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Jimmy Kimmel’s Healthcare Scare: What You Should Know

Healthspin — Thu, 04 May 2017 13:00:00 +0000

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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Has ObamaCare Slowed ER Visits?

Healthspin — Thu, 21 May 2015 13:00:29 +0000

Surprisingly, no. Most hospitals report that ER visits are on the rise. Three quarters of ER doctors report that since ObamaCare has been in effect the ER is seeing more patients than ever before. This is contrary to the goal of ObamaCare. What happened?

There are a lot of different answers.

People have insurance but there are not enough primary care doctors to see them.
ObamaCare expanded Medicaid and many primary care doctors won’t accept Medicaid due to its low reimbursement.
The newly insured cannot take off work to see a primary care doctor or lack transportation or child care. (Source: USA Today Article)

All of these factors make the ER often the best or only option.

Should you use the ER for your healthcare? Not if you can avoid it.

Call your insurance company and ask for a recommendation to a primary care physician. If you have a Medicaid HMO, a primary care physician will be assigned to you.
Schedule your first appointment when you are not sick. It is important to establish a relationship with your doctor BEFORE you are so sick that you get referred to the ER.
Pick a doctor who has late night or weekend hours if you can’t miss work during the week. Many physicians are now offering more convenient appointment times.
Be proactive and take responsibility for your healthcare. It’s the only way to stay healthy and avoid expensive ER visits.

Have you ever gone to the ER and wished later that you had not? I’d love to hear from you!

MyHealthSpin helps you Spin Your Healthcare Your Way!

Check out how more information on insurance in our new book, Easy Healthcare: Choose Your Health Insurance.

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Celebrate Mother’s Day The HealthSpin Way

Healthspin — Fri, 08 May 2015 13:45:46 +0000

Being a mom often times means taking care of others before yourself. I encourage moms of every age to make themselves a priority and take easy steps toward a healthier and safer life. Among these include:

Maintaining a healthy diet
Engaging in physical activity
Getting enough sleep
Finding ways to reduce stress
And sharing your medical history with your friends and family

Making sure your personal and family health history is often times forgotten, but can be very important in the event of an emergency. What you need is a Medical Life List! In a nutshell, your Medical Life List is your own personal medical record created by you and updated by you.

You can find the template of the Medical Life List in MyHealthSpin’s free eBook, Easy Healthcare Guide: What You Need First.

So the question is…how will you celebrate Mom this Mother’s Day?

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Spin Your Healthcare Your Way!

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Helpful Healthcare Links: April 30, 2015

Healthspin — Thu, 30 Apr 2015 12:00:49 +0000

Our helpful health care links focus on two hot topics in healthcare this week– An update on the devastating earthquake in Nepal and an what it looks like when a healthcare record is hijacked. Both are worth your time. And, as always, if you ever come across a healthcare story that you think merits more attention, please send it our way!

Inside Nepal’s Next Challenge: Overflowing Hospitals

Hospitals throughout Nepal are flooded with patients, with thousands in need of care for acute injuries after a massive earthquake that the country’s leader said may have killed up to 10,000.

A Day in the Life of a Stolen Healthcare Record

The process of divining the provenance of stolen healthcare records. These records typically are processed or handled by a gauntlet of third party firms, most of which have no direct relationship with the patient or customer ultimately harmed by the breach.

P.S.–TODAY is your last day to sign up for the ObamaCare Enrollment Extension!

Spin your healthcare your way and check out our Easy Healthcare eBook Guides.

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HealthSpin’s Easy Healthcare: Choose Your Health Insurance gives you the practical steps you can take to choose the right insurance plan for you and your family.

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What Is Your Biggest Health Care Pet Peeve?

Healthspin — Mon, 20 Apr 2015 12:54:23 +0000

While moving through the health care system, you have likely experienced some positive experiences and some not-so-positive ones. So, I’m curious. What is your biggest health care pet peeve?

Choose all that apply from the options below and leave a comment on this post with your answer(s). If you don’t see yours listed here, write it in the comments.

1. Long wait times in doctors’ offices

2. Time with doctor is rushed or too short

3. Health care practitioners don’t show enough empathy

4. Dealing with the insurance company

5. Having to get referrals

6. Prescription costs

7. Finding the right specialists (knowing where to go)

I will post this question on Facebook and share the compiled results. I’d love to know your pet peeves.

In the meantime, take the guesswork out of health care with my blog. You’ll get articles and tips that breakdown the mystery of health care. By signing up, you will also receive my free ebook Easy Health Care: What You Need First.

MyHealthSpin helps you Spin Your Healthcare Your Way!

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Does Your Healthcare Provider “Accept Or “Participate In” Your Health Insurance Plan?

Healthspin — Thu, 26 Mar 2015 13:30:25 +0000

When you sign up for health insurance, do you make sure you healthcare provider accepts that particular plan? Is there a better question you might want to ask?

P.S.–Please remember that ObamaCare has added an extra enrollment period that from March 15 – April 30, 2015. Spin your healthcare your way and check out our Easy Healthcare eBook Guides.

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HealthSpin’s Easy Healthcare: Choose Your Health Insurance gives you the practical steps you can take to choose the right insurance plan for you and your family.

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So You’re Signing Up For ObamaCare…What Is Covered?

Healthspin — Thu, 19 Mar 2015 13:30:37 +0000

What is covered under Obamacare? It used to be that insurance companies only covered the services that were most profitable for them. Now, with Obamacare, basic services like preventative care must be covered. This is true for Medicare as well.

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HealthSpin’s Easy Healthcare: Choose Your Health Insurance gives you the practical steps you can take to choose the right insurance plan for you and your family.

The post So You’re Signing Up For ObamaCare…What Is Covered? appeared first on MyHealthSpin.

Helpful Health Care Links: March 6, 2015

Healthspin — Fri, 06 Mar 2015 14:00:56 +0000

Our helpful health care links focus on two hot topics in health care this week– Uber causing a rise in Chicago startup companies and what the cost of obesity really is for our senior population. Both are worth your time. And, as always, if you ever come across a healthcare story that you think merits more attention, please send it our way!

‘Uber for Nurses’: Chicago Startup Sends Healthcare to Your Home

The popularity of Uber is striking a rise in startup companies looking to provide on-demand services to a variety of fields. One such startup is Chicago-based Go2Nurse, an app that provides people in need with a healthcare professional on-demand.

The Extra Cost Of Extra Weight For Older Adults

Obese people are far more likely to become disabled as they age, and researchers say this burgeoning demographic will strain hospitals and nursing homes.

We hope we have helped you SPIN YOUR HEALTHCARE YOUR WAY!

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How do you make the right decision about moving yourself or a loved one into an Assisted Living Facility without being overwhelmed? How do you even begin talking about it? HealthSpin’s “Easy Healthcare: Choosing an Assisted Living Facility” ebook guide gives you all of the practical advice you need to make the right choice.

Available for download, NOW!

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Want To Make Your Loved One’s Room Feel Like Home?

Healthspin — Tue, 03 Mar 2015 14:45:42 +0000

When my dad moved into an assisted living facility, his desk was the one item which helped comfort him during the transition and made his new room feel like home. Despite being far too big for his room, the desk would not accommodate his wheelchair and so it was nearly unusable. But it was the desk at which he had written many sermons and consoled many people as a beloved pastor. So we made this piece of home fit. In this video, you will learn different ways to ease your loved one into an assisted living facility to help make that transition easier on everyone.

We hope we have helped you SPIN YOUR HEALTHCARE YOUR WAY!

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Available for download, NOW!

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Helpful Health Care Links: February 20, 2015

Healthspin — Fri, 20 Feb 2015 14:45:19 +0000

Our helpful health care links focus on two hot topics in health care this week– The federal government cracking down on nursing home report cards and a California hospital exposed to antibiotic resistant ‘superbug’. Both are worth your time. And, as always, if you ever come across a healthcare story that you think merits more attention, please send it our way!

Government To Grade Nursing Homes On Tougher Scale

Starting immediately, the federal government is making it harder for nursing homes to get top grades on a public report card, in part by increasing scrutiny of their use of anti-psychotic drugs and raising the bar on an array of quality measures.

‘Superbug’ Outbreak at California Hospital, More Than 160 Exposed

A potentially deadly “superbug” resistant to antibiotics has infected seven patients, including two who died, and more than 160 others were exposed at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center through contaminated medical instruments.

We hope we have helped you SPIN YOUR HEALTHCARE YOUR WAY!

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Available for download, NOW!

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