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Examining a Potential Health Insurance Plan

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I have once again begun the quest to find affordable health insurance. This time, I am seeking a health plan that will cover only me. My husband has Medicare Part A, and will have Part B soon. We have no children. I am taking a close look a policy that appears to be one I can afford. Earlier this week, I used HealthCare.gov to try and find an affordable health insurance plan. You can use that website to narrow down a whole bunch of health insurance plans, in order to find one that you can, (hopefully), afford. To be honest, … Continue reading →

Health Insurance Reversals are Bad for Consumers

People will buy health insurance because it is supposed to be a form of protection. It helps individuals and families be able to pay for the healthcare that they need. Unfortunately, some insurers are approving certain treatments or surgeries, and then are reversing their decision. This leaves the consumer stuck having to pay for the entire bill. It is called a reversal. This is the term used when a health insurance company abruptly changes its mind about covering a treatment, surgery, medication, or doctor’s visit that it originally approved coverage of. When this happens, it means that the insurer has … Continue reading →

What To Expect At Your Prenatal Appointments

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A positive pregnancy test is the beginning of an exciting journey towards parenthood. Once you find out your are pregnant, you should immediately call your health care provider to schedule your first obstetric appointment, especially if your OB/GYN has a waiting list. If this is your first pregnancy, you may be wondering what will happen at your appointments. The following guidelines are based on a healthy pregnancy. Your doctor will adjust your care to meet your individual needs. How often will I visit my practitioner? How In the beginning, you’ll visit your practitioner about once per month. Your first appointment … Continue reading →

Do You Feel Well Informed by Your Health Care Provider?

Do you feel well informed by your health care provider? Doctors and midwives vary from each other and among other professionals in their field in terms of patient communication and patient education. Some doctors are naturally good at educating and informing patients about options for birth as well as many other health related topics. Others aren’t as good at communicating or are hurrying to the next patient and don’t take the time. Rushing or not bothering to offer information to patients seems to be all too common in the experiences of many women. The reasons vary. Sometimes the doctor is … Continue reading →

Another Good Reason to Tell Your Doctor About Drug or Alcohol Use

In my last blog, I talked about the reasons women aren’t always completely honest about certain habits during pregnancy. One of the more common things to hide is drug or alcohol use. Recent research has shown the importance of finding help and getting treatment for addiction when you are pregnant. A study conducted by Kaiser Permanente in California looked at the outcome of pregnancy when the mother receives treatment for addiction. The researchers studied 50,000 pregnant women receiving prenatal care at the facility. There were 2100 women who chose to receive treatment for substance abuse and 160 who declined the … Continue reading →

Are You Honest with Your Health Care Provider?

During pregnancy, women often aren’t totally honest with their doctors. Some withhold information or avoid questions out of fear. This ranges from small fibs about diet and exercise to more serious deception about smoking cigarettes, drinking and drug use during pregnancy. Women have many reasons for being less than honest with doctors and midwives. Sometimes the reason is a desire to project an image of the perfect patient and perfect mother to be. They want the midwife or doctor to view them in that image and fear disclosing anything that would tarnish that image. This often occurs in women who … Continue reading →

Cut Down Wait Times at the Doctor’s Office

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If it feels like you spend the whole day waiting when you’ve got a doctor’s appointment, you’re not alone. In a fast-paced world, it can be hard to sit back and wait — especially when your health is concerned. Here are some tips that can help cut down on your wait times when you have a doctor’s appointment. Be prepared beforehand. Have your medical history (it may be easier to have your history written out before you go), copies of test results and discharge information from other doctors, and a current medication list. Bringing x-rays and other test results can … Continue reading →

Telling an Ex You are Pregnant

Sharing the news of an unplanned pregnancy is never easy. It becomes even more complicated when the father of the baby is your ex partner. The more time that has passed since the split, the more difficult it becomes to break the news. If your ex is in a new relationship or the split was not at all amicable, you may feel even more unsure about telling him. You may even be contemplating not telling him at all. This would most likely be a mistake. As the father of the baby, he has the right to know. Your baby has … Continue reading →

Alternative Medicine and Your Doctor

Alternative medicine is gaining in popularity. It comes in all sizes, shapes and colors. As we learn about it’s diversity and benefits, more and more Americans are giving it a try. Let’s face it, as a whole we’re a very unhealthy bunch. We are beginning to recognize that, and some of us look for more “natural” ways to reclaim our bodies than others. Most people, I think, try to strike a balance between the medical world and our alternative worlds. The bad part is we don’t always tell our medical doctors what else we are doing and vise-versa. That can … Continue reading →