Health, Mental Health & Recovery for Today

Budgeting for Healthcare

Medical expenses can add overwhelming debt to your budget, especially if those expenses are unexpected. Even those with good income and insurance coverage can be caught off guard by emergencies and other unexpected events. It is important to begin budgeting for healthcare before you need it, that way, when the unexpected happens you have a financial cushion available to ease your burden. It’s not just emergencies you should be concerned with either. Prevention is also important in healthcare, having a healthy lifestyle as well as frequenting online fitness sites and stores. If you are unable to obtain preventative care, you could encounter serious health problems that might have been avoidable or more easily treated if found early on.

Prevention and Maintenance

Preventative healthcare and maintenance of health or current conditions is an important aspect of life, determining the difference between being healthy and possibly allowing conditions to go undiagnosed or untreated for far too long. Prevention means seeing doctors on a regular basis and following their guidelines. This includes visits for physicals, annual check-ups, vision care, and dental check-ups. Most of these doctor visits require you to return every six months or every year. For a healthy person, one to two years between visits is not uncommon. However, age or medical conditions can dictate a need for more frequent visits, and physicals are often necessary for jobs, sports, and other activities.

Medication

For those who do not qualify for Medicaid or prescription assistance programs, the cost of medication is an important part of your healthcare budget. Those on Medicare, with insurance, or paying 100% out-of-pocket know that medication can get expensive. Even those with good insurance coverage can wind up paying large sums in medication co-pays, and even large deductibles before some medications will be covered. And the costs for emergency medications, such as pain pills or antibiotics, can also be overwhelming to those without a financial plan that includes healthcare costs.

Insurance Premiums

Not only should you include the costs of doctor visits, emergency room visits, hospitalization, and medications in your healthcare budget, but you should also include the cost of insurance premiums and co-pays. Insurance premiums are paid, depending on the carrier, on a monthly, quarterly, bi-annual, or annual basis. Depending on the amount of your deductible, as well as other factors, premiums can cost quite a bit. You will also need to carefully consider your policy’s requirement for co-pays, as you will probably have to pay a portion of the cost for doctor and hospital visits, medication, medical tests, surgeries, eyeglasses, etc.

Saving for Healthcare Expenses

It is a great idea t plan ahead by including healthcare expenses in your budget. Budgeting for healthcare does not have to be complicated. Simply set aside some money in an account dedicated to medical expenses. You can do this with a regular savings account or set up an HSA (health savings account) through your job or financial institution. When budgeting for healthcare expenses, it is important to consider prevention, regular healthcare maintenance, medication costs, co-pays, insurance premiums, and emergencies. However, you should also set aside some money to handle other expense in the case of an emergency to make up for lost wages. Take a close look at your budget, figure out where you can cut other expenses, and set aside a reasonable amount out of each paycheck, or each month, to put in your healthcare savings account. While there is help through specialty insurance programs, non-profits, government agencies, and other organizations, not everyone qualifies, and it is a good idea to at least have a bit of a cushion until you can obtain some additional help.

Jonathan Kerner is a financial analyst and blogger who contributes to sites here and offers advice on money management blogs.

Lisa

May 20, 2013

Health, Money

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health insurance, insurance premiums, preventative care

Health Care Changes are Coming

Health care in America is changing due in part to Obamacare, advances in technology, and concerns of employers and insurers about the state of health in this country.

The Affordable Health Care Act is going to change the way doctors, hospitals, and insurance companies deal with diagnosis and treatment of patients. Combined with new technology, it will give more responsibility over to the patient in deciding the course of their care.

Over the next few years, patients can expect to see some or all of the following changes.

Pharmacies serving as health consultants

This development is already being implemented. Stores such Walgreens, CVS, and regional supermarket pharmacies have expanded their offerings to include wellness checks, vaccinations, and specific health screenings. Some are offering limited clinics to advise customers about treating colds and other minor conditions as well as giving advice about prescription interactions and side effects. They may also conduct general physicals and forward results directly to the patient’s primary doctor.

Employers expanding health care and fitness rewards

More and more employers are realizing that keeping employees healthy cuts down on their own health insurance costs as well as reducing sick days and diminished productivity. As a result companies are building incentives into their benefits plans. These may be as simple as cutting a few dollars off insurance premiums for employees who don’t smoke to offering discounts on fitness club memberships, bonuses for participation in weight loss programs, or offering on site health screenings and vaccinations. Expect to see these types of programs expand in the coming years.

Expansion of Electronic Health Records

Thanks to government incentives, doctors, clinics, and hospitals are working to convert to electronic health records. These digital patient records will be able to follow a patient from the doctor’s office to the hospital and from city to city or state to state. They will allow for the attachment of x-rays, MRIs, and other results from testing facilities to be combined with doctor reports, vital statistics, and even prescription data. Perhaps best of all, prescriptions can be sent electronically to the pharmacist, eliminating confusion and prescription errors based on interpreting doctor handwriting.

Technology changing and replacing office visits

Today’s smartphone apps allow users to track their BMI, blood sugar results, and calorie intact. In the near future, apps will email such data directly to the doctor to be added to the electronic health record. When a patient is sick or injured, they may have a brief Skype consultation with a nurse practitioner rather than having to take time off from work to go in for an office visit. Another advance will include conducting pre-exam interviews via computer prior to coming into the office so that more time is spent on actual care.

Does Driving Wind You Up or Calm You Down?

It’s not news that different people react differently to driving. Some of us are perfectly calm, while others are nothing but a bundle of nerves behind the wheel. There are a lot of factors that can contribute to being either kind of person, and it can have a lot to do with situational factors just as much personal ones.

People that are relaxed behind the wheel are the people that love driving. Sitting behind the wheel, watching to world go by while listening to some great music is a great way to unwind. So does driving down serene country roads or along the beach. Driving alone offers an opportunity to be alone with your thoughts, and it can even be an adventure through unexplored parts of your state. It’s a well known fact that driving alone can be an exceptional stress reliever.

But for every person that just melts into the seat of their car, there is at least one more that grips the wheel with white knuckles when they pull out of the driveway. It’s perfectly understandable, too. Driving a car is a big risk. Damaging the car or somebody else’s can be a huge tragedy. Hitting a pedestrian is even worse, and what if you get pulled over? Some are even nervous to start the car for fear that something broke and they will have to get it fixed. Another reason is that driving can be overstimulating. There is a lot going on on the road, especially if you live in a crowded area, or are driving in traffic. Paying attention to everything can be nerve-wracking and exhausting. Further, knowing that other people aren’t paying attention, or worse, driving under the influence, can be another thing that adds to the fear.

As luck would have it, both of these types of people can learn a thing or two from the other. There is such a thing as being too relaxed behind the wheel. Falling asleep behind the wheel can be fatal, but that’s somewhat extreme. But it is still important to keep a vigilant eye out for things that are happening on the road.

At the same time, drivers that get too overwhelmed can take a few pointers from relaxed drivers. There is no need to be a coiled spring—in fact, it could be worse for your safety overall. One of the most important things to remember if you’re a nervous driver is that other cars will wait for you if you need more time. Making a mistake in traffic is something everybody does, so anyone that honks because you don’t feel like turning right on a red this instant is just a jerk. Other than that, just taking a deep breath, sitting back, and taking things as they come are the best things to do to stay calm while driving.

Are you a nervous driver or a relaxed one? What’s some advice you would offer to help people calm down or stay sharp?

Neela Dodson is a lifestyle coach specializing in helping women take control of their environment through home repair and auto maintenance. She loves to teach her clients how to tell the difference between Cooper tires and other brands as well as how to make basic car repairs on their own.

driving, driving stress, stress relief

The Popularity of Health Apps and Mobile Health Trackers

There are thousands of apps out there in the digital market today, and while most of them are fun – from Angry Birds to other games you can play as a diversion for your life – there are certainly apps out there that seek to improve your life, and more. Not surprisingly, health apps are very, very popular nowadays as people try to combine their love of mobile and digital technology with their need to improve their health and track what they do on a daily basis.

More than 30% of smart phone users look up health information online, and a whopping one in five smart phone users has downloaded and consistently uses a health-related app or health tracker to improve their fitness levels, track their nutrition, and more. But what are some popular health-related apps? And how can you use them to ensure that your health improves over time? Let’s review a few of the big ones today to see how they can help you and your fitness goals:

WebMD’s Info App

WebMD, one of the most popular web destinations for finding out health and medical information, recently launched their own app to help people on mobile phones be more health-conscious. With high quality and detailed information about a variety of medical and health-related topics, WebMD is your go-to source for, well, doctors online! Millions search and use WebMD’s app every day to find out about conditions, symptoms, and other health-related material.

PTSD Coach

PTSD Coach is a government-created app designed to help those both returning from war, including American servicemen and women, and those who may have otherwise experienced PTSD at some point in their lives. While nothing can compare to a doctor and psychologist, of course, PTSD Coach provides good tools and resources to help those suffering, and is a promising mental health app that hopefully will get a lot of use by many people in the future.

Ask Karen

Ask Karen is a food safety app dedicated to providing great information about food recalls, products, and ingredients. From GMOs and food safety, to the most recent news and information about products that you purchase and consume, Ask Karen is a phenomenal app when it comes to tracking and creating news and information about food safety for consumers who are concerned with what they and their families consume.

Nike + iPod

Available on the iPhone as well as other devices, the Nike + iPod app allows you to not only have a great mix to workout to if you’re a music fan, but also lets you track distances, paces, exercise and more when it comes to your workouts. If you’re a runner, and looking for the best when it comes to tracking and keeping control of your pacing, for example, the Nike + iPod app is ideal – and you can listen to music the entire time you’re exercising, too!

Countless Calorie Counting Apps

From LiveStrong to CalorieTracker, there are hundreds of calorie counting apps on the market today. While they don’t work for everyone, calorie counting apps provide resources related to tracking your daily food intake, and they allow you to better understand how much you’re eating, how it is (or isn’t) helping your body, and what you can do to improve your health through easy nutrition and dietary habit changes over time.

In short, there is no shortage of health-related apps in the marketplace today. Beamed right to your phone and available for every step of your health habits, no matter what your goals are, you are sure to come up with great results using these various health apps!

guest post by Summer Brent, a journalist and health blogger. Summer’s writes about medical technology and health for software pages like http://www.contacttracking.com/sales-solutions/ as well as various health and tech blogs.

diet apps, health apps, health software

Methadone Use in Treating Drug Addiction

What is Methadone?

Methadone acts as a way to wean patients from heroin or other opiates. Although methadone does have the same effects as opiates, it also blocks the unsafe drugs. This allows for addicts to slowly wean themselves from drugs and get clean. Methadone is administered orally and can be procured from a place that treats addicts because it is a controlled substance.

Are There Any Negative Effects?

Methadone treatment is one way to begin eliminating drugs from an addict’s system and getting clean. This does not mean that there are no negative effects associated with methadone, it’s just that they are less severe when compared to heroin, for instance. Taking methadone will give the addict a more gradual process of cleaning up rather than experience the more extreme symptoms of withdrawal.

Because methadone is also an opiate, it’s possible to get hooked on it. It is not as addictive as heroin and other opiates, but it can become habit forming. The trick is to go into a program where the dosage is lowered in stages and gradually. This will allow for a gentler rehabilitation. On an extreme side, it is possible to overdose on methadone, and although this is rare, it does happen occasionally.

What Can I Expect During Treatment?

This treatment is totally voluntary and each person’s program is suited to them specifically. The majority of methadone treatment programs are outpatient and will start off by patients frequently visiting a clinic to obtain their methadone dosage. As the patient gains the trust of the staff, they will eventually gain privileges and be given lower dosages of methadone. Some of the privileges given to patients could be a methadone prescription that they can take home and administer themselves. There is no precise time frame of when this will happen, but this is something that will come slowly but surely in time.

Once the patient has reduced their intake of methadone to relatively none, they will have to cope with no methadone. Because the weaning occurs over a period of months, most people will only experience mild symptoms. Of course, it’s up to the individual to replace their drug use with healthier preoccupations and become healthier through that process. Methadone alone is not sufficient to fix the underlying problems and lifestyle changes are usually required for that. However, most treatment programs will offer additional support in the form of therapy or twelve step meetings.

addiction treatment, drug rehab, methadone treatment

How Mental Health Affects Your Physical Health

I’ve been saying it for years but finally medical science is proving me right: One of the keys to living a long healthy life is coping with stress. I’ve always believed that stress is as bad for one’s health as smoking, trans fat, and poking a bear with a stick. Furthermore, I’ve contended that people who are really old, I’m talking triple digits, have a knack for dealing with stress.

What I was really trying to say is that good mental health leads to good physical health. Now, medical science is backing up my claims. Study after study is proving that physical health and mental health are linked. You might think the medical profession had known this since Hippocrates derived his oath, but actually there have been relatively few studies done on the topic and most of them relatively recently.

Researchers have found numerous links between the two. For example, uncontrolled anger can lead to heart problems and anxiety can lead to a lack of balance. That’s not all. Poor mental states can also lead to abnormal blood pressure, diabetes, skin problems, and an increased risk of suffering a stroke.

Are you one of those unhealthy pessimists who needs further proof? Well, Dr. Nancy E. Mayo ran a study that looked at middle-aged women who survived a stroke. I’m not going to bore you by writing that the women who didn’t want to get better didn’t get better—no one needed a study to know that. What Dr. Mayo found was the women who were especially hopeless saw a thickening of the carotid artery (the artery responsible for a stroke). The most apathetic women in Mayo’s study had three times the thickening in comparison to the group’s overall average.

A study done by Bangor University (Wales) discovered that conducting a mentally fatiguing task before a physically difficult task can lead to exhaustion more quickly than when one is not mentally fatigued. So before your next physically taxing day at work, tell your boss you need the previous day off so you can stay home, relax your mind, and be at your best (think he or she will buy that?).

I need to be mentally fit in order to stay physically healthy, but how in the heck do I do that with a job, a spouse, kids, a mortgage, and a cat that can’t find the litter box?

The path to mental fitness is quite simple, although getting there can be very difficult. All you have to do is be happy. For millennia, philosophers, theologians, and greeting card companies have told us that happiness isn’t a formula but a conscious decision. If you want to be happy, just be happy. If you need a little more help try meditation, visualization, maintaining a positive attitude, and being optimistic. Another helpful technique is awareness. Being aware makes it easy to know the true nature of events and to not take things so personally.

Barbara Fredrickson, Ph.D., who has studied this subject at length, says happiness “helps us build resources that can help us rebound better from adversity and stress, ward off depression and continue to grow.” This doesn’t mean you can’t ever be angry, fearful, aggressive, or aggravated (some of the so-called “negative emotions), it just means you can’t feel those emotions all the time and you should try to be happy even if it’s in small amounts.

mental health, reduce stress, stress

Military Reviewing Mental Health Cases

War is horrible thing but unfortunately at times it is inevitable. But while debates over the legitimacy and length of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan may go on for decades, if not longer, one thing that no one is debating is the effect it has had on our soldiers and society at large. In school we learned about the various wars our country has fought and the sacrifices that our soldiers have made, with many giving the ultimate sacrifice of their lives. However, these most recent wars have given us a first-hand look the variety and depth the wounds soldiers receive can be. Some so deep they are invisible.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, PTSD , has affected soldiers probably since the beginning of time; however it’s only been recent years that those in the mental health field have really been able to pin point who is affected and provide them with the right treatment. Everyone is different and everyone handles stressful or traumatic experiences in different ways but some of the symptoms include lack of sleep, bad dreams, extreme irritability, angry outbursts, and an inability to move forward from the traumatic event.

Treatment for PTSD isn’t the same for everyone. Some soldiers may require counseling, some medication, and others some variation of each. If you suspect that you or a loved one may be suffering from PTSD the best thing to do is get more information and begin seeking treatment. While there were cases of PTSD being down-graded, a recent article shows that veterans services and the Army are reviewing the cases and doing all that they can to ensure soldiers receive the care and treatment that they need to live happy, successful lives going forward.

Helping a Loved One Kick an Addiction

Having someone with an addiction in your life can be stressful and unbalancing, especially if the addiction is to drugs. You love the person will all your heart, and what they are doing to themselves – and to you – is ripping the relationship apart. Part of you will want to sever ties and just walk away. But mostly likely there is another part of you that wants to help them get better. And maybe they themselves are ready for it. They have to enter drug treatment willingly in order for it to work. But once they have made that decision, you can help them along the way so that they will be successful.

Be supportive

Once they decide to seek help, be supportive; whether it’s their first time or they’ve been to several drug treatment centers in the past. Knowing that they have the support of friends and family can go a long way in their treatment.

Ask what you can do

Don’t be scared to ask what you can do to help. Something as small as watering their plants while they are in treatment can help. Or maybe visiting weekly for coffee (if it’s allowed). And if they say they don’t need anything, don’t believe them! Send a surprise care-package with their favourite foods and magazines. Something to let them know you are thinking of them.

Be there when they get out

Staying clean in a rehab centre can be a walk in the park compared to what a recovering addict is faced with once they get back into the real world and their life. Help them to ease back into their life and help them avoid old patterns that could lead to temptation.

Trying to kick a drug addiction can seem like an impossible feat. If you have a friend or family member who is going through it, be as helpful and supportive as you can. Knowing that people still care and love them can go a long way in helping with their recovery.

Your Home and Sanctuary in Toronto

There are various reasons why people choose to relocate to different cities, states and sometimes even countries. Many times the reasons relate to career possibilities as well as those associated with relationships. And while most of the time people will consider various amenity options and landscape aesthetic elements when considering apartment choices, it’s also important to remember that your home should be a sanctuary of sorts. It should be a place you can love returning to after a hard day’s work an also a place of spiritual retreat and personal rejuvenation. With this in mind, the harmonious atmosphere and peaceful energy of an apartment community should play a major role in one’s choice. When moving to one of a number of beautiful cities in Canada, this might seem like an easy and automatic element, there are resources available that can help you ensure you’re making the right choice. And when moving to a new city, particularly one a great distance from where you live, it can be difficult to visit many places personally in advance before making your decision. Toronto apartments is one of the best options to assist with this type of move. And knowing in advance what your top priorities are will go along way in guaranteeing you arrive home in the sanctuary you need and deserve.

Meanwhile, in turning your living environment into that personal retreat is actually easier than what you might imagine. It’s becoming relatively common for a single person to move into a two or even three bedroom apartment so they can turn one room into a meditation room. This can be a personal retreat where that you can fill with plants, artwork and other items that will contribute to a sense of well-being, peace and contentment. Large pillows, a yoga matt, candles and beautiful window trimmings will go a long way in creating your personal mediation space where you can release the tensions of the day and calm your mind and spirit. And while decades ago, the practice of mediation was frequently considered to be ‘new agey’ or worse pretentious, many medical practitioners now realize the health benefits of the practice. In addition, certain physical routines and exercises, particularly of a yogic nature also increase the effects. It’s commonly accepted that people who practice yoga and meditation on a daily basis are better able to handle stressful situations and also to let go of tension and stress more easily. This is extremely important for your cardiovascular health, as well as your peace of mind and overall well being. Finding some beautiful Starlight Investments Ltd apartment rentals in Toronto is easy and there are plenty of great outdoor areas and landscape attractions. Meanwhile, creating your personal sanctuary can be a much more subjective project. Decide for yourself what features and amenities matter most to creating the perfect home environment and then access the best resources to help you find them. It’s your home, it’s your health, it should be your own paradise.

Polar Opposite Medical Perspectives

There was an interesting discussion on Dr. Oz on Monday night, November 28, that relates to obesity and health in this country. Dr. Oz claims that we have an obesity epidemic, and Dr. Glenn Gaesser, author and instructor from Arizona State University counters the argument, and stresses the importance of physical fitness. While they seem to have similar overall perspectives on health, the Dr. Gaesser emphasizes that weight itself is not the essential aspect, but overall lifestyle choices, activities and cardiovascular fitness that is most important. It seems that after having watched the program, it was more a matter of syntax than facts that got in the way. Dr. Gaesser has done some major research in the effects of weight and health, and Dr. Oz comes to the discussion as a heart surgeon with an extensive history in organ status. Both doctors made interesting points, though Dr. Gaesser’s instance that weight and health don’t have an automatic correlation caused some controversy. One of the interesting factors this discussion brought up was the importance of medical analysis and research. Marlabs blog and other major data information systems exemplify the continued development of potential advancements in health care based on the quality of data, its use, storage and maintenance.

What’s interesting in this topic is that Dr. Oz stresses the connections to obesity and health issues, while Dr. Gaesser separates them. Because Dr. Oz sees so many diseased arteries with overweight people, he makes the correlated argument. Dr. Gaesser, meanwhile, stresses that it is completely possibly to be overweight and maintain one’s physical fitness and health. From our layperson’s end, it should simply be interesting that such polar opposite perspectives are coming from such expertly professional characters. Does this give us more or less faith in the medical system? It should remind us all that there are numerous factors related to our health and well being. Each individual’s issues and circumstances are contextual, and when we deal with our health in relation to the medical professionals, it’s important to remember there is more than one perspective. One thing to keep in mind and to always consider is the data processing elements with your medical provider. That might sound odd, though with all of the advancements in technology there are global offices , online systems and quality data management professionals that can play a significant role in the treatment you receive. Never minding the extreme differences in medical opinions.