10 Tips on Being Independent With Home Health Care

Health care is increasingly expensive and rising costs are a concern for most people.

Funding long-term care needs planning the US Health Department Statistics indicates that almost 10 million people in the US will require Home Health Care. And costs of care are rising each year. To cover health related contingencies people need to protect themselves with insurance that pays for home health care.

1. Well before retirement plan for any contingencies that may arise in old age. Plan on being independent in every way and put in place a rock solid financial plan.

2. Consult a retirement planning expert or insurance expert and find out the advantages and disadvantages of insurance that pays for long-term home care.

3. Surf the internet and read articles and tips on home health care and how to protect yourself financially.

4. Study your existing health policy and try and get a insurance policy that covers all aspects not covered by health care. Long term or home care becomes essential with injuries, serious illnesses, and old age.

5. Before investing in an insurance policy that covers home health care find out what in actuality the policy will cover and be sure to read the fine print. Any clauses you don’t understand ask the insurance agent or company for clarifications.

6. Buy a comprehensive policy that will meet your needs. Choose a policy that covers nursing home care, home care, and has a rider that covers expenses incurred by family during the illness like costs of food or transport to and from hospitals. Choose the coverage intelligently.

7. Find out whether the policy you are purchasing is tax qualified or non-tax qualified. When an insurance policy is tax qualified you can deduct premiums as medical expense up to the set limit.

8. When purchasing a policy think about aspects like inflation find out all about inflation protection and higher daily benefit rate. Choose wisely depending on your age, gender, family health tendencies and so on.

9. Buy home health care insurance from financially sound companies. Check aspects like independent financial ratings from sources like A M Best Company or Fitch Investors Services.

10. Practice preventive health care and take good care of your health by eating balanced meals, exercising daily and getting regular health checks.

Home health care covers a whole gamut of services: nursing care, doctors visits, companionship, light housekeeping, as well as meal preparation. While government services too provide for home care the regulations are extensive and the system cannot cover many cases. Home health care can also cover occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech therapy, and skilled nursing. Home health care is concerned with the medical needs of patients. Home health care funding is covered by leading insurance companies as well as Medicare, Medicaid, the Older Americans Act, the Veteran’s Administration, and more.

Health Care Bill To Be Passed By Christmas? Millions of Americans still uninsured

Many people are simply unaware what the current health care debate is even about. It all started with President Obama’s promise of health care for every American. Since then he has been attempting to get the Senate to pass a health care bill that moved quickly through the house. A few major things happened that stripped the bill of it’s major important parts. One of the most important aspects of the Obama health care bill in congress was whether there was a public option as well as a mandatory buy in. Another major issue was Democrat chairman Joe Leiberman from Connecticut who is obviously in with the insurance industry big time. At this time there are still millions of Americans without health insurance, are you one of them? I will address all these issues and more.

First is how the bill got to where it is today. At first, there were a number of bills floating about. One of them was House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s bill dubbed “pelosicare”. Many laughed at this bill as it was very lacking and obviously sided with the insurance companies. Eventually, a bill passed the house and made it to the senate where it has remained deadlocked. The reason why the health care bill has remained deadlocked has little to do with fact: many republicans are simply disagreeing just so healthcare doesn’t pass. In fact, Senator Joe Lieberman threatened to vote with the republicans even though he is the chair of the democratic party.

The reason for these threats and all the commotion was largely the most important aspect of the bill: the public option. At this point where we stand now, there is no public option in the bill. Republican spooking literally scared the public option and minimum buy in options out. This further enhances efforts to expand the gap between the lower and elite class.

At this point in history, more Americans do not have health insurance than at any other time. It is not hard to find health insurance quotes that will save you hundreds of dollars if you know where to look. If you are one of the millions of Americans with no health insurance, or are looking for cheaper health insurance, you don’t have to wait until the health care bill passes or there’s a public option. Get a free health insurance quote today, and then if there is a public option you have the option to save even more money! Check it out and give it a try today… every living person has the right to be healthy, why shouldn’t you?

Divorce: How Religion Can Help

A divorce is seen as a sin most religions. It’s hard to fall back on religion went they persecute you, however, there are ways that you can use your faith to help you through something as difficult as a divorce. Faith is what grounds us. Faith is what says what’s wrong and what’s right. When your heart is broken, you can use your faith to give you strength to help you connect back to yourself. If you are going through a divorce right now, you may find your faith gone, but it is not. You are hurt, you are trying to cope with it the best you can.  

The first thing that you should keep in mind is what is known as the law of acceptance. With your faith you are able to accept everything that life throws at you. Things don’t just happen. They happen because of a divine spirit that is guiding us through live. Some people believe that it is god’s will. Other’s argue that God’s Will does not inflict pain. That’s where predestination comes in. Everything that we do is because we have an intended destiny that was written upon birth. If you want to think about your divorce as a law of surrender.

The law of surrender states   that the minute you give in to your faith and reach out for God or Gods you will find that your faith will led you to have better opportunities and it will change your entire life. When you surrender your heart to god, he helps you back to your feet and will fix everything wrong in your life.

Then there divine guidance. This type of faith is presented in a poem known as Footprints. During the poem a man finds that when times are good, then there are two sets of footprints. During the rough times, there is only one. The man asks God one day why leaves when times get hard. God speaks and says that when he only saw one set of footprints it was because God was carrying him. Divine guidance is when god does what you cannot. If you feel that you cannot live another day. God helps you through it. If you feel that you just can’t go on any more because of your divorce, God will be there to give you strength as long as you believe in his power.

God is so different for many people. However, to Christians, god is a spirit that oversees our lives and he gives us hope, love, and guidance. We are whom he created in hopes of making a better world, a world that once never existed. God is a merciful God. He does not punish those that repent. God allows you to be forgiven as long as you are truly forgiven. Many people will use this as karma. Karma is what leads us to god it is why we repent. Remember, what you dish out, you will get back third folds. When karma comes back, god is there to forgive you when you are ready.

Now many people believe that a divorce is a sin against god that cannot be forgiven, however, it is not god that judges, but those around us. In the Bible, it says that you need to learn how to forgive your fellow man. When you forgive, you are able to open your heart up to the world and to god. God forgives because we are his creation and he wants everyone to find his or her happiness.

Free will is seen as the evil in region, however, God gave everyone free will. Why? God wants everyone to choose him. Whatever you do, if you choose God, He will forgive you for your sins and he will help you through your divorce. This is the one thing that you can be guaranteed during a divorce. God is always with you, no matter what you do, He is there to give you the strength to go on.

Alternative Health: The Importance Of Alternative Medicine

Alternative medicine has long been used to treat a variety of conditions from psoriasis to dysentery. Today the amount of holistic therapies is staggering, and not all of it created equal, which is why it’s so important to keep up to date on the latest happenings in this rapidly growing field. The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) is a part of the US National Institutes of Health, located online at www.nccam.nih.gov, which is undertaking research, training, and dissemination of data to the public and professionals regarding the most popular health topics. This is a comprehensive site that discusses at length what consumers should know about the latest in alternative health claims, and other consumer concerns and issues. Check out current clinical trials, research funding opportunities, and the continuing education series for all alternative health professionals.

From Natural Solutions at www.alternativemedicine.com find complementary and alternative health medicine information about common health conditions, including natural remedies,  holistic healthcare, healing foods, as well as healthy solutions and practical strategies for self-care and prevention. A popular topic for this time of year is seasonal affective disorder or SAD, which results from shorter winter days and less sunlight. Decreased energy levels are a common complaint that can be reversed simply by tanning or light therapy for twenty minutes every morning, eating more protein and omega-3, and by squeezing in any type of outdoor exercise whenever possible to boost serotonin levels from the natural sunlight. In extreme cases it may even be worth relocating to a sunnier locale to avoid the winter blues altogether.  

Find true health, and empower yourself to make informed nutritional decisions, holistically. Health resources with remedies A-Z for your alternative health needs can be found online for information on alternative, ayruvedic, aromatherapy, homeopathic, essential oils, flower remedies, herbs, and more alternative treatments and therapies. Also discover sites devoted to medical systems, practices, and products that are not presently considered to be part of conventional medicine, including sections for spiritual self-healing. It’s important to be knowledgeable about combining alternative medicine, supplements, vitamins, herbs, and nutrition with conventional medicine too, so be sure to advise your health care professional of everything. If you’re not sure where to start, health counseling is available online for your convenience for help to feel better in your body and achieve your ideal weight. This is also a great way to manage and reduce your stress, increase your energy levels, find healthier ways to eat, and take on a truly holistic approach to life.

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Individual Health Insurance Effects

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, otherwise known as the health reform bill will impact almost every American. One of the most important ways it will affect individual health insurance is that insurance companies will not be permitted to deny insurance to those with preexisting illnesses. Another important affect is that all Americans will be required to hold insurance. Insurance companies will be prohibited from placing annual and lifetime limits on coverage. Group health exchanges may also help to reduce the cost of insurance plans, giving individuals the buying power of large companies. You will be able to purchase insurance through a state exchange from 2014. The exchanges have yet to be formed, but the intended goal is to provide more affordable and subsidized individual plans. The Obama effects on individual health insurance addresses the biggest weaknesses in the individual health insurance market. Easy To Insure Me

As the reform bill was passed policy rates were climbing. A report revealed that members of the middle class were losing health insurance faster than any other income group. Those who missed the Government provided safety net because of their income were thrown on the mercies of the individual market. Here, insurers have been denied coverage based on preexisting conditions and are vulnerable to charges of high and ever increasing premiums.

The limits insurers placed on who gets coverage is one of the three major problems that needed to be addressed in the individual market. The other two are the affordability and whether the policy would pay for what is needed when the insured gets sick. A study found that excluded conditions varied by insurer. In a 2001 study by the Georgetown Health Policy Institute, researchers 37 percent of applications were rejected. There were insurers who would turn you down if you had hay fever. The public thus was a victim of a roulette insurance market. How easy is it for individuals to wade their way through the market to insurers who would cover them is a question. Although federal law requires insurers to sell policies to certain people who lose group coverage, including those who lost their jobs due to lay offs; but places no limits on what an insurer can charge. In February 2010, Connecticut announced that health premiums for individual medical plans rose in price by 20 percent over in 2009. In this void have stepped some states in varying degrees. Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and Vermont required insurers to sell individual policies to everyone, irrespective of their health. Washington state required insurers to take individuals with some health problems. While, Iowa required insurers to cover preexisting conditions in new applicants, if they had insurance previously for those conditions and did not let the insurance lapse.

Of those who do buy their own insurance the health insurance market works well for some; but, not for others. In the individual market prior to the reform bill, in order to lower their risks insurers preferred the healthiest applicants. In most states, insurers may consider the health history of the applicant in deciding coverage and its cost. Unlike group plans offered by employers which provide coverage to everyone, there is no guarantee in most states individuals can obtain insurance. It has been realized that solving problems in the individual market would improve the health care crisis. In California, Connecticut and several other states regulators have taken actions against insurers who revoked individual coverage after policyholders fell ill. Before the President won the election Senators Ron Wyden, a Democrat from Oregon, and Bob Bennett, a Republican from Utah were supporting a bill that would shift workers getting coverage through employers to purchase their own insurance. The intention of their proposal was to break the link between employment and insurance. The two supporters of the bill believed this would let people keep their coverage even when they lost or switched their job. The proposal would have required everyone to have coverage and insurers to sell insurance to all applicants. The health reform bill has addressed these failings. Both presidential candidates had expressed the desire to improve options for people who buy their own coverage. Candidate Obama wanted to allow individuals and small firms to have the bargaining leverage and purchasing power of latge firms by creating ways for individuals to buy insurance in groups. Advisors to candidate McCain had acknowledged the current system was broken. Douglas Holtz Eakin, who was a senior policy adviser noted that he did not want to give the impression the individual or small group market is a good place to be, as it was not

The public hospitals have been at the vanguard of the victims of inadequate and absent coverage. They have provided for the uninsured and those under insured by Medicaid, that reimburses them at below cost. They are also unable to compete with private and nonprofit hospitals for patents with private health insurance coverage. Yet, the cost of providing care to the uninsured and under insured has climbed and taxpayer support remained static.

Currently employers are looking to shift more burdens to their employees due to rise in the cost of health insurance. A Reuters research team in analyzing claim data has discovered that smaller employers saw costs rise the most. According to a report released in March 2010, the cost for an employer to offer individual plans to workers increased by 43 percent over a eight-year period. The amount employees paid for the single plans increased over 64 percent.

Large corporate employees have enjoyed the most secure and highest quality coverage in the nation during their employment. They have not been victimized during their employment with revocation or denial due to preexisting conditions. Nevertheless, a recently released annual survey by the National Business Group on Health has indicated that the impact of rising costs means this island of safety is about to be buffeted. This surveyed large employers indicated they were considering shifting more of the cost on their employees.

Harvard researchers looking into what portion of bankruptcy filers filed for medical reasons found some enlightening information. They found that illness caused the majority of filings. The study looked at a year that preceded the housing bust; but reveals what is the general scenario absenting this reason. The larger segment of filers were covered by insurance they lost or proved to be inadequate. Majority of these were middle class homeowners who had college degrees. The study revealed the vulnerability of Americans who were literally one major illness from bankruptcy. There are big Obama effects on individual health insurance coverage. Certainly there are due to be major Obama effects on individual health insurance.

Chinese Green Tea as the Drink to Health

Many studies suggest that fresh-brewed tea can benefit health and fight disease.

Tea is cosy, comforting, easy to brew, and can be enjoyed anywhere at any time. Chinese green has more varieties than any other tea in China as well as any other country in the world.

Tasty and Healthy

Chinese tea is healthy in a lot of ways. It lowers blood pressure, protects the heart, helps to prevent obesity, prevents tooth decay and increases immunity, etc. Sounds like a TV commercial but it has been working on more than billions of Chinese people over thousands of years.

Grean Tea is like jewelry in china agriculture food; It’s announced in November, 2001 that research has found scientific evidence that Chinese tea can actually help to prevent cancer. It’s more than just empty talk now. As a fellow Chinese tea drinker puts it “when I am home after a busy day, I make myself a cup of tea while sitting slanted on the sofa. A sip of hot tea down the throat, the whole world loosens up. The feeling is soooo … you know… “. Yes, as a Chinese tea drinker, Kam knows. Chinese tea’s impact on one’s psychological health is immediate. In summer or warm climate, tea seems to dispel the heat and bring on instant cool together with a feeling of relaxation. For this reason, tea-houses abound in towns and market villages in South China and provide elderly retirees with the locales to meet.

The above, however, does not go to say that the stronger the tea, the more advantages it will yield. Too much tannic acid will affect the secretion of the gastric juice, irritate the membrane of the stomach and cause indigestion or constipation. Strong tea taken just before bedtime will give rise to occasional insomnia. Constant drinking of over-strong tea may induce heart and blood-pressure disorders in some people, reduce the milk of a breast-feeding mother, and put a brown color on the teeth of young people. But it is not difficult to ward off these undesirable effects: just don’t make your tea too strong.

Green Tea Ingredient May Promote Healthy Weight Loss

Most teas contain large amounts of polyphenols, which are plant-based substances that have been shown to have antioxidant, anticancer, and antiviral properties.

However, green tea is particularly rich in a type of polyphenols called catechins. These substances have also been shown to have anti-inflammatory and anticancer properties, but recent research in animals show that catechins may also affect body fat accumulation and cholesterol levels.

Handpicked Yield High Quality Tea

In China, most leaves are still handpicked, which yields a higher quality crop. Many of the top grade teas are still handmade, allowing tea masters to finetune their process to optimise the quality of the individual leaves.

Knowledgeable tea drinkers can find the best of the finest in the Land of the Dragon. The low cost of living in China often results in affordable prices for many teas.

Unlike black tea, Chinese green tea is made with minimal processing. A process – called firing – applies heat to kill the enzymes and arrest the oxidation, or fermentation.

Traditionally, the Chinese uses three firing process: steaming, pan-frying and baking. Japanese tea only uses steaming.

Pan-frying was the most popular method in China. It was preferred over steaming for two reasons: it is quicker to pan-fry than to steam, and it stimulates an intense chestnuty aroma and flavor.

Baking can be done using either charcoal or electric oven. It is preferred over pan-frying when it is important to preserve the shape and texture, such as when making floral infused green tea. For the tea making tools, you could check more in kitchenware info site.

Many Chinese green tea are produced using combination of pan-frying and baking, allowing the advantages of each method to be exploited.
Chinese Tea is A Way of Life

A cup of tea in the morning sets the pace of the day. Sitting and chatting with a few good friends over a couple rounds of tea makes life worth living. Brewing Chinese tea calms me down.

Chinese tea is more than just something to drink. It has in fact become a way of life for many

Chinese Diet Green Tea and Longevity

It’s better than health medicine sometimes if you drink it for a long time.

The role of Chinese diet green tea in promoting longevity has been investigated upon by many researchers. They found the premise of their study on observing that Japanese women who are greater-than-average Chinese diet green tea drinkers; have lower mortality rates compared to others. This led the researchers to believe that Chinese diet green tea has “a protective factor against premature death.”

The polyphenols found in Chinese diet green tea may be held accountable. With its high amount of polyphenols, Chinese diet green tea seems to have a stimulating effect on the immune system. Stronger immune system as a result of drinking Chinese diet green tea helps reduce risks of acquiring any illnesses.

Pros of Health Care Reform: You Might Actually Get and Stay Healthy

With the 2010 mid-term elections behind us, we will undoubtedly be hearing renewed debate over the health care reform bill. Few in the media actually talk about the pros of health care reform. However, the good thing coming out of all of this free speech and debate is that there seems to be a greater focus on actually promoting health rather than promoting staying sick.

In the past, health care was about doctors keeping us healthy. In recent decades, doctors have had less and less time to spend consulting patients on lifestyle habits to improve health. Through no fault of their own, the few minutes that they have to spend with patients is usually reduced to looking at some numbers on a chart and prescribing the appropriate medication. Sometimes the advice of “eat right and exercise” is given while the doctor walks out the door. The patient is left thinking that medications are the only option.

The overwhelming amount of medications these days are prescribed for overweight-related diseases such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and diabetes. Because the patient hasn’t learned healthier habits through taking medication alone, the patient is actually getting sicker each year. All of a sudden, the patient is on multiple medications. Over decades, major health issues and surgery for back pain, knee pain, heart blockages, and diabetes-related eye and foot problems is the common result.

The other result is that as the population gets sicker, the demand for subsidized medicines and surgeries increases. There has even been talk about subsidizing weight loss surgery! Health care costs increase not only for the patient, but for everyone. This is unfortunate, because in most cases these diseases are completely preventable with proper nutrition.

If the discussion over the cons and pros of health care reform has done anything, it has brought this issue closer to the forefront. Prevention is not quite at the top of everyone’s list, but it is getting there.

Let’s pretend that the government completely overhauled the health care system, with the focus on keeping people healthy rather than helping them stay sick. Where might the tax dollars that would have otherwise funded medications and surgeries go?

The government invests money not in farm subsidies for large farms, but in small family farms so that everybody can have access to fresh, healthy local produce and meats
The government invests money in community-based health coaches who offer private coaching to people committed to getting and staying healthy despite the obesity-promoting world around them
The government mandates that insurance companies provide coverage for alternative healthcare practitioners such as chiropractors, acupuncturists, naturopathic and homeopathic doctors, etc.

These examples could end up on the “pros of health care reform list” if there were enough demand from the American people. Americans are getting more overweight and obese every year, and clearly the current health care system has been complicit in promoting this cycle of sickness and money spent on keeping people sick, otherwise we wouldn’t be in this situation. It’s like pouring money into a never-ending funnel of sickness!

Hopefully the recent elections will reignite debate as to how best our health care dollars our spent. If the government shifts its focus from putting money into managing sickness to investing in a healthy America, Americans would be happier being healthier and wealthier.

 

Health care public relations firms can help New York medical offices stay in business for years to come

The state of New York presents a number of challenges to prospective medical practitioners. The problem is that people in New York do not suffer fools lightly. While this may be a good attributes in other parts of life, it creates a unique sets of problem of medical practitioners of all stripes and in all different kinds of practices. Not to over generalize a group of people, but in general, New Yorkers tend demand a lot for their money. This is especially true when it comes to matters revolving around health care. The thinking of an average New Yorker goes something along the lines of: if a large amount of money is going to be spent, then there had better be a significant payoff, otherwise, what is the point? Thus, up and coming medical and dental offices practicing reparative and preventative medicine in and around the New York/ New Jersey area have to step up to the plate and deliver the goods, so to speak. It is for this reason, and for this reason alone, that such a large percentage of New York medical offices have retained the services of a health care public relations firm, like Makovsky and Company.

When a medical provider hires a Health care public relations firm, like Makovsky and Company, they expect results. They hold the view that if they are going to spend a fair percentage of their operating budget on hiring a public relations company, they had better see some results for their effort. They do not want to hire a less than reputable, fly by night company to handle an incredibly sensitive and delicate enterprise, such as the highly specialized and diversified field of public relations. That is why so many medical offices, of varying size and budget, have started to hire an experienced health care public relations firm, like Makovsky and Company. There are numerous benefits with going with an established named in the field of health care public relations. For one thing, if a particular medical office or dental practice goes with a health care public relations firm, like Makovsky and Company, or a similar company with a track record in public relations that speaks for itself, then these companies will not have to worry unnecessarily about whether or not they are getting a good deal. The main reason for hiring a health care public relations firm, like Makovsky and Company is to get results.

So what can a health care provider expect when they retain the services of a stellar Health care public relations firm, like Makovsky and Company? They can expect the public’s view of their particular practice to increase exponentially. This may seem like an abstract achievement, but in reality, the results will become immediately apparent by a noticeable uptick in patients who visit the medical offices for treatment. This in turn, results in increased revenue, which is the ultimate goal. Hospitals and medical offices, regardless of their status in the community and regardless of the number of pro bono cases they take in a given fiscal year, are businesses that are out to turn a profit. This may leave a sour taste in the general public’s mouth, but it is a hard truth, and one that a health care public relations firm, like Makovsky and Company should work day and night to make more palpable by highlight the positive attributes of their clients work. In this way, health care public relations firms can serve the greater good.

 

National Health Care

Copyright (c) 2009 Kentaro Konika

Often referred to as universal health care, national health care is a system of health care provided and run by a country’s government. The system grants free health care access to every citizen of the country. The exact healthcare services offered to citizens for free may vary from country to country, meaning that there will be some services which require personal expense to be able to access them. However, the vast majority of health services will be provided for free and paid for by national taxation. Many countries offer universal health care today, one of the first to do so successfully being Germany. The first country to ever implement such a system however, was Great Britain.

Amongst the other countries to offer such a system are France, Australia, and Italy. Almost all of the more economically developed countries around the world offer some kind of universal health care system with the exception of the United States of America. In the USA the only way to access medical care is to have medical insurance. Whilst most industrialized countries offer some kind of free medical service to their citizens the structure of this system can vary quite a bit between nations. One example of this is policies regarding private medical care. In the UK it is common practice for doctors to offer private medical services outside of the free public system, but other countries have greater restrictions on such private medical practice.

Universal health care is a very broad term that has many possible applications. However, the key feature is the provision of a free health service to citizens of a nation. Systems of this sort require huge sums of money to run. As such countries usually pay for such a system through national taxes which all citizens pay. In exchange for paying these taxes citizens are then granted free access to the national health system. It is the government’s decision as to who is entitled to health care and what sort of treatments are to be made available on the system. In some systems patients may have to pay for some part of the treatment whilst receiving the rest for free. This is a form of heavily subsidized treatment.

Systems such as these have been proven to work extremely well in a number of countries around the world. Whilst these systems are inevitably very difficult to manage, the benefits largely outweigh the costs. Owing to this fact, many American citizens and politicians have suggested that such a system may be of benefit to the USA. Rising rates of medical insurance in the USA have driven many to see a national health system as a good solution. In recent times medical insurance costs have risen out of reach of the average citizen meaning that many choose to go without insurance every year. The difficulty with this is that if medical treatment does become necessary the costs of such treatment are enough to make a family bankrupt. Opposition to this view states that taxes are levied on those who least need such care.

How to Save on Health Care Costs

In the long run, prevention is the key to both better wellness and lower health-care costs. The nation and each of us individually should put there energy and resources here. Over time, it is more important than addressing the high cost of new technologies and drugs or their incorrect overuse.

We focus on treating illness when it occurs and pay for nursing assistants but not on preventing it in advance. Which means today the U.S. basically has a medical system instead of a health care system.

According to a recent New England Journal of Medicine article, there are about 465,000 preventable deaths per year in the U.S. from smoking, 395,000 from high blood pressure, 216,000 from obesity, 191,000 from inactivity, 190,000 from high blood sugar, and 113,000 from high cholesterol.

These are for the most part due to our lifestyles: One-third of Americans are too heavy, another third are obese, and 20% smoke. We eat too much packaged and prepared food rather than nutritious foods, and we do not exercise. This issue makes for paying out money for health care, Nursing Asisstants and hospitalization. Even children’s physical activity now declinesOur own lifestyles are mostly to blame for needing care from nursing assistants or hospitalization: A third of Americans are overweight, another third are obese, and 20% smoke. We eat too much packaged and prepared food rather than nutritious foods, and we do not exercise. Even children’s physical activity now declines.

This helps explain why the U.S. ranks 39th for infant mortality, 43rd for female mortality, 42nd for male mortality, and 36th for life expectancy — but is first for per capita spending on health care, nursing assistants and hospitalization. Clearly, there is something frightfully wrong with this figure. There will be a diabetes epidemic, more heart disease, cancer, arthritis and other chronic illnesses. Life spans will shorten rather than lengthen unless we seriously start working on preventing these diseases.

I firmly believe that each of us must each take responsibility for our own preventive health care. That said, other players in society should assist us in the following ways:

Our government should insist that restaurants post calorie counts and fat content and schools restrict the accessibility of sodas and other non-nutritious foods in cafeterias. In addition, it can provide a food pyramid — recommended diets or eating plans — that is not influenced by vested interests. Something our government can do is insist that restaurants post calorie counts and fat contents. Schools should deny the availability of sodas and other non-nutritious foods in cafeterias. In addition they can provide a food pyramid, recommended diets or eating plans, that are not influenced by vested interests.

Second, our employers should provide wellness programs like Safeway’s, which encourage staff to utilize smoking-cessation, weight-reduction, stress-management, and nutrition counseling at no charge. Those who participate are given a decreaseIn a Wall Street Journal op-ed describing the program, CEO Steven A. Burd reported that over four years Safeway’s per capita health-care costs (including both the company’s and employees’ portions) did not rise while those for most American companies had increased 38%. In addition, the company had less absenteeism and higher employee productivity. Our employers should provide health programs like Safeway’s, which encourage staff to join smoking-cessation, weight-reduction, stress-management, and nutrition counseling at no charge. Those who participate are given a reduction.

Lower premiums should be offered by insurance plans to subscribers for not smoking, for being at reasonable weight, and for exercising.

Physicians, especially primary care physicians, should spend the time necessary to provide good preventive medicine, including counseling, screening tests (high blood pressure, weight , cholesterol, cancer), and immunizations.

Prevention is of value at any age. At the Erickson Retirement Communities, residents can opt for a program that includes health-promotion classes for all (similar to Safeway’s) and care coordination for those who do develop a chronic illness and need nursing assistance. The physicians limit themselves to about 400 patients (compared to about 1,300 to 1,500 for most primary care physicians) and offer same same-day visits and as much time as needed per visit. They use an electronic medical record system, nursing assistants assisting with care coordination, visits to each hospitalized patient, and an automatic office visit within 72 hours of a hospital discharge.

The results are striking: lesser hospitalizations, shorter lengths of stay for those who are hospitalized, and a drop in the “bounce rate” (i.e., unplanned readmissions to the hospital in the 30 days after discharge) from the national Medicare average of (an outrageous) 24% to less than 10%. Basically, better health, better care and reduced costs.

To sum it all up, a combination of nudges and incentives can help us in achieving our responsibilities for health promotion and disease prevention. These responsibilities commensurate with the new right of Americans to have insurance.

This would be a start toward a true health care system and away from a medical care system.