Radical Wedding Weight Loss

Old Spice commercials came to mind as soon as I saw the photos accompanying 2 articles which I read today. You know the one the ones-“Look at ….. now back at…”. 

Yes, I know. What in the world does this have to do with weight loss? Look at the photos and you’ll understand. 

On the left, a woman who seem quite healthy. Certainly not needing… is that an NG tube? 

Then I saw the “after treatment” photo.

Different lighting, maybe without makeup, but the striking thing for me was the prominence of the clavicle, the overall thinning of the face and the hollowing of the eye sockets.

All of this to lose weight for a wedding gown!? Thank goodness it was medically supervised, and the articles do not report any deaths from this practice, which takes a person’s caloric intake down to 800 calories per day for up to 10 days. At a cost of $1,500.

Apparently, this has been a weight-loss practice in Europe for a while, now. 

I know that I may catch flak for considering this to be an extreme measure, especially considering that it is not something that will be long lasting once normal eating habits resume, but it seems a bit much. 

Yes, weight loss before “the big day” (yes, I am married, and do understand the stress of it all) is understandable. But the NG tube approach? Wow. 

Follow-up comments from the woman in the picture and from others can be found here.

As the new year quickly approaches many companies large and small will begin to develop their search engine optimization strategies for next year. Those who have already built their team will likely restructure just to stay competitive, and those who have not yet solved this immensely important marketing challenge will get ready to finally dive in. Regardless of which your company may be, one thing is clear: visibility in search is a must-have in-order to survive and be successful. Now, more than ever, Search simply cannot be ignored.

Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and now Google+ social networks are growing fast… You can't read the business or technology sections of your favorite newspaper or news web site without seeing these brands at least once per visit. Google has said it signed up more than 40 million users for Google+ since launching the service in June. Internet IPOs are also reaching what seems like a critical mass. Is the Internet about to see its second boom? Some are calling it "Internet Bubble 2.0".

With all of the continued buzz around SEO (Search engine optimization) and SMO (Social media optimization) business executives clearly see how search and social media isn't going away anytime soon. These social circles are driving America's largest marketing budgets, and will likely continue to do so far into the next few years.

So how does a company begin to harness the power of search and social media if they have not yet entered this important area of business? How to perfect it for those already involved? "By strategically investing in the right departments and employees who understand search and social media. Businesses which do not have a search or social media department should be looking to create one, and those without the desire to maintain these departments should outsource. Either way, search and social media should have a place within your businesses marketing budget for 2012″.

A recent report released by WebMarketing123 called the 2011 State of Digital Marketing Report revealed that although SEO (search engine optimization) is still the leading choice for online marketers, 60 percent of respondents said they plan to increase their budget for SMO (social media optimization) in 2012. Of over 500 marketing professionals polled, 68 percent said they've generated leads from either Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn, while 55 percent have closed deals from social media leads.

Reports such as these prove that Search Engine Optimization plays a significant role in the success of your business, especially those using the Internet. Each day, more and more businesses are launching websites and the competition is obviously increasing. It isn't enough that your business merely exists. You need to either recruit educated staff who will have your best interests at heart or hire a knowledgeable SEO Company who can use the latest search engine approved techniques to promote your web site in major search engines in-order to maintain top positions on Google, Bing, Yahoo and within social networks.

"If your customers can't easily find you, they're going to find your competitors. Having a well cemented social media presence allows your prospects to connect with you on the social web in a way that is becoming - well, standard." said Alex R, a local search specialist for Los Angeles SEO Company, who helped contribute to this report.

"Many predict 2012 is going to be an active year for Internet marketing companies and social marketers. Businesses that take the time to develop strategic optimization programs which combine both social media marketing and search engine optimization are likely to see a heavy influx of new customers and business whether they sell products, information or are motivated to build their brands using the Internet" he added

Acute care hospitals in Pennsylvania want Congress to examine ambulatory surgery centers as a target for reimbursement cuts or other revenue measures. The hospitals believe that a review by the "super committee" charged with balancing the budget will show that ASCs are cherry picking lucrative commercially insured patients and shirking care for lower-paying Medicare, Medicaid and indigent care.

"We are asking the super committee to understand that hospitals nationwide have a $155 billion in cuts in the foreseeable future already on the table," as part of the Affordable Care Act,  said Michael P. Strazzella, senior vice president for Federal Relations & Political Development at the Hospital & Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania.

"Those cuts include $9 billion in Pennsylvania alone. There needs to be some recognition that there are other people who can afford to take those kinds of cuts without impact the care they provide," he said.

A report last month by the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council showed that there are 266 ASCs in the state, up from 72 one decade ago. The council reported that ASC total profit margins have exceeded 26% in each of the past three years, while acute care hospitals see margins averaged 5.2%. HAP says that is partly because Medicaid accounted for only 4.5% of ASC revenue in 2010, compared to 11.8% of general acute care outpatient revenue.

"The pressure on acute care hospitals is increasing because there is a larger demand on public and private payers. We are seeing more people lose their private insurance and move to Medicare and Medicaid, even as those payments have decreased," Strazzella told HealthLeaders Media.

In addition, Strazzella says Pennsylvania's acute care hospitals have seen their state Medicaid reimbursements cut by 4% in fiscal year 2011-12.

However, Pam Erdel, president of the Pennsylvania Ambulatory Surgery Association, says HAP is making an apples-to-oranges comparison on operating margins because ASCs and hospitals use different calculations. "For ASCs, the salaries paid to physician-owners are not counted as overhead. In the hospital that is all taken out before they report their operating margins. It would be similar to removing all the staff salaries from the operating costs of a hospital before calculating their margins," she says.

Erdel says two-thirds of ASCs nationwide provide care at reduced rates for patients who are underinsured or not uninsured. "We feel bad for hospitals in that they are having reduced rates, but we already started out with less. We get paid on average 56% of the rate that the hospital gets paid for doing the same procedure, because Medicare set it up that way," she says.

Erdel says it's ironic that HAP would target ASCs for criticism when "the most lucrative ASCs are owned by hospitals," and those hospitals belong to HAP. "I would love to bridge that relationship with the HAP because we have a lot to offer each other," she says.

Group Health Insurance Plan For Your Business

What is the cover offered on group health Insurance policy?
Group health Insurance plans can be defined as an insurance coverage through an employer or other entity that covers all individuals in the group.
Group health insurance is something that everyone wishes they had since groups get better rates than individuals when it comes to health care (insurance in general). Many people who are self employed or want the best rates incorporate to give the insurance company the look of a larger corporation and they try to obtain cheaper health insurance rates. Group insurance is discounted when compared to individual health insurance so getting on a group plan is a plus. Keep in mind that group insurance is just part of the equation. Deductibles, co pays, and other variables go into the rate you get, so individual health insurance or family health insurance may be just as affordable in the long run.
A group health Insurance policy is an Insurance cover which is arranged by an employer for his employees. This type of Insurance cover enables the employer to pay only part of the premium for the Insurance policy covering his employees.
Essentially Group health Insurance plan is an Insurance policy applied for by the employer to cover his employee’s medical expenses. Formerly an employer was expected to 100% employee benefits but now an employer only has to contribute just a part of the employee’s insurance premium.
With the new law passed by Congress, the employee’s net expenses for the group health insurance policy have been greatly reduced.
How can businesses benefit from this policy?
It is a well known truth that group health insurance plans are greatly valued by employees, most employees even place group health insurance policy second after monetary compensation. Organizations who have in place such policies have confirmed that group health insurance policies have enabled them employ and retain the best hands in their business. Employers are not left out from enjoying the benefits of group health insurance plans; most employers have not yet purchased health for themselves. They stand to get a better and cheaper insurance plan if they purchase Insurance via a company than if they were to purchase an individual health insurance policy.
A group medical insurance policy offers an additional special bonanza in the form of tax incentives for the employer and employees. For instance, as an employer you stand in a position to reduce your payroll taxes, but providing your employees with group health Insurance as part of a whole payment compensation package, thereby deducting 100% of the premium that you would have had to pay on a qualifying group health insurance plan. Also your employees would be able to pay their part of their monthly premium using pre-tax funds.
Although an employer is required to pay some percentage of an employee’s individual premium, which ranges from 25% to 50%, depending on the state’s laws and the insurance company. Also, if the employee wants to extend coverage to a spouse or dependent, the employer may choose to pay a percentage of that cost, but is not required to do so. Without ant question group health insurance is the most affordable health insurance available today, so if as an employee you’re given that option, you should really consider it, Often, spouses and children can be included under such a plan.
What are the factors you need to watch for a good group health insurance policy?
Employers may choose to offer free-service insurance plans, preferred service supplier or a health maintenance plan. Available on the Internet are group health insurance instant quotes, most health insurance organizations also provide group health insurance quotes via their network of agents in addition of making it available for visitors to their offices.
One of the factors an organization need to watch out for in a group health insurance policy is the bottom line. It is no more or less than simply this: group health insurance is less expensive than a couple of individual policies. This is the truth. But, it still is not cheap, in fact no health care program in America is.
Employers may use the guidelines below to select a health insurance plan that meets your needs:
Study the websites and brochures of the health insurance companies you have short listed to engage.
Make a comparison of their services, costs and what they pay.
Find out if there are services or illnesses that are excluded from the policy.
Take notes of the starting and ending dates of the insurance policy.
Check to confirm when the cover starts as some health insurance companies only cover you from your third payment.
Stay away from policies that limit your choice as to whether you can choose a period to stay with them.
And finally stay away from any group health insurance policy that only covers limited diseases.
Employers are encouraged to choose Group health insurance plans that suits their needs, whether it is the preferred service supplier, traditional insurance cover or the health maintenance plan.

Hospitals Ask For Help To Make Health Insurance More Affordable And Accessible

The Texas Hospital Association (THA) is urging lawmakers in Dallas, Houston and throughout the rest of the state to take the right steps to make health insurance more affordable and accessible to individuals in Texas. The state ranks first in the country in the percentage of uninsured residents (24.6%).
“Cover the Uninsured Week,” which is observed nationally to highlight the importance of access to affordable health care benefits, has garnered particular attention in Texas where Gov. Rick Perry has localized the awareness effort by proclaiming April 23-29, 2007 as Cover the Uninsured Week in the Lone Star State.
“Everyone pays the price when individuals, families and small businesses cannot afford health insurance,” the Governor stated. “The increasing costs of uncompensated care place a strain on Texas hospitals, other health care providers and on the quality of care every patient receives. Texas recognizes the urgency to take meaningful steps to make health insurance more affordable and accessible.”
Nearly one quarter of Texas residents — approximately 5.5 million men, women and children — is uninsured. In addition, the uninsured rate in every major Texas city is higher than the national average, and Texas’ share of uninsured children, more than 25 percent, also is higher than the national average. In 2005, eight in 10 non-elderly uninsured Texans came from working families — nearly 70 percent from families with one or more full-time workers.
“Texas hospitals are working with our elected officials in the battle to provide health care coverage to more Texans through the private sector as well as state-funded programs such as Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program,” according to THA President/CEO Dan Stultz, M.D., FACP, FACHE. Stultz said, “We know that access to affordable health insurance affects all Texans — because we all pay the price when Texans don’t get the care they need.”
In addition to working to reverse cuts in Medicaid and CHIP funding, and restoring provider reimbursement rates, the THA supports a number of private-sector measures to increase the number of Texans with health insurance coverage. These measures include:
• H.B. 882 by Rep. Elliott Naishtat/Rep. John Davis (S.B. 922 by Sen. Kirk Watson) — These measures authorize counties to establish or participate in regional health care programs, which would provide health care services or benefits to the employees of small employers located in the participating counties.
• H.B. 1182 by Rep. John Davis — Requires that state agencies and school districts consider whether a vendor provides health care benefits or equivalent health savings benefits to its employees when awarding a contract for goods or services.
• S.B. 1023 by Sen. Royce West — Limits the use of money in the Texas Enterprise Fund to recipients that provide health benefit plans.
• H.B. 3321 by Rep. Vicki Truitt — Requires students to be enrolled in a health benefit plan and to submit proof of health insurance before enrollment at a public institution of higher education. • H.B. 3361 by Rep. Garnet Coleman (S.B. 1681 by Sen. Kip Averitt) — Requires that health care benefit plans allow unmarried children of any age to be covered under a parent’s or grandparent’s health insurance policy or plan if the cost of the premium is paid.
When uninsured Texans are sick, they currently often turn to hospital emergency rooms because they have no primary care physician. Stultz noted that nearly 20 percent of people who lack health insurance report turning to the ER for what is often routine care, compared to only three percent of those with insurance coverage, according to the National Coalition on Health Care.
“Using hospital emergency rooms for non-critical care takes precious time and scarce resources that doctors, nurses and other health care professionals could put to work for those patients who truly need life-saving care or intervention for serious medical conditions.” Adding that Texas hospitals spent more than $10.1 billion in 2005 to care for patients who have no health insurance, Stultz said, “The costs of uncompensated care strains our physicians’ and hospitals’ ability to provide quality care to all patients — regardless of their insurance status. It also places undue burdens on local taxpayers, workers and health care consumers.”
Health care experts say that increasing the number of people with health insurance will further enhance the quality of care and help reduce the losses that result from doctors and hospitals treating patients with no health insurance. Uncompensated care limits the financial resources available to invest in new technology, electronic communication, education and other enhancements that would improve patient care and outcomes for all patients.

Anna Odegaard, Why People Hate to Shop For Health Insurance ...

Most people would rather file their taxes than shop for health insurance.? And the person they trust the most for advice on choosing a health plan is, for better or worse, their mother.? Such are the findings of studies by the Consumers Union, the policy and action arm of Consumer Reports.
On May 14^th, Lynn Quincy of the Consumers Union presented highlights from three recent consumer testing studies to a work group that is helping design the Minnesota Health Insurance Exchange.?? The Exchange, which will launch in 2014, is a critical element of health reform.? Over one million Minnesotans are expected to use it to compare and purchase health plans and determine whether they?re eligible for public insurance programs or tax credits to make their health insurance more affordable.? A well-built Exchange can also offer increased protections and security to people buying insurance by making sure insurance companies play by the rules, and offer affordable, quality plans.
The studies found that people dread shopping for health insurance.? This may be obvious, but the implications are complex.? Because people want to get it over with, they take short cuts when comparing health plans, Quincy explained, and the short cuts often lead to uninformed choices.? Bad choices can result in people not having the insurance they need when they get sick.? And that, along with poor insurance options, can lead to inadequate care, unpayable bills, and for too many, even bankruptcy.
Here are some of the reasons people hate shopping for health insurance, according to the Consumers Union, and how the Exchange can try to help:

1. People can?t assess the value of different plans.? Most people don?t just want the cheapest plan, they want the plan with the best value ?? the one that offers the best coverage for the price. But most consumers find it hard to assess the value of different plans.? This is because the jargon is difficult (what is the difference between coinsurance, cost-sharing and co-pays?), the concepts aren?t clear (who pays 20%, the patient or the plan?), and many cost-sharing amounts are unknowable at the time people are purchasing health insurance.

2. People need a manageable number of choices.? The studies typically asked people to compare just two health plans at a time.? Even with that limited set of choices, people had trouble assessing value, for the reasons described above.? The report concludes that comparing a large number of plans, all with varying features is ?an impossible cognitive task.?? It?s not surprising, then, that behavioral research shows that an abundance of plan options does not help people make better choices, and that people generally prefer fewer choices that are truly different from each other to an unlimited number of choices.

3. People don?t trust insurance companies.? Even when people have access to good information about health plans, they don?t act on that information if they don?t trust the source.? And most people do not trust information they get from insurance companies. ?They believe insurers are ?tricky,? and they worry that important details will be hidden in fine print.? Many people don?t even trust what their employer has to say about the health plans they offer.? Who do people trust to give good advice about choosing a health plan?? Their mothers.? But let?s face it, our moms are as likely to have trouble understanding plans as everybody else!

So how can the Exchange help?? The Consumers Union recommends 3 priorities:
First of all, an Exchange could help people assess the value of plans by displaying the ?true insurance value? of each plan: how plans compare on total annual cost (premiums plus out-of-pocket costs) based on average health care expenses of populations similar to the person applying in age, family composition, and other characteristics.? That way people can compare one meaningful variable across plans, rather than trying to calculate premiums, co-pays, deductibles and coinsurance for each plan themselves.
Second,? an Exchange could choose to offer a manageable number of plans with meaningful differences between them.? It can do this by limiting the number of plans on the Exchange to the best value plans on the market and reducing the number of features that can vary between plans.? This will help consumers avoid ?choice paralysis,? the condition where an overload of choices leads consumers to make decisions that aren?t in their best interest.
Third, the Exchange will need to work hard to earn the people?s trust.? Better yet, it should work to earn the trust of our mothers.
This will be an ongoing endeavor, and the best strategy for success will be to ensure that consumers have a powerful voice in the policy-making process.? First steps should include keeping insurers off the Exchange?s board of directors, partnering with trusted community organizations to help people navigate the Exchange, and bargaining with insurers on behalf of consumers for high-quality plans at good prices.? If it can do this, shopping for health insurance on the Exchange could be more fun than filing your taxes, and truly improve access to quality health care in Minnesota.

Low Income Health Insurance

Finding affordable low income health insurance is in the best interests of your family and your finances in an emergency. With even the most basic and adequate insurance policies, you will have the peace of mind that comes with being covered. It is a guarantee that you will not encounter financial stress and not allow your family to be put at risk.
Your health is as important as any factor that has an effect on your long term finances, so finding the right low income health insurance makes sense. Even if HMO or PPO plans are too costly, your budget maybe able to afford some alternative medical coverage options. Many newer insurance agencies offer Health Savings Accounts and Mini Medical Insurance plans which are much more cost effective. Both charge lower premiums and are made to be feasible low income health insurance alternatives to the standard policies in the marketplace today.
Many are affordable for as little as fifty dollars a month, so it is well worth considering one of these lower income health insurance plans to see which might meet your families needs today. If the comprehensive plans used by most traditional HMO and PPO providers are too expensive for your home budgets, then go online and see what kind of quotes are available in your price range. Only a licensed insurance representative should actually advise you on the costs and policies of individual insurance plans, but they can determine if you qualify and make requests for quotes based on the local area where your family lives. They will also be able to help you find the best plan and figure out what alternatives will be best suited for your health insurance needs. Making and appointment to see an insurance agent is where you should begin your policy search.