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Hospitals Will Charge You More If You Do Not Have Health Insurance

Although there is considerable debate surrounding this particular subject there is no doubt that if you do not have medical health insurance then you will pay higher charges for hospital treatment.

The gap between charges levied on individuals paying hospital bills through insurance and those paying privately and has been rising steadily for more than twenty years now and we have seen particular divergence since the turn of the century. Indeed, the latest available figures show that private patients were paying no less than two and a half times as much as insured patients in 2004.

The American Hospital Association (AHA), to which the majority of America’s approximately 5,000 hospitals belong, disputes this figure and claims that, while there has certainly been a problem in the past, since these figures were issued in 2004 a great deal has been done to solve this problem.

A major part of the argument they use is that there was considerable confusion for a long time about whether or not hospitals could charge patients at different rates and that they have been waiting for guidance from the US Centers for Medicare and Medicaid before they could authorize discounts for uninsured patients.

Well I don’t know about you but for this writer that sound like a lot of political hogwash!

The simple fact of the matter is that hospitals, like many businesses, deliberately inflate their charges when drawing up their pricelist (the ‘chargemaster’ in this case) because they know that the vast majority of their customers are major insurers who are going to negotiate substantial discounts as a condition of approving a hospital for use by their policyholders. This is fine and represents nothing more than normal business practice.

However, in a country with very little state aided healthcare this leaves anyone without insurance paying far more than those people who are fortunate enough to have insurance.

There are currently estimated to be about forty six million Americans without health insurance and without any ability to negotiate for lower hospital charges and, as things stand, it is unlikely that anyone is going to take up the fight on their behalf. Sooner or later of course somebody is going to have to overhaul the healthcare system in the US and hopefully this problem will disappear but, in the meantime, what is the answer?

The only real solution at the moment is, wherever possible, to ensure that you have at least some emergency health insurance cover. Yes health insurance can be expensive, but it is possible to get cover at quite affordable rates if you shop around and the cost of meeting your hospital bills will certainly be a lot less with health insurance than it will be without it.

MedicalHealthInsuranceToday.com provides information on all aspects of medical health insurance including individual and family health insurance plans, short term health insurance, expat medical insurance, health insurance for pre-existing conditions and much more.

Colon Cleanse Benefits: Do They Out Weigh The Cons?

November 5, 2010 by admin

As we’ve all moved into the 21st century, many of us have opted for “alternative” health methods as opposed to the more traditional ones of the 20th century. A procedure known as “colon detox” or “colon cleansing” has become very popular. Although the practice seems like a new idea to us, colon cleansing is an ancient practice that has been used in some cultures for millenniums

Colon cleansing provides your body with short-term benefits and also improves your general health in the long term. You are likely to feel much healthier and happier once your colon has been cleansed and unnecessary waste products in your body have been removed.

Colon cleanse benefits are many, and are best appreciated in the long term. If you care properly for your colon from a young age, the incidence of threats such as colon cancer or other illnesses as you grow older is greatly reduced. Enemas used to be a common doctor’s prescription for treating minor sicknesses and discomforts in the early 20th century, and oftentimes it was successful. Colon cleansing could very well be the solution to an over-medicated America in the 21st century.

Colon cleanse benefits include many emotional benefits. Many people find that they feel better once their entire bodies feel refreshed and clean. You may have a more positive outlook on life when your aches and pains that have dogged you for months have been eased. When you feel good, the world somehow seems to be a much more cheerful place.

There are two kinds of bacteria present in our colon. There is the detrimental kind that are washed away by a colon cleanse. There is also a beneficial kind of bacteria that helps break down food and regulate our intestines. While popular belief is that a colon cleanse will kill any good bacteria in our system, the opposite is true. A colon cleanse can benefit our bodies by clearing the environment this bacteria works in.

You may have heard of movie stars or ordinary people using colon cleanses to slim down prior to a big event. This is a dangerous and unwise way to use colon cleansing. If used too often, the colon can become damaged or dependent on artificial means of evacuation.

Although some people don’t like to discuss the upkeep of their colon, it’s a health necessity for them to know how important it is that they keep their digestive tracts clean and healthy. People all around the world have known about the benefits of colon cleansing for a really long time. After all, a healthy digestive tract along with all the other healthy body systems makes for a better, longer life for you.

“Colon cleansing” or “colon detox” may seem like a new idea in today’s alternative health era; however, it is actually an ancient practice. Colon cleanse benefits include feeling lighter and healthier, ridding the body of waste products and unhealthy bacteria, and may even have emotional benefits. Although some may worry that the colon bacteria flushed out are good bacteria, this is not true. Colon cleansing is just one way to maintain a healthy digestive tract. Combined with taking care of our other organs, a healthy digestive tract can lead to better and longer lives.

– Craig Tannie