Health Topics

Archive for the ‘Medical Costs’ Category

As the nation looks toward controlling health care costs, no workable agenda can ignore the pressing issue of combating obesity in America. After smoking, which causes an estimated 400,000 deaths annually, weight-related conditions are the second leading cause of death in the U.S., resulting in about 300,000 preventable deaths each year. A staggering 84% of health care claims are the direct result of poor lifestyle choices (e.g. smoking, diet, drug abuse).

What’s worse, dramatic new statistics show that obesity has increased at record levels over the past decade up from 25 percent of adults in 1980 to 34 percent today. As a result, an estimated 58 million adult Americans, or over a third of the adult population is dangerously overweight. This high incidence of obesity is particularly pronounced in minority populations, especially among women, and is rampant among low-income ethnic populations.

Obesity is also a serious health problem for the nation’s children as well. Since 1980 there has been a 42% increase in childhood obesity rates. One out of five teenagers are now considered significantly overweight. What makes this jump in childhood obesity especially worrisome is that extra weight in children is related to cardiovascular disease and the early onset of Type II diabetes.

Escalating rates of obesity are considered a major public health threat because they are directly linked to a number of disabling and life-threatening diseases. Medical researchers calculate that 88 to 97 percent of all cases of Type II (non-insulin dependent) diabetes, 57 to 70 percent of coronary heart disease cases, 11 percent of breast cancers, and 10 percent of colon cancers that are diagnosed in overweight Americans are attributable to obesity. Further, about a third of all cases of hypertension are thought to be due to obesity, while 70 percent of gallstone cases are attributable to being overweight. Unhealthy weight is associated with osteoarthritis and gout, along with a number of other disabling conditions.

For this reason, obesity is one of the most pervasive health risks affecting Americans today and is also a multibillion dollar drain on the U.S. economy.
Medical researchers, using prospective studies and national health statistics, place the cost of obesity at more than $100 billion annually. This includes $45.8 billion in direct costs, such as hospital care and physician services-or 6.8 percent of all health care costs. Further, obesity costs the economy $18.9 billion a year for such indirect costs as lost output caused by death and disability from weight-related diseases. The number of work days lost to illness attributable to obesity amounts to 53.6 million days per year. This lost productivity costs employers an additional $4.06 billion annually.

These costs, while staggering, can clearly be reduced over time if the country puts it resources behind a national mobilization promoting healthy weight and increased physical activity.

Central to this effort is the need to change public perceptions of obesity from an appearance problem to a disease that can be prevented, treated and successfully managed.

There is no single bullet answer to our nation’s obesity problem however a concentrated exercise and healthy diet initiative enacted within our public education system would have a positive impact on our next generation and society as a whole.
Re-thinking the workspace is also necessary. The sedentary nature of employment is putting millions of American employees at risk. Our bodies were designed to remain in motion during the day, not sit at a desk. Treadmill desks offer a unique solution in this regard. Treadmill desks have shown significant success in allowing employees to restore their health, boost cognitive abilities, lose weight and increase productivity.
Treadmill desks combine the disease preventative benefits of walking while working and the potential reduction in the overall costs of medical care for corporations and small businesses alike.

Walking has also been shown clinically to prevent the onset of our nation’s leading diseases including Type 2 diabetes and some of the most virulent strains of cancer. Consistent daily walking has been shown as an effective means of warding off disease, maintaining health and significantly decreasing the need for medical treatment, yet most Americans walk much less than the minimum recommended guidelines of 10,000 steps a day set by the Surgeon General. As a result we have an overweight population with all of the health concerns that accompany issues of obesity.

The National Coalition on Health Care (NCHC) reports that total spending on health care was $2.3 trillion last year, equivalent to $7600 per person. Health insurance premiums for a family of four sky rocketed to $12,100 during this same period and single coverage premiums averaged more than $4,400 annually.
One tactic to save on health care is to buy high deductible “catastrophic” health insurance which is significantly less expensive (as much as 50%-75% less) however this strategy must be combined with a commitment towards exercise and a healthy lifestyle. Americans are not doing too well in the commitment category. Most of us cite a lack of time and lack of motivation as the reason that only 10% of our population exercises sufficiently on a regular basis.

The good news is that exercise does not have to be overly strenuous. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) report that walking three times per week for a minimum of 30 minutes reduces the risk of mortality from disease by 57%. Excerpts of numerous medical studies illustrating the the positive impact of consistent daily walking in preventing numerous diseases can be found at TrekDesk’s website.
Unfortunately 2/3 of the American population is now categorized as overweight according to the CDC and less than 10% of the population is exercising on a regular basis. While Congress must focus on ridding our health care system of excessive administrative costs, fraud and mismanagement there must also be a call for personal action.

Prevention through a healthier lifestyle and exercise should play an integral role in our growing health care crisis but few politicians wish to risk the backlash of telling Americans they need to get out of their chairs and start moving.
Desperate for answers, some state governments are considering instituting a “carrot and stick approach” to medical insurance programs. Alabama recently enacted a $300.00 annual increase for health care premiums to state employees that do not meet minimum health requirements and are unwilling to join their state wellness plan. Other nations are instituting more stringent guidelines as well. Japan has implemented a national program fining corporations if their employees do not meet specific weight and waistline guidelines.

Rising health care costs and insurance premiums are taking the availability of health care out of the hands of millions and placing a tremendous burden on our economy according to the NCHC, accounting for approximately 16% of our current GDP and expected to rise to 20% of GDP in eight years.

However, the origin of the health care insurance plans can be traced back in 1694 when it was first proposed by Hugh the Elder Chamberlen from the Peter Chamberlen family. The first form of health insurance plans was available in the market as the accidental insurance plans during the late 19th century. The first accidental insurance plans were somewhat like the modern day disability insurance plans. And until the start of the 20th century there were no other health care insurance plans other than these accidental insurance available in the market. Therefore the accident insurance plans can easily be considered as the first form of health care insurance available in the market. However after the regulation of the law during the beginning of the 20th century this type of insurance was categorized under the disability insurance.

However, with the signing of the contract the individual needs to pay his premiums either monthly, quarterly or annually as mentioned in the contract and on behalf of which the insurance company is bound to pay for the medical costs, co payments and deductibles as mentioned in the contract for the specified plan. However, the fact is that no payments would be made on behalf of the company more than what is written in the contract paper. And along with this it should be mentioned that the Original Medicare plans does not cover all of your Medical costs. Therefore there remains always a gap between the Medicare policy coverage and the actual medical bill payable by you. Thus in this case if you need total coverage then you must be needing a Medicare Supplement Plan along with your Original Medicare policy so that you can pay off all your medical bills.

Now the question is what are Medicare Supplement Plans? The Medicare Supplement Plans are supplementary health insurance policies soled by the private health insurance companies to bridge the gap between the policy coverage of the Original Medicare and the total amount of medical bill payable. For this reason these plans are also known as the Medigap policies. These plans are solely under the administration of the private insurance companies. But the fact is that there are only twelve standard Medicare supplement policies that these companies can sell. These plans are categorized under the letter covers A through L.

The point to be noted is that each of these Medicare Supplement Plans have their own set of benefits and each and every company should provide the same benefits for the plan under same letter head. This means that if you purchase a Medigap Part C plan from a company then the company is bound to provide you the same benefits provided by the other companies or as mentioned in all part C plans. But along with that it should be remembered that the amount of premium payable can differ from other companies.

The costs of the new health insurance and health care system will include increased taxes. In some ways, it won’t matter who pays those taxes. If they are paid by corporations, they will raise the price tags of the goods and services they sell, so the individuals will be hurt as well. If they are paid by the consumer, then the consumer will have less to pay for goods and services, so the corporations will be hurt as well.

When we look at the cost of any socialized medicine proposal, we should also look at the price of the existing health care system to make comparisons. In today’s medical system, those of us who can pay for national health care subsidize those who can’t or won’t. The exact amount is uncertain, but your health insurance premiums are higher because your provider has to raise the rates for those who do pay to make up for those who don’t pay.

The costs of our existing health insurance and health care system include the cost of lower productivity when a worker is unable to work because of a medical condition he or she can’t afford to treat. The costs of our present system include the costs associated with more children growing up without a father of mother.

One of the benefits or the present day system is our familiarity with it. It’s like an old car that has a broken driver’s door and a big gash in the passenger seat. We’ve gotten used to getting in the car from the passenger side and having a blanket over the gash in the seat. Another car will have problems as well. The car may be better or worse. That part is unknown. What is known is that the car will be unfamiliar and buying a car is a big commitment.

Once we make major changes to our health care system we will be unlikely to go back to the old medical system. Even if the new system is decidedly worse, we will be stuck with it. We may have higher price tags or worse care. We may be able to tweak the new system and fix it or we may determine that the infrastructure is so poor that it too requires an overhaul.

National health care has the potential of boosting our economy. Many people who are currently shackled to their employers because of the fear of losing their health insurance, may be able to move on to better jobs or start companies and hire others.

Under the present day medical system many people are unable to pay for preventative care. They often wind up in the hospital and get expensive surgeries that they can’t afford to pay for. These surgeries may extend their lives, but may or may not allow them to work again. An individual who gets medical care when the problem is a small one may be able to work and pay taxes much longer than the individual who only gets care when the situation is critical.

We should strive to create a system that keeps our workers working longer and our parents parenting longer.

Although we may have a health care system that is broken, there is no guarantee that a new health insurance and health care system will be any better. However, far too many people are hurt by the present day health insurance and health care system for us to just throw up our hands and do nothing. If we can ignore the rhetoric and focus on the facts a better medical system can be created that will not only benefit the uninsured, but will make us all stronger.