As a Patient , do you need help with healthcare or prescriptions

Resources are available to help patients offset the rising costs of prescriptions and medical care.. here is a short list..

PhRMA (Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America)
The partnership for Prescription assistance , visit http://www.pparx.org/

PassportMD Drug Discount Card. Save up to 75 % on FDA approved medications. There is no charge for this service, it is free and you can personalize your discount card. It is good at over 56,000 pharmacies. go to http://www.passportmdrxcard.com/ for a free drug discount card from PassportMD.com.

Rx Hope
This is a searchable database of patient assistance programs based on multiple search criteria, such as medication name, company name and state of residency..visit http://www.rxhope.com

Volunteers in Healthcare
Rx Assist
This is a searchable database of industry sponsored patient assistance programs.Go to http://www.rxassist.org/

Needy Meds
A non profit organization that helps people who cannot afford medicine or health care costs. Go to http://www.needymeds.com/

State Prescription drug assistance for seniors
A listing of state sponsored prescription assistance programs Go to www.medicarerights.org/medicarebasicsframeset.html

http://www.scienceblog.com/community/older/archives/K/4/pub4257.html

An Active Mind Might Slow Dementia

In a recent article in the Sun Sentinel by Bob LaMendola http://www.s-r.com/news/bylines.asp?bylinename=Bob%20Lamendola, he writes about a recent JAMA published study that the effects of brain exercise strengthens the ability of seniors to think more clearly and continue to live independently. This is the first sudy to link brain training to practical imporvemen indaily life. The author of the article Michael Marsiske from University of Florida suggested that seniors can “challenge yourself to learn things that are difficult for you”

Tips to challenge the mind:
learn new activities and skills
try a new hobby
learn to use a computer
learn to use a digital camera
Exercise the brain with games such as crossword puzzles, sodoku or find a word games.

700,000 People visited Emergency rooms this year due to Drug Reactions

According to a recent article in Dermatology Times,

Seniors accounted for one quarter of adverse drug events and for more than half of those that required hospitalizations.

A recent study in the Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA 2006;296:1858-66) also found that most adverse druge events were due to unintentional overdoses from a small set of medications that typically require monitoring. These include warfarin (coumadin), insulin, digoixin and these three accounted for one third of all adverse drug events in this population of people.

The five most common adverse durge classes were:
1. Insulins
2. opoiod containing analgesics
3. anti-coagulants
4. agents containing amoxicillin
5. anti-histamines and cold remedies


The most common conditions associated with drug reactions prompting Emergency Department visits:
1. dermatologic conditions
2. gastrointestinal problems
3. neurologic conditions

One third of adverse drug reactions are allergic reactions.

Interesting fact:
Sixteen of 18 drugs that caused adverse drug events have been in use for over 20 years.

What google thinks about personal health records

Google’s unhealthy medical plan by ZDNet's Donna Bogatin -- Google audacity never ceases to amaze. What is the great Googleplex conjuring up now? Google is on a medical mission, but it is an unhealthy one. Google wants to create nothing less than individual, dedicated, online databases, to record and store every piece of private and personal data pertaining to “every single medical and health-related event” for [...]

Identity Theft , a real issue

Did you know that identity theft was estimated at 9-10 million cases per year for the last 2 years? Millions of Americans each year are victims costing an estimated 50 billion dollars.

Is it tied to Social Security numbers? Probably, but lets take a look at this. Social security numbers wer initially issued in the thirties for the purpose of administering social security programs. However, today, this is not the case. These numbers are being used for everything from medical records to bank accounts to employee record keeping.

Thieves steal social security numbers. How?

They do this by physical theft of purses, searches through trash, and when consumers provide personal information to an unsecured internet site.

So, according to Andrew Ellis' article, "Here's how to avoid ID theft.." published in the http://www.concordmonitor.com ....there are some simple steps to minimize the risks..

1. shredding paper documents that many contain sensitive info
2. dont' carry social security card in wallet, store in a safe place
3. shred credit card solicitations
4. shred unneeded old personal tax info.
5. If any company or business requests your social security number, think twice and ask ..why? and how will it be used? and how do you protect it from being stolen?

An emerging sector of theft is medical id theft. People stealing a person's medical id info and using their benefits from their insurance to make money. Sites like our http://www.PassportMD.com help individuals keep better control of this information and watch if it has been used for other purposes. One advantage of http://www.PassportMD.com is that this personal health record site, does not require or ask for any social security numbers and is is secure. Both are compelling reasons to use our site to monitor and control your health information without having to enter your social security number.

There are a number of informative sites and blogs on this topic...
1. http://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2005/04/mitigating_iden.html
2. http://www.identityblog.com/
3.http://blog.trustedid.com/
4. http://www.businessweek.com/the_thread/techbeat/archives/2006/05/identity_theft.html
5. http://flyinghamster.com/post/29146

Long Term Care , When should I be thinking about it?

It is never too early to start thinking about long term care. All of us are susceptible, none of us immune to the unpredictable. Life goes by , at a fast pace, it is easy to compartamentalize these issues and concerns into our "denial" portion of our brain. Who really wants to think about being debilitated and needing long term care? I dont.

But, as with everything in life, preparation is 99% of the battle. We think about retirement, we put aside money in our 401K's, retirement accounts, and even "under the mattress". But, what makes the most sense?

Studies have shown that Americans rank long term care second, behind saving for retirement, when prioritizing financial needs.

Let's define Long Term Care: According to the following web site
http://www.rmminc.net/

Long term care includes a range of nursing, social, and rehabilitative services for people who need ongoing assistance. Most people in long term care facilities are older, but many young people need long term care during an extended illness or after an accident.Assistance with routine personal needs such as bathing, dressing, eating, toileting, and taking medicine is the most common long term care service. Long term care facilities also provide skilled nursing and rehabilitative care, which is ordered by a physician and supervised by skilled medical personnel such as a nurse or licensed therapist.

In a recent article by Mary Saunders, she gives the following tips to people thinking about long term care insurance:


1. Talk to your financial planner or insurance agent about whether long term care insurance makes sense for you.
2. Ask your financial advisor to recommend a company and a policy.
3. Check with insurance rating services to make sure the insurance company you are considering is financially secure.
4. Call your state insurance department (In NY for example, http://www.ins.state.ny.us/cseniors.htm and ask about the company and its record in your state.
5. Make sure your insurance agent is licensed to sell long term care insurance in your state.
6. Review all the details and options of the policy. Do not rely just on the marketing materials or outline of coverage.
7. Make sure you understand all the provisions before you purchase any policy.
8. Ask your insurance agent questions. Seek guidance from the state insurance commission office, the Area Agency on Aging, or local senior centers. Discuss policies with friends, family, and others whose opinions you respect. Take time when choosing a policy, and don't allow yourself to be pressured into making quick decisions. And remember: Never pay cash.


When Is the Best Time To Buy Long Term Care Insurance?

Because long term care insurance premiums are based on age at the time of purchase, the younger you are when you purchase a policy, the less expensive the annual premium. These premiums for most policies stay level each year as you age. If you buy at age 55 a policy that cost $800 per year, you will continue to pay the same premium. However, if you wait until you are 65, the same policy will cost you $1,700 per year.

GoodMedicare.com and How to Get it For the Elderly

Some people "talk the talk" and some "walk the walk", I have just recently met "online" , Jeanne Hannah, an attorney from Michigan who has committed herself to helping people find good medical care , particularly for the elderly. She "talks the talk and walks the walk" and has a book to prove it. I highly recommend the book, "Taking Charge: Good Medical Care for the Elderly and How to Get it", this can be found at the following link http://goodmedicalcare.com/ .

Why is this important. Well, nothing really speaks to our audience like this. It is exactly what we need for our parents and grandparents. The escalating health care crisis has impacted everyone and not only in the wallet. Quality of life and quality of health care are 2 parameters that need to be measured qualitatively when determining our life experiences with our care givers.

If you have ever experienced an illness, sickness or debilitation, then you know what it's like to be a patient. Until you become a patient, and feel that vulnerability , and dependence on a fractured system, you really dont know the feeling of helplessness. Helplessness is just a concept, I believe it can be over come with education, information and control. Education and information will help you understand that you do have choices and options in the healthcare world. Education and information can be found in Hannah's book, http://goodmedicalcare.com/
.

Control starts with knowing what your problem list is.. knowing your medications...and having the "control" to take those problems wherever you need to go for medical help. This starts with programs like PassportMD's Free personal health record. We have committed our team to creating a resource, such as can be found at http://www.KeepSeniorsHealthy.com that utilizes unique software created by PassportMD to offer this free resource.

So, take control. Read Hannah's book. Create your own personal health record. Understand your choices and options.

Facts about Personal health records

A Harris interactive poll found that 42 percent of adults maintained some sort of personal or family records. But, only 13 % did so electronically.

The biggest concerns are privacy and accuracy and these issues are deterring adoption.

http://www.KeepSeniorsHealthy.com and http://www.PassportMD.com are two sites that we have created for FREE service so that people will begin to adopt personal health records. We emphasize security and protection. We do not ask for social security numbers and adhere to the strict guidelines of the BBB privacy Seal.

Other companies that offer similar services are http://www.medicalert.com and http://www.capmed.com .

Here is a list of findings from the Harris Interactive Poll..

Of the people that keep a record of their health:
68 % keep it in a drawer
15 % in a formal health record book
13 % in an electronic health record

the biggest concerns by patients' regarding personal health records are:
Privacy 68%
Security 66%
Errors in records 37%
Wont be accessible in times of emergency 37%
Cant keep it up to date 33 %
Info from doctors wont be accurate 29%
Inability to transfer records 26%
Inability to understand items 20%
other 5%

Other blogs that contain some great health information are:

http://www.thehealthcareblog.com/

http://blog.thirdage.com/?p=613

http://www.highlandpdx.com/blog/?cat=12

http://blog.lib.umn.edu/schwitz/healthnews/2005_02.html

what does it mean that my doctor doesnt have Electronic Medical Records? Is he behind the curve?

Most doctors do not have electronic medical records , called or referred to as EMR's. However, the trend is changing and doctors really should go electronic. It simply is better medicine. Today, only 15 % of doctors have EMR's in place. This is a very low number and represents a low adoption rate. I incorporated an EMR into my practice several years ago, and it has improved efficiencies and allowed all of our doctors to practice better medicine.

Doctors are reluctant to "go electronic" given the cost burdens and technology obstacles , so until this minimizes , adoption will be slow. However, it is a better way to practice medicine , it is better for the physician and better for the patient. Eventually all practices will go electronic, but this may still be a decade away. Doctors should be financially incentivized to adopt EMR's to minimize the barrier to adoption.

According to a recent article in http://www.healthleadersmedia.com there are several myths that doctors need to "debunk" before adopting EMR's.
1. All EMR's are alike. This simply is not true. Some systems are more template oriented, http://www.medinotes.com and some are more elegant document management solutions, so called hybrid systems, such as http://www.srssoft.com/ . Others are more comprehensive such as NextGen. A issue to consider is data compatibility and the recent EMR certification commission for Healthcare Information Technology. Certification should only figure in on a small level ..as there are many great companies, like medinotes and SRS that have not yet received the certification. Certification to many companies may be cost prohibitive so physicians should not let this totally sway them.

2. EMR's are a fad. Emr's are not going away so physicians will eventually need to come to grips with this.

3. The technology is the hard part. Actually the hard part is adapting work flows to the technology, rather than the technology itself. Bigger groups can retain a dedicated technology position to maintain their systems, this will need to be outsourced for smaller groups.

4. The software is the expensive part. This is not true. The big cost are maintanence, licenses, technology support and hardware.

5. Computers interfere with patient relationships. This is not true either my patients really appreciate that my practice has computers in each room. They embrace this rather than object to it. There is a sense of comfort for the patient knowing that their physician has taken the time and effort to continue to advance their medical practice.

Would you want to speak to your doctor via email?

Would you rather get an email from your doctor or a phone call?

It might not matter what you want , currently doctors are slow to adopt email as a form of communication with patients.

For instance, in 2000-2001, 1 in 5 doctors were using email with their patients, today 6 years later that has only moved to 1 in 4 doctors.

There may be many reasons for this slow adoption

1. lack of reimbursement for their time to write or consult via email. (although docs really dont get anything for speaking with patients by phone).
2. Liability. I think a big hurdle is docs concern over putting what they think or advise in an email that, if incorrect advice, may come back to haunt them over a malpractice allegation. This is, in my opinion, the single biggest hurdle.
3. Difficulty with rendering a true opinion via email. Another reason may be that it is difficult for a doc to render an opinion without seeing or actually "hearing" their patient explain their problems. Email , currently, may be inadequate to provide enough of a picture for the doc to feel comfortable rendering advice or an opinion.

what are your thoughts ? Are you ready for an email consultation

Are you really ready to retire? You may need more than you think

If you think you are ready to retire, make sure you have done the math...

According to a recent article in Medical Economics, there are many "risks" or "factors" that need to be considered carefully...

here is a list of them to double check:

1. Inflation. Inflation is at 3.8% but could go up to 5%. So, for example, if you plan to retire 10 years from now, $2 million dollars would only be worth 1.35 million or better said, the lifestyle that you have anticipated costing $120,000 would really cost $177, 000.

2. Taxes. The $120,000 you are planning to withdraw annually from tax deferred account will resul in $23,000 tax bill in todays tax scenario.

3. Timing. This is potentially the most devastating. If your retirement in in funds and stocks and the market drops when you retire, then your nest egg will drop too, for instances if the market loses 20% of it's value, your $2 million will drop to $1.6 million.

Here are some sites you can visit for more info:
http://personal.fidelity.com/retirement/retirement_frame.shtml.cvsr

http://www.aarp.org



3. Timing.

Seniors be weary of "Free" Advice for placement in Assisted Living Centers

Children of aging parents often live a distance from their parents. As a result, either the children or the parents come to rely upon "Placement Services" as it relates to assisted living centers.

These placement services often receive a fee for each new resident that they recruit to a particular living facility. Thus, they are biased.

You can get objective and detailed guidance from the Assisted Living Federation of America http://www.alfa.org or the Nation Center for Assisted Living http://www.ncal.org

If you really need more help, think about hiring a geriatric care manager such as a nurse, social roker, or counselor. They may be expensive but worth it.

Geriatric Care Managers can be searched at http://www.caremanager.org

Other blogs that contain some great health info are:

http://blog.hcfama.org/?p=65

http://www.tabinc.org/blog/archives/2004/11/index.html

http://www.thehealthcareblog.com/the_health_care_blog/2006/09/the_choice_a_lo.html

http://www.thehealthcareblog.com/
http://blog.thirdage.com/?p=613

Lung Cancer, A Killer that doesnt give early warning

Lung cancer is a problem. Currently with a cure rate of less than 20% , we need to find early markers of the cancer. This is critical and continues to be a problem.

According to the http://www.cancer.org/docroot/home/index.asp American Cancer Society here are some fast facts about lung cancer:
1. New cases - 174,470 each year
2. Deaths in US 162, 460
3.Men: 92,700 New cases, 90,330 deaths
4. Women 81,770 new cases, 72,130 deaths
5. 44.5 million American Adults smoke

go to : http://www.lungcancer.org/ to learn more about Lung Cancer.

What is on the horizon? According to Dr. Mark Block, a thoracic surgeon in Hollywood Florida, more advances are being made. In a recent article in Florida Trend Magazine, he cites the following promising advances:

1. Chantix http://www.chantix.com/ a new drug designed to help smokers quit cigarettes by blocking nicotines effects. The FDA fast tracked this drug's approval.


2. Vidao assisted thoracic surgery- minimally invasive surgery that allows docs to view inside of chest through small incisions, ideal for biopsies.

3. Endoscopic ultrasound guided fine needle aspiration- helps sample lymph nodes

4. Lung volume reduction surgery- helps patients that were previously unable to have lung cancer surgery due to diseased lungs with poor lung function.

5. CT scans- great screening test for lung cancer

6. New drugs such as Tarceva http://www.tarceva.com/tarceva/patient/index.jsp?hl=en&lr=&q=tarceva


if you have any other comments on lung cancer please post them here...

Chicken soup or Zinc, which fights colds better?

Who is right: Grandma or Science?

Well, according to a recent article in Health Magazine, Dr. Prasad at Wayne State University, has done research which shows that you will catch fewer colds by taking 45 milligrams of "elelmental zinc". He goes further to say that if you feel a cold coming, you can get over it in half the time by taking zinc acetate lozenges every 3 -4hours.

The website, http://www.coldcure.com/ talks about this even more...

Bad news for Chicken soup, but, good news is ..no one has looked at wonton or hot and spicy yet.

Foods thatTrigger heartburn

According to a recent article in Health Magazine, http://www.health.com/health/
here is a list of the top 9 foods that cause indigestion and heartburn:

1. Alcohol
2. Chocoloate
3. Coffee
4. Garlic
5.Citrus fruits and Juices
6. Peppermint
7. Tomatoes and tomato sauce
8. Peppers (all types)
9. Onions

So, no complaining when you order a late night munchie , large Domino's pizza ( http://www.dominos.com/ ) , with onions, peppers and sausage and pepperoni. (And dont think that because sausage and pepperoni is not listed above, that you will be okay with that)

Popular herbal remedies may be riskier than you think

Here is a list of popular herbal remedies you might find at a natural health store...I will list them and their potential effects:

1. Garlic- lowers antiplatelet and LDL cholesterol. Also, may cause adverse effects if taken by patients on anticoagulants.
2. Ginkgo biloba- can increase anti coagulation. May cause adverse effectsin patients predisposed to seizures.
3. Green tea-popular for it's anti oxidant properties. But, it can affect the absorption of asthma mediations and stimulatns such as pseudophedrine and atropine. It may also increase blood pressure.
4. St. John's wort- used to treat mild depression. But, it may adversely interact with MAO inhibitors and anti depressants or it may sped the absorption of other drugs such as chemotherapy.
5. Valerian- used to treat insomina but may heighten the effects of prescription medications used for insomnia or anxiety. Can also cause a paradoxical reaction.

So, be careful and check with your doctor before taking these remedies...

Starbucks may be on to something

Many recent medical studies support the contention that coffee is the "elixir of the Gods"... Apparently, up to six cups of coffee a day may help reduce the risk of heart disease, diabetes, alcohol related cirrhoses and liver cancer.

Coffee is a rich source of anti oxidants and thus my reduce the inflammation association with certain disease states.

It is interesting to note that caffeine isnt a factor as decaf coffee apparently had the same benefits.

Maybe if we push the envelope...we can get medicare to pay for our starbucks card...(dont hold your breath)...

Interesting medical tidbit:Having Trouble Sleeping, Try Grapes

According to http://www.webmd.com , a recent study in the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture performed in Italy, showed that grapes contain melatonin. Melatonin is a natural sleep hormone.

The human brain makes melatonin to regulate cycles of sleep and wakefulness. Melatonin levels risk in the evening as a cue for sleep but wane as morning approaches. In many grapes tested, melatonin was found including Nebbiolo, Croatina, Sangiovese, Merlot, Marzemino, Cabernat Franc, Cabernat Sauvignon and Barbera.
Hmmm….Grapes. Wine. Sleep. Sounds relaxing.

Interesting Medical Tidbit:Snoring can mean more than a bad night’s sleep

According to a recent, http://www.webmd.com/ article…

Snoring happens when air flow through the mouth and nose is partly blocked , causing the soft palate to vibrate. Most commonly it is caused from the base of the tongue and can be reduced if you change your position from lying on your back to your side.

How many people snore?
25% of adults snore most of the time.
20 million Americans have sleep apnea.

What is sleep apnea?
This is a serious disorder that interrupts a person’s breathing during sleep.

What doctor should you see?
An ENT (Ear, Nose and Throat) that specializes in sleep disorders.

What are treatment options?
Somnoplasty is a minimally invasive procedure that uses radiofrequency to shrink tissue in palate, uvula and tongue and thus help sleep without obstruction. Also, a CPAP machine delivers forced air through the nose to the throat and help open blacked airways, ease breathing and reduce snoring.

Sleep apnea if left untreated can increase risk of heart attack and stroke. Snoring runs in families.

If this article put you to sleep, let me know…

another great blog that has some info

http://www.2ndwindexercise.com/blog/199.htm

http://www.buzzhit.com/buzzblog.html

http://www.health.loversenses.com/sleep-disorder/insomnia-in-senior-citizens

Pet Owners: Touching Dog Food causes Diarrhea .

According to the Centers for Disease Control, everyone should wash their hands thoroughly with soap and water before handing your dog a treat made with meat or fish.

These treats contain raw beef and salmon, which is a known cause of salmonella infection. In fact, nine people became sick recently because they handled these types of dog food. The people developed diarrhea and one of them was hospitalized.

People at increased risk for infection or serious complication from food poisoning include:
children under 5
older adults, ie the elderly
people with weak immune systems

These people should avoid contact with animal based pet treats.
http://www.PassportMD.com is a free service that creates your personal health record but did you know you can use http://www.PassportMD.com to also create your Pet’s health record and upload and store their health history, shots and vaccination information.

Tips for Saving Money on Your Prescriptions

According to a recent article in http://www.webmd.com/
Here are some simple steps that may help you lower your prescription costs:

Look into drug company prescription saving programs
Shop around retail pharmacies for the lowest prescription drug prices.
Consider using mail-order pharmacy services
Ask you doctor if you can take over the counter (otc) medicines
Ask if you can have a generic substitute for any brand medication you were prescribed.

Great Resources to learn about lowering your Prescription costs

Medicare drug coverage http://www.medicare.gov/ (1-800-633-4227)
Partnership for Prescription Assistance http://www.pparx.com/ (1-888-477-2669)
Together Rx Access http://www.togetherrxaccess.com/ (1-800-444-4106)
GlaxoSmithKline patient assistance programs http://www.gskforyou.com/ (1-866-475-3678)
GlaxoSmithKline Coupons and other offers http://www.gskforyou.com/ (1-866-475-3678)

Other blogs that have great information:

http://www.thesunsfinancialdiary.com/2006/11/07/50-ways-to-save-on-medical-bills-from-cnnmoney/

http://blogs.record-eagle.com/?p=282

http://peterlupus.com/healthtips/2006/10/02/senior-care-health-tips/

http://www.realhealthynews.com/2006/07/using-meal-programs-can-help-keep-seniors-healthy-study/

http://www.care2.com/news/member/895715132/204840

“Consumer Driven Health Care”, Fad or Reality?

Consumer Driven health care is a industry term for basically… allowing consumers, ie patients, to be better informed about where and how they receive their medical care. It is a rising tidal wave that has not yet caught on with the actual health care consumer…but, is a force to be reckoned with on the corporate side. There are companies that are responding to anticipation of empowering the health care consumer.

What do I mean by empowering the health care consumer?

This “empowerment” is “code” for giving the consumer information about quality, performance and price in regards to health care. The theory is that is a consumer who knows how much a procedure costs at various institutions and weighs this against the quality or “grading” of the delivering doctor or hospital, they will make a better choice and ultimately drive down health care costs and improve health care results.

This is still unproven and controversial. Doctors would argue that there is no meaningful way to “grade” them either based on financial variables or health care outcomes. Often better doctors have sicker , more complicated patients, resulting in more expensive care with less desirable results. The other issue is that if doctors “grade” becomes so important as to impact their bottom line, docs will change the way they practice to get better results both on the expense and health care results side. For instance, they may choose to only treat healthier patients, insuring better outcomes and less expensive insurance costs, so called, “cherry picking”.

In a recent health care congress sponsored by the Wall Street Journal and CNBC, Al Hubbard, assistant to President Bush for economic policy, issued a threat to clinicians: “Make pricing information available without being forced. If you do not do so, we will force you to. We have allies in Congress who are very inclined to be prescriptive with legislation to impose pricing and quality standards on the health care community”. I think that does sound like a clear cut threat, do it, or we will make you do it approach.
Regardless, what is best for doctors, society and patients, is not necessarily aligned.

As a patient, what do you think? What about the doctors that are reading this, what are your thoughts?

We, at PassportMD, Inc. feel very strongly that you can empower the patient, improve health care and at the same time, not threaten a physician’s practice approach. The very first step in this process is giving the healthcare consumer access to their own personal health record (PHR), http://www.passportmd.com/ gives consumer a free Personal health record so , at the very least, they can be better informed regarding their own health and well-being, and pass this information to their provider whenever necessary. This is step 1 in the empowerment process..

What's the Deal with Sunscreen: Friend or Foe?

Lately, there have been numerous reports surrounding sunscreen....

Questions like "Is it beneficial or harmful" , "Is is worth it for a senior to apply sunscreen", "what difference does it make?" "Are all sunscreens the same? "It sings when I use it, should I try a different one?" "What is the story with the new sunscreen, Mexoryl Sx, that just received FDA approval?"... I will attempt to address some of these issues for you...

1. Recent studies have questioned whether sunscreen is beneficial or harmful. I dont suggest that I know the answer but here is some of the latest opinions... the American Academy of Dermatology, http://www.aad.org still feels strongly that the benefits of use of sunscreen outweighs the potential risks. Despite this , there was another controversial study in the August out of San Francisco by Dr. William Grant, a Ph.D. in the http://www.iiar-anticancer.org/research/research_index.htm Anticancer Research journal that looked at age adjusted types of cancer as plotted by the National Cancer Institute http://cis.nci.nih.gov/ and he found that increase exposure to UVB is associated with a reduced risk of 16 internal cancers, he also went further to show that cancer rates are higher in NE US vs the South and West where levels of environmental UVB is higher throughout the year... he controlled for factors such as smoking, alcohol and ethnicity and he contends strongly, that Vitamin D is critical in reducing the "angiogenesis around tumors, metastasis ....and in helping cell apoptosis". Basically, he is saying that he feels that Vitamin D is critical in reducing the risk for cancer and he feels that Sunscreen may limit the production of critical Vitamin D. Most Dermatologists would argue that throughout the course of the day, even with sunscreen, people get enough sun exposure to generate adequate levels of vitamin D. Dr. Grant asserts that dermatologists dont realize that people get alot of their vitamin D from solar radiation. He advocates going out in the middle of the day for 15-20 minutes so you can create Vitamin D, and minimize the risk of skin cancer. This is controversial as most dermatologists tell you to avoid sun in mid day.

I think this issue is still very, very controversial. From my standpoint, sunscreen clearly makes a difference in reducing the likelihood of getting skin cancer, the most common form of cancer in the United States. I am concerned that studies like Dr. Grants, retrospective multivariate analysis, though statistically sound, are also flawed in their isolation of the importance of the amount of Vitamin D as the critical factor in tumor angiogenesis. I would really like to see a study, that looks specifically at the amount of Vitamin D that is lost through the use of sunscreen and the amount of Vitamin D that is produced by the body in spite of sunscreen all against the amount of Vitamin D shown to be responsible for inhibiting tumor growth. I dont really have an appreciation of this data and thus, before recommending that people go out and get mid day sun and not use sunscreen, I would want more facts and better studies.

Just ask someone, that has had metastatic Squamous cell carcinoma of the skin, a very common scenario, one that accounts for more deaths annually than melanoma. And, one, that is clearly related to sun exposure. I can assure you that they wish that they had used sunscreen.

2. FDA approves new sunscreen...Mexoryl SX , which provides complete broad spectrum UV protection has recently received FDA approval. La Roche Posay http://www.laroche-posay.com/ will maket a broad spectrum sunscreen containing this and Parsol 1789 (avobenxone) and octocrylene. Mexoryl Sx is unique becuase it is highly photostable and filters out UVA and fills the gap left by some UVA sunscreens.

3. Sunscreens are not all the same, generally speaking the recommended sunscreens are those of at least an SPF of 15 and are "broad spectrum" such that they filter UVA and UVB light. After that, the difference really is in the vehicle..ie whether the sunscreen comes as a lotion (more liquid format), a cream, a gel, a stick or a spray on. The main issue here is to use whatever format you prefer as long as it doesnt irritate your skin and that you understand that you need to re apply it after sweating or swimming , for example.

4. Sunscreens are very expensive. Almost cost prohibitive if you use them the way the manufacturer recommends. This is an issue that for some reason is glossed over. I really think the costs of sunscreen is not discussed enough... I would recommend comparing prices via sites on the internet or typical retail outlets. Sometimes more expensive doesnt equate to more effective.

5. Putting aside the controversy of whether or not sunscreen is actually beneficial or harmful until more evidence is presented, I believe that sunscreen should be applied even if you are older and a senior. It is true that much of the sun damage you received is an accumulation over your lifetime, but, the sun you receive as a senior will do much more damage quicker than that same sun would do when you were young. In other words, you may still benefit from sunscreen as a senior and thus you should practice sun safety.

Diagnosis of Alzheimers made Earlier through the skin

Alzheimers disease, http://www.alz.org/ affects all of us, even if we dont personally have the disease. It may affect you through your family or friends. This devastating disease can be crippling to a family and an individual. Early diagnosis would be extremely beneficial.

There was a recent report out of the HealthDay News and other sources such as http://www.healthday.com/ that discuss Alzheimer issues... Most recently it was noticed at the West Virginal university health Sciences Center http://www.hsc.wvu.edu/ that since Alzheimer's disease tends to affect the body systemically, a skin test that looks at two forms of enzyme degradation of the protein, amyloid, might be detectable by skin biopsy and provide an easy, non invasive way to diagnosis the early stages of Alzheimers...

Other recent reports that came out this September about Alzheimers worth noting are:
1.
Red Wine May Help Prevent Alzheimer's
Cabernet Sauvignon appears to inhibit proteins that cause plaque buildup in brain
2.
Restricted Diet May Help Prevent Alzheimer's
Low-calorie intake influenced a variety of age-related diseases in monkey study
3.
Alzheimer's Symptoms May Arise From Mutant Genes
It's a possible new dimension to the disease, researchers say
4.
Early Memory Lapses Could Warn of Alzheimer's
But detecting, treating sooner might also help slow the disease, experts say


Have you had personal battles with this disease? I have seen rapid deterioration of patients and people and families as they have watched their loved ones fall victim . Seniors are very aware of this problem and research will continue to make progress on a diagnostic front and therapeutic front. Do you feel we are putting enough resources towards this disease?

Before Traveling, Seniors Should Know their Rights

For most seniors, traveling is getting more and more difficult. Long lines, searches, taking off shoes, and removing clothing are just a few of the issues that younger travellers are taking for granted but seniors find to be a real issue.

If you are a senior, and have any medical problem whatsoever, such as oxygen needs, walkers, canes, for example, that help a senior ambulate, also, become a burden because of the difficulty of getting through an airport today. Understandably, many seniors are simply choosing not to fly, not to visit their children or families for the holidays. And , I understand this... The lines and searches have become a necessary evil one that I would not want to give up...if it was up to me..I wouldnt want anyone to carry anything on board a plane. I know I would travel safer and not worry as much as I do. I am sure it wont be long until new competitive airlines start to offer everything we need on the plane so we dont need to carry anything with us. For instance, i cant wait until I can start using outlook and surf the internet on a plane without carrying my lap top with me. That will be great and i am sure the airlines know this.

But, this article isnt really about that, what it is about , is to point out the "rights" you have as a traveler, all of the airlines, http://www.continental.com/web/en-US/default.aspx , http://www.southwest.com/, http://www.united.com/ , http://www.aa.com/

a recent article in the USA today, http://www.usatoday.com/ describes these very well and i will summarize...

1. If your flight is cancelled, the airline only has an obligation to find you another flight on the next available flight. There will be no compensation for lost time or inconvenience.
2. If your flight is delayed, the airlines have two different prongs of approach: If the delay occurs because of a mechanical issue or staffing issue, then they usually provide hotel or meal vouchers. But if the delay occurs for the more common scenario, force majeure delays (weather or traffic control), then dont expect any perks.
3. If You miss your connection, the airline that caused you to miss your connection is responsible to assist you with rebooking so that you can make your original itinerary. The airline that you missed the flight on has no obligation to help you.
4. If you are bumped because an airline has oversold your seat, then you are entitled to a voucher or compensation, this is calculated based upon how much of a delay your bump causes you. For instance, if you are delayed 2 hours, then you might receive up to $200 or if you are delayed up to 4 hours, you might receive up to $400.
5. The airlines will bump the passenger that typically checked in the latest, so make sure you check in early , if you are concerned about this possibility.
6. If your luggage is lost (10,000 bags were lost last year), dont worry, as 98 % of all lost luggages is found withing a few hours. But, do not leave the airport without first filing a lost luggage report and dont leave the airport without a file number and phone number to call to track your bags progress. If your luggage doesnt turn up within 45 days, then you might get up to $2800 per person for lost luggage on domestic flights. There will be no coverage for jewelry or photo gear. This is the max you will get , no matter how valuable your contents were. If you are waiting for your luggage, and you need to buy necessitities,the airlines will reimburse you $25 a day to a max of $125 a day... but you must provide receipts...so good luck with this.

Unfortunately, since the state of air travel and the plight of the airlines is "up in the air" , with so many operators in and out of bankruptcy, or hemorrhaging just to stay alive, you wont have much leverage with them. I do understand this.

Here is a great sight to review your rights..http://airconsumer.ost.dot.gov/publications/flyrights.htm

Do you have any concerns regarding your rights on airlines? What are your thoughts on how to improve your flight experiences? What do you think would be a better way for airlines to become more profitable

It's Not Just the Poor that Struggles with Healthcare Costs

According to the Commonweath fund, http://www.cmwf.org/ , it' s not just the "poor" who are having problems footing their healthcare bills. 50% of households earning between $35K and $49 K annually still struggle to make their healthcare bills and health insurance payments. Approximately, 33 % of households earning between $50K and $75 K annually, also report problems with being able to afford their medical bills and health insurance.

Obviously, the rising cost of healthcare is an ongoing problem for Americans. And, it is nothing new. Many factors contribute to this.... corporate profits, rising costs of prescriptions, medical malpractice, insurance crises, new health care technologies, increased regulatory compliance costs and requirements.

I dont think physician salaries play a roll as physicians are continually being asked to deliver more for less. http://www.cms.hhs.gov/center/physician.asp ... Every year it seems your physicians are taking some sort of hit. I really dont think it is fair for the doctor to be blamed for increasing healthcare costs.. unfortunately they are the recognizable and most tangible scapegoat in the healthcare cost process..so they are unfairly often mis represented as being part of the problem. http://content.healthaffairs.org/cgi/content/full/hlthaff.w4.374/DC1
and http://www.aafp.org/online/en/home/policy/federal/background-on-federal-issues/reimbursement.html http://www.californiahealthline.org/index.cfm?Action=dspItem&itemID=113454 http://www.acponline.org/college/pressroom/letter/25jul02.htm illustrate what is an ongoing year after year process of decreasing physician reimbursement.

Seniors Ask themselves Should I do a Reverse Mortgage?

Seniors are really asking themselves.. should I tap out? Am I wrong to consider a reverse mortgage?

This is a common questions amongst the elderly...a thought that is traditionally against all of their upbringing..but a real issue today that may have some merit. There are many sources for seniors to read about this to determine if it makes sense for them. For instance, http://www.reverse.org/ or AARP writes about it http://www.aarp.org/money/revmort/

or even, the government through the Federal Trade Commission offers advice to Seniors at http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/homes/rms.htm.

Seniors should cautiously tread these waters as I am sure there are many scams that prey on their niavete. We have no advice on this subject nor are we being paid to voice any opinion either way. The only purpose of this particular blog is to http://www.KeepSeniorsHealthy.com and when we discuss keeping Seniors healthy.. we look at them from the perspective of keeping them healthy financially, emotionally, and physically.

Another unrelated issue but worthy of mentioning is that "cash out mortgages" soared to the highest level in 16 years in the second quarter of 2006 according to http://www.freddiemac.com/ . Nearly 90 % of Freddie Mac Loans were refinanced with amounts at least 5 % higher than the original mortgage.

Should doctors participate in execution by lethal injection

There was a recent poll in Medical Economics magazine . This poll solicited physicians regarding their feelings toward executions by lethal injections. This is a controversial subject particularly for the medical field that really focuses on "Do No Harm" approach and philosophy to all patients. We are not talking about http://www.euthanasia.com/ euthanasia , which is a completely separate subject but what we are referring to is doctors beliefs and attitudes towards performing executions by lethal injections.

The web poll showed 24 % of doctors said it's the only humane way to deliver a death sentence.
10% of doctors said , "yes, as long as somelne else does the actual injection" but an overwhelming 66 % of doctors said "No, physicians should never do anything to take a life". An interesting article, http://www.asahq.org/news/asanews063006.htm written by President of the American Society of Anesthesiologists is worth noting.

What are your feelings?

Top Ten Reasons For Personal Health Records

Here are the top ten reasons to set up a personal health record
1. In the event of an emergency, that info is available to your treating doctor
2. Reduce the likelihood of medical mistakes by giving this info to your doctor
3. An easy way to Keep track of your medications
4. An easy way to show your medication allergies to a health care provider
5. If you need to move or need an expert consultation or second opinion, you have your records available to share with another provider.
6. Using a proprietary system, like http://www.passportmd.com/ , saves time and effort by automatically getting your records from many sources and doctors
7. Great for your kids, your family members or yourself, while away on vacation or at summer camp
8. Can give info to your doctor so you dont have to "fill out" as many forms at doctors office
9. Can keep living will accessible rather than filed in a drawer.
10. Disaster Recovery of important files and medical records in the event of Hurricanes, storms, floods or fires.

Companies or sites that offer creation of personal health records
1. http://www.passportmd.com/
2. http://www.keepseniorshealthy.com/
3. http://www.webmd.com/
4. http://www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/hurricanes/katrina/kiwy.asp
5. http://www.medicalert.org/home/Homegradient.aspx
6. http://www.capmed.com/

Are We Raising Too Many Medicated Grandchildren?

This is a real issue. Clearly, traditionalists and "old school" parents remember when they "were kids", and how a threat of a belt or a slap on the wrist was enough to get their child's attention.

Well, today things are different. And, although, many older parents and grandparents do not necessarily agree with the recent trends, there is a significant movement that attributes "bad behavior" , "hyperactivity" , "poor performance in school", "inability to follow directions" to a medical condition known as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), http://www.add.org/ and you have to be living in a cocoon if you don't know a child with this diagnosis.

The condition is diagnosed three times more often in boys than in girls and is the most common neurobehavioral disorder of childhood according to http://www.aap.org/ . The condition runs in families and is treatable.

But, some would argue that there is a significant "over representation" of this disorder. Some people argue that "just because your kid doesn't listen" doesnt mean they have ADHD. It is controversial as many people that dont want to believe that this is the child's problem, firmly and staunchly believe that the increasing numbers of diagnoses is more representative of "poor parenting". On the other hand, parents, that see a dramatic difference with medication would take issue with that opinion. What are your thoughts?

Today, ADHD realted doctors' office visits by children age 3-18 more than double, from 3.2 million to 7.4 million according to a recent article in http://www.webmd.com/ (WebMD magazine). The number of office visits that included a prescription also more than doubled to 6.6 million from 1993-2003.

So, this begs the question... Are we medicating our grandchildren and children too much?
Additionally, there is a debate as to whether or not these medications, should carry a warning label about the risk of suicide or heart attacks. More than 200 scientific studies have found that these medications are effective . The medications range from stimulants to antidepressants and more than 70 % of children do well on the stimulants or Strattera http://www.strattera.com/index.jsp . Strattera is undel special scrutiny because of some suicidal thoughts and one attempt in children in a clinical trial of 2200 children. So, between remote possibilities of suicide ideations and heart problems , this drug is being scruitinized by the FDA.

What are your thoughts? Are we over medicating? Are we over diagnosing? Or are we over reacting to a problem that is real, existent and does respond to medicine?

Some great blogs that also deal with health are:

http://blogs.webmd.com/healthy-children/2006/01/your-kids-accept-them-as-they-are.html
http://seniorhealth.about.com/

Some Medicare Patients get "Discharge" letter from their doctors

What are your thoughts on the emerging trend of "Concierge" or "boutique" medicine?

In this new emerging trend, doctors are reducing the size of their practice so that they may spend more quality time with their patients and their families. The physicians are reducing their practice by charging an annual fee to patients that is in addition, in most cases, to their health insurance. Companies like https://www.mdvip.com/Corporate/index.aspx have created a new specialty called "personalized" or "boutique" medicine. This is a more personal and somewhat more proactive form of medicine. Who stands to benefit from this emerging trend?

Wealthier patients benefit while the typical http://www.medicare.gov/ patient or the typical senior on a limited budget , can probably only afford a http://www.medicarehmo.com/ or may have problems finding a non HMO doctor willing to take them on as new patients.

How does this new trend affect you ? Write to us and let us know from either the patient or the physician perspective? Is this better medicine? Why do you think this new trend has emerged? Do you think that this trend has a negative or a positive impact on health care?

Did you know that pets have health insurance in Sweden?

In Sweden, a country that has government sponsored, universal health care for it's human citizens, 30% of dogs have private medical insurance.

If you are concerned about the 45 million people in the US that do not have medical insurance for their medical care, you dont have to worry about Swedish dogs...they are covered...and regardless of their pedigree.

Seborrheic Dermatitis is common scaling redness and dandruff of scalp, new treatment just approved!

There is yet another treatment approved for the common condition Seborrheic Dermatitis. Seborrhea, often called, dandruff, causes redness, scaling and itching in scalp, ears and face.

FDA recently approved Xolegel (ketoconazole) 2% gel..It is a waterless gel approved for once daily application and has been shown to be as effective as potent topical steroids for the common symptoms of seborrhea but with less side effects.

If you are on potent steroids for seborrhea, ask your doctor about this new medicine, Xolegel, it may be more effective and less risky.

(The author has no financial interest in the company that makes Xolegel)

New oral medication for rosacea

FDA recently approved a new oral medication for Rosacea. It is called Oracea and is a 40 mg capsule of doxycycline monohydrate...

This is a traditional oral antibiotic used for the common condition Rosacea, ("WC Fields Nose"), redness and flushing of the face, pimples and blood vessels on cheeks and nose.

The advantage with this new formulation is a lower side effect profile since the medication is a much lower dose than traditionally used. Most dermatologists prescribe 100 mg of Doxycycline (doryx) or minocycline (Minocin), however, this new lower dose has a reduced side effect profile but still effective.

Ask your dermatologist about Oracea.

(The author has no financial interest in the company that makes Oracea)

How much is healthcare connectivity worth?

Health Affairs put the value of a "fully standardized" health information exchange at $77.8 billion ANNUALLY, while the Rand Corp said a wired healthcare industry would create a savings of $162 billion ANNUALLY. Obviously there is a lot of waste in this field and a lot that technology could do to help...

What can you do? tell your doctor or hospital administrator to go digital.

Tell United Health Care and Cigna and Aetna and the Blues to tell their doctors that there can be financial incentives if they digitize their offices and practices... You can make the difference but doctors cannot singularly carry the cost burdens of this transformation... they should receive significant incentives to do this...and that can only be effectively communicated and requested by you, the healthcare consumer, on behalf of the doctor..As the doctors already lost all the financial fights to the United Health Care of the worlds..

Start by digitizing yourself, your own health care.. your parents and your children.. it is better medicine.. http://www.PassportMD.com can do this for you.

What are patients perceptions of safety in health care?

A recent survey of 1500 households.. asked "What comes to mind when you think about patient safety issues in the healthcare environment?"

28% said NOTHING.
20% said exposure to infection.
13 % said patient care received.
11 % said qualifications of healthcare professionals
8% said getting the right treatment

The same survey asked "How likely or unlikely do you think your risk of encountering a medical mistake in the following health care settins or situations?

30% said it was "very likely" to occur at a Nursing Home, while 14% said it was "very likely" to occur at a hospital. 6 % said it was "very likely" to occur at the doctors office or the pharmacy.

Digital Medical Records -Is your doctor or hospital ready to fork over the cash to do this?

Recently, a group of hospital executives was surveyed as to the most likely benefit of digital health care, digital health records, electronic medical records, and the most compelling benefit of digitization of health care was patient safety according to these executives.

But , is that enough for these hospitals to invest dollars to make these changes a reality?

Are hospitals listening to their hospital executives?? This author thinks they are .. although slow to pull the trigger, I do think, hospitals "get it" and will "get it" by moving from paper charts to digital paperless hospitals.. it is simply better medicine..

Oh, by the way , did I mention that they may also be motivated b the bottom line as it also helps operational efficiency, reimbursement management, consumer impact, physician recruitment, competive advantages, regulatory compliance and not to mention... revenue growth..

The top 10 Drugs Associated with Medication Errors

Do you know which meds most commonly are associated with medication errors?

here they are:

1. Insulin
2. Albuterol
3. Morphine Sulfate
4. Potassium Chloride
5. heparin
6. Cefazolin
7. Warfarin (coumadin)
8. Furosemide (Lasix)
9. Levofloxacin
10. Vancomycin


Are you or have you ever been on these medications?

Do you keep an accurate record of your medications? what about for you parents or your children?

There is an automatic wizard that creates your medication list, dosage, frequency and organizes it, makes it legible and is always accessible at http://www.KeepSeniorsHealthy.com or
visit http://www.PassportMD.com

United health care we stand, United health care we fall

Where do you stand on healthcare issues? Should the government pay more or less of the citizens of the United States?

What about the cost of medicine ? What about the cost of errors and adverse events in medicine?

is United health Care or Aetna or Cigna or the Blues... really looking out for your best interests? or are they cherry picking the best and healthiest insureds?

should healthcare services that help reduce errors in medication, errors in treatment and diagnoses be paid for by the government or reimbursed by health insurance companies? Services that allow you to create your own health record , decide what you want to keep in it, decide who you want to see it, help you get your doctors notes, help you organize your medications... these services found at http://www.PassportMD.com are meant to empower you, the healthcare consumer, to make educated choices regarding healthcare, regarding United Health Care, Cigna, and Aetna....

You should have the power, as you are the consumer.. and healthcare is just another product... you should be able to select your own doctor.. easily get your notes from one to another.. share or not share you medical history...You should be able to easily shop and compare healthcare facilities and health care plans such as United health care or Cigna Health or Aetna or the Blues... You are the one paying the bill either directly or through taxes for the medical care , you and your loved ones receive...

How easy is it to understand the true costs of your hospital services... ??
How much Senior Citizen Information Service do you receive regarding your medical care?

health care and Senior Citizen information services

The purpose of this blog is to inform people about health care. Our efforts are aimed at KeepSeniorsHealthy by promoting and empowering consumers in health care.

For example, what are the stats on adverse incidents in health care?

Here they are (according to Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Clinical Decision Support:Improving Saftey, Efficiency and Quality of Care, December 2005;

1. in 15 inpatient admissions includes a significant adverse drug event
2. Adverse drug events occur in up to 18% of ambulatory patients
3. 6 percent of admissions are caused by an adversed drug event
4. Preventable medication errors cost $2 billion annually
5. Poor medication utilization costs another $27 billion.


What can you do? visit http://www.PassportMD.com or visit http://www.KeepSeniorsHealthy.com so that you can use their wizard to create your medical record with your medications, organized, legible and accessible from anywhere.

Senior Citizen services judge quality of healthcare

Almost 98,000 deaths are caused per year as a result of medical errors. What is the determining factor for senior citizens to select their doctors, hospitals or health care organizations... a recent study showed that 12 percent of those people surveyed said patient safety is the most influential factor.

This study was specifically asking how a patient judges the quality of their healthcare. Fifty-two (52) % said that quality or outcome information is the most important.

23% of people surveyed used price or cost as their determining factor.

What is your most influential single piece of information that you use in determining the quality of health care?

Keep Seniors Healthy- Cancer Facts

Lower rates of smoking, earlier diagnoses and better treatments have all resulted in a decline in death rates from cancer. A decline of 1.6 % for men from 1993-2003 and .8 % for women during this period.

Increases in breast cancer have leveled off. There was a jump, however, in thyroid cancer with rates increasing amongst women , year over year. This has been attributed to better diagnosis. Two thirds of poeple diagnosed with thyroid cancer are between 20 and 55 years of age. Thyroid cancer has a 97 percent five year survival.

For more information go to www.cancer.org or call 800-422-6237 for the American Cancer Society.

Keep Seniors Healthy- should I request records from my doctors?

Should you request your medical records from your doctor?

Most seniors are uncomfortable with this concept.. they trust their doctor implicitly... much like a "Marcus Welby, MD"...and they feel the doctor may resent their requests and read into this as a "doubt or questioning" of their ability or treatments... I think this is untrue..most doctors are not and should not be threatened by a patient's request for his records..Nowadays with electronic medical records and fax... it has become commonplace for doctors to receive requests for records... particularly by insurance companies that need this info to evaluate their applicants for their risks... this is very very common.

I think once a doctor understands why you are requesting his records..ie for your own recordkeeping purposes..ie creation of your own personal medical record through services like http://www.PassportMD.com or http://www.KeepSeniorsHealthy.com , then I believe they understand and appreciate their patients' desire and motivation to keep themselves proactive as it relates to their medical care. Doctors understand the value of good, legible, organized notes and historical information, as they request it daily so that they themselves can see it before initiating treatment. It is better medicine and it is better for you.. do you keep track of personal belongings, receipts, automative work, accounting, bills, finances, housing products, electronics, house maintanence?? If you do this... dont you think you should do the same for yourself, your health of your family, children, parents, and you depend on it.

Will doctors release your records when you request it?

They will and they have to ..Under HIPAA , doctors have 30 days to comply with your requests for records. Charges are limited to actual costs and states limit the maximum a doctor can charge per page. PassportMD facilitates this process for people requesting their records.

Keep Seniors Healthy- Seniors are Getting Wired

According to a report by the Pew Internet and American Life Project, about 8 million Americans 65 or older use the internet. This is a 47% increase from 2000 to 2004. Seniors are getting wired up and are becoming one of the fastest growing groups on the internet.

Are you a senior? Do you find navigating the internet easy or difficult? What are the biggest obstacles you face in using your computer or in getting to feel comfortable with surfing the net?

What are your main reasons for using the internet?

Keep Seniors Healthy-Unnecessary medical testing and Physician Report Cards

Attention Seniors...

What are your thoughts about physician "report cards". These are the newest thing that are being generated by insurance companies as well as private industry to "grade" your doctor. If you ask most physicians, they probably are not in favor of this. You can understand why. What if some beligerent or hostile patient, created a smear campaign for a physician and consistently wrote or submitted negative grades and comments on that particular physician? The doctor would have no real defense of unjustified attacks or unvalidated claims regarding their performance. There is one Michaign Insurance Plan that allows phsysicans to challenge inaccurate data online. Also, an unintended consequence of scorecards or report cards is that htey could motivate physicians to avoid noncompliant patients.

The flip side is... are you the consumer entitled to see this info recognizing that some of it might not be accurate? What are your thoughts? Is it fair to have a "report card" on doctors generated by patients? Whould these only be used internally by health insurance companies or do you the consumer want to see them also?

Keep in mind , it is unclear that report card rankings actually reflect a physician's true quality.

Let us know your thoughts on this issue.

What about Unnecessary medical testing? Why do you think doctors do it? Millions of dollars are spent each year on unnecessary medical tests? Do you think these are motivated by medicolegal concerns by the doctor, ie "if I dont order it, I will be held responsible for this and may get sued". Doctors are concerned about missing diagnoses that could cost them in a malpractice case.. as lawyers will jump all over this... so doctors tend to want to take a "cya" approach to practicing medicine. Can you blame them?

Keep Seniors Healthy-Refund on your long distance phone service tax

You can now claim a refuon on you 2006 tax return when youfile next year. Forms will include a line requesting the refund. For all those long distance phone calls you made to your grandchildren and children, for instance, between March 1, 2003 and July 31, 2006, you may request a refund with interest on the excise tax that yo paid on long distance phone service.

If you dont have the records for that period, you can claim a standard refund rate .

Keep Seniors Healthy- A Place to Call 411 for free

Instead of paying higher and higher rates to call 411 , which now cost anywhere from $1.40 with Sprint PCS to $3.49 with MCI, you can now call 1-800-FREE411 and pay nothing. You may have to listen o a short ad before getting your free listing. The company that provides this service is called Jingle Networks.

Keep Seniors Healthy- Victims of Flood or Hurricane Damage

If you are a victim of a flood or hurricane damage and you are having trouble settling insurance claims. There is a website resource that may help with some good advice on getting advance payments for losses and coverage issues, go to http://www.femainfo.us .

More Hurricane Tips for Seniors

1. keep a 2 week supply of food on hand-mostly canned foods.
2. remember to have bottled water. (a gallon per day per person for drinking and sanitation)
3. Gallon sized freezer bags for ice
4. Household bleach to purify water
5. duct tape
6. basic tools
7. flashlight and extra batteries
8. fire extinguisher
9. matches
10. first aid kit
11. plastic eating utensils
12. 2 week supply of pet food
13. mosquito repellant
14. cat litter for soaking up spills
15. whistle or horn
16. rope or cord
17. blankets or sleeping bags
18. shoes with rubber soldes
19. Know where breaker panel is in the house
20. Stay clear of pudddles
21. Dont use public water until local water utility through media says so
22. avoid driving
23. obey curfews
24. Double check all medical supplies
25. Put valuables and documents in safe place including list of possessions
26. Can store valuable documents online at http://www.KeepSeniorsHealthy.com
27. Use Common Sense.

Keep Seniors Healthy During Hurricanes

Here are some good basic tips:
1. Stock up on plenty of bottle water
2. Stock up on plenty of batteries, the size that fits your am/fm radio and your flashlights
3. Organize any critical papers such as financial documents, living will, pet documents, insurance documents, and bills... pre pay any bills that you think might be due at the same time the hurricane is destined to hit..
4. Organize your medical records, prescriptions, actual pills, and doctors names and numbers..
5. Use a service like ours... http://www.Passportmd.com or http://www.KeepSeniorsHealthy.com to safely store your important legal documents and medical records..it will keep them offsite , easily accessible , and like a "safety deposit box" for information that you may need at any time during the after math of the hurricane.
6. Create a list of emergency phone numbers to keep with you for after the hurricane.
7. Make sure , loved ones or friends, will know where you will be during a hurricane.
8. Find a safe place to "wheather" the hurricane.

Keep Seniors Healthy- US initiates program to improved older citizens health

The US Dept HHS has earmarked a $15 million dollar initiative through public and private collaborations to help older people manage their chrnic disease, improve their diet, increase their activity and and up to 12 states will receive grants for this. Each stat that participates will use evidence based prevention programs in 3 different geographic regions to study this.

What is the biggest problem for seniors today as it relates to their doctors?

If you could change anything about how you, as a senior, or as a caretaker of a senior, what would you change as it relates to your experience with medical care, doctors, nurses?

What is the biggest problem you face in health care? is it costs? is it the doctor patient relationship? is it the doctor's front office ?

Is it the doctor?

Many people complain that doctors dont spend enough time with them during their visit? Do you agree?

Other people, complain that doctors deal out to many prescriptions...

Let us know your thoughts...

Keep Seniors Healthy- Bush mandates Transparent Pricing, will ebay start listing medical procedures and doctors

Is Transparent Pricing a good or bad thing?

In other words...should everyone.. understand and have access to the pricing costs of medical care, of your doctor? your hospital?

will ebay start listing medical procedures?

will people bid on their doctor to receive the lowest priced service?

Is this a good thing or not ?

Will market forces create a better priced medical delivery model?

Keep Seniors Healthy- What are medicare beneficiaries doing to reduce their health care risks?

According to an article in Medical Economics Magazine, June 16, 2006.. more than 100,000 medicare beneficiaries have joined 8 pilot programs to reduce their health risks and improve the quality of life for the chronically ill. These programs were created by the Modernization Act of 2003 and are operating as Medicare Health Support Programs in Florida, Chicago, Washington D.C., Mississippi, Georgia , Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and Tennessee.

This seems like a positive move from seniors and from medicare..do you agree? Have you had any experience with these programs that you can tell us about on this blog?

Keep Seniors Healthy- Facts about Health Insurance

(according to “The coverage Gap: A State by State Reort on Access to Care” prepared for Robert Wood Johnson Foundation by State healthy Access Data Assistance Center, University of Minnesota, April 2006)

Did you know that 15 % of adults age 50-64 are without health insurance?
How would you solve this problem?

Did you know that 41% of uninsured adults age 18-65 could not afford to see a doctor when needed within the past 12 months?
Do you consider this a health care problem? Is this your responsibility to fix? Are we in a health care crisis?

Did you know that 57% of uninsured adults do not have a personal health care provider or physician?
Do you have any thoughts on how to lower this percentage?
Are you one of these 57%?

Greetings From Your Editor...Steve, CEO PassportMD

Hello, that is my picture to the left when I was hiking a glacier in Alaska. My name is Steve and this is the first time I have ever written a blog. I am writing this blog as the CEO of PassportMD to help PassportMD customers and visitors and potential customers learn about and communicate with our company.

I was inspired to set this blog up for many reasons: I enjoy writing, I enjoy helping Seniors (as a physician I have done this for the last 15 years), and also most importantly, I have an interest in using technology to help people take better care of themselves. I recently created a web site that serves just that function. The web site is called Keep Seniors Healthy.com (http://www.KeepSeniorsHealthy.com). I am hoping that this blog serves to make people aware of my web site, http://www.KeepSeniorsHealthy.com, as I have worked very hard to create a software application that can provide real benefit to people. I believe that web site will help people better manage their own health and be prepared for unexpected emergencies. I am also hopeful that this blog can create a forum or community for seniors to come and ask me questions regarding technology or larger healthcare issues. I am not creating this blog to treat, diagnose or advise anyone concerning their own personal health problems. For that I suggest you see a doctor. I just want to help with the confusing issues that face seniors in navigating the waters that we call ... healthcare.. finding the right doctors, insurance issues, discussions on experiences with their physicians, managing their healthcare, healthcare proxy, advanced directives, financing the cost of their medicines, prescriptions, new insurance alternatives, drug cards, how technology impacts your healthcare choices and your healthcare delivery, how you can be pro-active with your healthcare, and so much more...

I hope that this blog becomes something very valuable to everyone as a source of information and discussion.

Sincerely,

Steve
CEO, PassportMD, Inc
Founder of www.KeepSeniorsHealthy.com