31.3.08

Affordable Health Insurance Quotes -- Sure-Fire Ways To Pay A Lot Less

By Chimezirim Chinecherem Odimba

Affordable health insurance quotes: You'll easily spend less for adequate coverage if you get and implement the right recommendations. However, if you have the wrong ones, even though you may still save, you will do so by compromising the quality of coverage you get. If you are interested in tips that you can use to save much and at the same time enjoy adequate coverage, read the following...

1. The Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 (COBRA) insurance is a good choice for affordable coverage if you have a pre-existing illness that makes regular individual health insurance hard to get or too expensive.

2. Staying loyal to one insurance company for any period will actually lead to savings. Staying with the same insurance company for at least three years will get you reasonable discounts from many insurance companies. The more the years you've been loyal to an insurer the more discounts you will get. Nevertheless, you may be better served by switching.

Let us assume your premium with your present insurer is $2,400 you will get a discount of about 5% or $120 if you stay for at least three years.

However, due to high cost of health care and inflation, insurance companies may have to make adjustments in their rates to reflect those changes. Within the course of these three years you would most likely get an insurance provider who will offer you comparable coverage or better for under $2,100. If this is true about you then you know it's wise for you to go for the more affordable offer immediately and not wait for years to become entitled to a discount that will not even save you as much.

And, in most cases, most people can easily pay a lot less than they are currently on health insurance if they do thorough shopping. You can only be sure if this is true for your profile after you get and evaluate quotes from many different health insurance companies to see where your interest is better served.

3. Knowledge, they say, is power. People who have the right information on health care and insurance get better offers. Furthermore, you will find it easier to get every opportunity that you are qualified for if you have the right information.

There are toll-free numbers you can call if you need help on health issues. To get help, call the National Health Information Center at 1-800-336-4797.

4. Did you know that your co-pay could be more expensive than the cost of your drugs? There are instances where it will cost you less if you don't use your insurance but buy a prescription from your own account. Find out which is best in each case and do what saves you more. Do your best to find out the difference before you use your insurance.

5. Choosing to be flexible in the choice of doctors and health care facilities you can use will result in a reduction in your cost. For you to land the cheapest rates you may be compelled to use doctors and hospitals that are part of a certain group or network. That might mean you'll have to part with your favorite health care providers.

If you consider this too much of a sacrifice for you, then you can't really pay less for your health coverage using this option. Note that it's highly advisable that you weigh what you stand to gain against what you may lose.

I've prepared a free but high value 21-day ecourse that will show you over 120 sure-fire ways to cut down your insurance rates. Sign up for it here...

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As always, you can cut down your rates now by getting quotes here...

Cheaper Insurance Quotes

Chimezirim Odimba writes on insurance.

30.3.08

Health Insurance In California - You'll Pay Less If You Apply These Tips

By Chimezirim Chinecherem Odimba

For those who really want to pay a lot less for health insurance in California: A number of ways of lowering your rates do compromise the quality of coverage you enjoy and so are NOT advisable. Be that as it may, you can pay much less for superior coverage if you know the things that matter and take necessary precautions. Following are tips that won't leave you with inadequate coverage...

1. For those who are self employed, your premiums might be tax-deductible. And you can also be entitled to a tax break if you have a flexible spending account. To to find out if this is true in your case discuss with your tax professional.

2. Buying your prescriptions online is a proven way to lower your health care costs. Buying by telephone might as well give you lower prices. The internet lowers the cost of doing business and pharmaceutical companies or groups who sell their drugs online do so at lower prices. But to ensure you are buying from a good company, check. Just go to BBB online and you'll know if you should buy from a specific company.

While we want to reduce our health care costs we also have to make sure we safeguard our health and our lives.

3. Shopping has always been the best way to get the best deals.. And the less stressful way to start is to inquire from your trusted acquaintances what their experiences with their providers are.

It is also a good way of getting the best value as you'd make your choice on user experience and not any form of media hype. A friend will readily warn you if they got poor service from any insurance company. If you inquire from your friends and acquaintances you will hardly fall into the wrong hands.

4. A simple but smart way of bringing down your rate is by authorizing an EFT (Electronic Funds Transfer). This process authorizes your bank to credit your insurance provider with your payments without any intervention from you until you advise to the contrary. This saves the insurance company in many ways such as eliminating the cost of mailing payment notices and the expense associated with processing checks. Your rate is therefore brought down in line with the cheaper cost of providing insurance to you.

5. A group health expense sharing plan is a good option to bring down your rate. This is a situation where a group of people teams up to provide themselves health insurance coverage. You can find such groups in large associations.

They generally have their own terms and decide on the type and level of coverage members get.

You can check out such groups, know what they offer and see if they can cater for your personal needs. Getting such a group that takes care of your needs will get you coverage at a lower rate.

I've prepared a free but high value 21-day ecourse that will show you over 120 sure-fire ways to cut down your insurance rates. Sign up for it here...

Save Up To 50% On Insurance With Over 120 Tips

As always, you can cut down your rates now by getting quotes here...

Cheaper Insurance Quotes

Chimezirim Odimba writes on insurance.

29.3.08

Health Insurance Cost -- Ways To Reduce Your Rate

By Chimezirim Chinecherem Odimba

Do you want to reduce your health insurance cost? Do you know it's easier than you thought? It is really very easy for you to find the right coverage at a low price. All you need to achieve this goal are little bits of information (Put into practice). Let's look at a number of proven ways to get better rates...

1. You will lower your rates by a huge margin if you spend time on shopping right.. And the less stressful way to begin is to ask trusted acquaintances what their experiences with their insurers are.

It is also a good way of getting the best value as you would make your choice on user experience and not any form of media hype. A trusted acquaintance will quickly warn you if they got less than the best from an insurer.

2. Phone med services will help you reduce your rates. A phone med service is on twenty four hours everyday and provides free medical advice. They are normally manned by not less than a registered nurse with a minimum of ten years experience so you can trust the advice you get from them. Your local clinic is as well another place you can receive free medical help by phone.

Even though this is not an alternative to seeing a doctor, these can actually reduce your rates by reducing the number of times you see a doctor.

In addition, you get timely help that could help you nip certain issues in the bud. For these and other reasons, take advantage of these free medical services.

3. Maintain a healthy routine and you'll pay more affordable rates with time. The quality of what you eat will in the long run affect your rate. Removing fats, cholesterol and high carb from your diet will make it easier for you to retain the ideal weight, live a healthier life and, as a result, get more affordable rates.

You'll as well help your health and rate by committing to routine exercise.

4. Joining an HMO will help reduce your cost. They provide a more affordable option than traditional health insurance. Albeit, joining an HMO means you're restricted to the use of only doctors, other medical professionals and hospitals that are part of the network.

If you believe that the limited choices of an HMO are more than the benefits you get, you can opt for other health insurance plans. For such folks, cost can be slashed if they take the time out to shop extensively for cheap rates in traditional health insurance. If you shop properly you'll pay far less for any plan you elect to use. Nevertheless, where you are willing to accept the restrictions, you'll pay less with an HMO.

5. Staying loyal to one insurance company for any considerable length of time will actually lead to savings. You'll attract discounts of about five percent on your health insurance if you remain with the same insurer for up to 3 years. Maintaining a policy for longer periods will get you more discounts.

I've prepared a free but high value 21-day ecourse that will show you over 120 sure-fire ways to cut down your insurance rates. Sign up for it here...

Save Up To 50% On Insurance With Over 120 Tips

As always, you can cut down your rates now by getting quotes here...

Cheaper Insurance Quotes

Chimezirim Odimba writes on insurance.

28.3.08

Tips For Buying EKG Machine For Physicians

By John Gladstein

Tips for physicians on buying an EKG Machine.

What Do College kids know that physicians don't?

Physicians, have you ever wondered why and how you buy, and have bought, most of the equipment in your office? In this article we will focus on EKG machines, but you could relate this to any equipment purchases.

A typical situation in a doctor's office happens like this: The existing EKG machine in the office is on its last legs. You had been thinking of replacing it for a while, but you decided to wait until it was broken beyond repair. Lets face it, as long as the machine was reading properly, the reimbursement is the same from an old or a new EKG. Your machine breaks and, coincidentally, the local rep who has been providing you with gauze pads, cotton balls and all your other office supplies brings an EKG machine that he represents into the office for you to consider. You see the machine, your nurses' love it, you need the machine, and the local rep gives you a price. You barely haggle, if at all, and, voila, there is a brand new machine in your office.

On the other hand, a college student, who has one tenth the education and business experience as you in the same situation, would find the product he or she needs, and then go to the internet to find the best price on that product. You may think you don't have time to shop the internet for an EKG machine, and you trust your local rep because you have been dealing with him or her for years. Well, the rep's job is to get you into that type of dependent relationship, one the industry lingo calls, "Own the relationship and you will own the business". Some large distributors are actually tied into certain manufacturers who then give the local rep incentives to promote certain machines, in this case EKG's. And the machine may not even be the best one for your practice

In addition, most EKG manufacturers have representatives in each area of the country who will train office staff on proper use of the machine, no matter which distributor the EKG machine was purchased from. Further, the manufacturer will handle all warranty and service issues. The result? When buying an EKG machine, you get the same or comparable service from an internet company as you do from a company you find in the classified section of one of your Journals, product magazines that come to your office, or card decks that have a variety of medical equipment in them.

Your local rep should definitely have a role in selling you supplies, although you should periodically check the prices they are offering. If your rep's service and pricing is not up to par, there are usually 2 or 3 reps in the same area from other companies who are ready, willing and able to help you. But when it comes to buying an EKG machine, the lesson here is that you should explore other purchasing options.

Here are the key features to look for when purchasing an EKG machine:

1. What size print out does the machine put out?

a. Some EKG Machines print out on 60 mm strips or half-sized sheets of EKG paper

b. Some EKG machines print out on 8.5x11 sheets of paper. These are preferable because it is easier to handle and store these printouts.

2. Does the machine have a keyboard that gives you the ability to type in patient demographics?

a. In some cases when patient demographics are printed on the EKG printout, it is looked at as a more professional EKG presentation.

b. Although a printed name may look professional, a machine without this feature takes less time for a nurse or an EKG technician to perform.

3. Does the machine have a screen where you can see the EKG prior to printing? This is a nice feature because you can actually make sure that the baseline is stable prior to taking the EKG.

4. Does the machine give you the ability to connect to a computer? And if so, is the output based on open architecture which is compatible with most available EMR and EKG Management systems? Some large EKG manufacturers make machines that will only integrate with the expensive EKG management systems that only they provide.

5. There are PC based EKG machines that provide you with all of the above. Further, they have the ability to print on regular copy paper, connect to electronic medical records and integrate other diagnostic features, such as spirometry, holter monitoring, stress testing and vital signs monitoring.

a. As long as your staff is comfortable with using a PC, the PC based EKG machines provide the best value

b. You can view all 12 leads real time

c. These machines create a searchable database of all EKGs performed, limited only by the size of your hard drive

d. You can either print on plain copy paper, email, or fax EKG's right from your PC.

This article was written by John Gladstein. John is an 18-year veteran of the medical equipment industry. He specializes in cardiopulmonary equipment but is knowledgeable about equipment in all specialties. Having sold tens of millions of dollars of equipment to doctors, hospitals, military institutions and other health care professionals across the country. John is currently the VP and Sales Manager of Medical Device Depot, Inc., http://www.medicaldevicedepot.com/

You can contact him at 877-646-3300 or john@medicaldevicedepot.com

27.3.08

Affordable Health Insurance For An Individual -- Tips That Will Make It Easier

By Chimezirim Chinecherem Odimba

Are you looking for tips that will make affordable health insurance for an individual easy to find? There are things that will help you enjoy massive savings without putting yourself at risk. Would you like to know them? Then read through and apply the following sure-fire time-tested steps to paying a lot less...

1. There is a special type of savings account called the Flexible Spending Account. This kind of account allows you to put away tax-free dollars specifically for your health needs. The selling point about this account is that it permits you to roll over the money unused into the subsequent year tax free. This gives you a tax free method of building large reserves of funds for your health needs.

2. Buying your health insurance from the same insurance company that provides your other insurance policies will get you a discount in premium. Insurers offer a multi-policy discount to encourage you to buy other policies from them.

However, all the amount you may save may still pale into significance if compared with savings you will make by buying your policies from different insurance companies.

3. You will spend far less and lower your costs if you buy your prescriptions online. Buying by telephone will also get you affordable prices. The internet reduces the cost of doing business and pharmaceutical companies or groups who sell their drugs online do so at lower rates. But to ensure you're buying from the right company, check. It is very easy to do this by making use of a resource like BBB. Always remember that while we want to save costs we also want to avoid risks. Checking with BBB online and other such services will put you on the safe side while you buy at cheaper rates online.

4. Electronic Funds Transfer, known as EFT is a painless way to bring down your rate. This process authorizes your bank to credit your insurance provider with your premiums automatically until you stipulate to the contrary. This saves your insurer in many ways such as removing the cost of sending payment notices and the expense of processing checks. This is why this gets you discounts.

5. Did you know that your co-pay could be more expensive than the cost of your drugs? It may also be cheaper for you to buy a prescription from your purse (without using insurance). In those instances, you will spend less by taking the options that offer you more savings.

I've prepared a free but high value 21-day ecourse that will show you over 120 sure-fire ways to cut down your insurance rates. Sign up for it here...

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As always, you can cut down your rates now by getting quotes here...

Cheaper Insurance Quotes

Chimezirim Odimba writes on insurance.

26.3.08

Comprehensive Health Insurance -- You Can Get Cheap Rates For This Too

By Chimezirim Chinecherem Odimba

Comprehensive health insurance: Contrary to all you might have been told, you don't really need to do very difficult things in order to attract the most affordable policy that meets your needs. It's normally small things that help you get massive discounts. Let's examine some of them in this article...

1. Going for free clinics will help you reduce your cost. You will either bring down your rates directly or have fewer and lower co-payments to make this way. Such free clinics will take care of simple things like providing you with medical advice, blood pressure checks and much more. Clinics like these are normally rendered as community service.

2. Using a Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) is another way you can reduce your rate. It costs more than an HMO and also gives you more options.

You can consider your needs and what your profit would be for either joining a PPO or regular health insurance. If you need to save more but also want more flexibility than is offered by an HMO, then join a PPO.

3. Some individuals find themselves in a situation where they are not qualified for Medicaid and also have great difficulty paying for traditional health insurance. If you are one of such, then you can save on health care by getting a discount medical card.

This type of card lets you use a network of doctors who are contracted to provide their services at more affordable rates to all card carriers. They aren't normally provided by any health insurance company.

You can use this option if you have a pre-existing condition that has made health insurance carriers either reject you or give you a rate that is very expensive. This kind of card does not decline anyone for any reason. You only need to pay a monthly subscription to be eligible to use their network of doctors.

4. It pays to check through your policy at least once a year or as much as you feel changes have occurred in your health or that of your family member. This will help you confirm you always have adequate coverage. But sometimes it does happen that one of these checks reveals that you have more coverage than you need.

You will then lower your cost by dropping such unnecessary coverage. Consider a situation where you still leave your newly-wedded daughter on your family health insurance policy with the consequent higher rates. It's very easy to NOT remember little details like this.

5. A group health insurance plan is more affordable than an individual health insurance plan. Take advantage of it if you're in an institution that offers you the opportunity to use a group plan as it generally implies that you'll pay less. This should be of particular interest to elderly individuals, smokers or overweight people who usually get high quotes.

A group plan will help you make considerable savings if you have a pre-existing condition that makes individual health insurance either too costly or hard to come by. A group plan is a good way to lower your premium without lowering the quality of coverage you would be given.

I've prepared a free but high value 21-day ecourse that will show you over 120 sure-fire ways to cut down your insurance rates. Sign up for it here...

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As always, you can cut down your rates now by getting quotes here...

Cheaper Insurance Quotes

Chimezirim Odimba writes on insurance.

25.3.08

Reducing Your Health Insurance Cost -- Make Sure You Apply These Tips

By Chimezirim Chinecherem Odimba

Health Insurance Cost: Do you want cheaper rates? If your answer is "Yes" you must do everything within your power to find out as many ways as there are to cheaper rates. I've got enough ideas to help the greater majority make savings of more than 50% on insurance...

1. While shopping for affordable health insurance make sure that you don't become carried away by just the most affordable quote. What you should be after isn't merely the lowest quote but that which offers the best value for its price. You can get really cheap quotes that offer you the quality you want if you shop right. But be ready to pay slightly more if need be to buy the right coverage for you.

Take note of this because a number of cheap quotes are that low because they don't offer much. In those instances, the cheapest is not the best but the best for you will be the best offer on the long run.

2. There are drugs that are big brand names. Drugs that have such brand names are more expensive than equally-effective drugs with less brand recognition and so raise your premium. But will you believe it if I told you that all generic drugs are constrained by law to include the exact same measure of active agents as brand name drugs? The inactive agents are the only dissimilarities between generic drugs and brand names.

The truth remains that you only pay more when you use an established brand name drug and do NOT get anything extra in value. Nevertheless, take the time to ask a doctor you can truly trust about this before you settle for any drug.

3. Deciding to be more flexible in your choice of health care providers will help you get better quotes. The reason for this is that you may be required to restrict yourself to doctors and hospitals in a particular network for you to enjoy certain cheap rates. And in such a case you would be compelled to change to health care providers in the network and not those who are your preferred.

It would be easier receive less expensive rates if you can make this kind of adjustment. But while you're being flexible don't joke with your health for anything.

4. Going for free clinics will help you bring down your rate. You will either bring down your premium directly or have fewer and lower co-payments to make this way. You can get professional medical advice, blood pressure checks and and other medical service at such free clinics. Some communities have such facilities and others may just be part of a group's social responsibility program.

5. Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) is an easy way to reduce your premium. This just means your insurer withdraws your premiums automatically from your account each month without sending you payment notices. This saves the insurance company in many ways including eliminating the cost of sending payment notices and the cost of processing checks. This is why this results in discounts.

I've prepared a free but high value 21-day ecourse that will show you over 120 sure-fire ways to cut down your insurance rates. Sign up for it here...

Save Up To 50% On Insurance With Over 120 Tips

As always, you can cut down your rates now by getting quotes here...

Cheaper Insurance Quotes

Chimezirim Odimba writes on insurance.

24.3.08

National Health Care System In Japan And Taiwan - Would It Be Possible For Us?

By Michelle Kawamura

Every society is effected by any national changes or new movement introduced; therefore, an issue one may think is unrelated to his environment can very well affect him through chains of cause and effect.

Health care is an immediate issue that concerns all of us. We all experience it and need it. Let's serious ask ourselves if the current health care system is satisfactory and available to everyone. Should health, medicare and treatments be available to only selected groups? Many people are voting for the presidential candidate who can restore the present health care system or who can pioneer a better healthcare distribution for our country. Personally, I hope to see a change that health care is available and affordable to everyone.

Being able to receive basic health care is a fundamental need of all people. Fulfilling this fundamental need makes people feel secured, and it makes sense that people with better health can contribute more to the society. A realistic and reachable standard of health should be set for all people. This effort needs a non profit driving entity to establish and to maintain it. People's life and health should not be compromised for the profit of few organizations.

Before moving to Japan, I was covered under my parents' insurance policy in the United States. Their policy covered children of the family until the age of twenty-four. Upon graduating from university, I moved to Japan and started my first job there. I joined the Japanese national health insurance through the company I worked for. There are basically two types of health insurance in Japan: national health insurance and employer-sponsored health insurance. Usually, under employer sponsored insurance, the insurance premium is calculated according to income, number of dependents, and the company' subsidies. For someone who is self-employed or unemployed, the national health insurance costs a minimum of 13300 yen, or about $110 per month plus a small percentage of income for those who are self-employed. In other words, everyone can get insurance from around $100 dollars a month. Unlike the Medicaid program in the U.S. which is only available to certain low-income groups with specific requirements for eligibility, the Japanese health insurance is available to every citizen and legal residents. There is a ceiling to what the Japanese National insurance covers, but it covers all the basics and beyond.

In most cases in Japan, patients choose their doctor and hospital. There is no limitation to the doctors or hospital they can visit. This is a true competition among the clinics, hospitals, and medical practitioners, not for profit, but for quality. The same insurance that people have in Japan gives them the freedom to get second opinions and naturally eliminates those doctors whose practices are in question. The doctor visits, treatments, and medicine are not free; one is responsible for thirty percent of their medical bills. Japanese health costs are much lower than the costs in the United States. Thirty percent of the medical bill is still a reasonable amount one can afford. There are also special cases or categories of illness for which the insurance would give more coverage. If one is late on his payment, his insurance will not automatically be invalid. The insurance will still cover the person as long as he makes up the missed payments. After all, some people do run into difficulties in life at one point or another. Sounds to good to be true? Well, It's real.

Taiwan, a place with no world recognition politically, has one of the top public health care system in the world. After moving to Taiwan due to my husband's transfer a year a go, I learned and appreciated the system where universal or national health care is available to all more than ever. When speaking of universal, national, or pubic health insurance, people often turn their attention to the well-debated and discussed health care system in Canada. There are those whose views are negative, claiming that the medical service in a single-payer insurance system may not perform at its ultimate, and those whose views are positive, saying that they do not live in fear of ever having to face bankruptcy for outrageous medical bills. From my informal inquiries, more Canadian I came across favor their national health care system. Most of those who favor their national health care system commented that people of Canada are more secured in having their basic physical and psychological needs met.

In Taiwan, there is also government-sponsored universal health care for not only their citizens but also for foreign residents who live in Taiwan. Foreign residents can apply for the government-sponsored insurance after proving their legal status of residing in Taiwan. The insurance fee starts from the basic 600NT, or around $18 a month. For people in higher income brackets, their insurance is calculated based on a percentage of their income over the 600Nt. Fees are waived for retired soldiers, those who are physically challenged, and people who have economic disadvantages.

Interestingly, Taiwan's national health insurance has only been established for little more than two decades, since 1985. The government policy-makers studied health care system from different foreign countries and composes the first Taiwan national health care from the ideas and methods of the system of other countries. It was said that Taiwan's national insurance system is like a completed puzzle made from pieces of which fit its country and people. This insurance now covers the entire population, including foreign legal residents. According to research funded by Taiwan's National Health Research and Taiwan's Bureau of National Health Insurance, the cost of health care did not rise after the universal coverage was established (Jui-Fen & Hsiao, 2003.) What does that tell us?

A basic health care program can greatly reduce the consequences of illness left untreated. Basic health care does not mean free of charge or mindless spending without control. To build a healthy nation, we should take a closer look at the current U.S. health insurance. After all, a sound nation starts with the health of its people.

Writer's Information:
The wirter is a Chinese-American. After graduating from Queens College, New York, she moved to Japan and started teaching English as second language. In the 15years of living in Japan, she became a wife, a mother and a unversity lecturer. She continued her education after giving birth to her daughter and is now pursuing her ph.d in education. She is a positive person who is always looking forward to challenging new things. In Japan, many friends and students were affected by her words and encouragement, especially women. Using herself as examples, she encourages women to be a life time learner, open minded and to have self confidence. Now she is temporarily residing in Taiwan with her family.

23.3.08

Get Cheaper Health Insurance With These Time-Tested Tips

By Chimezirim Chinecherem Odimba

You can get cheaper health insurance rates: Some ways of bringing down your rates could compromise the quality of coverage you get and are, therefore, NOT smart. Be that as it may, you can pay much less for better coverage if you have the right tips and take necessary precautions. These are tips that are good for you...

1. A group health expense sharing plan is an alternative way to lower your cost. This is a situation where a group of people collectively provide themselves health insurance coverage. You can find such groups in large associations.

Each group normally creates its own set of rules, the type and scope of coverage offered, restrictions if any and more.

Try to find such groups and check if any of them will cater for your personal health insurance needs. You can expect your rate to be far less if you get a group that caters for your needs.

2. For folks who have a health condition that makes it difficult or too expensive for them to find private personal health insurance, the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 (COBRA) insurance should offer a more affordable alternative.

3. Being on a single policy will save you a lot and you should take advantage of it if you're married. You have to check your options though to see which gets you more savings. This is because based on your details and health conditions, you may be better off buying two different plans.

4. The greater number of health insurance plans give about two complimentary medical check ups. In case you want to know why this results in lower rates, here it is...

Since health conditions are discovered at their benign stages by doing such check ups, they are more easily nipped in the bud without spending much. Your health insurance provider in return gives you cheaper rates over time since you take reasonable steps to lower their risk.

I've prepared a free but high value 21-day ecourse that will show you over 120 sure-fire ways to cut down your insurance rates. Sign up for it here...

Save Up To 50% On Insurance With Over 120 Tips

As always, you can cut down your rates now by getting quotes here...

Cheaper Insurance Quotes

Chimezirim Odimba writes on insurance.

Texas Health Steps for Children

By Andre Zayas

Living without healthcare insurance is a common problem that is occurring in today's society. Many adults are unable to afford the high cost of healthcare without the help of insurance and will often go without due to money issues. Children also suffer from this lack of health insurance. It can be even more critical for children to receive medical care than it is for adults. Therefore, the Texas Health Steps program was created to help children in east Texas.

Texas Health Steps was designed to provide medical insurance for all east Texas children under the age of 21. Especially during the early formative years of a child's life, frequent medical care can be extremely important. Making sure that your child receives their yearly check up will make sure that any developmental issues will be discovered before they come to a critical point. Leaving certain medical conditions untreated can be fatal.

For some people, health insurance is not the only issue that prevents them from taking their child to the doctor for necessary check ups. The rising costs of gas in east Texas can also be an issue. In fact, some people do not even own a car because of the costs of owning and operating a vehicle. Texas Health Steps can also help with this aspect. The program includes the option of a provided ride to attend doctor's appointments or even money to help you fill your gas tank so that you can get your children the medical care that they require.

Texas Health Steps will help you with every aspect of your child's care. In addition to doctor's appointments, this program will also cover any vision care needs that your child may have as well as dental needs. Your east Texas caseworker will be able to help you find doctors that are close to your home and are a good match for your family's individual needs. They can even help you to make the appointments that you need.

Taking care of today's children is very important. They are the future of the country and deserve to grow up happy and healthy. If your child is insured with Texas Health Steps, visit an east Texas health clinic to find a full service nurse practitioner than can help you to make sure that your child receives the medical care that he or she needs and deserves.

Andre Zayas is a professionally syndicated author.

Private Health Insurance -- Sure Ways To More Affordable Rates

By Chimezirim Chinecherem Odimba

Do you want to pay less for private health insurance? Everyone in their right mind would be quite glad to discover a way to enjoy affordable rates as long as such a way won't put them at risk. Here are steps that will help you attract considerable discounts easily...

1. Some persons are not poor enough to qualify for plans for low-income earner and as well have financial constraints that make traditional health insurance hard to pay for. If you are one of such, then you can save on health care by going for a discount medical card. So what are they?

With these cards you are given medical attention from a network of doctors who have agreed to render services to card carriers at lower rates. Such cards are not connected to any health insurance company.

You can make use of this option if you have a medical history that has made health insurance carriers either reject you or give you a rate that is too high. No one is declined for any reason. Just pay your monthly fee and you will have access to a network of doctors who will bill you less for their services.

2. If you drive recklessly then expect to pay higher health insurance rates. Rough driving charges and other traffic violations can effectively increase your health insurance premium. Any person who drives recklessly will more likely make a claim soon as they are more likely to require medical attention.

Improving your driving records and developing a good driving habit will lower your premium. If you use a fast muscle car or super bike, you'll likely pay a huge sum in health insurance. The higher likelihood of an accident means someone could be wounded and need to make a claim.

3. Making use of free clinics will help you reduce your cost. You'll either bring down your premium directly or have fewer and cheaper co-payments to make this way. You can get professional medical advice, blood pressure checks and other medical service at such free clinics. Some communities provide such facilities and others may just be part of a group's social responsibility program.

4. A group health expense sharing plan is another way to bring down your cost. This refers to a set of people who have chosen to team up and provide themselves with health insurance coverage. You can find such groups in large organizations. Terms and coverage types are different in most groups.

You can check out groups like this, know what they provide and see if they match your personal needs. Getting a group like this that meets your requirement could get you coverage at a reduced rate.

5. Settling for catastrophic health insurance coverage will help you save a lot in health insurance and is your best bet if you are the consistently healthy type. For folks who do not know what it is, it's a type of policy that caters for you if you fall ill suddenly or are involved in an accident.

You'll truly love this policy if you ever are compelled to pay huge bills due to unforeseen health conditions or accidents. The name really does offer a clue of what it provides coverage against. They come at very cheap rates.

What are normally high are the deductibles which can be as much as $2,000. But if you take into consideration the fact that you are getting coverage from accidents or health conditions that could cost tens of thousands of dollars such deductibles are not really that much -- Relatively.

I've prepared a free but high value 21-day ecourse that will show you over 120 sure-fire ways to cut down your insurance rates. Sign up for it here...

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As always, you can cut down your rates now by getting quotes here...

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Chimezirim Odimba writes on insurance.

The Importance Of A Medical History Form

By Sharon Rowe

It is so important to keep an updated medical history form on hand at all times. I'll give you a case scenario.

You arrive at the hospital ER with your loved one. First you're stopped at patient access where you have to provide all of your insurance and physician information. From there you give your health history to the ER nurse, and sometimes the doctor will even have you to repeat it (depending on the line of communication between the hospital staff). Then you arrive on the floor, and it's time for the hospital admission and you're asked the same questions again. All you want at this point in the whole process is for medical care to begin. Now...the questions asked are essential to good quality care, but when you're worried about a loved one the last thing you want is to keep repeating the same information. It can be redundant, especially during a stressful time.

Then there are times when a person comes in to the ER and family can't stay until the patient is assessed and sent to the appropriate floor. This could be a problem if the patient is too weak to speak or has dementia. It impedes care. Many patients will already have a list of medications on hand when they arrive, but with your medical history form on hand.... you arrive to the ER or the main floor.... allow medical personnel to make a copy of your health history form while you spend time with your loved one. Any information that they need they can obtain from the health history form that you provided them with. Basically with the exception of a few more questions all that remains is the primary reason for the hospital visit, any tests that need to be done and the head to toe assessment. Working as a medical nurse for over ten years, I have come to learn that having a health history form can make the world of difference.

Your medical history form should include (but does not have to be limited to the following) name, address, emergency contact, any allergies, insurance information, brief medical history, surgeries, any current medications, flu and pneumonia information, advance directive, living will, and primary physician information. This is enough so that medical personnel can properly and quickly begin to facilitate care.

It takes a little time to prepare a good thorough medical health history form but the end result and your peace of mind will make any time spent well worth it. Once you complete your medical history form put it in a safe place (one you will remember) and then be comforted in the fact that should the time present itself you will have all of the information needed to quickly begin care for your loved one.

For more information about The medical history form visit http://www.yourmedform.com

How Will the Internet Impact Healthcare?

By Carl George

Whether communicating with friends and family, trading goods and services, researching favorite topics, or enjoying music and other entertainment-the Internet is simply a different delivery channel for the things we've all been doing, and still do, in other ways. It is these three factors - convenience, low cost and timeliness - that make the Internet so compelling.

Changing the way clinicians do business
Effective healthcare delivery, beyond pharmaceuticals and devices, is contingent on ready access to accurate, timely information. The best healthcare information is of no value if it cannot be located, shared and applied. The value of information-sharing and the idea of cooperative medicine are well known and appreciated. To effectively facilitate information-sharing, and provide a higher level of value and customer service, healthcare organizations are taking advantage of technologies that facilitate sharing - most importantly, the Internet.

The basic premise of the Internet is to enable people to quickly and easily access and share web-based documents and applications. With pressure to be cost-effective, web-based "software as a service" applications are growing in popularity - mainly because they require no additional expensive software or servers to buy or maintain, and the data that resides in these applications is available in a timely manner at the cost of a workstation loaded with a web browser. In addition, the information stored in these applications can be accessed from any computer in any location, by anyone with the required security access. Security has advanced to the point where data can be protected and the risk of data theft is much lower than in the recent past.

One example of a new web-based "software as a service" application is Kardia Health Systems' EIMS (Echocardiography Information Management System), a comprehensive echo lab workflow solution. EIMS supports data acquisition, diagnosis and interpretation, clinical reporting, patient scheduling, and coded billing within one application. EIMS facilitates ready access to patient records and enables physicians to review echo measurements and generate structured echo reports via a browser from any location. This is especially useful for cardiologists working for multiple practices and from remote locations. This web-based application provides one central location for patient data with permission-based access from a secure common data server set.

Changing the patient provider relationship
The benefits inherent in "software as a service" also have the potential to greatly improve healthcare delivery and patient care. Because the Internet removes geographical restrictions, physicians can analyze data regardless of the location of the patient or physician. This gives patients and healthcare institutions access to qualified physicians, regardless of the location of the patient or the physician, and allows multiple providers to review the same data and collaborate on diagnoses. Healthcare organizations that embrace timely information delivery to deepen the customer relationship will be rewarded with more loyal customers because they have removed levels of customer frustration from the operational process.

The integration of secure, timely information via the Internet with healthcare delivery ultimately provides a higher level of service and patient care, both from a collaborative medical perspective (providing the patient with a more knowledgeable diagnosis) as well as from an educational perspective (allowing physicians to more easily learn from one another). It improves the operational efficiencies of the practice, enhances the health and longevity of patients, and creates a deeper, more rewarding practitioner/patient relationship.

http://www.kardiahealth.com

Medical Insurance Or Health -- How To Enjoy Cheaper Rates

By Chimezirim Chinecherem Odimba

Are you thinking of how to reduce your medical insurance or health rates? If you're shopping for lower rates for superior coverage then you should be aware of some simple things that could save you much. Here are some...

1. A group health expense sharing plan is an alternative way to lower your rate. A group expense sharing plan is a plan where a group of individuals come together to give themselves health insurance coverage. Large churches and other large organizations are places where you can easily find these groups.

Each normally fashions its own policy terms and determine the type and level of coverage members are given. Try to locate groups like this and find out if any of them will meet your individual health care needs. You will pay far less if you locate one that you can join.

2. There are state plans for kids that will spend if you use them for your kids. However, not everyone is eligible to use such state plans. These plans are usually either free or cost very little. These plans can reduce your expenses by a huge margin if your kid has a special illness that will make you spend much if you insure them with private insurance companies.

3. No-appointment ambulatory care centers or emergi-centers will as well help you reduce your rates. This is especially so if you're generally healthy and find it a little difficult to pay for traditional health insurance. Check to see if your community has a center like this.

4. If you need the very best in health insurance then you'd have to do thorough shopping. And the easiest way to start is to ask trusted acquaintances what their experiences with their insurers are.

It's also a good way of getting the best value as you would be basing your choice on user experience and not any form of sales copy. An acquaintance is very likely to tell you if they had a rough experience with a company.

The probability that you will buy from the wrong carrier reduces if you get personal experiences from people you can trust.

I've prepared a free but high value 21-day ecourse that will show you over 120 sure-fire ways to cut down your insurance rates. Sign up for it here...

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As always, you can cut down your rates now by getting quotes here...

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Chimezirim Odimba writes on insurance.

What is Your Safety Worth?

By Maurice Ramirez

In 1999, the Institutes of Medicine asked a simple yet profound question,

"If you would not ride in an airplane flown by a pilot who had not qualified on a flight simulator, why would you allow a healthcare Professional to treat you who had not qualified on a patient simulator?"

This question went virtually unanswered despite the fact that the healthcare community paid significant attention to other questions raised in the same Institute of Medicine report. It was almost as if by diverting attention to other issues and finding less expensive problems to blame. The healthcare industry and corporate healthcare as a whole was trying to divert the public's attention away from the fact that they did not want to utilize simulators to certify their professional.

On those rare occasions when representatives from the various associations that represent healthcare professionals, hospitals, and the other entities in the business of healthcare were cornered, they all said the same thing,

"It is too expensive and the patient simulators required for such certification do not exist."

Nothing could be further from the truth.

Human Patient Simulation - Forty Years and Growing

In 1968, under a $1 million Federal Grant, a single animatronic human patient simulator was built. The device could respond in a means that roughly approximated normal human responses to physical examinations and even a limited number of medications and other interventions. This device even provided facial movement and a two-way intercom link so that the healthcare provider could interact directly with the machine and hear responses from the control room provided through a speaker in the simulator's mouth. For 1968, this was nothing short of "Star Trek" technology. Unfortunately Federal funding was not renewed and the project was quickly mothballed.

This was not however the end for human patient simulation, over the ensuing decades, various other, far more limited, patient simulation devices were created. Medical schools and residency programs around the country purchased devices such as the Harvey mannequin, to teach lung sound, heart sound, and other basic physical examination skills. These relatively simplistic human analogues, were little more than speakers dressed up as a human patient. But underlying though was a significant amount of physiology and engineering.

By the time the "To Err is Human" report was written in 1999, the science of healthcare simulation had moved far beyond simple mannequin with speakers and CPR dummies. The animatronic simulators available in 1999 were far more sophisticated than the million dollar prototype created in 1968 and capable of simulating not only normal human anatomy and physiology but abnormal physiology and diseases as well. Thanks to portable computers and more sophisticated software, these turn of the millennia simulators were even capable of assisting in the training of Anesthesiologist and other professionals contributing to the safety of patients. Yet despite the fact that this equipment was readily available and cost less than 10% of what the 1968 prototype cost, the healthcare industry disavowed any knowledge of such devices. Healthcare professional associations stated that it was too difficult, too expensive, and too unrealistic to expect physicians and nurses to take time away from busy their schedules to be trained in the use of simulators and then periodically recertify utilizing these devices. Arguments were made that there were not sufficient numbers of devices available around the country and yet no one was willing to invest in the deployment of these machines.

The greatest promise of the "To Err is Human" report was ignored.

Simulator Certification Arrives at Last

Eight years later, in March of 2008, the first high fidelity simulation based certification examination utilizing human patient simulation was finally administered. The American Board of Disaster Medicine under the direction of The American Academy of Disaster Medicine provided an all day certification examination utilizing human patient simulators. These machines were neither department store mannequins nor CPR training devices. These were highly sophisticated high fidelity human patient simulators that not only had pulses, blood pressures, breath sounds, blinking eyes, and a heart beat; these were devices that could tear, sweat, and even droll. The testing environment itself was an emergency department treatment room and a room with a collapsed roof.

The simulator responded as a real patient would respond when a drug was given. Unlike a video game, where an action results in an immediate reaction, the simulators acted as real human beings and drugs took time to work. The simulator could tell if the wrong drug had been given. Although the simulators were not allowed to actually "die" during the examination, individual actions that would have killed a real patient were recorded and later graded. In short, the healthcare providers certified that day had the opportunity to crash land, recover and continue on without endangering themselves or anyone else. At days end, the physicians certified, were clearly safer, more thoughtful, and more experienced than any before them in history.

Promise and Problem

High fidelity human patient simulation based certification of healthcare providers holds the promise of elevating the level of patient safety in way never before possible in the history of modern medicine. Today, medicine has responded to safety concerns rather than proactively intervening. There has never been a reproducible standard by which healthcare providers within their specialty could be evaluated and compared.

Medical research looks to find "hard end points" such as the prevention of death and disability when testing new drugs yet when testing healthcare providers, examinations seek to find an arbitrary percentile based score on a paper examination. High fidelity human patient simulation examination provides the same "hard end point" evaluation for the provider as medication research does for new treatments. Simply put, if a provider makes fewer errors on a simulator, they are even less likely to make errors with human real lives.

So when will physicians, nurses and other healthcare professionals accept and employ high fidelity human patient simulation as a means of certification?

When the public demands it!

Simulator certification in the airline industry is an expensive and time consuming process. Airline employees must be paid for their time while training and qualifying on the simulator. Simulator leasing companies must purchase equipment and the space in which to store it. They must employ technicians to maintain and operate the equipment and have the equipment itself validated and certified on a regular basis. The airlines must pay the leasing companies for the use of the equipment and even for a reserved time unused.

The airline industry has the money and political power to do away with mandated simulation certification for its pilots and other employees, but the regulations and legislations that require this certification came from the outcries of the American public. The airline industry is wise enough to know that it would be fool hearty to challenge these regulations and legislation now and again raise the ire of the American people.

The healthcare industry on the other hand is accustomed to not paying healthcare providers for their training time or their certification time. They are accustomed to not paying for high level training or training an employee to provide perfunctory training house thus reducing the cost. The healthcare industry is relying on the fact that the American public is uneducated as to the capability of the current patient simulation technology.

The average American is unaware that equipment exists today that is capable of mimicking virtually any provider / patient interaction, virtually any treatment and most diseases. Simulation environments can be established for a fraction of the cost only 5 years ago (less than $75,000.00 per simulator) and yet other than the fact that the simulated patient is stored in a box at the end of the day, they are virtually indistinguishable from real people when it comes to their physiology and response to medical care.

The healthcare industry and healthcare professional are unlikely to invest in the future of the public safety without both legislative mandates and public funding. If the American public were to demand of their state and federal representatives, legislation requiring healthcare providers be certified on a regular and recurring basis using high fidelity human patient simulators, patient error would drop precipitously. It is impossible to eliminate human error entirely from healthcare, however it is very possible to identify gaps in knowledge, technical weaknesses and even bad habits while teaching new skills and reinforcing good technique in the safe environment of a patient simulation training room.

The question is, why are the American people unwilling to ride in an aircraft with a pilot who had never been in a flight simulator, but they are willing to place their lives in the hands of a healthcare professional who has never been certified on a high fidelity human patient simulator?

Dr. Maurice A. Ramirez is the founder and president of the consulting firm High Alert, LLC.. He serves on expert panels for pandemic preparedness and healthcare surge planning with Congressional and Cabinet Members. Board certified in multiple specialties, Dr. Ramirez is Founding Chairperson of the American Board of Disaster Medicine and serves the nation as a Senior Physician-Federal Medical Officer in the National Disaster Medical System. Dr. Ramirez has a new book: You Can Survive Anything, Anywhere, Every Time. Dr. Ramirez invites comments at: http://www.disaster-blog.com

The Author grants use of all articles contained on eZineArticles.com for reprint conditional on the inclusion of the authors unaltered bio box. No material may be reprinted without inclusion of the author's biographical information.

Information On Health Insurance That Will Help You Save A Lot

By Chimezirim Chinecherem Odimba

Information on health insurance you can't afford to overlook if you want cheap rates: I'll show more tips anyone can use to get massive discounts without putting themselves at risk. Also take note of the precaution you're advised to take as you apply these tips...

1. There are health insurance guides that the government publishes every year. You'll know more about health matters and health insurance policy if you read these publications. They'll give you information that will put you in position to save a lot and also take necessary precautions. More relevant information in health insurance is crucial to getting the best rate for your profile.

2. Premiums paid by self employed people might be tax-deductible. You may as well get a tax break if your employer offers a flexible spending account. To find out if this is true in your case consult your tax professional. He/she will be able to tell if you can or can't make savings this way.

3. If you take part in high risk or dangerous sports you will attract expensive rates. Therefore stop any sport or activity that's either life-threatening or risky and you'll attract lower rates.

4. Your drug cost might often be cheaper than your co-pay. There are instances where it will cost you less if you do not use your insurance but buy a prescription out of your own pocket. In those instances, you will spend less by taking the options that offer you bigger savings.

Always find out the difference before you use your insurance.

5. An HMO will get you health insurance at a cheaper rate. HMOs provide coverage that is far less expensive than traditional health insurance. Albeit, joining an HMO means you're restricted to the use of only doctors, other health care professionals and hospitals that are approved by the organization.

If what you think you lose in the limited choices an HMO allows is much more than the advantages, you can still go for regular health insurance.

For such people, cost can be slashed if they shop extensively for cheap rates in traditional health insurance. If you shop properly you'll pay far less for any plan you opt for. Nevertheless, if you are willing to make do with its restrictions, you'll pay less with an HMO.

I've prepared a free but high value 21-day ecourse that will show you over 120 sure-fire ways to cut down your insurance rates. Sign up for it here...

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As always, you can cut down your rates now by getting quotes here...

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Chimezirim Odimba writes on insurance.

22.3.08

Understanding How Hospitals Buy Medical Technology

By Alec Alpert

Modern hospitals depend heavily on medical technology to diagnose, treat and prevent diseases. A typical mid-sized hospital has hundreds of items of medical equipment, from simple stethoscopes and blood pressure monitors to highly sophisticated MRI machines and linear accelerators. Hospitals are complex enterprises with entire departments dedicated to technology planning, assessment, acquisition, maintenance, upgrade and replacement at the end of the product life cycle. They have elaborate systems, programs, policies, procedures and protocols in place for purchasing new medical equipment.

To sell successfully to healthcare providers, marketing and sales professionals have to be well versed in the buying processes that healthcare providers use. Medical device marketing is quite different from any other marketing. Typically, hospitals have a review process to qualitatively and quantitatively evaluate their medical technology needs. The review's scope depends on the cost of the technology, and may involve many departments. For expensive equipment, the review most likely will be elaborate. For less expensive and disposable items, the review may simply assess the department's current needs, and the proposed purchase's operational and financial impacts. In either case, a market survey and literature search take place to some extent, and this is supplemented with extensive data collection and analysis when needed. This is why white papers and case studies published by medical device manufacturers are very useful during the review process - the decision-makers look for every bit of information they can find. Hence, white papers and case studies can significantly influence the decision-making process. A typical review process includes the following phases:

1. Strategic
2. Assessment
3. Acquisition
4. Utilization
5. Repair and maintenance
6. Replacement and disposal

The process starts with strategic planning. In this top-level phase, the relevant stakeholders (e.g., Directors, Professors, Managers, Doctors, Engineers, Purchasing, etc.) review key issues, success factors and resource allocation, and assign responsibilities for sustained improvement in technological performance. They identify the services their facility provides, and the technologies that would complement their existing services. The typical questions to answer are: Where are we? Where do we want to be? How are we going to get there?

Because medical technology greatly impacts the cost and structure of healthcare delivery, hospitals include technology assessment in their planning process, which typically includes cost-benefit and cost-effectiveness analyses.

Cost-benefit analysis calculates the costs of applying the technology and compares them to the benefits resulting from its application. It provides criteria upon which to base decisions of whether to adopt or reject a proposed device. The device is adopted if its benefits exceed its costs. However, one limitation of this analysis is that it expresses all benefits, including therapeutic effects, in monetary terms. Hence, hospitals also conduct cost-effectiveness analyses to quantify therapeutic effects in terms of reduced patient hospital stays, and compare these to the costs of the technology's implementation. Although at first glance the chosen technology may seem to have limited impact on other facility operations, stakeholders also examine the likely effect of the new equipment on existing services.

Other aspects of cost-effectiveness analysis include assessment of long-term replacement strategies and identification of emerging technologies. Since medical devices have finite longevity, hospitals have replacement plans to minimize the effects of unforeseen capital replacement. By identifying emerging technologies that fit into the projected plans of the hospital's service area, the hospital tries to avoid investing in nearly obsolete technologies.

Purchase of a new technology is justified only when an increase in equipment's cost-effectiveness is clearly demonstrated. The typical questions asked during the analysis are:

* Will the new medical device increase the volume of the service?
* Will it raise the costs of the service?
* Will the device generate additional revenues and, if so, how much?
* What is the new device's expected lifespan?
* What is the device's reliability and the costs associated with its repair and maintenance?
* How reliable and reputable is the manufacturer?
* What impact will the new device have on routine operating costs?
* What will the disposal cost be?
* How easy is the device to operate?

Once the technology has been assessed and the decision to purchase has been made, the next phase in the process is technology acquisition, which typically includes the following steps:

* Preparation of general and functional specifications
* Clinical, technical and cost evaluations
* Review of proposals and evaluations, and making a final decision on a device manufacturer
* Contract negotiation for the device's acquisition
* Preparation and issuance of a purchase order
* Contract award

A contract award is the green light for the medical device company to deliver and install the product.

Alec Alpert is a business-to-business copywriter specializing in lead-generating white papers, case studies and articles for medical technology. Visit http://www.alecalpert.com to learn how his copy can boost your lead-generation campaign.

Why Universal Healthcare?

By Jennifer Payne

There is a decline in the United States population as an entirety, there is no wonder. Apart from people killing each other, poverty, starvation, homeless, disease and unemployment, we have lack of adequate health care.

Even though there are some disadvantages to universal health care, wouldn't it be nice if you had to go to the doctor or emergency room, not to have to decide if you can pay that or afford to eat or pay a bill?

As I see it, the United States will never revert to the Universal health care just for the simple unknowns. Rather than learning about Universal Health Care, they would rather go off hear-say that our government and others tell them.

It's time for the American people to stand up and get what they want by speaking up, voting and doing rather than slipping away.

So many people struggle every day with the decision of what/how to eat, how they are going to pay a bill and if they can save their home. Many others don't have those worries as they are wealthy enough not to be burdened with such things. It doesn't matter what your gross income is, we all need our health. Disease and sickness isn't bias; it comes to everyone at some point. If you can afford your health care, you have a fighting chance. If you cannot, you may not live to see a cure. That is the hard, cold truth. Sadly, the old saying the only the strong survive is definitely true. Everyone should have a fighting chance when it comes to their health, not just the wealthy.

Think and research Universal Health Care. Many people are skeptical of this as they fear governmental involvement. The government is ALREADY involved/control our health care system and call it private health care. That is something to think about.

Health Insurance Coverage -- Steps For Those Who Want More At Cheaper Rates

By Chimezirim Chinecherem Odimba

Health insurance coverage: There are tips you must understand and implement if you're truly committed to getting considerable discounts. I'll discuss some of them in this article...

1. The greater number of health insurance plans give approximately two complimentary medical check ups. Why does this lead to savings?

It results in savings because the cost of treating ailments in their benign stages is cheaper than treating full blown diseases. This means that your health insurer will spend less to take care of you if diseases are spotted early. So they give you lower rates for helping them save.

2. Electronic Funds Transfer, known as EFT is a painless way to bring down your premium. By doing this you authorize your insurance provider to automatically withdraw your payments from your account at specified intervals. This reduces administrative overheads like those incurred when mailing payment notices. The insurance company passes part of what they save to you by bringing down your premium.

3. You will spend far less and lower your rates if you buy your prescriptions over the internet. Buying by telephone will as well get you affordable prices. Companies who sell online have lower costs than brick and mortar businesses and these suggest that they can and (do sell) at cheaper prices.

Howbeit, you will do well to check the company you are buying from so you don't put yourself at risk. Just visit BBB online and you'll know if you should buy from an exact company. While we want to reduce our health care costs we also need to ensure that we safeguard our health and our lives. Checking with BBB online and other such services will put you on the safe side while you buy at the best rates online.

4. Staying loyal to one insurer for any period will actually lead to savings. Some insurers will give you discounts of about 5 percent once you stick to them for over three years while others will give you discounts for staying up to five years. The longer you stick with the same insurance company, the more the discount you'll be given.

5. You'll save by insuring your children through state plans. Nevertheless, not every family is eligible to use such state plans.

They'll either be totally free or require very little payment so check to see if you are eligible. These state plans for children will save you a lot of cash if you have a child with a special ailment when compared to what you would spend if you go for standard health insurance.

I've prepared a free but high value 21-day ecourse that will show you over 120 sure-fire ways to cut down your insurance rates. Sign up for it here...

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As always, you can cut down your rates now by getting quotes here...

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Chimezirim Odimba writes on insurance.

10 Must Haves In A Clinical Quality Management System

By Dave Morin

Throughout the country, clinics and practices are tackling the problem of quality improvement--not only to meet new pay-per-performance standards, but also to provide a higher level of care. Many providers are finding that a well-chosen CQMS supports their efforts and greatly improves their success. This ongoing series will highlight ten essential features for any clinical quality improvement system.

The Must Haves

1. An all-problem, all-patient registry of clinically-verified information not dependent on billing optimization

2. Problems documented in a structured and coded manner, using clinical terminology

3.cA sophisticated rules engine of clinical care guidelines that thinks like a physician, not like a computer system

4. Point-of-care functionality to provide easy identification of due items and increase visit efficiency

5. Tools to reach patients due for services but not scheduled for a visit

6. On-demand reporting providing actionable data for quality improvement

7. Features to allow the entire care team to focus on quality

8. Extensibility to other HIT systems to share relevant clinical information

9. Vendor-supported, secure and scalable technology

10. A customizable framework to meet the unique needs of a practice

# 1: An all-patient, all-problem registry of clinically-validated information not dependent on billing optimization.

To truly achieve clinical quality improvement, practices need to focus comprehensively on care delivery and track all patients and all patient problems. Simply tracking a subset of patients or a few chronic diseases is cumbersome and rarely results in long-term improvement.

Often, the only data available for documenting a patient's problems is administrative data, the data used for billing. This information was never intended to be a source of clinical information on a patient and, as such, does not provide the necessary picture of information when delivering care. The difficulty of culling usable knowledge from this source of incomplete and unrepresentative information is frustrating for practices trying to meet quality benchmarks and improve their level of care.

Seeing a complete picture of a patient population.

A Clinical Quality Management System uses a registry to capture patient information. An effective registry must track the entire patient population of a practice and the entire set of problems associated with each patient. It also must track problems in a manner unbiased by the needs of administrative data and verifiable by a clinician.

An effective registry must track the entire patient population of a practice and the entire set of problems associated with each patient in a manner unbiased by the needs of administrative data and verifiable by a clinician.

With an all-patient, all-problem registry of clinically-verified information, a practice benefits in many ways:

� Allows providers to manage all of their patients, and manage them based on multi-morbidity
issues. For example, patients with both diabetes and depression can have different treatment recommendations than those with just diabetes.
� Ensures care decisions are based on an accurate, documented set of problems.
� Helps practices meet the needs of existing pay-per-performance programs and provides a solid foundation for meeting future quality initiatives yet to be defined.
� Correctly identifies patient populations, ensuring quality calculations are based on the correct denominator of a population measure to avoid negative financial implications.
� Improves the delivery of care by allowing providers to track patient episodes of care, supplying a complete picture of a condition as it progresses over time.
� Makes the CQMS an integral part of every patient visit, ensuring the system becomes part of a practice's standard workflow.

Choosing an effective registry.

When evaluating different clinical quality management systems, ensure the registry component tracks all patients and all patient problems. Registries that are limited in their scope will add little long-term benefit and will be costly; building registries on a diagnosis-by-diagnosis basis is expensive and time-consuming.

Make certain that the registry only uses clinically-verified information. Using administrative data that is not reviewed by a clinician can lead to incorrect care and waste a provider's time. Finally, providers should consider how use of the registry will incorporate into their daily operations. A well-designed CQMS will be developed with clinical workflow in mind and should integrate transparently into a practice's routine activities.

Choosing the right system for quality improvement is crucial to any 21st century medical practice. The registry is a key component of any strong Clinical Quality Management System and should be evaluated against the highest of standards.

Next issue: Problems documented in a structured and coded manner, using clinical terminology

Dave Morin

A Cielo cofounder and veteran senior executive, Mr. Morin brings to the Cielo team over 18 years of experience in both the management of information technology within organizations as well as the management of technology companies. His vision in launching and leading Cielo has always been to help physicians and other healthcare professionals to improve the quality and efficiency of healthcare through the intelligent application of information technology. He holds a B.S. degree in computer information systems, with distinction, from the University of Michigan, where he has also pursued graduate business studies.

Health Insurance Is Affordable -- That's What You'll Say If You Apply These Tips

By Chimezirim Chinecherem Odimba

Would you like to say that health insurance is affordable? To what extent have you gone in ensuring you get the lowest rates? Have you restricted yourself to just ideas that you got a long time ago? Won't you like to get more tips if that will mean more massive savings? Then see if you've applied these tips...

1. Joining an HMO will help reduce your cost. They are normally cheaper than opting for traditional health insurance. However, registering with an HMO means you are restricted to the use of only doctors, other health care professionals and hospitals that are approved by the organization.

If you find that the limited choices of an HMO are more than the benefits you get, you can opt for other health insurance plans.

For such folks, cost can be slashed if they take the time out to shop extensively for low rates in traditional health insurance. If you shop right you'll spend much less on any plan you elect to use.

But if in your case, you're willing to go with the limited choices, then an HMO is a good alternative for slashing your spend.

2. You will save more on health insurance if you join a PPO or Preferred Provider Organization. But in contrast with an HMO it offers you more options although it's also usually more expensive.

Check what you can afford and your needs and decide if this is a better choice than other plans. If you need to save more but also want more flexibility than is available with an HMO, then make use of a PPO.

3. The use of tobacco in any form will add to your rates. Those who snuff or chew tobacco will also get higher rates than individuals who don't. Therefore, you will help yourself get less expensive rates if you avoid tobacco use in any form.

4. How much are you willing to contribute out of your pocket each time you visit the doctor? This amount which you contribute is known as your co-pay. Increasing your co-pay brings down your costs. If you rarely ever go to visit a doctor, you should lower your rate considerable by choosing a high co-pay.

5. Confirm if your preferred carrier has unreasonable limits. The maximum amount an insurer will spend if a policyholder develops a catastrophic health condition is worth considering. If they have limits that you think is unreasonable then it's time to shop for a better provider.

Do not also fail to check to ensure the maximum you will be required to contribute to treatments annually is okay for you. Like in the previous case, start shopping for another health insurance company if you are not okay.

I've prepared a free but high value 21-day ecourse that will show you over 120 sure-fire ways to cut down your insurance rates. Sign up for it here...

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As always, you can cut down your rates now by getting quotes here...

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Chimezirim Odimba writes on insurance.

The Great Medicaid-Asset Shelter Debate

By Mark Possones

As the baby boomers come to retirement and become more elderly, the great debate of the 21st century may be, "Should people be forced to use all of their assets to pay for nursing home care before Medicaid kicks in or might they be allowed to shelter some of their assets?"

This argument can quickly turn heated on both sides of the issue.

Nobody wants to think that he or she may wind up in a nursing home at the end of his or her years, but the sad statistics say that is very likely what the future holds. An estimated 60% will indeed spend some time in a nursing home or care facility.

Proponents of sheltering assets say they have paid into the system all of their working years and want what is due to them. They have worked hard and want to be able to pass on an inheritance to their children.

Opponents say that the system will be bankrupt before long. Medicaid was designed to assist the truly poor and the tax burden on future generations would be astronomical if all of the baby boomers demanded benefits to match their contributions. It isn't a savings account where you get back all that you put in plus interest.

Proponents say that one spouse shouldn't be forced to subsist in poverty because the mate entered into a nursing facility. Opponents claim that you loved and lived with your mate for fifty years, now is not the time to refuse to take care of your spouse.

And so it goes. The one thing everyone can agree on is that planning needs to be done and should be done early. Long-term care insurance is definitely something to investigate while you are healthy enough to obtain it.

If long-term care insurance is no longer an option and you still want to preserve your assets, seek competent help immediately. Do not delay, because some of the means to preserve your assets are time sensitive and cannot be implemented when the possibility of needing Medicaid is staring you in the face.

Analyze the company into whose hands you will be putting your trust and your future. As your authorized representative to Medicaid, will they be able to handle the bureaucracy and relieve your family of the pressure of dealing with constantly changing government requirements? Select a company that has vast experience working with Medicaid and has a variety of options that will give you flexibility and choices. Choose a company that has employees who make you feel comfortable working with them as a partner with only your best interest in mind. Find a company that will personalize a strategy for protecting your assets while being sensitive to the needs of you and your family.

Sometimes the price of peace of mind is as little as the amount of time it takes to make a few phone calls. Don't delay; take action on protecting your assets and your family today.

Mark Possones decided that it was time to start planning for the future. Watching his parents lose the earnings for nursing help he researched about Medicaid qualifications, long term care facilities and the longterm care, he got help - a company that guards his assets and guarantees acceptance into the Medicaid system.

Student Health Insurance -- Ensuring Your Rates Get Lower And Stay So

By Chimezirim Chinecherem Odimba

Student health insurance: Do you want to reduce your insurance costs? Then you're reading the right article. I'll give you a lot of guaranteed tips that will make you qualify for massive discounts. Furthermore, the tips I'll share will NOT compel you to make do with inadequate coverage all because of realizing savings. Here they are...

1. What amount are you willing to contribute out of your pocket each time you visit a doctor? This is referred to as your co-pay. Increasing your co-pay brings down your premium. This is seriously recommended for those who hardly have to see a doctor.

2. Shed excess weight and your rates will reduce. An insured's Body Mass Index (BMI) is a strong factor that determines how much a person pays as rate.

The higher an individual's Body Mass Index rating, the higher their premium will be. You're overweight for your height and sex if your Body Mass Index is high. And do not think that you will get savings only when you lose fifty pounds, just losing a few pounds will get you lower rates once it reduces your Body Mass Index rating.

3. Ensure a healthy life style and you will pay more affordable rates over time. If you can avoid eating junk food you will pay less with time. It will benefit you to stick to the right diet for you if you love a healthy life and more affordable premiums. Apart from your diet, your devotion to regular exercise will help you live a healthier life and likewise get you cheaper rates.

4. There are things that you would do well not to see a doctor about as it only adds to your health care cost without doing you any real good. Clear examples are viral infections like flu about which your doctor can't help. It is generally known that doctors cannot do you much good if you have a viral infection.

There is no way you can justify spending $100 for something you should have done by yourself. This is also relevant to simple first aid treatment. It pays to learn how to handle simple home emergencies. Most of those incidents would be well taken care of if you spend time learning a little about first aid and also have a good first aid kit.

But even in those situations if you're not certain of what to do go and see a doctor considering that it is better to lose money than to jeopardize your life. But, please, know your limits and know that there are situations you must refer to a doctor even if you know what to do. There are things you're not meant to even attempt if you're not a medical doctor. Having the right balance is important in this and such matters. You will pay less on health insurance without endangering yourself or yours if you do this.

I've prepared a free but high value 21-day ecourse that will show you over 120 sure-fire ways to cut down your insurance rates. Sign up for it here...

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As always, you can cut down your rates now by getting quotes here...

Cheaper Insurance Quotes

Chimezirim Odimba writes on insurance.

Discount Health Insurance -- How To Ensure You Attract Cheap Rates

By Chimezirim Chinecherem Odimba

Discount health insurance: You can save much if you understand how to get the lowest quotes for your profile (This piece will show you how). But although that is very essential, there are a lot of other factors you've got to consider if you intend to attract the cheapest rates. Let's take a look at some of them...

1. Your co-pay can be more than your drug cost in a number of situations. It may also not be less expensive for you to buy a prescription out of the pocket (without using insurance). In those cases, you will save more by taking the options that give you better savings. Careful comparison will help you save a lot over time.

2. A number of states give home business owners an opportunity to lower their rate. States that offer this opportunity have laws that make it mandatory that insurance companies give home business owners the same price with large businesses. In other states a home business is eligible for a group rate the day it has one employee.

You can have your wife/husband or grown up child to work as a member of staff. The interesting thing is that such an employee does not have to work full time to qualify you. This alternative gives cheaper rates due to the fact that group rates are normally cheaper than rates for individuals.

You can find out home businesses that are qualified for group rates in your state by checking with your state's department of insurance or its equivalent.

3. You can also save on costs by making use of phone med services. A phone med service works 24 hours everyday and gives free medical advice. You can trust the advice you are given because they are given by qualified personnel (normally not less than a registered nurse with at least ten years experience). You will as well get free medical advice by calling local medical clinics.

Even though this is not an alternative to visiting a doctor, these can really lower your cost by reducing the number of times you see a doctor.

A timely medical help could be the difference between a serious health condition and a mild one. This is reason enough for your to take advantage of them even if they don't help you lower your costs.

4. What you're willing to contribute to payments for each visit to the doctor has an effect your rate. Such an amount which you contribute is known as your co-pay. Your rate will be cheaper if you opt for a higher co-pay. You're seriously encouraged to select a high co-pay if you go to a doctor just once in a very long period.

5. If you want to lower your rate then register with a group health expense sharing plan. This is a plan where a group of individuals teams up to give themselves health insurance coverage. Large churches and such large organizations are places where you can find such groups with less effort.

Each usually fashions its own rules and determine the kind and extent of coverage members get.

You can check if your personal needs are met by this kind of group. You'll pay far less if you find one to register with.

I've prepared a free but high value 21-day ecourse that will show you over 120 sure-fire ways to cut down your insurance rates. Sign up for it here...

Save Up To 50% On Insurance With Over 120 Tips

As always, you can cut down your rates now by getting quotes here...

Cheaper Insurance Quotes

Chimezirim Odimba writes on insurance.

17.3.08

What is Art Therapy?

By Jennifer Baxt

Art therapy hardly seems like the traditional type of therapy a person would see on a television show or a movie, does it? Therapy is hardly the age old stereotype that people who have no personal experience of being through therapy may picture in their minds. New methods and ideas are thought up and put into practice all the time in an effort to help people more than before. With more options available to individuals who are suffering from phobias, depression or any other condition, the more of a chance they have to work through their condition and have better lives as a result. Art therapy is one of many proven methods used to help people deal with the issues they may have that are making their lives more difficult than they need to be.

Art therapy is basically what this type of therapy is all about. It is where a person will use art, whether it is clay, paints, or pencils, to express themselves. It is a therapy that can help a person explore their inner feelings, their dreams or memories in a way that could often be easier than using words. It is through this method that a therapist can learn more about what is troubling the patient. Learning more about the patient can help the therapist decide what the best treatment or therapy the patient may need in order to continue the healing process, or overcome their depression.

A common misconception about art therapy is that it is used more for children who seem to be suffering as a result of an incident or condition, but in truth it is for just about anyone who it will work for. Regardless of what the patient's age is art therapy can help people who suffer from depression, abuse, or certain phobias. Art encourages a person to be more creative and through this type of therapy can gain a better understanding of themselves and their issues. It will also help the counselor, or therapist, get a window into the patient's subconscious where they can find the answers they need in order to help their patient. Often, being creative can even bring out the most subconscious thoughts of a person without them even realizing it. After all, many of the problems a person may have can often be found by the therapist helping them to look deeper into their subconscious to retrieve the issues that are at the root of their problem. It is through gaining a proper understanding of what the patient's real problem is that a therapist can properly treat the patient, either through medicinal or non-medicinal therapies.

Art therapy is perhaps the best way for a therapist to help a patient bring out what is bothering them and creating the depression or condition. Sometimes words are just not enough and can't fully explain what a patient is feeling or going though. Art has a way of allowing a person to express their feelings fully. Words can occasionally be limiting, where art does not really have any limits and this is what makes this type of therapy a great option for young and old alike.

Jennifer B. Baxt, LMHC, LMFT offers online audio/video counseling as well as works with children, individuals, couples, geriatric patients, depression, bipolor, anxiety and substance abuse. Please contact Complete Counseling Solutions via email jennifer@completecounselingsolutions.com or visit our website http://www.completecounselingsolutions.com for any further information.

Top 7 Tips To Choose Healing Herbs For Your Conditions

By Raymond Geok Seng Lee

Those who use over-the-counter and prescription pharmaceuticals always know how much medicine they are taking because FDA regulations require precision. People who use herbs face more of a challenge. However, in controlled doses, herbs cause fewer side effects than pharmaceuticals. Pharmaceuticals are highly concentrated, and pills and capsules have little taste, factors that make it easy to overdose. The active constituents in herbs are typically less concentrated, and most taste quite bitter, which discourages taking too much. Once you decide you want to use herbs, you are still left with some key questions. Which herbs? And how do you use them? Here is a list of common safe and effective herbs to choose from, along with some information about the conditions they treat that you can consider.

1. Ephedra

In addition to its decongestant value, Chinese ephedra has a long history of use in Asia as a coffeelike stimulant. Recent studies have also shown that ephedra boosts metabolic rate - the speed at which the body burns calories. As a result, it has shown some benefit as a weight-loss aid, but only in those who are significantly overweight. Ephedra can also increase heart rate and blood pressure, so do not use it if you have high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes or glaucoma. You should also not take ephedra if you have thyroid problems. In fact, ephedra has been shown to be harmful when taken improperly and should not be used by anyone with health problems. If you want to take ephedra or any product containing ephedra, you should discuss it with your doctor.

2. Ginseng

Prized above gold for thousands of years, ginseng root has been Asia's most revered tonic. It was viewed as an aphrodisiac that strengthens the body, enhances health and aids longevity. Early Jesuit missionaries in Canada discovered American ginseng in 1704 and made a fortune shipping it to China. The herb was eventually discovered growing as far south as Georgia, and it quickly became one of the American colonies' most valuable exports, until the overcollection just about wiped it out. Today Amercian ginseng is farmed in Wisconsin. Most of the crop is shipped to Asia. Evidence is mounting that the herb helps the body resist illness and damage from stress. Studies show that ginseng stimulates the immune system, helps reduce cholesterol levels, protects the liver from toxic substances and increases stamina and nutrient absorption from the intestines. Asian Olympic athletes take it regularly to boost their performance.

3. Ginger

Scientific research has shown that ginger fights nausea better than the over-the-counter anti-nausea drug Dramamine. This root herb does more than simply soothe the stomach, however. An ancient Indian proverb says, "Every good quality is contained in ginger." Well, not quite, but studies show that it also boosts the immune system's ability to fight infection. And like garlic, it lowers blood pressure and cholesterol and helps prevent the blood clots that trigger heart attack.

4. Rosemary

Long before refrigeration was available, the ancients noticed that wrapping meat in crushed rosemary leaves preserved it and imparted a tasty flavour. To this day, the herb remains a favourite addition to meat dishes, and its preservative action led to its use in herbal medicine. Meats spoil in part because oxidation turns their fats rancid. Rosemary oil retards spoilage and compares favourably with the commercial preservatives BHA and BHT. Rosemary' s preservative action may help prevent food poisoning at your next picnic. Mix the crushed herb into burger meat and tuna, pasta and potato salads. Rosemary also helps soothe the stomach.

5. Aloe Vera

In ancient Egypt (1500 B.C.), the Ebers Papyrus recommended aloe vera for skin problems, and the world has been using this herb ever since. Chinese, Greek, Roman and Arab herbalists recommended it for wounds, burns, rashes and hemorrhoids. During the 1930s, radiologists discovered aloe vera's effectiveness in treating radiation burns. The latest studies show that the herb has clear value in treating minor cuts, scrapes and burns.

6. Chamomile

When Peter Rabbit ate himself sick in McGregor's garden and got chased out at the wrong end of a hoe, his mother gave him chamomile tea, a traditional remedy for indigestion, anxiety and wounds. Peter's mom was a wise woman...er, bunny. German herbalists once used chamomile so extensively, they called it alles zutraut, "capable of anything." That is an exaggeration, but recent studies show that this popular beverage herb does indeed calm jangled nerves, relieve stomach distress, prevent ulcers and speed their healing and help fight infection by stimulating the immune system. Chamomile tea is an excellent home remedy for indigestion, heartburn and infant colic. It also has mild relaxant and sedative properties.

7. Garlic

After ephedra, garlic is considered the world's second oldest medicine. The oldest surviving garlic prescription, chiselled into a Sumerian clay tablet, dates from 3000 B.C. The ancient world revered garlic as a virtual panacea, but none loved it as deeply as the Egyptians who consumed so much that the Greek historian Herodotus called them "the stinking ones." As the centuries passed, Europeans hung braided garlic plants from their doorsteps to keep evil spirits at bay - a custom echoed today in the garlic braids that adorn many kitchens. During World War I, army doctors used garlic juice quite effectively to treat wounds and dysentery. After the war, scientists discovered why it worked: When chewed or chopped, garlic is a potent natural antibiotic. In fact, ten medium cloves pack approximately the same antibiotic punch as a typical dose of penicillin. Garlic also has antiviral properties. Garlic is a useful herb. It can help protects against stomach cancer and reduces risk of heart disease by lowering blood pressure, reducing cholesterol and decreasing the likelihood of blood clots that can trigger heart attack.

Raymond Lee Geok Seng is one of the foremost experts in the health and fitness industry and is a writer specializing in body health, muscle development and dieting. He has spent countless of time and efforts conducting research and share his insightful and powerful secrets to benefit men and women all over the world. He is currently the author of the latest edition of "Neck Exercises and Workouts." Visit http://www.bodyfixes.com for more information.