Health Insurance Daily

Exercise Counters Negative Effects of Weight Regain, MU Researchers Find

2010-03-08T07:25:00.000-08:00

With the obesity rate rising for American adults and children, health concerns such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease are a frequent reality. Although obesity itself is a major risk factor for disease, most of the threat may be associated with a cluster of risk factors called the metabolic syndrome (MetS).

Losing weight can improve health and reduce these risk factors, but many people have difficulty keeping the weight off. Now, University of Missouri researchers have found that exercising during weight regain can maintain improvements in metabolic health and disease risk.

To read more click on Metabolic Syndrome.

Hoosiers And Health Savings Accounts

2010-03-01T12:32:00.000-08:00

As Washington prepares to revisit the subject of health-care reform, perhaps some fresh experience from Middle America would be of value.

When I was elected governor of Indiana five years ago, I asked that a consumer-directed health insurance option, or Health Savings Account (HSA), be added to the conventional plans then available to state employees. I thought this additional choice might work well for at least a few of my co-workers, and in the first year some 4% of us signed up for it.

To read more click on Hoosiers.

How Vacations Affect Your Happiness

2010-02-19T09:16:00.000-08:00

Vacations are a chance to take a break from work, see the world and enjoy time with family. But do they make you happier?

Researchers from the Netherlands set out to measure the effect that vacations have on overall happiness and how long it lasts. They studied happiness levels among 1,530 Dutch adults, 974 of whom took a vacation during the 32-week study period.

Click on happiness to read more.

7 Secrets of the Emergency Room

2010-02-17T09:09:00.000-08:00

What’s the worst thing you can say to the nurse in an emergency room?

This and other questions are answered in an informal survey of doctors, nurses and paramedics, who offer their own insights into the inner workings of hospital emergency rooms. Every year, the nation’s emergency rooms treat 117 million patients, and the average patient spends nearly three hours in the E.R.

Click on survey for questions and answers.

Reviving the Health-Care Debate

2010-02-15T09:04:00.000-08:00

With the health-reform juggernaut slowed to a crawl in Congress, and Democrats and Republicans meeting to search for common ground, this is an opportune time to re-examine the cause of dysfunction in our system.

To read more click on Health-Care Debate.

Caregiving Linked to Stroke Risk

2010-01-29T08:58:00.000-08:00

The issue is important because about 12% of Americans older than 45 report they have what the researchers called "family caregiving responsibilities," they noted. And high caregiver stress has been found to be a risk factor for depressive symptoms and early mortality.

To read more click on Caregiving.

Self-Control Is Contagious, Study Finds

2010-01-27T08:51:00.000-08:00

Before patting yourself on the back for resisting that cookie or kicking yourself for giving in to temptation, look around. A new University of Georgia study has revealed that self-control—or the lack thereof—is contagious.

Click on Self-Control.

Despite Treatment, Depressed Workers Have Decreased Productivity

2010-01-25T08:48:00.000-08:00

Newswise — Employees with depression have higher costs related to short-term disability and absenteeism—even after receiving antidepressant therapy, reports a study in the February Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, official publication of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM).

To read more click on Depression.

For the New Year, Cost-Effective Options to Stop Smoking

2010-01-15T06:35:00.000-08:00

LIKE many ex-smokers, Tonya Guess, 33, of Chesapeake, Va., tried just about everything to quit. There were hundreds of nicotine patches, an online support group, a prescription for an antidepressant and another prescription for Chantix, a drug that helps quell nicotine cravings.

Click on Quit Smoking.

The 11 Best Foods You Aren’t Eating

2010-01-13T06:28:00.000-08:00

Nutritionist and author Jonny Bowden has created several lists of healthful foods people should be eating but aren’t. But some of his favorites, like purslane, guava and goji berries, aren’t always available at regular grocery stores. I asked Dr. Bowden, author of “The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth,” to update his list with some favorite foods that are easy to find but don’t always find their way into our shopping carts. Here’s his advice.

Click on Best Foods.

Refocus on Domestic Issues: Obama on First Year Benefits of Health Care Reform

2010-01-11T06:21:00.000-08:00

In his weekly address President Obama refocuses on two domestic issues looming: health care and jobs.

While admitting that “it’ll take a few years to fully implement” health care reforms in a “responsible way,” the president argues for the urgency of passing health care reform, and outlining what immediate improvement Americans will see – within the first year – of passing a health care bill.

To read more click on Health Care Reform.

Study Examines Calorie Information from Restaurants, Packaged Foods

2010-01-08T08:46:00.000-08:00

As a growing number of fast food and chain restaurants display the calorie content of their dishes on websites and menus, a study suggests some of this information may be unreliable.

To read more on what researchers at Tufts University analyzed click on calorie content.

Tips For Low-Cost Health

2010-01-06T08:00:00.000-08:00

For 2010, we'd like to offer a few free health suggestions, aimed at giving you a healthier, and more affordable, year.

Click on TIPS to read more!

Hungry After That Workout?

2010-01-04T08:00:00.000-08:00

O'Shaughnessy's bribe and reward system may sound familiar to those who grab a large latte after the gym or a cheeseburger and fries after a jog. In fact, the post-workout binge is so common that scientists have come up with a term for it: compensation. Researchers are now trying to figure out what makes some people compensate while others don't.

To read article in its entirety click on Workout.

Small Businesses Urge Congress To Start Over On Health Care

2009-12-16T05:33:00.000-08:00

The U.S. Chamber led more than 70 business leaders from 18 states to Capitol Hill on December 9 to tell Congress that it needs to start over on health care reform and draft a bill that doesn’t hurt businesses and working families.

“We need bipartisan health reform that actually lowers costs, doesn’t leave 24 million Americans uninsured, and doesn’t cause 10 million people to lose their employer-sponsored health benefits. Unfortunately, the Senate bill under discussion does not meet the goals that the president laid out at the beginning of this debate,” said Bruce Josten, executive vice president of Government Affairs for the U.S. Chamber.

To read more click on U.S Chamber.

Food Attitudes Affect Obesity Risk in Middle-Aged Women

2009-12-09T12:28:00.000-08:00

A small study of middle-aged women finds that "guilt-ridden dieters," impulsive eaters and those too busy to focus on food are the most likely to show signs of obesity.

To read more click on Food Attitudes.

Are Stroke Survivors Taking Their Medicine?

2009-12-07T09:56:00.000-08:00

People who have had an ischemic stroke are at higher lifetime risk for another stroke, but several types of medication can reduce that risk. One of the simplest regimens involves antithrombotic medications, otherwise known as blood thinners, of which the most common is aspirin.
But a new UCLA study to determine whether the use of antithrombotic medications among stroke survivors increased over a seven-year period found that in each of the years, approximately 20 percent of survivors were not taking these medications — a figure that did not decrease during the time period. The study also found that individuals who were younger, female or Hispanic were less likely to be taking antithrombotic agents.

To read more click on Stroke Survivors.

Lack of Social Engagement Is a Risk Factor for Self-Neglect in Older Adults

2009-11-30T06:53:00.000-08:00

Seniors who neglect themselves, risking their own health and safety, tend to be individuals with limited social networks and little social engagement, according to a study by Rush University Medical Center.

To read more click on Older Adults.

Reform Could Hurt Stand-Alone Hospitals In High-Cost Areas: Moody's

2009-11-27T07:23:00.000-08:00

Hospitals operating solo in regions where Medicare spends the most per person could face financial stress under efforts to reform the nation's healthcare system, Moody's Investors Services said in a newly released report.

“Attempts to minimize variation in healthcare costs among regions is almost certainly going to involve cuts to Medicare reimbursement to high-cost providers,” according to the report. Stand-alone hospitals without the resources of a system, dependent on referrals and unable to attract insured patients, will be most likely to struggle.

To read entire article click on HealthCare Reform.

Health Groups Say They'll Seek Changes In Senate Reform Bill

2009-11-25T08:29:00.000-08:00

Stakeholders expressed continued reservations about elements of the major Senate healthcare reform bill that will move to floor debate after the Thanksgiving holiday.

All 60 senators who vote in the Democratic caucus voted late Saturday to begin debate on the 10-year, $848 billion bill, which would extend coverage to most Americans and create a government-run insurance plan. Thirty-nine Republicans voted against moving the bill forward. Sen. George Voinovich (R-Ohio) was absent.

To read more click on Senate Reform Bill.

Wellness Incentives Under Fire

2009-11-23T07:04:00.000-08:00

Even the widely lauded goal of improving employee wellness faces obstacles to being included in healthcare reform.

Employers are urging the Senate to keep a controversial amendment in a leading healthcare reform bill that gives them more leeway to reward workers' healthy behaviors. But groups representing people with chronic diseases are urging lawmakers to jettison it.Dubbed the “Safeway amendment” after the grocery chain's pioneering employee wellness programs, the amendment would allow employers to provide more financial incentives to workers to lose weight, quit smoking and get preventive care.

To read more click on Wellness Incentives.

The Role of Artificial Sweetener in Our Diet

2009-11-02T07:50:00.000-08:00

Sweet tasting foods are simply irresistible, regardless of age there are many who seem to can't keep their hands off sweet foods. But like everything else that comes in excess it can also wreak havoc on one's health. It ranges from a mild stage of having teeth problems up to the life-risking condition known as obesity.

To read more click on Artificial Sweetner.

Health Care: Most Wouldn't Have Public Option

2009-10-30T08:08:00.000-07:00

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's gambit to include a government-run insurance option in health care legislation has given a fresh tailwind to the idea despite opposition from conservatives.

But lost amid the ideological battle for or against a public option is a key overlooked fact: The vast majority of Americans would have no access to a public option even under its most expansive versions.

To read more click on Public Option.

Elder Care Costs Keep Climbing

2009-10-28T07:12:00.000-07:00

Another reason to start saving your money, or at least consider spending your Golden Years on the Great Plains, is the rising cost of long-term care.

A fresh survey from the health insurance industry shows the cost of all sorts of care--from nursing homes to assisted living communities--continues to climb. Care in some states costs a lot more than others, too.

To read more click on Elder Care.

Where Things Stand With Health Care Overhaul

2009-10-14T07:54:00.000-07:00

A top-to-bottom remake of the U.S. health care system along the lines sought by President Barack Obama moved a step closer to reality Tuesday as the Senate Finance Committee approved a 10-year, $829 billion plan that would extend coverage to millions more Americans and seek to hold down spiraling health costs over the long term.

To read more click on Health Care Reform.