Tag Archives: health care

Healthcare Reform: What Does It Mean For You?

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With all the controversy surrounding Obama’s new healthcare bill, you might be wondering how the new laws will affect pregnant women and their care. Several parts of this bill will benefit both mothers and midwives. Currently, maternity coverage is included in most group insurance plans. That is a good thing, but that means that decent maternity coverage is tied to employment. For those who are self-employed or unemployed, or those working for smaller companies that do not provide group insurance policies, acquiring good maternity coverage is a lot more complicated. Most private insurance plans do not include maternity. It must … Continue reading →

Medicine Cabinets and Toddlers

What’s in your medicine cabinet? If you have a toddler, the American Academy of Pediatrics has a list of items you should have stocked in your medicine cabinet, including: Thermometer: Pediatricians recommend that you invest in a rectal thermometer, as it provides the most accurate readings. However, most doctors also realize that many parents are weary of using one, so they suggest taking your toddler’s temperature in a way that you feel most comfortable. Be warned, though, digital ear thermometers are notoriously inaccurate. What’s more, trying to cajole a sick tot into holding an oral thermometer under his tongue or … Continue reading →

Medical Bills and Bankruptcies

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A recent study funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation took a look at the connection between medical bills and bankruptcies in the United States. The results at a glance: More than 62 percent of bankruptcies in 2007 were related to medical bills. This is an increase of approximately fifty percent since 2001. More than three-quarters of families who declared bankruptcy due to medical bills DID HAVE health insurance but were still overwhelmed by medical debt. More than ninety percent of people with medical debt owed more than five thousand dollars. In many cases, the amount of medical debt was … Continue reading →

Location Has a Bearing on Health Care

Different regions of the world — or even of a particular country — tend to have different types of health problems and health care strengths and weaknesses. Look at the United States, for example. The Midwest and the South tend to have the highest rates of morbid obesity in the nation. The Northeast is known for female-friendly care: women get more frequent Pap smears and mammograms there than in the rest of the country. So how does location affect the care you get (and the money you spend on health care)? Studies from Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center took a look at … Continue reading →

Senior Missionary Series – Doctor Visits

After talking things over with your bishop and stake president, you’ll want to schedule your doctor visits. The Church needs to make sure you’ve been given a clean bill of health before sending you out in the field. Your dentist – you’ll need to make an appointment to see your dentist. Your teeth might feel fine right now, but you may have some cavities just waiting to happen. Your dentist can tell you which teeth are starting to decay and take care of them now. It’s much better to do it this way than to get clear out into the … Continue reading →

Sick Time for the Entrepreneur

It is tough to take sick time when you are the only employee. There, I’ve said it. I know that many of us thought that sick time wouldn’t be an issue when we started our own businesses–we wouldn’t have to keep track of sick days, or call in to any human resources department when we weren’t felling well. But the fact is, sickness can be an even bigger issue in a small home-based business since we might not take the down time when we need it and there isn’t anyone to cover for us if we “call in sick.” The … Continue reading →

Five More Ways to Save Money on Health Care

Health care is expensive! With a little time and effort on your part, you can save bucks on your health care without sacrificing quality. Negotiate your billing arrangement with your doctor. If you are having hard time financially, talk directly to your doctor. Usually, the people who choose to become doctors do so because they want to help people and make a difference in the world. If your doctor goes to bat for you with the billing folks, you may get a break. It might not be easy to ask for help, but it may be worth it in the … Continue reading →

Five Ways To Save Money on Health Care

Health care costs are higher every year. For the last six years, costs have gone up an average of nine percent annually! But you don’t have to just take the costs — there are ways to save money on health care without missing out on the treatments, tests, and medications you need. Shop around for tests. Different labs and clinics can have very different prices for the same tests; for example, a CT scan can cost anywhere between $500 and $1500. Shopping around can save you between 20 and 66% on the cost of a test. What you need to … Continue reading →

Save Money on Your Health Insurance

Health insurance seems to get more expensive every year. It also feels as though they are covering less each year. There are several things that you can do or consider in order to save money when it comes to health care. Your decisions really should be based on your personal situation in regards to you and your family’s health and financial condition. One option is to purchase insurance through your employer. This is a good option, because the insurance rate will not jump up if you become sick. It will increase as a group plan a little every year, but … Continue reading →

Where is our Fitness Blog Week in Review?

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Unfortunately, the craziness this week precluded a lot of fitness articles to cover for the fitness blog. We did take a look at exercise styles, but this week just didn’t lend itself to focusing on fitness as much as I would like. What Did We Do? My daughter and I did two miles per day on our bikes. We also went out for a couple of long walks. They celebrated field day on Monday and water slide day on Wednesday. She came home from school pretty tired, but excited at the same time. We spent one afternoon planning what we’re … Continue reading →