Friday, June 19, 2009

Why Healthcare Is In Bad Shape and the Government Can't Fix It

By S Porter

Most people in the United States are upset with the state of our healthcare system, and I have heard many different explanations why it’s this bad. The main complaint about our healthcare system is the price tag because the cost of health insurance has gone through the roof. In addition, healthcare providers have become more distant and less responsive to Americans questions about how to take care of themselves. The worse it gets, the louder the cries become for some kind of healthcare reform; including a government based program or universal healthcare. The reasons for the problems in our healthcare system are easy to understand, but many people have no idea what’s really going on.

For starters, our system is already partially socialized. Medicare and Medicaid are government based programs that give free health services to the underprivileged and the elderly. When healthcare is free, people go much more often and for every imaginable reason; so the 20% on these programs create a larger bill than the other 80% that are paying for it. The government is on an eternal quest to make these costs go down, so they have limited how much doctors and hospitals can charge Uncle Sam for these services. As a result, healthcare providers must raise costs for the people who are paying for it and their health insurance premiums go up. Obama’s administration has decided to try and fix this problem by further socializing the system and offering free healthcare to about 40%, but this will only lead to even higher costs for the population that is already paying for it.

The other big reason for price hikes in the health field is our culture of sue now, sue later and then sue some more. Doctors are people just like you and me, and occasionally they make mistakes. Today Americans can sue their doctors for any reason they feel like and the more we do, the more expensive insurance becomes for the doctor. These costs then get passed on to the people who are paying for their health insurance and doctors become even more hesitant to help patients. If the doctor tells you that a treatment will help your condition, but it doesn’t and they get sued for it; then the next time around they are much less likely to even try to fix your condition. Once again, the government doesn’t see this as a large problem and encourages patients to sue more.

As a result of all these price increases, health insurance companies are also looking for ways to cut costs. The easiest way for them to do this is to limit the amount and types of services that consumers can get from their healthcare providers. As long as private insurance exists, you can shop around until you find one that covers what you want; but if we move to universal healthcare, that choice will go away. I’ve heard many people including the president himself say that private insurance won’t disappear with government healthcare, but there isn’t any way for insurance companies to really compete with a “free” plan that everyone is already paying for anyway. In the UK and Canada they have already adopted a universal healthcare system and their citizens now have to wait in very long lines to get the simplest of procedures. To keep their costs down, their governments now decide who is worth saving and who isn’t by a committee of bureaucrats!

There are free market solutions to these problems, but the outcry for reform is so great now that I don’t know if people are willing to listen. Limiting lawsuits to very serious matters would bring healthcare costs down, and weaning people off Medicare and Medicaid would bring them down much further. I think we can all agree that some form of healthcare should exist for those that can’t care for themselves, but is that really 40% of this entire country? One free market solution is discount health programs like Ameriplan. These programs are very inexpensive, but they only provide a discount at the doctor rather than just paying for it; this way you only go to the doctor when you need to, and you get a discount on services when you do.

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Monday, June 15, 2009

Panic Over the Not So New Swine Flu

By S Porter

For several years the media has been cautiously following the possibility of a bird flu outbreak, but swine flu has beaten it to the punch. Influenza is a nasty little virus that can be deadly under the right conditions, and bird flu is a particularly bad strain that is deadly more often. No matter which strain happens to be floating around; the symptoms are the same; coughing, sneezing, aching and fever. If you have a cold, this could also describe how you feel except for the fever; which only occurs with the flu. Education is always the best way to combat fear, so knowing the facts about influenza can help ease the mind.

There are dozens of different possible flu strains that can circulate through the population at any one time. Once you get one of these strains, your body learns to produce a defense against that particular strain and you can’t get it again after your body beats it. If you could get all of them, you would never get the flu again; but only a few strains float around at once. As time passes and new people are born, old strains begin to come back and infect a whole new population with no immunity. About 2% of all the people who catch the flu will die from it due to complications like old age and compromised immune systems. The worst outbreak happened in 1918 and killed about 20% of everyone who contracted the virus, but our knowledge is far greater now than it was then.

The first thing to remember about swine flu is that it’s just another flu strain; and this isn’t the first time we have seen it. Every year doctors guess which strains will float around the population and they produce a vaccine to fight them. Swine flu wasn’t what they guessed for this year, but even last years flu vaccine seems to be partially effective in preventing people from getting this strain. It also responds very well to every type of treatment we currently use to fight influenza. All in all, less than 1% of people who catch swine flu die from it; so it’s even lighter than just a regular flu.

The last time swine flu showed up was in 1976, and just like now there was a large panic in the population because of bad information. The government spent millions of dollars on a flu vaccine that did little to help with the strain, and people were urged to get the shot for the whole family. When it was all said and done, more people had died from the vaccine than from the flu itself because the strain never swept through the population. This time around, it is more widespread and it appears to be hitting the population with a fury. A feverish, achy, take a couple days off and you will be fine fury. You may get it and you may not, but unless you are at risk from any other virus; it isn’t anything to really worry about.

If you have a fever and it rises over 102, it’s time to go get treatment; regardless of the cause of the fever itself. Health insurance or discount plans like Ameriplan will help with the cost, so don’t hesitate to go to the doctor if you find yourself in this situation. Another warning sign that you may be at risk is if the symptoms are still getting worse after the fourth day. Most people have had at least one strain of the flu in their lives, and it isn’t much fun; but the panic that is currently in the media is unfounded. Over the course of 2009 we will most likely see this strain slow down and then resurge later in the year, and some people will die from it. Given the choice though, swine flu is easier to deal with than the various other flu strains we see every other year.

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Friday, June 12, 2009

How To Survive Getting Your Wisdom Teeth Pulled

By S Porter

Wisdom teeth can be a real pain. Some people are fortunate enough to be born without wisdom teeth and others have enough room in their jaw for the teeth to come in, but the majority of us will have to have them removed. Having them pulled is an unpleasant event no matter how it’s done, so this article is to help those who are facing the same dilemma. Once you’ve made the choice to have them taken out, or the pain has made the choice for you, planning for the procedure can make all the difference. Putting it off will only delay the inevitable, but failing to plan for it will also cause lots of problems.

If you’re not in terrible pain, it’s best to plan for a week of healing time. You may still be able to work, but for at least a few day after you may have a swelling problem that will make your face look like a chipmunk. If you can avoid going in public during the first few days, then you won’t have to worry about people staring at you. The rest of the week eating solid food will be a problem, but using common sense with your diet will help avoid getting an infection or worse. Before you go in for your appointment, eat a full meal and brush your teeth because the rest of the day you won’t want to put anything in your mouth.

The procedure itself doesn’t take very long if you have a good dentist. After a quick look inside your mouth, maybe some x-rays, they will determine the best way to get them out. If your wisdom teeth are impacted, it will be more difficult to remove them, but certainly not impossible. This will also determine what type of anesthetic they will give you, as some people will have the option to get knocked out and others will get Novocain. Either way, you shouldn’t drive yourself home so make sure you have a ride to get back to your house. I got Novocain and it takes about 10 minutes to kick in; then it took about 5 minutes per tooth to remove. I spent the rest of the day with big pieces of gauss jammed in the back of my mouth to stop the bleeding.

After the first 24 hours things get a little easier, but not being able to eat regular food is very hard. A salt water rinse after every meal and once before bedtime will help keep food particles out of the healing areas, and the antibiotics will kill any infections that may occur. If you’re a smoker, it’s best to avoid having a cigarette for the first 48 hours so you don’t get dry socket; a very painful condition in the space where the tooth was. Over the course of the first week, most of the healing will take place and the gums will grow over the holes. The healing process will continue for awhile after this, but things should be back to normal for the most part.

The only other thing to take into consideration is the cost. About half of the population of the United States has dental insurance, but the other half is responsible for paying the entire bill. I use Ameriplan; a program that gives me a discount on all dental services, so it cost me just under $100 per tooth. Using insurance is a little more complicated as it depends on what your deductible is and if your policy even covers the procedure. Without a discount plan or insurance, the going rate is around $800 to $1,000 for all four wisdom teeth. I didn’t enjoy anything about having this done, but I am happy it’s over with. Good luck with your extraction and I hope that your good planning will make it as tolerable as possible!

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Monday, June 8, 2009

Chiropractic After A Car Accident

By S Porter

Transportation in our time has become all about motorized vehicles that move us from place to place. Short distances, long distances and everything in between happen at speeds much faster than walking. All this moving has led to the inevitable sudden stopping that happens in a car accident, and if you live in America you are almost guaranteed to be in one at some point. Although safety has become much better in the last 20 years, the human body just isn’t made to handle the kind of punishment that a car accident creates. Depending on how serious the crash is, a trip to the hospital may be in order; but during the healing process a chiropractor may become your best friend.

Fender benders are the most common type of car accident and take place at speeds below 20 MPH. Keep in mind that we are dealing with the usual outcome in these situations; not every possibility that can happen. Sometimes as a fluke, a person can die from the smallest crash or walk away from the most serious one. In an accident under 20 MPH; the most common problem is a soft tissue injury, a hurt muscle, in the neck or lower back. Muscles attach to bones, and when they get injured they constrict and can pull bones slightly out of alignment; causing discomfort and immobility. A few simple trips to the chiropractor can fix this problem and cut your recovery time down considerably.

A medium accident happens between 20 and 45 MPH and causes a lot more damage to the body. You may or may not feel hurt right after the crash, but you definitely are. This type of accident can cause lots of different injuries including hairline fractures in bones and whiplash in the neck, but you may not feel the pain for a couple of days. Realignment of the spine and other bones is crucial in this situation; otherwise recovery will just be weeks or months of constant pain every time you take a step or turn your head. See your doctor right away to get checked out; then be prepared to visit your chiropractor ten to twenty times to get in good working order.

Anything above 45 MPH is a serious accident and can have major repercussions to your health for the rest of your life. I got in one of these crashes more than ten years ago and my neck still gets tight every time the temperature begins to fall dramatically. It doesn’t matter if you walk away from this accident, or are transported by an ambulance; you need to see your doctor right away to look for problems you may not even know you have. Internal bleeding and broken bones need to be fixed right away and the adrenaline released into your system during an accident can cover up the pain completely. Once the immediate problems have been addressed; you will be left with a long recovery process before you really feel like yourself again. Chiropractic care in this situation is long term and may require regular visits for months or even years.

Chiropractic care is a more recent advancement in healthcare and still hasn’t fully moved into the mainstream. Most insurance plans do cover chiropractic now, but the norm is to limit the number of visits a person can have in a year. Discount plans like Ameriplan dental plans don’t have any limits on visits, but only provide a cut in the chiropractor’s asking price. A combination of the two could be just what the doctor ordered if you find yourself in this situation, but even if you don’t have either, seeing a chiropractor is essential to your recovery. Who knows; when it’s all over with, you may even have a new addition to your Christmas card list!

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Saturday, June 6, 2009

Aging Eyes Need Glasses, Contacts or Surgery

By S Porter

The third decade of my life has been very interesting with all of the bodily changes that are taking place. I never used to even think about my teeth or my eyes, but these days invincibility is starting to slip away. My eyes have always just worked for me and I took for granted the 20/20 vision I was born with; but now things are starting to get a little fuzzy if they are too small or too far away. I know it’s only a matter of time before I have to get an exam, and eventually join the less than perfect portion of population. Vision correction has advanced a long way in the last 100 years, and today we have many choices to fix the problem. It’s a matter of opinion which is the best but I’ve been told that the solution depends on the person.

Glasses are the oldest form of vision correction, but they don’t really correct vision; they just alter the light that reaches the eye. People do judge you, at least a little, based on what you look like, and glasses alter how other people see you. Good or bad depends on how you want to be seen, and you can change your glasses to be seen a little differently. Glasses are easy to put on and take off, and they don’t need to be sterilized; they are also inexpensive and don’t need to be thrown away like contacts do. On the down side, glasses make your field of vision smaller and they can fog up in colder weather.

Contacts are a newer technology that basically put glasses directly on your eyes. The principle is the same; alter the light that reaches the eye so the picture is in focus. Unlike glasses though, contact don’t alter your natural appearance to other people. Some people look very good in glasses, and other people just can’t find a set that look right on them. Contacts need to be sterilized frequently and putting them in and taking them out is more of a hassle than glasses. They won’t fog up or shrink your field of vision, but they are more expensive because they need to be thrown away and replaced. I don’t know how I would react to contacts because I have never been comfortable with things in my eyes, but I suppose everyone says that until they try them.

LASIK eye surgery is the newest form of vision correction and it actually permanently corrects eyesight rather than just temporarily altering it. It’s able to fix most common vision problems, but it is surgery and carries a small level of risk. Corrective eye surgery is also expensive compared to glasses, but some insurance plans and discount plans like Ameriplan can help lower the cost. Eyesight continues to degrade as we age, so an option like surgery is best used after your eyesight has gotten bad enough to no longer be ignored. If you have it done early in your life, you will most likely need to have it done again later on. There is also a period of down time for your eyes while they get used to the changes and heal from the surgery.

Most people in my situation will eventually use all three of these options. In my late thirties I will start with a basic pair of glasses for reading and driving at night. Ten years from now, I will need to use them all of the time so I will switch to contacts. Then in my fifties it will be time to get corrective surgery which will hopefully keep my eyesight in good shape until my seventies. If you are more adventurous than I, then your schedule for healthy eyesight may be different; but all of us will feel the effects of time on our eyes. Count your blessings if your eyesight is still perfect; who knows what the future will bring for your eyesight and vision technology.

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Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Starting A Home Based Business For Beginners

By S Porter

A home based business is almost anything you can make money with from home. Most of the multi million dollar mega companies that exist today started in someone’s basement or garage. With the advent of the internet, there is a never-ending list of different money making possibilities out there. They may not make you a millionaire but it is a great way to make some extra money in your spare time. Lots of people would love to go full time from home and leave the office for good, but it isn’t for everyone.

The hardest part of working from home is discipline. Almost everyone dreams of working for themselves, but few are prepared for the level of commitment that’s needed to make it happen. If you feel that working 40 hours a week for an employer is tough, then how do you think 80 hours a week or more will feel? No matter what business you decide you want to try, there won’t be anyone looking over your shoulder and telling you what to do. That may sound like perfection, but most people have problems finding direction without help. When you’re working for yourself, you need to find a way to solve every problem without someone else giving you the answer. You also need the discipline to make yourself keep going when you don’t want to, or before you know it, weeks and months will have passed without making any headway.

Starting a new business from scratch may not be the way to go at first. If you have a great idea or special skills you may have the makings of a future successful company, but you have to learn how to run a business before even getting started. Finding a way to produce a new product or service and replicate it is a big job; then you have to worry about taxes and employees and many other big concerns. Big business started as small business and grew over time. The larger and more successful your business becomes; the more of your attention and time it will need to stay alive.

A packaged business is a great way to get started working for yourself. Programs like Amway, Herbalife and Ameriplan dental insurance are easy businesses to get into without investing your life savings. Working one of these programs can give you a good idea if you have the discipline to make things happen without someone else telling you what to do. Starting a business from scratch takes a lot of money and know how, but a packaged business is ready to go as soon as you are. They already have a good product or service, and they already have an established name and customer service routine. If you can make one of these work for you, then you are ready to move on to the bigger stuff. If you can’t make it work for you; at least you haven’t lost much money.

You are always better off doing something you want to do for a living. If you are looking for second source of income, or something to become your primary source of income, starting a home based business may be just what you need. Only about one in ten people can really make it work, but you won’t know if you’re the one until you try it. Nothing ventured, nothing gained; but even if it doesn’t work out you may find that you are happier working for someone else. Most small businesses start when the economy is at its worst. This may not seem like a good time to try, but Google, EBay and many others got their start when someone got fired and then got fired up.

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Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Debt Settlement Assistance for Ameriplan Independent Business Owners

By S Porter

Over the last 20 years, Americans have accumulated a large amount of debt. The United States owes 4 times more than every man and woman produces in a year, and the average household has over $12,000 in credit card debt alone. To help with this overwhelming problem, Ameriplan has announced it’s teaming up with Halo Group Consulting Inc. to offer debt planning assistance to their independent business owners.

With many people looking to reduce the amount of debt they have; these tools are targeted at debt counseling and credit repair. A free consultation will determine the level of help they can provide; then they can usually negotiate to reduce payments and interest.

"Everyone is thinking about getting their finances in order with all the problems in the economy. I wasn’t sure where to turn before, but now I can get some help with the details," says Frank Menkal; an Ameriplan independent business owner.

Solving this problem alone has become very difficult for most people because they now owe more each month than they make. Living with high debt will ruin a person’s credit score and that will make everything else harder. Employers, banks, auto insurance and many other people now check credit reports to determine who they will work with.

One in twelve Americans now face bankruptcy and foreclosure without any real help or advice on how to deal with these problems. Halo Group Consulting Inc. also offers services in this area that may even help prevent them from happening in the first place.

Ameriplan is a seventeen year old company that offers discount health and dental programs to members. Anyone who wants to build an income can become an IBO (independent business owner) for a small fee per month and collect residual income from the members they personally sign up. IBOs also have a list of benefits available to them from partner companies including the new debt settlement assistance.

The debt planning, credit repair, bankruptcy and foreclosure services are offered together to the general public for $99 but Ameriplan IBOs will get the same package for $29. The initial consultation is free and a counselor will be able to tell what kind of help is needed for the individual situation. After a plan has been established and the fee paid, the IBO will have a real person to help walk them through the process.

Ameriplan currently has 5 discount programs available and in the near future they will introduce 2 new programs available to the general public. One is another discount health program that includes vision and hearing, and the other is a package of programs that include identity theft assistance and auto club.

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