For people who rarely go to a doctor, I am thinking Major medical
Insurance may be more cost effective than HMO insurance that has $1000
deductible and costs about 2,500 per year to stay enrolled.

SO: it costs us – this is for one person, remember – $3876
plus the $500 deductible per year – or $4376/year. Then we
have to pay 20% of his doctor visits (approximately) and 20%
of his prescription medicines.

Major medical can be a good deal if you don’t go to the doctor often. I
have Blue Cross (but it’s through my job so I don’t pay for it). It
doesn’t cover prescriptions – this is true of many major medical
insurance plans, so check on this. We have a separate prescription plan
but it’s not part of my Blue Cross coverage. It has a $500 deductible
and covers 80% after that, up to a certain limit after which you don’t
pay at all (that’s important, mine has an overall cap of $2500, after
that I don’t have to pay). And I can choose my own doctor, although
that isn’t a big issue for me.

I’m single and in good health, so this was the best deal for me. Our
company also offers an HMO but it has a monthly fee. If you go to the
doctor frequently the monthly fee is offset by the lower costs per
visit, but if you’re like me and go to the doctor once a year, it’s not
as much of a bargain. I have to pay cash for my doctors visits (I’ve
never hit the $500 deductible) but I pay less overall. This way I’m
covered if something serious happens, but otherwise I don’t pay much.

The other disadvantage of major medical in some cases is what it doesn’t
cover. This is true of any medical plan, so you have to read the fine
print. For example, a couple of years ago I needed to see a therapist,
and this wasn’t covered at all under my health plan, mental health is
only covered if you have to be hospitalized. This kind of thing is
covered under some HMO’s.

To some extent you can predict your medical expenses, and to some extent
you can’t. I would look at what you might pay under different
circumstances – what you think you can predict, what might happen if you
have a not-too-serious illness, and what might happen in a catastrophe.
My Blue Cross is fine if I stay healthy, but if I got sick and suddenly
required frequent doctor’s visits, I’d probably pay more, although I’d
still be protected from catastrophic bills.

The other posters made some good responses, and here is another
alternative that I find works well for me:
A high deductible policy with a Medical Savings Account. MSA’s are not
available for everyone, but even if you put the savings from a
conventional policy into a standard savings account, you still can end
up far ahead.

My deductible is $2,250, but for a 38 year old midwestern smoking male
my monthly insurance costs only $67. The idea is that you take the
difference between this low rate policy and what a conventional policy
would cost (lets say $250), and put that each month into the MSA, $183
each month, $2,196 a year. Do that every year, and instead of paying
the insurance company a lot of money, you are in effect “paying it to
yourself”. And over time, you build up the account to where it covers
the deductible.

If you get ill during before you have put enough money aside for the
deductible you of course take a nasty hit. However, if you rarely need
a doctor, it doesn’t take long to get ahead. My high deductible policy
covers everything after that $2,250 deductible, and I believe it’s got a
million dollar cap.

And if you DO qualify for a MSA (self employed and a few other cases),
then you can write off MSA contributions up to 60% of your annual policy
deductible. You can also use funds in your MSA for any medical related
expenses that are not covered by your policy, such as cosmetic surgery
or, as I used mine to do this past year, LASIK.

mental health is only covered if you have to be hospitalized.
This kind of thing is covered under some HMO’s.

It all depends on your policy. HMO’s are very difficult to deal with if you
have any health problems. They are great for the person who rarely goes to
the dr.

I have a PPO and we have mental health coverage that does not require
hospitalization. We have 8 alloted visits and can request more.
Mental health issues are seriously ignored by the medical insurance
industry.

I have the complete set of “The Prevention Total Health System” books
available for sale! The set includes 13 books which are listed below.
Each book is about 165 pages of facts, stories, diagrams, charts, and
pictures on every aspect of your health! The authors of these books are
associated with the editors of Prevention Magazine. The books were
printed by Rodale Press in the mid-1980’s. With few exceptions, every
book is in *mint* condition! I am asking $110 for the books plus $15
for UPS ground shipping. This is a great buy for anyone concerned with
their own or their loved ones’ health!

The titles of the books:

Pain Free

Aging Slowly

A Lifetime of Beauty

Emotional Health

Using Medicines Wisely

Fighting Disease

The Master Plan

High Energy Living

Fitness for Everyone

Natural Weight Loss

Food and Nutrition

Everyday Health Hints

Understanding Vitamins and Minerals

According to informations directly from Remedy, the Health Profiler is not
supported anymore. This tool would have saved much of my needs to collect
statistics in our WAN and to generate reports about the health of our
devices.

Now the question: Is there a product similar to the Health Profiler? It
can’t be that it was the only one, does it?

Try the Meterware product from NAT. It lloks very promissing, even though
it is brand new …. (httP://www.nat.com/).

Nurse’s aide lets man she hit bleed to death
A 25-year-old nurse’s aide has been charged with murder after her admission
that she hit a homeless man on a Texas highway and watched him slowly die in
her garage.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/national/20020308-7340154.htm

I saw it on our local TV station several days ago. A nurses aide hit the
homeless man, he went through her windshield, she drove home, parked her car in
her garage, and left him there until he died several days later according to
their report. They reported she was under the influence of alcohol, poss. drugs
at the time. Still hard to believe she left him in the window to die.

I know this case is atrocious, but I don’t feel this woman brings
disgrace on every single nurse/nurse’s aide. People are responsible
for their own actions. The use of the term “nurse’s aide” in
describing her was to add sensationalism to the story, IMHO.
Becky

Most news stories use the victim’s/accused occupations to describe
them. Unfortunately, given the sad state of affairs in today’s health
care system, this moronic psychopath might well have been employed
taking care of YOUR grandmother.
Cate

Recently another report before Congress outlined the problems found in health
care settings and certain employees’ . This report focused on nursing homes but
as we all know the problem is all over.

Yet the problem is nothing new,and the report suggested no new way to combat
keeping those who are ill-suited either by temperament or past behavior away
from patients.

The average salary for a nursing assistant in some settings is pitiful,home care
and nursing home being particularly bad. You can background check all you
want,but until salary and conditions improve you’re *NOT* going to get the best
caliber of persons willing to do the hard and sometimes menial labor that NA’s
do in patient care.

As our population ages and more and more persons are choosing to remain at home
rather than go into a clinical setting,it’s going to be vital to find
caring,trustworthy and competent nursing assistant/home health aide personnel.

The herbal remedy known worldwide as Essiac TM, is famous for it’s use in
the treatment of cancers. But, due to it’s unique abilities it is now
being used in the treatment of: allergies, arthritis, Aids, MS, Cfs,
high blood pressure, silicone implant poisoning, and a host of chronic
health conditions.

What is Essiac? It is a simple, non-toxic herbal remedy that has been
with us since 1922. It is a powerful, natural, inexpensive remedy that
has no known adverse side affects. It purifies the blood, and promotes
cell repair while boosting the body’s enzyme, hormonal, & immune systems
thus helping the body fight it’s own disease. It is also used as a
preventative against disease & recurrance. To hear the story’s and
testimonials of people who have used this remedy is simply incredible!

The following website on Asian American Health Issues
http://www.omsa.uiuc.edu/clearinghouse/asian/asian.html

says that the following four health issues are important
to asian american ….

Osteoporosis – loss of bone mass and the decline of bone
quality. Major health problems caused by the loss of bone
density and quality are bone fractures, spinal deformities,
back pain, and loss of height.

Hypothyroidoism – the underproduction or ineffective use
of thyroid hormones to regulate metabolic activities
of the body. Major health problems cause by this
hormonal imbalance are fatigue, weight gain, constipation,
hoareness, dry skin, swelling around the eyes,
enlarged tongue. It is associated with diabetes,
Addison’s disease, pernicious anemia, vitiligo.

Cholecystitis – inflammation of the gall bladder
major health problems that are cause by problems
with the gall bladder are Gallstones, Chrohn’s
or Ulcerative Colitis.

Thalassemia – a inherited blood disorder inwhich
red blood cells cannot produce enough hemoglobin.
Alpha Thalessemia causes stillbirth or newborn
deaths and other maternal problems.
Beta Thalassemia ( Cooley’s Anemia ) symptoms
appears after the first three months of a baby’s
life. It causes poor appetite, irritablity, pale
skin, and stunted growth. A person’s blood can
be tested to see if they have a Thalassemia
genetic trait it is more prevalent in Southeast
Asians.

Both the wellness movement and natural health are about self-help
modalities.

http://naturalhealthperspective.com/tutorials/
“Our tutorials on healthy living are here to promote personal health
and fitness. Get started today with the healing therapies of natural
health. Encouraging wellness and healthy living through instruction, is
what the Natural Health PerspectiveTM is all about. These tutorials
will guide you to good personal health and fitness through the natural
therapies of a healthy diet, nutritional supplements, the benefits of
exercise, and having a healthy attitude and resilience in your life.”

http://naturalhealthperspective.com/gnu-dictionary/Wellness.html
“The wellness movement champions a number of health concepts. For one,
the individual is the primary person responsible for their health.
Next, the mind-body connection and stress reduction is a major focus of
much of the wellness community. Participants in this movement often
participate in aerobics, yoga, tai chi, or Pilates classes rather than
engage in the more traditional exercise routines of jogging, weight
training or participation in traditional sports.”

http://tutorials.naturalhealthperspective.com/when-not-recommended.html
“There are several areas in which natural therapies are ineffective,
inappropriate and are best treated by conventional medicine.”

http://tutorials.naturalhealthperspective.com/definition.html
“Natural health is an eclectic self-care system of natural therapies
that builds and restores health and wellness by working with the
natural recuperative powers of the human body.”

http://tutorials.naturalhealthperspective.com/natural-therapy.html
“Natural therapy is the treatment method used by advocates of natural
health.”

http://tutorials.naturalhealthperspective.com/bottom-line.html
“Many people, particularly those in the scientific community, are
hopelessly confused about natural health. They read, but they totally
fail to comprehend the entire point of working on their own personal
health.”

http://tutorials.naturalhealthperspective.com/natural-health.html
“Natural health philosophy refers to the beliefs, concepts, and
attitudes held by those who practice natural health care. There are
similarities that run through all natural health philosophies. This
tutorial will focus on what all these natural health philosophies have
in common.”

http://tutorials.naturalhealthperspective.com/nhp.html
“A specially written tutorial on the Natural Health PerspectiveTM
Wellness Program is presented.”

http://tutorials.naturalhealthperspective.com/history.html
“~ A History of Western Natural Healing Practices in Europe ~”

http://tutorials.naturalhealthperspective.com/history2.html
“~ A History of Western Natural Healing Practices in America ~”

I saw this article on Yahoo and in light of the recent thread on a
similar topic thought it might be of interest. Certainly, the
reference to cigar smokers is interesting, as it supports the thesis
that cigar and pipe smokers are far less exposed to tobacco-related
health risks than cigarette smokers — another argument for separating
cigarettes from other forms of tobacco consumption in the smoking
debate, as far as I am concerned.

Smoking Boosts Risk for Root Canal

THURSDAY, Feb. 23 (HealthDay News) — Cigarette smokers have something
new to add to their list of reasons to quit: Research shows they are
70 percent more likely to need a root canal than nonsmokers.

“The findings substantiate what most of us already know: smoking is
detrimental to your health,” study author Elizabeth Krall Kaye, an
epidemiologist at the Boston VA Hospital and a professor in the
department of health policy and health services at Boston University’s
School of Dental Medicine, said in a prepared statement.

Cigar and pipe smokers were only at a slightly increased risk for root
canal, according to the study, which tracked the dental and physical
health of a group of more than 800 men for 30 years.

The men’s dental health was checked every three years, along with
information about their smoking habits.

“But because root canal is so common — it’s estimated that half of
U.S. adults have experienced one by age 50 — I think people can
relate to it more than lung cancer and other smoking-induced
conditions. No matter what your age, you may need a root canal and as
our research shows, smoking increases your risk,” Kaye said.

She discussed the findings Thursday at a media briefing sponsored by
the American Dental Association and American Medical Association. The
study will appear in the April issue of the Journal of Dental
Research.

“The total amount of time smoked and the total time they remained
smoke-free was directly related to their risk [of root canal],” Kaye
said. “For example, the teeth of a man who smoked for less than four
years had a likelihood of treatment that was 20 percent greater than
that of nonsmokers, but the risk doubled in men who smoked anywhere
between five and 12 years, and was 120 percent greater for men who
smoked for more than 12 years. The good news is that after being
smoke-free for nine years, the risk returned to the level of men who
never smoked.”

“While our research doesn’t explain why the risk is increased among
cigarette smokers, we suspect that the body’s reduced
infection-fighting capabilities as a result of smoking may
contribute,” Kaye said.

“Other studies have also suggested that smokers experience more dental
cavities, which is a major reason for root canal treatment. Hopefully,
future research will be able to identify the mechanisms that explain
why cigarette smokers have more root canal treatments.”

Does anyone have a suggestion for doing pelvic, rape kits, caths. on females
when the entire staff (4) are males. We are trying to come up with a
protocol for our ER. We see about 50-75 pt. day. And 3 times a week we
only have males working. We thought about having someone come down (female)
from the floors – BUT they are protesting.

House about the Nursing Supervisor. If the House Mom really is a Mom and
not just another Dad, this would seem to be the best bet.

BUT they should be reminded of their contracts, which no doubt state
they are employed “anywhere in the hospital, and can be asked to work
elsewhere according to need”, or something along those lines, as ours
do. Bet they wouldn’t refuse to go out to an arrest call, if asked.

As a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner, it has been my experience that a female
survivor does not want a male nurse to do the rape exam. Some studies also
show that male survivors prefer a female nurse.

As far as the caths and the pelvics, it has been my understanding that the
reason for a female is to insure that the patient can’t say that they were
violated in some fashion. Do you have a female secretary who can chaperone in
these circumstances??

I agree with the suggestion that your staffing pattern be adjusted so that a
female is on each shift.