Health Blog and Health Product Reviews

The U.S. doesn’t get its money’s worth when it comes to health care, according to recent statistics. The Commonwealth Fund released a report earlier this month on America’s ranking in the world health care system — and it wasn’t good.

According to the report, residents of the United States receive the poorest quality of care, yet pay the most for it, among six of the top industrialized nations, including Germany, Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada. The findings were based on measures including quality, access, efficiency, equity, and outcomes of health care. Germany took the overall first place ranking, followed by Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada.

While the other five nations on the list provide universal health care, the U.S., with its unorganized mixture of employer-funded care, private insurance, and government programs, leaves nearly 48 million throughout the country with no insurance whatsoever. Ominously, the Fund also linked lack of insurance with poorer quality of care in another report released this month.

Texas ranks at the very bottom of the nation in numbers of people left uninsured, at just over 25%. With high incidences of poverty, unemployment, and chronic diseases, such as diabetes, the state stands to gain more than most by measures to update the health care and/or to make insurance available to more of the population. Most of those lacking insurance do not receive pertinent preventative care, resulting in increased long-term costs to health, as well as to the state and federal governments.

Particularly in the larger cities of Dallas, Houston, and Austin — where many from rural areas of the state come seeking care, overburdening the system further — change would be welcomed.

Activists and members of Congress are calling for an overhaul of the overburdened and outdated system, with suggestions ranging from instituting America’s own universal health care, to subsidizing private insurance companies in order to make health care coverage available to all, regardless of income.

Obviously, it’s an issue that needs to be closely analyzed, as it is “pretty undisputable that we spend twice what other countries spend on average,” as reported by The Commonwealth Fund. While, in comparison to other industrialized nations, the U.S. has the fewest patients seeing a regular doctor (16%), is the least wired (working with the fewest electronic records, and receiving the fewest electronic updates on disease treatment options), and has one of the highest infant mortality rates, we are actually spending twice as much per capita on health care as Germany, at $6,102. Canada spends $3,165 per capita, Australia $2,876, Britain $2,546, and New Zealand $2,083.

The U.S. also has one of the longest emergency room waiting times, takes an average of four months to deliver elective surgery, and is considered one of the less “convenient” nations when it comes to general health care. Sixty-one percent of Americans surveyed found it “somewhat” or “very difficult” to receive care on nights or weekends.

What is most shocking perhaps, is the relatively high infant mortality rate, at 5 in every 1,000. The U.S. is tied with Poland, Hungary, Malta, and Slovakia for this statistic, and, among the 32 industrialized nations surveyed, ranked only above Latvia, at 6 in every 1,000 births. Japan, the Czech Republic, Finland, Iceland, and Norway beat the U.S. by a landslide, at approximately one-third the death rate. Every year, 16,000 newborn deaths occur in this country, mostly linked with low birth weights and premature delivery. This suggests a surprising lack of prenatal care and, indeed, measures of mothers’ well-being ranks extremely low in comparison to other industrialized nations.

African-Americans suffer almost twice the national average of infant mortality, at 9 in every 1,000 — which is closer to developing nations’ statistics than to industrialized ones. Black babies born in the U.S. are also twice as likely to be premature and have a low birth rate than their white counterparts.

Throw in scandals — like drug companies enticing doctors with “free” gifts and dinners to sell their medications, or multi-billion dollar pharmaceutical company investments in medical schools — and it looks like a gloomy picture, indeed. Michael Moore’s summer release of Sicko, though sure to be controversial, undeniably raises a subject on the national consciousness.

While it is painfully obvious that something must be done — and quickly — the next step is not so clear. States such as Hawaii and Massachusetts have taken their own initiatives with state-provided health insurance, resulting in nearly 90% of their residents having insurance, and therefore better access to care. California has debated its own measures, as well as many Midwestern states.

It’s not a straight-forward debate, by any means. While nations providing universal health care rank higher in overall standings, the U.S. is still considered a leader when it comes to breakthrough technologies and treatment options. A balance must be struck between revolutionary research and making sure more people actually have access to its results. Reports on new HIV drugs, for instance, hint that turning HIV and AIDS into a chronic, versus fatal, condition is just around the corner…but those medications are expensive, and not everyone in the U.S. has access to them.

Residents of the U.S., however, have done little to push the initiative. The surprising lack of attention on the issue in political debates reflects the fact that voters do not choose their candidate primarily based on his or her plans for future health care reform. And, time and again, it has been proven that the masses’ outspoken push for measures is what gets things done on Capitol Hill. In the end, it’s really time for us — the people — to decide how to dig ourselves out of this one.

Making sure you receive quality health care is important. Taking care of yourself affects your health, and will certainly affect your health as you age — and eventually your wallet, as well.

Pat Carpenter writes for Precedent Insurance Company. Precedent puts a new spin on health insurance. Learn more at Precedent.com

It’s a fact. There are plenty of providers of dental insurance for individuals in a very competitive market. The truth is that you have lots of ways to ensure that you get the best deal. And it’s a deal you cannot afford to ignore

Typically, if you choose for yourself, you will not be tied to a particular brand of dental clinics and you are more able to find somewhere that suits you, often locally, when the plan is one you tailor to meet you own needs.

This might be a critical factor for those who have a dentist they already trust and perhaps even have a long term relationship with too. This is really important for some people who are pretty fussy about who it is fiddling around in their mouth from time to time.

It’s not a particularly well known fact, but a lot of people are very choosy when it comes to a dentist. There are even stories of patients who travel long distances after having moved home, just to stick with a dentist they know and have found reliable and are comfortable with.

On the other hand, if you aren’t quite as fussy, or maybe even have lower demands on dental services, perhaps because you have excellent teeth already (never miss your checkups though!), you may be able to negotiate excellent discounts if you can go with a provider of dental insurance for individuals who has a good account with a big practice.

Dental insurance for individuals typically limits the amount that can be paid out over a period of time (usually each year), so for those who know they have a lot of work coming up (maybe only to themselves!) a good contract of insurance could be a very attractive financial proposition even just for a short period of time, especially if they can get a deal that has higher limits per year.

It’s worth taking your time when looking for dental insurance for individuals, especially where you are buying for a whole family. This can generate significant savings in itself, because of the number of people involved.

Where you have one member of the family who could have more problematic dental issues, these can be offset by an overall plan which includes others with less problems. The provider will be keen to get the bigger business and may be prepared to offset some short-term losses with the promise of a longer-term deal that will enable them to get their money back!

It’s also important to consider such dental insurance for individuals when you have a family because of the challenges facing kids growing up. You see, some plans have built-in deals for more serious orthodontic work too. Or maybe there is a requirements for older people who are going to need root canal, bridge or denture work too.

All can be worked into a good plan that benefits all. By taking your time, assessing the range of dental insurance for individuals, groups and families, you will ensure you have peace of mind, safe in the knowledge that your family is well covered.

(c) 2007 Dental Insurance Guidance. If you want to find the right cover for your dental treatment, there are lots of great value options. You can find out how, right here, on Martin Haworth’s fascinating website at http://www.DentalInsuranceGuidance.com

Felt like you’re not cleansing your hair right? Well, check these easy steps and you can find out for yourself.

Step 1. Completely wet scalp and hair using cool or warm water. Avoid using hot water for it can dry out both your scalp and hair. Pour a little amount of shampoo into your palm; a quarter size will do. Evenly distribute it on your hands by rubbing your palms together. Next, apply the shampoo onto the scalp using your fingers. In shampooing, keep in mind that what’s important is to clean the scalp and not to tousle your hair. Concentrate more on gently massaging the scalp allowing the suds to be dispersed through the hair as it is being rinsed. If your scalp is oily, you may want to repeat this step twice.

Step 2. Condition your hair right. After shampooing, apply some conditioner on one hand then rub your palms together to evenly distribute it on your hands. Next, application of the conditioner should start from the hair’s middle portion right down to the ends or tips. There is really no need to massage the scalp with a conditioner unless your scalp is too dry. To evenly disperse the conditioner, use a comb to comb hair. For a minute, leave the conditioner so as to smoothen the cuticles after which you rinse completely. To do this, stand directly below the shower and in a gentle manner, lift your hair in order for water to get to the scalp. Make sure no residue of shampoo or conditioner is left in the scalp. How do you know? Well, simply check your hair. If it feels clean as you let your fingers run through your hair, then it has been rinsed well. For thorough rinsing, you may also use cold water.

Step 3. Know when to wash and not to wash. Frequency in shampooing depends on what kind of hair you have. It it’s curly, it is best to shampoo every other day so as not to make it fluffy from being washed often. If hair is straight, it’d be fine to shampoo everyday since straight hair needs to have that clean, beaming look.

Step 4. No need to change shampoos. Fortunately, most shampoos don’t build resistance on hair. They will continue to effectively work every time you use them thus, no need to change shampoos. What you need to bear in mind though is that it is good to occasionally shampoo without the use of conditioners or other hair products. This is to give your hair some break.

James Brown writes about Hairproducts.com online coupons, Victoria’s Secret coupon codes and Perfume Emporium discounts

Technology has brought contact lenses to a higher level since they first appeared on market. They have made it possible for so many people to see better and to look one’s best. It is never to late to consider wearing contact lenses instead of eyeglasses. Why not visit your eye doctor and learn how you can explore the many opportunities contact lenses has to offer you.

30-Day Contacts:

These contacts are FDA approved and can be worn up to 30 days before needing replacing. These contacts have been made from a material called silicone hydrogel. This allows more oxygen to enter the cornea, This allows for much healthier eyes. Thirty day contacts are very affordable and comfortable to contact wearers. Not everyone is suited for 30-day contacts. There is a slim chance of developing an eye infection. For the ones that can wear 30 day contacts , it could turn into an alternative for Lasik surgery or eyeglasses.

Extended Wear / Daily Wear:

Extended wear lenses can usually be worn up to a minimal of seven days and no longer than thirty days. Where as the daily wear is removed each night, and has to be cleaned before you can insert the contact the next morning. In choosing contacts it is always best to remember one’s eye health. Only an experienced eye doctor can make the decision to what is the best wearing schedule and replacement schedule for you.

Daily Disposables:

Remove and replace each day. Many individuals choose these contacts due to the convenience they can give one. No caring and cleaning is involved. All one has to do is simply throw away the lenses each night and use a fresh pair the next morning. Individual’s wearing daily disposable contacts have much healthier eyes. With daily disposable , protein is less likely to form. This helps in reducing risk of dangerous eye diseases.

Torics;

If you have astigmatism, you are now eligible to wear contact lenses. For a long time one couldn’t wear contacts if they had astigmatism. Individual’s suffering from astigmatism have a slight irregular shape toward the front surface of the cornea. This has been known to prevent light from focusing properly in the back of the eye , which is where the retina is located. Many experience blurred vision at all distances due to astigmatism. You can find toric contacts in soft lens or in gas permeable lenses. You also have the option of disposables. Let your eye doctor determine the best option for you.

Bifocal:

If you are over forty , you are sure to enjoy bifocal contact lenses. Bifocals help in correcting nearsighted individuals by allowing them to be able to read their newspapers and restaurant menus, and the other power is allowing them to see at a distance. Near vision is always located on the bottom of the lens , same as eyeglasses. You are given the option of soft or gas permeable lenses.

James Brown writes about Vision Direct discounts, JustLenses promo code and 39dollarglasses.com coupon codes