Clipmarks | Marcariel's 'health' clips

U.S. Congress Overrides President Veto on Medicare Issue

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 17:02:44 GMT

clipped by: Marcariel
clipper's remarks: I am one of those who would have been effected by this. Hurray for congress!

Clip Source: www.ama-assn.org

July 15, 2008

today we celebrate that Congress heard the voices of millions of patients and physicians and voted to override President Bush’s veto and protect the health of America

"The 10.6 percent cut in payments to physicians who treat Medicare patients would have been devastating to seniors and the disabled who rely on Medicare for the health care they need, as well as to military families who rely on TRICARE for their health care.

"This congressional debate underscores the need for lawmakers to permanently replace the flawed Medicare physician payment formula so physicians can focus on the real work at hand: taking care of patients.

many patient, physician, and military groups called on Congress to pass this bipartisan bill. The only group opposing the bill was the health insurance lobby

Seniors, the disabled, and military families celebrate with us today as this bill becomes law to protect their access to needed health care.

Tags: congress, presidential veto, medicare, physicians

Health and Poverty - How To Stop Dying In America

Thu, 06 Dec 2007 01:48:40 GMT

clipped by: Marcariel
clipper's remarks: I have many personal testimonies to this article. Poverty leads to many, many health related issues. If you don't have enough money you don't go to the doctor. If you don't go to the doctor you can get worse or continue in ill health. Without money you can't afford to buy medicine when you need it, so your health can decline even more. You don't get enough good food ... you don't exercise ... you can't afford to maintain good dental practices ... you can't afford to get your children proper medical care. You end up with hospital bills in the tens of thousands of dollars that you will never be able to pay.

How are health and poverty related? They are related in every way you can possibly imagine!

Clip Source: healthcommentary.org

When I was a young boy in the early 1950s watching my father care for patients and their families in his office attached to our house, it was clear that his roles as counselor, coach and confidant on a broad range of issues was at least as important as his functions as clinician and scientist.

Now, as a new presidential election approaches, and a change in leadership is assured, the connection between poverty, education and health is coming into sharper focus.

Poverty is on the rise in the United States. It rose overall from 11.3 percent to 12.6 percent from 2000 to 2005.

Except for the top 10 percent, U.S. household income is declining.

Income inequality -- that is, the distance between our richest and poorest citizens -- is rising.

what does this have to do with health? The simple answer? Everything!

the greater your poverty, the more limited your health insurance, the lower your adherence to treatment plans, the more likely you are to forego medicines

these effects compound in children

Tags: health, poverty, medicine, diabetes, disease, children, income

Boomers In Bad Shape?

Sun, 28 Oct 2007 22:01:01 GMT

clipped by: Marcariel
clipper's remarks: So ... are we "boomers" good or not? I am reading it both ways. I have always been healthy, and it says this is a good thing.

I think people who smoke and drink to excess have problems of their own making. I personally think that health can also be a state of mind. If you moan and groan all the time and complain about little aches and pains you will feel bad more often than not.

Interesting, if not slightly contradictory, findings.

Clip Source: www.webmd.com

Baby boomers appear to be heading for retirement in worse shape than their elders born in the years before World War II.

The study shows that baby boomers aged 51-56 report worse health and more pain, drinking, psychiatric problems, and difficulty with daily physical tasks than their predecessors.

This trend portends poorly for the future health of boomers as they age and incur increasing costs associated with health care and medications

The news isn't all bad for baby boomers. Many reported few chronic conditions, little pain, and no physical restrictions or mental problems.

Those reporting good health tended to report high levels of education, good childhood health, and highly educated parents. Smoking and heavy drinking were often noted by unhealthy participants.

Overall, the raw evidence indicates that boomers on the verge of retirement are in poorer health than their counterparts 12 years [earlier],

Tags: health, education, chronic problems, medications, economics

What Makes the Golden Years Golden?

Sun, 28 Oct 2007 21:48:26 GMT

clipped by: Marcariel
clipper's remarks: Hmmmm. Health,wealth, and meaning or purpose makes life golden. Well, two out of three isn't bad! Anyone at any age would wish for these!

Clip Source: www.webmd.com

The keys to a high-quality life after age 60 are health, money, and having a meaningful life

That doesn't mean you have to be in stellar shape, have oodles of money in the bank, or master the meaning of life to be happy in your golden years. But it may be food for thought in shaping your life, no matter how many candles are on your birthday cake this year.

Quality of Life Quiz

To what extent do you find your life to be meaningful?

Do you have enough money to meet your needs?

How satisfied are you with your ability to perform your activities of daily living?

How satisfied are you with your opportunities for physical contact and closeness?

How satisfied are you with the level of intimacy in your life?

How healthy is your physical environment?

How satisfied are you with the conditions of your living space?

Emotional support and purpose in life also mattered. Those factors helped people find meaning in their lives.

Tags: golden years, retirement, boomers, health, wealth, purpose

"Obesity" Olympics? China Joins the Cola Wars

Thu, 13 Sep 2007 15:14:55 GMT

clipped by: Marcariel
clipper's remarks: Here we are sending our corn syrup laden, fat producing colas to China, and they send their poison food over here. Fair trade? Our product makes them fat (which in the long run can kill you from obesity and poor health) and theirs kills outright. Fair Trade?

Seriously ... I feel sorry for their children being introduced to Western culture by destroying their health and becoming addicted to colas. Soft drinks are not one of our better representatives!

Clip Source: blog.healthpolitics.org

One thing is pretty clear if you’re a developing nation, and that is that multi-national marketers have you in their cross-hairs. And for China or India -- with huge populations -- that goes double.

China, of course, is a special case. Whether it be tobacco consumption, an electrical grid fired by dirty coal, a marred food and product safety chain, or infrastructure expansion at rates that make it difficult to manage quality -- in all of these cases, success (translation: economic growth) in the present is being mortgaged with the health of future populations.

One small measure of growth in the wrong direction is the increased ingestion by Chinese citizens of "liquid corn” -- that is, carbonated beverages whose major additive, beyond water, is high fructose corn syrup.

But in the Cola Wars, these things are not taken lightly. There's a lot at stake here: 8 to 10 billion liters in sales by the time the Olympics roll around.

Tags: china, obesity, cola, corn syrup, pepsi, coke

Soon Your Bank Will Have Your Medical Records

Wed, 22 Aug 2007 23:33:43 GMT

clipped by: Marcariel
clipper's remarks: What!? Bank computers will be holding my medical records. And who says I trust my bank with my money!? Hmmmm ... I agree with my 85 year old mother ..."I'm glad I'm on my way out!" Good luck future generations!

Clip Source: blog.healthpolitics.org

Banking On Health

I've been saying for some time that three sectors -- Financial, Technology and Entertainment -- will soon reshape American Health Care. What with? With financial assets, with IT innovation, and with an existing presence in the American home, which will soon be re-engineered for health.

If you need proof, take a look at The Medical Banking Project (MBP). It's a think tank dedicated to improving U.S. Health Care by leveraging existing banking infrastructure. Over 50 million Americans already bank online. MBP founder John Casillas says, "We're linking the banking system into health care so the health care world doesn't have to invest in technology and processes that banks already have spent on heavily." PricewaterhouseCoopers partner David Harris adds, "If you trust your bank with your money, why wouldn't you trust it with your health records?"

Tags: medical, bank, banking, records, privacy

Healthcare Overspending Doesn't Mean GOOD Healthcare

Wed, 11 Jul 2007 18:30:46 GMT

clipped by: Marcariel
clipper's remarks: Personal story: My mother, in a nursing home, was sent to the hospital without my being notified. The nursing home reported to the hospital that she was complaining of "chest pain", neglecting to inform the hospital that she has had a serious fall and struck her head only a few days proir to that. Before I could find out that she had been admitted, the hospital had completed over $20,000 worth of cardiac tests on her (which her health insurance would pay for) for NO REASON. After I found out she was hospitalized and got a chance to speak to her doctor, he performed a simple x-ray and an MRI and found that she had sprains and strains in her chest and spine related to her fall. The doctor was the one who ordered the cardiac testing with no cardiac complaints other than "chest pain". WASTE!!!

Clip Source: www.alternet.org

The Worst Health Money Can Buy

A study of nearly a million Medicare patients (older Americans who receive government-funded health insurance) provides a compelling example of how too much care can cause harm. Medicare patients treated at hospitals that did the most tests and treatment and spent the most money were up to 6 percent more likely to die than patients at hospitals spending the least. In short, more spending, more hospitalization, more technology and more drugs do not necessarily equal better health care.

Why do doctors and hospitals provide too much care in the first place? They are stuck in a dysfunctional system driven by money. Doctors get paid for how much care they deliver -- not how well they take care of their patients. Meanwhile, hospitals are pressured to recoup the expensive investments they've made in pricey technologies and specialists. This means the more care doctors and hospitals provide, the more money they make.

Tags: healthcare, medicare, overspending

Best Health Care Reserved for Congress

Wed, 11 Jul 2007 18:07:25 GMT

clipped by: Marcariel
clipper's remarks: Fat Cats, Fat Wallets, Fat Benefits. The rest of us are on the outside looking in ... and dying for lack of decent health care.

Clip Source: www.alternet.org

The Best Health Care Is Reserved for Congress

In an excerpt from his new book, Practicing Medicine Without a License, Don Sloan, M.D., shows that members of Congress enjoy health coverage with unlimited doctor visits, no deductibles and no co-pays -- all for $35 a month. So what about the rest of us?

Clip Source: www.alternet.org

The group awarded this insurance looks forward to a full pension and continued coverage until their deaths. Quite a few, most in fact, were millionaires before they took on their jobs that got them such a perk. Who gets this coverage? It would be nice if it were the underprivileged or the chronically ill and debilitated or our veterans.

Tags: health care, congress, health, insurance

China: Skin Whitening is All the Rage

Wed, 09 May 2007 02:38:29 GMT

clipped by: cpltaiji
clipper's remarks: Weird! I always liked the Asian skin tone.
But then, look at Japan. Seems all the young girls want to have round eyes now!
Hopefully, this is just a fad and will pass.

Clip Source: chineseculture.about.com

Is the Chinese Love of Lighter Skin Racist?

In China, come home after a hard day's work, turn on the TV, and I guarantee you that on any given night, a third of the television commericials and perhaps half of the infommercials will be dedicated to selling women the magic elixir for lighter skin.

The Chinese are obsessed with light skin, and from casting soap stars to choosing a marriage partner, the preference is clear: the lighter the better.

And it's not just China. Fly West from Beijing to New Delhi, to Lagos, women everywhere are looking for that powder, that cream, that peel that will make them a little bit lighter. Many of these unregulated products will not only damage their skin, but seriously endanger their health.

Tags: life, human interest, health, general interest, drugs, bizarre