Archive for the ‘Medicare Card’ Category
Scientists have demonstrated how an investigational drug works against a rare, fatal genetic disease, Niemann-Pick type C1 (NPC1). They found that a closely related compound will activate an enzyme, AMPK, triggering a cellular “recycling” system that helps reduce elevated cholesterol and other accumulated fats in the brains and livers of NPC1 patients, which are hallmarks associated with severe neurological problems. The research was led by scientists at the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), part of the National Institutes of Health, and their colleagues.
The work could lead to a new generation of potential therapies for NPC1 and other similar disorders, as well as neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases. The scientists reported their findings online on July 17, 2017 in the journal Autophagy.
Anyone worried about chest pain should not wait to get urgent medical care. They should call for an ambulance straight away, especially if the pain is unexplained, sudden, or severe.
Heart attack pain is caused when one of the arteries supplying the heart becomes blocked. Angina is a similar chest pain caused when these arteries are narrowed by heart disease.
Heartburn is a burning pain often felt in the upper belly or lower chest. It is caused by stomach acid going back up the food pipe.
Heartburn and heart attack pain can be similar. If someone is in doubt whether pain is a heart attack, they should always call for an ambulance. If it is a heart attack, prompt medical care can be lifesaving.
Dental implants have become an important treatment for the replacement of teeth lost due to disease, injury or congenital tooth agenesis. Over the past 30 years, the incorporation of dental implants into everyday clinical dental practice has resulted in major improvements in oral health of patients through enhancements in function, esthetics and phonetics. However it is important to note that many dental insurance plans do not provide benefits on implants. Providing benefits for bridges, partials, and dentures instead. If you want to have some saving off the cost of dental implants you may want to review the dental discount plan options that are available to you in your state. A dental discount plan offers up around 15 -20 percent off the cost of dental implants
It’s one of those parenting nightmares – you find your baby sitting on the floor with an open bottle of medicine. My story went something like that, but instead of medicine, my 1 year old got her hands on a bottle of cleaning solution for our CD’s. It has no child proof cap and she found it while rummaging through the stereo cabinet. Small children are curious little explorers and it’s amazing what they can get themselves into when you turn your back for a moment.
So there she was, sitting on the floor happily holding the open bottle. I didn’t see her drink any of it, but there wasn’t much liquid left in the bottle. I just didn’t know what to do, so I called the Poison Center.
The people at the Poison Center asked me some questions about the situation, and luckily the cleaning solution was alcohol and the quantity (if she had any at all) was small enough that it didn’t pose a serious threat. They told me what to watch out for, just in case she had a bad reaction and were calm, comforting and helpful. *whew* Everything turned out OK.
Needless to say, a child safety latch was installed on the stereo cabinet – pronto! It’s hard to make your home 100% safe, but if you have small children or animals around your home, do your best to prevent poising.
There has been a lot in the news in the last several months about food recalls and the resulting illnesses from eating those foods. By paying attention to the news or signing up for recall alerts, we can make sure we’re all aware of what products we should avoid. But food borne illnesses can also result from eating foods that haven’t necessarily been recalled. The FDA released a great video full of tips on how to prevent food borne illness during your trip to the grocery store.
Did you know that cans that are cracked, bulging or have dents in them could be a sign that food has been contaminated? I had no clue and I usually don’t pay that close attention to the can’s condition. I just usually grab one in the front and throw it in my shopping cart.
The video also recommends shopping for meats, eggs and frozen items last. I remember my mom doing that when I was a little kid because she didn’t want those products to go bad while she was still shopping.
Some of the other tips include placing raw meat in plastic bags, inspecting fruit for spots or bruises and bagging fresh produce separately from meats and fish at checkout to avoid cross contamination.
I know just out of habit that I follow some of these guidelines, but I could definitely be better about others.
Question: I have been without dental insurance for over two years now when I was no longer accepted on my parents plan. Now I am on my own trying to get dental insurance but the truth of the matter is I really do not understand how dental insurance works. What is better for me to get a dental HMO or a dental PPO.
Answer: Which is best depends on personal factors for you. Like do you want to stay with a current dentist? Is cost a factor ? Do you have current dental care needs you are trying to address? To determine which plan type would best work for you, you need to first determine what it is you want in a dental insurance plan. Review our dental insurance options we provide, if you have any questions about the plans then call our member service line at 310-534-3444 as we be happy to assist you.
Immunization, or vaccination, helps prevent dangerous and sometimes deadly diseases. To stay protected against serious illnesses like the flu, measles, and pneumonia, adults need to get their shots – just like kids do.
National Immunization Awareness Month is a great time to promote vaccines and remind family, friends, and coworkers to stay up to date on their shots.
Question: I am in need of a low cost dental insurance plan for my daughter. My daughter is six years old and is missing a tooth. The dentist told us that at this point it does not look like she will be getting an adult tooth either. I was informed that when she looses all her baby teeth she will need to get braces in. Right now I am paying for a space maintainer. But once her adult teeth come in she will need an implant. You can see were her dental cost are getting higher and higher. I really need help with the increasing cost I am going to have with my daughter dental health care.
Answer: You may want to get a second option about her not having an adult tooth to replace the baby tooth that may have came out too soon. Most dental insurance plans at this time do not offer benefits for dental implants. Though getting dental insurance for you and your daughter is a good idea. The sooner the better since dental plans like PPO or Indemnity dental insurance plans have waiting periods for basic and major dental services. If cost is an issue you may want to review any of our HMO insurance options. HMO insurance plans are the lower cost dental insurance option, however you will need to choose a dentist in their provider network. This may mean having to change current dentist if your current providers do not on any HMO plans. I suggest reviewing our dental insurance plan options just by entering in your zip code in the quote box provided. After reviewing any of our dental insurance plans, if you have any questions call our member service line at 310-534-3444 as they will be happy to assist you with the available plan options provided on our website.
Persons with Disabilities: The term “disability” refers to limited physical or cognitive capacity. It includes people with neurological and neuro-developmental conditions, such as disorders of the brain, spinal cord, peripheral nerve, and muscle (e.g., cerebral palsy, epilepsy/seizure disorders, stroke, intellectual disability/mental retardation); moderate to severe developmental delay; muscular dystrophy; and spinal cord injury. These chronic conditions interfere with functional capacity. “Disability” also includes people with other chronic health conditions that interfere with functional capacity.
Having a disability alone may not place someone at higher risk for complications from the H1N1 virus, but other factors may put a person with disabilities at higher risk. You may be at risk if you are a:
•Young child
•Pregnant woman
•Person with arthritis
•Person with asthma
•Person with cancer
•Person with diabetes
•Person with heart disease
•Person with HIV/AIDS
Among people with disabilities, the following groups are at higher risk of acquiring the H1N1 infection:
•People who have difficultly breathing – (ventilator users and individuals with asthma and other respiratory conditions – this could include individuals with a range of disabilities such as intellectual and developmental disabilities, cerebral palsy, spinal cord injury, seizure disorders, and metabolic conditions).
•People who have difficulty fighting infections or who are immunocompromised – (individuals with HIV, cancer, and other types of immune suppression, or individuals using immunosuppressive medications).
•People of any age who have chronic health conditions (heart disease, metabolic [i.e., diabetes], renal, hepatic, hematological [i.e. sickle cell anemia], pulmonary, or neurological disorders).
•People who have pharmacological dependency.
•People younger than 19 years of age who are receiving long-term aspirin therapy due to their risk of developing Reye’s Syndrome.
•Children prone to dehydration from poor nutritional and fluid intake caused by prolonged vomiting and diarrhea, or underlying metabolic conditions.
Disability groups at risk of getting flu and/or having unrecognized flu symptoms include:
•People who have limited mobility or who cannot limit coming into contact with others who are infected, like staff and family members
•People who have trouble understanding or practicing preventive measures such as hand washing
•People who may not be able to communicate symptoms of illness
•People who may not be monitored closely for symptoms of illness
Individual and Family Dental Services
Dental Insurance Plans and Programs Dental health is extremely important for individuals and families and it’s financially helpful to have some form of dental coverage to minimize the costs of dental care. Dental insurance plans are also becoming increasingly unpopular with dental practices for a variety of reasons. Dental insurance plans differ in the level of reimbursement offered for certain procedures and in annual dental spending caps.
Dental insurance plans play a big role in helping people cope with dental health care without the exceedingly high costs. With dental insurance plans for you and your family, we can help make it easier to keep your smile healthy. Our individual dental insurance plans provide you with the coverage you need to promote good dental health.
If you are the policy holder of any dental insurance plans for individuals, you likely either have managed care dental insurance. In PPO dental insurance plans, dentists who are part of a network agree to lower costs for patients covered by a certain insurance provider, in exchange for the referrals from the insurance company that bring them more business. Compare dental insurance plans and decide which one is right for you and your family.
There are plenty of dental insurance plans that will cover dentures, but you need to plan ahead. Many but not all dental insurance plans have waiting periods from 6-18 months.
As an example: Replacing teeth with dentures is classified as major dental services. The average benefit is 50% co-insurance for your dentures. Dentures are covered by some dental discounts dental plans. Remember discount dental plans are not insurance dental plan.
What happens when you get dentures?
Full or partial dentures replace your teeth when you have lost your natural teeth, from periodontal disease, tooth decay or injury. They will help your appearance and your health including support for facial muscles sag which makes a person look older. Dentures normally take one month and 4-5 appointments which include the initial exam, wax bite impressions, and final denture adjustments.
How to take care of dentures?
Remove and brush your dentures with a tooth brush and denture cleanser designed for dentures. When the dentures are not used, soak the dentures in a denture cleaner solution or in water.
Should dentures be worn at bedtime?
Dentures should not be worn while sleeping to allow the gum tissue to rest and normal stimulation and cleaning by the tongue and saliva.
Are there alternatives to dentures?
Strategically placed supports or implants can be used to support permanently cemented bridges, eliminating the need for some dentures.
Many dental insurance plans require you to wait for your treatments to have certain procedures such as root canals and braces completed. Discount dental plans are dental insurance alternatives that offer attractive dental care savings. With the extremely high cost associated with most dental procedures outside of normal cleanings and x-rays, you may also find it beneficial to purchase additional dental insurance to supplement the coverage you already have.
Although they are becoming increasingly rare, indemnity dental insurance plans are also still available and provide the freedom to choose the dentist of your choice at a higher out-of-pocket expense. Most individual dental insurance plans tend to emphasize preventive dental care, because it lowers costs in the long-run caused by poor dental hygiene and lack of regular check-ups and cleanings.
Our dental web site is very clear if you are selecting a dental insurance plan or a dental discount plan. We understand that there are many dental plan web sites popping-up all over the internet, claiming to offer “dental insurance” when in fact they do not and are not licensed to offer a dental insurance plan. Our entire staff is licensed to offer, sell and service dental insurance. With our dental insurance plans for you and your family, we can help make it easier to keep your smile healthy.
Awards from the National Institutes of Health’s Common Fund are supporting research on the peripheral nervous system, in hopes of finding new ways to treat conditions such as asthma, diabetes, and nausea. The new awards total more than $20 million in fiscal year 2016, and go to 27 multidisciplinary research teams through the Stimulating Peripheral Activity to Relieve Conditions (SPARC) program. The SPARC program plans to support awards totaling approximately $238M through fiscal year 2021, pending available funds. This year’s awards encompass a wide range of projects intended to resolve existing knowledge gaps and technology limitations. In addition to treatment research, other projects focus on various organ systems, including heart, lung, stomach/intestine, colon, adipose tissue, spleen, bladder, and pancreas.
Dental Insurance Plan Choices – Indemnity Plan
An indemnity dental insurance plan allows you to select your own dentist. Dental insurance plans differ in the level of reimbursement offered for certain procedures and in annual dental spending caps. Dental insurance plans play a big role in helping people cope with dental health care without the exceedingly high costs. Dental health is extremely important for individuals and families and it’s financially helpful to have some form of dental coverage to minimize the costs of dental care.
It is our pledge to provide individuals and families with the easiest way to compare and purchase affordable, quality family and individual dental insurance and discount protection. In fact, we offer you a guarantee that the individual or group dental insurance plan you purchase today will satisfy your dental needs. We continue to grow and expand the offerings as the nation’s leading Internet source of quality individual and family dental insurance and discount protection. Discount dental plans are dental insurance alternatives that offer attractive dental care savings.
What happened? Why did my Medi-Cal Share of Cost go up?
When the IHSS share of cost people were transferred to Medi-Cal in 1998, the State paid the difference between the Medi-Cal and IHSS share of cost so that people who did not qualify for Medi-Cal under other programs would continue to have the same amount to live on as those who receive SSI/SSP and because IHSS recipients, unlike most of those who qualified for Medi-Cal with a share of cost, have to pay their share of cost each and every month.
Research led by NIH has shown that working to control blood glucose, or blood sugar, can have a lifelong effect on health, dramatically lowering the risk of many complications of diabetes.
NIH’s National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases remains at the forefront of pivotal research to prevent, treat and, one day, cure all types of diabetes, for everyone.
Make sure to take the time to talk to your health care provider about prostate cancer screening. The potential benefits of PSA testing as a routine screening test have not been shown to outweigh the harms of testing and treatment. Prostate examinations are no longer routinely done on men with no symptoms.