Houston Healthcare Support

Healthcare: What is it?

Healthcare is simply taking care of a person’s health. The complexity of healthcare comes from the individual as a whole. Healthcare differs from one person to another. Some may require more attention and some, not as much. Everyone who is concerned about their body from the physical, to the mental and emotional aspects of well-being, tend to stay on top of what it means to them, to take care of themselves. Healthcare differs in regions as well. Depending on where a person is located, good healthcare may not be accessible. Getting good healthcare is trivial sometimes when it comes to preexisting conditions as well as onset of health issues that are unexpected. Sometimes it may be difficult to choose the best route of insurance if you do not do your research. It is necessary to check the resources that are available so that you can receive the best healthcare possible.

Regular Doctor Visits

Being healthy begins with getting regular check-ups, and following the advice from your healthcare professional. Doctors, specialists, and others in the medical field, usually do their best to give the most beneficial support to their patients. If you are in need of a good physician, there are many reviews online and sometimes, through word-of-mouth, you can find what you are looking for in a doctor. Sometimes people are not so keen on going to the doctors out of fear of what may be brought to their attention. It is understandable to take the approach of “I’d rather not know.” If you want to have a better chance at living a life of clarity in terms of your health and possibly, an even longer life, it is best to know if there are any health issues present that need addressed.

Take Control Now

In most states, you can locate healthcare for your physical, mental, and biological wellness. For the physical aspect of your healthcare, it is necessary to have a personal care physician and you are entitled to choose one that best fits your needs. For the mental health care for an individual, for problems such as depression, anxiety, etc., a mental health clinician can be located in your county or city’s directory. You can also search on Google for a list of reviews for the clinicians that you find. Getting physical exams, tending to your mental health and getting blood work conducted are great ways to stay on top of your health care and engage in a life of good health and well-being. When you take responsibility for your own health, you take less chances of having negative health outcomes in your future.

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Many models are being put forth to reduce the cost of healthcare in the United States right now. Two of these models include the reference-based pricing healthcare system and the value-based pricing healthcare system. Let’s briefly discuss each of these models.

Reference-Based Pricing Healthcare

In a reference-based pricing healthcare system, insurers define a reference price for medical procedures and allow their members to choose a healthcare provider that offers that service under that reference price. The price of a procedure is often determined by some percentage, usually around 120 percent to 300 percent, of what Medicare would pay. An increase of 20% – 200% may seem like a lot, but it’s important to consider the fact that Medicare typically reimburses hospitals at a much lower rate than other insurers do. This can sometimes be as low as ¼ the amount other insurers must pay.

When this model is implemented, prices tend to fall as hospitals in the area compete to maintain or gain market share. However, it is important to note that this system will have little to no effect on the cost when the patient doesn’t have the luxury of shopping for the best price. This includes emergency medical attention, locations that have little or no competition between hospitals, and areas where hospitals are not transparent about their pricing.

Value-Based Pricing Healthcare

Under the value-based pricing healthcare system, healthcare providers are paid for the quality of the care they provide rather than the number of services they provide. This system would emphasize the organization of a medical facility and its ability to maximize the value it provides its patients. Value-based pricing would also make the innovation of new technologies at lower costs a must as healthcare providers would ensure that patients received the most efficient therapies available.

For this system to work, a significant amount of work on the infrastructure of the healthcare system needs to be done to monitor both the outcomes of treatment and what factors caused those outcomes. A physician or drug manufacturer should not be held responsible for the outcome of treatment if the patient decides not to take their treatment as prescribed. Unfortunately, without the requisite infrastructure to ensure that treatment is being administered properly, determining their pay based solely on the outcome of treatment can do just that.

There are many more models that could potentially reduce the cost of healthcare being proposed and tested today. Keep yourself updated on the future of healthcare by continuing to read our content, and feel free to contact us if you have any questions.

The news that broke last November that both Pfizer and Moderna had developed an effective vaccine against Covid-19 brought hope to a planet that had been suffering for months from the ravages of the once-in-a-century pandemic. An article that came out at the time in the Wall Street Journal offered explanations for how the vaccines were developed and tested in months rather than years. The vaccines also were developed using technologies that point the way to treatments for a variety of diseases, including cancers.

Typically, a vaccine is developed using a weakened or inactive version of the virus that it is designed to ward off. Without getting into too many details, the process is long and laborious. Before the Covid-19 vaccines, the quickest a vaccine had been created was about four years.

Both Pfizer and Moderna used a new technology using messenger RNA to deliver the genetic code of the virus, taken from the outer spike proteins to human cells. The cells then created the same spike proteins that were derived from the virus. Then the body’s immune system took care of the rest.

The beauty of this approach is that drug labs can create mRNA vaccines quickly once the genetic code of a virus has been sequenced. The development of vaccines would take weeks instead of years.

The fast prototyping of the new vaccine promises other applications, including cancer treatment. Often, even when the disease is beaten back, it can return in a mutated form, sometimes years later. The mRNA method can tailor-make vaccines that can attack cancer tumors based on their genetic makeup. So, even if a cancer returns after going into remission, healthcare professionals can tailor a new treatment to attack the mutated form of the cancer, keeping it in check and thus increasing human lifespans.

Drug companies had been working on mRNA vaccines for years. But it took the Covid-19 pandemic and President Trump’s Operation Warp Speed, which poured money into the effort and cut red tape, to bring the first vaccines to a clinical setting. The number of lives saved will be beyond evaluation.

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Whether Obamacare has made healthcare more expensive is a tricky question to answer, considering that the Affordable Care Act is mind numbingly complex and is supposed to cover a huge, diverse population with different incomes, family circumstances and healthcare needs. The answer depends on whom one asks and who one asks about.

It is clear, just looking at the raw numbers, that the initial claims suggesting Obamacare would reduce healthcare costs have proven to be false. Healthcare costs have increased since the advent of the ACA.

However, an analyst with Investopedia suggests that on the average, insurance premiums in the exchanges have increased, but at a slower rate than they did for individual plans before the ACA’s implementation. However, that may not be the whole story.

Another analysis conducted by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services suggests that if a family does not qualify for the government subsidies enacted under Obamacare, the costs of healthcare have spiked considerably. The study cites the example of a couple making $70,000 a year and thus unqualified for a subsidy being forced to pay $38,000 for a silver plan with an $11,100 cap on out-of-pocket expenses. Since the individual mandate is no longer in effect, the couple has opted to drop their coverage.

Thus, the answer to the question is “It depends.” For some people, who qualify for government subsidies, Obamacare has not caused a great increase in healthcare costs, especially compared to what was the case before the Affordable Care Act was enacted. However, for people who do not qualify for the subsidies, healthcare insurance under the ACA exchanges has become increasingly unaffordable.

The numbers suggest that for many people, Obamacare failed in its stated goal to provide healthcare insurance at affordable prices. The situation suggests that it is time to reform healthcare reform. What shape that reform would take, ranging from “Medicare for All” to a more free-market solution based on competition and price transparency will be a matter of considerable debate.

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When one focuses on how to deal with a health care crisis such as the covid-19 pandemic, the natural tendency is to dwell on things like treatments and vaccines. However, some researchers at the University of Houston have hit upon a technological mitigation for the Covid-19 virus and, indeed, just about any virus, in the form of a special heated air filter.

The Covid-19 virus spreads by lingering in the air after being expelled by a sneeze, cough, or someone just speaking or breathing, for upwards of three hours. Some experts have suggested that the virus can be spread through a building in its air conditioning and heating system. The U of H researchers have noted that fact and are using it to kill the virus.

The air filter works by passing air through a nickel foam that is heated to almost 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Tests have shown that over 98 percent of the Covid-19 viruses are killed instantly when caught inside the air filter.

The air filter can be installed in airports, schools, office buildings and, of course, hospitals. Buses, planes, trains, and even cruise ships could also be so equipped. A portable version could be used for offices and even the home. Circulating the air through the filter can make places where large numbers of people congregate safer, making it less likely that humans will catch Covid-19. Installation of the filter widely would likely cut down on infections, hospitalizations, and, most important, lasting injury and death.

The air filter will not be a total substitute for a vaccine or mask-wearing, social distancing, and hygiene. However, the technology would likely become a powerful weapon for controlling and reducing the pandemic, alleviating the pressure on hospitals and other healthcare facilities, and saving many lives.

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In the United States, our health care is among the most expensive in the world. The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development’s (OECD) data shows that in 2017, the U.S. spent nearly double the health care expenditures per capita of comparable countries (analysis done by KFF). Despite this fact, the quality of health care in the U.S. is not the best. The OECD has shown that the U.S. has consistently performed worse than the average of comparable countries with mortality rates in the U.S. being higher in most categories measured. A question many people a starting to ask is why do our health care costs keep rising while the quality isn’t improving as quickly.

There are too many factors to discuss in this short article. However, there is one factor that plays a big role in this growing problem, managed care plans and like insurance plans. It’s likely that if you have insurance, you are a member of one of these plans because they make up the majority of health care plans in the U.S. These plans introduce a monopolistic nature to the health care system and doesn’t allow for the inherent price and quality checks of a free market to benefit the people who rely on the health care system, which is to say, everyone.

How it works

These managed care plans allow members to get medical care from specific health care providers and medical facilities at reduced costs. These health care providers make up the network for a particular managed care plan, and they are contractually obligated to provide care to members at a reduced cost. For people without the managed care plan (people outside the network), prices can be extremely high. Ideally, the members of the managed care plan will be paying a lower rate than they would if they went outside the network.

The problem

It may be true that members likely pay less within their network, but members could be paying less both inside and outside their network if managed care plans and networks didn’t exist at all. This is because health care providers within a network no longer have to operate competitively. They are guaranteed to have customers because going outside the network is too expensive for most people, and there is little competition within a network. This means that they no longer have to price their services competitively or even have to ensure that their quality of care is competitive.

The solution

The upside to all of this is that many health care providers are actively trying to remedy this problem. Dr. Steven Goldstein and his fellow physicians at Houston Healthcare Initiative (HHI) are trying to set the new precedent for the health care system. Contact HHI today to learn what they can do for you.

Health care is a controversial issue in the United States. With so much emphasis on health insurance like Medicaid, there is a lot of confusion on whether health care is a right or a privilege. Here is a look at the definition of health care and whether it is a right or privilege.

What is Healthcare?

According to the World Health Organization, primary health care is health and well-being focused on the preferences and needs of communities, families, and individuals. It deals with the comprehensive elements of physical, social, and mental health and wellbeing.

Healthcare ensures people get comprehensive care from prevention to treatment and rehabilitation.

Is Health Care A Right or Privilege?

According to Article 25 of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights, Every person has the right to living standards that are sufficient for their health and wellbeing. Therefore, this means that this care should be a right and not a privilege.

Health care as a right means that states are required to fulfill it by providing access to care, hospitals, food, safe drinking water, sanitation, and housing. This right entitles people to treatment, disease prevention and control, and access to essential medicine. It also affects various health determinants including healthy working conditions, gender equality, and health-related education.

However, health care is not a right in many states, it is a privilege. This means that this care is only given to those who can afford it. In the U.S., like in many parts around the world, the government has been struggling to satisfy all the conditions of health care and to make it a right for everyone. In fact, one of the issues that determines whether a U.S. presidential candidate wins an election or not is their proposals regarding healthcare. This goes to show that the fulfillment of healthcare as a right for every human being is far from being achieved.

Houston Healthcare Initiative is a group of health conscious patients and physicians dedicated to people’s health and well-being. The initiative does not only encourage ideas regarding healthcare but it also provides resources regarding the state of healthcare across the globe. If you are looking to make a difference in healthcare or want to learn more about healthcare, HHI is the forum to join.

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When we talk about rights in the American tradition, we generally are considering things that citizens enjoy that the government cannot take away, as enumerated in the Bill of Rights. The first amendment, for example, says that Congress “shall make no law” concerning the free exercise of religion, speech, press, and the right to peacefully assemble and petition the government to redress grievances.

However, when we talk about the right to healthcare, we mean that everyone should be able to access medical services regardless of the ability to pay. The “right to healthcare” becomes a little tricky since someone has to pay, if not the patient. Most advocates who call for the right to healthcare believe that the government should pay for it in some manner.

The problem is that a couple of states have attempted to enact single-payer healthcare, only to fail when the question of funding arose. Vermont, the home state of Sen. Bernie Sanders, a well-known advocate for a government guarantee for the right to healthcare, failed to enact such a system when the amount and method of taxation to pay for it arose.  An attempt to enact single-payer healthcare in California failed for similar reasons.

Sadly, no country on Earth guarantees healthcare as a right, not even Canada, as a recent piece in the Washington Times by Roger Stark pointed out.  Stark is a healthcare policy analyst and physician. Canadians have the right to healthcare insurance, which is a distinction that makes quite a bit of difference. Sick Canadians must often await healthcare services for months, a delay that would be unacceptable to most Americans.

Stark suggests a free-market solution to providing the most people the greatest amount of healthcare possible. But would such a system guarantee healthcare for all, which everyone across the political spectrum regards as a worthy goal?

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The right mix of policies, from a free market to a government guarantee, would be a tricky one to enact and would not constitute a simple solution.

Healthcare IT News is reporting that the Health and Human Services Department has released a document that addresses the unique problems facing healthcare providers and patients in rural America. A crucial part of the Rural Action Plan involves distance or telemedicine, in which healthcare providers consult with patients over a two-way computer network.

Rural America has had a longstanding lack of readily available doctors and hospitals. People living outside of large population centers often must travel great distances to acquire face-to-face care. Telemedicine is one tool meant to alleviate that problem and get more healthcare services to underserved rural patients.

The federal government’s current budget proposal for Medicare would separately value telemedicine services from their equivalent face-to-face services. In this way purveyors of distance medicine will be more readily ensured reimbursement for their services.

The budget will also allow federally qualified healthcare providers and rural health centers to offer telehealth services, making permanent an arrangement that is temporary because of the coronavirus pandemic. The role of the Office for the Advancement of Telehealth will be elevated to become a focal point for coordinating telemedicine services across the government and the private sector.

One barrier to expanding telemedicine across rural America has been a lack of broadband internet services outside of big cities. Fortunately, the private sector seems to be stepping up, in particular Elon Musk’s SpaceX with the development of the Starlink satellite constellation. Starlink is designed to provide direct-from-space audio, visual, and data communications services to everyone on the planet, with services for North America (the United States and Canada) due to be available in 2020. The service will expand world-wide the following year.

Telemedicine’s expansion is thought to be a vehicle to expand healthcare services and enhance outcomes to millions of hitherto under-serviced people.

For more information contact us at Houston Healthcare Initiative.

An association healthcare plan is a method of providing the advantages of a large group health insurance plan enjoyed by larger corporations, the federal government, or state governments for small businesses and individuals. Associations based on a shared profession, a line of business, or even just a geographic location, such as a state or city, can offer group health insurance with the ability to negotiate savings from healthcare providers and pharmacies. Membership in an association health insurance program also provides cost savings for premiums.

Let us suppose that you are the owner of a mom and pop eatery and want to provide your employees some good health insurance, but the number of people who work for you does not rise above the threshold of a large group as defined by your state’s regulator. In that instance, a restaurant association might offer a health insurance plan for its members, with the number of premium-paying members easily being above the cutoff line of a large group, thus qualifying for savings.

If you happen to be self-employed or a freelancer, the same idea applies. Say an association of everything from accountants to freelance writers or musicians can offer an association healthcare plan, rendering tremendous savings over individual health plans.

Individual health insurance plans in the United States are very expensive and have such huge deductibles that often having such a plan is the equivalent of not having one, despite the member paying huge premiums. Association healthcare plans provide an alternative to paying through the nose for health insurance or doing without it for people who don’t work for large employers.

Health insurance reform has been a contentious political issue in the United States for decades. Association healthcare plans, in the view of many, provide at least part of an answer to getting more people affordable insurance.

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