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How to have a good health

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In today’s hectic world that we live in, maintaining our good health care is very important for us to keep up with today’s economy lifestyle. All of us need to be healthy regardless of our age or gender. In order to be considered us as overall well being healthy, we should have a disease free body, fit and fill with abundant energy. Follow the healthy tips illustrate below for your general health benefits.

1. Get lots of sleep. In order to maintain a healthy body, you’ll need eight hours of sleep each night and 10 – 20 minute nap during each day. This keeps you awake and alert, so you don’t have to drink caffeine and sugar-loaded energy drinks.

2. Laugh and smile! Smiling a lot makes your face look younger and it feels great. Laughter can increase your blood flow and improve your heart health, according to University of Maryland research reported on the Public Broadcasting Service website. Watch a funny movie or listen to a comedian for 15 minutes per day to promote heart health through hilarity.

3. Do nothing. Staying in a dark, quiet place without having any stressful thoughts for about ten minutes will leave you feeling refreshed. If you just relax, you will feel better and probably keep feeling good through the day. Just do this a couple of times a day.

4. Eat healthy foods, more fruits and vegetables. Cut back on sugary sodas, processed foods and foods high in fat. Aim for a diet primarily consisting of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean meats and low-fat dairy items.

5. Drink water! Good old H2O is key in making you run throughout the day. Try drinking 8 glasses of water each day. It helps you re-energize and keep going. Not drinking enough fresh water leads to acne, headaches, and even dehydration. Do this, and you’ll stay in good condition.

6. Stretch! when you wake up in the morning. Stretch before and after strenuous exercise to prevent injury, this easy form of muscle exercise warms you up and makes you more flexible. It keeps you running longer and gives you strength Continue reading How to have a good health →

Health Care

Managing Your Own Health

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DrRich doesn’t want to slip into an “every man for himself” frame of mind, but it’s still true that no one cares about your health more than you do. To become a truly effective patient, you’ve got to be deeply invested in promoting your own health.

By “promoting your own health,” we mean doing four things: become as knowledgeable as possible about your own health conditions; take good care of yourself; make the most of your encounters with your doctor; and keep careful records.

Become as knowledgeable as possible

Learning as much as possible about your heart condition is a simple matter of self-preservation. Even under an ideal health care system (which, most assuredly, we don’t have,) doctors won’t always have the time or the inclination to discuss every important aspect of all your medical conditions. The more you teach yourself about those conditions, the better off you’ll be. You’ll be better able to interpret what your doctor is saying, and you’ll even be able to steer your discussions into the areas that are most pertinent to you. You’ll have a better understanding of what your doctor thinks should be accomplished, and a better grasp of what you can do to help accomplish it. Knowledge allows you to become an active participant, rather that a passive one, in managing your health care.

As an added bonus, by becoming highly educated about your health – and perhaps more importantly, by seeming to be highly educated – you will automatically make yourself ineligible for rationing by omission. Nobody would dare try to withhold information from you if they thought you were probably already aware of all the options. Educating yourself is the best defense you can use in our increasingly hostile health care system.

There are many ways to become more knowledgeable about your health care. Start with this web site, which has hundreds of pages of information on heart conditions, as well as serving as a gateway to other Internet resources. Then check your public library. Your librarian can point you to helpful books and articles about cardiovascular disorders.

Take good care of yourself

It goes without saying that you will enjoy better health if you do all those things you know you should be doing, things like giving up tobacco, maintaining an ideal body weight, cutting down on saturated fats, and getting plenty of exercise. If your doctor has you on a particular medical regimen (such as taking prescription drugs), make sure you follow that regimen religiously.

You gain direct health benefits from doing these things, as you well know. What you may not have realized, however, is the secondary gain you receive. By taking a genuine interest in trying to keep yourself healthy, you also endear yourself to your physician. You enlist him to your cause. Doctors should be engaged in the care of each of their patients, of course. That’s what it is supposed to mean to be a doctor. But, you know by now, they can’t. They’re under steady, unrelenting and overwhelming pressure to make the interests of their patients secondary to the interests of the HMO, of the government, and ultimately, of society at large. They simply cannot go to bat for all their patients. Some (the ones HMOs like the best, and the ones you have tried to avoid) won’t go to bat for any of their patients.

The many doctors who still maintain a strong sense of professional pride (the recalcitrants, the ones you have tried to choose for yourself) will still try to advocate for their patients, at least as circumstances allow. These, however, need to marshal their energies carefully. When they do go out on a limb for their patients, they are much more likely to do so for patients who are assiduously trying to help themselves. If the patient won’t accept responsibility for his own health, it’s not realistic to expect the doctor to jeopardize her career for the patient’s health. Continue reading Managing Your Own Health →

Health Care

The Good Doctor

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We expect a level of perfection from our doctors, nurses, surgeons and care providers that we do not demand of our heroes, our friends, our families or ourselves. We demand this level of perfection because the stakes in medicine are the highest of any field — outcomes of medical decisions hold our very lives in the balance.

It is precisely this inconsistent recognition of the human condition that has created our broken health care system. The all-consuming fear of losing loved ones makes us believe that the fragile human condition does not apply to those with the knowledge to save us. A deep understanding of that same fragility forces us to trust our doctors — to believe that they can fix us when all else in the world has failed us.

I am always surprised when people say someone is a good doctor. To me, that phrase just means that they visited a doctor and were made well. It is uncomfortable and unsettling — even terrifying — to admit that our doctors are merely human — that they, like us, are fallible and prone to bias. Continue reading The Good Doctor →

Health Care

Obamacare failure now evident as health care costs rise nationwide

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(NaturalNews) President Barack Obama’s signature health care law was supposed to accomplish a couple of things. First, it was supposed to ensure that all Americans had access to quality healthcare; and second, it was supposed to reduce overall healthcare expenditures.

In a word, the law – while admittedly not yet fully implemented – has not led to either goal, and in fact, costs overall are skyrocketing.

These claims were substantiated in a recent subcommittee hearing of the House Education and Workforce Committee. Brett Parker, a finance officer for a small business in New York City, in testimony before the subcommittee, said the law hasn’t “locked in costs, and instead increased them, while loading job creators with mandates, regulations, new taxes and burdens.”

“Rather than solve the problems in the health care system, [the law] ignores costs and instead redistributes money from producers in order to fund vast new entitlements and expand old ones – this was not an improvement over the status quo, it was a step backwards,” Parker told lawmakers.

Costs for health insurance, medical services, medicines – all of it – continue to rise, despite the massive piece of legislation that is “Obamacare.” And, as they do, all Washington can do is argue over why.

But maybe rising costs shouldn’t surprise us. After all, there were a few models on which to base portions of Obamacare before the latter was unfairly put upon Americans more than a year ago. Continue reading Obamacare failure now evident as health care costs rise nationwide →

Ask and Answer

What health care coverage does a congressman have? What happens to it when they leave office?

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Ask:

America faces a health care crisis. How can Congress or the Senate much care if they have top notch health care coverage and the taxpayers pay for it?

Answers:

Answer 1:

They have a 100 percent covered plan for them and their families for life (assuming they serve at least 6 years), along with an excellent pension plan for life.

They will care about the crisis if it is something the voters want! After all, if they are not acting in the interest of the voters, they will lose their seat and their health care plan.

Unfortunately, there is so much disagreement between the “left” and the “right” that it is difficult for congress to do anything. In addition, many people (even those who truly need health care reforms) vote based on moral values, leaving health care to be ignored.

Answer 2:

THIS is the menu of plans they have to choose from as a federal employee:

“Members of Congress receive retirement and health benefits under the same plans available to other federal employees. They become vested after five years of full participation.

Members elected since 1984 are covered by the Federal Employees’ Retirement System (FERS). Those elected prior to 1984 were covered by the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS). In 1984 all members were given the option of remaining with CSRS or switching to FERS.

As it is for all other federal employees, congressional retirement is funded through taxes and the participants’ contributions. Members of Congress under FERS contribute 1.3 percent of their salary into the FERS retirement plan and pay 6.2 percent of their salary in Social Security taxes.

Members of Congress are not eligible for a pension until they reach the age of 50, but only if they’ve completed 20 years of service. Members are eligible at any age after completing 25 years of service or after they reach the age of 62. Please also note that Member’s of Congress have to serve at least 5 years to even receive a pension.

The amount of a Congressperson’s pension depends on the years of service and the average of the highest 3 years of his or her salary. By law, the starting amount of a Member’s retirement annuity may not exceed 80% of his or her final salary.

According to the Congressional Research Service, 413 retired Members of Congress were receiving federal pensions based fully or in part on their congressional service as of Oct. 1, 2006. Of this number, 290 had retired under CSRS and were receiving an average annual pension of $60,972. A total of 123 Members had retired with service under both CSRS and FERS or with service under FERS only. Their average annual pension was $35,952 in 2006.”

ACCURATE information on retirement:
Easy SUMMARY of ACCURATE information:
“Members who have participated in the congressional pension system are vested after 5 years of service. A full pension is available to Members 62 years of age with 5 years of service; 50 years or older with 20 years of service; or 25 years of service at any age. A reduced pension is available depending upon which of several different age/service options is chosen. If Members leave Congress before reaching retirement age, they may leave their contributions behind and receive a deferred pension later.

How much they receive depends on a complicated formula based on when they joined Congress, how old they are at the time of retirement, how many years of service they had at the time of retirement (including previous military or other federal service), their salary, and which pension option they chose when they enrolled. In any case, a Member’s pension amount may not exceed 80% of his/her salary upon retirement.”
…
“The average annuity for retired Members, as of 1998, was either $50,616 [for those that retired under CSRS] or $46,908 [for Members that retired under FERS]. However, these averages don’t take into account any additional funds these Members may have also accrued through investments in the Thrift Savings Plan described above.

Congressional pensions are funded the same way as those of other federal employees: through a combination of general tax provisions and contributions from the participants. Members of Congress in the FERS plan must pay 1.3% of their salary to FERS and 6.2% in Social Security taxes.

For more detailed information concerning pension benefits and age and service formulas under both CSRS and FERS, I recommend you obtain a copy of “Retirement Benefits for Members of Congress”, a report by Patrick Purcell of the Congressional Research Service. [CRS Report RL30631, July 31, 2000]. CRS reports are free, but can only be obtained by requesting them through the office of a Member of Congress. ”

If you review the FACTS, which I have documented with the correct sources, you will see that:
members of Congress PAY for their health insurance (subsidized just like the other federal employees, like a clerk at the White House would be)
they have co-pays, deductibles, etc.
they do NOT get “free” prescriptions
they can have LOUSY health care packages–take the next step and click on the EVALUATIONS of the plans–some have barely over 50% satisfaction with those on them.

What IS different is two things:
these are NOT regular plans–as the membership is far more limited AND the people are power players they will NOT so likely have legit claims denied as REGULAR FOLKS because the insurers know that this would lead to actual ENFORCEMENT of contract law and their corporate heads on a platter
AND
no doc or hospital is going to mistreat a Congressman or his immediate family or someone he makes a fuss over–they don’t want the bad PR, the investigations, etc. that a Congressman can launch.

So if you think Congress has it perfect (which they don’t) IF you would DEMAND that both contract and antitrust laws be enforced with OUR insurance policies, that would go a LONG WAY to reducing abuse.

Thanks for asking for FACTS. Interesting how the media LIE and the general public is about 180 off the mark on this information, isn’t it? Ask yourself who benefits.

 

Health Care

How to Evaluate Your Health Care Providers

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What does good-quality health care mean to you? It may mean being able to get an appointment with your health care provider quickly, having a health care provider who is willing to spend time with you, or being treated nicely by the staff at his or her office.

These things are important. But another factor that’s critical to your health is receiving good-quality clinical care. That includes having the right tests for your health condition and being prescribed effective treatment. This type of care plays a big role in how well your health is managed. To make sure you’re getting high-quality care, ask yourself if your health care provider is meeting your needs in these five areas.

Getting care when you need it

How available is your health care provider? How many of these statements are true for you?

  • I can get an appointment within a reasonable amount of time for nonurgent care (such as a routine checkup or follow-up appointment).
  • The office staff is helpful and responsive.
  • A nurse or other on-call provider is available after hours.

Communication

The way you and your health care provider talk with each other can affect how you take care of your health. Here are some important factors to consider about your interaction:

Health Care

What’s the Best Way To Find Health Insurance?

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In October of 2009, I decided that I would no longer run the 9-5 gauntlet. And with that decision came a few immediate changes in my life.  Working from home and for myself meant that I could set my own schedule, make my own decisions and only have myself to blame when something I’ve implemented did not work out.  For me, the upside to this decision was infinite because I was slowly getting beaten down by “the man” and couldn’t take it anymore.  Unfortunately though, there were downsides to my decision, two of which I’m dealing with right now.

The first of these downers is the amount of taxes I now pay as an independent contractor.  Unknown to me at the time was that I would owe a self-employment tax that my previous employer use to pick up.  Half of my social security and Medicare taxes were paid for when I had that office job, but now I foot 100% of the bill.  The second and more important change was that I no longer had health or dental insurance from my employer.  Truth be told, five months since my decision you still won’t find me visiting any hospitals or dentists because I still don’t carry any medical or dental insurance.  I’m relatively healthy and now that I never leave the house, I have only my apartment to fear for an accident. But I’ve tempted fate long enough and now it’s time to find my own health insurance plan.

Like any important decision, this one is going to take a little time and a lot of research before I decide on the plan that’s right for me.  Before spending thousands of dollars a year, I’m going to educate myself as best I can on the coverage that suits my needs, and that means going through the following step-by-step process.

1. Why I NEED Health Insurance

Something I learned at the age of five when biting through an electrical cord is that I’m not invincible.  Even though I keep myself in relatively good health with exercise and home cooked meals, routine check-ups and emergency care are necessary to keep myself that way.  Should the time come when I am unfortunate enough to need expensive medication or a medical procedure, I want to make sure that I “can afford” to stay alive.

My finances are certainly not where I want them to be, but without health insurance, I am taking a huge risk in saving a few bucks now for a potential catastrophe later.  All of my current payments and bills will now take a backseat to making sure I’m alive long enough to pay them. The cost of surgery without insurance would derail all of the progress I have made over the last few years.

2. Understanding the Medical Mumbo Jumbo

When you carry health insurance through your employer, you are usually limited to the types of coverages available to you.  Because you only have to pay a fraction of what you would had you worked on your own, the downside to having limited options is outweighed by the money you save over time.  For me, I have the entire health care system available (99% of the health care system would be more accurate), and I want to review the most common plans taken out by consumers today.

  • PPO: PPO stands for “Preferred Provider Organization” which means that my coverage will only extend to a list of doctors and hospitals that the insurance company provides.  Should I want to visit a doctor that is not on my PPO list, I will probably be responsible for 100% of the costs.  PPO’s are the most common of health care plans for individuals like myself, and as long as I can find a doctor and hospital that I like, I would imagine this is the plan for me.
  • HMO: HMO stands for “Health Maintenance Organization” and those three letters continue to make consumers cringe.   HMO’s are usually the plan you will find provided by your employer because it caters to group rates.  While generally the cheapest of all health insurance policies,  the rules and regulations that need to be followed in order to be covered are very strict.  Getting medical treatment from anyone outside your HMO group must be first cleared by the HMO.   It’s important to know exactly what is and is not covered because going in blind to a visit can result in a hefty bill later.
  • HSA-Eligible Plans: HSA plans are extremely similar to PPO’s in the sense that you can choose which doctor and hospital you want to visit.  The added benefit to this plan is that pre-taxed income can be put aside in an interest bearing account, known as a Health Savings Account (Hence the HSA) so when you file your taxes at the end of the year, less of your income is taxed.  If you’re wondering why you wouldn’t always choose this plan vs. a PPO, the HSA-Eligible plans have a much higher deductible than that of a PPO. Continue reading What’s the Best Way To Find Health Insurance? →
Health Care

Help! I Need Affordable Health Insurance

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The statistics are startling when it comes to the amount of uninsured Americans. So what do you do if you don’t have a job and can’t get affordable health insurance – either individually or for your family? Or if you have a job but still cannot afford the health insurance offered by an employer? There are options for finding more affordable health insurance.

There are low cost health insurance options out there that, in fact, many Americans have already implemented and are beating the rising battle against being uninsured.

Top 10 Ways to Find Affordable Health Insurance

1. COBRA

A good place to start looking for affordable health insurance is with the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA). If you are not employed you may be eligible to continue your previous employers’ health insurance through COBRA. This also applies to children going off to college… you may be able to continue on your parent’s insurance coverage through COBRA. This is a good option for people who may have lost their job and are still undergoing medical treatments. WARNING! This will not be an affordable health insurance option. The premiums will be much higher. It is best to gather all your available health insurance options first and then pick the best health insurance plan for you.

2. Worker’s Compensation Insurance

Sometimes, you don’t need to look far for affordable health insurance. Many people don’t realize that they may be covered under their state’s Workers’ Compensation program. If you are being treated for any work related injury, your employer must offer you treatment under their Workers’ Compensation program.

3. Medicaid

Medicaid is often overlooked as an affordable health insurance option. Some think if have a job, they won’t qualify for Medicaid. Medicaid will pay health care expenses for low-income families and individuals. Each state sets the eligibility requirements. If you are working and still don’t have enough to buy affordable health insurance, it doesn’t cost you to see if you or your children qualify for Medicaid, so it is always best to check Medicaid first before moving on to the next options. And, there is good news about Medicaid… more states are adding health care benefits for low-income families so if you don’t qualify now, keep informed of your state’s Medicaid and health insurance laws because you may qualify in the future.

4. Medicare

Most people know if they qualify for Medicare or not, but I need to add it to the list just to make sure it is not overlooked as an affordable health insurance choice. Medicare is provided by the government and administered by the Social Security Administration. If you are sixty-five years old or older you would qualify for Medicare. You may also qualify if you are getting Social Security disability benefits.

5. State High Risk Health Insurance Pool

If you are turned down by individual health insurance companies because of pre-existing conditions, your state may have a high risk health insurance pool you can obtain health insurance from. It may not be an affordable health insurance choice, but it may be the only individual or family health insurance option available to you that will pay for your pre-existing conditions if you don’t qualify for COBRA (see #1 of this list).

6. Individual and Family Health Insurance

This affordable health insurance option is fairly simple: you just go to an insurance company and buy individual or family health insurance the same way you would by home or auto insurance. These plans work similar to what an employer would offer their employees but would be more expensive since you don’t get the cheaper group rate and you would not have an employer contributing to some of the costs. Another drawback of individual and family health insurance plans is that there is usually a pre-existing conditions clause (they may not cover pre-existing conditions or may not cover them until after a certain period of time) and a medical exam.

7. High Deductible Health Plan

High deductible health plans are becoming a popular affordable health insurance option. Say someone did decide to cover their basic doctor’s visits and prescriptions out-of-pocket, but wanted the assurance of knowing that if they did need major medical care, such as for a surgery or disease, that they were covered. A high deductible health plan would do just that. It is designed to only “kick-in” after the out-of-pocket expenses (the doctor’s visits, prescriptions, ect.) reach the deductible, which is higher than a normal insurance plan. Using a health insurance plan such as this has a lower premium because the deductible is higher.

8. Short Term Health Insurance Coverage

This is a great affordable health insurance option for someone in-between jobs or who knows they will be starting a job soon. Short-term health insurance coverage works the same as an individual health insurance policy (see #6 above), but you will only be covered for a specific amount of time which would keep your premiums down. This is also a good option for someone who needs time to examine their individual and family health insurance choices but still would like to be covered quickly to avoid any coverage gaps. Continue reading Help! I Need Affordable Health Insurance →

Health Care

Top 10 Ways to Make Your Health Benefits Work for You

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The Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) administers several important health benefit laws covering employer-based health plans. They govern your basic rights to information about how your health plan works, how to qualify for benefits, and how to make claims for benefits. In addition, there are specific laws protecting your right to health benefits when you lose coverage or change jobs. EBSA oversees health care laws covering special medical conditions. For more information on the laws that protect your benefits, see EBSA’s Web site. Or, call the agency’s toll-free help line at 1.866.444.3272 to reach a regional office near you. These 10 tips can help make your health benefits work better for you.

 1. Realize that Your Options are Important

There are many different types of health benefit plans. Find out which one your employer offers, then check out the plan, or plans, offered. Your employer’s human resource office, the health plan administrator, or your union can provide information to help you match your needs and preferences with the available plans. If your employer offers a high deductible health plan, look into setting up a Health Savings Account to save money for future medical expenses on a tax-free basis. The more information you have, the better your health care decisions will be.

 2. Review the Benefits Available

Do the plans offered cover preventive care, well-baby care, vision or dental care? Are there deductibles? Answers to these questions can help determine the out-of-pocket expenses you may face. Matching your needs and those of your family members will result in the best possible benefits. Cheapest may not always be best. Your goal is high quality health benefits.

 3. Read Your Plan’s Summary Plan Description (SPD) for the Wealth of Information It Provides

Your health plan administrator should provide a copy. It outlines your benefits and your legal rights under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), the Federal law that protects your health benefits. It should contain information about the coverage of dependents, what services will require a co-pay, and the circumstances under which your employer can change or terminate a health benefits plan. Save the SPD and all other health plan brochures and documents, along with memos or correspondence from your employer relating to health benefits.

 4. Assess Your Benefit Coverage as Your Family Status Changes

Marriage, divorce, childbirth or adoption, or the death of a spouse are life events that may signal a need to change your health benefits. You, your spouse and your dependent children may be eligible for a special enrollment period under provisions of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Even without life-changing events, the information provided by your employer should tell you how you can change benefits or switch plans, if more than one plan is offered. A special note: If your spouse’s employer also offers a health benefits package, consider coordinating both plans for maximum coverage. Read Your Health Plan and HIPAA…Making the Law Work for You.

 5. Be Aware that Changing Jobs and Other Life Events Can Affect Your Health Benefits

Under the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act — better known as COBRA — you, your covered spouse and your dependent children may be eligible to purchase extended health coverage under your employer’s plan if you lose your job, change employers, get divorced, or upon occurrence of certain other events. Coverage can range from 18 to 36 months depending on your situation. COBRA applies to most employers with 20 or more workers and requires your plan to notify you of your rights. Most plans require eligible individuals to make their COBRA election within 60 days of the plan’s notice. Be sure to follow up with your plan sponsor if you don’t receive notice and make sure you respond within the allotted time. Get the facts by getting a copy of An Employee’s Guide to Health Benefits Under COBRA. Continue reading Top 10 Ways to Make Your Health Benefits Work for You →

Health Care

Take Care of Yourselves!

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Whether you care for children, aging parents, relatives, or anyone else, the job of a caregiver is unique in that it has no discrete beginning or end each day. You are often the lifeline for those whom you care for, both metaphorically and literally. As a caregiver, you may juggle multiple roles, both within and outside of your family. While caring for others is highly demanding, it can be extremely rewarding and is crucially important. At the same time, this role can be so consuming that it leaves you with less time for your other personal and/or professional responsibilities. With diminished time and energy to take care of yourself, you may find yourself neglecting your own needs. In the face of this “caregiver stress,” how can we take care of our loved ones and ourselves?

Recognize how important it is. The stress that stems from caregiving can take a toll on our physical and mental well-being. Physically, the stress can lead to exhaustion. When that happens, we can easily fail to find time to take care of our health, leading to a dangerous vicious cycle in which health problems can progress and become chronic. Psychologically, caregiver stress poses risks as well. Depression, anxiety, and loneliness can often result from the pressures, demands, and lifestyle changes that come about when caring for others. Many studies have shown that women who are caregivers are at particularly high risk for both physical and mental health problems, including coronary heart disease and depression. Many of these problems can be prevented, however, by making self-care a high priority and finding creative ways to achieve it. Continue reading Take Care of Yourselves! →