Category Archives: Health and Medical
Life Expectancy Is Up, and Health Inequality Is Down
We have heard a great deal about increases in mortality among white, non-Hispanic, middle-aged Americans (especially women), but to state the case is also to note that this is one group among many. In an excellent new paper, Currie and Schwandt discuss the good news — overall life expectancy is up, and health inequality is down, in some cases dramatically. Here, for […]
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How to Boost Drug Company Profits without Hurting Poor Americans
Drug companies, like all for-profit companies, are all about profits. Their basic job is to take investors’ money and use it to get more money. Unfortunately, one major source of those bucks is Washington, DC — and government money always comes with strings attached. Companies that rely on government have two goals: maximize the cash flowing in and minimize the […]
Read moreObamacare To Unveil “Price Shock” One Week Before The Elections
The writing was on the wall long before the largest US insurer, UnitedHealth, decided to pull the plug on Obamacare in mid April. Then, just a week later, Aetna’s CEO said Thursday that his company expects to break even, but legislative fixes are needed to make the marketplace sustainable. “I think a lot of insurance carriers expected red ink, but […]
Read moreUnitedHealthcare Is the Canary in the Obamacare Coal Mine
With Congress limiting the bailouts of insurance companies for two years in a row, business is not looking good for the industry that lobbied for Obamacare. The latest casualty is UnitedHealthcare, which announced that it is withdrawing from most of its 34 Obamacare exchanges next year. Share This ArticleFacebookTwitterPinterestLinkedinemail
Read moreSkim Milk and the Trouble with Making Scientific Hypotheses into National Laws
A new study, published in the journal Circulation, adds to growing doubts about the benefits of skim or low-fat milk, NPR reports this morning: Share This ArticleFacebookTwitterPinterestLinkedinemail
Read moreWhy Obamacare Is Failing at “Universal Coverage”
The ACA has stimulated dramatic changes to America’s individual health-insurance market. It has placed more restrictions on insurance pricing (i.e., charging individuals different premiums depending on their health and age), and it has mandated benefit increases for insurance plans. Such changes have caused premiums on the ACA exchanges to soar by 49 percent, on average; younger, healthier adults have seen […]
Read moreCellulitis and You
Summer time is full of fun in the sun but it is also a time of skinned knees and bug bites! Most people are careful with their care of cuts and scrapes but even with good care sometimes an infection can occur. Share This ArticleFacebookTwitterPinterestLinkedinemail
Read moreTop 5 Health Risks At Nail Salons
Imagine you’re unwinding from the day in your nail salon’s massage chair getting a pedicure. You’re in relaxation mode with your back being rubbed and feet being pampered, then–ouch! The nail technician accidentally nicked the skin near your toenail. The pain is only temporary, so you continue sticking your feet in and out of the water as directed and don’t […]
Read moreMental Fitness Just As Important As Physical When It Comes To Healthy Aging
If it’s ever been difficult to think while exercising, a new Texas A&M Health Science Center School of Public Health study may point to the reason why. Share This ArticleFacebookTwitterPinterestLinkedinemail
Read moreYou Asked: Is It OK to ‘Tough Out’ A Yeast Infection?
Itching, burning, redness—a yeast infection can be a total pain. While they aren’t life-threatening, yeast infections are irritating—both physically and mentally. So, when undesirable symptoms appear ‘down there,’ should you consult your physician or self diagnose and treat with over-the-counter (OTC) medications? Share This ArticleFacebookTwitterPinterestLinkedinemail
Read moreYou Asked: Does Cranberry Juice Treat A UTI?
A urinary tract infection (UTI) can be an unwelcome visitor—leaving you with the urge to sprint for the bathroom every few minutes. You may have heard that drinking a large glass of cranberry juice can effectively ‘treat’ a bladder infection, but is this remedy more fact or fiction? Share This ArticleFacebookTwitterPinterestLinkedinemail
Read more7 Reasons to Hit the Gym in the AM
For a rare few, mornings are the best time of the day. The birds are chirping, the sun is rising, and this the new day is invigorating. For the rest of the world, however, pushing out of bed and into the world of consciousness is no easy task. However, if you’ve wanted to take your lifestyle to the next level […]
Read moreWhat You Need To Know About The Zika Virus
As the Zika virus captures headlines, with its possible link to birth defects, the World Health Organization declaring it a global health emergency and the first cases reported in the United States (all traced back to overseas travel), it’s an opportune time to review the facts associated with this disease. Share This ArticleFacebookTwitterPinterestLinkedinemail
Read more5 Habits for Rapid Fat Loss
The best kind of fat loss is steady fat loss. And while a slow-and-steady approach to weight loss will ensure that you keep the weight off for good, I have a few tricks to help you burn fat as fast as possible. So if you’re ready to speed up your fat loss (and are willing to do the work necessary!) […]
Read more5 Sneaky Ways to Burn Calories at Work
You may think the 30 minutes you spend every other day in the gym is enough to keep you trim and healthy, but it’s not. If you want overall good health, you need to eat well and find windows of exercising opportunity every day—not just during your scheduled workouts. How can you squeeze in a little exercise when most of […]
Read moreDon’t Believe These Three Supplement Myths
If you could live a longer, healthier life by taking a small pill each day, you’d do it wouldn’t you? You’d be crazy not to! With this fact in mind, the incredible growth of dietary supplements makes sense. It’s estimated one out of every three Americans currently takes some sort of nutritional supplement each day. According to government statistics, more […]
Read more1 In 3 Americans Slash Staples Spending To ‘Afford’ Obamacare
Health insurers are in panic mode as the Obama administration, ever eager maximize coverage optics for Obamacare, has, as The NY Times reports, allowed large numbers of people to sign up for insurance after the deadlines in the last two years, destabilizing insurance markets and driving up premiums. Share This ArticleFacebookTwitterPinterestLinkedinemail
Read moreHow Government Regulations Made Healthcare So Expensive
“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it,” declared philosopher George Santayana. The U.S. “health care cost crisis” didn’t start until 1965. The government increased demand with the passage of Medicare and Medicaid while restricting the supply of doctors and hospitals. Health care prices responded at twice the rate of inflation (Figure 1). Now, the U.S. is […]
Read more7 Resolutions You Can Keep
Are you feeling reluctant to create New Year’s Resolutions? After years of failed resolutions past, I don’t blame you. However, if you pick the right resolutions, you’ll face the New Year head on, ready to make good on your big plans from January 1 all the way to December 31. Share This ArticleFacebookTwitterPinterestLinkedinemail
Read moreNew Year…New You!
Love ‘em or hate ‘em, New Year’s resolutions are a good thing. If you struggle to believe that, it’s probably because of a history of failed resolutions. This year, however, you owe it to yourself to become the new person you want to be. Not in order to impress other people. You’re going to do it to remind yourself that […]
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