Science Horizons

It was July 30th, 1965 when President Lyndon B. Johnson passed an amendment to the Social Security program known as the Medicare Benefit legislation. Medicare is a United States health insurance program for US citizens of at least 65 years of age, or individuals with certain disabilities who are under the age of 65.

U.S. citizens and permanent residents who have worked at least 10 years in employment during which they paid Medicare benefit taxes, and who are at least 65 years old, are eligible to participate in the Medicare benefit coverage.

As a matter of fact, individuals who meet these requirements are enrolled in the Medicare program automatically when they reach the age of 65. Those not eligible for automatic enrollment or who are below 65 years of age are required to apply for the Medicare Benefit program on their own.

The original Medicare benefit program was comprised of Part A, the hospital insurance coverage, and Part B, the medical insurance coverage. Parts C and D have been added to address additional health concerns.

Part A of the Medicare benefit program covers hospital stays of at least 72 hours. It also will pay for stays in a nursing home provided that the nursing home care is related to the hospital stay, the patient requires skilled nursing supervision in lieu of rehabilitation, and the Medicare benefit received in the nursing home is skilled rather than routine. Part A coverage part is usually free, having been paid for by the beneficiary’s periodic payroll tax deductions.

Part B of the Medicare benefit package is optional and offers medical insurance. It covers some of the medical providers and services not covered by Part A. A Part B Medicare benefit can include a doctor’s visit, a laboratory test, an x-ray, a flu vaccination, and certain outpatient procedures, to name a few.

Part B benefits are not free. You must choose whether or not you want Part B, if you do choose you have to pay when you turn 65. $88.50 was the monthly cost of Part B in 2006.

In 1997, Part C of the Medicare Benefit system gave Medicare members the option to receive their care through private insurance plans. These private plans were in place of the Part A/B coverage of the original Medicare benefit plan. Regulations for these private plans were modified in 2003, and they became known as Medicare Advantage or MA plans.

On the 1st of January, 2006, Part D of Medicare was brought into existence. If you were able to get Part A or Part B you were considered eligible to receive the Part D prescription drug plan. Thanks to Part D, you could participate in many Medicare-approved, standalone, prescription drug plans.

This Medicare benefit provided reduced-cost prescriptions. Each prescription drug plan was different and had varying restrictions related to location, participating pharmacies, and drugs covered.

There’s rather frightening evidence that Medicare will be completely bankrupt as early as 2018. It’s simple math, there’s a lot more money coming out of Medicare than there is going in. By 2031 it’s estimated there will be around 77 million people from the Baby Boomer era enrolled in medicare.

Soliel Cross Health benefits, drug, Health, health care, healthcare, hospitals, medicare, medicare benefit, medicare benefits, medicare drug benefits, medicare health benefits, Retirement

We are all very aware that the cost of healthcare is a growing area of concern for a lot of people. And we all have to bear this cost by increased insurance rates and other things. One of the big causes of this increase is malpractice lawsuits against doctors. So if this is such a bit problem, are hospitals doing anything to try to reduce these costs?

One thing that a lot of hospitals have started doing is medical staff credentialing. Credentialing is a process that hospitals use to make sure that a doctor is actually qualified to do any given procedure. If the doctor doesn’t have the credentials he cannot do the procedure in that hospital. This helps to keep unskilled doctors from messing up on procedures they aren’t qualified to do and keeps skilled doctors from overstepping their own knowledge.

So how does medical staff credentialing actually help us besides making sure doctors are qualified? Here are a few ways that it helps you:

First, it cuts down on patient injury by real malpractice. Credentialing keeps unqualified doctors from doing a procedure they shouldn’t be doing. If you don’t have the credentials, you don’t do the procedure.

Secondly, anytime there is a malpractice suit the hospital has to dedicate time and resources into investigating what went wrong. This is an additional expense that can go down if they can reduce the number of malpractice suits.

There are other reasons why credentialing is a good idea, but those are two of the main ones. And with just these two benefits, if there are any hospitals that are not using a medical staff credentialing system, they really should.

Luckily, there are several companies these days that have developed software to help companies keep track of doctor’s credentials. These software programs save time and improve the efficiency of hospital staff members in keeping track of what doctors should be permitted to do in their facility.

While credentialing may not be the only fix to the healthcare system it is definitely a step in the right direction. Costs will continue to go up if nothing is done, so it’s good to see that there are a lot of hospitals that are taking this step.

Jeremy Davis Medicine doctors, healthcare, hospitals, Medicine

Many American’s go through their day to day lives with heavy concerns on their minds. They are those American’s with families who do not have any health insurance.

It’s a tough way to live, always worrying if someone is going to become ill or have an injury which would mean a hospital visit which would be expensive. Insurance coverage would be preferable if they could afford the premiums.

When our citizens don’t have health insurance, they delay treatment on anything unless it’s critical. Doctor’s are not usually an option for the uninsured, the emergency department is where they go to get medical attention.

This is because most doctors don’t want to see them unless they have health insurance or can afford to pay for their services at the time of the visit, and most of those who can’t afford insurance, can’t afford to pay up front either.

At least they know that they can go to the local emergency room for treatment, but usually for conditions that could have been treated in advance and many of which were completly preventable.

Jennifer Thames Medicine a, e, f, Family, family health insurance, h, Health & Fitness, health insurance, health insurance quotes, healthcare, hospitals, i, individual health insurance, Insurance, m, medical, medicare, Medicine, o, physicians, uninsured

The potential for electronic medical records is touted by both health care professionals and representatives in government to cut costs and improve quality in health care. Even with this encouragement physicians are not implementing this change with any speed.

The hospitals also appear to be moving at a snail’s pace in accepting the electronic records system techonology. This reported by the New England Journal of Medicine, reported by the Associated Press.

Nationwide two percent or less of the hospitals have embraced the technology of the electronic medical records, and eight to eleven percent have implemented a starter electronic system, this from the NEJM survey. These hospitals verbalize the problem for moving to electronic records is that it costs lots of money.

Is there a standard software for the electronic records? To actually be useful in the way they should be these systems have to be standardized or at least compatible between providers of health care and the insurance companies.

Encouraging providers to integrate the electronic medical records into their worksites is the aim of the Obama Administration, like the prior Bush Admistration. They have earmarked $19 billion in the American Recovery and Investment Act of 2009 just for this purpose.

Ethan Kalvin Government B, Business, c, Computers, e, electronic medical records, g, Government, h, Health, healthcare, hospitals, l, m, medical, o, Obama, p, physicians, politics_and_government, s, Software

On a daily basis persons toil with their weight. That is factor of the motive that the diet and exercise industry has grown to a multimillion-dollar trade.

For those individuals whose weight has really gotten out of control so that they comprise into the sort of morbidly overweight weight loss surgery is the lifesaving alternative.

weight loss surgery, or gastric bypass surgery, is where the surgeon goes into the sufferer plus separates the tummy in two sections. The earliest part is larger when the subsequent is the extensively smaller pouch.

They are then re-arranged so that the smaller pouch is the patients new true stomach. This smaller stomach actually keeps the patient from eating too much food. This is simply because their stomach cannot handle the extra food. This type of weight loss surgery helps the patient to ingest fewer calories than they will expend on a daily basis.

This causes the sick person to lose significant quantity of weight in the initial couple of months after the weight loss surgery. The sufferer cannot count on fully on the surgery to work out their weight troubles, but they shall as an alternative have to find ou about how to control a healthful diet and fitness arrangement.

Deniss Durrell Blogging alternate, blog, Blogging, blogs, chemical, food, gastric, Health, hospitals, loss, Medicine, surgery, weight

Yesterday The Big Kahuna was merrily driving along the road, over the river and through the woods to grandmas house and all that…when some internal organs started misfiring, causing him to pull over and let out some howls at the moon. Then he headed for the hospital, where he got a little morphine to get over the hump.

And so, for more than a day, he has been in a place where he wouldn’t want to stay, and what could be rather worse is that nobody can tell him what could have gone wrong while he was merrily travelling. It could have been a blood clot, or perhaps, a kidney infection.

It was quite disappointing when the cardiologists couldn’t even tell me what’s wrong, or what could have caused the excruciating pain while I was driving happily. All they could do was to give me a bunch of scary theories. The detail that made sense during that time was that the pain didn’t come from my heart. Although the heart is processing faster than usual, it was just a reaction to the pain I experienced from the right side of my body. I noticed that these cardiologists were just more than ready to conduct any gore operation when a certain circumstance signals them to.

So you can imagine how crushed they were when I asked for a gastro-enterologist. They almost acted as if they had never heard of such a thing. It’s a bit like asking for the doctor from another planet. But were talking about gall bladder, liver, kidneys, and all sorts of other plumbing that ain’t got jack to do with the heart.

I’m not criticizing the cardiologists. A few months ago, they saved my life from a heart attack. It took me only a few days to recover, thanks to them.

However, it would be necessary to know how to speak up, even in a place like the hospital.

It’s the same on the street. If you exude confidence, nobody will ever bother you. But if you walk with your shoulders slumped, looking at the ground, you’re a mark for any mook.

If you carry the right tools, you’ll never have to worry about being confident when you walk down the street. The Big Kahuna 3 are The Runt, Wildfire Pepper Spray, and a Telescopic Steel Baton.

You carry the Runt on your right hip. (If you’re is right handed.) You carry the Wildfire in your left jacket pocket. And you carry the TSB in your back pocket, or wherever you can get to it fastest.

Now for the ladies I would do it this way. Mace Pepper Gun in the hand in the pocket. (Your dominant hand.) The Runt or Hot Shot Stun Gun on the hip. (Not on the purse!) Wildfire as a backup wherever it’s most convenient.

I could recall that there were a bunch of mooks standing by the doorway. They seemed to be eyeing me, like I was going to some other place. If they could have known the things that I have in store for people like them in my closet.

Pretty soon, there would be a kind of unique electro experience they would just never forget.

Nui Kahuna Medicine Education, Health, heart attack, hospitals, Medicine, protection, self defense

They woke me up early this morning, and they told me that I should start on getting myself ready. So, I did the usual daily routine. I brushed my teeth, used some deodorant, and I was ready. These people wouldn’t want me to eat breakfast, because I had to undergo a series of diagnoses again. So, the only thing I got left to do was to watch a movie. I eventually did.

Two hours had already passed, and still I hadn’t gone to my diagnostic tests yet. The nurses told me that there were at least six people who got ahead of my schedule.

Although they wouldn’t want me to eat some food, I still had some some Rice Krispies and a cold bagel.

You can’t beat that to get a good start on the day.

Luckily I had the chance to take a shower. They disconnected all the cables attached on my body. I had to look and feel clean. I’m confined in a single room, which is not really bad. I have the privacy I need, that is, whenever I need to scratch some part of my body, I don’t have to look around first. However, this isn’t my home. I guess, there’s still no place like home.

Last night the started giving me a blood thinner by way of a shot to the gut. For a minute there I thought they were kidding, but that’s where it goes. I may even have to learn how to do this myself, which I ain’t looking forward to. But you find out you’ll do a lot of things to keep ticking.

My stay in the hospital is a rather boring experience. So, there was nothing left for me to do but check on my mailbox. Let me share what one of my emails contained:

Dear Big Kahuna,

I have been working part-time during night-time for me to be able to financially support myself for school. I heard that many people where I’ve been working sometimes have troubles by the time they leave their workplaces for home. I heard about your site from a certain secretary, who I thought was a little nuts. She had purchased at least two items from you, and her convincing powers eventually won me over.

I did check your products, but I didn’t get anything for myself at first. One night, I came across on one of your emails about the Mace Pepper Gun. Something told me that I should purchase one for myself.

The Mace Pepper Gun arrived within a few days. I tested it out, and I usually carried it to wherever I went. I felt more confident than I ever was, and it was a good thing. Just last week, two guys attempted to rob us while we headed for our cars. It was good that my handy Mace Pepper Gun was with me. I hit the hooligans with it, and soon enough, I heard their ear splitting screams because of the pain. They screamed so loud that almost everybody from work worried on what to do with them. I told them that they should go home, and leave the hooligans behind.

We left the robbers screaming on the street.

“Stay aware, alert, and have a plan.”

Truer words were ever spoken.

Jimmy

I’m very thankful for the letter Jimmy. I guess I should send you a Big Kahuna T-shirt soon.

Nui Kahuna Site Promotion hospitals, pepper spray, protection, self defense, site promotion

I spent all day and most of the night waiting on an MRI. The nurses woke me up at 8 AM to get ready to go. I finally got called at 1 AM this morning. (That’s 17 hours later.) I rode through the eerily quiet hallways back to the nuclear med area that is normally bustling with people, and noticed that someone had waxed the floor recently with a high gloss shine.

I believe that the MRI is one efficient diagnostic machine, but it’s no pleasure cruise. I have undergone about four MRIs before, but I am not the kind of person who would just act as if the whole diagnostic process was the best thing for me. Claustrophobics, like me, couldn’t wait for the diagnostics to be over. By the time I arrived at the room, they jammed the earplugs in, and slid the tube in.

I have learned a few mind games to get through the thirty minute experience. On my most recent MRI, at an MRI Center, I got to wear headphones and select whatever music I wanted. I took heavy metal, suprising the technician. I guess he thought I would pick Celia and Kapono. (Think Hawaii.) I don’t know why I picked it myself, because I don’t make it a habit. (Although I do still harbor a soft spot for Led Zeppelin on occassion.)

When they slid me into the claustrophobic tube, I had a quick thought. What would they do when buffet molesters need a diagnostic test like this? What if a certain somebody weighs more than two fifty? Would they need to give him a petroleum jelly shower first, so that the technicians wouldn’t have to worry about squeezing him into the machine? By the time I got into my room, I was not surprised when Oprah was on a weight loss special.

Yesterday afternoon, I had a phone call from my friend, Jeremiah.

He suggested that maybe what I needed was the grande chimicanga plate from his favorite joint just down the street in San Jose. He said if the meds didn’t work I could get a complete colon cleanse for $8.99. I think I’ll save the street medicine as a last resort, but it gave me a pretty good laugh.

And like Jeremiah says, “you need Big Kahuna tools in your arsenal too, because sometimes you don”t want to get your clothes dirty.”

I agree. Not everyone’s a martial arts expert, but even those who are know to play it safe.

Nui Kahuna Politics hospitals, martial arts, MRIs, Politics, self defense

the problem of alcohol abuse and alcoholism is one of our huge health and social problems, ranking along with cancer, heart disease, and mental issues. but, emphasis on the treatment of alcoholism has been greatly neglected and does not reflect the seriousness of the problem.

in the united states, there are from 11 to 15 million alcoholics. the problem of alcoholism affects the individual, ruins his life, and destroys his self-respect. it affects his health, happiness, safety, life span, and family relationships.

alcohol takes its toll in many ways. approximately half of the traffic deaths each year are caused by a driver or pedestrian who had been drinking. at any given time, one-half of those in our jails have been booked on drinking-related charges. also, one-third of the homicides are linked to alcohol abuse, and of all suicides reported, about one-fourth are alcohol-related.

in the word of business, billions of dollars are spent each year due to alcoholism. about one-half of america’s alcoholics are employed and lose about two or three times more workdays per year than the average worker does. also, these workers have about three times more of the off-job accidents than other employees do. they endanger the safety of those around them and affect the morale and efficiency of all the workers.

contrary to what most people think, the main majority of alcoholics are not bums. only five percent of all serious problem drinkers would fall into this area. instead, the problem drinker lives among us. he is able to live and work, but not as effectively and successfully as he could if he were not suffering from alcoholism.

alcoholics are your co-workers, your neighbors, your friends, or maybe even someone you love. in united states, there are more male alcoholics than female alcoholics.

the effects of alcohol happen in stages. during the first stage, it affects their self-control and judgement. in the second stage, their memory, speech, physical reflexes, and thinking are affected.

the third stage finds him in a daze or even a coma. excessive and abusive use of alcohol over a long period of time can result in malnutrition and damage to the body organs, especially the brain and liver. d.t.’s, or as they are sometimes called, the shakes, can occur as the result of damage to the nervous systems.

there is no “one cause” of alcoholism. people seem to use alcohol to get away from something, to relieve anixety, or to help them face their problems. licquor is also used to cover up feelings of insecurity or guilt.

in the early stages of alcoholism it is hard to spot a part time drinker from a hardcore drinker, but there are some clues. these may include things such as promises to quit drinking; frequent drinking to relieve tension; increased tolerance to alcohol; and, changes in personality.

once in the middle state, the drinker usually tries to hide his drinking, and a morning drink is more likely to occur. also, during this time, the signs of drinking are more noticeable especially at work. the drinker finds it tough to feel good, or “high”, regardless of how much they drink.

the person now drinks daily out of necessity. once in the final stages of alcoholism, loneliness, isolation, and distress set in. the problem drinker lives to drink, neglects his health, and suffers personality changes. they are tense, irritable and booze becomes the most important thing in their life.

his health hits rock bottom, and physical weakness is brought on by his abuse of alcohol and the malnutrition that goes with it. the only solution to the problem of alcoholism is for the alcoholic to completely and totally quit drinking and never drink again!

alcoholism is considered a medical problem, and the american medical association urges hospitals to accept alcoholic patients. also, seeking treatment to help the alcoholic re-create his life without the use of alcohol is strongly recommended. restoring the health of the alcoholic is the first step. the second and most difficult step involves the revitalization and well being of the total person. this takes much longer.

the united states is dealing with a major problem–one that shows signs of increasing. this disease of alcoholism is treatable but before it’s too late, we should work together in not only controlling alcoholism, but in preventing it as well.

Michael Carpenter Health alcoholic, alcoholism, diseases, Health, hospitals, Medicine, problem drinker

It’s pretty amazing when you think about it. It was a little more than three weeks before her wedding and Jeannie G. , the bride-to-be and a doctor of Oriental medicine, called one of her girlfriends, Rudi, in desperation saying, “Tell your boyfriend I’ve got a problem and I need to speak with him”.

Rudi’s live in boyfriend was a doctor of holistic health — power of mind — hypnotherapy and was fairly well known for having unique abilities. When he arrived at Jeannie’s home, it was fairly obvious from glancing around her studio apartment that she lived a rather simple life and that she too was holy in her own metaphysical way.

She definitely didn’t practice any of the main religions but was certainly a believer in the natural sciences, the unusual, the abstract and the holistic. As Jeannie and the doctor began to talk, the bride-to-be explained that she had a problem which she feared would prevent her wedding night from being everything she hoped it would be.

Traumatized through a rape when she was young, Jeannie had developed a boil at the entrance to her vagina. The doctor recorded some simple hypnotic suggestions incorporating a few post-hypnotic instructions for the boil to open naturally – and also cleanse naturally – from sitz baths. This meant Jeannie should then be able to enjoy the honeymoon she hoped for.

The doctor asked her if he could inspect her bathroom to see if it was suitable for sitz baths. Unfortunately, she didnt have a bathtub and the doctor could see that the bathroom sink was too small for her task. And so, our bride-to-be was advised to undertake 21 days of bathing her bottom in the kitchen sink using hot water, Epsom salts and herbs, at the same time listening to a hypnosis tape which the doctor would record for her which, had a backdrop of relaxing music.

Three weeks later, right on schedule, the boil opened, drained and normalized” the day before the wedding, and then disappeared. Jeannie was an acupuncturist and her partner, Jim, was a home builder. He was a few years younger than her but they appeared to be very happy and had many friends who all came along to the wedding.

The ceremony was held in Santa Fe, at one of the homes of a wealthy friend and was performed by a minister; a woman who, to this holistic doctor at least, appeared to be a Wiccan (pagan) minister. But, who was he to judge? He was weird, himself.

It was tranquil and beautiful. It had been carefully arranged around pagan beliefs so that the beauty of nature was truly celebrated, while at the same time addressing the legal terms to meet the state laws.

The ceremony culminated with a practice that the doctor hadn’t seen before. A dictionary was passed around the guests in order that each of them select a single word which they felt encapsulated their own, unique feeling of the moment of marriage.

On a lonely sofa, sitting next to one of Jeannies’ friends and her dog, sat the doctor in a purple satin shirt. From his appearance, he had obviously been busy decorating and doing some paint touchups earlier that day and he had rushed to get to the wedding ceremony on time.

His shirt was freshly pressed, but he hadn’t had time to trim his beard. He definitely needed to clean up but he was running late. He focused on the ceremony and then the time came for him to find his word in the dictionary.

He opened the book “he took his index finger, closed his eyes, and pointed at a word. He heard ‘click, click’. He moved his eyes from the word to the bride, who had just taken his picture. To this day he doesn’t remember the word he chose because he just grabbed the dictionary, opened it on a random page, closed his eyes and let his finger choose a word.

He opened his eyes. The bride looked at the word he had chosen and smiled. The doctor left the ceremony soon after the champagne toasts and returned to his own home.

The next morning, the bride came rushing over to the doctor’s home with a look of amazement on her face. In her hand, she was holding the photo proofs of the wedding day and she showed them to the doctor and his girlfriend. ‘You have to see this’, she gasped. The couple took the photo proof and looked in astonishment — there, around the doctors head, was a golden halo. The doctor left the room forlornly and entered the next room alone.

It was for many years he had struggled to become a holy man, a good man, a good therapist and a healer. Once in the next room he got on his knees and prayed, God, I hope that you give me strength to live up to this. The bride left the photos with him and went home. The good doctor went to his office down on St. Francis Drive to await a patient and to think about what had occurred.

He didn’t sleep well at all that night. What had God planned for him in his life? He couldn’t be frightened or curious for long though because the next day at 11 am the new bride called him and said, I have an emergency. I need your help.

In a microsecond, he was dressed in his white outfit with white sneakers, put on his glasses, combed his hair and brushed his newly trimmed beard while he awaited the Jeannies’ arrival. When she arrived, she was very anxious and said, ‘my minister is in a coma. She was diagnosed with pneumonia the day after the ceremony and they took her to the hospital against her will’. These story continued that the hospital doctors gave her IV antibiotic medication but she told them when she was admitted that she was allergic.

At this point, she has fallen into an allergic coma, her vitals are not stable and the doctors feel she won’t make it through the night. The doctor remained calm and said, Lets go! As they drove down to the Presbyterian Hospital in Albuquerque, he meditated and when they entered the hospital he prayed that he could help.

However, when they arrived at the minister’s room, the situation was bleak. Her husband was there and the hospital staff was frantically pumping shots and monitoring every few minutes. Her vitals were deteriorating. The ministers husband, crying, said, “she’s leaving us and we need her so much”. The doctor calmed the situation and said, I need peace and silence. The ministers’ husband left the room, leaving only the doctor, Jeannie and the patient inside. The husband blocked the door from the outside and wouldn’t let anyone at all enter ” not even the hospital staff who was already screaming, and threatening to bring security.

The holistic doctor whispered to Jeannie to close the curtains. He turned out the lights and, in dimmed surroundings, he began speaking. “In the name of all things holy, I call upon you, Oh great power of the Universe to bring life to this holy woman who serves you. I call upon you to awaken her”. Then, he went on by whispering, “Your husband is outside. He needs you. Your children are at home. They need you. Your followers need your help desperately.”

“You are asleep because the hospital gave you the wrong medicine, but your own mind, which is awake, is listening to me and your own soul has the strength to awaken you when I command that you do so. But, for this moment, rest! Bring your heartbeat back to normal, now! And, bring your breathing back to normal now!. Now, cleanse your own blood with every breath of oxygen you inhale”.

Then he continued, “In just a few moments the sun will shine on you. It will be like someone has hit the ON switch to turn your life on. It will be as though you are getting up and leaving this place where they make mistakes. You will go home with your husband to your children and your followers who need you.”

Then, he rapidly opened the curtains and said, “I command you in the name of God and all things holy, awaken, rise up, get up out of your sleep. You are no longer in a coma. Stand up and join life anew. So mote it be.” Those terms were something familiar to a Wiccan minister.

Following this the doctor was exhausted; tired from the energy which he had sent into the patient and from praying while speaking. That’s all I can do, he said and then left the room in tears.

The ministers husband returned to the room and waited with Jeannie. Meanwhile, the hospital staff was huddled outside with security, trying to convince them not to arrest the husband for blocking the entrance.

Suddenly, Jeannie burst from the room jubilantly yelling, “Shes up! Shes up! She said that God himself appeared before her and told her to get up”. The minister said that everyone needed her and so she felt a strong compulsion to get up, to go home and help her family and parishioners.

Her husband frantically dressed his wife while pushing away hospital staff away so he could take her out of the building. The holistic doctor was rushed from the hospital before the police could come and charge him with ‘practicing medicine without a license.’ The job was done and the doctor went outside and began to cry, in thanks to God for the help.

On the trip back, he wondered, What else has God got in store for me in this life?

SpeedreadOrg Staff Medicine belief, believe, coma, god, god speaks to minister, healing, hospitals, medical coma, Medicine, miracles, prayer, religion, spirituality, true legends