United States spent more on health care per capita ($8,608), and more on health care as percentage of its GDP (17.2%), than any other nation in 2011. The Commonwealth Fund ranked the United States last in the quality of health care among similar countries, and notes U.S. care costs the most. In a 2013 Bloomberg ranking of nations with the most efficient health care systems, the United States ranks 46th among the 48 countries included in the study.[6][7]
The U.S. Census Bureau reported that 49.9 million residents, 16.3% of the population, were uninsured in 2010 (up from 49.0 million residents, 16.1% of the population, in 2009). A 2004 Institute of Medicine (IOM) report said: "The United States is among the few industrialized nations in the world that does not guarantee access to health care for its population." A 2004 OECD report said: "With the exception of Mexico, Turkey, and the United States, all OECD countries had achieved universal or near-universal (at least 98.4% insured) coverage of their populations by 1990." Recent evidence demonstrates that lack of health insurance causes some 45,000 to 48,000 unnecessary deaths every year in the United States.[8][9] In 2007, 62.1% of filers for bankruptcies claimed high medical expenses. A 2013 study found that about 25% of all senior citizens declare bankruptcy due to medical expenses, and 43% are forced to mortgage or sell their primary residence.[10]
On March 23, 2010, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) became law, providing for major changes in health insurance. The medical system will be forced to change normal procedures.[1] They will be required to prepare for upcoming programs to meet federal regulations.[11]
Health care facilities are largely owned and operated by private sector businesses. Health insurance for public sector employees is primarily provided by the government.[citation needed] 6065% of healthcare provision and spending comes from programs such as Medicare, Medicaid, TRICARE, the Children's Health Insurance Program, and the Veterans Health Administration.[citation needed] Most of the population under 65 is insured by their or a family member's employer, some buy health insurance on their own, and the remainder are uninsured.
Of 17 high-income countries studied by the National Institutes of Health in 2013, the United States was at or near the bottom in infant mortality, heart and lung disease, sexually transmitted infections, adolescent pregnancies, injuries, homicides, and rates of disability. Together, such issues place the U.S. at the bottom of the list for life expectancy. On average, a U.S. male can be expected to live almost four fewer years than those in the top-ranked country.[5]
A study by the National Institutes of Health reported that the lifetime per capita expenditure at birth, using year 2000 dollars, showed a large difference between health care costs of females ($361,192) and males ($268,679). A large portion of this cost difference is in the shorter lifespan of men, but even after adjustment for age (assume men live as long as women), there still is a 20% difference in lifetime health care expenditures.[12]
There is evidence, however, that a large proportion of health outcomes and early mortality can be attributed to other factors. As a study by the National Research Council concluded, more than half the men who die before 50 die due to murder (19%), traffic accidents (18%), and other accidents (16%). For women the percentages are different. 53% of women who die before 50 die due to disease, whereas 38% die due to accidents, homicide, and suicide.[13]
See the rest here:
Single-payer health insurance -- the only coverage option less popular among conservatives than Obamacare -- suffered a setback last week, and it could be fatal. Vermont Gov. Peter Shumlin admitted the state cant afford Green Mountain Care and shelved it.
I have always made clear that I would ask the state to move forward with public financing only when we are ready and when we can be sure that it will promote prosperity for hard-working Vermonters and businesses, and create job growth, Shumlin said in a press releaseWednesday. Pushing for single-payer health care when the time isnt right ... could set back for years all of our hard work toward the important goal of universal, publicly financed health care for all.
Launching Green Mountain Care, which was likened to Medicare for all, would have required a double-digit percentage payroll tax on businesses and as much as a 9.5 percent assessment on individuals incomes to pay the premiums.
These are simply not tax rates that I can responsibly support or urge the Legislature to pass, the governor said. In my judgment, the potential economic disruption and risks would be too great to small businesses, working families and the states economy.
Shumlin had made a single-payer health-care system a cornerstone of his re-election campaign as a way to provide affordable coverage and unburden businesses. He blamed the decision to shelve the program on an inability to contain costs.
Reaction to Shumlins decision was swift. Betsy Bishop, head of the Vermont Chamber of Commerce, said her group will go further, pushing to overturn state mandates requiring businesses to buy coverage on the states health-insurance exchange, the Vermont Press Bureau reported. She said businesses were relieved by Shumlins decision.
Our members were concerned that single-payer could have added significant costs of doing business, forcing them to make negative employment decisions, she said.
More than 50 people participated in a Vermont Workers Center rally Thursday on the Statehouse steps, burning health-care bills and collection-agency notices, the Vermont Press Bureau said. One of the demonstrators set fire to a sign reading, Now is not the time.
Time and again, Im forced to choose whether to meet my medical needs or pay other bills, the Associated Press quoted Randolph resident Stauch Blaise as saying. Just last week, I had to forgo care for my foot because of my deductible and co-pays. Governor Shumlin has burned all of us by bailing on universal health care, and now its time for the Legislature to assume leadership and follow through.
Supporters of the Healthcare Is a Human Right Campaign demonstrated Shumlins career is toast by delivering a platter of toast.
Read the original:
Single-Payer Health Care System Suffers Setback In Vermont; Governor Says Funding Is Just Not There
Published: Sunday, December 21, 2014 at 11:20 p.m. Last Modified: Sunday, December 21, 2014 at 11:20 p.m.
Angela Parker wanted to take her children to their pediatrician's office when they got sick, but she couldn't miss too much time from work.
Adding advanced registered nurse practitioners to the mix of patient care resolved both their problems.
Nguyen, a pediatrician at Bond Clinic, works with two nurse practitioners.
That allowed the clinic to start evening pediatric hours during the past year, which let Parker bring her children there after work Tuesday when they had bad sore throats.
That's one of many examples of how nurse practitioners registered nurses with master's or doctoral degrees and specific additional clinical training are becoming a more noticeable part of Polk County's health care.
Their increasing presence often is overlooked amid annual legislative battles on expanding nurse practitioners' autonomy in Florida.
Advanced nurse practitioners straddle the nursing and physician approach to care, adding another skilled professional who can assess, diagnose and treat a growing patient load.
"As we have expanded the patient population, I alone cannot have enough time to take care of all the patients we have," said Nguyen, pronounced "win," who also provides a clinical training site for student nurse practitioners. Bond Clinic has 17 nurse practitioners now, making up more than one-fourth of its health care providers. When Nguyen arrived seven years ago, the clinic had three, he said.
A similar transformation took place at Central Florida Health Care, the nonprofit community health center with clinics throughout Polk. It had two when Dr. Heather Lutz, its chief clinical officer, came three years ago.
Read the original post:
Nurse Practitioners Help Ease the Strain In Health Care Systems
MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) - After Gov. Peter Shumlin dropped his long-sought goal of a universal, publicly funded health care system this past week, key members of his health care team immediately got back to work picking up less ambitious pieces of the plan.
Appearing Wednesday before reporters and two boards that had advised him, the second-term Democrat said there were steps the state can still take in a bid to reduce health care costs.
The less ambitious steps described by aides include pushing hospitals and health systems toward global budgets in which they are given a set amount of money each year for serving the health needs of a certain population and away from the traditional fee-for-service system in which the more procedures are performed, the more health providers get paid.
You can never 100 percent get away from that, said Al Gobeille, chairman of the Green Mountain Care Board, which has spearheaded much of the health overhaul. But you can for a majority get away from that.
Health costs covered by Medicare have been growing by 0.8 percent per year recently, Gobeille said, while those covered by commercial insurance have grown 10 times as fast. Gobeille said he would like to see both growing at about 3.5 percent per year.
To pursue that goal, the state needs a special all-payer waiver from the federal government to give it greater flexibility in the use of Medicare funds, officials said. Gobeille said that would come only if the state can guarantee current Medicare beneficiaries dont see their coverage reduced.
Shumlin said he wants legislation to give more authority to the five-member board. Robin Lunge, a top health care aid to the governor, said one goal is more regulatory control over Vermont Information Technology Leaders, a nonprofit that has been working to enhance electronic communications between different layers of the health-care system.
Dr. Marvin Malek, a hospitalist at Central Vermont Medical Center and state director of the group Physicians for a National Health Plan, said streamlining the software used by health professionals is crucial to trimming costs. Better software looms so much larger than any other strategy for controlling costs, Malek said.
Shumlin said he wants to see health care treated like a public utility and Lunge likened the role the Green Mountain Care Board could have to that long used by the Public Service board, which regulates electric and other utilities.
Officials said the governor is likely to seek more funding for the state Blueprint for Health program, which encourages better coordination between primary care, mental health, substance abuse treatment and other providers.
Continue reading here:
SEXY LEGS BARRE WORKOUT! HOT FOR THE HOLIDAYS part 3
How to have SEXY LEGS of a dancer! Join me for part 3 of HOT FOR THE HOLIDAYS and be sure to SUBSCRIBE! XX FREE WORKOUT AND MORE LOVE: http://tracycampoli.com/ SUBSCRIBE ...
By: Tracy Campoli
See original here:
SEXY LEGS BARRE WORKOUT! HOT FOR THE HOLIDAYS part 3 - Video
COJO 20 years strong
Accomplishing 20 years as a charitable organisation is no easy feat, yet the Children of Jamaica Outreach (COJO) has remained faithful to its vision of improving the lives of children in need...
By: Jamaica Gleaner
Read more:
Healthcare Management
The healthcare industry has become one of the major industries and is still growing fast. Nowadays, many engineers find employment in hospitals and other health care institutions. This set...
By: TU/e_Studyguide
Go here to see the original:
Impact Episode 45 with Kenny Anderson
Impact with Kenny Anderson Good Samaritan Hospice with guests, (l-r), David David Lee Hereford Sr. (Director of Marketing) and Jim Pride (Director of Community Relations)- Good Samaritan Hospice.
By: huntsvillecity
Continue reading here:
Tell Sherwin Alumina to Stop the Lockout
On October 11, Sherwin Alumina locked out 450 hard-working USW Local 235A members at their plant in Gregory, Texas. The lockout came after 235A members overwhelmingly rejected the company #39;s ...
By: Steelworkers
Continue reading here: