Patients Are Powerful

Archive for March, 2009

As a Fort Worth Chiropractor I am concerned that this budget situation in Washington State will soon be affecting us here in our state.

Washington State Budget Cuts Endanger Registry for Living Wills.

What good is your living will if your doctor can’t get to it in an emergency?

That dilemma spurred Washington in 2007 to create a free electronic registry of health-care directives, legal documents containing a person’s end-of-life wishes. In little more than a year, nearly 600 state residents have registered at the site so that physicians can quickly look up whether a patient has opted to refuse respirators, feeding tubes and other life-prolonging treatments.

Gov. Chris Gregoire has proposed slashing the registry’s $180,000 annual budget by 80 percent. That won’t leave enough money, patient advocates fear, to keep the registry viable. In fact, registry supporters argue the proposed cuts could well cost the state more money in the long run if patients are given expensive treatments they did not want. Miller said registry sign-ups have accelerated since the passage of Initiative 1000, which legalized physicians prescribing lethal doses of drugs to people with less than six months to live.

In the five months since Washington voters approved the so-called Death with Dignity Act, the pace of enrollment in the registry rose by 18 percent compared to the previous five months. In case of accidents or a coma, patients may be unable to alert medical professionals that they do not want CPR, artificial ventilation or other treatments, Miller said. “Doctors are reluctant to make a decision that’s going to result in the death of a patient.”

People who enroll in the living-will registry carry wallet cards with an identification number that allows qualified medical professionals to look up their directives on a secure Web site. Miller said even one critically ill patient who is revived against her wishes and ends up in intensive care could rack up more needless treatment costs in a few days than the registry’s annual budget. Kate White Tudor, a lobbyist for Compassion & Choice, said $70,000 a year would enable the registry to continue accepting new registrants, although customer support would have to be cut back.

Source: Seattle Times

Kyung Song: 206-464-2423 or ksong@seattletimes.com

Technorati Tags: fort worth chiropractor, patient advocacy, Washington State budget cuts

Below is a summery of the recent report put out by the Dept. of Health and Human Services. As a San Jose chiropractor, I realize that the state of health care directly affects both myself and my patients. For more information on patient advocacy groups and what took place go to www.healthreform.gov

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In December 2008, the Presidential Transition Team invited Americans to host and participate in Health Care Community Discussions to talk about how to reform health care in America. Friends, family, neighbors, and co-workers, representing the views of both health care patients and providers, came together in homes, offices, coffee shops, fire houses, universities, and community centers with a common purpose: to discuss reforming the health care system. The Health Care Community Discussions focused on concerns about a “broken” health system, access to health insurance and services, rising premiums and drug costs, being “uninsurable,” medical mistakes, and the system not being “for them.” In 30,603 Participant Surveys, the top concerns were cost (55%), lack of emphasis on prevention (20%), pre-existing conditions limiting insurance access (13%), and concerns about the quality of care (12%). The Health Care Community Discussions offered a wide range of specific suggestions for fixing the system, including making health insurance more accessible through a public plan, creating scorecards on quality and cost, improving the nutritional content of school lunches, implementing electronic medical records, and creating an AmeriCorps for health workers.

Technorati Tags: health care reform

As you may recall, the debate over the economic stimulus featured an intense argument over whether to fund comparative effectiveness studies–that is, research into which drugs, devices, and procedures actually work best and for whom. CE, as the wonks call it, is an essential ingredient of a high-functioning health care system. But the idea came under assault from conservatives who objected to the intrusion of government into medicine and from interest groups whose members profit from less effective treatments.

These opponents failed. But the work of creating a research infrastructure has just begun. And, as Merrill Goozner reports, it’s not clear the government is going about it in the right way.

The Institute of Medicine panel slated to make recommendations for the $1.1 billion earmarked for comparative effectiveness research has no representation from broad-based consumer or patient advocacy groups, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest. … While the proposed 16-member panel included five physician specialists, three medical technology assessment experts, three insurers (two of which are also provider networks), and three officials currently or formerly associated with Medicare, the only patient or consumer representative named to the panel’s tentative roster was from the Alzheimer’s Association, a single-issue patient advocacy group that receives substantial support from the drug industry.

Merrill has the rest of the story over at his blog, Gooznews (which, by the way, you should start reading regularly if you aren’t already).

–Jonathan Cohn

Technorati Tags: economic stimulus, effectiveness studies

By Tampa Chiropractor

There are many things to consider when caring for an elderly loved one. Now that people are living well and living longer, elder healthcare has become very important. This relatively new area of healthcare and provider services is often referred to as elder care. It encompasses a wide variety of issues which include: choosing an appropriate physician or physicians to care for an aging patient, setting up home care is possible, and making decisions about moving the patient from his or her home to a residential care setting. Persons age 65 and older are the fastest growing segment of America’s population. Many in this population are living a healthy, active, independent life do to lifestyle choices such as preventive care and seeing a chiropractor. The fastest growing segment of my patient population is seniors. As a Tampa Chiropractor, I realize how important it is to educate patients, however, as more and more people reach their 80s and 90s, the number of people who need assistance with daily living is increasing, as are the responsibilities of those who are providing the care. The statistics on elder healthcare may surprise you.

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration on Aging, the elder population, (those age 65 and older), numbered more than 35 million Americans in recent reports. Since people are living longer, these numbers are constantly increasing and not expected to dip any time soon.

Also reported by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration on Aging, the number of elders increased 12 percent since 1990, , compared to a 13.3 percent increase of the population under 65 during the same time period. Today, persons who reach age 65 have an average life expectancy of an additional 17.9 years. This calculates out to 19.2 years more for women, and 16.3 more for men than what was estimated in the year 1900.

In 1900, the average life expectancy was 49.2 years, whereas today, it is 76.9. As you can see, this has dramatically increased. While this is greatly attributed to the advances in modern medicine, it is also in part because people are taking an active stance in their own lives knowing their patient rights, and taking better care of themselves. Today we see all types of fitness programs from senior balance training programs at the YMCA to home based yoga exercise programs using props such as yoga blocks and chairs for stability. Still, it is crucial to plan for the time when a great health insurance plan will mean good care and improved quality of life.

One of the biggest problems facing many seniors today is their inability to afford medication. Since many people over 65 take medication on a regular basis, most often more than one type simultaneously, it has become necessary in recent years to address this issue. Many healthcare plans won’t cover various medications, while others cover only a small part. This often means choosing the medications, or in some cases medication, the individual can afford, and which one or ones he or she can do without. This can be met with negative results, since it is presumed the person wouldn’t be taking the medication if it wasn’t necessary. There are, however, companies who have begun addressing this problem by offering prescription plans and insurance targeted for the elderly.

While there are many important aspects of elder healthcare to consider, there are steps that are being taken to help make it easier and more affordable. Legislature is addressing some of these issues and trying to come up with solutions to suit a variety of needs. Perhaps one day, seniors can look forward to retirement without having to worry about how they’ll pay for it.

Technorati Tags: patient rights, senior fitness, senior healthcare