Medical Bankruptcy - The Myth

President Obama has pointed to the number of people that file bankruptcy due to medical bills, stating that these people were either under insured or uninsured. This was one of the reasons he gave for the need for a standardized national health care system similar to Canada's. He used data that he probably considered accurate, so he can't actually be faulted, but new data shows that the original 2005 medical bankruptcy study was in error. Critiques published by David Dranove and Michael Millenson and a working paper by Aparna Mathur, with the American Enterprise Institute, have refuted this study and basically agree that the idea that large numbers of Americans are declaring bankruptcy due to medical expenses is a myth. The truth is that only about 17% of filers have medical bills as a contributing factor and if asked, somewhere around 12 to 13% would state that medical bills were a 'reason' for filing bankruptcy.

What this says is that the study that Mr. Obama used was flawed and that a standardized national health care system will have little to no impact on the number of bankruptcies being filed. The majority of bankruptcies will be filed for poor financial practices in the way of credit card debt and living beyond their means. Of course, in today's economy, that has also changed. It may have been true in 2005, but is not true now. People become unemployed and can't get another job or must accept a job paying much less and...here comes another bankruptcy. This year alone we are approaching one million homes being repossessed. Many of these same people will file bankruptcy. If they can't keep a roof over their head then they certainly cannot pay off miscellaneous debt.

In fact, Canada, being held up as an example for Mr. Obama's healthcare plan, saw personal bankruptcy rates higher than in the U.S. for both 2006 and 2007. This covers the time after the bankruptcy reform laws but prior to the onset of the 2008 economic recession. This is particularly important, since prior to the 2005 bankruptcy reform the differences between Canada and the U.S. were so different as to make comparisons between the two a moot point. Now, however, Canada's and the U.S.'s bankruptcy laws are similar enough to allow reasonable cross-border comparisons. It is also now true that after 2008 the comparisons cannot be valid because bankruptcy statistics are being skewed by other policies that are totally unrelated to healthcare.

One other point that is worth looking at, is that a large number of the 17% of bankruptcies filed for medical expenses were the result of experimental or cutting-edge treatments that were not covered by private insurance and that would not be covered by government insurance and are also not covered under Canada's healthcare program. In fact, research shows that Canada's numbers are very close to the U.S. in that about 15% of bankruptcies (filed by seniors 55 years and older) are for medical debt.

So, you can disregard the bogus information about medical bankruptcies when it comes to your feelings about a nationalized healthcare system. Of course, the first steps are already in place, but maybe we should also look to our northern neighbor, Canada, and learn from her experiences. Her residents don't necessarily feel that the national healthcare system is a good thing. And there is only one way to shove back at the government that has force-fed us this nationalized healthcare plan-VOTE!

How to Avoid Medical Bankruptcy Using Portable Heart Devices?

The increasing regulatory pressures in the hospital system are set to increase the cost of health care delivery to patients. Traditional care models relied on manual techniques to observe patients with chronic disease. This process is not only expensive, but also inefficient with errors.
In outpatient scenarios, the huge escalation in the incidence of long-term chronic conditions is placing an ever-greater burden on over-stretched resources. Patient care models today are ill-equipped to cope with the realities of tomorrows health demands.
In times of recession, many are filling for bankruptcy. Medical related bankruptcies are now dominating them. In a study published by the American Journal of Medicine in June 2009, it showed that health related issues left patients with highest medical expense due to chronic conditions like stroke. Around 92% of medically bankrupt patients, high medical bills were the major contributions to their bankruptcy.
Traditional approaches to health care management
This involves to wait for the disease to develop and then run to the health care provider for solutions. These solutions can be expensive with the use of wide array of diagnosing investigation. If the disease is already progressed, then the cost of treatment of these can be exorbitant.
Some of the scary statistics which come from various studies published in scientific journals show that that Health related expenses for stroke can be as high as $23. 380 per individual. The total cost of stroke to the United States is estimated at $43 billion per year. The direct costs of medical care and therapy are estimated at $28 billion per year. Indirect costs from lost productivity and other factors are estimated at $15 million per year. These facts about stroke are not meant to scare you or shock you. But they are real and you must be aware of them if you want to keep you and your family safe from deadly killer.
Best Solutions to manage your health.
There is a old adage that Apple a day keeps the doctor away. This is much more relevant in the current era. With recession looming all over the world, and business spending for employers cut, In the corporate world, 0. 25% of the companies cancel coverage, if an employee has disabling illness.
Prevention is the key for better health
To better manage these scenarios, it is quite vital that healthcare management begins at home. Adopting healthy lifestyle, by quitting smoking habits and excessive caffeine consumption. Maintaining a healthy diet with regular consumption of green leafy vegetable rich food and cutting down junk food.
Following Regular exercise programs like walking, r unning and jogging. Visiting health care professionals annually if above the age of 40 years for regular health check. In addition to the above, by using simple techniques like
1. Digital Weight scales to check your weight regularly and measure Body Mass Index.
2. Portable ECG/EKG devices to monitor heart rate and any changes in abnormal heart rhythms like Atrial Fibrillation.
3. Portable Hand Held Heart Rate Monitors to check your heart rate while jogging, walking or any sports related activities.
4. Body fat analyzer to check your body fat and analyze it your height and weight.
By following these simple techniques it is possible to avoid the long term high medical expenses for disease management, and also medical related bankruptcies in future.