GOP Health Care Plan: Is it a Political Trap?

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In this article, we will look at some salient features of the ACA health care plan and whether it will help or hinder the American public.

A Close Look at the GOP Health Care Plan

Obamacare, also known as the Affordable Care Act (ACA), had proposed a joint federal and state Medicaid program. The plan had been put forward to offer insurance coverage to a large number of low-income families who previously did not have the means to buy an insurance plan to cover unexpected medical bills.

In a way, the Obamacare is a socialist program at its core. This is not necessarily a bad thing, however. It is a public health care law that attempts to make health care more affordable for everyone.

Currently states operate the program and pay part of the cost while the rest is paid by the federal government. The new health care program has been consuming lately by right wingers as it has been consuming increasing share of many state budgets.

The Ryan Care

The new GOP proposal that some people are calling Ryan Care does not intend to scrap the Medicaid program introduced by the Obama administration. Instead, the plan intends to replace the payments based on a formula that varies from state to state with a fixed payment.

Federal Savings of $880 Billion

According to a nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) the new GOP health care law if enacted would result in a reduction of about 25 percent or $880 billion in federal spending over the next ten years.

Obviously, this would result in a greater financial burden on some states. Add to this the fact that the proposal intends to end extended coverage of the program by 2020 will leave states to either drop enrollees or the pay a higher amount.

In addition, it would also jack up the premium paid by older individuals. While people under 21 years whose net income is about $26,500 would see a decrease in the premium amount from $1,700 to $1,450, those over the age of 40 would have to pay $2,400 instead of $1,700. The older individuals above 64 years would be hard hit as they would see their premiums go up from $1,700 to $14,600.

Will We Be Buying Less Costly Plans?

Health care experts predict that the older individuals will likely end up purchasing less costly plans with lower coverage. This is because the subsidies offered by the government will be replaced by a flat tax credit that does not take into account the local insurance prices or annual income. This could result in as much as 24 million people to become uninsured.

Conclusion

The GOP health care plan may seem simple and crisp, but in practice, it is incredibly complicated due to the profound effect it will have on the public. The plan is still evolving with lawmakers pressing for reduced impact on the older people. Also, it will take time before the plan has been enacted.

A lot of different party factions, committees, activists, and powerful interest group have yet to agree on the specifics of the plan. In addition, at least eight Democrats would have to be won over as well. So, it will be time before the highly criticized GOP plan will in fact see light at the end of the tunnel.

Important Facts about Guillain-Barré Syndrome

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People who tend to keep up with the news might have come across the report of a 63-year old former mayor of White Bear Lake Minnesota, being hospitalized for a strange disease in January this year. According to the news report, Paul Auger who was in good health suddenly woke up in the middle of the night unable to speak or move. He was paralyzed from the neck down and was immediately admitted to the intensive care unit where he had a tracheotomy to help him breathe.

The former mayor had contracted a little-known neurological disease called Guillain-Barre syndrome. Here we will discuss the disease in a bit more detail that mostly affects senior individuals and strikes without any warning, often with fatal results.

Guillain-Barré syndrome: What is it?

Guillain-Barré is a rare disease that can affect anybody. The disorder occurs because the immune system of the body attacks the peripheral nervous system. Any individual that is afflicted with the disease initially experiences a tingling sensation and weakness in the legs. The sensation then spreads to the upper body and increases in intensity until a time comes when the muscles cannot be used at all.

The severity of the disease range from partial body paralysis to full paralysis as was the case of former Mayor Auger whereby a person cannot breathe thereby requiring surgery. After the surgery, the individual is kept on the ventilator and is closely watched until the condition stabilizes.

After the initial attack of the disease, the symptoms can persist for hours or even weeks. In most cases, the individuals have total recovery, but some continue to experience muscle weakness to one extent or another.

What’s Triggers the Disorder

The causes of Guillain-Barré disorder are not well known at the moment. The condition can develop after surgery. People infected with the Zika virus experience similar symptoms to the Guillain-Barré disorder. The sudden and unexpected onset of the disease makes it particularly devastating. Most often, the recovery is not quick.

At present, there is no known cure for the condition. Therapies can lessen the seriousness of the disorder and can accelerate the recovery process. In addition, certain medical techniques can be used to lessen the complication of the disease.

Plasmapheresis (also known as plasma exchange) and immunoglobulin therapy are two effective techniques that can help lessen the intensity of the disorder.

In plasma exchange, the blood is removed from the body and then re-injected after separating the red and white blood cells. In contrast, immunoglobulin therapy consists of administering intravenous injections of the proteins. Injection of the protein in the body has found to decrease the severity of the immune attack. Both the techniques are generally used in conjunction to help accelerate the recovery process.

Exercise May Help Reduce Risk of Several Cancers

Fit Brunette Woman Running on Treadmill with Music We all know how important exercise is to our health and new research just keeps returning with more proof of its significance.

ABC World News Tonight recently reported that “The National Cancer Institute confirms that moderate exercise, all the way up to intense exercise, lowers the risk of” cancer “in many forms.”

According to US News & World Report, investigators “analyzed data from participants in 12 US and European study groups who self-reported their physical activity between 1987 and 2004.” The researchers “looked at the incidence of 26 kinds of cancer occurring in the study follow-up period, which lasted 11 years on average.” The data indicated that “overall, a higher level of activity was tied to a 7 percent lower risk of developing any type of cancer.”

The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) stated that “exercise is a powerful cancer-preventive.” Investigators found that “physical activity worked to drive down rates of a broad array of cancers even among smokers, former smokers, and the overweight and obese.”

So if you are exercising, keep it up. If you are not, please start. Two of the highly recommended are walking and swimming. Exercising is one of the most natural components towards a healthier lifestyle and a better life!

Paperfuge – Portable and Cheap Device for Diagnosing Anemia

Commercial devices that are used for the diagnosis of anemia are expensive and bulky. Scientists have developed a very low cost (20 cents) and light (2 grams) device known as ‘paperfuge’ that is designed based on the theoretical model of a 5,000 years old ancient toy known as the whirligig.

Whirligig is an ancient pinwheel-like toy whose circular motion is made possible using two twisting strings. The paperfuge is made using the same concept that represents a major breakthrough in the modern scientific world. It can separate the blood quickly similar to some of the commercial centrifuges – medical devices used in diagnosing the anemia.

Apart from diagnosing blood disorders, the device can also prove useful in diagnosing malaria and HIV diseases.

The revolutionary device consists of nothing more than a string, paper, and glue. The simple model of the device allows it to be made at a much less cost as compared to the traditional centrifuges, which costs hundreds to thousands of dollars.

When the device is given the green light by the regulatory authorities, the paperfuge could prove to be an extremely cheap and convenient alternative to the commercial devices.

The traditional centrifuges consist of rapidly spinning machines that can cost up to $6,000. The device is not always within the reach of poor regions of the world. Some of the regions don’t have the electricity to keep the system running.

In the past, scientists had tried different types of human-powered devices including salad spinners and egg beaters. But they did not even come close to the speed of even the low-end centrifuges, which can spin for more than 100,000 revolutions per minute (rpm).

A team led by bioengineer Manu Prakash of the Stanford University of Pao Alto had decided to take a systematic approach to inventing a cheap device that could diagnose anemia in patients. The team examined different spinning toys including yo-yos, tops, and gyroscopic wrist exercises. They then used a high-speed camera to measure the speed. They discovered that the whirligig that twisted the strings into clumped coils was able to achieve the required speed. Over the course of the study, the team had optimized the toy to create a prototype that worked by pulling the sticks that are attached by strings to a paper disk holding tiny tubes of blood. The repeated winding and unwinding of the strings allowed rotational speeds of up to 120,000 rpm. The device successfully reduced the plasma from the blood samples in less than 1.5 minutes.

While the paperfuge has shown promising results during the course of the study, the real test will come during the testing conducted by the regulatory authorities. Once it is approved, the device can greatly help in reducing the medical costs of diagnosing anemia, and a host other blood-related maladies.

Ayurvedic Medicine: Does it Really Help?

Ayurvedic Medicine
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Ayurvedic medicine is an ancient Indian holistic healing system. The technique has evolved over a period of more than 3,000 years. Contrary to what many people believe in the US, Ayurvedic Medicine is not solely in the form of drugs. Instead, it is a whole-body healing program that is based on the belief that the health of an individual depends on the balance between the mind, spirit, and the body.

The word Ayurvedic is derived from Ayurveda that is composed of two Sanskrit words ‘Ayu’ meaning life or health and ‘Veda’ meaning knowledge. So, Ayurveda means knowledge of health.

While the Ayurvedic medicine is widely used in India today, the ancient health practice is known only to a small percentage of the Americans. Due to the same fact, no noteworthy research work has been carried out till date that throws light on the effectiveness of the ancient medical practice.

What we know about Ayurvedic medicine is that it is a holistic approach consisting of special diets, herbal compounds, meditation, massage, and cleansing therapies. The people that practice Ayurvedic medicine claim that it prevents illnesses, treats serious health conditions and contributes to a healthy and long life.

The basic belief behind Ayurvedic medicine is that all illnesses originate due to the imbalances in the mind, spirit, and the body. If these elements are in harmony, you will remain in good health. However, if there is something that disrupts the harmony, you get sick.

The things that are said to disrupt the harmony include injuries, seasonal change, climate, age, and emotions. Moreover, people that practice Ayurveda state that the human body is also affected by external life energies or forces that are known as doshas. The chances of a person getting affected increase when there are imbalances in the doshas.

The doshas are responsible for different body functions such as the way the cells divide, food is digested, and many others. In other words, the doshas is said to also affect the breathing, blood flow, heart health, and the digestive system. The doshas are disrupted if the person stays up too late, overeat, or feel fear, anger, grief, anxiety, or other negative emotions.

Ayurvedic practices help in creating harmony between different vital elements that affect the body. As a result, they are said to bring relief from illnesses including heart problems, asthma, skin disorder, and arthritis.

In the end, you must keep in mind that Ayurvedic medicine consists of different practices and products. The efficacy and safety of the products that include minerals, herbs, and metals have not been proved by scientific studies.

Taking Ayurvedic medication without proper supervision of a trained practitioner can result in harmful effects. The herbal medications have a number of side effects when taken more than the recommended amount. Moreover, some of them can interact with traditional medications resulting in serious adverse effects. So, it’s best to take proper precaution when taking any Ayurvedic medication for treating any disease.

Why is Hand Hygiene So Important in Health Care?

A mother of two children told us that she used to ensure her children washed their hands routinely. Not just when leaving the restroom, but when sitting down to eat, after petting animals, and after a host of other instances that she felt required additional hygiene.

Some thought she was overdoing it to the point that she would be called a germophobe. Although not a derogatory term, it does refer to people who are obsessed with hand cleaning, but she didn’t care. After numerous times of her children processing this cleansing routine, they started to put their hands out for anti-bacterial soap when they would go to a restaurant. The woman advised us that although her children still get colds, she believes they probably would have been sick more often if not for the constant hand washing.

And maybe this mother of two had it right. If you have ever been on a cruise ship, most, if not all of them do obsess about cleanliness, and for good reason. No one wants to fall ill in a place where there is no way out, let alone it will ruin their vacation. Many ships are spotless, with staff constantly cleaning door knobs, stair rails, and other objects that are handled often.

Other organizations follow in her footsteps as well. In many businesses and institutions these days, their policies are to stay home if you feel ill, so as not to infect coworkers and many of these same companies supply antibacterial soap in the lunchrooms, hallways, and by restrooms – definitely a worthwhile endeavor.

But How Do Hospitals Stack Up?

In a CDC study on medical staff and hand washing, it was found that one in 25 hospital patients were subjected to Healthcare Associated Infections (HAIs). Other studies (in the US and worldwide) have also found metrics similar to the CDC study.

Given this, The World Health Organization (WHO) has provided “Five Moments of Hand Hygiene” guidelines that hospital staff members should adhere to when working with patients and also for their own safety. Specifically, the WHO points out times when staff should ensure they have cleansed themselves from bacteria. They stress washing hands prior to touching a patient or aseptic procedures, after exposure to bodily fluids, and after touching a patient and/or the patient’s surroundings.

Although these guidelines are practical and make sense, enforcing them is another story. Enter new technology. General Sensing, a technology company that specializes in using sensor networks to help increase the quality of care in hospitals has developed sensor devices that can monitor hygiene among hospital staff. In addition, it will subsequently ensure compliance with WHO guidelines.

Called Medsense, it is a series of beacons that monitor when and how a staff employee washes their hands and transmits data to a central station for review by both the hospital administrator as well as the staff member. The employee wears a badge that contains a chip to monitor their hygiene.

According to a 2014 study in the Journal of Infection and Public Health showed that the WHO guidelines were followed 25% more in one month when healthcare employees utilized the MedSense network than those that didn’t.

Some employees may have abstentions from wearing the badge; however, it is part of the technological progress towards better health care and this will surely take priority as it is a known fact that employees perform better when they know they are being observed. A phenomenon known as the Hawthorne Effect.

With the advent of 21st-century techniques and technology, expect to see an accelerated advancement in the quality of care for patients and employees in the medical field.

In addition, washing your hands frequently whether in or out of the workplace will help you to avoid illnesses that you may acquire personally. So, it doesn’t hurt to maybe have a little germophobe in you after all.

A Close Look at the 21st Century Cures Act of 2016

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Barack Obama signed into law the 21st Century Cures Act last year on December the 13th. This act contains major provisions of the Mental Health Reform Act of 2016, the Senate Mental Health Compromise Bill, and the Helping Families in Mental Crises Act of 2016.

The 21st Century Cures Act intends to fix a number of components of mental health system in the US, as well as research in medical advancements for the future of healthcare in the 21st Century Cures Act. Consideration is already underway for reviewing ways that telehealh can be integrated into the Medicare system. In this article, we will highlight some of the major changes that were brought about by the mental health law signed by the outgoing president.

Highlights of the 21st Century Cures Act

The latest Cures Act has created new posts of Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use and Chief Medical Officer. The posts were created to increase the influence of federal authority and strengthen the mental health leadership in the US.

In addition, the Act authorized the establishment of a committee consisting of 23 individuals that will provide a summary of medical advancements in the treatment, prevention, and diagnosis of mental health disorders.

A major provision of the Cures Act is the compliance requirements for mental health insurers to make sure that they don’t limit people’s access to latest treatments for mental health disorders. The new law will discourage insurers to pay low rates to mental health care professionals due to which they don’t take certain kinds of health insurance.

The Cures Act also mandates states in the US to allocate at least 10 percent of the annual grants for funding of early intervention programs. The programs provide a team of specialized mental health professionals that offer education, medication, psychotherapy, and support for the families of the suffering patients. Also, the program intends to make mental health sufferers stay in the job for a longer time and become more involved in their communal activities as compared to those receiving standard health care. New grants will also be provided for assertive community treatment (ACT) programs that can help people suffering from mental health problems to live independently without any government support.

Previously, people that were covered by Medicaid were not allowed to see a mental health care professional and a primary health care physician on the same day. The glitch was caused due to the ways in which the bill was written. This resulted in inconvenience to the patients in that they had to schedule the services on different days despite both the health care professionals located in the same building. The new law has fixed the glitch allowing patients to see multiple health care professionals on the same day.

Final Remarks

The 21st Century Cures Act that was authorized by Barack Obama has made a number of changes. The changes will greatly help in fixing a number of small issues in the national mental health system. However, the Act does not do much to reduce the bridge between mental and physical health care that is provided by primary care physicians.

The bill also does not contain any provisions for millions of poor Americans that receive the treatment through outpatient care. In contrast, the focus of the bill is on resolving issues of a specific group of people with certain issues such as those that are incarcerated, homeless, or show suicidal behavior or psychosis. In short, the Act is another band-aid that seems to alleviate immediate issues without addressing major problems in the national mental health system.

The Real Skills You Should Be Looking For In a Nurse

While there are a plethora of nurses that schools churn out every year, it is still difficult to sift through them and find the one suitable for your needs. Whether you are part of the management of a nursing home looking for skilled nurses or an individual in search of a nurse for home care, there are certain sought-out skills that make a nurse good at her job.

If you find a nurse who possesses the following skills, hire him or her on the spot:

Good with People:

A nurse’s job involves communicating daily and constantly and most of the times, the person on the other end is a patient or the concerned friend/family member of the patient. Other communication needs involve communicating with hospital staff, superiors, and doctors. All these job requirements ask the nurse to be very good at communication. Any kind of miscommunication or rude behavior will not be unacceptable, but will also affect the emotional state of patients and their concerned ones. Good nurses will always be polite, direct and empathetic, regardless of the number of hours they have been on duty or how bad their day was.

Intellect and Insight:

All nurses will know about the medical procedures and actions to be taken in different situations. They all are trained after all. Despite complete training and certifications, only a few nurses actually have the brains and insight to act at the moment, especially when dealing with emergency situations. A nurse should also be able to stay calm and collected in most cases of duress. A smart nurse will also be able to improvise and come up with new and smarter ways to make living comfortable for the patients.

Work Ethics and Consistency:

This involves almost everything. From dressing to performing their jobs, from daily presence to being reliable, a good nurse must have the ability to perform the job by work following work codes and ethics. Showing up on time and doing right by everyone should be their method of operation.

Passion:

Caring for the old and sick is a job that not only requires knowledge, skills, and professionalism; a job like this also asks for a passion for human lives and compassion for other people’s pain. Only a nurse who takes their job as a passion will actually be able to make a difference in someone’s life. Patients do not require a grumpy and ill-tempered nurse to take care of them, no matter how good she is at her job. Only passion for this job could help a nurse save numbers of lives daily.

Stamina:

Nursing is not an easy job. It demands 24 hours of physical exertion, emotional stress, and mental duress. A nurse should be physically and emotionally fit, with a healthy lifestyle and proper eating habits. The nursing job requires energy and alertness at all times; so, a nurse must have the lasting stamina to stay true to her job.

Aside from the certificates and educational backing, a good nurse should have all the above-mentioned skills to be exceptional at her job.

Two Centuries Later, Cholera Still Haunts Us

What was thought to be a disease in the early 19th century caused by bad air was later on discovered to be a disease that was caused by a bacterium strand known as Vibrio Cholera. In 1854, physician Dr. John Snow discovered the microbial link to cholera and that the diseases came from consuming contaminated drinking water. It has been two centuries since cholera epidemic was fought off but the deadly illness still haunts us.

Today, about 1.3 to 4 million people fall victim to this disease and out of them 21,000 to 143,000 people die. It is an acute diarrhoeal condition that requires immediate treatment and results in fatal end within hours if the victim is not provided with any immediate medical aid.

Symptoms

The victims may show no or very mild symptoms. It is in very rare cases that the infected person shows any severe symptoms. Only one in ten persons would have a severe condition which is characterized by profuse watery diarrhea, vomiting, and cramped legs. In such cases, the victim loses fluids very rapidly and it results in extreme dehydration and a state of shock. Treatment is required on spot and in its earliest stage, it can be cured using intravenous fluids and antibiotics. Mild symptoms can be successfully cured using oral rehydration solution.

Areas of High Risk

Areas and regions where water and sanitation facilities are mediocre, they are at the risk of facing cholera epidemic. For instance, in many parts of Africa, cholera epidemic has been going on for years now. This is mainly owed to inadequate sanitation facilities and poor water treatment.

People Who Are At The Risk Of Severe Cholera

Scientific research studies conducted at Massachusetts General Hospital, Broad Institute of MIT, and researchers at Harvard University have reported in their findings published in Science Translational Medicine that who have blood type O are at higher risk of developing severe cholera disease.

Most recently, United Nations has called for the world to support their two-track plan for Haiti to fight against the ill-fated disease. The plan was launched by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. Stage one of the plan would be focused on the main problem of poor water facilitation and sanitation, and stage two would be centered on victims, their families, and communities.

Most Recent Cholera Outbreak

Haiti has been dealing with the most recent cholera outbreak since October 2010. It was soon after the region was struck by a devastating earthquake. The epidemic has affected as many as 788,000 people and claimed the lives of an estimated 9,000 people. Rigorous efforts have been made by UN which have paid off really well and there has been a reported 90% reduction in the suspected affected areas.

Nevertheless, much more needs to be done. World Health Organization suggests providing safe oral cholera vaccines as well as a provision of safe drinking water and improved sanitation system in order to prevent and control the outbreaks. This is particularly eminent for areas that are at high risk of facing an epidemic.

Is Daylight Saving Time Bad for Your Health?

Daylight Saving Time (DST) had raised controversy ever since it was implemented about a century ago in the western world. The practice of moving one hour ahead and back during the summer and winter months, respectively, was first implemented during the WW I by Germany to reduce the consumption of electricity.

However, a number of studies point out that not only DST does not help conserve electricity, but it also increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases. In this article, we will find out what research studies say about the effect of DST on health.

Man reaching for clock
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The Effect of DST on Health

Research is mounting about the bad effect of DST on health. A number of recent studies published in reputable journals claim that the habit of moving one hour forward and backward has a negative effect on the sleep-wake-cycle, which is also known as the circadian rhythm.

A study that was presented at the Annual Scientific Session of the American College of Cardiology claimed that the incidence of the heart attacks increased on the day following the DST. The researchers found that there was about 25 percent increase in the incidence of a heart attack on the Monday following the DST as compared to other Mondays.

The researchers made the conclusion after examining 42,000 patient admissions in different hospitals in Michigan. They found that 32 heart attacks occurred on average during any particular Monday. However, this figure rose to an average of 40 heart attacks the Monday after the hours are moved by one hour each year.

A similar conclusion was drawn by a number of other research studies. For instance, a study published in the American Journal of Cardiology in 2013 found that the rate of heart attack increased the Sunday after the time was shifted by an hour.

Another study published in 2012 by researchers at the University of Alabama found that the rates of heart attacks increased by about 10 percent on the Monday and Tuesday after the change to DST.

Finally, a Swedish study published in 2018 found that the chances of a heart attack increased in the first three days after the shift to DST. The study found that the incidence of heart attacks increased by 10 percent on the first Tuesday and five percent on the first Monday after the change to DST.

How to Offset the Harmful Effects in Circadian Rhythm of DST?

Experts recommend that individuals can counteract the harmful effects of DST by taking a few simple measures. Individuals are advised to go to bed about half an hour earlier on Friday night that comes before Sunday when the clock is moved one hour forward. In this way, the individual can undergo a natural transition to the time adjustment and avoid negative effects on the health.