article from Diabetes In control

July 3, 2008

Only Systolic Pressure Matters In Hypertensive Patients Over 50

Measure and diagnosis of hypertension should focus exclusively on systolic

blood pressure in patients aged over 50 years, rather than using both

systolic

and diastolic as is current practice, according to a Viewpoint published

online June 18 in The Lancet.

The proposal was put forth by , University of Leicester and

Leicester Royal Infirmary, Leicester, United Kingdom.

The experts say that, because of ageing populations, systolic hypertension

(SH) is becoming much more common and important due to its high prevalence

in

patients aged 50 years and over, compared with diastolic hypertension (DH).

Systolic blood pressure (SBP) rises with age, but diastolic blood pressure

(DBP) only rises until around age 50 and falls thereafter, at a time when

risk

of cardiovascular disease begins to rise. Thus there is an increased

prevalence of SH in patients aged 50 years and over, and an almost total

disappearance

of DH.

" Since more than 75% of people with hypertension are aged over 50 years, the

burden of disease is mainly due to systolic pressure. The use of diastolic

pressure for diagnosis and risk analysis in our ageing populations has thus

become illogical, " the authors say.

In order to simplify treatment strategies for physicians and policy makers,

as well as to better focus the minds of drug innovators on the correct

targets,

the authors propose that, in patients aged 50 years and over, only SBP needs

to be measured, for 4 reasons.

First, SBP is more easily and accurately measured than DBP and is a better

predictor of risk. Second, information with 1 number would be more

understandable

for patients who are often confused about which of the 2 numbers is of

greater significance. Third, doctors themselves have received many

conflicting messages

about SBP and DBP, and many still use DBP to guide treatment decisions; this

proposal would simplify things for them. Fourth, focusing a public-health

campaign on a single number for people aged 50 years and over has the

potential to dramatically improve treatment outcomes for those with SH and

reduce

the associated disease and death rates.

The risk of cardiovascular disease rises continuously as SBP increases from

115 mm Hg. Most international and national guidelines advocate a target of

below 140 mm Hg, but there is a lack of evidence from prospective randomized

clinical trials to define the best target for SBP treatment. The authors say

that " such trials are much needed and perhaps our call for a renewed focus

on SBP will provide a catalyst for them to be designed. "

The authors acknowledged that for patients aged less than 50 years, the

scenario is different.

Up to 40% of patients aged less than 40 years have isolated DH, while this

figure is around a third in patients aged 40 to 50 years. Thus for these

patients,

a continued emphasis on both SBP and DBP is appropriate.

" However, this much smaller group of patients should not dilute the key

message regarding the overwhelming importance of systolic blood pressure for

most

patients with hypertension, " the authors wrote. They add that focusing on

SBP in these younger patients will almost always result in adequate control

of

DBP; yet if DBP is the sole target, many patients most at risk will be left

with uncontrolled SPB.

" We believe that systolic blood pressure should become the sole defining

feature of hypertension and key treatment target for people over age 50

years

.... [this] will simplify the message for practitioners and for patients,

will improve awareness and understanding of treatment objectives, and will

ultimately

lead to more effective treatment of high blood pressure, " the authors added.

" Such an initiative would have major public-health implications for the

prevention

of blood-pressure related cardiovascular disease. "

The Lancet, June 26, 2008

====================================================

One tablet, once daily, proven to deliver 24-hour glycemic control.

Learn more.

Have a comment?

Post it here.

Visit the NEW Diabetes In Control Blog.

Click Here!

There are no comments to this article at this time. Be the first!

This article is part of the following

Newsletter

, and this

Top Ten Most Read Articles:

A Spoonful of Vinegar Helps the Sugar Go Down

Read: 40056 Times

5 Sample Meal Plans, from 1200 to 2200 calories, in English and Spanish

Read: 18835 Times

Diabetes 101

Read: 16058 Times

New Type 3 Diabetes Discovered

Read: 14845 Times

Oral Insulin Spray (Oral-lyn) for Type 1 and 2 Diabetes in Ecuador

Read: 14434 Times

It's not just another glargine LevemirR

Read: 11878 Times

The GlucoBand-New Non-Invasive Continuous Blood Glucose Monitor-

Read: 11653 Times

Chili Extract A Possible Cure for Diabetes

Read: 11159 Times

Weight Training and Diabetes

Read: 9599 Times

Drugs in Development

Read: 9395 Times

See more most read...

Browse by Feature Writer & Article Category

A. Lee Dellon, MD |

Beverly Price |

Birgitta I. Rice, MS |

Did You Know |

Dr. Bernstein |

Dr. Jakes, Jr. |

Dr. Varon, DDS |

Dr. Fred Pescatore |

Dr. Walter Willett |

Education |

S. Freedland |

Evan D. Rosen |

Facts |

Features |

Ginger Kanzer- |

Items for the Week |

, MD |

ph M. Caporusso |

a Sandstedt |

Plunkett |

Leonard Lipson, M.A. |

Lester A. Packer |

Diane |

New Products |

Newsflash |

Chous, M.A., OD |

Philip A. Wood PhD |

R. |

Sheri R. Colberg PhD |

Sherri Shafer |

Steve Pohlit |

Studies |

Test Your Knowledge |

Theresa L. Garnero |

Tools |

Vickie R. Driver |

M. Volpone |

This Week's Blog |

Press Releases |

Search Articles On Diabetes In Control

Article Title:

and/or Description:

imageField

Diabetes In Control Sponsors

aserver/adview

Flash movie start

Learn More About T2D Treatment Options

Sign up for our FREE Weekly Newsletter

Current Issue

Past Issue

Diabetes In Control. News and Information for Medical Professionals

News and Information for Medical Professionals

Search Diabetes In Control

http://www.diabetes

<http://www.diabetesincontrol.com/newsite_sept2008/DinCart/production%20art/

b> incontrol.com/newsite_sept2008/DinCart/production%20art/b

utnsearch.gif

Current Spotlight Newsletter

Spotlight Product Reviews

New Products

Archive

About Us

Contact Us

Advertising

Current Studies

Previous Studies

Request Insight Svcs

Newsflash

Diabetes News

Features

Feature Writers

Past Newsletters

Continuing Education

Test Your Knowledge

Tools for your Practice

link region type: RECT

Send to Friend

| Share |

Print |

Category |

Home

This article originally posted

November 11, 2008

and appeared in

Issue 442

Obama Wins: What It Means for Healthcare

Tuesday's election of Democrat Barack Obama ushers in a new administration

that is all but certain to include some level of health care reform. Less

clear

is how extensive that reform will be and when it will come. Hopefully

prevention will be a key component in any new changes.

Diabetes In Control Sponsors

http://www.diabetes

<http://www.diabetesincontrol.com/aserver/adclick.php?n=a8e6d6c1>

incontrol.com/aserver/adclick.php?n=a8e6d6c1

Flash movie end

Print This Week's Newsletter

Download This Week's Newsletter

Newsletter is in Adobe format

If you don't have Adobe Acrobat Reader, you can download it for Free

here.

Free CE Available

CE Programs On Diabetes Available

here

alltop

aserver/adimage.php?filename=infusion468x60final

Sign up for our FREE Weekly Newsletter

Current Issue

Past Issue

production art/butnsignup

Privacy /

Advertising With Us /

Contact Us

Entries (RSS News)

Add us to your favorite news reader

addtogoogle

addtomsm

addtomyyahoo

November 15, 2008

Socialized medicine may not be the answer, but something has to be done for

all the people who have no insurance and something catastrophic something

happens to them. At this moment, I know of at least 3 newly diagnosed

diabetics who have gone blind, have applied for Social Security disability

and cannot get any insurance to even pay for insulin until their MediCare

kicks in until sometime late next year. In the meantime, they have to plead

with relatives to buy them insulin and syringes and none of them have seen a

doctor in close to a year because they don't have the money to pay for it.

I have seen many, many p;eople sho are working, sometimes 2 jobs, but stil

have no insurance and some accident happens to them or to their kids. I

can give you many more examples of diabetics with no insurance because of

the SS system refusing to give them disability, although they were legally

blind. They had to file an appeal which took years to process. A couple of

them died in the meantime.

Re: article from Diabetes In control

I hope we don't get too off topic here, but I'll go ahead and state that all

this talk of health reform by Obama is pie in the sky. The only real hope is

for Americans (and everyone) to simply be healthier. A lot of the excess

costs can be attributed to people not taking care of themselves, and

consequently, costs go up. One area where Obama says he'll fund expanded

health care is by forcing employers to provide more health coverage. Well,

who in the world is going to pay for an employer's added costs? You and I my

friends. The costs of goods and services will rise in order for employers to

afford this expanded coverage. My wife says that her employer shared with

all the staff at a staff meeting last week that his costs are going up

again, and he even told them how much he pays per month for health coverage.

He also shared just how much money they need to bring in per day to cover

costs, and contrary to what a lot of people think, just because someone owns

a business, does not mean they are well off. If the free market is attacked

over and over, forcing those who make money to pay for those who don't,

well, disaster is not far away. Don't get me wrong, many people (including

many of us) are not in a position to " prevent " problems, at least, to

prevent getting diabetes. This is of course true of many diseases. We need

to take care of those who truly are in need (and I again include many of us

in that group). But be wary fellow blind-diabetics, socialized helth care is

not the answer.

Dave

God doesn't hate sinners, just sin!

article from Diabetes In control

Obama Wins: What It Means for Healthcare

Tuesday's election of Democrat Barack Obama ushers in a new administration

that is all but certain to include some level of health care reform. Less

clear

is how extensive that reform will be and when it will come. Hopefully

prevention will be a key component in any new changes.

The Illinois senator has proposed sweeping changes in the health care system

designed to provide health coverage to millions of uninsured Americans.

But experts say that the current financial crisis makes sweeping change

unlikely any time soon.

" I have no inside track, but I would bet that in this economic climate it is

far more likely that changes will be phased in over time, " says ,

president of the health policy and research group Commonwealth Fund.

University of Michigan health economist Buckmueller, PhD, agrees that

the economic climate is likely to slow reform. " I am not extremely

optimistic

that major reform will happen, but this seems to be the best chance we have

had in a long time. "

Obama spoke often during the campaign about his mother's battle with ovarian

cancer to illustrate his commitment to changing the health care system.

He told of her final days, spent battling insurance company bureaucrats who

did not want to pay for her cancer treatments. " I know what it's like to see

a loved one suffer, not just because they are sick, but because of a broken

health care system, " he said at a rally last week and at countless campaign

stops before that.

His plan would extend health coverage by expanding existing private and

public programs with the help of federal subsidies and mandates.

He has repeatedly claimed the reforms will lower the average family's health

insurance premiums by about $2,500 a year.

These reforms include:

list of 4 items

.. Requiring employers, except small businesses, to provide health insurance

to their employees or contribute to the cost.

.. Requiring that all children have health insurance.

.. Expanding Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program

(SCHIP).

.. Creating a National Health Insurance Exchange to pool risk and give people

the choice of competing private or public health plans.

list end

According to the Tax Policy Center, a nonpartisan tax analysis group, the

president-elect's plan, if fully implemented, would reduce the number of

uninsured

Americans from a projected 67 million to 33 million over the next decade at

a cost of $1.6 trillion.

Obama has said he would pay for his plan by rolling back President Bush's

tax cuts on people making more than $250,000 a year and keeping the estate

tax

at 2009 levels, but he has not been more specific. He has not provided a

timetable for seeking his proposed reforms and has not said if he would

present

a comprehensive health care reform package or try for incremental change.

Many of Obama's other proposals -- from the expansion of Medicare to his

National Health Insurance Exchange -- will be much harder to win support

for, even

with a largely friendly Congress behind him.

While sweeping reform may not come soon, experts agree that the nation's

broken health care system must be addressed and that this must happen sooner

rather

than later.

The statistics bear this out:

list of 3 items

.. 45 million Americans have no health insurance.

.. 25 million more have health plans but are considered underinsured because

their policies offer only minimal coverage, according to the Commonwealth

Fund.

.. 42% of U.S. adults under age 65 are uninsured or underinsured, up from 33%

in 2003.

list end

Total spending on health care represented around 16% of the gross domestic

product in 2007, and the Congressional Budget Office says spending will rise

to a quarter of gross domestic product by 2025.

" We are not going to reduce health care spending, " says former Congressional

Budget Office Director Alice Rivlin, PhD, who is now a scholar with the

Brookings

Institution. " The best we can do is reduce the rate of health care spending

growth. That should be the No. 1 priority of any health care reform. "

If jobs are the next thing to go in the current economic crisis, as many

economists are predicting, the number of Americans without health insurance

will

quickly increase beyond projections.

" Something has to happen over the next few years, because the cost of doing

nothing is too great, " Rivlin says.

echoes the thought. " We can't afford to stay on the path we are on

with regard to total health spending, " she says. " Employers can't afford it,

the

government can't afford it, and individuals can't afford it. It is just not

sustainable. "

, president, Commonwealth Fund.

Send to Friend

| Share |

Print |

Category |

Home

This article originally posted November 11, 2008 and appeared in

Issue 442

Past five issues:

Issue 442 |

Issue 441 |

Issue 440 |

Issue 439 |

Issue 438 |

Have a comment?

Post it here.

Visit the NEW Diabetes In Control Blog.

Click Here!

There are no comments to this article at this time.

Be the first!

Top Ten Most Read Articles:

A Spoonful of Vinegar Helps the Sugar Go Down

Read: 40056 Times

5 Sample Meal Plans, from 1200 to 2200 calories, in English and Spanish

Read: 18835 Times

Diabetes 101

Read: 16058 Times

New Type 3 Diabetes Discovered

Read: 14845 Times

Oral Insulin Spray (Oral-lyn) for Type 1 and 2 Diabetes in Ecuador

Read: 14434 Times

It's not just another glargine LevemirR

Read: 11878 Times

The GlucoBand-New Non-Invasive Continuous Blood Glucose Monitor-

Read: 11653 Times

Chili Extract A Possible Cure for Diabetes

Read: 11159 Times

Weight Training and Diabetes

Read: 9599 Times

Drugs in Development

Read: 9395 Times

See more most read...

Browse by Feature Writer & Article Category

A. Lee Dellon, MD |

Beverly Price |

Birgitta I. Rice, MS |

Did You Know |

Dr. Bernstein |

Dr. Jakes, Jr. |

Dr. Varon, DDS |

Dr. Fred Pescatore |

Dr. Walter Willett |

Education |

S. Freedland |

Evan D. Rosen |

Facts |

Features |

Ginger Kanzer- |

Items for the Week |

, MD |

ph M. Caporusso |

a Sandstedt |

Plunkett |

Leonard Lipson, M.A. |

Lester A. Packer |

Diane |

New Products |

Newsflash |

Chous, M.A., OD |

Philip A. Wood PhD |

R. |

Sheri R. Colberg PhD |

Sherri Shafer |

Steve Pohlit |

Studies |

Test Your Knowledge |

Theresa L. Garnero |

Tools |

Vickie R. Driver |

M. Volpone |

This Week's Blog |

Press Releases |

Search Articles On Diabetes In Control

Article Title:

and/or Description:

imageField

Diabetes In Control Sponsors

aserver/adview

Flash movie start

Learn More About T2D Treatment Options

Sign up for our FREE Weekly Newsletter

Current Issue

Past Issue

Diabetes In Control. News and Information for Medical Professionals

News and Information for Medical Professionals

Search Diabetes In Control

http://www.diabetes

<http://www.diabetesincontrol.com/newsite_sept2008/DinCart/production%20art/

b> incontrol.com/newsite_sept2008/DinCart/production%20art/b

utnsearch.gif

Current Spotlight Newsletter

Spotlight Product Reviews

New Products

Archive

About Us

Contact Us

Advertising

Current Studies

Previous Studies

Request Insight Svcs

Newsflash

Diabetes News

Features

Feature Writers

Past Newsletters

Continuing Education

Test Your Knowledge

Tools for your Practice

link region type: RECT

Send to Friend

| Share |

Print |

Category |

Home

This article originally posted

November 11, 2008

and appeared in

Issue 442

Obama Wins: What It Means for Healthcare

Tuesday's election of Democrat Barack Obama ushers in a new administration

that is all but certain to include some level of health care reform. Less

clear

is how extensive that reform will be and when it will come. Hopefully

prevention will be a key component in any new changes.

Diabetes In Control Sponsors

http://www.diabetes

<http://www.diabetesincontrol.com/aserver/adclick.php?n=a8e6d6c1>

incontrol.com/aserver/adclick.php?n=a8e6d6c1

Flash movie end

Print This Week's Newsletter

Download This Week's Newsletter

Newsletter is in Adobe format

If you don't have Adobe Acrobat Reader, you can download it for Free

here.

Free CE Available

CE Programs On Diabetes Available

here

alltop

aserver/adimage.php?filename=infusion468x60final

Sign up for our FREE Weekly Newsletter

Current Issue

Past Issue

production art/butnsignup

Privacy /

Advertising With Us /

Contact Us

Entries (RSS News)

Add us to your favorite news reader

addtogoogle

addtomsm

addtomyyahoo

November 15, 2008

If a person is disabled due to being legally blind, his social security claim is

usually approved in six months or less. What is the matter with the folks you

state below who had to take years to get approved?

article from Diabetes In control

Obama Wins: What It Means for Healthcare

Tuesday's election of Democrat Barack Obama ushers in a new administration

that is all but certain to include some level of health care reform. Less

clear

is how extensive that reform will be and when it will come. Hopefully

prevention will be a key component in any new changes.

The Illinois senator has proposed sweeping changes in the health care system

designed to provide health coverage to millions of uninsured Americans.

But experts say that the current financial crisis makes sweeping change

unlikely any time soon.

" I have no inside track, but I would bet that in this economic climate it is

far more likely that changes will be phased in over time, " says ,

president of the health policy and research group Commonwealth Fund.

University of Michigan health economist Buckmueller, PhD, agrees that

the economic climate is likely to slow reform. " I am not extremely

optimistic

that major reform will happen, but this seems to be the best chance we have

had in a long time. "

Obama spoke often during the campaign about his mother's battle with ovarian

cancer to illustrate his commitment to changing the health care system.

He told of her final days, spent battling insurance company bureaucrats who

did not want to pay for her cancer treatments. " I know what it's like to see

a loved one suffer, not just because they are sick, but because of a broken

health care system, " he said at a rally last week and at countless campaign

stops before that.

His plan would extend health coverage by expanding existing private and

public programs with the help of federal subsidies and mandates.

He has repeatedly claimed the reforms will lower the average family's health

insurance premiums by about $2,500 a year.

These reforms include:

list of 4 items

. Requiring employers, except small businesses, to provide health insurance

to their employees or contribute to the cost.

. Requiring that all children have health insurance.

. Expanding Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program

(SCHIP).

. Creating a National Health Insurance Exchange to pool risk and give people

the choice of competing private or public health plans.

list end

According to the Tax Policy Center, a nonpartisan tax analysis group, the

president-elect's plan, if fully implemented, would reduce the number of

uninsured

Americans from a projected 67 million to 33 million over the next decade at

a cost of $1.6 trillion.

Obama has said he would pay for his plan by rolling back President Bush's

tax cuts on people making more than $250,000 a year and keeping the estate

tax

at 2009 levels, but he has not been more specific. He has not provided a

timetable for seeking his proposed reforms and has not said if he would

present

a comprehensive health care reform package or try for incremental change.

Many of Obama's other proposals -- from the expansion of Medicare to his

National Health Insurance Exchange -- will be much harder to win support

for, even

with a largely friendly Congress behind him.

While sweeping reform may not come soon, experts agree that the nation's

broken health care system must be addressed and that this must happen sooner

rather

than later.

The statistics bear this out:

list of 3 items

. 45 million Americans have no health insurance.

. 25 million more have health plans but are considered underinsured because

their policies offer only minimal coverage, according to the Commonwealth

Fund.

. 42% of U.S. adults under age 65 are uninsured or underinsured, up from 33%

in 2003.

list end

Total spending on health care represented around 16% of the gross domestic

product in 2007, and the Congressional Budget Office says spending will rise

to a quarter of gross domestic product by 2025.

" We are not going to reduce health care spending, " says former Congressional

Budget Office Director Alice Rivlin, PhD, who is now a scholar with the

Brookings

Institution. " The best we can do is reduce the rate of health care spending

growth. That should be the No. 1 priority of any health care reform. "

If jobs are the next thing to go in the current economic crisis, as many

economists are predicting, the number of Americans without health insurance

will

quickly increase beyond projections.

" Something has to happen over the next few years, because the cost of doing

nothing is too great, " Rivlin says.

echoes the thought. " We can't afford to stay on the path we are on

with regard to total health spending, " she says. " Employers can't afford it,

the

government can't afford it, and individuals can't afford it. It is just not

sustainable. "

, president, Commonwealth Fund.

Send to Friend

| Share |

Print |

Category |

Home

This article originally posted November 11, 2008 and appeared in

Issue 442

Past five issues:

Issue 442 |

Issue 441 |

Issue 440 |

Issue 439 |

Issue 438 |

Have a comment?

Post it here.

Visit the NEW Diabetes In Control Blog.

Click Here!

There are no comments to this article at this time.

Be the first!

Top Ten Most Read Articles:

A Spoonful of Vinegar Helps the Sugar Go Down

Read: 40056 Times

5 Sample Meal Plans, from 1200 to 2200 calories, in English and Spanish

Read: 18835 Times

Diabetes 101

Read: 16058 Times

New Type 3 Diabetes Discovered

Read: 14845 Times

Oral Insulin Spray (Oral-lyn) for Type 1 and 2 Diabetes in Ecuador

Read: 14434 Times

It's not just another glargine LevemirR

Read: 11878 Times

The GlucoBand-New Non-Invasive Continuous Blood Glucose Monitor-

Read: 11653 Times

Chili Extract A Possible Cure for Diabetes

Read: 11159 Times

Weight Training and Diabetes

Read: 9599 Times

Drugs in Development

Read: 9395 Times

See more most read...

Browse by Feature Writer & Article Category

A. Lee Dellon, MD |

Beverly Price |

Birgitta I. Rice, MS |

Did You Know |

Dr. Bernstein |

Dr. Jakes, Jr. |

Dr. Varon, DDS |

Dr. Fred Pescatore |

Dr. Walter Willett |

Education |

S. Freedland |

Evan D. Rosen |

Facts |

Features |

Ginger Kanzer- |

Items for the Week |

, MD |

ph M. Caporusso |

a Sandstedt |

Plunkett |

Leonard Lipson, M.A. |

Lester A. Packer |

Diane |

New Products |

Newsflash |

Chous, M.A., OD |

Philip A. Wood PhD |

R. |

Sheri R. Colberg PhD |

Sherri Shafer |

Steve Pohlit |

Studies |

Test Your Knowledge |

Theresa L. Garnero |

Tools |

Vickie R. Driver |

M. Volpone |

This Week's Blog |

Press Releases |

Search Articles On Diabetes In Control

Article Title:

and/or Description:

imageField

Diabetes In Control Sponsors

aserver/adview

Flash movie start

Learn More About T2D Treatment Options

Sign up for our FREE Weekly Newsletter

Current Issue

Past Issue

Diabetes In Control. News and Information for Medical Professionals

News and Information for Medical Professionals

Search Diabetes In Control

http://www.diabetes

<http://www.diabetesincontrol.com/newsite_sept2008/DinCart/production%20art/

b> incontrol.com/newsite_sept2008/DinCart/production%20art/b

utnsearch.gif

Current Spotlight Newsletter

Spotlight Product Reviews

New Products

Archive

About Us

Contact Us

Advertising

Current Studies

Previous Studies

Request Insight Svcs

Newsflash

Diabetes News

Features

Feature Writers

Past Newsletters

Continuing Education

Test Your Knowledge

Tools for your Practice

link region type: RECT

Send to Friend

| Share |

Print |

Category |

Home

This article originally posted

November 11, 2008

and appeared in

Issue 442

Obama Wins: What It Means for Healthcare

Tuesday's election of Democrat Barack Obama ushers in a new administration

that is all but certain to include some level of health care reform. Less

clear

is how extensive that reform will be and when it will come. Hopefully

prevention will be a key component in any new changes.

Diabetes In Control Sponsors

http://www.diabetes

<http://www.diabetesincontrol.com/aserver/adclick.php?n=a8e6d6c1>

incontrol.com/aserver/adclick.php?n=a8e6d6c1

Flash movie end

Print This Week's Newsletter

Download This Week's Newsletter

Newsletter is in Adobe format

If you don't have Adobe Acrobat Reader, you can download it for Free

here.

Free CE Available

CE Programs On Diabetes Available

here

alltop

aserver/adimage.php?filename=infusion468x60final

Sign up for our FREE Weekly Newsletter

Current Issue

Past Issue

production art/butnsignup

Privacy /

Advertising With Us /

Contact Us

Entries (RSS News)

Add us to your favorite news reader

addtogoogle

addtomsm

addtomyyahoo

November 15, 2008

If a person is disabled due to being legally blind, his social security claim is

usually approved in six months or less. What is the matter with the folks you

state below who had to take years to get approved?

article from Diabetes In control

Obama Wins: What It Means for Healthcare

Tuesday's election of Democrat Barack Obama ushers in a new administration

that is all but certain to include some level of health care reform. Less

clear

is how extensive that reform will be and when it will come. Hopefully

prevention will be a key component in any new changes.

The Illinois senator has proposed sweeping changes in the health care system

designed to provide health coverage to millions of uninsured Americans.

But experts say that the current financial crisis makes sweeping change

unlikely any time soon.

" I have no inside track, but I would bet that in this economic climate it is

far more likely that changes will be phased in over time, " says ,

president of the health policy and research group Commonwealth Fund.

University of Michigan health economist Buckmueller, PhD, agrees that

the economic climate is likely to slow reform. " I am not extremely

optimistic

that major reform will happen, but this seems to be the best chance we have

had in a long time. "

Obama spoke often during the campaign about his mother's battle with ovarian

cancer to illustrate his commitment to changing the health care system.

He told of her final days, spent battling insurance company bureaucrats who

did not want to pay for her cancer treatments. " I know what it's like to see

a loved one suffer, not just because they are sick, but because of a broken

health care system, " he said at a rally last week and at countless campaign

stops before that.

His plan would extend health coverage by expanding existing private and

public programs with the help of federal subsidies and mandates.

He has repeatedly claimed the reforms will lower the average family's health

insurance premiums by about $2,500 a year.

These reforms include:

list of 4 items

. Requiring employers, except small businesses, to provide health insurance

to their employees or contribute to the cost.

. Requiring that all children have health insurance.

. Expanding Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program

(SCHIP).

. Creating a National Health Insurance Exchange to pool risk and give people

the choice of competing private or public health plans.

list end

According to the Tax Policy Center, a nonpartisan tax analysis group, the

president-elect's plan, if fully implemented, would reduce the number of

uninsured

Americans from a projected 67 million to 33 million over the next decade at

a cost of $1.6 trillion.

Obama has said he would pay for his plan by rolling back President Bush's

tax cuts on people making more than $250,000 a year and keeping the estate

tax

at 2009 levels, but he has not been more specific. He has not provided a

timetable for seeking his proposed reforms and has not said if he would

present

a comprehensive health care reform package or try for incremental change.

Many of Obama's other proposals -- from the expansion of Medicare to his

National Health Insurance Exchange -- will be much harder to win support

for, even

with a largely friendly Congress behind him.

While sweeping reform may not come soon, experts agree that the nation's

broken health care system must be addressed and that this must happen sooner

rather

than later.

The statistics bear this out:

list of 3 items

. 45 million Americans have no health insurance.

. 25 million more have health plans but are considered underinsured because

their policies offer only minimal coverage, according to the Commonwealth

Fund.

. 42% of U.S. adults under age 65 are uninsured or underinsured, up from 33%

in 2003.

list end

Total spending on health care represented around 16% of the gross domestic

product in 2007, and the Congressional Budget Office says spending will rise

to a quarter of gross domestic product by 2025.

" We are not going to reduce health care spending, " says former Congressional

Budget Office Director Alice Rivlin, PhD, who is now a scholar with the

Brookings

Institution. " The best we can do is reduce the rate of health care spending

growth. That should be the No. 1 priority of any health care reform. "

If jobs are the next thing to go in the current economic crisis, as many

economists are predicting, the number of Americans without health insurance

will

quickly increase beyond projections.

" Something has to happen over the next few years, because the cost of doing

nothing is too great, " Rivlin says.

echoes the thought. " We can't afford to stay on the path we are on

with regard to total health spending, " she says. " Employers can't afford it,

the

government can't afford it, and individuals can't afford it. It is just not

sustainable. "

, president, Commonwealth Fund.

Send to Friend

| Share |

Print |

Category |

Home

This article originally posted November 11, 2008 and appeared in

Issue 442

Past five issues:

Issue 442 |

Issue 441 |

Issue 440 |

Issue 439 |

Issue 438 |

Have a comment?

Post it here.

Visit the NEW Diabetes In Control Blog.

Click Here!

There are no comments to this article at this time.

Be the first!

Top Ten Most Read Articles:

A Spoonful of Vinegar Helps the Sugar Go Down

Read: 40056 Times

5 Sample Meal Plans, from 1200 to 2200 calories, in English and Spanish

Read: 18835 Times

Diabetes 101

Read: 16058 Times

New Type 3 Diabetes Discovered

Read: 14845 Times

Oral Insulin Spray (Oral-lyn) for Type 1 and 2 Diabetes in Ecuador

Read: 14434 Times

It's not just another glargine LevemirR

Read: 11878 Times

The GlucoBand-New Non-Invasive Continuous Blood Glucose Monitor-

Read: 11653 Times

Chili Extract A Possible Cure for Diabetes

Read: 11159 Times

Weight Training and Diabetes

Read: 9599 Times

Drugs in Development

Read: 9395 Times

See more most read...

Browse by Feature Writer & Article Category

A. Lee Dellon, MD |

Beverly Price |

Birgitta I. Rice, MS |

Did You Know |

Dr. Bernstein |

Dr. Jakes, Jr. |

Dr. Varon, DDS |

Dr. Fred Pescatore |

Dr. Walter Willett |

Education |

S. Freedland |

Evan D. Rosen |

Facts |

Features |

Ginger Kanzer- |

Items for the Week |

, MD |

ph M. Caporusso |

a Sandstedt |

Plunkett |

Leonard Lipson, M.A. |

Lester A. Packer |

Diane |

New Products |

Newsflash |

Chous, M.A., OD |

Philip A. Wood PhD |

R. |

Sheri R. Colberg PhD |

Sherri Shafer |

Steve Pohlit |

Studies |

Test Your Knowledge |

Theresa L. Garnero |

Tools |

Vickie R. Driver |

M. Volpone |

This Week's Blog |

Press Releases |

Search Articles On Diabetes In Control

Article Title:

and/or Description:

imageField

Diabetes In Control Sponsors

aserver/adview

Flash movie start

Learn More About T2D Treatment Options

Sign up for our FREE Weekly Newsletter

Current Issue

Past Issue

Diabetes In Control. News and Information for Medical Professionals

News and Information for Medical Professionals

Search Diabetes In Control

http://www.diabetes

<http://www.diabetesincontrol.com/newsite_sept2008/DinCart/production%20art/

b> incontrol.com/newsite_sept2008/DinCart/production%20art/b

utnsearch.gif

Current Spotlight Newsletter

Spotlight Product Reviews

New Products

Archive

About Us

Contact Us

Advertising

Current Studies

Previous Studies

Request Insight Svcs

Newsflash

Diabetes News

Features

Feature Writers

Past Newsletters

Continuing Education

Test Your Knowledge

Tools for your Practice

link region type: RECT

Send to Friend

| Share |

Print |

Category |

Home

This article originally posted

November 11, 2008

and appeared in

Issue 442

Obama Wins: What It Means for Healthcare

Tuesday's election of Democrat Barack Obama ushers in a new administration

that is all but certain to include some level of health care reform. Less

clear

is how extensive that reform will be and when it will come. Hopefully

prevention will be a key component in any new changes.

Diabetes In Control Sponsors

http://www.diabetes

<http://www.diabetesincontrol.com/aserver/adclick.php?n=a8e6d6c1>

incontrol.com/aserver/adclick.php?n=a8e6d6c1

Flash movie end

Print This Week's Newsletter

Download This Week's Newsletter

Newsletter is in Adobe format

If you don't have Adobe Acrobat Reader, you can download it for Free

here.

Free CE Available

CE Programs On Diabetes Available

here

alltop

aserver/adimage.php?filename=infusion468x60final

Sign up for our FREE Weekly Newsletter

Current Issue

Past Issue

production art/butnsignup

Privacy /

Advertising With Us /

Contact Us

Entries (RSS News)

Add us to your favorite news reader

addtogoogle

addtomsm

addtomyyahoo

November 15, 2008

Social Security did not believe the reports from their doctors and I know of

at least 2 cases where Social Security did not believe their own doctors.

Of course, when they finally got to a SS judge, the judges were disgusted

and without question approved the persons. However, this took one woman 3

years and another one 2. My friend applied last May 2007 for SS disability

and was told they were so backed up from false claims, they could not

process her claim. She will not get her SS started until this up-coming

January. She wil get back pay, of course, but in the meantime, it has been

really tough for her.

Re: article from Diabetes In control

If a person is disabled due to being legally blind, his social security

claim is usually approved in six months or less. What is the matter with the

folks you state below who had to take years to get approved?

article from Diabetes In control

Obama Wins: What It Means for Healthcare

Tuesday's election of Democrat Barack Obama ushers in a new administration

that is all but certain to include some level of health care reform. Less

clear

is how extensive that reform will be and when it will come. Hopefully

prevention will be a key component in any new changes.

The Illinois senator has proposed sweeping changes in the health care system

designed to provide health coverage to millions of uninsured Americans.

But experts say that the current financial crisis makes sweeping change

unlikely any time soon.

" I have no inside track, but I would bet that in this economic climate it is

far more likely that changes will be phased in over time, " says ,

president of the health policy and research group Commonwealth Fund.

University of Michigan health economist Buckmueller, PhD, agrees that

the economic climate is likely to slow reform. " I am not extremely

optimistic

that major reform will happen, but this seems to be the best chance we have

had in a long time. "

Obama spoke often during the campaign about his mother's battle with ovarian

cancer to illustrate his commitment to changing the health care system.

He told of her final days, spent battling insurance company bureaucrats who

did not want to pay for her cancer treatments. " I know what it's like to see

a loved one suffer, not just because they are sick, but because of a broken

health care system, " he said at a rally last week and at countless campaign

stops before that.

His plan would extend health coverage by expanding existing private and

public programs with the help of federal subsidies and mandates.

He has repeatedly claimed the reforms will lower the average family's health

insurance premiums by about $2,500 a year.

These reforms include:

list of 4 items

.. Requiring employers, except small businesses, to provide health insurance

to their employees or contribute to the cost.

.. Requiring that all children have health insurance.

.. Expanding Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program

(SCHIP).

.. Creating a National Health Insurance Exchange to pool risk and give people

the choice of competing private or public health plans.

list end

According to the Tax Policy Center, a nonpartisan tax analysis group, the

president-elect's plan, if fully implemented, would reduce the number of

uninsured

Americans from a projected 67 million to 33 million over the next decade at

a cost of $1.6 trillion.

Obama has said he would pay for his plan by rolling back President Bush's

tax cuts on people making more than $250,000 a year and keeping the estate

tax

at 2009 levels, but he has not been more specific. He has not provided a

timetable for seeking his proposed reforms and has not said if he would

present

a comprehensive health care reform package or try for incremental change.

Many of Obama's other proposals -- from the expansion of Medicare to his

National Health Insurance Exchange -- will be much harder to win support

for, even

with a largely friendly Congress behind him.

While sweeping reform may not come soon, experts agree that the nation's

broken health care system must be addressed and that this must happen sooner

rather

than later.

The statistics bear this out:

list of 3 items

.. 45 million Americans have no health insurance.

.. 25 million more have health plans but are considered underinsured because

their policies offer only minimal coverage, according to the Commonwealth

Fund.

.. 42% of U.S. adults under age 65 are uninsured or underinsured, up from 33%

in 2003.

list end

Total spending on health care represented around 16% of the gross domestic

product in 2007, and the Congressional Budget Office says spending will rise

to a quarter of gross domestic product by 2025.

" We are not going to reduce health care spending, " says former Congressional

Budget Office Director Alice Rivlin, PhD, who is now a scholar with the

Brookings

Institution. " The best we can do is reduce the rate of health care spending

growth. That should be the No. 1 priority of any health care reform. "

If jobs are the next thing to go in the current economic crisis, as many

economists are predicting, the number of Americans without health insurance

will

quickly increase beyond projections.

" Something has to happen over the next few years, because the cost of doing

nothing is too great, " Rivlin says.

echoes the thought. " We can't afford to stay on the path we are on

with regard to total health spending, " she says. " Employers can't afford it,

the

government can't afford it, and individuals can't afford it. It is just not

sustainable. "

, president, Commonwealth Fund.

Send to Friend

| Share |

Print |

Category |

Home

This article originally posted November 11, 2008 and appeared in

Issue 442

Past five issues:

Issue 442 |

Issue 441 |

Issue 440 |

Issue 439 |

Issue 438 |

Have a comment?

Post it here.

Visit the NEW Diabetes In Control Blog.

Click Here!

There are no comments to this article at this time.

Be the first!

Top Ten Most Read Articles:

A Spoonful of Vinegar Helps the Sugar Go Down

Read: 40056 Times

5 Sample Meal Plans, from 1200 to 2200 calories, in English and Spanish

Read: 18835 Times

Diabetes 101

Read: 16058 Times

New Type 3 Diabetes Discovered

Read: 14845 Times

Oral Insulin Spray (Oral-lyn) for Type 1 and 2 Diabetes in Ecuador

Read: 14434 Times

It's not just another glargine LevemirR

Read: 11878 Times

The GlucoBand-New Non-Invasive Continuous Blood Glucose Monitor-

Read: 11653 Times

Chili Extract A Possible Cure for Diabetes

Read: 11159 Times

Weight Training and Diabetes

Read: 9599 Times

Drugs in Development

Read: 9395 Times

See more most read...

Browse by Feature Writer & Article Category

A. Lee Dellon, MD |

Beverly Price |

Birgitta I. Rice, MS |

Did You Know |

Dr. Bernstein |

Dr. Jakes, Jr. |

Dr. Varon, DDS |

Dr. Fred Pescatore |

Dr. Walter Willett |

Education |

S. Freedland |

Evan D. Rosen |

Facts |

Features |

Ginger Kanzer- |

Items for the Week |

, MD |

ph M. Caporusso |

a Sandstedt |

Plunkett |

Leonard Lipson, M.A. |

Lester A. Packer |

Diane |

New Products |

Newsflash |

Chous, M.A., OD |

Philip A. Wood PhD |

R. |

Sheri R. Colberg PhD |

Sherri Shafer |

Steve Pohlit |

Studies |

Test Your Knowledge |

Theresa L. Garnero |

Tools |

Vickie R. Driver |

M. Volpone |

This Week's Blog |

Press Releases |

Search Articles On Diabetes In Control

Article Title:

and/or Description:

imageField

Diabetes In Control Sponsors

aserver/adview

Flash movie start

Learn More About T2D Treatment Options

Sign up for our FREE Weekly Newsletter

Current Issue

Past Issue

Diabetes In Control. News and Information for Medical Professionals

News and Information for Medical Professionals

Search Diabetes In Control

http://www.diabetes

<http://www.diabetes

<http://www.diabetesincontrol.com/newsite_sept2008/DinCart/production%20art/

> incontrol.com/newsite_sept2008/DinCart/production%20art/

b> incontrol.com/newsite_sept2008/DinCart/production%20art/b

utnsearch.gif

Current Spotlight Newsletter

Spotlight Product Reviews

New Products

Archive

About Us

Contact Us

Advertising

Current Studies

Previous Studies

Request Insight Svcs

Newsflash

Diabetes News

Features

Feature Writers

Past Newsletters

Continuing Education

Test Your Knowledge

Tools for your Practice

link region type: RECT

Send to Friend

| Share |

Print |

Category |

Home

This article originally posted

November 11, 2008

and appeared in

Issue 442

Obama Wins: What It Means for Healthcare

Tuesday's election of Democrat Barack Obama ushers in a new administration

that is all but certain to include some level of health care reform. Less

clear

is how extensive that reform will be and when it will come. Hopefully

prevention will be a key component in any new changes.

Diabetes In Control Sponsors

http://www.diabetes

<http://www.diabetes

<http://www.diabetesincontrol.com/aserver/adclick.php?n=a8e6d6c1>

incontrol.com/aserver/adclick.php?n=a8e6d6c1>

incontrol.com/aserver/adclick.php?n=a8e6d6c1

Flash movie end

Print This Week's Newsletter

Download This Week's Newsletter

Newsletter is in Adobe format

If you don't have Adobe Acrobat Reader, you can download it for Free

here.

Free CE Available

CE Programs On Diabetes Available

here

alltop

aserver/adimage.php?filename=infusion468x60final

Sign up for our FREE Weekly Newsletter

Current Issue

Past Issue

production art/butnsignup

Privacy /

Advertising With Us /

Contact Us

Entries (RSS News)

Add us to your favorite news reader

addtogoogle

addtomsm

addtomyyahoo

November 15, 2008