The other day as I was talking to a friend about some women health related issues and I had a bit of a minor epiphany. You see my friend asked me what things she could do that were simple to implement and didn’t require a major lifestyle change to try and stay healthy. I told her that it seemed like a strange question coming from her, since I’ve always known her to be a fit individual. But, she wanted my opinion. She later confessed that she was picking my brain to get ideas for a book that she wanted to write about fitness for women. Anyhow, this got me to thinking that she was right. There are probably many people who just overlook the simple things, not because they don’t know, but because we get so busy that we forget. And, sometimes we need to be reminded. So, I decided to write a brief article myself.So here are my basic health tips for women to remain fit and healthy in this busy age:1. Trying to remain fit and healthy begins with a balanced diet. You should, of course, be aware of and monitor the correct weight for your age. Consult with your doctor to learn what foods you ought to avoid and follow your eating discipline routines. If you are attempting to shed some pounds, then it goes without saying that those favorite foods that are high in calories must go, no matter how convenient. Be sure to include foods with high fiber and low fat. If it has been a while since you have eaten cereal in the morning because it is kids’ food, then be a kid again and eat cereal. Of course, not the high sugar variety, but a good quality whole grain cereal. I prefer the organic cereals myself.2. Another health tip that we sometimes need to be reminded of is to drink plenty of water. You should strive to drink at least eight glasses of water everyday. This could also be water obtained from sources like soup. If you can afford it, try some of the high quality filtered waters like Penta water. Drinking water cleanses the body from harmful impurities and keeps the keep the body hydrated. It also helps to keep your skin looking younger.3. If you smoke then STOP! Yes, everyone knows that smoking is a horrible habit that ages you faster and, of course, can kill you, so why are you still smoking? If you happen to be pregnant that do everything you can to stop smoking for the sake of your child. Smoking will affect the health of the baby. The harmful content of cigarettes may be passed on to the child to the baby through the bloodstream. Here is another interesting tidbit of information for you women smokers. Did you know that there is research that suggests that female smokers are more susceptible to diseases than male smokers? Female smokers have a elevated threat of getting breast cancer. In addition, you ought to limit your alcohol intake and quit drinking entirely if you are pregnant.4. Okay, here comes the one obvious health tip that so many people do not want to hear. You must include daily exercise of some kind. Try taking your dog for a walk. So many people have dogs and never walk them. It is a great way to get in some exercise for the both of you. Buy some kind of home gym and use it! For many of us that live in a big city it is sometimes a hassle to get to the gym everyday. Besides dealing with the traffic on the road, we have to deal with the traffic on the machines. And, for some, going to the gym becomes a social event more than a workout. Having a quality piece of fitness equipment in the home can save time. And, unless you must have the social activity at a gym, or need a spotter, you can get a great workout from home. You just have to be disciplined about it. Nowadays, there are even virtual personal trainers. You can get a customized workout plan and motivation via the virtual world.5. I’m often amazed by this one because we live in an age where vitamins are everywhere. However, so many people seem to not use them, or buy them only to never take them. Use high quality Vitamins and Supplements. If you are an athlete this is even more important. Women especially should take a quality Calcium supplement. Supplementing with Calcium may prevent having cramps and Pre-Menstrual Period (PMS) Symptoms. It may also help prevent Osteoporosis. Another valuable addition is Vitamin E. Vitamin E helps to boost the immune system. Moreover, Vitamin E is said to be help avoid wrinkles that are commonly associated with aging.
How To Get Home Insurance Quotes
When you look for home insurance, you need to shop around or shop online through the internet where it is convenient, fast and easy access to insurance companies’ websites. Don’t be afraid or hesitate to ask for home insurance quotes to every insurance company that you know. It is your advantage to get a better deal since having a home is a huge investment.When you compare the different homeowner insurance quotes, be sure that it has the same level of coverage and premiums when regarding to rates of cost. Of course, every homeowner want to have the best insurance for their homes but mind changes when it comes to the rate. Some people can afford the best rates and coverage but most of the people prefer rates that suit their budgets.Here are some steps how to get your home insurance quotes:Find a policy that fits your budget by asking home insurance quotes either shopping around or shopping online through the internet. There are many insurance companies in every state or area where you live. Different insurance company, different quotes in rates and coverage.Since there are few types of homeowners insurance to use, choose before getting one and ask for quotes.a.) Home insurance where to protect your home itself anything happens to it when it strikes by disaster such as fire, earthquake, flood, etc.b.) Home Contents Insurance where in not only your home are protected but as well as the content of your home such as furniture, electronics, jewelry, antiques, etc.Contact the insurance company either by Phone, sending them e-mail or in person. When asking for a quote, you need to fill some information which the insurance company requires you to fill it up either online or in person. You need to answer honestly the questions they ask and give them the detail of what they want to know for example, the location, how big the area of the house, how old is the house, etc.Make sure to ask questions regarding their policy in case you don’t understand some of it but it is better if you have some knowledge with regards to homeowner insurance. Knowing that no matter how small or big is your house; it is always valuable to the homeowner since the money they purchase for their home comes from their hard work for so many years.If you can see that there are lots of expenses everyone have each month aside from their monthly bills and to be practical, they always look for insurance company that offer the least rates with best coverage of their needs. Although comparing quotes takes time but it is worth it when you can find the right home insurance that gives you the best deal with lower rate.Patience is the best virtue when you want to find something which is best for you. Take note, if in case you purchase your home insurance online, you can ask questions by sending email. But things like home insurance, it is best if you have it in person so that you can have a good relationship with the agent or the person in charge of the home insurance. Remember this phrase “seek and you shall find, ask and it shall be given”.
Freelance Writing Jobs From Home – When Casual Fridays Takes on a Whole New Meaning
Times Are Tough All Over, Or So They Tell MeIf you’ve been looking for freelance writing jobs from home you might be a bit surprised at the volume of opportunities there are today. However if you’re a veteran ad copy guy who boogied through the ’80s and ’90s bringing in untold fortunes while you played office hockey, you have my sincere sympathy.Here’s the thing, with the internet bringing the global market to each of our fingertips as well as these current economic crises, smart companies are looking to outsource their copy writing jobs to help defray marketing costs without decreasing their efforts.So as we can all mourn for yesterday’s ad exec’s lost fortunes, we can also (while trying to maintain a somber countenance, of course) take full advantage of the situation like any self-respecting entrepreneur would. Never before have their been so many opportunities to find great freelance writing jobs from home. From home! Like, in your pajamas or underwear or….well let’s just leave it there.The smartest thing you as a freelance copy writer can to do is to remind those big companies, by any means necessary, what happens when a business backs off of their marketing campaigns during economic recessions. Remind them how the studies show that businesses who ramp up or maintain their marketing efforts during a recession enjoy, on average, over 250% growth during that time and take off like wild fire when the recovery period finally comes.In contrast, companies who pull back the reigns on their marketing budgets not only enjoy a markedly slower growth rate, less than 19%, they also have an uphill climb once the recovery is in full swing.Okay, it might sound a teensy weensy bit like extortion maybe, but you’re really only offering them the hard facts. But let’s face it, you’re only offering them the cold hard facts. They should thank you, or at least pay you something.But what if you’ve never tried to look for freelancing writing jobs from home? Where can you turn? Who should you call? Well, try checking out sites like Freelancer and Elance. These are both excellent sources for finding freelance work and the sites act as a third party to protect both you and your clients. For no investment at all save a little time, you can start working your way up the ladder in PJs and booties. Just make sure your slippers have slip resistant strips on the bottom. My back STILL hurts from running, um sliding, to get to the phone last week. World’s softest socks…not when you fall on your bum.
Building the Knowledge Work Productivity Management System
The need for a knowledge work productivity management system was identified by the father of management Peter F. Drucker, but in his role he stopped short of providing the details on how to design it. The lack of such a system has been a problem in Enterprises for decades, especially as companies get larger and more complicated.With manual work, the underlying business system is visible. A farming friend in college once explained, at the highest level and in the most simple terms, the underlying system for dairy farming. You feed the cows so the cows can produce milk, and then you sell the milk so that you can keep feeding the cows. With this system it’s clear if the cows have been fed or not, if the cows have been milked or not, and if the milk has been sold or not.In most large companies, unlike the farm, knowledge work is less visible and is difficult to manage because it resides in people’s heads, and there is no underlying system to channel it. We need to be able to manage the invisible, holistic, and ever-changing nature of these efforts in the same way that farmers are able to manage the visible nature of theirs.An important characteristic of a system is that it is a whole with interdependent parts and improving one piece doesn’t necessarily improve the whole unless it is a constraint. In a company, if marketing is not the constraint, investing more money in marketing will not improve the firm’s overall performance. It will actually weaken it by misallocating resources.A system to manage knowledge work requires both a shared framework and an explicit process. First, a shared framework (i.e., a shared mental model) is needed to get everyone on the same page. Then, in conjunction with this shared framework, a standard process is required to help people manage their knowledge work more productively and sustainably.To illustrate the implications of this, I’ll give an example from a business meeting when I was on the Board of Directors of Coca-Cola Nordic Beverages. There was nothing unusual or confidential about this meeting, otherwise I wouldn’t disclose it. But, an example will help shed some light on the nature of knowledge work and illustrate important underlying considerations for making this type of work more productive.Coca-Cola Nordic Beverages was a joint venture between Carlsberg and The Coca-Cola Company, headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark. During one meeting we discussed whether to proceed with a large multinational technology project. The Board included the CEO, COO, and CFO of Carlsberg, the president of The Coca-Cola Company’s Greater Europe Group, and me.The project we discussed was an important one for the company. One of the Board members was rightly focused on asking What the project was going to achieve. Another member concentrated on Who was going to be responsible for what. A third member focused on How the project was going to be done. And, for a couple of hours, the company’s CEO and CIO fielded a series of questions and follow-up questions and listened to a few personal philosophies and life experiences along the way.Toward the end of the meeting Bill Casey, who oversaw The Coca-Cola Company’s business across seventeen time zones at that time joined the conversation. He shared with the group that 70% of Enterprise Technology projects failed to meet their original objectives and that the average cost overrun was more than 80%. Bill also emphasized that this usually wasn’t because of the technology but was most often due to non-technical factors. With this opening, he asked the company’s CEO to take a couple of minutes to articulate from a corporate view Where he wanted the project to go and Why, What the project needed to achieve by When, How those things could best be done, and Who needed to be responsible for which tasks.Not having had a chance to give a lot of thought to the answer, it was-not surprisingly-challenging for the CEO to articulate this off the top of his head. And, it was even more difficult for the Board to jointly agree. From a knowledge work productivity perspective, this was predictable. It’s rare in important meetings for people to jointly be clear on the Where, Why, What, When, How and Who questions. This occurs with such regularity that people usually don’t even think about it as a knowledge work productivity breakdown. But, that’s exactly what it is.For knowledge work to be managed more productively, as Drucker pointed out, an underlying system is needed. It must get everyone on the same page and properly sequence and accelerate Where-Why-What-When-How-Who. People often are clear on many of these things at an individual level. But, collectively, knowledge workers usually have different individual views that don’t add up to a shared Enterprise picture. In companies and large Enterprise projects, this results in unproductive work and high failure rates. To manage knowledge work better, a system with a shared framework and an explicit process is needed.Initial considerations for the knowledge work systemPeter Drucker wrote that knowledge work needs to be systematized to improve productivity. Manual work productivity, similar to the dairy farm example, can be managed using the objective approaches developed by Frederick Taylor. Knowledge work productivity, on the other hand, requires a combination of subjectivity and objectivity.Using a purely objective approach to manage the fluid and invisible nature of knowledge work has not worked well in practice. When knowledge work is managed like manual work, it tends to get over-engineered, with overly complex governance structures and project designs. Over-engineering work that is invisible, holistic, and ever-changing makes the work take longer and cost more to implement and manage. This explains some of the productivity paradox.Knowledge work productivity often benefits from a “just in time” mindset versus the “just in case” approach that commonly works so well with manual work. With manual work, taking more time to prepare often improves results and reduces risk because the work is stable and won’t change while you’re preparing. With the ever-changing nature of knowledge work, “just in time” is typically more productive and less risky. It often benefits from a prototyping mindset.Prototyping in the field to get work implemented in practice and then making improvements in real time as situations change is often more productive. Knowledge work requires objectivity and subjectivity and an Enterprise ability to discuss, decide upon, implement, and refine decisions better and faster-especially across functions and divisions. Where a good manual work productivity system benefits from being very specialized and mechanized, an effective Enterprise knowledge work productivity system requires a more holistic and better socialized approach.The Enterprise Reinvention knowledge work productivity management system-the framework and the process-requires a minor amount of initial complexity at the front end to avoid an unworkable amount of complication later on. This difference between complexity and complication is more than semantic. Grandmasters in chess, for example, are successful because they apply a certain amount of cognitive complexity up front. By doing this they can view large chunks of the chessboard, whereas amateurs see a mass of individual pieces. In practice, this makes the game much more complicated for less skilled players and makes novices less successful when they play.A key difference between complexity and complication is that complexity has a coherent architecture and can be effectively managed. In contrast, complication is largely random and therefore becomes unmanageable over time. Large Enterprises and large Enterprise projects regularly struggle, not because they are too complex, but because they are too complicated.To illustrate, consider the beverage business. In this industry large soft drink companies are relatively simple from a complexity perspective. They market, sell, merchandise, distribute, and manufacture packaged and fountain beverages. While this work isn’t complex, the soft drink business is actually very complicated. The interactions within and between family bottlers, independent bottlers, publicly-traded bottlers, company bottlers, brand owners, a large and diverse customer base, and a variety of other important parties and personalities make the industry difficult to manage and change.To manage knowledge work, as with the game of chess, it is useful to introduce a minor amount of complexity-a coherent architecture through a shared framework and process-on the front end to eliminate unmanageable complications later. Similar to any good model, it needs to simplify while also being robust enough so that knowledge work tasks can productively self-organize around the architecture in a variety of situations and under various conditions. To build the system that Drucker suggested, a high-level architecture is required, with a shared framework and a repeatable process. The social sciences provide the raw materials to do this successfully, described in the book Reinvent Your Enterprise.
What Can Facebook Teach Product Managers About Reaching Customers?
I’m pretty sure that by now just about everyone out there has heard about Facebook. Facebook is the largest social networking platform going these days. What a lot of us may not know about is the fact Facebook employs a lot of product managers whose job it is to help customers advertise on Facebook. This job is a little bit different from the typical product manager job, but perhaps we can all learn something from them…What Makes Facebook Advertising So Popular?Let’s be frank here – Facebook is very, very popular. Facebook is the world’s largest social network – they currently have 1.3 billion users. In the U.S., 1 out of ever 6 minutes spent online was spent on Facebook. 1 out of every 5 minutes of mobile usage was spent on Facebook. Clearly the Facebook product managers have got their product development definition right and have a real winner on their hands.However, Facebook is now attempting to make their product more appealing to advertisers. Facebook first started selling ads on its site 10 years ago. Facebook is competing with Google who delivers ads that match what people are currently looking for and TV which can reach a mass audience. Facebook product managers claim that they can both reach exactly the right audience and then measure what they do once they’ve gotten the message.No, Facebook is not going to be replacing TV advertising. However, it is starting to look like there might be a role for it to help advertisers to achieve their goals. Not only is Facebook really, really big, but they also have the ability to achieve a very personal engagement with the people that the advertisers are trying to sell to.How Are Facebook Ads Created?The Facebook product managers understand that their advertiser’s customers, Facebook users, are being overwhelmed with ads already. In order for a Facebook ad to be effective, it’s going to have to be able to capture the attention of the end user when they see it. If the product managers can figure out how to do this correctly, then they’ll something else to add to their product manager resume.This kind of product creation process is very hard to do. The Facebook product managers realize it and so they bring together a lot of people in what they call “publishing garages”. These are multi-day meetings in which ideas are kicked around and the goals for an advertising campaign are hashed out. The final outcome of one of these meetings will be the ads that will be run on Facebook.In order to successfully create a product that will achieve the client’s results, the Facebook product managers create model customers in order to understand what they are looking for. Using Facebook’s immense collection of user data, they can then display the ads only for people who have shown an interest in products or topics that are similar to what is being sold. The final step is to agree with the customer on exactly what subset of Facebook’s users the new ad(s) should be matched with.What Does All Of This Mean For You?The product managers at Facebook have a real challenge on their hands. They are part of a very popular company; however, they now need to convince advertisers that spending money to advertise on Facebook is worth their time. I’m willing to bet that this was never a part of their product manager job description. As with all such new things, this can be a real challenge.The one thing that Facebook can offer to advertisers that really seems to capture their attention is the ability to target their ads. TV is a great way to reach the masses, but Facebook allows advertisers to become a lot more selective. Facebook creates ads by having their product managers assemble “publishing garages” where all of the customer’s and Facebook’s players can come together to plan out how to create just the right advertisement.As product managers we can learn from what the Facebook product managers are trying to accomplish. When we are faced with customers who are interested in our product, but who may be doubtful that it can solve their problem, we should take the time to relate it to what they do know.Facebook does this by comparing themselves to television. When it comes time to determine how our customers can use our product, we need to take the time to meet with all of the right players. Only by designing a solution that works for them will we be able to make sure that they’ll have the best product experience. Perhaps if we can do all of this, we’ll be as successful as Facebook is!
Advantages of Lifestyler Treadmill
When in need of an effective exercise equipment, people oftentimes resort to lifestyler treadmills. These exercise machines are in one way related to the elliptical lifestyler since they allow the walking or running movements plus the exercise of the upper body parts of the user. In the outbreak of the topnotch but very expensive treadmills and other elliptical machines out in the market, the lifestyler treadmill is one which comes as a reliable, solid, and good piece of equipment but then without sacrificing the excellent quality performance which it can give out to the user.For beginners like you, the lifestyler treadmill can be a very good choice of equipment to buy. If you truly want the best effect out of the money you let out of your pockets, this home exercising equipment is just about to be the best of everything that you may get. It may have already existed for many years but its being old in the arena is not a bad reputation. It cannot be referred to as one out-of-date equipment because it still has the admirable qualities of a stable exercising machine which form part of the workout regimens of several individuals.Compared to the rest of the most recent treadmills dominating in the market these days, the lifestyler treadmill is not ornamented with the features that will make it overly expensive to be afforded by the people of the masses. But then, the lifestyler treadmill is of great use both for light commercial and home purposes.The elliptical lifestyler is said to enhance one’s heart rate and the toning of the body muscles. In this sense, the lifestyler treadmill is not a weakling. Most fitness experts recommend the use of this machine than any other equipment there is in the market today. It has been proven that the lifestyler treadmill is an ideal tool which enhances the cardiovascular wellbeing of a person. Furthermore, the machine is very easy to utilize.No need to read the manual and memorize the supposed to be steps in operating the machine. You can definitely start with your exercise regimen by simply pushing the Quick Start button which allows you to get a quick touch on its features. There is also an ID on the reading gadget that allows you to pre-set your personal profiles so that you will not be going all throughout the whole process every time you want to do some exercise.The design of the lifestyler treadmill is primarily geared towards the reduced friction, less stress on the joints, and the permission of the natural flow of the blood through the natural movements of the body which is much advantageous than walking or running outdoors. Thus, the cardiovascular wellbeing of an individual is furthermore enhanced.When shopping for a lifestyler treadmill, you’ve got to consider a lot of points. You should see to it that you will earn benefits from your purchase. You cannot just spend money on something which you know will not be of use to you. Compare the models and the brands. Pay attention to their prices too. Remember that you are getting a lifestyler treadmill because of your health needs and not because you need to flaunt it to your friends.
Cheap Home Improvement Loan for Enhancing Home Value
You surely would like to complete improvement works on your home at a low cost. And if you intend to take a loan, it should come at cheaper rate so that you can repay the loan easily without burden. Cheap home improvement loan is a perfect choice. Through cheap home improvement loan you can finish improvement works at low cost. Bad credit people also are fully eligible for cheap home improvement loans.Cheap home improvement loan means that loan is offered at cheaper rate of interest. This cheap rate is approved for the borrower who offers some security of the loan to the lender. The security may consist of a valuable asset like the home of the borrower. Cheap rate of interest can easily be availed if the borrowed amount is kept below equity in the property placed as collateral as it secures the loan more. Usually lenders approve £5000 to £75000 as cheap home improvement loan. The rate of interest can go down for a borrower who has excellent record of timely paying previous loan. So if your credit history is excellent or good you are sure of getting a cheap home improvement loan at cheap rate of interest.You can choose to repay cheap home improvement loans in larger duration that ranges from 5 to 30 years. So on opting for larger repaying duration your monthly payment for the loan installments gets reduced substantially and you repay the loan easily as cheaper rate has already reduced the repayment burden.Bad credit is usually no problem in getting cheap home improvement loans but the rate of interest may be a bit higher. However the rate will still be cheaper as compared to any unsecured loan as you take the cheap home improvement loan against your property. Compare different lenders for interest rate and apply online for fast and cost free loan approval.
Comprehensive Weight Loss Surgery Cost Guide
In today’s world, obesity is the next man-made epidemic that needs immediate attention of the global health authorities. The urgency of the situation can be understood from the fact that there are more obese adults in the us than overweight adults. Thus to cover all the avenues we present to you a weight loss surgery cost guide which will provide all the in-depth details of undergoing a weight loss surgery abroad.Extreme obesity, also known as morbid obesity, puts an individual at an increased risk of a number of health conditions. This includes hypertension, diabetes, coronary heart disease (CHD), and other fatal events such as stroke and heart attack.Incorporating permanent changes in the overall lifestyle becomes the need of the hour in such cases. Diet management, physical exercise, and healthy lifestyle changes are needed to shed weight. However, this approach rarely tends to work for people who are morbidly obese.For people who are extremely obese, weight loss surgery is a convenient and a promising option to shed extra weight. However, it is not just a surgery. The patient is required to make a lifelong commitment to a healthy lifestyle. In the absence of such commitment, it is hard to witness the desired results.The failure to adapt to the changed lifestyle has a direct impact on the total cost that the patient may have to incur later. This includes the out-of-pocket expenses that the patients pay to manage obesity-related comorbidities.In this weight loss surgery cost guide, we have compiled the costs of the three most common bariatric procedures – sleeve gastrectomy, gastric bypass, and gastric band. Additionally, it examines some of the factors that control the overall costs, the out-of-pocket expenses, and the ways to make bariatric surgery more economical. Lastly, we list some of the best and globally renowned hospitals in the most popular medical tourism destinations that conduct weight loss surgery.Types of Weight Loss Surgeries: Know The DifferenceThere are three major types of weight loss surgery that obese individuals can choose from. However, the eligibility criteria for each of these types of surgeries differ. For example, people with body mass index (BMI) greater than 40 are a suitable candidate for sleeve gastrectomy procedure and not gastric banding.Cost of Bariatric Surgery Around the WorldEven though the ultimate objective of each type of weight loss surgery is the same, the approach to achieve the desired results is different. Because of the difference in approach, the cost of bariatric surgery is different. Additionally, each type of weight loss surgery requires different expertise, levels of skills, and investment with respect to time. All these reasons also contribute to the cost of each surgery.It can be seen that the cost of a particular type of weight loss surgery varies from one country to the other. Sleeve gastrectomy cost in India is just $4000 but the same procedure can cost as high as $20000 in the US. The cost of a particular medical procedure depends quite a bit on the laws that govern the healthcare facilities.Factors That Control The Cost of Bariatric SurgeryThe following are some of the factors that control the cost of bariatric surgery in a particular country:
The fees of the surgeon, anesthesiologist, and the supporting staff
Anesthesia fees
Cost of consumables and other medications
Room charges, operation theater (OT charges), and intensive care unit (ICU) charges
Pre-surgery lab tests and X-ray charges
Quality of gastric band used (if applicable)
The choice of country and hospital
Costs Additional To Bariatric Surgery PackageThere are some other costs that are not included in the initial fee for weight loss procedure. These may include expenses associated with:
Vitamins and minerals: Patients may require vitamins and minerals after the surgery on a daily basis. This is especially true in the case of gastric sleeve and gastric bypass because it may lead to malabsoption of nutrients. As a result, the individual may face severe nutritional deficiency. Daly vitamin and mineral supplement helps prevent this deficiency.
Exercise and diet counseling: Exercising and diet management is essential after weight loss surgery. Only an individual who maintains good dietary habits and maintains a minimum level of exercise is able to see the desired weight loss results after the surgery. Bariatric surgery is not a miracle that produced results overnight. It takes a lot of efforts to achieve the desired body type and body weight.
Second surgery in case of “staged surgery:” Sometimes the weight loss procedure is staged, that is, it is conducted in stages. Secondary bariatric surgery procedures may cost extra.
Body contouring and cosmetic procedures: Massive weight loss after the bariatric procedure may lead to loose folds of skin. Such individuals may require or desire to undergo a cosmetic procedure to lift the sagging body areas. Such procedures may include tummy tuck, breast lift, breast reduction or breast augmentation. The greater the expectations out of the procedure, the higher is the time required and the cost of the procedure.
Follow-up cost: The candidate must visit the doctor for follow-up after the surgery. Such appointments with the doctor cost extra.
Cost of Weight Loss Surgery versus Cost of Staying ObeseGastric sleeve cost, gastric band cost, and gastric bypass cost may seem huge at the time of consideration. Even obese individuals may once think of avoiding the surgery to save the surgery and out-of-pocket expenses. However, an individual may end up paying much more than the cost of the bariatric procedure for the management of comorbidities associated with obesity.According to researchers, an individual may save as much as $3000 and more by choosing to undergo weight loss procedure to manage their weight. For some individuals, management of condition such as diabetes, sleep apnea, and hypertension accounts for a greater cost than $3000. Additionally, it has been observed that some procedures can let patients save at least $11000 per year after two years of the surgery.Obese individuals invest their time and money in availing services that help manage such conditions. This may include purchasing medications, opting for a gym membership, and paying for OPD consultation with a specialist or a dietician. The total expenses per year for such regimen turns out to be greater than the cost of weight loss procedure in a maximum number of cases. Additionally, there is an added disadvantage of reduced mobility and diminished quality of life.Thus, in most of the cases, weight loss surgery turns out to be a one-time investment. Undergoing the right procedure can drastically improve the quality of life while ensuring an improvement in conditions such as sleep apnea, diabetes, heart disease, and hypertension.Is Weight Loss Surgery Covered By Insurance?There was a time when bariatric surgery was not that popular and was never covered by insurance. However, today, insurance companies are starting to cover weight loss surgery more than ever.Typically, insurance policies do not cover any experimental procedures such as duodenal switches and mini gastric bypass. However, a majority of major insurance companies have now started to cover laparoscopic gastric bands, laparoscopic gastric bypass, and gastric sleeves. However, that does not mean that your insurance policy includes coverage for bariatric surgery.The coverage rules depend on the type and age of your policy. It does not depend on the insurance company. You must check this with your insurance carrier directly by letting them known your member identification number or policy number. If your policy states that weight loss surgery is included, insurance is typically the best way to go as compared to cash payment.
Health Care Reform Made Simple
My name is John Ross and I have spent my entire 40 + year career in health care. Specifically, my background and experience is in developing and managing evidence planning, reimbursement applications, and health economics strategies for a number of fortune 500 health care technology businesses. In short, my job was to help the companies that I worked for to understand the health care market place from three important perspectives. The first was to answer the question; “What can we expect to be paid for the medical technologies we are developing and planning to market? The second question; “will the results and/or lower costs associated with the use of these medical technologies justify the payment level we think they deserve? Finally, what product development, marketing and sales strategies do we need to employ to insure that our future medical technologies are quickly accepted by hospitals, physicians, payers and patients? Obviously with such a focus I had to deal with Medicare (health insurance for folks over age 65 and the disabled), Medicaid (state-run insurance programs for the less fortunate) and commercial health insurance companies (the companies that insure and administer employer-based health insurance plans). I also spent a lot of time assessing the needs of physicians, hospitals and large integrated health care delivery networks that purchase and use a wide array of medical technologies.From a funding standpoint I have seen America’s health care system go from almost “anything goes” to today’s increasing focus on cost and outcomes. Outcomes, is just another way of asking the question; “for the dollars we are spending nationally or on a particular patient’s disease or injury are we getting a good value in return? In other words, is the price of the drug, medical device, procedure, diagnostic or surgical intervention worth the cost in terms of better results and lower costs compared to how we would traditionally manage this patient’s condition?This blog is a forum for talking “honestly” about:1. Where health care in America is going?2. Why it is going there?3. What can we expect from tomorrow’s health care system compared to what we have become used to?4. What we can do to the best of our ability to use less of it (think preventive health strategies)?5. How we should think about and help those unfortunate individuals, young and old, who need more of it than we do?6. How can we help to make sure those who need health care get access to good health care when they need it?7. What can we do to increase the chances that state of the art health care will be there when we need it and at a price we can afford?I will also provide education as to how the health care system works from the various perspectives of the stakeholders. It is vital that we understand these perspectives, what drives them and the many conflicts that exist. Areas to cover will be:1. What is happening to hospitals and physicians in this changing health care landscape?2. What is happening to the development of innovative future medical technologies and pharmaceuticals?3. Where is Medicare policy going with regard to payments to physicians and hospitals and other care settings?4. What is the future of employer-sponsored health insurance plans?5. Where is changing with regard to private health care insurance companies?6. What will happen to patient costs?7. What can I do to avoid premature, unnecessary or unproven health care interventions?8. What role will “evidence and data” play in the future in giving us more information from which to make personal or family member health care decisions?I would like this to be the place that you can visit when you hear politicians or anyone else for that matter promising something from health care that just doesn’t make sense. We all know the feeling we get when we hear an “it’s too good to be true” story. When we hear such fantastic promises, we better check it out and this will be a place where you can do that. So, bring your concerns and questions and I will do my best to help you to check them out!Have you heard this one; “under my health plan, you need not to worry. Your costs will remain reasonable, you can keep your doctor and you will have access to state of the art health care”. Or, “it is every ones right to access the very best in health care, young and old, rich and poor no matter your ability to pay.” This would be nice but it is simply not reality and it is time that we talk about these things and deal with them with our rose-colored glasses removed. So, no matter what your point of view on this subject I encourage you to visit ask and comment. We need a grass-roots effort aimed at understanding health care and in particular we need to talk about its funding limits and what we can do to assure that those who need it – get it, and at a level of quality and at a manageable cost such that we can afford it as a nation. If we don’t do this it is highly likely that health care as we have known it America will not be available when we face our own or a family members serious and costly illness.The fundamental flaw in our individual approach to health care is the notion that we have no responsibility for it except to expect it to be there, with no delay, and at state of the art levels of care. And that for the most part it should be paid for by someone else. Most politicians right now are not leveling with us. They don’t want to address the areas that I have addressed even in this my first edition health care blog. Well, I think that we are better than that! I think with the right information we can manage through the changes that are coming. We want to do the right thing but to do so we have to be informed as to how stretched the health care system is and what we can do to unburden this precious resource.First, we can stretch health care dollars and resources by taking better care of ourselves. The goal is to do what “we” can do in terms of learning about and practicing preventive disease strategies, thereby reducing the amount and cost of health care interventions we need. By behaving this way we free up our local health care systems funding and limited physical capacity to treat those who are truly in need. Every one of us that invests in preventive disease strategies will find that the beneficiary is you, your family, and your finances. Pretty tangible benefits wouldn’t you say? Perhaps bigger than that is what this behavior and better health for yourself and the avoidance of chronic diseases such as high blood pressure, heart disease, pulmonary (breathing) conditions, diabetes and a host of other conditions can do to unburden the nation’s health care system. We need to preserve it, both in terms of resources and dollars, for those who are less fortunate and have to access the system for serious health problems. How good would that feel?Some would say that America is a scary place to be these days. The events of 9/11, the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, continued threats from terrorism, the housing and subsequent financial meltdowns, the political infighting that gets us nowhere, and yes the health care crisis. These all create the tendency to make us want to “wring our hands” instead of “wringing the necks of politicians” that refuse to provide the leadership that we need.I have come to a conclusion. I have seen enough to know that the leadership we need has to come from us, the individuals who make up the electorate. Waiting around for politicians to act means we don’t understand the world of politics. Politicians only move in one direction or another when an exercised and voting electorate (that’s us) frames the issues and leads the way to a solution. It is almost never the other way around.Bringing it back to health care and the question of what one individual can do to improve things, it starts with one individual and another until we have millions pulling in the same direction. If we manage our health to the best of our ability (and I want to emphasize, truly to the best of our ability) and access the health care system only when we need it, paying a little more out-of-pocket for the incidental and non-life threatening ills and spills we all experience, the system could accommodate us all when we really need it.So there it is in a nut shell – I have spelled out what I believe is our responsibility; that if we all pulled in the same direction as described above (think of disease prevention and what this can do for you and those who do need to access the health care system) we would dramatically and permanently free up this precious and finite resource and it would be there for others in need and, when we need it and in most cases at far less cost. We are all in this together folks, rich and poor, the older among us and the younger and if we just act responsibly and for the good of others in this matter, we would solve the problem. And then, we could work on the next challenge and the next one after that until we see clearly the power of teamwork – “all for one and one for all”. That kind of thinking and behavior can work wonders. We all know it deep down – so let’s just do it!Look for a weekly newsletter and articles that will deal with everything about health care in America. Look for weekly newsletters that discuss changes coming to employer sponsored health care benefits, changes coming to Medicare and Medicaid plans, new technologies that should be of interest, and articles and commentary with regard to state and national healthcare policies as they develop in the months and years to come. Any kind of question you have about health care I can help to point you to resources that will answer these questions. The specifics about your employer sponsored insurance plan, Medicare, Medicaid and how you can incorporate disease prevention strategies into your life with their big benefits. Ask away and if I don’t know or can’t find the answer, maybe one of this blogs participant’s will know. We are all in this together and as long as we believe that and look out for each other – everything will be alright!
Education for All
It is a sad fact that in this highly advanced society of unbelievable modernity in lifestyle and technology, Education as a basic human right is not available to all the people of the world.Like all other human rights, education is universal and it is an entitlement everyone can expect no matter what economic status, ethnicity, gender or religion they belong to. Education leads the way to the exercise of most other human rights by promoting empowerment of individuals, freedom of expression and provides important benefits in all spheres. Yet, it is an increasingly worrying factor that millions of children and adults globally are devoid of basic opportunities to study, mostly as a result of impoverishment and weak economies.World bodies such as the United Nations and UNESCO have formatted legal obligations concerning the right to education for every individual. These legal instruments provide the pathway for every individual to receive access to good education without discrimination. They recognize education as a most powerful tool that can help children and adults become economically and socially empowered and help them lead more fulfilled lives.The statistics are staggering. Nearly 93 million children all over the world remained out of school, as on 2006; nearly 80% of this number lives in Africa and in poorer regions in South Asia.The Education for All (EFA) initiative, formed in the early 1990s involves a broad group of governments, developmental agencies and NGOs who have endorsed commitment to “six primary goals” that will enable education to reach ‘every citizen in every society’.However, since the initiative came about, the underlying realization also set in that these goals cannot be achieved by merely providing access to education; duration and quality of education at primary and secondary levels are extremely important factors. The guiding force of human rights values and ethics must provide a backdrop in classrooms to ensure that children who enroll in primary school complete their schooling.The agenda laid down by the EFA went under the assumption that public policy enactment can help to transform education systems radically provided governments and political resources enact policies for implementation emphasizing capacity and quality development of literacy.By 2000, the expected targets were far from met. The World Education Forum attended by 165 countries in Dakar, Senegal proposed the Dakar Framework for Action affirming the goals of the EFA for providing quality education to all by the year 2015; particular emphasis for educating and developing the girl child received special attention. In reaffirmation, two goals proposed by the EFA – universal primary education, empowering women and promoting gender equality were included in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).The UNICEF is one of the five conveners of the EFA and a key contributor in achieving the goals; its responsibility covers early childhood care, education in emergency situations and providing policy and tech support.Indeed, achieving the goals for providing Education for All requires sustained and committed global response and involvement by civil society, development agencies, NGOs media and world governments to help every child irrespective of caste, color and creed achieve and realize the right to a quality education.czo