Posts Tagged ‘diabetes’
Wednesday, September 29th, 2010
At present, seven of every 10 deaths among Americans are due to chronic conditions such as heart disease, cancer, stroke and diabetes. These diseases also eat up 75 percent of the nation’s annual healthcare spending.
New wellness programs are getting a boost from the Affordable Care Act in the form of $31 million to help communities cut obesity, increase physical activity and improve nutrition. The funding is contained in the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Communities Putting Prevention to Work (CPPW) program, a prevention and wellness program that is overseen by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
“As I’ve seen throughout the year in my work with Let’s Move!, prevention works when it comes to improving the health of our families,” said First Lady Michelle Obama. “These critical investments will help more communities across America tackle serious challenges like childhood obesity, while promoting physical activity and healthy eating.” The funding is being awarded to communities that have resources in place to increase the availability of healthy food and beverages; enhance access to safe places to encourage physical activity; discourage smoking; and promote environments that are smoke free. Of the 11 awards announced, 10 are dedicated to anti-obesity programs and one to smoking cessation.
“To realize our goals of improving the health of Americans and lowering our nation’s healthcare costs, we must address the underlying factors that influence our families’ health – factors like the foods we eat and the conditions that exist in our homes, neighborhoods and workplaces,” said HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. “With Communities Putting Prevention to Work, we’re creating evidence-based models that we can replicate on a large scale to permanently reduce the chronic diseases plaguing so many of our communities.” Already this year, CPPW has given nearly $492 million to support community and statewide hotlines and media campaigns that promote healthy living.
Tags: Affordable Care Act, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Department of Health and Human Services, diabetes, First Lady, healthcare costs, Kathleen Sebelius, Michelle Obama, obesity, physical activity, Wellness Centers
Posted in General, Healthcare, Healthcare Village, Hospital Systems | No Comments »
Wednesday, September 22nd, 2010
Americans are not getting thinner, and obesity rates have hit 30 percent of the population or higher in nine states last year, compared with just three states in 2007. Looking at the numbers from a different perspective, this means that 2.4 million additional Americans became obese in just two years, bringing the total to 72.5 million individuals, or 26.7 percent of the population. Because the survey is based on a phone survey with 400,000 participants, the statistics probably underestimate true obesity rates.
According to Dr. Thomas Frieden, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which issued the survey, “Over the past several decades, obesity has increased faster than anyone could have imagined.” If the numbers keep climbing, Frieden says that “more people will get sick and die from the complications of obesity, such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes and cancer.” The report says that obesity’s medical costs could be as high as $147 billion a year and notes that “past efforts and investments to prevent and control obesity have not been adequate.” Too little exercise and too much fast food that is full of sugar and fat share much of the blame for the obesity epidemic.
The nine states with obesity rates of 30 percent or higher are Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee and West Virginia. Mississippi reported an obesity rate of whopping 34.4 percent. Colorado and Washington, D.C., had the lowest obesity rates at less than 20 percent. According to Dr. Heidi Blanck, the CDC’s chief of the obesity branch, Americans aged 50 and above had the highest obesity rates.
Tags: cancer, Center for Disease Control and Prevention, diabetes, fast food, heart disease, nutrition, obesity, Stroke, Washington DC
Posted in Healthcare, Hospital Systems | No Comments »
Thursday, April 1st, 2010
Now that President Barack Obama has signed the healthcare reform bill into law, insurance companies are making the point that they do not have to comply by next September with a centerpiece of the legislation, coverage for some children with pre-existing conditions. Insurance companies claim that the law — intended to ban all discrimination against children with diseases like asthma, diabetes, birth defects, orthopedic problems, leukemia, cystic fibrosis and sickle cell disease – is not as clear to them as it is to Congress and the White House. According to the insurers, the law does not require them to guarantee “availability of coverage” until 2014.
William G. Schiffbauer, an attorney whose clients include employers and insurance companies, notes that “The fine print differs from the larger political message. If a company sells insurance, it will have to cover pre-existing conditions for children covered by the policy. But it does not have to sell to somebody with a pre-existing condition. And the insurer could increase premiums to cover the additional cost.”
Congressional Democrats reacted angrily to the insurance companies’ interpretation of the law. Representative Henry A. Waxman (D-CA), chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, said “The concept that insurance companies would even seek to deny children coverage exemplifies why we fought for this reform.” Senator John D. Rockefeller IV (D-WV) echoes Waxman’s viewpoint, noting “The ink has not yet dried on the healthcare reform bill, and already some deplorable health insurance companies are trying to duck away from covering children with pre-existing conditions. This is outrageous.”
The Obama administration plans to issue regulations stating that “the term ‘pre-existing’ applies to both a child’s access to a plan and his or her benefits once he or she is in a plan.” According to the administration’s interpretation of the new law, coverage for children with pre-existing conditions is intended to begin in September.
Tags: asthma, birth defects, cystic fibrosis, diabetes, healthcare reform, Henry Waxman, insurance companies, John Rockefeller IV, Leukemia, sickle cell disease, Vice President Joseph Biden, William Schiffbauer
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Monday, December 14th, 2009
One of the most surprising votes in the process to pass comprehensive healthcare reform is Senator Russell Feingold’s (D-WI) vote against an amendment sponsored by Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) to fund women’s preventive health services. The amendment, which will eliminate deductibles and co-payments for screenings like mammograms, passed by 61 – 39, with two Democrats voting “nay” and three Republicans voting “yea”.
Writing on AlterNet, a syndication service and online community of the alternative press, featuring news stories from alternative newsweeklies, magazines and the web, Daniela Perdomo notes that the amendment “guarantees that all women will receive a free annual gynecological exam, which would include screenings for the leading killers of women – breast, cervical, ovarian and lung cancers; heart disease; and chronic illnesses such as diabetes. It also requires insurance plans to cover a whole slew of comprehensive preventive care and screenings specific to women, with no copayments.”
Feingold’s official statement says that he cast his “nay” vote to assure fiscal responsibility. According to Congressional Budget Office estimates, the amendment will cost $980 million over the next 10 years. Feingold has a history of voting for fiscal responsibility, Perdomo notes. “I can’t rail against Feingold and say that he’s shown little fiscal restraint when voting for other measures. He voted against the bailout giveaway to the banks. In other words, I think Feingold’s votes are often sound. But I do think he is wrong on this one, and I pick on him because he’s normally so level-headed.”
The other Democrat who voted against the Mikulski amendment was Ben Nelson (D-NE). Republicans voting in favor were Olympia Snowe (R-ME), Susan Collins (R-ME) and David Vitter (R-LA).
Senator Mikulski herself sums it up the best: “Simply being a woman is a pre-existing condition.”
Tags: cancer, Congressional Budget Office, Daniel Perdomo, deductibles, diabetes, mammogram, Senate, Senator Barbara Mikulski, Senator Ben Nelson, Senator David Vitter, Senator Olympia Snowe, Senator Russell Feingold, Senator Susan Collins, Wisconsin
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Wednesday, June 24th, 2009
Now is the time for healthcare providers to take a proactive approach to the well-being of their respective communities and target markets. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), signed into law by President Obama on February 17, contains $1 billion for the new Prevention and Wellness Fund. This Fund will make available resources for funding immunization programs; infection prevention programs; and the prevention of 
chronic diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease. Based on statistics provided by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 70 million people in the United States (approximately 25 percent of our total population) live with cardiovascular disease. Wellness programs have a direct impact on the prevention of these diseases and will be an important components of any preventative program.
Healthcare providers have historically been hesitant to invest in wellness and fitness centers due to the capital resource requirement and uncertain return on investment. With careful planning and strategic development, these facilities can bring a substantial new revenue stream into the organization. Skeptics may point to the Medical Fitness Association, which reports that in 2008 there were approximately 950 medically based wellness and fitness centers in the United States, with one-third reporting operating losses.
While such risks do exist, investing in wellness facilities and programs that directly address the prevention of chronic disease have the potential for more than satisfactory financial results. If managed with a clear direction, thought and competence, these facilities can provide a financial return far more attractive than the equities market has offered in the recent past. The resources allocated to fight chronic disease will come back tenfold in cost reductions over the long term.
Now is the time to invest in the well-being of our future. We should not wait for another opportunity like the one Congress and President Obama have provided. We need to take advantage of this now.
Tags: American Recovery and Reinvestment, ARRA, capital, cardiovascular disease, Center for Disease Control and Prevention, chronic diseases, Congress, diabetes, equities market, financial return, fitness centers, Healthcare, healthcare providers, heart disease, high blood pressure, immunization programs, infection prevention programs, law, Medical Fitness Association, President Obama, prevention, prevention program, revenue, strategic development, target markets, United States, US, wellness programs
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Friday, April 17th, 2009
With 78 million baby boomers marching towards retirement, the U.S. population is older and less healthy as cases of obesity, diabetes and other chronic diseases increase, says Donna F. Jarmusz, Alter+Care Senior Vice President, in a recent interview for the Inspire blog. These same consumers dislike inconvenient, institutional healthcare delivery systems, are demanding and have high expectations. We have a drive-through mindset and enjoy everyday consumer experiences– buying a cup of coffee, drive-up banking, picking up dry cleaning. We hardly think about them because they’re all convenient and accessible.
Consumers are looking for a similar consumer focus in their healthcare services. They are also looking to healthcare providers for preventative health resources to achieve healthier lifestyles.
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Donna Jarmusz on the Healthcare Village:
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Tags: Ambulatory surgery center, ambulatory-care facilities, baby boomers, Cardiac rehab, chronic diseases, consumers, credit, diabetes, diease management, GI centers, Healthcare referrals, Healthcare Village, Hospital capital, hospitals, institutional healthcare, Liability insurance, obesity, Office of the Inspector General, OIG, Oncology, Outpatient services, physicians, Radiology, reimbursements, Retail healthcare, retirement, Revenue-sharing partnerships, wellness center, Wellness Centers
Posted in Healthcare, Healthcare Village, Wellness Centers | 1 Comment »
The recently passed healthcare reform legislation includes provisions designed to enhance community pharmacists’ ability to advance patients’ outcomes. 
