tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-332293762025-09-18T02:51:55.213-05:00A <I><U>real</U></I> marketplace for ideas, thoughts, and trends in the healthcare space.CareTALKGals(tm)http://www.blogger.com/profile/16703186086403270076noreply@blogger.comBlogger261125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33229376.post-13135261460043904102007-06-18T13:51:00.000-05:002007-06-26T12:14:20.443-05:00

Dear Readers,The CareTALK.com website is currently under construction and, as a result, our blog will cease for the Summer.For the past year, it has been a pleasure sharing the CareTALK voice with you every day. We will resume serving you September 1, 2007 -- and we hope you all have a terrific Summer.- The CareTALK Gals

CareTALKGals(tm)http://www.blogger.com/profile/16703186086403270076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33229376.post-1953335184062725192007-06-17T22:10:00.000-05:002007-06-17T22:15:35.642-05:00

Don't you hate it when you have to wade through a bunch of red tape? Now imagine having to do this knowing your child's life is on the line.This is what parents have to deal with all throughout the nation when trying to enroll their children in public health care insurance --- and the state with one of the biggest paperwork burden...Texas, where one out of 5 children are uninsured.What is the

CareTALKGals(tm)http://www.blogger.com/profile/16703186086403270076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33229376.post-59232367436462206482007-06-15T23:09:00.000-05:002007-06-15T23:27:51.059-05:00

We have all read the rumors about Google entering the healthcare arena which have been circulating online, but this posting by Roni Zeiger, M.D., is the clearest official message from the Googlers.In the posting Is there a doctor in the family?, Roni writes:In addition to my medical training, I studied medical informatics before coming to Google. I learned about computer systems that are designed

CareTALKGals(tm)http://www.blogger.com/profile/16703186086403270076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33229376.post-89883676549397368132007-06-14T22:28:00.000-05:002007-06-14T22:30:18.265-05:00

Sure! Everyone has. But we also expect the reverse is true (at least normally)... the item/service which is more expensive is of better quality than that which is less expensive.However, according to a just-released hospital study, there is "stark evidence that high medical payments do not necessarily buy high-quality patient care." (New York Times)If this is true, then why are health care costs

CareTALKGals(tm)http://www.blogger.com/profile/16703186086403270076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33229376.post-13617235253120559642007-06-13T21:22:00.000-05:002007-06-13T21:25:54.903-05:00

Have you had any of the following symptoms daily (or almost daily) for past 2-3 weeks?:bloatingpelvic or abdominal pain, difficulty eating or feeling full quicklyfeeling a frequent or urgent need to urinate. If so, it is extremely important to see your gynecologist. These are symptoms cancer experts have identified as early symptoms of ovarian cancer.Does having these symptoms mean you have

CareTALKGals(tm)http://www.blogger.com/profile/16703186086403270076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33229376.post-16354988545765357242007-06-12T23:08:00.000-05:002007-06-12T23:10:15.379-05:00

Documents gathered for a lawsuit at the Federal District Court in Boston showed that the "profits that doctors could make by prescribing drugs went from a minor source of income to the major driver of incomes for oncologists." In fact. a "Bristol-Myers document from 2001 shows that oncologists made about 65 percent of their revenue, and a similar percentage of their net income, on drug profits."

CareTALKGals(tm)http://www.blogger.com/profile/16703186086403270076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33229376.post-15307441838482619642007-06-11T22:23:00.000-05:002007-06-11T22:26:55.368-05:00

Believe or not, some economists are trying to answer this specific question which can then be used by health insurance companies in deciding whether a particular drug or treatment is covered.So what have the economists come up with?One year of life = at least $100K (based on the fact that "Keeping a patient with kidney failure alive on dialysis costs about $70,000 per year."-New York Times)Using

CareTALKGals(tm)http://www.blogger.com/profile/16703186086403270076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33229376.post-33075227786176177702007-06-10T22:37:00.001-05:002007-06-10T23:00:50.114-05:00

How any times have you heard your parents tell you to drink your milk or have you seen the ads and commercials that say "Milk: It does a body good"?Well, according to two studies, it really does a body really good-- especially in terms of preventing cancer.Two studies released in the past week have reported that high "levels of vitamin D and calcium in their diets have a lower risk of breast

CareTALKGals(tm)http://www.blogger.com/profile/16703186086403270076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33229376.post-43584426666714782932007-06-09T22:00:00.000-05:002007-06-09T22:04:00.381-05:00

Did you know that lab tests have been conducted such that "scientists not only can give rodents Alzheimer's — they have also figured out how to take it away"? (New York Times). Granted, "curing mice is a lot simpler than curing people" but this offers some hope to finding a cure for the disease in humans.And the company conducting these extensive tests?Wyeth.The pharmaceutical company has "

CareTALKGals(tm)http://www.blogger.com/profile/16703186086403270076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33229376.post-70675541807254038782007-06-07T22:53:00.000-05:002007-06-07T22:56:05.920-05:00

And it will remain a hot issue the next couple of days now that the House passed a bill that would relax the restrictions our president place on stem cell research in which research can only done on the embryonic stem cells from only 80 or so cell lines (though many lines turned out to be useless).Many consider embryonic stem cell research to be the key to finding cures for many (for now)

CareTALKGals(tm)http://www.blogger.com/profile/16703186086403270076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33229376.post-76357077142769858712007-06-06T23:02:00.000-05:002007-06-06T23:07:16.744-05:00

Yes, everyone is talking about "universal healthcare" asking that in a nation as rich as ours, why can't we provide affordable health insurance to everyone in this country?However, if you really think about it, this is only part of the solution. As the private health insurance premiums increase each year, more and more people will have to switch to government assisted health programs which would

CareTALKGals(tm)http://www.blogger.com/profile/16703186086403270076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33229376.post-68867568675861387582007-06-04T22:33:00.001-05:002007-06-04T22:37:09.243-05:00

Yes, there have been many articles that have been written about doctors being conflicted when providing their professional opinion regarding a prescription drug. And, there have even been articles exposing the fact that some doctors receive payments for promoting their drugs. We can understand the need to be wary (unfortunately) regarding a doctor's professional advice/opinion in the medical

CareTALKGals(tm)http://www.blogger.com/profile/16703186086403270076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33229376.post-27270560729722222392007-06-03T22:10:00.000-05:002007-06-03T22:14:15.549-05:00

That is the number of uninsured children in this country.Have you ever had a tooth infection? It can be painful - but is hardly ever fatal... unless you don't take care of it.Yes, Medicaid does offer aid. But what if you can't find a dentist that took Medicaid and you can’t afford the treatment? This is what occurred to a 12 year old. The (common) tooth infection became a brain infection which

CareTALKGals(tm)http://www.blogger.com/profile/16703186086403270076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33229376.post-37249444125692561992007-06-02T22:28:00.000-05:002007-06-02T22:32:59.352-05:00

Have you ever been told or have heard that shark cartilage can help patients with lung cancer live longer?Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but according to the results of a rigorous study, shark cartilage does not help patients live longer.However, according to the New York Times, "two smaller studies showed some preliminary but encouraging evidence that two other complementary therapies,

CareTALKGals(tm)http://www.blogger.com/profile/16703186086403270076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33229376.post-47614440104349963842007-06-01T22:48:00.000-05:002007-06-01T22:51:33.830-05:00

As everyone knows, our DNA is like a blueprint that contains all our genetic information used in the development and function of all living organisms. With the advancement of technology, everyday people (ie. all of us) can undergo tests to learn our genetic information – relatively inexpensively. In fact, some insurance companies may even cover the costs of some genetic tests – such as the

CareTALKGals(tm)http://www.blogger.com/profile/16703186086403270076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33229376.post-44271521868056525002007-05-31T23:00:00.000-05:002007-05-31T23:05:18.759-05:00

Do you or someone you love have problems with "the shakes" – a condition where your/your loved one's hands, head, or even legs shake uncontrollably?Some might immediately (mis)diagnose it as Parkinson's disease --or perhaps an emotional disorder (since the tremors would worsen if the person is stressed, nervous, fatigued, or anxious). However, in reality it may be a case of essential tremors -- a

CareTALKGals(tm)http://www.blogger.com/profile/16703186086403270076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33229376.post-36630901656463635162007-05-30T22:52:00.000-05:002007-05-30T22:57:10.399-05:00

According to a recent study by Yale university researchers, drivers over the age of 70 who did 15 minutes of daily calisthenics (ie. exercises to develop muscular tone) "such as neck and shoulder rotations, arm stretches, and simple walking, maintained and even slightly improved their driving skills compared with drivers who didn’t do the exercises." (Wall Street Journal, Calisthenics may help

CareTALKGals(tm)http://www.blogger.com/profile/16703186086403270076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33229376.post-90689853297592162812007-05-29T22:40:00.000-05:002007-05-29T22:44:08.265-05:00

Like the plans of other candidates, presidential candidate, Senator Barack Obama’s health care plan is "aimed at covering the nearly 45 million uninsured Americans and reducing premium costs for everyone else." (New York Times)The main points of his plan:reliance on the "existing employer-based system and a new government program to make health insurance accessible to everyone"reduction in the "

CareTALKGals(tm)http://www.blogger.com/profile/16703186086403270076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33229376.post-42136475318030162832007-05-28T09:12:00.000-05:002007-05-28T09:19:44.457-05:00

WE THANK YOU!Dear Readers,Join us today in remembering all the brave men and women who have died protecting us. Whatever your political preference (and whether you believe the wars were right or wrong), today is a day to remember our fallen brothers and sisters. -The CareTALK Gals

CareTALKGals(tm)http://www.blogger.com/profile/16703186086403270076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33229376.post-19976068295238995322007-05-27T22:39:00.000-05:002007-05-27T22:43:01.381-05:00

Presidential candidate, Hilary Clinton, unveiled an outline of her health care agenda (the full plan will not be disclosed until later this year) which includes:a requirement for insurers that cover federal employees to pay for preventative care. Based on past experience, this practice is expected to spread to the private sector."Cutting payments to private manage-care Medicare plans." Mrs.

CareTALKGals(tm)http://www.blogger.com/profile/16703186086403270076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33229376.post-16101710976463548472007-05-25T22:55:00.000-05:002007-05-25T23:30:36.194-05:00

According to the New York Times, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce is conducting an investigation on how long term care insurance companies handle policyholder claims – and they have begun by asking two of the largest sellers of LTC insurance to produce documents for their investigation. According to what the committee has uncovered in court documents, Conseco, Penn Treaty [the two

CareTALKGals(tm)http://www.blogger.com/profile/16703186086403270076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33229376.post-77102193706858305422007-05-24T22:06:00.000-05:002007-05-24T22:41:16.995-05:00

How many of you have had problems getting access to your own health records? If insurance companies, employers, and the government can have access to your own records, why is it so difficult for you to gain access to your own records?Well, Google is planning to put an end to this inefficiency (one of many) in our health care system.Adam Bosworth, VP of engineering at Google, gave a speech at the

CareTALKGals(tm)http://www.blogger.com/profile/16703186086403270076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33229376.post-61097753466718561672007-05-22T22:23:00.000-05:002007-05-22T23:31:44.589-05:00

This week's New York Magazine issue features cancer survivors – and their stories of how they beat it/ are beating it. As you read the stories, you feel the pathos, but you also feel their will to live. Cancer is not a death sentence anymore. You CAN beat it ... as so many have proven time and time again.And these survivors are proud to call themselves exactly that -- survivors. The video above

CareTALKGals(tm)http://www.blogger.com/profile/16703186086403270076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33229376.post-86223947804541303352007-05-21T22:41:00.000-05:002007-05-21T22:50:31.080-05:00

We can all agree that soda in general is not a "healthy" drink – though, in moderation, it's not too bad -- especially if we drink diet soda. But what about the consequences of those who are addicted to diet soda (such as Bill Clinton, Elton John) -- like many people are addicted to coffee? Are there side effects (if not now, then later down the road) from drinking too much diet soda?According

CareTALKGals(tm)http://www.blogger.com/profile/16703186086403270076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33229376.post-54921105346589163792007-05-21T00:55:00.000-05:002007-05-21T01:06:25.689-05:00

The much anticipated (and for many, much dreaded) new documentary by Michael Moore premiered on Saturday at the Cannes Film Festival. And from the reviews that have been written, Sicko promises to cause much debate.We all know Mr. Moore is very politically opinionated and is not a fan (to put it mildly) of the Bush administration and the corporations/pharmaceuticals that support (monetarily)

CareTALKGals(tm)http://www.blogger.com/profile/16703186086403270076noreply@blogger.com0