Patient Healthcare Consumers Shop Around

Today's patient healthcare consumer are more savvy and empowered than ever.  When it comes to selection of health services, they know what works best for them. Trying to afford this can be a challenge.  Healthcare shopping is limited to what health providers offer.  This leaves little room for healthcare consumers to choose what is best for them at reasonable, low, competitive prices.  Now that prices for every health service and treatment are the highest ever, the patient is expected to pay these exorbitant expenses.  Health insurance premiums have risen so high so quickly that  it has outpaced people's income which has failed to rise so high so quickly.  The choices for this type of health product are so limited in this age of company mergers which will make the choices even less.  In addition, employers who provide health insurance are requiring the employees to pay more out of their own pocket.


Shopping for medication can be quite costly as well.  The brand name versus generic medication battle is expensive as constant differences erupt over who gets to have what rights.  The healthcare consumer tries to buy what they need for sure.  If they can, they buy less needed medication and use it as needed - sparingly.  Medication that cost the most whether non-prescription or prescription are usually the first to go.  Cheaper alternatives are found as patients learn more about what good health and well-being  can be with lifestyle changes and less medication.  Food, housing, transportation, school come first in most households.  Again, health needs drop further down the list as the budget limit is approached.


For individual health care to work, the health care consumer must have more choices.  The health industry has few choices at big prices.  Unlike any other industry the consumer is unable to procure what they know they need on their own.  A doctor's order or health insurance prior authorization is required to obtain necessary tests from certain providers.  Patient healthcare consumers should be able to shop around for what is best for them - best test at best price conveniently close to their home.  Diagnostic centers are now more plentiful than ever.  You can make your own appointment at where you want to get the test; however permission from a doctor in the form of a referral or prescription is usually required.  Of course, this can delay necessary care.


Similar restrictions are seen in the doctors' offices and hospitals.  The power to purchase and make the decision for your health purchase is anyone but you - the patient!  There are few choices such as the variety available when choosing a car or an ice cream flavor.  As medical reimbursements to health providers are lowered, so will be the choices the healthcare consumer.  Patients are paying more out of their pockets for things not covered by insurance at an alarming rate - more than any time since tracking health care expenditures began!  As more medical decision making and payment is shifted to the patient, more choices are evolving.  For instance, direct primary care is giving patients the opportunity to have a direct agreement with the health care provider of their choice for medical services rendered.  This allows patient healthcare consumers (pun intended) to look for what is best for them.

As more choice and less restrictions occur, patients will have more choices as they should.  You can empower your health with less stress and frustration as a smart healthcare consumer.  Shop around until you find the health services that fit your needs and budget.   Best health!

Preventive Guidelines: Do Lower Medical Numbers Make Chronic Disease More Likely?

Hypertension has new numbers that are lower for normal.  To be considered normotensive your blood pressure numbers should be lower than 120/80 versus the former normal blood pressure below 140/90.  This is the new recommendation from the cardiology experts.  This may be shown to cause less morbidity and mortality, but it may cause more people to be considered hypertensive.  If your reading on three doctor visits is over 120/80, you will be considered a patient with hypertension.

This is just one of the many medical measurements or blood tests where the WNL (within normal limits) has been lowered.  Cholesterol was at one time considered normal at 300.  The normal now is under 180.  New tests can have the same effect.  The BUN and creatinine were once the basic kidney function tests.  Now the GFR is added to these.  Your BUN and creatinine can be normal while your GFR suggests kidney disease based on your sex and your ethnicity. 

Do lower medical measurements and numbers really mean that more patients will have some chronic disease sooner? Or does it mean lower numbers mean better health with less morbidity and mortality?    Good health care will help keep you and your numbers healthier.  Keeping a lifestyle of healthy food, exercise, good sleep, and minimal stress are important health care routines for better health.  These can be integrated with complementary medicine and medication treatments if necessary. 
You should know the measurements and numbers of all your health tests.  This helps you attain better understanding and control of the unhealthy abnormal.  Lower numbers can mean less chronic disease if you know what you have and how to keep it from becoming chronic disease.  Best health!
  

Blood Pressure Home Checks

Do you know your average blood pressure reading? Do you know a normal blood pressure should be? High blood pressure, also called hypertension affects 1 in 3 adults worldwide.  It affects more people than any disease in the world. Untreated hypertension leads to unhealthy feelings and symptoms.  It causes heart disease, strokes, kidney failure, blindness, poor circulation, and more. 

A normal reading is 120/80 with borderline at 130/85 to 140/90.  For more accurate measures of your blood pressure and what affects it, you should do home blood pressure monitoring. Buy a blood pressure monitor for home use. Wrist and arm monitors are available in many stores on and off line. Record your blood pressure readings daily starting with morning, midday, and night. Make a note of your activity and how you are feeling. You may notice that extreme anxiety makes it go up. The correlation to your pressure will help you manage the things that make it go up. Share your results with your doctor so medication and lifestyle changes can be made if necessary.

You may find that while your blood pressure is high in the doctor's office, it may be normal in everyday activity. Remember, the doctor's result is a one time reading every one to four or more months. With normal home results, and high results at your doctor visits you may have "white coat" hypertension. There is much controversy over whether this should be treated. Check with your primary care doctor and cardiologist.

If your blood pressure is borderline at 130/85, you want o start a low salt, low fat diet. One of the best is the DASH diet. Integrating healthy food. exercise, weight control, and stress reduction in your treatment plan improves the way you feel and controls blood pressure. For higher blood pressure readings over 140/90, medication may be necessary. Be sure to take your home blood pressure results in to your doctor. This will help in deciding on the best treatment for you. Best health!

White Coat Hypertension: Is It Really High Blood Pressure?  http://bit.ly/1cGaeMj

Healthy Life Lines: Simple Tips to Improve Your Health

Live healthy.  Live Simply.  “Healthy Life Lines: Simple Tips to Improve Your Health” is a new book that helps you attain good health and keep it stable. http://amzn.to/2nLf1u0  This short book consists of one line health tips that promote wellness and good health.  These tips will encourage you to live a lifestyle of good health.  “Healthy Life Lines: Simple Tips to Improve Your Health” is only available on Kindle.

Healthy life lines include;

·       Be literate in health.

·       Focus on prevention to avoid intervention.

·       Constantly do things to improve your health

·       Embrace healthy routines.

·       Limit and avoid multitasking.

·       Find funny and laugh daily.

·       Keep a health diary.

·       Know your family medical history.

Best health!

More Money Saving Medical Tips

Save Your Money on Your Health

Saving money is healthy and good way to promote good health and wellness. Health prices are escalating more rapidly than prices of other services right now.  There are some things you can do to help avert financial stress. This can include:

·       Shop around for best care and prices.  Your insurance company may cover a diagnostic test with partial payment. This may be higher than the actual charge if you pay yourself.  Call places in your area that offer the same test to check for prices that are cheaper and fit your budget.  If your health insurance deductible is a hefty $6,000 or more, this may fail to be attained.  Paying out of pocket may come out less expensive than $6,000.

·       Cook at home.  Home cooked meals are healthier and cheaper.  You can get more meals from unprepared and uncooked grocery items.  The average cost of one restaurant meal without drinks is about $30.  The grocery equivalent would be two or more good, healthy meals cooked to your taste and perfection.

·       Use cheaper non-prescription medication.  There are many over the counter medication that can do the same as more expensive, newer drugs.  Many of these were prescription medication at one time.  They may be safer as well since they have been in use for a longer time, and been proven effective.

·       Exercise at home.  Create your own exercise plan.  Use exercises you learned in school physical education classes.  Simple stretching, arm rolls, jumping jacks, deep knee bends, sit-ups, and more.  Walking and running on land or in the pool are good aerobic activities.  Exercise can also be done in bed and in a chair.

·       Read more.  The cost to read is better health, more knowledge, and more information of your choice.  The actual cost of reading material can be as free as you make it using the library and Internet.

·       Develop a home entertainment program.  Your choices of your interests have proven to be healthier.  There is less stress over programs and their content.  If it must include television, make your own library with your preferred DVDs and TV sticks that attach to the television.  This works on your schedule. It is free of thoughtless commercial time, unpleasant images, and loud opinions that take away from a program’s content.  Cutting the cable cord can be healthy and good for wellness as well as a big money saver.

·       Take more staycation.  Vacations at home and nearer to home can be much healthier, cheaper, and less stressful.

·       Try to buy mainly that which is necessary leaving the desired for another time when extra money is available.  Reward yourself every now and then, but stay within your means.

·       Save consistently.

For more ways to save money check out “10 Money Saving Medical Tips” http://bit.ly/1Gt4f8I .  Best health!