September 11, 2012

Spending on Treatments for Unexpected Injuries

The National Health Service Norfolk and Norwic...

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Few things are more stressful than having to dish out money to pay for unexpected medical bills. No amount of preventive care can stave off injuries, and even when you have insurance, there may be certain treatments for which your insurer won’t pay. It’s unlikely that you can opt out of the treatment or even have a say in emergency room procedures, so what can you do about those unexpected costs?

Ask the hospital if they have any type of charity programs. Most major hospitals do, especially those that are nonprofit. Some hospitals restrict charity programs to the uninsured, but it doesn’t hurt to ask. You will probably have to fill out a form that asks questions about your income, financial situation, and why you came to the hospital for treatment.

Make sure that the hospital bill is correct in every aspect so you can resolve billing disputes, if applicable. If possible, arrange a payment plan with the hospital and create a short-term budget that will help you pay off those bills sooner.

While using an emergency credit card to pay medical bills may be your only option, you want to pay down that balance as soon as possible to avoid accrued interest. A better option may be emergency no fax payday loans for which you can apply online. These are simply cash advances that are quickly approved in the event of an emergency.

If you find yourself overwhelmed with costly hospital bills, seek help from a nonprofit credit counselor, support group, or local assistance programs.

The Advantages of Having a School Physician

A school physician is one of the many careers in medicine that you can chooose. Many schools are fortunate enough to have a physician on the campus to help with the health needs of students. Here are some benefits that a school physician can offer.

Emergency Services
The most important benefit of having a school physician on staff is because they can handle emergencies as they happen rather than waiting to call for off-campus help. If a student is having a seizure, an asthma attack, or has had some accident that needs medical attention, the school physician can handle the situation right away and reduce injuries.

Health Related Advice
With a school physician on the premises, the students have access to qualified and professional advice about various health issues. If it is a middle school or high school, the school physician can advise students about the dangers of promiscuous sex and other issues that teenagers deal with. The school physician can also take time to discuss healthy habits with the students, such as eating right, exercising and proper hygiene.

Counseling Services
School physicians have a number of responsibilities that range from the physical needs to the mental needs of students. Many school physicians work with on-site or off-site counselors to help ensure the health of a student. Some school physicians even do consultations for mental issues if there is not a school psychologist on-site.

Having a school physician on-site helps give students, teachers and parents peace of mind. With the medical care and advice that they can give, school physicians provide a service that is priceless.

Getting Proper Medical Treatment for Accident Victims

Getting the proper medical treatment after an accident can save your life. Some have built their lives around helping to heal those that suffer from injuries, regardless of the type. There are many types of accidents that occur including those at work, in the car, and even on a plane. For certain types of incidents, you need to find the right person to help represent you. An aviation accident lawyer specializes in accidents involving aircraft.

Taking Care of Yourself

Today’s technology makes it easy for healthcare professional to identify and treat injuries. Taking advantage of the expertise that these professionals provide can be the difference between having a healthy and functional life, and one that is wrought with discomfort.

Don’t be shy about discussing your issues with a medical provider. Oftentimes people are either embarrassed or afraid to complain. This can lead to having a major issue overlooked. Your doctor will not judge you, and they can only help you as much as you are willing to let them.

Use Your Resources

If you have been in an accident, insurance companies are there to help provide for associated costs. This includes medical treatment. If the accident was not your fault, your insurance rates will not rise due to your using the benefits that you pay for. Insurance is structured to help maintain the health and safety of those it provides for. Insurance is also there if you are at fault for an accident. While your rates will go up, you will be protected from higher costs and even lawsuits.

Health Insurance Doesn’t Always Cross Borders

Having health insurance can make medical coverage much more affordable. Your policy, however, might not cover you when you travel. Check with your insurance provider to make sure you have the coverage you need when you leave your state or country.

World Map

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Insurance on the Road

Most health insurance providers offer policies that will cover you within the United States. Depending on your specific plan, though, you might need to find a service provider in your network. That can either mean planning in advance or frantically searching for a doctor when an emergency happens.

Some insurance policies, however, have extremely limited service networks. Your might not even extend outside of your city or state. You should, therefore, contact your policy provider before taking any road trips.

International Health Insurance

While most insurance providers cover their clients within the U.S., they don’t necessarily offer coverage when you leave the country. Traveling to Europe, Asia or even Canada could mean that you have to handle medical emergencies without financial help from your insurance company.

If your health insurance provider does not offer international coverage, then consider purchasing an additional policy that will protect you while you travel. If the company doesn’t offer supplemental packages, then you might want to consider exploring your options and choosing a new provider. Plenty of insurance companies offer a range of coverage options that could meet your needs better.

Knowing what coverage you have can help you prepare for medical emergencies no matter where life takes you. Does your insurance offer the international coverage that you need?s

Keeping an Eye on Prediabetes

You already know that diabetes can cause serious health complications. Medical experts, however, have learned that prediabetes also causes health complications. To keep yourself safe, learn about the symptoms of prediabetes and find out how you can prevent the disease from affecting your life.

fasting blood glucose testing

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Symptoms of Prediabetes

Doctors use three tests to determine whether a person has prediabetes

  • OGTT – oral glucose tolerance test
  • FPG – fasting plasma glucose test
  • A1C test

These tests can only help you, though, when you visit the doctor for regular checkups. Schedule an exam at least once a year to make sure that your metabolism falls within normal parameters. This is especially important if you have a family history of diabetes.

You can also take the online test provided by American Diabetes Association to determine whether you have a high risk for diabetes. The online test, however, does not claim to offer a diagnosis, so you should still visit your doctor.

Preventing Prediabetes

Exercise and diet will help you avoid prediabetes. Make sure that you get at least 2.5 hours of physical exercise a week. You don’t have to kill yourself at the gym. Taking time each evening to walk around your neighborhood can do wonders for your health.

Avoid foods that contain a lot of sugar. That includes soft drinks as well as candy and desserts. Eat a broad range of foods, but make sure that most of them come from plants. Including plenty of fruits and vegetables in your diet will only lead to good things.

NASA Space Program Contributed to Medical Technology

Now that NASA has closed its space shuttle program, Americans must wonder whether this will affect their daily lives. Although it’s tempting to create a mental barrier between life on Earth and satellites in space, the fact of the matter is that the space shuttle program had a significant impact on the way that human beings live.

SVG version of PNG Space Shuttle Logo/Patch.

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If you want proof, then just look to field of medical technology.

NASA’s Impact on Medical Technology

Whenever NASA went to work on a tiny (or gigantic) robot arm to manipulate objects in space, the resulting technology had an effect on the way that cutting edge doctors performed surgeries. Without the space program, doctors wouldn’t have much of the medical equipment that they rely on every day. So-called miracles such as hand transplants simply would not exist without scientists working for NASA.

MRI and CT scanners would also sound like science fiction. The technology behind these now-common machines was based on technology used in the space shuttle program.

Public Funding for Private Research

The space program also helped fuel America’s massive medical technology industry. Without government funding, few private medical researchers would have had enough money to invest in the medicines and tools that patients take for granted today.

Now that NASA has closed the space shuttle program, countless other agencies will lose revenue. Instead of making the economy more stable, shutting down the program could have the opposite effect by stifling innovation and preventing scientists from studying the latest developments in medical science.

NASA’s space program offered more than pretty pictures and national pride. It offered health to millions of people. Who knows how medicine will evolve without it.