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10 Ways: Save On Health Insurance Guaranteed

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Save On Health Insurance Guaranteed

To save on health insurance for your business (no matter how big or small), self-insure! If you work with the Houston Healthcare Initiative, we will guarantee that healthcare costs will not increase. How?

First eliminate managed care and pay cash for routine healthcare. This will dramatically lower administrative costs.

Second, utilize the recommended health maintenance tools described below to decrease the need for and improve access to healthcare. The advantage is a less expensive program and healthier people at work. If healthcare costs exceed the previous yearsyear’s costs, your company we will be reimbursed you. by the Houston Healthcare Initiative.

What Are The Health Maintenance Tools to Save On Healthcare Insurance Guaranteed?

Not just ‘sick care’, the Houston Healthcare Initiative program is an entire, comprehensive package. It includes:

  1. Free Annual Physical exam including physical and mental fitness,
  2. Free telemedicine service,
  3. Free Blood pressure cuff and thermometer,
  4. Free medical care for uncomplicated hypertension and diabetes,
  5. Free second opinions,
  6. Health Savings Account,
  7. Financial and other incentives to lead a healthy lifestyle and comply with medical treatment,
  8. Educate employees on how to shop for medical care and ask questions in the doctor’s office,
  9. Educate employees on the advantages of the Health Savings Account or (HSA).
  10. Share the healthcare savings with employees so that employees are incentivized not to over test or over treat.
    A guarantee to save on health insurance.
    Save On Health Insurance Guaranteed. A guaranteed saving on company health insurance from The Houston Healthcare Initiative.

    Save On Health Insurance Guaranteed brochure for download here: Save On Healthcare Guaranteed

The Houston Healthcare Initiative does not just pay for sickness, it helps make your employees healthier.  The likely benefit to employers is fewer lost workdays, lower insurance costs, and employees who feel their employer cares for them.

Save On Health Insurance Guaranteed Small Business & Health Insurance

Businesses with under 50 employees are not required to provide health insurance to employees. But there are good reasons to consider insuring a small workforce.

For one, health insurance is a critical factor for small businesses to retain and recruit the best employees, sustain productivity and workplace satisfaction. Health insurance benefits are a big deal to employees. The Houston Healthcare Initiative Co-op makes coverage possible.

Health Insurance Is Not Required But Is It Needed?

The answer is yes. A 2020 survey of 2,000 people found that 84% surveyed put health insurance at the top of their most desired benefit list. The Society of Human Resource Management reported that 92% of employees say benefits are important to their overall job satisfaction. 

For start-up companies that want to hire and keep the most talented people, health coverage is a must. There are other paybacks from this investment in a healthier workforce. Healthy employees, who believe the company cares about them, are more devoted, industrious, and approving of businesses of any size. The outcome of benefits like these are a challenge to measure, but they are consequentialconsequential, nonetheless.

Competitive Advantage For Whom, Save On Health Insurance Guaranteed?

Health protection for workers is a competitive advantage. For you and your employees if you offer it but for your competition if not.  Health insurance is less of a cost and more an investment in the future and stability of your company.

 How can companies with less than 50 employees self insure and provide an HSA? Health Savings Accounts

Join with other small businesses to share the risk. Join the Houston Healthcare Initiative co-op.

Offer your employees a $5000 deductible plan with an HSA. Your company self insuresself-insures and takes for example the risk for the next $5000 of claims. The not for profitnot-for-profit cCo-op takes the risk from $10,000 on up. This risk is shared by all the co-op members. Members pay their share to the co-op monthly.

How can companies with more than 50 employee’s self insure and provide an HSA?

 These companies can use the same program as the smaller ones companies or they can assume a risk of $50,000 to $100,000 and purchase reinsurance from a reinsurance company separate from the co-op. Either way, by engaging the Houston Healthcare Initiative, the guarantee of no cost increase from last year will apply.

How does the Houston Healthcare Initiative benefit ( or Wwhat’s the Ccatch)?

 WhenIf companies adopt this program, the we can Houston Healthcare Initiative guarantees that your company’s healthcare costs will not exceed the previous year’s expense.  In return, we ask for 15% of the first years’ savings.

FAQs

  1. 1.Who pays the cost for the healthcare tools?

      The company. It is our contention that these additional costs will be more than offset by the

     savings from decreased utilization of the hospital and ERs.

  1. Not all employees will “buy in” to a healthy lifestyle and are more likely to get sick. Won’t this increase the cost of healthcare?

       Certainly. However, these patients will be paying more for their healthcare to cover the

       additional costs. In most cases, it would not increase the amount the employee currently

       pays. They would not get the reduction that other employees would receive.

3.What about pre-existing conditions?

      Most insurance plans exclude pre-existing conditions. This only arises when one switchinges from one insurance plan to another. We would recommend language in the insurance contract to

avoid fraud.  e.g. Like joining the company for a few months getting an expensive elective procedure done and then quitting. the company. In general, we recommend covering pre-existing conditions.

However, as the company iswith  self insurself-insuranceing, it can decide for itself what is best.  for the company.

4. Some employees will not want the HSA’s. How is this handled?

      If the company has less than 50 employees, they do not have to offer insurance.need to be accommodated. If it the company has more than 50 employees, it can offer to subsidize an individual policy and pay the same amount it contributes for each employee in the self insuredself-insured plan.

What Are The Next Steps to Save On Health Insurance Guaranteed?

 For additional information send email to houhealthcareinitiative@gmail.com.

Save On Health Insurance Guaranteed! Listen Here

Listen to Dr. Goldstein describe several ways to save on healthcare: Healthcare Payment Reform is Critical to Improving Primary Care.

Save On Health Insurance Guaranteed brochure for download here: Save On Healthcare Guaranteed

Save On Health Insurance Guaranteed

Final 3 Biden Administration Healthcare Goals

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Final 3 Biden Administration Healthcare Goals

3 Biden Administration Goals: Healthcare Changes to the American Families Plan & Health Savings Plans Could Make Medical Expenses More Affordable.

Biden healthcare reform
There are 3 healthcare priorities for the Biden administration plus one more that Dr. Steven Goldstein suggests.

The new administration, like all of them, has plans for Americans and their healthcare. On this edition of the podcast Dr. Steven Goldstein, who founded the Houston Healthcare Initiative, will get us all better acquainted with what those proposals are and explore other possible ways for how healthcare can be fixed. The Biden administration has three goals.

The Biden Administration Covid 19 Response

Of the three goals, first is the Covid-19 pandemic response. Part of the goal is to prevent over capacity of limited hospital beds and critical care space during spikes in the virus outbreak, like those occurring now. Others include the ability to establish temporary hospitals and better ways to track Covid surges via technology. Making telehealth options more widely available, tasking all relevant federal agencies to set up temporary hospitals and getting the Center for Disease Control (CDC) to develop real-time tracking dashboards to better predict when surges will happen, where they are and other details needed to better inform healthcare professionals about the evolution of the pandemic.

The Affordable Care Act

The second of the three priorities has to do with the Affordable Care Act, or as it is more popularly known, ObamaCare.

The idea is to reduce medical costs for the American public. As part of a separate pandemic relief bill, there is $34 billion to help Americans who buy insurance from the health plan marketplaces that were created by Obama Care now through 2022.  Those who know about it state that this would help lower and middle-income Americans who have fallen through the cracks of the government’s eligibility requirements for ObamaCare subsidies. It would also help people who choose policies with lower premiums and higher deductibles. There is also assistance for the unemployed.

Biden Administration Medicare Reform

One of the more visible proposals is to increase the age of people who are eligible for Medicare from the current 65 to 60 years of age.

“While we can think of these as beneficial to society, there is a considerable cost that comes along with it,” Dr. Goldstein told his listeners. “Instead of transferring more money to people, there are other ways to use existing healthcare payment strategies that will benefit everyone.” So why not fund Health Savings Accounts (HSA’s) with this same amount of money?  It is tax-advantaged when received, if the money earns interest while in the health savings account the account owner can keep it and be prepared to pay cash for more health-related expenses. So what is a health savings plan?

Prescription Drugs

The Trump Administration launched a “Transparency in Coverage” ruling in December of 2020 that required health insurers to disclose current drug prices and provide patients with personalized cost estimates. The Biden Administration hopes to increase these efforts by repealing existing laws that prevent Medicare from negotiating lower prices with drug corporations. “Plenty of people believe that the government already uses its mass buying power with Medicare to negotiate better rates,” Dr. Goldstein said. “That is not the case.”

Health Savings Accounts

The Health Savings Account. or HSA, is a type of savings account that is used for medical expenses. HSA’s were established for those with high deductible health insurance coverage. HSAs and high-deductible health plans were created to help control health care costs. The idea is that people will spend their health care dollars more wisely if they’re using their own money. The money deposited by individuals into their HSA account is not taxed.

Further, HSAs feature a triple-tax benefit: money you contribute to your HSA can be written off on your taxes and thus reduce your income tax bill; money in your HSA grows and compounds assuming investments rise. All is tax-free over time; and when HSA money is withdrawn for qualified medical expenses, no tax is paid on the withdrawal. It is owned by the individual so that he or she can pay their healthcare costs. These include everything from doctor visits to blood tests, paid for with cash from the health savings accounts.

As always, information about this and more than 50 other podcasts can be heard and read about at the website, www.houstonhealthcareinitiative.org.

About The Houston Healthcare Initiative

The Houston Healthcare Initiative podcast with Dr. Steven Goldstein is an information vehicle for people who want to know all medical options for themselves and are interested in reforming the healthcare industry. To learn more about the Houston Healthcare Initiative please visit www.houstonhealthcareinitiative.org.

To listen to the podcast, click this link: https://soundcloud.com/harold-nicoll/three-biden-administration-healthcare-goals-plus-one-not-included. 

 

Prevent and Treat Three Summer Ailments In Houston and Southeast Texas

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Heat stroke, fire ants, and food poisoning…

Prevent and Treat Three Summer Ailments In Houston and Southeast Texas

Summer comes early here in the Houston area. With each summer comes several common and avoidable illnesses that can ruin a vacation,

Fire ants are a hazard in Texas during summer.
Fire ants are a hazard to people and pets here in Southeast Texas during summer.

a long weekend or any type of summer fun. Well known and respected Houston area neurologist and founder of the Houston Healthcare Initiative CO-OP, Dr. Steven Goldstein has this news for those who listen to his weekly podcast which is available from: iTunes, Soundcloud, or the CO-OP web site www.houstonhealthcareinitiative.org.

Summer Heat Exhaustion

Known as heat stroke, sun stroke or heat exhaustion, getting overheated in the Houston area is a common ailment, as so many people work and play outside in the extreme temperatures. “People whose work requires they be outside, or for those who like to jog, play golf or even mow the lawn when it’s hot, dehydration and heatstroke are often seen together,” Dr. Goldstein told his listeners. “To avoid dehydration that can lead to heat exhaustion, drink lots of water or water combined with beverages that contain electrolytes like Gatorade. A good rule to follow is to drink a 50-50 mix of these two for every hour you are outdoors.”

Summer Dehydration Symptoms and Treatment

According to Dr. Goldstein, the symptoms of dehydration can run from feeling thirsty to fatigue, headache and nausea. More serious symptoms from a headache are confusion and really serious indicators are delirium and even hallucinations. Really bad heat-strokes can cause the kidneys to shut down. If someone is working on an elevated space, like so many petrochemical plant workers do, operating heavy machinery, or driving a car or truck can lead to much more serious accidents and injuries.

According to Dr. Goldstein, mild dehydration can be treated by rehydrating. “Just drink some water, Gatorade or both and stay out of the heat for a while,” Dr. Goldstein said.  “Heatstroke is more serious. If you have heatstroke, you need to go to the emergency room so you can have intravenous fluids and observation to make certain it is not more serious.”

The Danger of  Fire Ants

Few things go together like picnics and ants. But the ants here are much worse than most because they are not native, and the way they bite and sting.  “Red or fire ants are especially bad because they signal each other via pheromones that an intruder is present, and they sting all at once,” Dr. Goldstein said. “They have a unique and much more painful way of biting as they first bite, then grip the victim and then sting.

Fire ant stings have poisonous venom that will cause raised welts and will itch and sting for several days.” Dr. Goldstein also described how these insects could really be dangerous to pets, and small children. He advised that children be kept from sitting or laying on the ground and emphasized this for infants especially. “We’ve all seen the big ant hills, and of course avoiding them is always the right thing to do. But some are hidden from site, so for those of any age, be mindful and aware of this hazard.” Treating ant stings is usually as easy as applying triple antibiotic or cortisone cream. But those who are allergic or suffer many stings should go to the emergency room where more serious symptoms like anaphylaxis can be treated.

Food Poisoning

Food poisoning cases increase in summer because higher temperatures cause microorganisms to multiply faster when it’s hot. Plus, preparing food outdoors makes safe food handling more difficult. “The symptoms of food poisoning are well known,” Dr. Goldstein stated. “Diarrhea, vomiting, flu-like symptoms, or any combination of these indicate the possibility of food poisoning.”  Dr. Goldstein also said that, for this ailment in particular, prevention is the best medicine. “If there is any doubt that something may have been at too high a temperature for too long, avoid it. However, if despite everything, you still come down with this, it is important to stay hydrated. To get the best and most appropriate treatment, consult a doctor. He or she can prescribe medicine to help control nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.”

About Houston Healthcare Initiative CO-OP

Awareness that leads to action and in this case prevention, is key. But if despite all those positive actions, you still need to talk to a doctor and fast, people can join the Houston Healthcare Initiative CO-OP and use the doctor’s hotline. The Houston Healthcare Initiative CO-OP is offering a three-month, $45.00 trial offer that includes the use of the hotline for consultation, and even prescribed treatments. The place to learn all about this and more is at the CO-OP web site which is www.houstonhealthcareinitiative.org.

 

Made possible because of ‘Obama Care’… Why Patient Centered Care and a Different Funding Method May be Better for Many Americans

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Made possible because of ‘Obama Care’…

Why Patient Centered Care and a Different Funding Method May be Better for Many Americans

For those who ever tried something that said on the label ‘one size fits all’ there is some shared learning, because one size never fits all. This is true for socks, t-shirts and healthcare.

Yet in spite of this collective experience, we settle for doctors, hospitals and insurance companies who approach patients with templates designed to treat everything and everyone the same or at least very similarly. Instead of an emphasis on individual care, there is more weight placed on administrative efficiency.

Possible

Whether shoes or healthcare, one size will rarely be right for everyone.

Patient Centered

On his regular podcast respected Houston based neurologist and founder of the Houston Healthcare Initiative Dr. Steven Goldstein, describes how a patient centered model and cooperative payment method can work to the benefit of patients and healthcare professionals.

The Houston Healthcare Initiative podcast can be heard on : Apple Podcasts, LibSyn, Spotify, Radio.Com, Listen Notes, iHeart Radio, Podcast Addict, Podbay, Backtracks, Player FM, Stitcher, and SoundCloud.

Funded with Cooperatives

As Dr. Goldstein explained to his listeners, patient centered care as imagined and funded with health cooperatives, places an emphasis on preventive care and healthy lifestyles. When followed these will reduce the number of hospital stays and doctor visits. “I believe that a patient centered healthcare system is possible with a patient owned healthcare cooperative model that is free from the constraints of the CPT codes used for billing and by providing financial incentives to patients to be compliant and lead a healthy lifestyle,” Dr. Goldstein said. “Physicians rather than insurance companies and administrators should be responsible for care and would be compensated based on results and not hours or activities.”

Thank You Obamacare

The Healthcare Cooperative Model is possible because of the Affordable Care Act often known as ‘Obamacare.’ A ‘cooperative’ or ‘co-op’ is a healthcare system that is a non-profit company owned by the members. With as little as 50 members a healthcare cooperative can be formed either within a company or any other group such as a church, a union or any other group that is dissatisfied with the poor service, bureaucratic paperwork and high prices of the current system. Members are responsible for managing the co-op and deciding the type and scope of what they will support or not. Any profits made are paid back to the members. “I believe too that a member or patient owned enterprise is better suited to patient centered care.” Dr. Goldstein declared.

About the Houston Healthcare Initiative

The Houston Healthcare Initiative podcast with Dr. Steven Goldstein is an information vehicle for people who want to know all medical options for themselves and are interested in reforming the healthcare industry. To learn more about the Houston Healthcare Initiative please visit www.houstonhealthcareinitiative.org.

 

Top 5 Common Health Myths Debunked

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No myth that water is good for you so drink plenty. Drink plenty of water to stay healthy,

Top 5 Common Health Myths Debunked

We are all seeking ways to improve our health conditions to live longer and better. For this reason, many myths surrounding health matters have risen. Some of these myths have been passed from generation to generation with no scientific backing whatsoever. Today we look at the top 5 common health myths with the view to debunk them.

Consume Eight Glasses of Water Daily

While it is vital to take lots of water daily, there is no scientific backing that says it should be strictly eight glasses. Everybody has varying fluid needs, and as such, you need to consume just enough as per your needs. Many factors will dictate your frequency of water intake. These include the levels of activity, gender, weather, humidity, and body size.

Cracking of Fingers Causes Arthritis

The cracking of fingers is a habit by most people, if not all. This habit does not correlate whatsoever with arthritis,

No myth that water is good for you so drink plenty.
No myth that water is good for you so drink plenty. Drink plenty of water to stay healthy,

according to scientific studies. Arthritis

Comes about when joint cartilages break and the bones to rub together.

Going Out in Cold Weather Brings about Cold

It is a common phrase from mother’s warning the children not to go out in the cold weather or with wet apparels with the fear of catching a cold. Colds originate from viruses. Despite the weather condition, viruses will always spread.

Sugar Causes Hyperactivity in Children

You will hear from parents that when their children take sugar, their behavior changes and they become hyperactive. The truth is a hyperactive kid will always remain to be hyperactive with or without sugar. Science has shown that sugar never encourages hyperactive reactions in children. It is just a myth that people have.

Natural Foodstuffs Are the Best

A lot of natural things are indeed healthy, but not all of them. Some foods with organic ingredients contain empty calories, saturated fat, and sugar. Describing something as natural does not always mean it’s a healthy choice.

Now you know the truth. Do not be entangled with the above myths anymore. Contact us for more great information about healthcare.

Good? Joe Biden wants Medicare to start at 60

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Joe Biden wants Medicare to start at 60

Medicare Availability May Not Be Affordable

Former Vice President Joe Biden, the presumed Democratic candidate for president, has eschewed some of the more grandiose schemes of some of his rivals, such as Medicare for All, which would replace the patchwork of private insurance and various government-provided plans with a single-payer system. Instead, Biden prefers to expand on existing healthcare programs to attempt to extend insurance to people who currently lack it.

One such Biden proposal is the idea of lowering the age of eligibility for Medicare to 60. According to a recent article in Forbes, the scheme may be attractive to seniors, especially in the age of the coronavirus when many people have lost their jobs and hence employer-provided health insurance.

When Paying for Medicare?
Medicare for people at age 60 may not be affordable in the long term.

The proposal is an improvement over plans offered under the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, which has proven to be unaffordable for many middle-income families because they do not qualify for subsidies. Biden would also keep the privately offered Medicare advantage plans that many seniors use to supplement their regular Medicare

The proposal would work by allowing seniors between 60 and 65 who are unemployed or whose job does not offer health insurance to “buy into” the existing Medicare system. The cost of this buy-in is uncertain; however, one analysis suggests that access to Medicare would be more attractive financially than other options, such as plans under the ACA.  Seniors who do not have access to private insurance or who are still too young to be part of the existing Medicare system would have more options.

Of course, some questions remain about the Biden proposal. An analysis by Avalere suggests that 23 million more Americans would be eligible for Medicare under the scheme. Would the Medicare system be able to bear the extra cost? Will the proposal start to undercut private plans for seniors between 60 and 64, causing employers to dump the cost of health insurance onto the government? Would the temptation arise to lower the age of eligibility further, in effect creating a Medicare for All system, with all of its problems, by the back door? These and other questions will doubtlessly be argued about as the campaign cycle goes forward and beyond, should Biden win the presidency.

Criticism of Doctor Prescribed Treatments Could Put Patients At Risk

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Off Label Prescription

Criticism of Doctor Prescribed Medicine Is A Bad Idea

Off Label Prescription
Off Label Prescriptions. Doctors have the right to prescribe medication for conditions other than the one approved.

Physician prescribed Ivermectin to help treat Covid-19 may not be the biggest challenge facing doctors today. The bigger problem is likely the deliberate interference with a doctor’s ability to prescribe and treat patients as they believe is best. This is the subject of the latest edition of the Houston Healthcare Initiative Podcast which can be heard on : Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Podbean, Soundcloud, and the Houston Healthcare Initiative website. The virulent criticism and mischaracterization of doctor prescribed Ivermectin as a possible treatment for Covid-19 is one sign that medicine can be and is politicized.

Off Label Prescriptions

This repercussions and longer-term consequences of political interference with doctors and their patients includes the freedom to prescribe ‘off-label.’  Off-label prescriptions occur when a physician gives a drug that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved to treat a condition other than the one diagnosed. The pressure on Ivermectin and last year’s with Hydroxychloroquine, were both more affordable remedies than other top dollar treatments or even vaccines.

Why The Controversy? Politics

The government under both Republican and Democratic administrations tried to dictate what treatment should be used to treat Covid infections. “The now vice president of the United States declared during the debates in 2020 that she would not take a vaccine based on who the president was and what he recommended,” Dr. Goldstein said. “Any medical recommendation from anyone other than a doctor familiar with a patient’s history is not credible.”

Off Label Successes

There are many examples from the history of medicine where an individual physician working alone has made a major breakthrough with what was at the time thought unconventional. “Dr. Ignaz Semmelweis saved the lives of numerous mothers by suggesting OB doctors wash their hands before delivering a baby,” Dr. Goldstein said. “He was ridiculed by the medical establishment at the time as the germ theory of infections was not yet discovered.”

More recently two Australian doctors, Barry J. Marshall and Robin Warren, found that stomach ulcers were caused by bacteria. “They also were ridiculed by the medical establishment until they won the Nobel Prize,” Dr. Goldstein told his listeners.

Stop Politicizing Medicine

Dr. Goldstein’s conclusion from this latest flap regarding off-label prescriptions, “allow physicians to pursue different treatments for Covid. Stop politicizing the treatments and stop publishing premature articles in the press for or against any unproven treatment.”

About The Houston Healthcare Initiative

The Houston Healthcare Initiative podcast with Dr. Steven Goldstein is an information vehicle for people who want to know all medical options for themselves and are interested in reforming the healthcare industry. To learn more about the Houston Healthcare Initiative please visit www.houstonhealthcareinitiative.org.

Physicians Rights: Off Label Prescriptions of Ivermectin for Covid-19

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Physicians Rights: Off Label Prescriptions of Ivermectin for Covid-19

Off Label Prescription
Physicians Rights: Off Label Prescriptions of Ivermectin for Covid-19. Doctors have the right to prescribe medication for conditions other than the one approved.

Even in the year 2021 the more things change, the more they stay the same. This is reference  to the off-label prescription options doctors have always had that are still controversial when it comes to the ongoing global Covid 19 pandemic. Off-label prescribing is when a physician gives a drug that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved to treat a condition different than the one you’ve got. This practice is legal and even common. In fact, one in five prescriptions written today are for off-label use.

Same But Different

Last year Dr. Goldstein discussed the controversy and government interference with how hydroxychloroquine, a common treatment for Malaria was prescribed off-label for patients suffering with Covid-19. Fast forward from September 2020 to October 2021 and the same thing is happening with a drug called Ivermectin, a drug that is approved for treatment of certain parasitic worm infestations, and its possible use as a treatment for Covid-19.

 What is going on with this latest controversy?

Unfortunately, the controversy involves politics. The government under both Republican and Democratic administrations has tried to dictate what treatment should be used to treat Covid infections. In truth, the development of treatments should not be political and should be left to the medical profession. Government should limit itself to funding research and to providing additional equipment and hospital beds as needed. The CDC can be a clearinghouse to provide  data to physicians and researchers about the pandemic. A classic comment sticks in my craw. During the Vice Presidential debate, Kamala Harris famously said if Donald Trump said to take the vaccine she would not. But if Joe Biden said to take it she would. Think about it. What does either man know about Kamala Harris to advise whether or not she should take the vaccine?

She should make the decision with the advice of her physician. The government does have a public health role to protect the public from getting infected but not a treatment role. 

Is Ivermectin OK to Use?

There are studies that show Ivermectin has no anti-viral benefit, some that show it has those qualities for some diseases and others that show it is a miraculous treatment. So far there is no consensus among physicians about the utility of ivermectin. “My view is that doctors who suspect it to be of value should be allowed to study it,” Dr. Goldstein said.  There are many examples from the history of medicine where an individual physician working alone has made a major breakthrough. Two examples come to mind: Dr. Simelweis saved the lives of numerous mothers by suggesting that OB doctors should wash their hands before delivering the baby. He was ridiculed by the medical establishment at the time as the germ theory of infections was not yet discovered. More recently 2 Australian doctors, Barry J. Marshall and Robin Warren found that stomach ulcers were caused by a bacteria. “They also were ridiculed by the medical establishment until they won the Nobel prize,” Dr. Goldstein told his listeners. “Allow physicians to pursue different treatments for Covid. Stop politicizing the treatments and stop publishing premature articles in the press for or against any unproven treatment.”

With more much-needed insight is respected neurologist and founder of the Houston Healthcare Initiative, Dr. Steven Goldstein on his regular podcast.

Click the link to listen: https://houstonhealthcareinitiative.libsyn.com/ivermectin-off-label-prescriptions-for-covid-19. 

3 Goals: Healthcare Changes to the American Families Plan Could Create Affordable Healthcare

3 Goals: Healthcare Changes to the American Families Plan Could Create Affordable Healthcare

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Hand writing What You Need To Know with marker, business concept background

3 Goals: Healthcare Changes to the American Families Plan & Health Savings Plans Could Make Medical Expenses More Affordable.

The new administration, like all of them, has plans for Americans and their healthcare. On this edition of the podcast Dr. Steven Goldstein, who founded the Houston Healthcare Initiative, will get us all better acquainted with what those proposals are and explore other possible ways for how healthcare can be fixed. The Biden administration has three goals.

3 Healthcare Changes are Goals for the Biden Administration.
There are three healthcare priorities for the Biden administration plus one more that Dr. Steven Goldstein suggests.

To listen to the podcast, click this link: https://soundcloud.com/harold-nicoll/three-biden-administration-healthcare-goals-plus-one-not-included. 

The Covid 19 Response

Of the three goals, first is the Covid-19 pandemic response. Part of the goal is to prevent over capacity of limited hospital beds and critical care space during spikes in the virus outbreak, like those occurring now. Others include the ability to establish temporary hospitals and better ways to track Covid surges via technology. Making telehealth options more widely available, tasking all relevant federal agencies to set up temporary hospitals and getting the Center for Disease Control (CDC) to develop real-time tracking dashboards to better predict when surges will happen, where they are and other details needed to better inform healthcare professionals about the evolution of the pandemic.

The Affordable Care Act

The second of the three priorities has to do with the Affordable Care Act, or as it is more popularly known, ObamaCare.

The idea is to reduce medical costs for the American public. As part of a separate pandemic relief bill, there is $34 billion to help Americans who buy insurance from the health plan marketplaces that were created by Obama Care now through 2022.  Those who know about it state that this would help lower and middle-income Americans who have fallen through the cracks of the government’s eligibility requirements for ObamaCare subsidies. It would also help people who choose policies with lower premiums and higher deductibles. There is also assistance for the unemployed.

Medicare Reform

One of the more visible proposals is to increase the age of people who are eligible for Medicare from the current 65 to 60 years of age.

“While we can think of these as beneficial to society, there is a considerable cost that comes along with it,” Dr. Goldstein told his listeners. “Instead of transferring more money to people, there are other ways to use existing healthcare payment strategies that will benefit everyone.” So why not fund Health Savings Accounts (HSA’s) with this same amount of money?  It is tax-advantaged when received, if the money earns interest while in the health savings account the account owner can keep it and be prepared to pay cash for more health-related expenses. So what is a health savings plan?

Prescription Drugs

The Trump Administration launched a “Transparency in Coverage” ruling in December of 2020 that required health insurers to disclose current drug prices and provide patients with personalized cost estimates. The Biden Administration hopes to increase these efforts by repealing existing laws that prevent Medicare from negotiating lower prices with drug corporations. “Plenty of people believe that the government already uses its mass buying power with Medicare to negotiate better rates,” Dr. Goldstein said. “That is not the case.”

Health Savings Accounts

The Health Savings Account. or HSA, is a type of savings account that is used for medical expenses. HSA’s were established for those with high deductible health insurance coverage. HSAs and high-deductible health plans were created to help control health care costs. The idea is that people will spend their health care dollars more wisely if they’re using their own money. The money deposited by individuals into their HSA account is not taxed.

Further, HSAs feature a triple-tax benefit: money you contribute to your HSA can be written off on your taxes and thus reduce your income tax bill; money in your HSA grows and compounds assuming investments rise. All is tax-free over time; and when HSA money is withdrawn for qualified medical expenses, no tax is paid on the withdrawal. It is owned by the individual so that he or she can pay their healthcare costs. These include everything from doctor visits to blood tests, paid for with cash from the health savings accounts.

As always, information about this and more than 50 other podcasts can be heard and read about at the website, www.houstonhealthcareinitiative.org.

About The Houston Healthcare Initiative

The Houston Healthcare Initiative podcast with Dr. Steven Goldstein is an information vehicle for people who want to know all medical options for themselves and are interested in reforming the healthcare industry. To learn more about the Houston Healthcare Initiative please visit www.houstonhealthcareinitiative.org.

How Long Term Pandemic Stress, and Brain Changes Equals Weight Gain

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Photo courtesy of Very Well Mind.
How Long Term Pandemic Stress, and Brain Changes Equals Weight Gain. In a study published in Molecular Psychiatry, researchers found that chronic stress results in long-term changes in the brain.3 These changes, they suggest, might help explain why those who experience chronic stress are also more prone to mood and anxiety disorders later on in life. Photo published in ‘Very Well Mind.’

As covered in the U.K.’s Daily Mail…

How Long Term Pandemic Stress, and Brain Changes Equals Weight Gain

August 30, 2021– Human brains may not be wired for long term stress. On his most recent podcast, well known neurologist and founder of the Houston Healthcare Initiative, Dr. Steven Goldstein, discussed the biological reasons and brain chemistry changes that in part led to the weight gain so many experienced during the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown and how long term pandemic stress and brain changes equals weight gain

The Houston Healthcare Initiative podcast can be heard on : Apple Podcasts, Audacy, iHeartRadio, ListenNotes, Spotify, Stitcher, Backtracks, PodbayFM, and SoundCloud. This and all other editions of the Houston Healthcare Initiative podcast can also be heard on www.houstonhealthcareinitiative.org.

While individuals ultimately have responsibility for what they eat, drink and how often they exercise there are physiological reasons why so many Americans put-on weight during the lockdown.

Brain Chemistry and Weight Gain

When stressed, the brain releases chemicals that make speed and strength available for a short but very intense time. Adrenaline is a hormone secreted by the adrenal glands, increasing rates of blood circulation, breathing, and carbohydrate metabolism, preparing muscles for exertion. But when released over long periods of time those same chemicals demand a lot more brain fuel which causes individuals to eat more and more.

Automatic Brain Chemicals

There are other neurotransmitters like: serotonin, dopamine, and melatonin.

Melatonin in the body lowers at the time of the flight or fight response. Serotonin regulates emotions, appetite, and digestion. Low levels of serotonin increase anxiety and can change a person’s eating habits. Dopamine – another feel-good neurotransmitter – regulates goal-oriented motivation. Dwindling levels of dopamine can translate into lower motivation to exercise, maintain a healthy lifestyle or perform daily tasks. When people are under stress, they also produce less of the sleep hormone melatonin, leading to trouble sleeping.

The Worst and Most Preventable Co-Morbidity

The pandemic lockdown made the existing epidemic of obesity much worse. The American Psychological Association’s “Stress in America” poll, conducted in late February 2021, found that 42 percent of people surveyed reported they were heavier than the previous year. People in a separate survey reportedly gained an average of 29 pounds during the pandemic, with 10 percent gaining more than 50.

How Obesity Makes Covid-19 Worse

  • The Centers For Disease Control (CDC) states that Obesity is linked to impaired immune function.
  • Obesity decreases lung capacity and reserve and can make ventilation more difficult.
  • A study of COVID-19 cases suggests that risks of hospitalization, intensive care unit admission, invasive mechanical ventilation, and death are higher with increasing BMI.
    • The increased risk for hospitalization or death was particularly pronounced in those under age 65. 
  • More than 900,000 adult COVID-19 hospitalizations occurred in the United States between the beginning of the pandemic and November 18, 2020.
  • Models estimate that 271,800 (30.2%) of these hospitalizations were attributed to obesity.

In a time when many things are beyond the control of American citizens, eating more vegetables, fruit, and lean meat in place of less nutritious options is something that can be controlled.

About The Houston Healthcare Initiative

The Houston Healthcare Initiative podcast with Dr. Steven Goldstein is an information vehicle for people who want to know all medical options for themselves and are interested in reforming the healthcare industry. To learn more about the Houston Healthcare Initiative please visit www.houstonhealthcareinitiative.org.