The Health Blog

The main point to healthy eating habits is to eat right, exercise, and visit your family doctor on a regular basis. These are the main ways to get healthy and stay healthy. When you are healthy and fit you feel good about yourself. But the biggest problem with this is how we eat healthy all the time. Most of us don’t eat healthy foods day in and day out.  

Gone are the days when we would sit down as a family and take our time eating a meal. Nowadays, most families don’t even sit down and have a meal. Most single individuals eat out more than they eat in. Another big problem with trying to eat healthy is the price of healthy foods. Most people may want to eat healthy, but they can’t afford the price of most healthy foods at the local grocery store. It is hard to convince someone that it is better to spend an extra dollar for a healthy loaf instead of paying half that amount for a regular loaf of bread.

Another problem with healthy eating habits is knowing what are the right healthy foods to eat.

It is so easy to find unhealthy foods and let fact it most of us don’t want to take the time required to fix healthy meals. Unless you plan to grow your own healthy foods and prepare your own healthy foods, it can be hard to develop healthy eating habits.

It usually takes something to happen to our health to get us to change the way we eat. When you are in your 20s and 30s you don’t think about the ramifications of the foods you eat. You live to eat fast foods and meals that are prepared in an instant. But when we get older and our health starts to fad, then we decide it time to make some changes to the way we eat.

I think it is human nature to only do the things that we need to do when they are required to be done. But everything we do comes at a price. What we eat is no exception. If you continue to put bad things into your body, at some point in time you will pay a price. Garbage in will produce garbage out. Our bodies can only handle getting junk for so long, and then one day it will tell us that it is feed up.

So instead of waiting for your body to crash and burn, why not start giving your body what it needs to function properly now. The first step in that process is to start eating more healthy foods.

Some of the things you can eat right now to get your body healthy are vegetables, dairy products, and high-protein dishes and so on. You need a certain amount of fat, carbs, etc, which helps to keep you healthy.   You can get a list from your family doctor or you can search the internet to get information on the basic four food groups. If you cannot afford to eat right then maybe you should not eat as much. In addition, do some excising; excising is always good for you. Exercise will increase your health and help you to burn body fat, even if you cannot afford the four basic groups of nutritious foods. In addition, do some research and find ways to get healthy foods at a discount from stores in your area. 

You cannot just jump in and change your bad eating habits overnight. You have to take time to start and to learn. For some of us that have been eating wrong all of our life, this would be hard to do overnight. Then again, others may not have any problems with it. You want to consider your position and move forward.

One of the first things you will notice when you start eating healthy foods is that you feel better and you have more energy. Eating right has a lot to do with how we feel. If we lack nutrients, it can make one feel depressed, ill, and a bear to be around. Since, we get vitamins from our foods; you may want to include natural vitamins in your daily schedule also.

Developing healthy eating habits is not hard, but it does take time and discipline to accomplish. Don’t wait until your body fall apart before you change the way you eat. If you change the way you eat starting today, you will feel better tomorrow.

Healthy eatings probably one of the most important, if not the most important thing that you can do for yourself and those you love.  We all know that we should eat a healthy diet, but at times it seems impossible to resist fattening, sugary, fried, or fast foods. 

When you incorporate healthy eatings into your diet and begin eliminating unhealthy food choices you will begin to notice more energy, better skin, fewer mood swings, fewer colds and flues.  By eating healthy you give your body the opportunity to repair damage that has occurred and fight off any impending destruction from free radicals.

You probably understand how important it is to eat healthy but you have also probably realized how challenging it can be.  We are inundated with temptations every day from ads, commercials, magazines, billboards, these temptations are all around us.  So, even though you know you should be making healthier choices it becomes very difficult when every time you turn around someone or something is saying “eat this”, “try that”, “just one won’t hurt. 

It can be very hard to stay on track and make healthy choices.  Sometimes it is out of convenience because it’s easier to grab unhealthy foods while out and about.  Let’s face it we are all running crazy and busy lives; running here and running there.  It can be very difficult to resist fast food when you’re out and it’s right there in front of you pulling you in. 

So, what is this simple step that makes it so easy to add healthy eatings into your life?  You can quickly and easily change the way you approach food.  You can also quickly and easily stop cravings for unhealthy foods and replace them with healthy choices.  Hypnosis audios give you the power to re-program your subconscious mind with healthy thoughts and cravings.  By changing the way you think about food you can impact the way you select food in a profound way. 

By using hypnosis you will find that you no longer look at unhealthy foods the same way; you won’t have that pulling desire to eat them.  You will begin craving completely different foods and will easily change your diet into one of healthy eatings.  Hypnosis downloads make it very convenient and simple to alter behaviors that would otherwise be very frustrating and challenging.

Imagine the simplicity of listening to an audio while resting in the comfort of your own home.  This audio delves into your subconscious mind while you just relax and replaces any negative and unhealthy thoughts with new, positive, and healthy ones.  You don’t have to go through the frustrations of making the choice between an unhealthy food and a healthy one; knowing you should choose the healthy one but wanting the unhealthy one.  

It becomes a battle between your conscious and subconscious minds.  Your conscious mind knows you should select the healthy choice but your subconscious mind is telling you to choose the unhealthy choice.  Now, when your subconscious mind has been re-programmed with healthy choices it is no longer a battle.  You don’t think twice about the selection, you simply choose the healthy food with no regrets. 

You don’t have to go through the trials and tribulations of implementing healthy eating into your diet.  You can make it a simple and enjoyable process by using hypnosis audios.  You have the power to change your lifestyle into one you thought would be next to impossible.  Healthy eatings put you on a path to feeling happier, healthier, and more energetic and it doesn’t have to be a battle. 

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Health care has been the subject of debate for the United States over the past decade. Although many citizens feel divided on the issue, there are a few things you may want to consider in order to keep health insurance costs at a minimum. People are able to choose between various health insurance plans to fit their specific needs, which can potentially help to lower costs. The down side to this kind of plan is that it may require larger out-of-pocket costs when individuals want to go to an out of network health care provider. Regardless of your situation, there are several ways to reduce health insurance costs.

Sometimes it is possible to negotiate with health care providers. You should make it a point to do this on an annual basis to make sure that you are receiving the best possible coverage at the lowest price point. You should even consider shopping around to other health care companies and getting a bid from them in order to make price comparisons. With today’s technology, it is now possible to compare health insurance quotes online. You want to be careful when you find a plan that is very inexpensive. Sometimes these plans will actually cost you more in the long run. Be sure to read any fine print and to call the insurance company if you have any questions. Easy To Insure ME has the answers

Another good way to reduce health insurance costs is to look at deductibles. Figuring out the right insurance coverage for you can be tricky, so try out a few different scenarios to see how a change in deductibles will affect the monthly price of insurance. Changing the deductibles could potentially bring down the premium. You may want to keep in mind that there are additional benefits you may want to inquire about. These can include dental, vision, or maternity benefits.
Once you have decided on a health insurance plan and you are need of a doctor, you should contact your health care providers to see which doctor’s are within your network. You always have the option of comparing prices for different medical services and can decide to go to the most affordable provider. Sometimes, if a hospital is aware that you are comparing prices, they are typically willing to negotiate a lower price for your medical visit.

The most important aspect of saving money on health insurance is to carefully check all of your medical bills. A lot of mistakes can be made in billing, which will ultimately affect the amount of money you will be paying. Health insurance companies and health care providers can make mistakes when billing so keep an eye out. If you notice a problem with your bill, contact your health insurance company and physician to notify them of the mistake

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On his first day as Florida’s new House speaker, Rep. Dean Cannon took a clear shot at President Barack Obama’s new health-care reform law. Easy To Insure ME has the answers

“Should it really be the role of government to require people to purchase a health insurance product they don’t want, raise taxes to give that same product to others who can’t afford it, and commandeer our state government and its resources to carry it out?” Cannon, a Winter Park Republican, told House members after being sworn in two weeks ago.

“Or, should we work to limit government and empower the private sector?”

On numerous fronts, Florida policymakers have already answered that question.

While the fight against President Obama’s health-care reform may be centered in the Beltway, Republican resistance to the sweeping new mandates is also taking shape in Tallahassee. Among the battlefronts:

• Florida led the charge with 19 other states last March by challenging the law in federal court, claiming the mandates that uninsured people buy coverage violated states’ rights. A judge in Pensacola is expected to rule shortly after a Dec. 16 hearing on whether the suit can move forward. More states are expected to join after a new crop of state attorneys general are sworn into office in January.

•Last spring, GOP legislators hastily drafted a constitutional amendment spelling out that Florida businesses and residents couldn’t be forced to buy insurance, but a Tallahassee judge threw it off the November ballot for “misleading” language. Lawmakers have re-filed an altered version and hope to place it before voters in 2012.

•And perhaps most significantly, legislative leaders are poised to block spending and rules necessary to implement the law. Already, state regulators has refused to impose minimum spending mandates that might generate refunds for consumers – but which health insurers say will hurt their profits. And Gov.-elect Rick Scott has also made clear he doesn’t want the state doing anything to help the law along.

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act passed last spring anticipated that the states would lead the way on many of its more than 100 changes to the nation’s health care system. With 3.8 million uninsured residents, Florida is one of the states that would be most affected by the law.

The most controversial reforms – including the requirement that individuals buy coverage or pay a penalty — don’t start until 2014, and phase-ins continue until 2018. But the bill requires states to start working now to improve their data-collecting and enforcement mechanisms.

It was hoped states would create their own insurance exchanges, to match individuals with insurance plans; establish “high-risk” pools to insure people now shunned by providers; and police new restrictions on insurance company profits.

But Gov. Charlie Crist opted last spring not to immediately tap into federal grant money to create a Florida high-risk pool to cover people with pre-existing medical conditions, deferring to the federal government. And now Cannon, R-Winter Park, and Senate President Mike Haridopolos, R-Merritt Island, may seek to block any cooperation by the state.

Florida has been awarded million in grants to provide 0 rebates to seniors who fall into the “donut hole” in the Medicare prescription drug program; to help prepare the Office of Insurance Regulation to evaluate out-of-state insurers seeking to sell health coverage in the state; and to plan for creating a health-care marketplace, or “exchange,” and other changes.

But even before he was officially named speaker, Cannon warned Crist that no state agency should take any steps to comply with the law “without clear and comprehensive guidance from the Legislature.” The Oct. 19 letter demanded an itemized accounting of all state agency activities regarding the federal law.

Specifically, the letter singled out the Office of Insurance Regulation for work it has begun – and which legislative budget-writers approved – to study how Florida’s health-care laws should be amended to conform to the federal reform, and to boost the state’s ability to handle new rate-filing data.

“Not only are Florida insurance officials helping the federal government to write rules on these matters, but [OIR] is jumpstarting these new regulatory functions by developing data systems necessary for enforcement,” Cannon complained.

He added: “We intend to develop a clear and statutorily-defined framework for Florida agencies’ activities in regard to the federal health law. Pending such legislative action, state agencies should examine each anticipated action or function in light of their specific statutory authority.”

Laura Goodhue, executive director of Jupiter-based health-care advocacy group Florida CHAIN, said the criticism appeared designed to bully agencies into slowing their efforts to follow the federal law.

“I know transparency is important in implementing laws, but creating a chilling effect is certainly not helpful,” said Goodhue, who attended meetings with OIR over the last year as part of an advisory health insurance board.

In response, most all of Florida’s state agencies produced itemized lists of what they had done — down to how many staff hours Department of Management Services staff spent examining new rules requiring lactation rooms and milk storage for breast-feeding mothers in the workplace.

Cannon spokeswoman Katherine Betta said last week that Cannon’s staff was still reviewing the responses and hadn’t decided “what the next step will be.”

OIR communications director Jack McDermott defended his agency’s work, adding there was no intent to be “an advocate for the implementation of federal healthcare.”

“Virtually all of this information — whether it is actual review of large group rates, or expanding data systems to collect additional data – would require additional statutory authority or administrative rules,” McDermott e-mailed in response to questions.

And recently, OIR decided to slow one of the new law’s reforms – by not imposing new profit limits on health insurers beginning Jan. 1.

A new federal “medical loss ratio” requirement would force insurers to spend 80-to-85 percent of the premiums they collect on medical care, with the remainder set aside for overhead including executive salaries and profit. Nearly half the country’s insured population are covered by providers that spend more than that on overhead and profit.

Florida’s “medical loss ratio” is 65-to-70 percent, and OIR will ask the federal government for a three-year waiver from the tougher standard, said McDermott.

At a recent hearing, most of Florida’s main health insurers complained that the new standard would hurt their bottom lines and restrict the Florida insurance market. Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty agreed, saying he feared making the change next year would “destabilize” the market and hurt competition.

The move could have a pocketbook implication for Floridians.

The law requires insurers to provide rebates to customers if they exceed the overhead limits in 2011. The feds estimate the rebates could average 4 for individuals in 2012. But if OIR wins the three-year delay, Florida consumers won’t be eligible for those checks in 2012.

“To me, the delay obviously would be helpful to the insurance companies and HMOs, and not to the patients,” said Senate Minority Leader Nan Rich, D- Weston. “That’s less money for care for patients.”

Legislative conservatives like Rep. Scott Plakon, R-Longwood – who’s re-filed the constitutional amendment that says Floridians could not be compelled “directly or indirectly… to participate in any health-care system” – say they are determined to fight every way they can.

Plakon’s House Joint Resolution 1 has already picked up a prime sponsor in the Senate: its new leader, Haridopolos.

“We have to follow the law. But in the process, we need to put Floridians first,” Plakon said. “So if there is any room there, we would default to the position of putting Floridians first instead of this kind of massive federal takeover.”

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We all need to have health insurance, and for anyone who is are self employed, or are unable to obtain insurance from your employer, you will have to look into purchasing individual health insurance. Insurance on your own is generally considerably more costly than when you get it from a company, so it pays to shop around and find the best coverage for you. Despite the fact that they are called individual policies, they usually can insure your spouse and kids as well. However, whenever you apply for a policy, there is no guarantee that says you will be approved for an individual policy. If you have certain health conditions, since the policy is medically underwritten, your insurer might deny your application, or add exclusions to your plan. There are a few states that make this practice illegal, and this means that health insurers will have to offer you a policy, whatever medicals problems there are.

People who are older or who are in bad health, will have to pay higher premiums than those who are younger and in excellent health.

Knowing how health insurance is priced is without doubt one of the most confusing aspects of obtaining individual health insurance, so researching various companies and their rates might make a big difference in the amount you have to pay for health insurance.

When you are hunting for individual health insurance, don’t let all the confusion make you shy away from obtaining a policy. Even for people that are in great health, one accident could land you in economic peril without health insurance. Some questions to think about when buying individual health insurance are: Easy To Insure ME has the answers

Do I wish to keep my current doctor? If there is a doctor that you really like, this might determine whether an HMO or PPO plan is best for you and your family. In case you have an HMO, then you have to use their doctors, but a PPO plan will allow you to use the physician that you pick.

Just how much will it require me to pay out of pocket, and just how much will my premiums be every month? Is it smart for me to pay more for lower out of pocket costs? For a comprehensive health plan that doesn’t have many out of pocket charges, an HMO could possibly be what you are searching for. However, if you’re in your 20?s or 30?s, do not have children, and also have more money saved up, you can save money by only obtaining insurance for catastrophic illnesses. This will mean that you will have to pay out of pocket for virtually every tests or doctor appointments.

Just how much health care will my family need? Think of any services that could be needed by your loved ones on a regular basis. If someone has asthma in the family, will they need to go to an asthma specialist to regulate their illness?

When you can take some time to compare and think about the health insurance you and your family need, it could possibly make buying individual health insurance much less difficult, and provide the health coverage you and your family need for a price that you’ll be able to live with at the same time.

Increasingly, more people are buying health insurance online because of the large number of offers featured on the Internet. There are many insurance providers that offer cheap health insurance quotes for those who are on a tight budget. However, finding the best plans available on the market is not as easy as it seems. Before you start searching for online health insurance providers, you should take into consideration a few things.Easy To Insure ME has the answers

The easiest way to obtain cheap health insurance quotes is to visit independent websites that allow customers to search for medical insurance online. Many of these websites provide a short form that you will have to fill in with information about your health condition, medical history, weight, height, age, gender, pre-existing conditions, lifestyle, drinking and smoking habits and more. Once you provide these details, you will receive cheap health insurance quotes based on your answers. If you provide accurate details, then you will obtain free quotes that meet your requirements.

Customers who use quote comparison websites usually receive cheap health insurance quotes from the best online health insurance providers. However, it is important that you research each and every company in order to find one that is financially stable and has a good reputation in the industry. Check if there are any customer complaints and search for unbiased information about the company you are interested in. Keep in mind that a reliable insurer will provide you with a custom health insurance quote designed to suit your particular needs.

As soon as you gather three to five cheap health insurance quotes, you will need to compare them side-by-side. Make sure you get these quotes from reputable online health insurance providers. Take into account the amount of coverage provided, as well as the rates that you will have to pay every month. Check if the policy covers pre-existing conditions, prescription drugs, medical emergencies, maternity services, routine examinations and surgical procedures. Ask about the limitations and exclusions of the policy.

Talk with people you know such as family members and friends in order to find out more about this type of insurance. You should never stick to the first quote you get, because you can always find a better one. It is advisable not to buy the least expensive health insurance plan. You should rather search for cheap health insurance quotes that offer a large amount of coverage at an affordable price. When shopping for health insurance online, you can be rest assured that each and every quote will be accurate. Most online health insurance providers offer quote comparison services for free, so you should take full advantage of this opportunity and compare as many cheap health insurance quotes as you can.

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How to live healthy – healthy living tips

Want to live healthy?

Want to know how to live healthy?

It’s possible to learn how to live healthy. Here are some tips on how to live healthy. Each tip is a bite-sized nugget of healthy living information you can actually use.

WORLD’S FASTEST BODY DETOX HERE this is an important link and your path to healthy living!

Healthy living Tip#1: Nutritional Supplements and nutrition for healthy living:

According to me, nutritional supplements and nutrition are very necessary and very beneficial- especially when combined with healthy well balanced eating habits, as it is very difficult to get all the nutrients from the food alone, that our body needs to accomplish certain task of our body your body. That being said, the one supplement everyone should be taking is a good multi vitamin/mineral.

Along with nutritional supplements a good nutrition is also very important for healthy living. As we all know that –WE are what WE eat. So, before knowing how to live healthy, know how to make a conscious effort to gradually improve your eating habits, – GO for healthy menu – try to add food like nuts, berries, peanut butter, olive oil, greens, chicken, whole grains, etc. to your food menu.

Eliminate unhealthy menu – try to avoid foods like fried food, saturated fat, fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated oils, etc. from your diet menu.

Healthy living tip# 2: Exercises

There are numerous benefits of regular exercises including stronger bones, improved libido.  Try to make a perfect exercise plan. Go for regular exercises at least 3 to 4 times a week but not more than 45 minutes to 1 hour a day. Choose combination of cardio and strength training exercises

Healthy living tips# 3: Stress Management and Sleep

Stress management and taking plenty of good sleep, both activities are essential for healthy living and your path to better health. Try to find a way to manage your stress, In order to combat with stress, try to go for a yoga or meditation classes for your good. You can also perform any deep breathing exercise in order to reduce your stress.

Take plenty of sleep every night. Getting enough sleep each night is equally important when you consider your body uses this time to repair itself. Also, avoid eating late night.

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The number of uninsured hospital admissions in Hamilton County more than doubled between 2004 and 2008, leaving local hospitals with barely three in 10 patients who have private insurance to pay for their care, according to a new report on health in the Chattanooga region.

The loss of commercially insured patients, whose insurance payments are significantly higher than those of government-sponsored insurance for the same services and treatments, has contributed to hospitals’ staggering losses to charity care.

In Hamilton County, hospital charity care losses totaled nearly million in 2008, compared to million in 2004.

More than million of the losses that year were absorbed by Erlanger Health System, Chattanooga’s safety net hospital.

Hospitals have felt the pain of providing more and more uncompensated care, said Craig Becker, president of the Tennessee Hospital Association.

But the pain doesn’t stop there. Employers and individual consumers are feeling it in the wallet, too.

As providers are forced to cost-shift their losses from uninsured patients to commercially insured patients, private insurers have raised their monthly rates to customers, contributing to more employers and individuals being unable to afford private insurance, Becker said.

“The big problem we’ve seen is nobody wants to pay for health insurance,” he said. “It’s kind of a death spiral of, the more people dropped (from insurance), the higher the commercial rates go, the more people dropped.”

Even as total hospital admissions declined by a few percentage points, uninsured admissions grew 123 percent between 2004 and 2008, driven by both cuts to TennCare and recent losses in employer-sponsored health care due to the economic recession, according to the report compiled by the Ochs Center for Metropolitan Studies and released today.

The annual Ochs report focuses on health in the six-county metro region including Hamilton, Marion and Sequatchie counties in Tennessee, and Catoosa, Dade and Walker counties in Georgia.

The 2010 report provides a sobering overview of local health statistics, from high smoking and obesity rates, to an age-adjusted death rate that exceeds the national average, and one of the state’s highest infant mortality rates, in Hamilton County.

“We tend to focus on those areas where it appears Chattanooga and Hamilton County lag, because from our perspective that means there’s an opportunity” for improvement, said David Eichenthal, president and CEO of the Ochs Center.

The report gives a detailed picture of the local health care system on the eve of the implementation of federal reforms, and on the heels of a severe economic downturn. A breakdown of who is paying for hospital patients’ care shows patients’ heavy reliance on government-funded health insurance.

Nearly two-thirds of 2008 hospital admissions were covered by government-sponsored health care: either TennCare, the state’s Medicaid program; Medicare, the federal program for the elderly; or Cover Tennessee, the report said.

Across the six-county metro region, 16.3 percent of people were enrolled in the state’s Medicaid program. One in four people in Sequatchie County get their health care through TennCare.

Emergency rooms locally also are experiencing a shift as the number of uninsured emergency department visits rose from 24,797 in 2004, to 40,140 in 2008, an increase of 61 percent. Visits from those with private coverage dropped from 70,534 to 67,605 in the same period.

Local emergency physician David Seaberg pointed out that total emergency room visits increased by 7.8 percent in that time period. However, the disproportionate rise in uninsured ER visitors could indicate that more uninsured people are skipping routine care and allowing illnesses to worsen into true emergencies, he said.

“You’re seeing the uninsured are often probably sicker when they go in, because they don’t have insurance and they do wait” to see a doctor, said Seaberg, who is dean of the University of Tennessee College of Medicine in Chattanooga.

The hospital industry supported the health care legislation passed into law in March, which is expected to bring millions of people into the private or public insurance marketplace, Becker said. But even if more people get covered, hospitals are still worried about low reimbursement rates from public programs like TennCare, which already play a major role in community hospitals’ budgets, he said. Today TennCare only pays 64 percent of a hospitals’ costs to provide care, he said.

“While it’s coverage, it’s problematic in terms of we still would have to do cost shifting,” he said.

DEATH TRENDS

Many of the major killers in the county are related to lifestyle factors, such as smoking and maintaining an unhealthy body-mass index. Of the 3,239 Hamilton County residents who died in 2008, the leading causes of death were heart disease, cancer, chronic lower respiratory disease, stroke, Alzheimer’s disease and diabetes, much like the national trends, the report said.

Obesity is a risk factor for almost all of those conditions.

In Hamilton County, half of people ages 18 to 34 were obese or overweight, compared to 74 percent of people 55 to 64. Sixty-three percent of people with a high school education or less were overweight, compared with 60 percent of college graduates. And 70 percent of people earning more than ,000 were overweight or obese, compared to 65 percent of those earning less than ,000.

Statistics notwithstanding, local residents have an optimistic view of their health, according to the report. Nearly two-thirds of Hamilton County residents reported that they are in excellent or very good health.

But black residents of Hamilton County were one-third less likely than whites to report being in excellent or very good health, and more than one-quarter reported they were in poor health.

Responses also varied by income level: 75 percent of people earning more than ,000 reported they were in excellent or very good health, compared to just 53 percent of those earning under ,000.

Racial disparities persisted in the report, as deaths from diabetes were 2.5 times higher among blacks than whites in Hamilton County, and heart disease-related deaths were 61 percent higher among blacks.

Other disparities were worrisome, and confusing, to researchers: Although cancer mortality rates were almost equivalent to the national rates, the Alzheimer’s death rate in Hamilton County was almost double the national rate.

Mortality from Alzheimer’s locally is also 31.4 percent higher than the statewide rate, and the reasons are unclear.

That disparity has been persistent since the Ochs Center first reported it in 2006, and warrants serious investigation, Eichenthal said.

“The reason we keep highlighting it is that it’s either a really interesting reporting issue, or a really serious health issue,” he said.

More elderly people moving to the area, as well as local doctors that are more attuned to a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s, are the likely reason for the statistic, said Dr. John Standridge, director of the geriatric medicine fellowship at the University of Tennessee College of Medicine in Chattanooga.

“Instead of a disease cluster in the area, I think doctors are just better at listing it” on death certificates, he said. “For a while, doctors wouldn’t even diagnose Alzheimer’s because they thought there wasn’t that much they could do about it, so they kind of brushed it under the carpet.”

BIRTH TRENDS

The health of babies born in Hamilton County is not equal across racial lines: Nearly 20 percent of babies born to black mothers weighed under 5.5 pounds, compared to about 7 percent for whites and Latinos.

Babies born underweight, typically those born premature, are at high risk for complications that can result in disabilities or death.

Single motherhood is also on the rise in Hamilton County. In 2008, 45.4 percent of Hamilton County births were to single mothers, compared with 39 percent in 2001. Nearly 82 percent of black mothers who gave birth in 2008 were unmarried.cq

On a national level, most of those single moms aren’t teens, said Julie Baumgardner, of First Things First, a nonprofit focused on strengthening families in Hamilton County. Unwed mothers tend to be women between the ages of 19 and 29, she said.

(In Hamilton County, births to teens between the ages of 10 and 19 declined from 14.8 percent in 2002 to 12.5 percent in 2008, following a steady increase in the earlier part of the decade.)

Much of the increase in unwed motherhood has to do with a growing cultural acceptance of the practice, Baumgardner said.

“People are definitely choosing to live together and have children together,” she said.

However, many are living in poverty without the help of the baby’s father, she said. All babies born to unwed mothers face greater risk for a slew of dangers: the risk for being abused, living in poverty, becoming an abuser or ending up in jail, she said.

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The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, otherwise known as the health reform bill will impact almost every American. One of the most important ways it will affect individual health insurance is that insurance companies will not be permitted to deny insurance to those with preexisting illnesses. Another important affect is that all Americans will be required to hold insurance. Insurance companies will be prohibited from placing annual and lifetime limits on coverage. Group health exchanges may also help to reduce the cost of insurance plans, giving individuals the buying power of large companies. You will be able to purchase insurance through a state exchange from 2014. The exchanges have yet to be formed, but the intended goal is to provide more affordable and subsidized individual plans. The Obama effects on individual health insurance addresses the biggest weaknesses in the individual health insurance market. Easy To Insure Me

As the reform bill was passed policy rates were climbing. A report revealed that members of the middle class were losing health insurance faster than any other income group. Those who missed the Government provided safety net because of their income were thrown on the mercies of the individual market. Here, insurers have been denied coverage based on preexisting conditions and are vulnerable to charges of high and ever increasing premiums.

The limits insurers placed on who gets coverage is one of the three major problems that needed to be addressed in the individual market. The other two are the affordability and whether the policy would pay for what is needed when the insured gets sick. A study found that excluded conditions varied by insurer. In a 2001 study by the Georgetown Health Policy Institute, researchers 37 percent of applications were rejected. There were insurers who would turn you down if you had hay fever. The public thus was a victim of a roulette insurance market. How easy is it for individuals to wade their way through the market to insurers who would cover them is a question. Although federal law requires insurers to sell policies to certain people who lose group coverage, including those who lost their jobs due to lay offs; but places no limits on what an insurer can charge. In February 2010, Connecticut announced that health premiums for individual medical plans rose in price by 20 percent over in 2009. In this void have stepped some states in varying degrees. Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and Vermont required insurers to sell individual policies to everyone, irrespective of their health. Washington state required insurers to take individuals with some health problems. While, Iowa required insurers to cover preexisting conditions in new applicants, if they had insurance previously for those conditions and did not let the insurance lapse.

Of those who do buy their own insurance the health insurance market works well for some; but, not for others. In the individual market prior to the reform bill, in order to lower their risks insurers preferred the healthiest applicants. In most states, insurers may consider the health history of the applicant in deciding coverage and its cost. Unlike group plans offered by employers which provide coverage to everyone, there is no guarantee in most states individuals can obtain insurance. It has been realized that solving problems in the individual market would improve the health care crisis. In California, Connecticut and several other states regulators have taken actions against insurers who revoked individual coverage after policyholders fell ill. Before the President won the election Senators Ron Wyden, a Democrat from Oregon, and Bob Bennett, a Republican from Utah were supporting a bill that would shift workers getting coverage through employers to purchase their own insurance. The intention of their proposal was to break the link between employment and insurance. The two supporters of the bill believed this would let people keep their coverage even when they lost or switched their job. The proposal would have required everyone to have coverage and insurers to sell insurance to all applicants. The health reform bill has addressed these failings. Both presidential candidates had expressed the desire to improve options for people who buy their own coverage. Candidate Obama wanted to allow individuals and small firms to have the bargaining leverage and purchasing power of latge firms by creating ways for individuals to buy insurance in groups. Advisors to candidate McCain had acknowledged the current system was broken. Douglas Holtz Eakin, who was a senior policy adviser noted that he did not want to give the impression the individual or small group market is a good place to be, as it was not

The public hospitals have been at the vanguard of the victims of inadequate and absent coverage. They have provided for the uninsured and those under insured by Medicaid, that reimburses them at below cost. They are also unable to compete with private and nonprofit hospitals for patents with private health insurance coverage. Yet, the cost of providing care to the uninsured and under insured has climbed and taxpayer support remained static.

Currently employers are looking to shift more burdens to their employees due to rise in the cost of health insurance. A Reuters research team in analyzing claim data has discovered that smaller employers saw costs rise the most. According to a report released in March 2010, the cost for an employer to offer individual plans to workers increased by 43 percent over a eight-year period. The amount employees paid for the single plans increased over 64 percent.

Large corporate employees have enjoyed the most secure and highest quality coverage in the nation during their employment. They have not been victimized during their employment with revocation or denial due to preexisting conditions. Nevertheless, a recently released annual survey by the National Business Group on Health has indicated that the impact of rising costs means this island of safety is about to be buffeted. This surveyed large employers indicated they were considering shifting more of the cost on their employees.

Harvard researchers looking into what portion of bankruptcy filers filed for medical reasons found some enlightening information. They found that illness caused the majority of filings. The study looked at a year that preceded the housing bust; but reveals what is the general scenario absenting this reason. The larger segment of filers were covered by insurance they lost or proved to be inadequate. Majority of these were middle class homeowners who had college degrees. The study revealed the vulnerability of Americans who were literally one major illness from bankruptcy. There are big Obama effects on individual health insurance coverage. Certainly there are due to be major Obama effects on individual health insurance.

After months of hearing forecasts of big hikes in group health insurance rates, Keri Jenkins got a pleasant surprise. Easy To Insure ME has the answers.

Coverage costs for her company, the Norfolk-based ship agent and broker T. Parker Host, would increase by just 7.9 percent, despite new requirements under the national health care overhaul.

It was the company’s smallest rate bump since 2005.

“We were very pleased,” said Jenkins, who is T. Parker Host’s senior vice president for administration.

Many employers, like Jenkins, anticipated big changes as they developed insurance plans for the first time since the passage of the new health law.

For 2011, the law requires coverage for more people and, in many cases, mandates preventive services without extra charge to individuals – benefits that come with a price tag.

However, South Hampton Roads insurers, consultants and employers said the overhaul won’t increase rates more than 4 percent next year, largely because many plans already came close to meeting the requirements.

Overall, including other climbing expenses, local group health insurance costs are rising between 6 and 12 percent – a range comparable to recent years, they said.

For employees, that means more of the same.

“What we’ve seen is a trend where employers continue to offer less benefits and pass on more of the cost to the employees,” said John DeGruttola, senior vice president of sales and marketing for Optima Health, the insurance arm of Sentara Healthcare. “It’s really just in response to the double-digit medical inflation that occurs and continues to occur.”

Several provisions of the health care law take effect for plans renewed after Sept. 23, six months after the legislation was passed.

For many people insured through their employers, these changes will begin in next year’s coverage, which workers are now selecting during an open enrollment period.

Under the law, all plans must cover dependents up to age 26. Children up to 19 can’t be denied coverage due to a pre-existing condition.

Insurers also can’t establish limits on how much they will pay for covered benefits during the entire time an individual is enrolled in a plan. Plans can no longer terminate coverage retroactively due to honest mistakes on applications.

Other rules are contingent on how much employers change their health plans. Among them is a requirement for plans to cover certain preventive services, such as flu shots and some cancer screenings, without charging copays or co-insurance.

Companies can avoid that and some other mandates by basically freezing their plans as of March. To receive “grandfathered” status, a plan cannot significantly raise employees’ responsibility for health costs or substantially reduce benefits. Insurers found that few companies chose this option, though.

Dennis Wance was considering it for his Norfolk-based law firm, Vandeventer Black.

Because of some serious illnesses, health insurance costs would spike next year if his firm chose to grandfather its current plan, he said. However, a new plan probably would mean employees pay a larger portion of their medical bills and receive slightly reduced benefits, he said.

The choice promised to be difficult for a company that prides itself on generous health coverage for its 170 employees.

“These benefits are important,” said Wance, the firm’s executive director. “That’s why we’re reluctant to do some of the more draconian things with medical premiums to get the cost down.”

In some cases, the new law caused barely a ripple in a company’s coverage, especially if its plan already came close to meeting the provisions or if few people qualified for the new coverage.

At T. Parker Host, for example, none of the 56 employees added a new adult dependent, Jenkins said.

Other employers still wrestled with steep increases.

At Hampton-based Old Point National Bank, monthly health premiums rose more than in recent years – between 10 and 20 percent, said Joseph Witt, executive vice president and human resources director.

For his company and its 340 employees, high-deductible plans with health savings accounts have proved a good way to manage costs, he said. Those plans have lower premiums and higher deductibles than traditional plans, and allow employees to save money for medical costs in a tax-advantaged account.

“We’re hoping to one day have all of our employees say, ‘Wow, these high-deductible plans are so great, there’s no reason to be in a traditional plan anymore,’ ” Witt said. “Because the traditional plans are real dogs.”

Insurers said high-deductible plans gained popularity for 2011 because the plans allow employers to pay lower premiums and possibly invest in other benefits, such as matching funds for employee health savings accounts.

Employers also showed more interest in steering employees to wellness programs as a long-term strategy to reduce costs. Programs with incentives, such as gift cards and deposits into the health accounts, tend to work best, said Jeff Ricketts, regional vice president of sales for Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Virginia. “Cash is king, we’ve found,” he said.

Looking ahead, employers are nervous about future demands of the health care overhaul – even as they wait to see whether it will withstand political assaults.

“I can’t say that the health care reform act has presented, in and of itself for 2011, that significant a challenge for us,” Wance said. “I think those challenges are yet to come.”