October 26th, 2009 by Shadowfax in Better Health Network, Health Policy, News
1 Comment »
Charming, if true. I’m so glad we have Ben Nelson and Blanche Lincoln working tirelessly on the Hill to protect and preserve the insurance companies and their profits.
Christina Turner feared that she might have been sexually assaulted after two men slipped her a knockout drug. She thought she was taking proper precautions when her doctor prescribed a month’s worth of anti-AIDS medicine.
Only later did she learn that she had made herself all but uninsurable.
Turner had let the men buy her drinks at a bar in Fort Lauderdale. The next thing she knew, she said, she was lying on a roadside with cuts and bruises that indicated she had been raped. She never developed an HIV infection. But months later, when she lost her health insurance and sought new coverage, she ran into a problem. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Movin' Meat*
October 26th, 2009 by EvanFalchukJD in Better Health Network, Health Policy, Opinion
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In my post yesterday about lessons we can learn from Israel’s health care system I wrote:
So, yes, the focus on health insurance reform will lead to many changes, and more complexity. And some day, years from now, someone will be explaining the American system to an audience, and people will wonder, how did anyone ever create a system such as this?
In response, a friend of mine challenged me: if the system is too complicated, how should we simplify it?
I wish more policy-makers were asking this question.
For me, the answer is clear: Primary care. Time was, your primary care doctor was able to serve as the hub of your medical activity. He or she could spend all the time needed to figure out what was wrong and to coordinate with your specialists. It’s not true anymore. Patients are left on their own trying to navigate the system. In many ways they end up acting almost as their own primary care doctors. Patients try to pick their specialists, find out what to do about their condition, decide on good treatment choices. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at See First Blog*
October 25th, 2009 by MotherJonesRN in Better Health Network, True Stories
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What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas? I think not. It ends up on YouTube. Case in point. You must be careful when you are around Dr. Anonymous. He has a video camera, and he’s not afraid to use it. You’ve been warned.
The first med blogger track at BlogWorld/New Media Expo 09 was a wonderful experience. I want to thank Johnson and Johnson and Medpage Today for their sponsorship. I also want to thank Kim at Emergiblog and Dr. Val at Better Health for all their hard work. Kim knocked on doors and got things rolling, and Val help put the panels together. This shindig would not have gotten off the ground without YOU!
I don’t know where to begin. Going to Las Vegas is like dropping in on another planet. It’s filled with a lot of stuff that can get you into trouble like slot machines, Elvis wedding chapels, and machineguns. No, that’s not a typo. I said machineguns. This is the first sign that I saw when I stepped off the plane when I landed in Las Vegas. It’s an ad for a Las Vegas shooting range where you can fire off a few rounds when you get into town. Whatever happened to the days of innocence when the most exciting thing you could do while you were in Las Vegas was get drunk, marry someone you didn’t know, and go see a Wayne Newton show? I got worried when I saw this sign, but then I thought what could happen at a blogger convention. After all, I was going to be surrounded by computer geeks and responsible health care professionals like GruntDoc and Dr. Wes. Right? Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Nurse Ratched's Place*
October 25th, 2009 by Gwenn Schurgin O'Keeffe, M.D. in Better Health Network
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At last weekend’s American Academy of Pediatrics meeting, a few of us were asked to comment to Good Morning American Weekend about our feelings about H1N1 (Swine Flu) and the vaccine, in particular.
None of us were privy to the comments each other made and I think you’ll find the consistency of what we all had to say incredibly reassuring: Pediatricians on Swine Flu Confusion
Yesterday, GMA ran a segment on “The Scramble for Swine Flu Shots” which includes advice from me and other experts about the delay in the H1N1 vaccine. This segment does a nice job putting the entire situation in a very healthy perspective.
And, just to clarify, my entire family will be receiving the H1N1 vaccination when it becomes available in our area. That’s how comfortable I am with it!
*This blog post was originally published at Dr Gwenn Is In*
October 25th, 2009 by BarbaraFicarraRN in Better Health Network, Health Tips
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The next time you head down the food aisle, check out the front food labels.
The front of food labels or front-of-packages (FOP) are misleading and often confusing, leading the consumer to believe that the food they are about to buy is healthy, when in fact it is not.
In a recent post, Healthy Eating? Find Out What Could Be Hiding In Your Foods, I asked the question if we need to be detectives to find out what’s hiding in our foods.
Unless you turn the package over to read the list of ingredients, it’s impossible to tell. The front of the food label is constructed in such a creative way. Words and symbols highlight the product as healthy. It captures your attention and it gives you the impression that the food you are about to buy is good for you, but it is not. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Health in 30*
