All posts in Health

Health care cost growth is a problem because participants in the system aren’t all in agreement on what constitutes a “cost.” Policymakers and politicians often refer to “costs” as the reimbursements a provider receives from a payer. In reality, though, health care providers allocate costs according to their compensation. By reducing payer reimbursements, policymakers reduce provider revenues but don’t decrease the actual costs of delivering care. But how can we lower healthcare costs and improve patient outcomes?

Price growth caps

Many people have raised concerns about the effectiveness of price growth caps in reducing health care costs. While a price cap is similar to a price ceiling, there are differences between price growth caps. For example, price caps do not prevent providers from raising prices past a certain level; they only restrict their ability to raise prices above that limit. Furthermore, price growth caps require state governments to enforce the policies.

Increasing prices for health care does not necessarily mean better quality or more efficient care. The higher-priced providers may have consolidated their industries, which may have resulted in increased prices without quality improvement. Similarly, physicians’ fees are unlikely to increase in a way that would improve quality. If price caps were to reduce the growth of health care costs, the savings would be greater in the long term.

Medical liability reforms

Medical liability reform is among the numerous ways to lower health care costs. The implementation of medical liability reforms can reduce transaction costs and expand the base of compensable injuries. However, opponents of these reforms point out that they increase health care costs by decreasing incentives to practice precaution. Some other potential benefits of medical liability reform include reduced health care costs and improved outcomes. This article explores the implications of medical liability reforms on health care costs and health outcomes.

Regardless of the specific reforms implemented, the main goals of medical liability reform are to improve the quality of health care, reduce the cost of services, and improve patient outcomes. These reforms are crucial because they affect employers’ ability to provide health insurance to their employees and families. More importantly, they reduce the incentives for health care providers to offer high-cost care. In addition, employers provide health coverage to more than 10 million non-elderly individuals.

Optimizing patient flow

Increasing health care demand and budget constraints put pressure on hospital administrators to optimize patient flow while meeting quality and safety standards. Hospitals must move admitted patients from the inpatient to the outpatient status while maintaining HIPAA compliance. Improving patient flow is critical for improving the safety and satisfaction of patients, staff members, and hospitals. By addressing patient flow issues, hospitals can increase patient retention, improve staff productivity, and increase profitability.

While hospital administrators understand the need to improve patient flow, they lack comprehensive strategies to improve patient flow. Effective patient flow management begins with a holistic understanding of the hospital as an interconnected care system. It also requires strong executive leadership to ensure the success of the improvement efforts. Several factors may impede patient flow, including inadequate communication and ineffective scheduling. Using patient flow modeling helps organizations evaluate the performance of their entire system. For example, it can help hospital personnel determine whether to add more beds or reduce waiting times for specific patient types.

Single-payer system

In a study, researchers compared health care costs in the United States and Canada. They found that a single-payer system would lead to greater net savings, unlike the more conservative estimates. In addition, the studies found that more people would receive health care services under such a system and that a single-payer system would improve outcomes. The findings were analyzed using data from a variety of sources.

The study’s methodology included an analysis of the first-year costs of single-payer health care systems compared to Medicare fee-for-service plans. The researcher used cost projections from 10 different models and assumed savings would grow over time. For instance, the savings from reducing drug costs were estimated to be from 3% to 27%, with the largest savings coming from plans that lower drug prices. However, the exact costs and savings will vary according to the specific proposed system. The single-payer system proposed would replace private health insurance in the United States with a public health care system. It would be similar to the process in Canada and many wealthy countries.

Antitrust enforcement

While relying on the current economic crisis to justify antitrust enforcement is tempting, the resulting effects of antitrust policy may be worse than the economic crisis itself. The Antitrust Division is a highly politicized and unreliable institution, with limited capacity to tackle the thorniest issues. The antitrust process is not the time to get costly with industry elites. The best way to achieve this goal is to fight monopolization through a combination of sham and legal action.

Some observers have questioned the effectiveness of antitrust enforcement in the health services industry. Although the current administration’s antitrust efforts have been criticized for lacking general purpose, it is worth remembering that most of the enforcement actions have been targeted based on glaring violations. In addition, the lack of competition in the industry has hindered the development of health policies that improve quality, safety, and access.

Market-based policies

These policies instantly regulate health care costs by imposing global budgets or spending targets and setting price caps for services. These policies, directly and indirectly, impact providers, payers, and patients. For example, using a Medicare fee schedule as reimbursement for all private health insurance customers would reduce the cost of health care by 41% by 2021. It also provides a mechanism for insurers to constrain spending through price controls and volume caps.

While market-based policies have failed to constrain prices in the most efficient way possible, some policymakers have shifted to regulatory approaches. Regulatory approaches such as price controls, global budgets, and spending growth targets can limit the growth of health care costs and improve health outcomes. However, they are controversial and raise questions about the appropriate role of government. Overall, this article examines the policy options and their implications.

Since alternative natural products have become more mainstream in recent years, there has been a corresponding rise in CBD production. With that comes a variety of hurdles, including a host of negative misconceptions about these products themselves. This leads to a lot of people feeling concerned about the idea of using CBD products, despite all of the positive effects CBD is not only known for but has also proven over time. The team at VIVE CBD is working tirelessly to revolutionize the CBD industry, by fully educating their customers to ensure there are no misconceptions about their products or the way they are made.

VIVE CBD is just like every other start-up, in that it started as an idea shared between three best friends. Using the expertise that each brought to the table, they were able to build their company from the ground up. Today, they have a thriving business – and brand, which is helping people around the world.

When asked about why she chose to join VIVE CBD, Chief Operating Officer Lina Somerset said that “the goal is not just to be another CBD company, the goal is to better serve those who take CBD.” This company is certainly dedicated to ensuring the customer has the best experience possible. CBD products are an easy and effective addition to your daily routine. VIVE’s certified organic hemp-based wellness supplements are made specifically with the goal of helping to reduce the effects of everything from physical pain to stress and anxiety. 

CBD, while medically proven to help with a wide variety of physical and emotional challenges, does not come in a universal product or dosage.  Therefore, in order to shed light on the multitude of potential positive outcomes from their products, VIVE places a larger emphasis than most on their end consumer’s knowledge base. According to Somerset, to date, their products have exceeded their expectations. This is due in large part to the results from their third-party full panel testing that are accessible to the public on their website.  They intentionally make their results transparent because they want to help make a more educated CBD consumer. The insights gathered from this process, as well as feedback from their customers has helped VIVE create best-of-breed products that work.  

While there are many types of CBD products available today, VIVE products undergo a more thorough manufacturing process.   CBD is infused into products rather than sprayed on them.  Somerset explains that this is, so the customer gets the best result possible.  Flavors are all natural, and their products are made, packaged and shipped from Michigan.

When you have more knowledge, it’s easy to understand the difference between CBD products.  If you’re looking for a product line made by a company that cares, look no further.  After looking at many CBD brands, this author can confirm that VIVE CBD not only tastes the best, (with no added sugars or dyes), but also made a difference for me personally.

Summer is the time for creating beautiful summer recipes out of seasonal ingredients that just would not hit the spot in the depths of winter. One of our summer favorites this year is the mighty strawberry salad with pine nuts. This has everything you need in a salad, if what you need is cool refreshment, sophistication and a flavor to die for. 

Ingredients: 

1 ½ cups pine nuts 

1 pint strawberries, quartered

1 iceberg lettuce – either fresh or bought in a bag 

5 oz baby spinach leaves – you can buy these in a bag

4 oz crumbled feta cheese

1 small red onion, thinly sliced into rings

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

First toast the pine nuts. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C); spread the pine nuts over a baking tray and leave to toast for around 5 minutes. Then leave them to cool. 

Mix all the other ingredients in a large bowl, add the toasted pine nuts and serve.

You can add your favorite dressing for additional flavor either in the bowl or at the table. We like this salad with a simple balsamic vinaigrette but other dressings will also work and it does go well with Ranch!  

However the flavors of the strawberry salad with pine nuts do stand alone so as long as you use good quality flavorful ingredients you don’t need to bother over much with dressings. 

The pine nuts are an important component of this salad. They add crunch and protein so it is important to choose only the best quality.

One brand we can recommend is Now Foods Organic Pine Nuts. Fresh, wholesome and tasty these are the perfect addition to any salad and also make a fantastic snack food. Rich in magnesium, thiamine, and raw protein, these pine nuts don’t only taste great they are good for your health too.

Now Foods is a health company that started in the 1940s. The company provides hundreds of food choices, as well as natural health supplements designed to improve health and vitality. 

Make Now Foods Organic Pine Nuts one of your store room staples. The nuts stay sealed fresh in the bag until it is opened so they are a great standby to have for emergencies or for transforming  salads or other meals to a whole new level. Pine nuts taste great when they are toasted but are also good when eaten raw so this is a versatile nut that you can rely on. 

Traumatic experiences are different for everyone.  So is the way we process them.  For many, a traumatic experience comes in the form of a divorce or life-altering experience like the passing of a loved one.  For others it could be a robbery, break-in, or even something far worse.   Maybe the trauma happened to you directly, or maybe you were a witness to one.  Either way, you need the time, and more importantly, the tools to heal.

While the experience may be different, the definition of trauma itself is not is not.  A traumatic experience is one that elicits an emotional response to a terrible event.  Denial, shock, and emotional shutdowns can follow a traumatic event.  It can also lead to everything from emotional responses, like mood swings or flashbacks, to physical ones, like headaches or nausea.  This is why it’s essential that, once one experiences a traumatic event that we take the time to heal properly and work through it.  

Enter Rewire Therapy, an online platform designed by medical and integrative care professionals that enables you to heal from a traumatic experience.  Unlike traditional therapy, which works with a survivor’s “cognitive perception” of trauma, the Rewire Therapy process is different.  Simply put, it’s an approach to healing that focuses on working with the trauma affected nervous system.  Rewire Therapy uses somatic and expressive therapies, including Trauma-Informed Yoga, Qigong, Vagal Toning, and others in the healing process.

“Many survivors experience less frequent and intense emotional triggers after practicing Rewire Therapy’s exercises,” says Tanya Zajdel, a Psychiatric Nurse and the Founder of Rewire Therapy.  “In my own trauma healing journey, I discovered most therapists are not trained to recognize and work with a frazzled and burnt out nervous system.  This is odd to me, because, often just talking about a trauma in therapy triggers the fight/flight/freeze response which causes the speech area of the brain to shut down. This is why our process is so essential to healing.”

The company offers a complete trauma toolbox and cutting edge programs designed to make a significant impact on healing in 10-20 minutes per day.  By combining proven therapies into a complete program that is both portable and accessible, the company has created a platform that is totally user-friendly.  Through science-backed modalities, and some of the best practitioners from around the globe, this company has already made a difference in literally tens of thousands of lives.

In addition, the company’s focus on wellness puts it at the forefront of the behavioral health community.  Their practical strategies are easy to implement on a daily basis and are, in many cases, fun to do.  This is combined with theoretical modules designed by certified practitioners in trauma treatment to empower a journey to wellness and the ability to literally live your best life.

Urinary incontinence in women is a disorder of urination accompanied by an inability to regulate bladder emptying. Depending on the form, it is manifested by uncontrolled leakage of urine when straining or at rest, sudden and uncontrollable urges to urinate, and unconscious urinary incontinence.

This condition is prevalent, and it affects women more frequently than males. The anatomy of the female urogenital system, likely changes caused by pregnancy and childbirth, and a decline in the body’s amount of female sex hormones (estrogen) with age all contribute to this. The condition robs women of sleep, exhausts their bodies, inhibits travel, and restricts physical activity, lowering their quality of life.

Depending on how mobile a person is, what their condition is (including mentally), and the degree of incontinence in their case, you can choose the product that is optimal in price and according to the needs of the person.

Anatomical, traditional, and waist diapers, absorbent panties, and urological pads for women are all types of products that is usually considered as incontinence products.

Incontinence pads for women

Suitable for women with an active lifestyle or partially limited movement (in a wheelchair, moving within the room), with a degree of incontinence from dripping to moderate. 

Often women, to save money, use sanitary pads designed for “critical days” for urinary incontinence. But because the consistency of blood and urine is different (the urine is more liquid and the blood is thicker), these pads leak.

How are the incontinence products are different from the sanitary pads?

They can absorb more and have hydrophobic (moisture-repellent) edges that protect against leakage. In addition to leaking urine, psychological discomfort is caused by the unpleasant smell, and unique urological products can cope with it. 

The ability of the product to neutralize the unpleasant smell indicated by modern manufacturers on the packaging of a special pictogram. All urological absorbent products (diapers, panties) also have this ability.

Diapers and incontinence briefs

Most often, caring for the critically ill, people use just classic diapers. However, this is not always the right decision. Diapers are different, and all models suit men and women. In addition, diapers differ in the type of fixation.

Anatomical diapers (open type)

Anatomical diapers look like large pads. But unlike urological pads and pads, which have an adhesive strip to fasten to underwear, open-type diapers are attached to the ward with elastic, mesh panty-fasteners and have much more excellent absorbency.

Belt diapers (semi-open type)

Waist diapers are diapers with an elastic waistband for retention, combining the advantages of anatomical and classic diapers. Such a product leaves the thighs half open and does not require the use of special fixation panties.

Absorbent panties (closed type)

Absorbent panties look like regular underwear, which is great for people with dementia. These people need to use familiar items of clothing. The absorbent panties are inconspicuous under clothing, which means they are suitable for people with active lifestyles and those undergoing motor rehabilitation.

Traditional or classic (closed type) diapers

It is the traditional (classic) diaper we are most familiar with and most often used when caring for a severely ill adult. They look similar to baby diapers, with Velcro on the sides.

The hygiene products market offers a vast range of products that can make the disease disappear quickly and unnoticed. You can buy them at the pharmacy as well as in the supermarket. The cost varies, but everyone will be able to find the right option for themselves. Patients can lead their usual way of life and not deny themselves anything.

Proper purchase of personal hygiene products helps in overcoming the disease, as well as eliminating unpleasant mishaps. In addition, a woman should feel comfortable, even with the condition that does not allow her to walk for long periods.

Elisabeth Baron, M.D., Assistant Professor of Clinical Obstetrics & Gynecology

Assistant Attending Obstetrician Gynecologist.