Why Health Care Reform Is So Difficult in the United States

Why is it so hard to change the American health care system? And so much easier to change other countries’ systems?

I pondered this question recently while attending the Commonwealth Fund’s International Symposium on Health in Washington where our latest survey comparing primary care in eleven countries was discussed. I heard presentations describing changes that have been, or are being, implemented in England, France, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. In some cases, these are fundamental reforms in how medical care is delivered and how providers are reimbursed. Many of these countries can demonstrate real improvements in the quality of care and efficiency in their systems.

Evidence of how much more difficult it to improve this country’s system is provided by the OECD data from nineteen countries on the number of “deaths amenable to medical care,” that is deaths that could have been prevented by appropriate medical care. It is bad enough that the United States has dropped to last place – with the highest proportion of preventable deaths – of all nineteen countries measured. The data also show that all the other eighteen countries had lowered the number of preventable deaths over five years by much more than this country’s modest 4% improvement.

I would suggest that all of the following are reasons why it is easier, in some countries much easier, to reform their systems than it is to change ours:

1. Their systems are so much simpler. Ours is much more complicated with our “thousand points of payment,” Medicare, Medicaid, Kaiser, the VA, the Mayo Clinic, HMOs, PPOs, and millions of employers and their different health plans.
2. They already have universal coverage, so they can focus on improving quality, efficiency and cost containment without a huge ideological debate about the roles of government and the private sector.
3. They have parliamentary systems, where their governments can usually win the votes of a majority of legislators and only a simple majority is needed. It is much, much harder for an American president to win enough votes in both houses of Congress, including a filibuster-proof sixty votes in the Senate, for controversial new legislation.
4. Lobbies, representing special interests, are much more influential in this county.
5. The power of money; elected officials in most other countries do not have to raise larger sums of money for their campaigns, and are therefore much less beholden to industries or professional groups.
6. They only need a bare majority of votes in their legislatures. None of them have anything like the US Senate’s ability to filibuster.

Another factor that may also make a different is the influence of partisan news networks, especially Fox News, and of talk radio, that spread emotional and often misleading arguments, fuel populist feelings and dumb down the debate.

I should note here that the ease with which parliamentary systems can enact major reforms is not always a good thing. After World War II, Britain’s Labour government nationalized its substantial steel industry. It was then privatized (i.e. denationalized) by the next Conservative government, nationalized again in the 1960s and then denationalized in the 1970s – by which time it had been almost wiped out.

However, when we look at the difficulties our presidents since Theodore Roosevelt have had when trying to pass major health care reforms, one wonders if the uniquely American barriers to change and reform are really desirable.

Voters Want Abortion-Neutral Health Care Reform

A few months ago, I warned that some folks were attempting to misuse healthcare reform to restrict access to abortion. They have come a long way since then, endangering the vital struggle for healthcare — indeed, torpedoing reform is a key goal for many involved in this effort.

Americans oppose using abortion as a means of derailing health care reform and oppose using health care reform as a means of restricting abortion. The more voters find out about what is happening on Capitol Hill with respect to this issue, the angrier they are getting, because language inserted in the House bill will take away coverage for abortion that tens of millions of women already have.

Taking away existing coverage not only violates the public will, but also does fundamental violence to Democrats’ explicit promise that if you like what you have, you will be able to keep it.

In a national survey we conducted for the Women Donors Network, nearly half (47 percent) of the electorate said, “Political differences should not prevent us from moving forward on an otherwise good health care reform plan.” Another 22 percent believe that health care reform should not move forward unless “a woman’s right to choose an abortion is protected.” Only a 26 percent minority believe that health care reform should not move forward unless “we are certain that government money will not be used for abortion.”

Voters clearly oppose the restrictions embodied in the House bill, rejecting even their underlying premise. By over a 20-point margin, voters believe that those who receive partial subsidies should be able to buy plans that cover abortion. By two-to-one, voters would feel less favorably toward a member of Congress who voted to prohibit subsidy recipients from purchasing an insurance policy with abortion coverage.

Indeed, voters’ antipathy to placing abortion restrictions in health care reform is so strong that their inclusion leads voters to oppose reform itself. By a 16-point margin, voters would oppose a health reform plan that prevented private insurance plans from covering abortion.

Debate on the issue strongly favors opponents of abortion restrictions. We presented voters with an argument against allowing coverage of abortion focused around the view that “taxpayer money should not fund abortion.” Matched against an argument in support of covering abortion that suggested, “health care — not politics — should drive” these decisions, 59 percent subscribed to the pro-choice viewpoint and just 36 percent took the anti-choice position.

At a more fundamental level, voters simply do not want Congress making these decisions. Just 14 percent favor Congress and the president making coverage decisions with respect to abortion. Indeed, despite popular disdain for insurance companies, twice as many would prefer they decide whether to cover abortion instead of having politicians make that determination. A significant plurality (43 percent) support empowering an independent commission to make coverage decisions on abortion.

Americans do not want reform to be an excuse for tightening restrictions on abortion or for taking away health coverage millions already have. Nor do they want an abortion debate to stop reform. Voters want an abortion-neutral health care reform.

The way out of this conundrum is clear to voters, if not to legislators. A compromise offered by Rep. Lois Capps (D-CA) enjoyed majority support and was fully acceptable to the small minority that favors further restrictions on abortion. What opposition there was to the Capps compromise came primarily from pro-, not anti-choice voters. Nonetheless, the House swept it away in favor of language much more drastic and deeply unpopular.

The Capps language affords an opportunity to untie the Gordian knot in favor of the anti-choice forces, but does so in a way that is at least minimally acceptable to the pro-choice majority.

Coal in Your Christmas Stocking?

Is there anyone left, on either side of the political spectrum, who wants the Senate health care bill to pass?

Republican Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour had this to say about the Senate bill last week, “This health care plan is like mackerel in the moonlight. Longer that it's out there, the more that it stinks.”

And yesterday, MoveOn said this about the Senate Democratic health care bill in an email to its members, "America needs real health care reform—not a massive giveaway to the insurance companies. Senator Bernie Sanders and other progressives should block this bill until it's fixed."

When Haley Barbour and MoveOn are saying about the same things—this bill should be stopped in its current form albeit for very different reasons—that says a lot.

Weight Loss Simplicity: Don’t Diet

Losing weight has become a favorite pastime in the West, and more and more of a preoccupation in the East also. The effects of the western diet and lifestyle have been devastating for the weight management and healthy living of almost all people touched by it. The ever increasing availability of instant, often over processed and nutrient deficient food, to the daily commutes we make from one location of idleness to another, all while sitting down in the comfort of a car have had huge impact on obesity and general lowered the amount of physical activity that a person is faced with.

Losing weight and being thin, in contrast to these norms, is still seen as the only way to be, and the pressure society places on this ideal is immense. Everywhere you look, in the media, and even in interpersonal expectation, thin is in. In a society that places heavy emphasis on weight control while at the same time places every obstacle possible in your way at the same time can be very frustrating, and is probably one of the main reasons diets fail.

There are many options out there for the person trying to lose weight. There are the usual options of a good diet and exercise, and then there are the extra provided options of binge diets, herbal supplements, drugs, and even surgery. The sad fact is that while many people opt for the instant options such as binging, drugs, or surgery, the duration of weight loss is usually short lived, though dramatic. The risks to health are much higher than if pursuing to lose weight with a healthy diet and exercise and the end effect is a diminished health, relapse into weight gain, loss of energy and resources put into the attempt, and a further shattered self esteem, making coming back from setback even harder than before on many different levels.

The best way to lose weight is to start a healthy and active lifestyle, not just go on a diet. If you make consistent, health improving changes to your life and stick with them, no matter how small, the accumulated effect will be healthy weight loss that sticks, instead of yo yo diet failure or added health risks with few positive results. Knowing what you put into your body is the first step to controlling your diet, and the first step in exercise is to find simple activities to replace inactivity, such as walking to the market instead of driving. Simple changes in lifestyle are more effective in weight loss than inconsistent workouts and dieting attempts of any level.

Weight Loss The Herbal Way

Western society has a never-ending obsession with weight, while at the same time producing the most obese populations on the face of the planet with no side of subsiding the trend.

This strange irony has led to the multitude of products and services that are promoted to the public in order to help them with their weight loss dilemma. Everything from hypnotism, pharmaceuticals, to surgery has been offered as the sure fire solution to your overweight woes.

One often overlooked method of encouraging weight loss is the use of herbal supplements.

Our emphasis on getting what we want when we want it has created a society of “have it now”. While the positive effects of both natural and synthetic treatment are the same, many opt for the fast results of drugs or surgery at the risk of increased complication, and even death. One alternative to these risks is to opt for a sane progress schedule and the elimination of several of the risks involved with other options through the use of herbal weight loss products.

The use of natural foods and herbal products to control weight should be approached as any other medical decision. When used with physically altering goals, certain herb, though generally safe, may still produce side effects in certain individuals. as many herbal weight loss supplements and products are a combination of more than one ingredient, it is wise to read the label and decide if its contents are going to promote your personal weight loss goals or conflict with any medications you might take or conditions that you might have.

Many of the dietary supplements on the market contain one or more of the following ingredients:

Senna, a natural laxative is often one of the main components in herbal dietary supplements. They promote quick weight loss by stimulating the colon. Be aware that if using Senna, you should monitor to make sure you have a proper water intake, or dehydration may become an issue.

Some dietary supplements contain Chromium Picolinate. This is not a natural but a chemical additive, and has been known to cause genetic problems in high doses. It is best to be avoided if possible, but safe to use at recommended doses in most cases. The risk of dehydration is also a factor in its use, so you should drink plenty of water.

St John’s Wart is also very popular in dietary herbal supplements. This herb is not only used in weight loss solutions, t has shown promise in helping to promote cognitive ability. If abused however, the eyes and skin might become irritated, stomach ache may result, or fatigue may set in after ingestion.

Although Dietary supplements can be found in a variety of forms, two sources of natural weight fighting in their rawest forms are green tea, and organic food. Green tea has long been used to promote enhanced digestion and weight control, and the chemical application or use of chemicals in processing of non organic food can sometimes affect the ability for the body to process food correctly and efficiently.

The Two Ingredients For Weight Loss Success: Persistence & Patience

One of the most common mistake that people make that leads to weight loss failure is to chase fast weight loss solutions.

Whether it is in the supermarket in the magazine rack, or on late night television, everyone is talking about the best ways to loose weight at an extremely fast rate. They tell you tahat they personally lost 5-10 pounds a week for a total of over a hundred pounds with the use of the advertised product or technique solution. While they disclose the fact that the results that they discuss are not typical, the want of such a product to work for you can often get you to ignore this fact and palce your hopes on getting a miracle in return for your hard earned cash. What you are often overlooking is the fact that diet results are reliant on several variables, and the variables that contributed to the weight loss on the screen may not have even had anything to do with the drug or weight loss program that they are promoting. These testimonials are very good at getting desparate people to part with their money, but do very little to tell the average person what effect the use of the product shown will have on their weight loss success.

Healthy, permanent weight loss depends on a consistant and positive change to ap erson’s lifestyle over a prolonged period of time to be effective.

A large percentage of dieters will fail due to giving in to the slick sales messages of commercial powers that pry on laziness. By targeting consumers that they know have trouble with the two ingredients for dieting success, pesistance and patience, they can market differnet products to those wishing to lose weight while keeping them inoerpetual need of another solution, one that they will readily and eagerly provide.

Both history and medical science have shown that the only consistantly proven way to lose weight and keep it off is to eat the proper foods in the proper amounts, and to increase physical activity to burn calories and keep the body from storing excess enery as fat. Though some people might find extra support or metabolic advantage from taking herbal suppliments or following a specific dietary regimine, without these two factors, and the will power to control them on an ongoing basis, any fast weight loss solution will ultimately end up in temporary, minmal weight loss with the highest health risks.

Sexy Hair Care Tips

We all know that managing hair is an everyday routine. Regardless of what style of hair you may have, curly, thick, frizzy, thin, etc. There are many simple easy ways to manage healthy, strong, and sexy hair.

Our hair styles vary so managing your hair is requires a unique approach.

These sexy hair tips will be come in handy when it comes to maintaining a healthy, shiny, and strong head of hair for anyone. Did you know that in chemical terms your hair is 90% A-Keratin and 10% water? Even when hair is dead it is still quite strong, except when it’s wet. Wet hair is actually a lot more fragile than dry hair.

The difference between straight and curly hair has a lot to do with a further chemical component.

The A-Keratin and other proteins in your hair help to form a bond, created by the sulfur atoms which are found the A-Keratin and the proteins within your hair. With that said, this chemical makeup is what determines if you have a head of curly hair or a head of straight hair.

Detangling long hair is a well known problem.

Detangling your hair before shampooing or getting it wet will be very helpful. Another helpful tip is that when showering try rinsing your hair with cold water. While rinsing your hair, using a downward stroke with the hands is another effective way to eliminate the tangling problem with long tangled hair.

Conditioning more on the ends of your hair is effective approach to eliminate split-ends.

After washing your hair, follow up with a hair dryer. After that, instead of brushing, run a wide tooth comb through your hair for a sexy appeal. All of the available artificial electrical appliances are effective but if your hair gets too hot, it will become even more brittle which makes it easy to break causing the ends to split.

Tips for sexier fine hairstyles

A helpful tip to give your fine hair a sexy look is to keep it cut short, as layering fine hair will only make it thinner. Fine hair is limp and unable to carry the weight of longer hairstyles.

Once again, avoiding use of any excessive heat from curling irons and blow dryers will help hair from becoming easy to break. The breakage of hair will result in split ends, and with this tip, you will minimize the risk of making your hair a victim of split ends.

Using effective and healthy shampoos as well as hair care products is another step towards having sexy hair.

Make sure that you read the labels of any hair care products that you use, this will help you become aware of what your hair is being exposed to. By minimizing the amount of hair spray or hair gel that you use, you will be able to keep your hair away from the risk of drying out.

If you’re looking for sexy and stronger hair, these tips will help you with obtaining that hair care goal. Good luck in your quest for sexy hair.

Don’t Wait For Baldness To Occur In Order To Gain Control of Hair Loss

Often the loss of hair can be controlled, or even stopped in its tracks and reversed, if it is caught early enough. With recent technological advances in hair care, especially in the area of male pattern baldness, the ability to slow down the rate of hair loss, stop it, and even re-grow hair is a medical fact. Feeling that your only options are hair pieces, spray products or surgery are a thing of the past. Hormonal and medicated creams and lotions, as well as ingested medication are now available on the market that can bring back a healthy head of hair with early detection.

There are many reasons for hair loss and several variables in a person’s life that could be a contributor. Hereditary considerations, environmental factors such as workplace chemical exposure, or even personal medications could be affecting your hairline, producing showing areas of scalp where hair used to be. Catching hair loss before it completely takes hold can often alarm you to needed changes in lifestyle that could be taken, such as protective equipment, medication changes, or even more serious hormonal issues that with the help of medical attention could be corrected, and thus eliminating your hair loss problem.

If the reason for your hair loss is not environmental, but in fact hormonal, or otherwise medical, often a combination of an oral medication, paired with a topical solution for the scalp has shown to produce the best results when trying to halt, or re-grow hair. Changes in diet and otherwise indulging in a healthy lifestyle, including exercise and stress reduction have also been shown to have influence on treatment progress and successful hair re-growth.

Seeking the advice of your doctor early can also have the added benefit of not ever having to make up for lost ground. If you are able to catch the problem and have it arrested or even reversed as early as possible, then the frustration of having to regain hair that has already fallen out can be lessened, and the chances of saving more hair from being lost to begin with can be increased. To be proactive now, getting into a medication and application routine as soon as possible, could save you from the incredible trouble and high expense of having to take more drastic measures in the future

Archive for category Hair Care

Women aren’t the only ones that want to look their best; men are becoming more and more conscious of their looks as far as their skin, hair, and other cosmetic issues.

The first thing you need to do is make sure you are eating a healthy diet, the healthier your body is inside, the healthier your exterior will be.

Taking care of your hair is a multifaceted venture. Stress can cause such things as hair loss and graying, make an effort to deal with your stress by exercising, doing different yoga exercises, to relieve stress. Get yourself a massage, this will get your blood moving and help to remove impurities from your tissues including your hair follicles. Add to that the use of shampoo and conditioner containing moisturizers and you will help your hair maintain healthy vigor.

Skin care for men is as important as it is for woman. This means protecting it from UV rays, harsh chemicals, and any other of the many abuses men inflict upon their skin. Wear gloves if you’re dealing with harsh chemicals, put on UV rated sun screen if you intend to be out in the sun, even in the winter and treat your skin to a good moisturizing lotion.

This type of care will go a long ways towards keeping you younger looking no matter how old you are

Why Don’t More Doctors Discuss Vaccines With Their Patients?

In the push to get Americans vaccinated against both the seasonal flu and the swine flu, infectious disease experts and public health officials are also sounding the alarm about continuing low rates of adult vaccination for a host of other preventable diseases, as I write in my latest column.

Despite evidence that vaccines are among the most cost-effective ways to prevent disease, studies show a pretty high level of ignorance on the part of patients — and a failure by many physicians to discuss vaccines with their patients, let alone administer the ones recommended by the CDC. “Often adults aren’t aware of vaccines, and if you ask them why they haven’t received a vaccine, they will say their doctor didn’t recommend it, so they didn’t ask for it,” Carol Freidman, associate director for adult immunizations at the CDC, tells the Health Blog.

For doctors, it often comes down to costs. In a survey by CDC’s vaccine advisory group, 85% of physicians said they believe reimbursement for immunization is inadequate, and a barrier to their practice. Many insurers don’t cover all adult vaccines, there is no national program to cover adult vaccinations for the underserved and Medicare’s coverage is spotty and complicated: Part B covers influenza, pneumoccocal and hepatitis B vaccines while Medicare Part D covers the zoster vaccine for shingles. Many doctors end up referring patients to public health clinics or retail clinics for vaccines, which may result in missed or delayed immunizations.

, which advises the federal government, is weighing some new recommendations to finance vaccines — such as a mandate to cover vaccines for all public and private health plans and a federal subsidy to pay for them. Freidman says an adult immunization advisory group is also looking at how to help doctors do a better job of immunizing their patients. Among the strategies that may work: mail or telephone reminders for patients to come in for needed shots, and awareness campaigns that educate healthier adults about their risks of passing disease on to vulnerable family members.

Electronic medical records could also help nudge doctors by popping reminders into patient’s charts and generating feedback about the percentage of a doctor’s patients who have been vaccinated or still need to be.

The push to get swine flu vaccines out to patients may prompt physicians to check their patients’ medical records and get them up to speed on other vaccines they need, especially the pneumoccocal vaccine that can prevent the serious bacterial infections that are a primary cause of complications and death from the flu. “The pneumococcal vaccine is seriously underutilized and we wish physicians would take the opportunity to recommend it now,” says William Schaffner, chair of the department of preventive medicine at Vanderbilt University and president-elect of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases.

New Weight Loss Drink Mix… Recipe: Lose Weight Drinking Milk Shakes

Two days ago, after my husband and I finished cutting a customer’s lawn, I got a craving for a milkshake. It’s been so many years since I’ve had one. I couldn’t even think of a place in town that made them.

I went to this icee place and had to settle for a root beer ice cone. I didn’t care for it. It tasted wayyy too sweet. Since I don’t care much for sugar, I wasn’t able to eat it.

When I got home, I still was thirsty for a milkshake. Low and behold I had some Blue Bunny strawberry frozen yogurt in the freezer. I used that large glass in the picture and filled it with ice cream and 2% milk. Wow, was that ever good. In fact, I made myself one of these strawberry shakes two days in a row.

I was feeling guilty about all the calories. I was kicking myself for indulging in such a manner. I decided today to take a look at the calories and sugar I consumed. Ahhh….not as bad as I thought. There are 90 calories in half a cup (I used a cup) and there are 120 calories in 8 ounces of 2% milk (I used 2 cups).

The shake really filled me up and on both days it ended up actually being my lunch. I’m not feeling so bad now. I’m glad to see my indulgence wasn’t as bad as I had orginally thought. This actually could be considered a weight loss drink. It filled me up so I didn’t need any lunch. It kept me full and I didn’t do any snacking before supper.

This is my newest weight loss recipe. It’s funny how I can go from feeling so guilty for indulging to realizing this milkshake is going to help me lose weight. Wow…what a win-win recipe.

Milkshake Pros: Milkshake Cons:

1. Filled me up 1. Over 16 grams of sugar

2. Only 330 Calories 2. No Fiber

3. Zero fat 3. More calories than I usually drink at one time

You should check out the Blue Bunny website. They have information a nutrional guide, recipes, and even a $1.00 off coupon for their ice cream.

It’s time for me to get my grass cutting shoes on….where off to make another customer happy.

Eating Correct Food Portions Help With Weight Loss/Diet

When I decided it was time for me lose weight, I started keeping track of everything I ate. I was very diligent about adding up the calories. I was so proud of myself for keeping such good track of my food and drink intake.

I’d add up my figures at the end of each day and finally have a grand total at the end of the week. According to my figures, I should have been losing at the minimum two pounds a week. It wasn’t happening. It didn’t take me long to get discouraged on my weight loss journey.

I figured out why I wasn’t losing two pounds a week. My calculation of what was a portion size was way off the mark. I wasmaking good food choices but I was eating more than what the National Institutes of Health described as a portion size.

If you use the following list as a guideline when eating, you will be able to successfully track your calorie intake:

1. ONE CUP of PASTA IS = A WOMAN’S CLENCHED FIST.
2. A HALF CUP OF VEGETABLES = HALF A TENNIS BALL.
3. ONE TABLESPOON IS = TWO THUMBS PRESSED TOGETHER. (thumbs up)
4. ONE TEASPOON IS = A THUMB TIP.
5. ONE FRUIT SERVING IS = ONE TENNIS BALL.
6. THREE OUNCES OF MEAT IS = A DECK OF CARDS.

It takes awhile to get acustom to using the correct method of portion size. It’s kind of like bowling, the more you practice, the better you get. I’ve started using smaller plates so it looks like I’m eating more. When growing up, my sisters and I were not allowed up from the table until or plates were clean. I have retained that mentality into adulthood which is partly what has caused me to be overweight. It only makes sense for me to use smaller plates….I can have a clean plate without excess calories.

You know the old saying…..What ever works!!

Best Fast Food For Weight Loss

We live in a fast paced world where food is often consumed while driving down the highway over the speed limit and watching for police vehicles. Fast food restaurants have figured this out and are stepping up to the challenge of providing healthier food to all of the patrons that go whizzing by their drive up service windows.

Panera Bread came in first place for their comprehensive menu offering multiple healthy choices for every meal. Panera Bread also received top honors for their kids menu.

Jason’s Deli, located in the Midwest, came in second. This particular deli has a penchant for organic foods and with this in mind, approximately one fifth of all of its ingredients are organic.

Third place belongs to Au Bon Pain, which has been a pioneer in the idea of healthy fast foods. They serve sandwiches, soups, salads and even hot entrees made with whole grains, veggies and even hormone free chicken.

Noodles and Company doesn’t sound like a name you would expect to make it in a top ten healthy fast food list however this Asian food court eatery makes healthy its business, cutting out all the grease and using soybean oil in their cooking. Which puts them in fourth place.

Corner Bakery Café is a Midwest, Mid-Atlantic, and Southern based café that has a breakfast menu full of healthy choices. It also has healthy salads, sandwiches and soups. They use whole grains, lean meats and vegetables. They also practice portion control. They land solidly in fifth place.

Chipotle takes sixth place followed by Atlantic Bread and McDonald’s takes a surprising 8th place. Einstein Bagels takes ninth place followed by Taco Del Mar. That rounds out the top ten. As with any menu, you will find more and less healthy items in every location.

Think You Are Doing Your Body A Favor By Ordering A Salad?

Many of us believe that eating salad at a restaurant is good for us. Sometimes we may be right but in most cases it is far from the truth. Most coffee shops serve a salad made from iceberg lettuce. This lettuce has no nutritional value, it is very basically fiber held together by water. In the digestive system iceberg lettuce has the nasty habit of turning into a slime that your body then has to break down.

On top of this leafy non-nutritional plate or bowl full, we pour all sorts of different types of salad dressings. Most of these dressings are a creamy sort that is full of fat and sugars. Why do we use these dressings in such large amounts on this particular salad? Because by itself iceberg lettuce has very little taste and this is because, as I said before, it is simply fiber and water.

So next time you think you are going to suffer through a salad in order to feel like you’re doing your body some good, consider this article and maybe decide to go with soup instead. The soup may not be all that good for you but at least you are getting some good flavor for your trouble and you aren’t telling yourself stories.

If a salad is available that has deep green vegetables of all kinds, that one will be healthy for you, but again, dousing it with a large dollop of dressing will negate it’s value to a degree.

Do You Suffer From Anxiety?

Most of us have suffered from some sort of anxiety during our lifetime; many of us suffer from it much more often. Anxiety produces a large number of different symptoms. Some people become obsessive compulsive, washing their hands over and over again, even though they know they are already clean. Maybe they feel uneasy about something, don’t know why, and see that other people are not affected. Maybe the anxiety is about a certain thing like riding an elevator or crossing a bridge or even going to a social event.

Panic attacks are an intense fear that lasts a short period and are more intense than any other type of anxiety. Phobias are also a type of anxiety where the person suffers unwarranted fears.

When suffering from these types of problems a victim will often ask what the matter is with them. This can just intensify your anxiety and possibly your symptoms. Anxiety is considered one of the most common afflictions people suffer from and it can be so strong that it can have a limiting affect on a person’s entire perspective and life.

If you are suffering a debilitating form of anxiety it is a good idea to find a qualified professional that will allow you to interact with an openness and honesty that will allow you to recover.

What You Might Not Know About OCD

Many people suffering from OCD will not seek help even if they have known for a long period of time that they have a problem. Since therapy is a crucial part of treating OCD, this is detrimental to the person’s healthy life.

It can be hard to find a professional that has an insight and understanding of OCD that also has the strength to keep you moving forward.

Once you find a qualified professional, you will not get full benefit of their help unless you follow their advice. If you have questions, make sure you have them answered to your satisfaction and understanding. Once you are aware and understand what is expected of you, you will need to trust that person well enough to follow their instructions. Give the therapist feedback; while you are not a therapist, you are the only person that truly knows how the therapy is affecting you. Your therapist may not fully understand the effects of OCD because they’ve never had it; however, they have been trained to a certain extent and their interaction with you will allow them to tailor their therapy to your needs.

You may begin to feel that the psychiatrist is your friend and your confidant, but there are boundaries that can never be crossed in that relationship. The relationship is a professional one and no inappropriate behavior should be accepted from either party. If you lose trust in your therapist then you might consider finding another one. Follow your needs and your judgment, however, don’t discount the therapist because you don’t want to follow the therapy.

New Blood Thinners in the Spotlight at Heart Meeting

The annual European Society of Cardiology meeting begins this weekend in Barcelona, and here are three key late-stage trials on different anti-clotting agents from big drug makers that are headlining the session:

1) RE-LY: This large study examined the safety and efficacy of Boehringer Ingelheim’s investigational anti-clotting therapy, Prodaxa, against the current gold standard, warfarin, for stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation, a heart condition that affects 2.2 million Americans. Some 18,000 patients with non-valvular AF and at least one other risk factor for stroke, such as a previous stroke, heart failure or high blood pressure were followed for at least one year in this long-term study.

2) PLATO: AstraZeneca will reveal the complete data from this head-to-head comparison between Brilinta, its experimental anti-platelet, anti-clotting drug, and Bristol-Myers’s multi-billion-dollar blockbuster Plavix. In May, AZ announced that Brilinta wasstatistically superior to Plavix in preventing cardiovascular events in patients with acute coronary syndrome, so the safety profile may be more of the focus at the conference, writes Credit Suisse analyst Catherine Arnold in a research note. Good news for AZ could mean pressure on Eli Lilly and Daiichi Sankyo as well, since the FDA approved their anti-platelet medication, Effient, in July. One advantage of Brilinta is that its effects are quickly reversible.

3) OASIS-7: Bristol-Myers is investigating whether higher doses of Plavix early in a treatment regimen, along with a regimen of aspirin, will reduce cardiovascular outcomes and bleeding in patients with acute coronary syndrome who might undergo coronary angioplasty. Arnold thinks the higher dose of Plavix will prove more effective than a lower dose, but notes that the trial doesn’t address the issue of Plavix resistance, which affects 30% of the population.

Visualization For Weight Loss -Can It Help You To Lose Weight?

Have you tried visualization for weight loss? If you are not familiar with visualization, it may sound like a strange or mysterious technique, but it isn’t really.

Visualizing is something that has been proven effective for any goal or desire, including weight loss.

Visualization takes advantage of how our brains operate. The fact is, your brain does not know the difference between what is really happening and what you are imagining. This may be hard to believe, but it’s been proven. One way this has been shown is by experiments with athletes. Athletes such as basketball players were found to gain just as much advantage from visualizing success in performing a certain task as by physically practicing it.

You can use the same principle in your weight loss goals. It’s a little different from playing basketball, but your mind is still going to do the same basic thing -imagine what it is you want to create. In this case, you want to have a picture in your mind of how you want to look and feel. Practice this for short periods, between five and ten minutes, at least twice per day. Early in the morning and before bed are the best times, but it’s beneficial to practice visualizing anytime you can.

Don’t be concerned about having photograph-like pictures in your mind. If you have a visual mind and this comes naturally, great. However, if you are less visual, you can focus more on how you feel. Imagine how great it feels to look in the mirror and look the way you want; how others look at you with admiration; how you feel walking down the street, etc.

The key to success with visualization is practice and consistency. Anyone can spare a few minutes every day to visualize, but it’s easy to forget. So set aside time every day and really do it! The only preparation is to relax. Sit or lie down and take a few slow, deep breaths. Then close your eyes and visualize. That’s all there is to it!

Some people, when they learn about visualization, ask, “Does this mean I don’t have to exercise or watch what I eat anymore?” Unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way. Visualization is something that is meant to help you in changing your overall lifestyle and habits. When you make it a daily practice, you will find yourself naturally drawn to actions that will help you lose weight. You will, conversely, find yourself less drawn to unhealthy and fattening foods. So don’t think of visualization as something you do in place of other sensible and helpful practices. Think of it as a way to make your overall weight loss plan easier and less stressful.

Walking To Lose Weight -A Simple But Effective Method

Walking to lose weight is a simple but powerful method that can help with your long term weight loss goals. Walking is a natural, safe and enjoyable exercise that can be done in almost any environment. While it doesn’t burn up calories as quickly as strenuous activities such as running, jogging or riding a bicycle, it can be surprisingly effective.

Walking is perhaps the most natural physical exercise you can do. Long before there were automobiles or bicycles -and even before humans domesticated horses to ride on- walking was the way people got around. In recent years, the sad fact is that many people only walk when they absolutely have to. They may see walking as something you do to get from your car to the store, or from your driveway to the house. If this describes you, and your goal is to lose weight and get healthier, it may be a good idea to change the way you see walking.

The great thing about walking is that you can easily start at your own pace and gradually speed up. You can also practice walking almost anywhere. If you live in the city, you can walk on sidewalks or in a park. If you live closer to nature, you can walk on wooded or mountain trails. If you live in the suburbs, you can still find either sidewalks or a public track. You can, of course, get machines that allow you to walk in place indoors. This can be good for bad weather, or for people with physical limitations that make it hard to leave the house. Otherwise, it’s good to also walk outside when you can. The surroundings make it more interesting and it’s good to get fresh air as well (unless you live in a badly polluted city).

The key to getting the most benefit from walking is to do it consistently. Walking, unlike many other forms of exercise, can be done daily with no ill effects. You may want to find a partner or group to make it more interesting and sociable. If you walk alone, you can carry an iPod or other device that allows you to listen to music. Just make sure you are alert to your surroundings at all times.

Walking is also something you can do as it was originally intended -as a way to get from Point A to Point B. You can get into the habit of walking to the store instead of driving. If you go to a large mall or a downtown area, you can park your car once and walk to all of your destinations rather than driving to each one. Even if you work in an office you can take more walks around the building during breaks or lunch.

Losing weight is an equation with two main variables -calorie intake and calorie burning. Walking can help with burning calories, but you also have to pay attention to your intake. You don’t have to go on an extreme starvation diet, but if you are taking in more calories than you need, you can gradually cut back. If you do this while also increasing your metabolism by walking regularly, you should start to see some results fairly quickly

How Hospitals Could Profit from Health Reform

Hospitals have pledged accept more than $150 billion in pay cuts over the next decade.

But a big hospital trade group says hospitals could receive an additional $171 billion over the next decade in reimbursements for the newly insured, more than making up for those reductions, Bloomberg reports.

The American Hospital Association says the figure was estimated for members of Congress and state hospital associations several months ago. One analyst told Bloomberg that the assessment is “consistent with reality.”

On July 8, the AHA put out a statement, along with the Catholic Health Association of the United States and the Federation of American Hospitals, stating that hospitals will “do our part to get virtually every American covered.” But, the statement warned, “the reductions of $155 billion over 10 years in the framework are substantial, are linked in part to increased coverage and cannot go any deeper without damaging hospitals’ ability to care for their communities.”

In addition to reimbursements from newly insured people, hospitals could gain from the elimination of bad debt from treating the uninsured, a guru at the political and economic advisory firm Washington Analysis told Bloomberg.

But hospitals aren’t likely to see the benefits right away. “The savings that are going to be taken from the hospital industry are likely to begin as soon as this is enacted and the enrollment of the new people under insurance reform is not going to happen until 2013, so there’s going to be a lag until they see the benefits,” Loss said.

Health Insurance Reform Pollings

About eight out of ten Americans favor a public option health insurance plan on the table in Congress right now. This is according to the new poll underwritten by AARP and completed by Penn, Schoen & Berland Associates released Tuesday night at an AARP event in Denver.

While most people seem to favor this public option, only four out of ten can accurately define what a public option health insurance plan means. This is not good news for President Obama who may be facing possible defeat on his health care reform platform.

The poll surveyed 1,000 Republicans, Democrats and independents across the nation earlier in August. The survey does suggest that Americans agree on health care reform of some sort, but there is much less agreement on whether or not it’s worth higher taxes or higher health insurance rates.

Most are still very concerned about having affordable health insurance. 65% oppose tax increases and 73% oppose higher health insurance premiums. This information was found through the Wichita Business Journal in the article “AARP polling shows uncertainties about ‘public option’ insurance in health reform” by Neil Westergaard.

BadgerCare Up For Bid

The state of Wisconsin is planning to require a open bidding process for private health insurance companies which seek to manage the BadgerCare Plus Health Insurance Program

BadgerCare Plus provides health insurance coverage for low-income families with children under 19, but now also offers a health insurance plan with more limited coverage to low-income adults who do not have young children.

In other BadgerCare news, applications for BadgerCare Plus Core (the plan for low-income families without children) have come in more quickly than expected and the state is currently working through the application backlog that has developed in the first two months since its launch. In the first 7 weeks more than 37,000 applications were received and only 5,000 were processed.

State Farm Health Insurance Has a Challenge for America

State Farm Health Insurance is giving America a highly needed challenge. They are challenging Americans to collectively lose 50 million pounds across the nation, according to the article “Insurance agency challenges Americans to lose weight” on wqow.com.

Bob Johnson, an agent at State Farm Insurance, says that the healthier you are the less frequently you visit the doctor which will help lower your health insurance rates over time. There is also the benefit of living a longer, higher quality life the healthier you live. A healthy lifestyle will help you lose weight, have more energy and just feel better overall.

Online registration is available and participants can track their progress throughout the challenge. There is also information on how to lead a healthier lifestyle. State Farm Health Insurance is offering a kit which includes a pedometer and an information booklet. Hopefully America is up for the challenge because obesity continues to be on the rise.

Health Insurance Companies Lack Competition

One of the most popular arguments against a government run health care plan is the lack of competition that would arise among health insurance providers, but according to the article “Competition Lacking Among Private Health Insurance Companies” by Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar on the huffingtonpost.com, private insurance companies already lack sufficient competition.

Studies show that in a number of areas across the country one or two health insurance companies dominate the marketplace. When this happens prices can be driven up since those needing health insurance do not have many options. The Democrats believe that a public health insurance plan would fix this problem since it would directly compete with the private insurers. The Republicans are concerned over the government having that much power.

As Congress tries to figure out the best way to provide health care in this country, it’s important that consumers take matters into their own hands for now. If you are in the market for health insurance get numerous health insurance quotes to ensure you know what’s available out there.