MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'bills'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 01:56:39 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4968679&cid=t_139607_117_f&fid=37824&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.doctorkalitenko.com%2Fblog%2Fbargain-shopping-doctor%2F   A recent article published on AOL discussed the new trend of pricing out doctors and services before heading out to get a procedure done. Several companies have recently been created to help patients become consumers instead when it comes to where they will get procedures done. So what do we think about this? Is bargain shopping OK when it comes to the health care you will get? Some people seem to think so. Just like shopping for a car, or clipping coupons, is health care on the verge of a completely different reform? Maybe we will start seeing patients in hospitals reviewing a menu of doctors and services before getting their gallbladders out, or have a c-section. The next step after that would be a list of medications that you need as well as a chart of what else can be offered a... Doctor Kalitenko antiaging blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4968679 Thu, 23 Jun 2011 18:57:53 +0100 4968679 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4813255&cid=t_139607_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FQDY0pPdVFzs%2F By Michael F. CannonUSA Today reports on a new Obama administration study: On average, uninsured families can pay only about 12% of their hospital bills in full. Families with incomes above 400% of the poverty level, or about $88,000 a year for a family of four, pay about 37% of their hospital bills in full, according to the Department of Health and Human Services study. Oy, where to begin? This is pre-existing conditions all over again.  In the hope of saving ObamaCare from the gallows, the Obama administration is blowing a real but relatively small problem way out of proportion. The best data indicate that the problem of the uninsured not being able to pay their medical bills is real but relatively small.  “Uncompensated care” for the uninsured accounts for just 2.8 percent of he... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4813255 Tue, 10 May 2011 21:59:25 +0100 4813255 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4197316&cid=t_139607_136_f&fid=39025&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Feverythingchangesbook%2F%7E3%2FCJbwNkT3T28%2Freduce-medical-bills The first step to reducing your medical debt is asking your doc or hospital to reduce your bill. This takes time, chutzpah, and smarts and is worth the work. Asking for a discounted bill can sound impossible but it’s not.  Here’s why:  The cost of medical procedures, doctor’s time, and hospital services are not set in stone. In fact, different patients are even billed different prices for the same services. Walking into a doc’s office or hospital is not like walking into McDonald’s where a Big Mac costs the same for everyone in line.  With medical care, different people get charged different rates and your rates can be negotiated.  After all, negotiating rates is exactly what insurance companies do and you can do it for yourself too! The National Endowment... Everything Changes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4197316 Tue, 23 Nov 2010 14:04:28 +0100 4197316 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4179474&cid=t_139607_136_f&fid=39025&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Feverythingchangesbook%2F%7E3%2FCJbwNkT3T28%2Freduce-medical-bills The first step to reducing your medical debt is asking your doc or hospital to reduce your bill. This takes time, chutzpah, and smarts and is worth the work. Asking for a discounted bill can sound impossible, but did you know the cost of medical procedures, doctor’s time, and hospital stays are not set in stone?  In fact, different patients are billed different prices for the same services. It’s not like walking into McDonald’s where a Big Mac costs the same for everyone in line. (For example, hospitals often charge much less to insured patients because there’s a higher guarantee the bill will be paid.) Unfair?  Yes.  But use to your advantage the fact that hospitals can and do charge many different rates: Get them to lower your bill! The National Endowment for F... Everything Changes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4179474 Thu, 18 Nov 2010 14:04:28 +0100 4179474 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4121822&cid=t_139607_83_f&fid=34856&url=http%3A%2F%2Finsidesurgery.com%2F2010%2F10%2Fsurgeon-dr-angel-serafin-martin-sentenced-months-jail-fraud%2F Iowa surgeond Dr. Angel Serafin Martin has been sentenced to six months in jail for fraud involving submitting inflated bills to private and public insurers. (Source: Inside Surgery) Inside Surgery blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4121822 Sat, 30 Oct 2010 14:27:28 +0100 4121822 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3644740&cid=t_139607_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Feco-friendly-living-10-easy-ways-to-go-paperless%2F Take a look around your desk; you probably have piles and piles of paper just sitting there. These piles are a combination of bills, documents you feel you should keep but probably won’t ever need, catalogs, junk mail, and receipts. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed among all these former trees, especially if the whole thing is a disorganized mess. And wouldn’t your life be so much more eco-friendly if you could cut out paper entirely? Check out Lifehacker’s Guide to Going Paperless: photo: Thinkstock 1. Pay your bills online. Practically all utility companies have the option to pay your bill online. Take advantage. 2. Get your bank statements online. You’ll have a copy of your records in your account on your bank’s site. 3. Stop getting credit card offers ... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3644740 Tue, 08 Jun 2010 21:32:41 +0100 3644740 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3644833&cid=t_139607_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F06%2F08%2Fmoney-impedes-our-ability-to-enjoy-the-little-pleasures-in-life%2F Researchers remain fascinated by the relationship between money and happiness. Perhaps it’s because of the observation that money alone doesn’t appear to “buy” happiness, unless you give it away or spend it for experiences more than for material things. A new study out last week (Quoidbach et al., 2010) suggests that money’s effects on our well being and happiness may be even more subtle than previously realized. Simply seeing a picture of money — which appears to prime our brains, increasing the concept of money at a level below awareness — seems to impede our ability to enjoy life’s little pleasures. How did the researchers arrive at such a stunning conclusion? The researchers conducted two experiments in order to test their hypotheses abo... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3644833 Tue, 08 Jun 2010 16:25:39 +0100 3644833 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3420603&cid=t_139607_117_f&fid=39098&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fhealthmedwatch%2FprWt%2F%7E3%2FCRxXck1ABSg%2F How Does the Reconciliation HCR Bill Compare on the Numbers? (Source: HealthMedWatch) HealthMedWatch blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3420603 Fri, 19 Mar 2010 05:53:42 +0100 3420603 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3294568&cid=t_139607_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FBjnkC52U_wk%2F By Michael F. CannonThe Cato Institute had already scheduled a policy forum for noon today where the Urban Institute’s Gene Steuerle and I will discuss the implicit tax rates in the House and Senate health care bills. We’ve already been able to calculate the implicit tax rates that President Obama’s new proposal would impose on low- and middle-income workers. We have also been able to calculate the incentives to drop coverage under the president’s proposal. Upshot: The president’s proposal would result in higher implicit tax rates on low-wage workers than the House and Senate bills. The president’s proposal would result in greater incentives for higher-income workers to drop coverage than under the House and Senate bills. That would cause insurance markets to unravel even fast... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3294568 Mon, 22 Feb 2010 16:58:30 +0100 3294568 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3294570&cid=t_139607_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FuS6K1FQoagw%2F By Michael F. CannonOr it may even be worse. This morning, President Obama released his latest health care blueprint, which he hopes will breathe life into his moribund effort to overhaul one-sixth of the U.S. economy.  The new blueprint is almost exactly the same as the House and Senate health care bills that the public have opposed since July.  It mostly just splits the difference between the two. One new element, however, is the president’s proposal to impose a new type of government price control on health insurance premiums.  I explain here how those price controls are a veiled form of government rationing that helped sink the Clinton health plan. If anything, those price controls make the president’s new plan even more bureaucratic and government-heavy.  The Senate bi... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3294570 Mon, 22 Feb 2010 16:49:03 +0100 3294570 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3193701&cid=t_139607_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FayJwHR5nDX4%2F By Chris Moody David Boaz on Obama’s first year: “From this libertarian, Obama’s first year looks grim. …He may well end up like Lyndon Johnson, with an ambitious domestic agenda eventually bogged down by endless war. But I don’t think his wished-for FDR model — a transformative agenda that is both popular and long-lasting — is in the cards.” The message from Massachusetts: “There can be no denying that this election was a clear cut rejection of the Democratic health care bills.” Attacks from all sides: See what happens when the Right takes on free enterprise. A new dictator in Iraq? Podcast: Daniel Ikenson discusses Obama’s trade policy. (Source: Cato-at-liberty) Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3193701 Wed, 20 Jan 2010 20:43:27 +0100 3193701 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3171887&cid=t_139607_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FbbdOwtOl6hM%2F By Michael F. CannonSuppose you’re a family of four at or near the federal poverty level.  Under current law, if you earn an additional dollar, you get to keep around 60-70 cents. Under the House and Senate health care bills, however, you would get to keep maybe 38 cents.  Or 26 cents.  Or maybe just 18 cents. The following graph (from my recent study, “Obama’s Prescription for Low-Wage Workers: High Implicit Taxes, Higher Premiums”) shows that under the House and Senate bills, the combination of (1) a mandate tax and (2) subsidies that disappear as income rises would impose implicit tax rates on poor families that reach as high as 82 percent over broad ranges of income. This graph actually smooths out some rather bumpy implicit tax rates that spike as high as 174 percent. ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3171887 Wed, 13 Jan 2010 17:55:10 +0100 3171887 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3171889&cid=t_139607_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FqfHgYHyCgPg%2F By Michael F. CannonIn a new study titled, “Obama’s Prescription for Low-Wage Workers: High Implicit Taxes, Higher Premiums,” I show that the House and Senate health care bills would impose implicit tax rates on low-wage workers that exceed 100 percent.  Here’s the executive summary: House and Senate Democrats have produced health care legislation whose mandates, subsidies, tax penalties, and health insurance regulations would penalize work and reward Americans who refuse to purchase health insurance. As a result, the legislation could trap many Americans in low-wage jobs and cause even higher health-insurance premiums, government spending, and taxes than are envisioned in the legislation. Those mandates and subsidies would impose effective marginal tax rates on lo... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3171889 Wed, 13 Jan 2010 16:31:52 +0100 3171889 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3167197&cid=t_139607_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F01%2F12%2Fintroducing-the-psych-central-community-connection%2F It’s a proud day for our Psych Central family. Today, we officially announced the creation of the Psych Central Community Connection, Psych Central’s new non-profit arm. What is the Psych Central Community Connection? The Connection is our non-profit that makes micro grants (also called personal grants) available to Psych Central members in emergency financial need. These micro grants (of $500 or less per individual) are for immediate personal/family need that might make the difference between homelessness and staying in one’s home, heat in the winter or freezing cold, or keeping the electricity turned on. They were previously referred to as “Community Fund Drives” and, indeed, we will continue to rely on our community of kind-hearted members to offer matchi... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3167197 Tue, 12 Jan 2010 21:10:37 +0100 3167197 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3149036&cid=t_139607_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FZDQ9ByXWiyo%2F By Michael F. CannonThat’s the conclusion of economist Glen Whitman and physician Raymond Raad, who write in Forbes: Unfortunately, the health care bills moving through Congress could curtail medical innovation. Imposing price controls on drugs and treatments–or indirectly forcing their prices down by means of a “public option” or expanded public insurance programs–would reduce the incentive for innovators to develop new treatments. Proposed reforms could also retard business model innovation–an area where innovation is weak. Congress has already used its control of Medicare to limit the growth of specialty hospitals. A nationally mandated insurance package would severely curtail innovation in payment methods and insurance products, which have the potent... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3149036 Wed, 06 Jan 2010 18:06:45 +0100 3149036 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3092673&cid=t_139607_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fl1yte5YcJcI%2F By Michael F. CannonThis weekend, the Congressional Budget Office released “a very strange memo” titled, “Budgetary Treatment of Proposals to Regulate Medical Loss Ratios.”  You wouldn’t know it from the title, but that little memo is the smoking gun that shows how congressional Democrats have very carefully hidden more than half the cost of their health care bills. First, a little history.  Like both the House and Senate bills, the Clinton health plan would have mandated that individuals and employers purchase private insurance.  In its 1994 score of the Clinton plan, Bob Reischauer’s CBO included those mandated “private” payments in the federal budget –- i.e., as federal revenues and federal expenditures. And yet, none of the CBO scores of this ye... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3092673 Wed, 16 Dec 2009 13:49:13 +0100 3092673 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3008066&cid=t_139607_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FKtH96XM6uNc%2F Michael Cannon has some astute analysis of the Senate health care bill below. I posted these thoughts at Politico’s Arena: According to the Chamber of Commerce polls, strong majorities in every state they polled believe the health care bills will increase the deficit. In this case the public’s cynical instincts are almost certain to be more accurate than the computer models of the CBO. As David Dickson of the Washington Times reviewed yesterday, government health care programs have a history of cost overruns. And not small overruns, like overdrawing your checking account — massive, order-of-magnitude cost overruns. Is that because politicians intentionally overstate the benefits and underestimate the costs of their proposals? Or just that computer models aren’t very... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3008066 Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:33:18 +0100 3008066 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2958849&cid=t_139607_88_f&fid=34491&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgruntdoc.com%2F2009%2F11%2F6000-dollars-a-minute-for-your-deceased-son-in-the-uc-davis-trauma-center.html Wow. Just wow: Hospital bill stuns slain student’s parents By Sam Stanton “It was just devastating and insulting,” Gerald Hawkins said Monday. “It’s just hard to grasp for words. My wife and I were near collapse.” On Saturday, 10 days after Scott Hawkins was beaten to death inside his dormitory at California State University, Sacramento, his parents got a letter in the mail. It contained a bill from the UC Davis Medical Center for $29,186.50 along with a form letter addressed “Dear Patient” that implied they were indigent and stated that the hospital no longer could provide them services. “UC Davis can no longer provide follow-up care or any other non-emergency care to you,” it read. “Please go to a County clinic for all no... GruntDoc blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2958849 Wed, 04 Nov 2009 07:34:16 +0100 2958849 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2939277&cid=t_139607_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FNgrfiHFqwnM%2F Let’s simplify things and say there are essentially two parts to the health care bills moving through Congress: an individual mandate that would effectively nationalize health care, and a government-run program that would explicitly nationalize it slowly, over time. One explanation for Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) including the government-run program — supporters call it a “public option”; I prefer Fannie Med — in the Senate bill is that Fannie Med’s popularity is on the rise.  Another explanation is that Reid had to include it to remain majority leader and get left-wing Nevadans to work for his re-election. But a third explanation, not inconsistent with the others, is that the savvier Democrats know that all they need to nationalize health care is... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2939277 Wed, 28 Oct 2009 18:36:41 +0100 2939277 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2920461&cid=t_139607_136_f&fid=39027&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.lrdlc.dreamhosters.com%2F2009%2F10%2Fwhen-life-gives-you-lemons%2F Lemonade? Really? …sometimes you get a bunch of rotten, putrid fruit. This is a tough one to write, but here goes. Deep breath in… Step aside, pride…and go: What happens when a family of three (plus a dog) suddenly makes about $300.00 less per month due to my leave of absence? We were doing all right at first. It was tight, but manageable. But then, our single car completely broke down, and we had to scramble to get a replacement vehicle. The purchase of the new car hurt us financially, but it was a necessity. We began leaking money each month. My EDD (Employment Development Dept.) checks were barely enough to cover rent. Some bills lapsed. Then others. My wife, being the super woman she is, decided to enroll in school to become a medical assistant. The goal is to get a h... Cancer, life, and me blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2920461 Fri, 23 Oct 2009 08:23:26 +0100 2920461 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2912153&cid=t_139607_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blisstree.com%2Fbreastfeeding123%2Fwell-be-back-arnold%2F In a disappointing and short-sighted move, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger recently vetoed two breastfeeding bills. One was the bill I took the time to ask my state senators to support — SB 257 the Pavley-Employee Notification/Lactation Accommodation that would have required state entities to inform pregnant employees about the existing California law that requires workplace lactation accommodation. California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Image: Zuma PressGovernor Schwarzenegger believed that there was not adequate evidence that mothers are not aware of their right to workplace lactation accommodation. However, the California WIC Association sponsored the bill in the first place because it found that state agencies do not always advise pregnant women of their rights and ... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2912153 Wed, 21 Oct 2009 03:38:14 +0100 2912153 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2751886&cid=t_139607_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FFr2fYFB1Lzk%2F A further chapter in Britain’s economic suicide comes from Tax Notes International today (subscription only): In a move apparently aimed at lowering their tax bills, major U.K. sports bookmakers William Hill and Ladbrokes plan to relocate their sports betting operations to Gibraltar, according to media reports. The move by William Hill was announced on August 4 and was subsequently followed by Ladbrokes’ announcement on August 6. The moves are projected to cost the U.K. Treasury millions of pounds in tax revenue, according to an August 6 report on www.guardian.co.uk. The departure of these sports betting firms, particularly if other sports bookmakers follow, could put the U.K.’s entire online gambling market (the largest legal betting market in the world) beyond the reac... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2751886 Mon, 31 Aug 2009 18:22:36 +0100 2751886 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2709207&cid=t_139607_111_f&fid=36048&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAHeartyLife%2F%7E3%2FNqqZyl0gJp0%2F Just say no… to money? Perhaps that should be the new anti-drug slogan. A new report showed that “90 percent of paper money circulating in U.S. cities contains traces of cocaine.” When I first heard this, I thought, “no way!” Of course, now that I think about it, it makes complete sense. First of all, today very little is done with cash. Drug deals, last I heard, still used cash. So it makes sense that there would be a higher count of cocaine than other germs on money. But lest you think cocaine is the only thing found on bills, think again. The average bill has many different types of debris on it, including dirt, food, or germs. Incidentally, the average bill stays in circulation for 20 months. The most bills with cocaine on them included the $5, $10, $20, ... A Hearty Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2709207 Mon, 17 Aug 2009 22:11:54 +0100 2709207 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2699854&cid=t_139607_136_f&fid=36162&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmyelomablog.com%2F2009%2F08%2F13%2Fbig-medical-bills%2F My nephew called last night to tell me that he’d had a trip to the ER Monday from work, by ambulance. He became really dizzy, and wasn’t even able to walk.  His manager called for an ambulance, and he was taken to the nearest hospital.  The ride made him feel even worse, causing nausea and vomiting.  After several hours at the hospital, he was told he had vertigo and was allowed to go home.  He saw a doctor the next day to make sure there wasn’t anything more he needed to do. One of his concerns was the bill.  As someone who’s been paying medical bills on a continuous basis for over 6 years now, I offered some advice.  My advice to anyone who incurs hefty medical bills is to negotiate payments if you’re not able to pay the whole thing at once.  I’... beth's myeloma blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2699854 Fri, 14 Aug 2009 03:23:26 +0100 2699854 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2688822&cid=t_139607_129_f&fid=36038&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Ftrevis-life-with-multiple-sclerosis-ms%2Flies-we-are-told-and-multiple-sclerosis%2F In the past few weeks, I’ve read half truths, falsehoods, misleading statements and flat out lies about the health care bills being debated in congress. I’m sick of it! It got me wondering about your multiple sclerosis and things you’ve been told that were less than the truth. Many of us were diagnosed years ago and, let’s face it, medical science has come a long way in understanding our disease.  Some of the things we were told then may have been current thinking (think “pain is not a symptom of MS”).  Some of what we were told, however, is simply not true. I’m still recovering here, from the heat and a schedule that I would have had a hard time with “before”.  I’ll keep this post brief and to the point… I’d like to hear from you what things you were told (by do... Life with MS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2688822 Mon, 10 Aug 2009 22:43:18 +0100 2688822 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2670778&cid=t_139607_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FXUkJSnuQfeo%2F “When congressmen scoff at the notion of reading legislation because they aren’t qualified or they aren’t competent to understand it, how can we be confident that those congressman are competent to reengineer the entire health care system?” So asked a citizen at a town hall meeting where Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius and Senator Arlen Specter (D-PA) held forth before a cantankerous crowd. It’s a fair question. And President Obama offered an answer during his campaign. He promised that he would post bills coming to him from Congress online for five days before signing them. Rather than relying on Congress, the public should have more oversight of it. (Alas, it’s a promise he has violated thirty-nine forty-one times. He signed tw... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2670778 Tue, 04 Aug 2009 13:26:44 +0100 2670778 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2512696&cid=t_139607_135_f&fid=35274&url=http%3A%2F%2Facidrefluxweb.com%2F%3Fp%3D3670 Shitting yourself in your sleep is one definite omen of what the following day may bring. I’ve been told to make the opening sentence an eye catcher, so I hope that worked. As it turns out, they (the dentist, endontist, and now oral surgeon) are not done with the other hole, my mouth. After one root canal, one api-something (I can’t spell it), and another opening up of the gums to take a peak only two weeks ago, I’ve now got to go to an oral surgeon to get the f.ing thing yanked out. Thus leaving an onslaught of really nasty antibiotics, and hainess bills to pay. That means once it’s all said and done, over the last year and a couple months this one tooth will have already cost about 2,400 dollars with another 3,500 apx. to go over the next few months as I get an im... acidrefluxweb.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2512696 Sun, 21 Jun 2009 14:32:21 +0100 2512696 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2424023&cid=t_139607_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FkjO1mEMf8kg%2F Brink Lindsey’s post, triggered by Jerry Taylor’s controversial critique of conservative talk radio at National Review online,  is part of a much-needed debate about the changes needed to create more fertile soil for limited-government — a task that is especially difficult given the GOP’s decade-long embrace of statist economic policy. But in the spirit of friendly disagreement, the problem is not Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity. Talk radio, after all, existed when Republicans were riding high and promoting small government in the 1990s. The real problem is that today’s GOP politicians are unwilling to even pretend that they believe in limited government. In such an environment, it is hardly a surprise that anti-tax and anti-spending voters decide that talk sh... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2424023 Tue, 19 May 2009 21:03:51 +0100 2424023 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2380734&cid=t_139607_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F0Qzsts6wkpI%2F Billions and billions of dollars! Get yours today! I’ve written before about the massive lobbying game in Washington to get your own special interests written into the stimulus and budget bills. And about the efforts to pressure governments into spending that money NOW. Today a friend sent me a new piece of the incredible expanding stimulus economy. A publishing company has created a new newsletter on how to keep up with “ever-changing opportunities and the complex requirements to apply for them” — The Money for Main Street Monitor. Yes, for only $229 a year, with this special offer, you can keep up with the lucrative and ever-changing “new stimulus funding opportunities.” I’m omitting the specifics so as not to give this parasitical industry any... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2380734 Wed, 29 Apr 2009 21:20:08 +0100 2380734 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2296874&cid=t_139607_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2Fwybx1v7SMEM%2F Before anyone else wades in on how “negative” my introduction was, as I described superficially some of the stuff we go through in having an autistic son, consider: We took Alex to a wedding; he called up Satan. We took Alex to a family 50th anniversary party; the couple got divorced. We let Alex turn the light switches on and off repeatedly in our apartment; overuse of the switches eventually causes a fire and almost $1.5 million in damages. We got distracted having to cook a second dinner for Alex because he wouldn’t eat what we were having; resulting fire causes an additional $730,000 worth of damages. We took Alex for a walk; his behavior distracts nearby drivers and 10 cars pile up. We took Alex to the circus; SWAT teams have to shoot the elephant. We took Alex to a family Thank... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2296874 Fri, 20 Mar 2009 18:15:27 +0100 2296874 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2266835&cid=t_139607_111_f&fid=36048&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAHeartyLife%2F%7E3%2FFSIDBa2G-pc%2F I’ve mentioned in my blogs that I’m Canadian, but now that I’m writing for the general health channel, I thought I should mention that again for new readers. One thing, that as a Canadian, I have trouble wrapping my mind around is the American system of paying for healthcare. I have many American friends and acquaintances, so I am quite familiar with many of the issues you in the United States face. So, I began to wonder if it’s possible to find deals for healthcare, much as you would for other services. Imagine my surprise when I start looking for news today and I come across this New York Times article, Bargaining Down the Medical Bills. In order to read the article, you have to sign up, but it’s free, painless and fast to do so if you want to. So, apparent... A Hearty Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2266835 Sat, 14 Mar 2009 06:34:31 +0100 2266835 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2172922&cid=t_139607_135_f&fid=35274&url=http%3A%2F%2Facidrefluxweb.com%2F%3Fp%3D2709 I said I could never own a car because I couldn’t afford one, or a condo/house. Little didn’t know I was purchasing a smaller version of the equivalent of one of the above when I made my pilgrimage to Quebec that this was exactly what I was getting with my little Hildy. To start with she cost a bloody fortune, not to mention the investment of time, energy, and cost of driving 600 kms with someone who is even worse with direction the me, AND we had no map. That was then, and this is now, and I love her to death. I had to spend a few bucks on her shots and initial exam. Today she is being spayed, pretty routine I thought – my guess was about 389 dollars. Why that? Because I was there when someone had picked up their pup and that was the cost. On top of it I f. it up and left her food i... acidrefluxweb.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2172922 Mon, 09 Feb 2009 16:01:52 +0100 2172922 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2110544&cid=t_139607_86_f&fid=36669&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffadelibrary.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F01%2F16%2Fthe-health-bill-impact-assessments-and-equality-impact-assessments%2F The Health Bill was introduced into Parliament on 15 January 2009. It proposes measures to improve the quality of NHS care, the performance of NHS services, and to improve public health, you can follow the progress of the Bill here.  Impact assessments for the Health Bill are prepared as part of the process to make policy and provide an assessment of the costs, benefits and risks of a proposal on businesses, charities or the voluntary sector. Equality impact screening assessment for the display proposal follows research from Cancer Research UK that shows removing the display of tobacco in shops will help to protect children and young people from marketing of tobacco products and the harm caused by smoking. Since the ban on tobacco advertising, retail displays in shops have become larger a... Fade Library blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2110544 Fri, 16 Jan 2009 13:23:02 +0100 2110544 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2104502&cid=t_139607_135_f&fid=35274&url=http%3A%2F%2Facidrefluxweb.com%2F%3Fp%3D2200 Ahhh my little puppy has to go into the vet. You see, this is the curse of paying off your credit card off! The universe somehow get’s wind of that zero balance, and bam you’ve got a 2.5 pound puppy that is not eating and throwing up. But now it’s time to bring something a little more fun for the cold winter months. My pal sent me this url for Real Touch, sex toy. This isn’t just any sex toy. Apparently NASA (they claim) had something to do what it’s expected to do. I’m sure what NASA tested in this case might exactly mean with all those month they spend in space. Maybe that has something to do with the Haptic technology. What I can’t believe is that it is supposed to hook up to your commuter to provide a coordinated sensory experience to the porn you are watching. I gues... acidrefluxweb.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2104502 Wed, 14 Jan 2009 20:41:47 +0100 2104502 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2090223&cid=t_139607_136_f&fid=36051&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FCancerCommentary%2F%7E3%2F8jxY2TEZ0GE%2F Former Republican congressman and father of a daughter who is a 27-year survivor of leukemia is now battling his own cancer - although doctors don’t yet know what type it is. He had been complaining of hip pain, but the athletic Kemp hsa had aches and pains before, through his career as a Buffalo Bills quarterback and in his sports activities, like tennis. We”ll try to keep up-to-date with the story. A friend of mine  had her cancer diagnosed when she went in with hip pain, so it’s not uncommon. ~~~~~   Tags: former buffalo bills quarterback jack kemp, former congressman jack kemp, jack f kemp, jack kempShare This (Source: Cancer Commentary) Cancer Commentary blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2090223 Thu, 08 Jan 2009 18:36:47 +0100 2090223 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1976390&cid=t_139607_133_f&fid=37107&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aspieweb.net%2Fand-the-problems-start%2F As some of you know I have been layed off from my last job.  Well right now money is dwindling, I have a rent bill of $420 due by December 1, I am behind a month in rent already and I only have $80 right now.  Due to that I am currently debating some changes [...] (Source: AspieWeb.net) AspieWeb.net blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1976390 Thu, 20 Nov 2008 23:39:28 +0100 1976390 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1463751&cid=t_139607_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2008%2F05%2F22%2Fmental-health-parity-loses-its-champion%2F With Senator Edward Kennedy facing an inoperable brain tumor, much of the legislation he’s been championing in the past few years is left in limbo. The most important piece of legislation he was overseeing in mental health was the effort to make mental disorders equal to medical diseases so that health insurers can no longer discriminate against mental health concerns with limited coverage. This effort, called mental health parity, was to be decided this year, after both the House (with the help of his son, Patrick Kennedy) and Senate passed mental health parity bills which only needed to be reconciled in committee. With Kennedy back at home and taking some time off to consider his treatment options and undergo his cancer treatment, it’s unclear what will become of this and ot... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1463751 Thu, 22 May 2008 17:45:48 +0100 1463751 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1382286&cid=t_139607_86_f&fid=36669&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffadelibrary.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F04%2F18%2Fhealth-and-social-care-bill-the-governments-response-to-the-report-of-the-joint-committee-on-human-rights%2F The Joint Committee on Human Rights (JCHR) has published three reports on its legislative scrutiny of the Health and Social Care Bill House of Lords, House of Commons Joint Committee on Human Rights (2008) Legislative Scrutiny: Health and Social Care Bill: Eighth Report of Session 2007–08: Report, together with formal minutes and appendices. London: TSO. House of Lords, House of Commons Joint Committee on Human Rights (2008) Legislative Scrutiny: 1) Health and Social Care Bill and 2) Child Maintenance and Other Payments Bill: Government Response: Twelfth Report of Session 2007–08:Report, together with formal minutes and appendices. London: TSO. House of Lords, House of Commons Joint Committee on Human Rights (2008) Legislative Scrutiny: 1) Health and Social Care Bill and 2) Child ... Fade Library blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1382286 Fri, 18 Apr 2008 08:18:25 +0100 1382286 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1362399&cid=t_139607_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2008%2F04%2F09%2Fvirginia-passes-mental-health-bill-pharma-wins-big%2F Two separate, unrelated updates I just wanted to bring to your attention… Today Virginia signed a package of bills into law, after spending a year’s worth of work in trying to revamp and reform their mental health system (the one that some suggest is partially responsible for Seung Hui Cho’s VA Tech rampage last year). The 26 bills (26? You’ve got to love government!) will allow the state to spend a paltry $42 million to hire more social workers and therapists. We hope that’s enough to bring Virginians’ mental health system up to the same community mental health standards that most other states already enjoy. We applaud Virginia’s legislators and governor for passing this ground-breaking legislation. It is definitely a move in the right direction ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1362399 Thu, 10 Apr 2008 00:48:33 +0100 1362399 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1283447&cid=t_139607_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2008%2F03%2F06%2Fmental-health-parity-this-year%2F It’s taken 7 years to get to this point, but it appears that with the passage of a House bill that calls for mental health parity. What is mental health parity? Well, it’s simple really — treating mental health disorders as equals to other medical ailments. Insurers have long treated the two as distinct, separate concerns that are covered (or not covered, as is so often the case) in vastly different ways. Now both the U.S. House and the U.S. Senate have passed mental health parity bills. The two very different bills must now be reconciled in a committee: Both bills bar insurance plans from charging disparate deductibles and co-payments for mental-health services compared with other medical benefits. They also prevent plans from placing more stringent treatment limits o... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1283447 Thu, 06 Mar 2008 18:10:11 +0100 1283447 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1200893&cid=t_139607_129_f&fid=36038&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fmultiple-sclerosis%2Flife-with-ms%2Fmultiple-sclerosis-loves-company%2F Last week I was in Olympia, Washington to do some group lobbying. There is a bill due out of committee which will exempt durable mobility equipment (scooters, wheelchairs, walkers and the like) from state sales tax. It’s a good bill; a compromise from a much bigger bill that got stuck in committee last year. No one seemed to be against the concept but in a tight budget year, some good bills don’t make it into the budget. I ran into an old friend with multiple sclerosis at the hotel where representatives of three chapters of the National MS Society were gathering to strategize. He told me something that made me very happy – happy for all of us. His news also concerned me a little bit and I want to address it today. Seems he was at one of those MS seminars recently, you know the ones s... Life with MS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1200893 Mon, 04 Feb 2008 20:08:56 +0100 1200893 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1137251&cid=t_139607_151_f&fid=35793&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thejunkyswife.com%2F2008%2F01%2Fif-love-is-window-im-falling-out.html Or jumping, maybe. Maybe I have PMS. Maybe I'm strong. Maybe I'm angry. Maybe I've gotten a little too good at detaching.I'm feeling awfully disconnected in a way that might not be bad, at least not bad for me. I don't think it bodes well for my marriage, though.I'm tired of being needed. I'm tired of all the support in our relationship flowing in one direction, tired of being more of a parent than a wife. I'm tired of being responsible. I'm tired of being unhappy.I was petting my dog this morning and realizing that if she were the only thing I had to worry about, I think I'd be pretty content with my life. If all I had going on was some money troubles, but those troubles were mine and mine alone, and all I had to do was take care of my house, my doggy, and myself, I'd be ok. I'd go to wor... Heroin Addiction Codependence blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1137251 Tue, 08 Jan 2008 21:10:00 +0100 1137251 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1040017&cid=t_139607_86_f&fid=36669&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffadelibrary.wordpress.com%2F2007%2F11%2F20%2Fis-it-a-bill-or-more-a-william%2F The Health and Social Care Bill (Explanatory Note)contains four key policy areas: Care Quality Commission It creates the Care Quality Commission a new integrated regulator for health and adult social care bringing together existing health and social care regulators into one regulatory body. Care Quality Commission Professional regulation Reforms professional regulation to enhance public and professional confidence and strengthen clinical governance as part of the Government’s response to the Shipman Inquiry. Professional regulation Public Health Protection Measures The public health protection measures will strengthen the response to infectious disease and provide a response to contamination. Public health protection measures Health in Pregnancy Grant The Health in Pregnancy Gr... Fade Library blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1040017 Tue, 20 Nov 2007 14:56:19 +0100 1040017 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1018361&cid=t_139607_158_f&fid=36021&url=http%3A%2F%2F3genfamily.wordpress.com%2F2007%2F11%2F09%2Fhow-to-help-your-aging-parents-medical-billing%2F It wasn’t until Dad mailed me the collection notice that I realized he was losing his ability to track and pay his medical bills. He had complained during our phone chats on several occasions that the hospital had messed up his billing. They kept phoning him to get him to pay his bill. He insisted that he had paid the bill– $124.34.  The hospital billing staff asked him to send a copy of the cancelled check. But, Dad adamantly refused to go through the work of getting the cancelled check. It was the hospital’s mistake for losing the payment. I was dumbfounded by his vehement refusal to deal with a straightforward problem. Ironically, in his younger days, my father had been a stickler for financial details. As a young adult, I would have gotten a scalding rebuke... 3GenFamily Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1018361 Sat, 10 Nov 2007 06:56:39 +0100 1018361 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=797933&cid=t_139607_87_f&fid=34865&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thecancerblog.com%2F2007%2F08%2F14%2Ftry-cutting-your-health-care-bills%2F Filed under: All Cancers, Daily newsHealth care is expensive, even for those with insurance. My treatment with the breast cancer drug Herceptin cost $5,000 every three weeks for 52 weeks. Insurance paid 80 percent; I was responsible for 20. That's $1,000 every three weeks. Not exactly affordable.What many of us don't know is that we can play an active role in cutting our health care bills. We can shop around for everything, for example. Before filling a prescription, consider comparing prices offered at mail-order and online pharmacies with those of larger retailers. You may even find that mom and pop shops offer competitive rates since they can set their own pricing. Don't forget about generic drugs too. Ask your doctor if a generic version of your medication is just as good as a brand na... The Cancer Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=797933 Tue, 14 Aug 2007 04:00:00 +0100 797933