Tag Archives: hospital

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Jimmy Kimmel’s Healthcare Scare: What You Should Know

As you may know, on May 1, 2017, Jimmy Kimmel spoke about the birth of his baby boy, Billy.

If you haven’t seen the clip, click here to watch.

Unfortunately, several hours after the birth of his baby, Jimmy and his wife Molly learned that Billy had a heart defect and needed surgery to save his life.

Jimmy thanked Cedars-Sinai Hospital and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles for providing Billy with amazing care. Because of the attentive staff and great care, his newborn son is home and doing well.

Jimmy’s message was extremely important and shows how far we have come in healthcare, and how far we have to go.

Friends, family, and readers have asked me some questions about what Jimmy had to say. Here’s my take:

Jimmy spoke about “pre-existing conditions.”

Question: What are pre-existing conditions and how do they affect healthcare coverage?

Answer: Pre-existing conditions are health problems that occur prior to the date new health coverage starts.

Jimmy is correct that prior to the passage of the Affordable Care Act (“ACA”), pre-existing conditions, such as birth defects, could prevent someone like baby Billy from getting coverage. They also enabled insurance companies to charge individuals more. The ACA now prevents health insurance companies from refusing coverage or charging more for pre-existing conditions.

Question: What is the National Institutes of Health (“NIH”)?

Answer: NIH is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and is the nation’s medical research agency. Jimmy is correct that, despite initial plans to cut the budget for NIH, Congress increased its funding by $2 billion.

As a mother of two and a parent of a daughter born with a serious disease, I was touched by Jimmy’s message. It’s important to stay in the know about healthcare and healthcare policies, in case you or a loved one is impacted.

Congratulations to Jimmy Kimmel and his family on their baby boy!

To learn more about health care for your family, check out the Women’s Mind Body Wellness Summit. It contains 6 interviews by top female health professionals plus two workout videos and 3 bonus videos on mind-body wellness with MyHealthSpin founder Lori-Ann Rickard.

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How to Check a Hospital’s References

problems with computer virusThe most important thing about choosing a hospital is the quality of the doctors and nurses who work there. Did you know you can check a hospital’s references? You can! Start by checking the doctors’ credentials first.

Here is what to look for:

1. Where did the doctor receive his or her training?
Some medical schools are better than others. Follow up with an online search for school ratings and reviews.

2. Is your doctor “board certified?”
Doctors graduate from medical school and go on to do a residency, fellowship or other training. When they finish their training, they can choose to take a test called the “boards.” A doctor who is “board certified,” must take a regularly scheduled test to stay up-to-date with his or her skills.

3. How often does your doctor perform the surgery or procedure you are getting?
How many times have they successfully performed this procedure? How frequently? Be sure to consider the patient’s age when asking. For example, if your 2-year-old child is getting an operation, find out how often your doctor operates on 2-year-olds. It is very different to perform surgery on a healthy adult versus a small child.

4. Does your doctor have specialized training in your particular condition?
Will a general surgeon perform your surgery or a specialist who specializes in the type of surgery you are getting?

Have you ever investigated your hospitals references? What other questions would you add to this list? I’d love to hear from you!

MyHealthSpin helps you Spin Your Healthcare Your Way!

Learn more about what to do when things don’t go as planned with my ebook Easy Healthcare: Your Hospital Stay. You can get it FREE right now by subscribing to our blog.

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Choose Your Hospital Wisely

Ronald Reagan Ucla Medical CenterHave you ever wondered if all hospitals are the same? It turns out, they aren’t. Hospitals vary on the quality of staff and doctors, the services offered and many other factors.

Because a trip to the hospital can change your life forever, it’s important to choose wisely.

Here are some questions to consider:

1. Is the hospital affiliated with a university medical school?
University affiliated hospitals have medical students to teach and research to conduct. This may mean you are able to see specialists who may not be available at other hospitals.

2. Does the hospital have a religious affiliation?
For example, if you are Catholic, you may prefer a Catholic hospital. With these hospitals the religious affiliation may govern what procedures may or may not be performed at the hospital. In such instances, you may be bound to these rules even if you do not agree with them.

3. Are your doctors allowed to practice at the hospital?
It is helpful to have the doctors you see regularly also see you in the hospital because they already have a more robust understanding of your medical history. Ask your doctors which hospitals they cover and, when possible, choose accordingly.

4. Does the hospital have the specialists you need?
For example, if you are going into the hospital for serious heart issues, it is wise to do a bit of homework to research the heart specialists who practice at the hospitals you are considering.

 

When possible, consider these questions BEFORE you pick a hospital. Choosing a hospital simply because you like their advertisements OR because it is closest to home may not always be the best plan.

How have you picked the hospital you go to for healthcare? Are there other questions you would add to this list? I’d love to hear from you!

MyHealthSpin helps you Spin Your Healthcare Your Way!

Learn more about what to do when things don’t go as planned with my ebook Easy Healthcare: Your Hospital Stay. You can get it free right now by subscribing to our blog.