Posted on April 19, 2012 by Steve
The following is a guest post from Bud Hebeler
The Apr. 23/30, 2012 Newsweek has an article by Shannon Brownlee starting on page 46 about the little amount of time doctors can now spend with their patients. The average doctor has 2,300 patients. The average doctor spends 23 seconds listening to your problem before he/she interrupts and has less than 15 minutes to review test data, see the patient, write a prescription and update the records after the visit. In a test of 300 patient visits, the doctors spend only “1.3 minutes conveying crucial information about the patient’s condition and treatment, and most of the information they provided was far too technical for the average patient to grasp.” If a doctor had 2,000 patients, less than average, he/she “would have to spend more than 17 hours a day providing the recommended care.”
It’s going to get worse. Our population is aging quickly–and it’s the aged that use most of the medical care. The mandated reduction in Medicare payments to doctors is going to exacerbate the declining number of general practice physicians as will the ever diminishing number of medical school graduates in general practice who know they will be unable to pay several hundred thousand dollars of college loans on $150k a year. It doesn’t take a genius to know what’s going to happen when the number of patients increases and the number of primary doctors decreases. Costs will grow, ques will get longer, care quality will decline and emergency room use will expand greatly. Already, patients who are on Medicare know how difficult it is to find doctors who will take Medicare patients.
This morning’s newscasts said that the expiration of drug patents has reduced the production of key drugs for anesthesiology, cancer, heart disease and other illnesses. Most prescription drugs are imported and supplies are now so low that doctors must find alternatives–and the alternatives don’t seem as good or are slow in coming.
Welcome to our forthcoming medical care.
Bud
Content and tools regarding Medicare Supplemental insurance and a Medicare Supplemental insurance marketplace.
Posted on March 5, 2012 by Steve
Americans are gaining 1.1 years of life expectancy every five years -
This article does a good job of summarizing the costs faced by people and our society as we continue to extend life expectancies.
Today there are approximately 53,000 Americans who are age 100 or older, compared with just 2,300 in 1950.
Posted on March 1, 2012 by Steve
The NYT ran this article on the importance of keeping moving – it’s worth reading. They forced a control group to remain sedentary and then watched the impact to glucose levels and a number of other metrics related to a person’s health.
Posted on January 19, 2012 by Erin
Recently, the U.S. Government set a very ambitious goal of finding a way to treat Alzheimer’s by the year 2025. This is huge considering that over 5 million Americans suffer from the disease. How does the government plan on crushing Alzheimer’s? They’re calling for a blueprint of sorts on how to fight the disease. Unfortunately, there has been no new money allocated to the cause, so many are left wondering just how exactly the research that needs to be done in order to fight the disease is going to be paid for. Some say that the deadline is setting us up for failure but others don’t believe it to be aggressive enough. Something that everyone can agree on is that a cure for Alzheimer’s is greatly needed and it will be a wonderful day when a cure is discovered.
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Posted on January 11, 2012 by Erin
Enjoying this test may depend on whether you’re a cup half full or empty person, but recently, researchers at the University of California, San Francisco have come up with an assessment that determines when you have a good chance of dying. A little scary, but doctors are admitting that it’s a pretty good tool for them to use when determining the types of tests or medicines they use for elderly patients, or when a doctor is determining if a patient is ready for hospice care. Medicare requires that patients enter hospice when they have 6 months or less to live but with the way it is today, many patients enter when they have precious few days left to live.
The tool uses a formula that involves age and health conditions among others. Here is a link to take you to an interactive version of the tool. It is important to note that this tool is not something to self-diagnose yourself with. It is to be used by doctors and in no way should you alter your lifestyle without first speaking to your doctor. But it can be an interesting tool that can be used to better inform yourself about your health.
Does your test show you living forever? Is your retirement plan strong enough to support that?! Use our retirement calculator to see just how long your money will last you.
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Posted on January 6, 2012 by Erin
Yesterday we talked about the trend of parents moving in with their adult children. This trend will likely continue for some time and in many cases, the parent being home may create some extra work for the adult children. Many times if the parent needs medical care, the adult child is forced to take time away from work or cut back drastically on hours in order to care for their parent. This is why it’s important to point out that in some cases, the caretaker may be able to receive compensation.
Recently, AARP highlighted some different ways that children can receive financial compensation for the care of their parents. Much of it has to do with programs that are offered through the use of a Medicaid waiver. Of course, Medicaid is not the most cash rich program currently, so the hoops that need to be jumped through may be quite large. Another suggestion is to check the parent’s long-term care insurance policy, if they have it. Some policies allow for a cash benefit for the use of in-home assistance. And of course don’t forget – especially with tax time right around the corner – any deductible expenses the caregiver may have incurred to accommodate their parents needs. Wheelchair ramps, safety bars or even the gas used to drive the parent’s to their doctors appointments may be deductible.
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Posted on December 30, 2011 by Erin
It’s that time of year again – Time to make those New Year’s Resolutions! This year while you’re thinking about all the ways to improve yourself or your life in 2012, don’t forget to add improving your retirement plan to that list!
What do you plan on achieving this coming year to help strengthen your retirement? Are you going to invest more money into your IRAs of 401(k)s? Are you going to purchase a lifetime annuity to guarantee income later in life? Or are you going to look into Long Term Care Insurance to make sure you are covered in case of unexpected medical costs? There are many small adjustments that you can do to increase the health of your retirement plan. You can use our retirement calculator to see what a small adjustment can do for you and how far your money will stretch. We’ll be here in the New Year to continue to help with all of your retirement planning needs – Have a Happy New Year and see you in 2012!
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Posted on December 29, 2011 by Erin
Now that the holidays are almost over and the temptations of junk food aren’t so close as they have been, it’s time to start eating right again. And in case you need any motivation other than looking and feeling better, this may help you out – seniors who eat foods with higher levels of omega 3 fatty acids and certain vitamins score better on cognitive tests!
The test, which was published in the journal of the American Academy of Neurology, showed positive effects in the brain after consuming vitamins B, C, D and E and fish oils. On the other side of the spectrum, the brain showed that it did not like trans-fats. When greasy food containing trans fats were ingested, the brain did not perform as well on tests. So essentially, this study is showing us that we have the power to keep our brains sharp simply by choosing better options in our diets. Sounds like the perfect time to make that New Year’s Resolution!
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Posted on December 22, 2011 by Erin
No more excuses! Recently, the Guinness Book of World Records crowned their newest, oldest yoga teacher. This may make you feel bad, but Bernice Bates is an astounding 91 years old. She began teaching yoga 50 years ago and has continued ever since.
According to John Muir Health, one in three adults falls and injures themselves every year. The older you are when you take a slip, the more life threatening the injury can be and the more expensive it can be to take care of. Yoga is a wonderful way for seniors to protect themselves by loosening up their muscles, bettering their balance and helping to maintain bone density. In a 2005 study by the National Institute on Aging, it was found that yoga can help increase hip extension and stride length in seniors. Yoga also benefits the mind just as much as the body. As Bernice said, “It gives you a good outlook. It involves your mind … We build energy in our body, we don’t take it out.” (You can read the full article, here). If you’re physically capable and your doctor gives you the go ahead, try some yoga! It’s a wonderful exercise that can help you physically and mentally.
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Posted on December 19, 2011 by Erin
Recently, researchers from the Baylor College of Medicine discovered something that could change the game when it comes to treating Alzheimer’s.
It was found that mice produce a gene called PKR, just like humans do. PKR is triggered once Alzheimer’s begins, but a new gene that blocks the PKR in mice has shown that it can not only reverse the Alzheimer’s but it can also create a state of “super memory.” Since mice and humans have similar brains, researchers are optimistic that the effects being seen in the mice would be the same in humans. A “brain pill” may be in the future for those suffering from degenerative brain diseases and could help change the lives of many many people around the world.
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