Helpful Health Care Links: December 19, 2014

Thumbs Up!Our helpful health care links focus on a variety of topics this week — the 5 most affordable cities for assisted living and the affects of high medical costs on Americans. We also include a story from Spectrum Health touching on many American parents who feel their teen and young adult children are unable to manage their own health care. All 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!

How the High Cost of Medical Care Is Affecting Americans

The New York Times/CBS News poll found that affording medical care is a hardship for more Americans than a year ago.

The 5 Most Affordable Cities For Assisted Living

Looking for assisted-living facilities for yourself or a loved one? If so, you should probably start by examining a map and your portfolio: Due to a variety of factors, the spot you choose on the former will have a huge impact on the latter.

Report: US Unprepared For Disease Outbreaks Despite Billions Spent

Major gaps exist in the country’s capacity to handle public health crises like Ebola despite massive government spending over the last decade, according to a new report.

Few Parents Think 18-Year-Olds Can Handle Their Health Care

Many American parents don’t think their teen and young adult children are able to manage their own health care.

Managed Care Plans Make Progress In Erasing Racial Disparities

Years of efforts to reduce the racial disparities in health care have so far failed to eliminate them. But progress is being made in the western United States, due largely to efforts by managed care plans to identify patients who were missing out on management of chronic diseases like diabetes and heart disease.

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All of this information and more will be explained in MyHealthSpin’s soon-to-be-released book, Easy Healthcare:  Choose Your Health Insurance.  For more information,  go to myhealthspin.com.

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Medical Life List: Part 2 VIDEO

We’ve talked about your Medical Life List and how that is a very important piece of all your medical healthcare information. You want to make sure you have that list with you at all times. You might also want to have a list for other members of your family or if you are caring for another person, like a senior. In this video, Lori-Ann talks about the reasons why we want to keep this information with us at all time.

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Although we’d all like to avoid it, it’s likely that most of us will at some point be admitted to the hospital. Whether you are staying in a hospital for a happy event, such as the birth of a child, or are being admitted due to an emergency or serious illness, you should understand how a hospital works. MyHealthSpin’s Easy Healthcare: Your Hospital Stay reveals the easy and practical answers that only an insider knows.

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Available for download NOW!

Helpful Health Care Links: December 4, 2014

Flu season ahead signOur helpful health care links focus on many topics dealing with both personal health and the government — the effectiveness of this year’s flu shot and the status of ObamaCare enrollment after the second week. We also include a story from the Miami Herald touching on the court rejection of Florida Governor Rick Scott’s drug testing for welfare applicants. All 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!

CDC: Flu Shot Less Effective This Year Because Current Virus Has Mutated

Scientists are concerned about what they’re seeing so far this flu season. The CDC agency advised doctors that this year’s flu vaccine is not as effective because the current strain of the virus has mutated.

Scientists Find Why Male Smokers May Run Even Higher Health Risks

Male smokers are three times more likely than non-smoking men to lose their Y chromosomes, according to research which may explain why men develop and die from many cancers at disproportionate rates compared to women.

Running Linked to Lower Alzheimer’s Death Risk

Running more than 15 miles a week may reduce the risk of dying from Alzheimer’s disease, new research suggests.

Court Rejects Florida Gov. Rick Scott’s Drug Testing of Welfare Applicants

A federal appeals court on Wednesday dealt another blow to Gov. Rick Scott’s crusade to conduct drug tests on welfare applicants when it upheld a lower court ruling that the practice was unconstitutional.

ObamaCare Enrollment at 765K After Week 2

About 765,000 people have chosen a private health plan on the federal ObamaCare marketplace since year-two enrollment began on November 15.

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Although we’d all like to avoid it, it’s likely that most of us will at some point be admitted to the hospital. Whether you are staying in a hospital for a happy event, such as the birth of a child, or are being admitted due to an emergency or serious illness, you should understand how a hospital works. MyHealthSpin’s Easy Healthcare: Your Hospital Stay reveals the easy and practical answers that only an insider knows.

HS_Your Hospital Stay_300

Available for download NOW!