A look at the per capita health costs - U.S. compared to other OECD nations in 2000. Of course, since the year 2000 these costs have ballooned even further.

A poignant article in the respected journal, Health Affairs, put it best when it said that “a cycle of unsustainable spending growth followed by fervent cost containment initiatives has been a regular feature of the health care landscape for the past half-century.” As a result, the journal looked at health care spending per capita for thirty countries in the so-called “industrialized” Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) list of countries, all while record numbers of Americans choose to opt out of individual health insurance plans.

In 2002, U.S. citizens spent more than $5,260 per capita for their health care. This represented a 53% premium over any other country in the OECD list. That trend continues to this day, and it is a major catalytic factor in the health care reform movement championed by the Obama administration.

Health Affairs concludes that the two main factors in the high U.S. health care costs are:

• Defensive medicine (which leads to higher diagnostic rates and a hyper-sensitive population of doctors due to the fear of medical malpractice claims), and
• The high rates of emergency care resources vs other industrialized nations. Of course, the article in the journal tends not to oversimplify and cites numerous other potential reasons.

Whatever the case, health care spending has ballooned far beyond that of any other country (as the graph above illustrates). Where the proposed reform will take us from here is anybody’s best guess.

Maoist China during the period between 1958 and 1976 was one of the world’s widest users of public health posters and announcements. It was almost impossible to go anywhere in the country without seeing some form of health poster telling citizens to do a certain thing or not do a certain thing in the interest of public health. Then, unlike now, China had a nationalized health care system. Today, China relies on a variety of health care options, including employer provided coverage (known in China as laobao yiliao) and individual health insurance policies.

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You may be asking yourself “Just what in the heck are alternative therapies?” According to Northwestern Health Sciences University, alternative therapies are “Interventions for improving, maintaining and promoting health and well being, preventing disease, or treating illness. Encompassing over 200 modalities and more than 10,000 uses, alternative and complementary therapies are not part of the standard North American biomedical regimen of health care or disease prevention. Standard refers to practices commonly taught in U. S. medical schools, covered by major insurers, or referred to as allopathic or Western medicine.” This article will seek to explain some forms of alternative therapies and help you look into whether they might be the right choice for you.

Acupuncture

Do you often find yourself feeling like you’re on pins and needles? With acupuncture, you literally are. Acupuncture is a technique in which incredibly thin needles of varying lengths are inserted into your skin to help treat a variety of conditions. Although acupuncture isn’t touted as an actual treatment for cancer, studies have shown it can help in battling the nausea that comes along with chemotherapy and radiation. It aids in relieving pain after dental surgery, treating headaches, rehabilitation after strokes and helping to treat a number of different muskuloskeletal conditions. The points in which needles are inserted into your skin are called acupoints, and to keep a healthy energy flowing through the body, the needles are only inserted deep enough into the skin to keep them from falling out. If you are cringing and imagining feeling like a walking (or, laying down) pincushion: never fear. The most skilled acupuncturists do not cause any pain.

Chiropractic Care

If thinking of a visit to the chiropractor has you your head filled with visions of cracking bones and anguished faces, think again. It is a very safe and effective practice when performed by a professional. According to the American Chiropractic Association, “chiropractic is a health care profession that focuses on disorders of the musculoskeletal system and the nervous system, and the effects of these disorders on general health. Chiropractic care is used most often to treat neuromusculoskeletal complaints, including but not limited to back pain, neck pain, pain in the joints of the arms or legs, and headaches.” Although chiropractic care itself does not hurt the patient, it is common for there to be a little bit of soreness and discomfort following any procedure. One benefit to an alternative therapy like the two listed is that they do not involve any type of drugs at all, simply trying to treat any illness or ailments through addressing it as directly as possible in the body.

Reflexology

Therapy through the hands and feet? This may sound like utter voodoo (or just plain gross to some) but reflexology is a calming and effective form of an alternative therapy. Reflexology is a form of therapy that uses pressure on specific areas of the feet (or the hands) with the goal of relieving a variety of problems and balancing the flow of vital energy throughout the body. While evidence does not support reflexology for a treatment for something serious like cancer, it has been shown to help with relaxation and relieve certain types of pain and anxiety. The theory behind reflexology is that there are certain points on the hands and feet that are associated with other body parts and organs. When these points on the hands and feet are stimulated, it is though t promote health and well being in the related body parts.

While alternative therapies tend not to be covered under standard health insurance packages, some companies will offer them at a slightly higher co-pay. If you are interested in learning more about these therapies and if they are available through your insurance provider, contact them today to find out more.

photo credit: Thunderchild tm

Insurance carriers are always having to shell out the money-that’s just a part of what they do. When people need to draw on their insurance plans to cover things that happen, insurance companies open their pockets to make it happen. 2008 broke into the top numbers in terms of expenses for insurance companies. Hitting the #3 slot happened due to multiple catastrophes around the world in this past year, causing millions to turn to their insurance companies in the wake of a disaster.

Cyclones, Earthquakes and Hurricanes: Oh, My!

If you watch the news, you know that this hasn’t been an easy year for people around the world. There was the devastating earthquake in China, and the horrendous cyclone in Myanmar, and the list goes on. In fact, if you look up “2008 natural disasters” and visit a few different web pages, you might be surprised at how many events human beings endured around the world this past year. Flooding, tropical storms, landslides, typhoons and in so many different countries. All of these events contributed to making 2008 the 3rd most expensive year for insurers. When people lose everything, it’s insurance companies who take the hit.

Catastrophes and Insurance by the Numbers

Although there were less loss-producing events around the world this past year (dropping 210 from 2007), insured losses in 2008 were 50% higher than the previous year, coming in at $45 billion, as overall losses stood at $200 billion, when they had only been $85 billion in 2007. This past year, over 220,000 people were killed as the result of a natural disaster.

In looking at these horrible events individually, it was the United States who got hit the hardest in terms of losses. Hurricane Ike blasted through the nation like the nasty storm that it was, leaving insurers to clean up the mess to the tune of $15 billion. Following a close second was the terrible Hurricane Gustav, who caused overall losses of $10 billion and and insured loss of $5 billion.

Can This Insurance Trend Be Reversed?

This is a hard question to ponder, because when you’re dealing with things like natural disaster, the solution is quite complex. Such increases in the number of natural disasters and occurrences is caused by changes in our climate like global warming, rising sea levels and higher temperatures everywhere. This may not be able to be reversed, but we can certainly do things to slow it down or even stop it completely. This would require radical changes around the world, and we’re obviously looking at greater issues here than just insurance costs. Human life and quality of it is much more valuable, and we don’t want to lose either.

In the meantime, look over all of your insurance needs. Having health insurance is the first place to start. If you are looking for more information about how to protect your family, take a look online to help some answers to any questions you might have. If you are renting a home, get renters insurance for all your property within. If you own your home, home insurance is a wonderful investment for your future. Life insurance and everything in between may seem like a waste of money as you sign those checks each month, but in the event of an emergency, you will be so happy you spent your money wisely.

photo credit: eschipul

Yersinia Pestis virus under an electron microscope – the source of Bubonic and Pneumonic Plague

Last October, biologist Eric York stumbled upon the carcass of a female mountain lion in the picturesque Grand Canyon. She was a female he had been tracking for years, so her seemingly mysterious death was a concern to him. The mountain lion showed no outward signs of harm, only sporting a bloody nose.

Being curious about the cause of the lion’s death prompted York to haul the lion back to his garage to perform the autopsy (apparently, the Grand Canyon lacks a mammalian forensics lab). On November 2, York was found dead on his couch by a roommate. Experts can only guess that York cut the lion open and inhaled plague fumes, and that was what lead to his death. The plague, a mass killer in the Middle ages in Europe, usually lives in rodents, so York would have no reason to suspect the lion had encountered one, as lions usually stalk bigger game. But is there a risk for the United States to experience plague, and where do experts think the next plague will derive from?

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