Insurance Blog Week in Review – July 15 – 21, 2012

Once a week, the Insurance Blog Week in Review brings you an easy way to “ketchup” on the blogs that have been posted here in the past seven days. There could be anywhere between twelve and fourteen blogs that appear. What did you miss? Governor Jay Nixon Vetoes Law Denying Birth Control Coverage Missouri Governor Jay Nixon vetoed a bill that would have allowed health insurers to opt-out of covering birth control even if the employer and employee wanted it to be covered. Missouri already has a law that allows employers or workers opt-out of birth control coverage if it … Continue reading

Have You Supersized Your Expectations?

Go into any fast food drive through and you will be asked if you want to “supersize” your order, to get just a little bit more than what you were originally expecting. The problem is that those supersized meals can lead to fat belly and a skinny wallet. When we want to save money or live within our means, we talk a lot about the opposite, downsizing. This could be anything from cutting back on the number of times per week that we eat out to moving into a smaller home. Downsizing things can certainly save money. But, if you … Continue reading

Prime Healthcare Services Investigated for Controversial Billing

The hospital chain called Prime Healthcare Services is being investigated for possibly submitting fraudulent bills to Medicare and Medi-Cal. It also appears that the hospital chain is running up patients bills by not letting them transfer to an in network hospital. The CEO stepped down this week. A hearing was called by California State Senator Ed Hernandez. He is chairman of the California Senate Health committee. This hearing was called because of news that Prime Healthcare had been engaging in some controversial billing practices that would drive up the hospital chain’s revenue. There have been allegations that the Prime Healthcare … Continue reading

Thrush: A Persistent Little Bugger

Despite my best efforts to get rid of my daughter’s thrush, it keeps coming back. It’s been about a month since we first noticed white spots in her mouth, and while they haven’t gotten worse and have even disappeared for a few days, they always return. After using an entire bottle of Nystatin didn’t get rid of the thrush, her doctor prescribed Diflucan. As fatal liver damage is a possible side effect, we decided against using it. The thrush, located in a small area on the inside of her cheek, is causing her no discomfort whatsoever and has never spread … Continue reading

RSI Flare-Up!

Repetitive motion can do a number on your joints. This is part of why ergonomics are so important: the right alignment for your body and workspace, stretching, and taking breaks can help prevent repetitive strain injury. If you have a problem area — a joint that tends to suffer from repetitive strain issues — it’s not unheard of to have a flare-up from time to time. Maybe it’s been so long since you experienced symptoms that you overdid it. Maybe a new task is aggravating an old injury. When an old injury comes back to life, there are a few … Continue reading

Treating Pre-Diabetes

A diagnosis of pre-diabetes can be a serious wake up call. Pre-diabetes means that you have elevated blood sugar levels, but they aren’t quite high enough to be considered diabetes… yet. According to the American Diabetes Association, more than a tenth of people diagnosed with pre-diabetes end up dealing with the full version of the disease within a year. There are two main things you can do to treat pre-diabetes and prevent going into full diabetes: make changes to your diet and increase your activity. Making a lifestyle change works — the Diabetes Prevention Program study from the American Diabetes … Continue reading

The Pregnancy Blog Review for May 15 – 26

The pregnancy blog review is a good place to see all the recent postings to the blog in one convenient place. I try to cover a wide range of topics related to infertility, conception, pregnancy, birth and the post partum weeks. Sperm count tests freak out a lot of men. Many balk at the thought of giving the sample in a crowded doctor’s office. For these men, home testing seems like the perfect solution, but is it? Learn more in Home Sperm Count Tests. Pregnancy and Your Cell Phone discusses recent research about the use of cell phones during pregnancy. … Continue reading

Treating RSI

If you believe you have a repetitive stress injury (RSI), here are some things you should do. Talk to your health care professional. Don’t just assume you have a repetitive stress injury! Some can be tricky to diagnose — like when I thought I had carpal tunnel syndrome but didn’t. Don’t be afraid to get a second opinion. Talk to a chiropractor, personal trainer, ergonomic specialist, or massage therapist. Let someone who has a different perspective chime in. Figure out what is causing the pain and stop doing it. Many repetitive stress injuries can be fixed by removing the source … Continue reading

Treating Pneumonia at Home

A new study from Boston University reports that treating children who have pneumonia at home can be just as safe and effective as hospital care. Some pneumonia statistics: Pneumonia is the leading killer of children around the world. Pneumonia leads to approximately two million deaths in children under the age of five each year. In countries where hospital care is not readily accessible, treating pneumonia at home with antibiotics has the potential to significantly reduce the number of deaths. The researchers from the Boston University School of Public Health studied just over two thousand children between the ages of three … Continue reading

Baby Blog Week in Review for Jan 13-19

From breast feeding to formula warning labels to baby massage and acid reflux, this week has been packed with great information and much, more. Let’s take a look at our week in review: Let’s Be Honest About Formula vs. Breast Milk continues a frank and open discussion about the benefits of breast milk and the concerns of mothers every where doing the best for their babies is concerned. The discussion continues in Should Formula Cans Contain Warning Labels? advising mothers that breast milk is better for their babies? The Cost of Breastfeeding Intervention vs. Formula Feeding discusses the issues that … Continue reading