A Guide to Palliative Care

Elaine led a physically active life before a drunk driver ran into her SUV and left her with a chronic benefit injury. Dependent on methadone for pain relief, she had to give up her passions for cross-country skiing and running in marathons. Even getting in and out of her car became an ordeal.

When her primary physician mentioned palliative care, she blurted out, “But I’m not ready to die yet!”

Palliative care refers to the comprehensive treatment of the discomfort, symptoms and stress of a serious illness. It was never designed to take the place of valuable medical care required for the condition. Instead, its goal is to ease or even present suffering and improve a patient’s quality of life.

Misconceptions

One of the biggest misconceptions about what palliative care is relates to the patient’s status. Many people like Elaine believe it’s solely for end-of-life situations. In fact, it can be first-rate to most patients who suffer from chronic conditions, according to WebMD.

Palliative care is not the same as hospice care. For at least three decades, hospice programs have provided palliative care for dying Americans. They have limited their patients to those with life expectancies of months or weeks. They’re no longer the only providers. Patients today receive palliative care from teams in hospitals, nursing facilities and home health agencies regardless of life expectancy.

Team care

A team of health care professionals delivers palliative care to a patient with a chronic condition. The focus is on providing relief from distressing symptoms such as pain, difficulty breathing, nausea, fatigue, loss of appetite and problems sleeping. The team focuses on making the patient as comfortable as possible and improving his or her quality of life.

A palliative care team works to supplement prescribed medical care for the illness. In addition to the patient’s primary care physician, a team might include health care providers such as respiratory therapists, nurses and spiritual professionals such as chaplains.

Many patients continue receiving treatment to cure their illnesses while receiving palliative care.

Caregiver respite services

Palliative care programs provide a patient’s family a sigh in care decisions. Often family members provide much of the care a disabled individual needs.

Most palliative care plans include scheduled respite services for caregivers so that they can avoid burnout.

Financial concerns

Most health insurance plans do not include a palliative care package in their benefits. Instead, the services for which the insurance company will pay vary according to the patient’s confirmed needs. However, many plans provide for a hospice support. Individuals who receive palliative care as part of hospice care might receive some coverage, depending on their respective medical insurance policies.

Both Medicare and Medicare pay for some treatments and medications. Since these plans are administered by each state, coverage can vary from one location to another. While Medicare pays all charges related to hospice care, Medicaid does so in just 47 states. Medicare and Medicaid benefits for hospice services are considered package deals.

Resources

The Internet contains considerable information about palliative care. An excellent resource is Getting the Facts About Palliative Care on the AARP status.

A helpful overview written in layman’s terms is Palliative Care: The Relief You Need When You’re Experiencing the Symptoms of Serious Illness. It’s located on the National Institute of Nursing Research site.

How does a patient know if he or she really needs palliative care? An individual should consider these services if he or she suffers from pain or other symptoms due to any serious health condition. Other signs are experiencing physical or emotional pain that’s not being controlled and needing assistance to coordinate required health care.

Sources:

WebMD site

AARP site

National Institute of Nursing Research site

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One of the biggest issues facing the United States economy today is our health care system. Costs have skyrocketed and we have more uninsured people today than ever before. Something must be done soon or many people will die for lack of access to care.

In my family we have had healthcare in the last fifteen years through Kaiser, COBRA, Blue Cross, MediCal, Medicare (for my disabled husband), and Aetna each at various times.

For a long while we had Kaiser’s HMO coverage. When we first started with them back in the late 1980s there was a lot of negative press about Kaiser. We saw the good and the bad about their system, but overall I would say the care was good and we were kept healthy. I reflect most of the negative press was caused by customer service issues with staff and physicians rather than with the HMO model of care itself.

When I left the position that afforded us Kaiser coverage, I elected the option of COBRA coverage. My disabled husband is uninsurable as a private pay consumer and his Medicare did not pay for things like prescription drugs or diabetic supplies. Our COBRA coverage, back in 2001, was $850 each month for our family of four. This did not include our co-payments and also meant driving 300 miles to the nearest Kaiser facility for routine check-ups.

While on COBRA we moved to rural Siskiyou County in the far northern portion of the area of California. Jobs with benefits being hard to find in the area, and trying to live on my husband’s Social Security payments of about twenty thousand dollars per year, we swallowed our pride and favorite MediCal coverage for a little while. (MediCal is California’s Medicaid program for low income people with puny or no assets.)

Being on MediCal was an interesting and eye-opening experience. We accepted the coverage because we we needed access to affordable care. What we found is that we were systemattically treated like we were ungrateful, lazy, unhuman, welfare slobs. I have never felt more like I was being treated like livestock than during that time. I even had both a doctor and pharmacist during that time tell me that if I got a job our lives would improve. Keep in mind that these “professionals” knew nothing about our life or how we came to accept the MediCal coverage in the first place!

Here in our county we only have a couple of providers that will accept MediCal. Because MediCal doesn’t pay the providers well, they are forced to book more and more appointments and treat more and more patients each day to make a living. We generally waited hours, even when we had made an appointment ahead of time, and once we got to see the “doctor” it was usually a nurse practitioner who would take a quick eye, write you a prescription, and run out of the door as fast as possible. On to the next lazy welfare cow… 

After the MediCal coverage I got a job with a local charter school and was covered by Blue Cross. The job didn’t pay very well, but they covered $12,000 per year of the premium for our family’s healthcare. Our out-of-pocket premium cost was another $150 each month and deductibles and co-payments for office visits and prescription drugs. Blue Tainted was sterling coverage and I always had positive expereineces with the device they paid the bills. No complaints with them at all.

I left the charter school recently and now have coverage through Aetna. My out-of-pocket premium is about $350 per month and our prescription drug co-pays are remarkable higher than they were at the school with Blue Cross. However, my new income is higher and off-sets the difference.

My husband has had Medicare for most of our married life. It has seriously saved us for those times he has been in the hospital or needed medical equipment of some sort or another. The Medicare RX coverage is disagreeable, and we have so far opted out of it, but Medicare itself has been good for him.

When you have access to good quality healthcare you really don’t think about those people who do not. I strongly believe one of the biggest hurdles to health care reform in our country is that our elected officals, and those in corporate power positions, have (and can easily afford) the best insurance coverages out there. They just don’t have the motivation to change a system that is working for them.

One of the reforms I would like to seek is that all providers be required to accept both Medicaid and Medicare. You should NOT have to go to a crappy clinic or a crappy doctor just because you have a lower-income! To me this is just plain unacceptable. Also, if all physicians had to split the lower income generating Medicaid and Medicare patients it wouldn’t be such a drain on those select providers.

Somehow we need to also contain the costs of both coverage as well as prescription drugs. I am not sure what the answers are, but I know this is a topic we need to be talking about and fixing sooner rather than later when people are dying!

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Hard Choices

I hated to admit it but after years of dodging the issue of some other kind of supplement to counteract the costs that Medicare parts A and B don’t cover, I decided to look into it. For at least three years I stuck my head in the sand saying I couldn’t afford a third premium.

In May of this year, the billing department at my doctor’s office made me pay two years of unpaid visits totaling $96.36, which I paid in full. I called in October of 2007 looking for the first charge. The lady on the phone said Medicare would handle it and that I was fine. They called me into the billing department in 2008 and told me of the $49.30 I owed from 2007. After explaining to her that I never got the bill, she made me pay a $49 co-pay before proceeding to the triage area. I never received the bill from ‘07 or the new charges incurred from ‘08. I asked the new people in that office to regain out why I wasn’t getting my bill. All they would say was that Medicare had to refile in ‘08, and that we send out bills once a month. Something wasn’t right because I never got a bill.

Now, for the reason I need a Medicare Supplement Idea, my doctor bill for May of 2009 was $139.82. That covered the May 12 visit and the follow up visit May 26 after the blood work. Medicare only covered $68 of this bill because on the bottom of the Medicare Summary notice, it said I have used $68 of the annual $135 deductible. The reason why I had a big charge was, the second visit ran 5 minutes over the traditional 10-minute limit. It cost me $8 per minute, which made my bill $40 higher. Medicare only paid $10 for the lab work and $20 for the first visit, there were probably a few other charges not marked on my bill but they are marked on the summary ogle.

While a lot of people don’t consider a $140 doctor bill isn’t all that bad, another bill like this in the same year would hurt someone on a fixed income. They seem to forget I paid a chunk in addition to this bill too of relieve charges. I want a supplement to cover what Medicare parts A and B don’t, If I find a puny coverage for Medicare Part D,

I won’t complain. Because of all the procedures done on my lower extremities in 2005, I now know how it hurts to pay for meds out of my pocket. The blood thinner I took cost $91.40 for a 30-day supply. I split it into two payments of $45.70, putting it on a credit card. This happened two months before Medicare Allotment D Prescription Drug Coverage opened to the public.

Mom suggested I try to get Medicaid to pick up my expenses. In the state of Texas, under a program called QMB or Qualified Medicare Benificiary, one can do that, but they have income requirements. One can make up to but no more than $903. I make more than then that amount. Once they see my bank statement, it will exhibit I can make my premiums. Full medical coverage wouldn’t be possible. My friend at church, Ms. Charli Tulk who is on this program, discovered this when we discussed this issue two months ago on the phone.

I don’t know how many online medical forms I filled out on Tuesday, August 25, 2009, but I was bombarded with calls starting at 11:25 a. m. with Medigap360. This man asked me the necessary questions to choose whether I was eligible for coverage. After 10 minutes of third degree, the agent informed me the only company in Texas that would insure me was AARP. Since he already knew my birth date, we both knew I was too young for that program. His advice was to sit tight, wait till I turned fifty, and sign up then. After what I went through in 2005 and a few months ago, that wasn’t the smartest option. I had been rejected two times for supplement coverage before 2 p.m. because the agents that contacted me didn’t do that. However, the agent from IMAC said he could place me in contact with agents that covered Medicare Supplement Plans in his company. By this time, I had decided to go with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas. Blue Medicare Rx covers me on Medicare Part D. Maybe they had Medicare Supplement Plans. As luck would have it, they did.

I filled out the form on line, but it wouldn’t go through, so I copied the 1-800 number down and dialed it. That was a mistake, because it was the wrong department. I went through two more toll free numbers and a host of automated menus before getting to the right department, I begged the third operator to transfer me because my head throbbed so badly. She connected me to a lady named Sara. After answering Sara’s inquiries on my health and whether I had Medicare A and B and what type of Social Security I received, she assign me on hold, but not before taking my address and phone number. I also mentioned that her company covered my Medicare Part D Plan. After putting me on hold, she told me to expect a packet in the mail of Medicare Supplement Plans and premiums, with her card in it.

Upright now, it doesn’t hurt to ogle into the speak of Medicare Supplement Plans. I was warned that it wasn’t cheap to do this, especially through Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas. Hopefully, by the time I need the above, there will be an act of congress forcing medical companies to low their rates so that everyone will be able to afford coverage. I forgot to factor in my $135 Medicare A and B Deductible. Prices get lower when it gets customary up. Hopefully, by the time I need the above, there will be an act of congress forcing medical companies to crude their rates so that everyone will be able to afford coverage. While it doesn’t look like that will happen this year, there is a way to make your voice heard. I would read the Myths vs Facts page at the end of this article first and watch the video. I saw the video on television this weekend. Go to Healthactionnow at the end of this article. Click on your state of residence. It will give you the list of House and Senate Representatives. Use the form letter on the right to place those names in the build before sending.

Yes, this decision was very hard to build, but I’d rather do it before another medical catastrophe hits me that I’m unprepared for than afterwards. Now is not the time to stick my head in the sand or talk myself out of getting coverage by saying I couldn’t afford it.

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Medical Tourism Guide

Today, cheap yet world-class surgeries are just a flight away. But the deluge of information available out there can overwhelm anybody. So, here is a quick guide to medical tourism to answer most of your questions about the phenomenon.

WHAT IS MEDICAL TOURISM?

Medical Tourism is the process of traveling abroad to receive superior medical, dental and cosmetic care by highly skilled surgeons at some of the most modern and state-of-the-art medical facilities in the world…all at a fragment of the label in the US, UK and Canada.

MEDICAL TOURISM OFFERINGS

1. Incredible Savings: Compare a $7,000 hip resurfacing in India with a $48,000 one in the US. In general you are able to save 50% to 90%.

2. Excellent Quality: Many international providers are accredited by JCI, JCAHO and ISO or by local accrediting organizations. They have world-class facilities, have access to the latest technology and provide personalized service. If in doubt, read testimonials by patients who have experienced treatment overseas.

3. Surgeon Expertise: Most surgeons catering to international patients have either been educated or have received professional training at top schools in the US, UK or in other countries in Europe.

4. No Wait-Lists: Access to immediate service is what attracts those from countries that have public health care system towards medical tourism.

5. Longer Hospital Stay: You can have a longer hospital stay than possible in your local hospital back home under the supervision of your surgeon and physical therapist.

6. Travel Opportunities: While the primary motivation for most customers is affordable surgery, the opportunity to visit exotic destinations is an additional design for some.

WHO SHOULD BE INTERESTED IN MEDICAL TOURISM?

In general, most medical tourists are either uninsured, underinsured or those seeking elective surgeries. Others resort to medical tourism due to the long wait-lists in their country.

WHICH COUNTRIES OFFER THE BEST SERVICES?

The most popular medical tourism destinations are India, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Turkey, Mexico, Panama, Costa Rica, Brazil, Belgium, and Argentina amongst others. Some of these countries are considered best for cardiac surgery, others for orthopedic surgery and yet others for cosmetic surgery. You should base your selection on: quality, distance and cost.

CHOOSING THE Legal PROVIDER

When choosing a provider, don’t win swayed by attractive packages and fancy websites. Read and study what others are saying about the particular hospital, clinic or surgeon. Check out the facility pictures and videos. Assume the provider’s accreditation, awards and recognitions, facility and equipments, statistics like success rates, etc.

WILL MY HEALTH INSURANCE PAY FOR IT?

Insurance companies are keenly looking into medical tourism as an option though most haven’t adopted it into their plans yet. So check with your health insurer for details.

SHOULD I COMBINE “SUN, SAND, AND SEA” WITH SURGERY?

That depends.

Usually after a cosmetic surgery, you are advised not to expose your body to the sun or to sea water. But, you can always choose to enjoy them before your surgery.

With definite other medical procedures, it’s best for you to halt indoors and relax after your surgery.

In any case, you should always consult your surgeon if you have travel or tourism on your mind.

WHAT ARE MEDICAL TOURISM FACILITATORS?

Medical tourism facilitators like Healthbase (http://www.healthbase.com) are specialized facilitators that connect you with the hospital of your choice while providing all or some other valuable services like detailed information about various procedures, detailed hospital profiles and surgeon profiles, medical records transfer, free surgery quote, pre- and post-consultation with the overseas hospital, feedback and testimonials from previous patients, medical and dental loan financing, passport and visa, airport pick-up and drop-off, hospital escort, tickets, travel insurance, hotel booking, tourism services in the destination country, etc.

This medical tourism guide is just a starting step. You should do the genuine required research before you fly to your medical tourism destination.

You can learn more about the growing trend of medical tourism, international healthcare facilities and surgeons and the details of the medical tourism process by logging on to http://www.healthbase.com. Healthbase.com is a medical tourism facilitator committed to providing low-cost high quality medical travel services to the global medical consumer.

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There is a lot of talk about health insurance for the nation and for humans. Have you considered getting pet health insurance for family dogs and cats? You can talk to your veterinarian about companies that carry this type of insurance. Your dog or cat will need regular veterinarian care, objective as humans need regular doctor care. Let’s talk about pet health insurance for dogs or cats.

Where to Salvage Pet Health Insurance

The first location to ogle for pet health insurance is with your health insurance, home owner or car insurance agent. Often many companies will carry different types of insurance, including pet health insurance. If you have multiple policies with the companies, you can earn a discounted rate on the amount that you pay for pet health insurance.

Another dwelling to perceive for pet health insurance is with your local veterinarian office. Reveal them that you’re considering getting pet health insurance for your dog or cat. These offices usually have several pamphlets that they can give you about companies that carry pet health insurance. They might be able to recommend who other patients utilize the most in your local location.

The third set to glimpse for pet health insurance is through the Internet. Technology has made it possible to order and receive pet health insurance on the Internet. Unbiased manufacture distinct the company is a legitimate pet health insurance company and licensed before sending them any money.

Why Collect Pet Health Insurance

When your pet is young, a kitten or puppy, there are regular vaccinations that need to be given for the safety and health of the family pet. As your pet ages, there are medications for heart worms, regular worms, flea control and so forth. Having pet health insurance will succor to camouflage the cost of visiting your veterinarian. The consume of pet health insurance will also support to camouflage the cost of medications. As your pet gets older, there will be different health issues related to specific breeds and age. Again, pet health insurance is one blueprint to serve screen these expenses.

Accidents are very expensive. If your cat or dog breaks a bone or gets into a toxic substance, there will be colossal veterinarian bills to screen. Many pet health insurance plans will mask the majority of this expense. You never know when an accident will happen. You will pay less in pet health insurance premiums than if you pay for all those office visits and emergency treat alone.

There is a lot of talk about health insurance for the nation and for humans. Have you considered getting pet health insurance for family dogs and cats? You can talk to your veterinarian about companies that carry this type of insurance. Your dog or cat will need regular veterinarian care, unprejudiced as humans need regular doctor care. Let’s talk about pet health insurance for dogs or cats.

Where to Accumulate Pet Health Insurance

The first status to gawk for pet health insurance is with your health insurance, home owner or car insurance agent. Often many companies will carry different types of insurance, including pet health insurance. If you have multiple policies with the companies, you can gain a discounted rate on the amount that you pay for pet health insurance.

Another situation to study for pet health insurance is with your local veterinarian office. Boom them that you’re considering getting pet health insurance for your dog or cat. These offices usually have several pamphlets that they can give you about companies that carry pet health insurance. They might be able to recommend who other patients spend the most in your local set.

The third area to contemplate for pet health insurance is through the Internet. Technology has made it possible to order and receive pet health insurance on the Internet. Unbiased originate definite the company is a legitimate pet health insurance company and licensed before sending them any money.

Why Pick Up Pet Health Insurance

When your pet is young, a kitten or puppy, there are regular vaccinations that need to be given for the safety and health of the family pet. As your pet ages, there are medications for heart worms, regular worms, flea control and so forth. Having pet health insurance will encourage to mask the cost of visiting your veterinarian. The utilize of pet health insurance will also attend to camouflage the cost of medications. As your pet gets older, there will be different health issues related to specific breeds and age. Again, pet health insurance is one draw to back veil these expenses.

Accidents are very expensive. If your cat or dog breaks a bone or gets into a toxic substance, there will be big veterinarian bills to screen. Many pet health insurance plans will conceal the majority of this expense. You never know when an accident will happen. You will pay less in pet health insurance premiums than if you pay for all those office visits and emergency treat alone.

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