Stem Cell Research….Why the debate? November 13, 2006

I first remember really hearing about Stem Cell research when Christopher Reeve and his wife Dana campaigned for more funding and awareness. I was amazed by the possibilities this research could bring and the suffering it could possibly eliminate.

I am a nurse and I am also a Lupus patient. For me, this is personal. I need to understand this research. I am a caregiver and one day I may need care for my illness or need to care for a loved one who is sick, care and treatment that right now hasn’t even been made possible.

I have heard the arguments and done the research. I believe in making an informed decision. I am not going to say where I stand the issues debated, I don’t think it matters. What matters is that people are given the needed information to make their own decisions and be at peace with their choice’s. Sooner or later we will all deal with sickness in one way or another and knowing our options or our loved ones options, can life saving.

Check out the NIH  site to find out more.

New HIV Patients Expected to Live 24 Years November 11, 2006

According to a recent study, an American diagnosed with HIV today can (on average) live 24 years. That is a significant increase over studies in the 1990’s that only offered HIV patients an average 10 year life expectancy.

Why the change? Since 1993 major advances have been made in antiretroviral medications used to treat HIV. Plus, there is more research and education offered to physicians, which helps them in treating the disease. While HIV was once considered a guaranteed death, it is now changing over to a chronic disease.

What is the cost of living that long with a disease like HIV? On average it costs $25,000 per year to treat HIV, so the total cost over 25 years would equal over $600,000. These estimates, however, are based on HIV patients getting the best possible medication from experienced HIV doctors, which does not always happen. Therefore, the estimates may be slightly inflated.

Shop Around and Save November 10, 2006

Many people know to shop around to save money on most things in life. Yet when it comes to health care and insurance, a lot of people don’t realize the importance of shopping around. According to The Merced Sun-Star the average knee replacement surgery is $73,000. Since most people are choosing 70/30 plans to save money on health insurance, that can mean an out-of-pocket expense of over $20,000.

Choosing insurance can be critical to the care you can afford. Some people only choose a catastrophic care insurance, and others end up choosing treatment that is not covered by their health insurance. Unexpected bills can be disasterous to your finances. So, shopping around for insurance is of the utmost importance.

Still, shopping around for insurance is not the only thing you can do to keep your medical costs down. You can also shop around for care. You have a right to ask your doctor or hospital how much procedures will cost. If you have flexible insurance, you may be able to get the care you need somewhere that costs less.

Also, if you ask your hospital about costs, they may also be able to help you find health programs that can assist in the financial burden of procedures or care. Many hospitals have charity or payment assistance programs, and there are also private organizations that specializing in helping patients receive financial assistance. Discuss your options with your hospital and insurance patient advocate.

Shopping around can be key to not only finding health insurance that saves you from large hospital bills, but so can shopping for medical care and assistance. While there may

What’s Coming in Medical Treatment… November 6, 2006

I was searching the blogosphere today and came upon a blog that discusses “new and promising breakthroughs” in medical treatment. The Medical Journals’ most recent articles is about new spinal injury treatments that can help patients regain some movements. There are also articles about new cosmetic surgery and genetic breakthroughs that could revolutionize health care. The thing I like the most about this site is that it puts everything in laymen’s terms so that anyone can understand. Also, the author gives an expected date for these treatments to hit the mainstream. This is definitely a site I will return to time and time again to get updates on potential breakthroughs in medical treatments.