When we discuss preventative medicine and ways we can take responsibility for our health, annual wellness visits might come to mind as a means to accomplishing both. It seems to be part of the conventional wisdom most of us abide by, at least in theory. We may not make that visit every year, but we know we should. Or should we?
Up until a few weeks ago, it seemed warm weather would never arrive for the northern part of the United States. Thankfully, it seems spring (and in some places, summer) temperatures have finally arrived and even better, it looks like they are here to stay! However, along with longer, warmer days, comes a need to consider sun safety and the risk of skin cancer.
End-of-life planning isn't a topic most people want to discuss. Even when we approach the time at which those conversations make sense, at least some of our loved ones are likely to find the subject depressing or premature. But death is a natural part of this life, and as many of us know from personal experience, the whole experience can be much less traumatic when expectations and wishes have been made known ahead of time. There's no time like the present to begin planning and discussing this subject with your family and friends. In fact, Monday, April 16th offers the perfect opportunity, as it is National Healthcare Decisions Day (NHDD), an initiative of The Conversation Project.
Last August, one of our members, Clifford Stoller, MD, wrote a guest post entitled The Truth About Back Surgery. In it, Dr. Stoller suggested that only a minority of back disorders actually require surgery. Taking on what has for a long time been conventional wisdom regarding the management and treatment of chronic back pain, he suggested a conservative approach as opposed to radical surgical intervention. A few months later, Jon. S., a member from Indiana, reached out to us because his experience with back pain so closely mirrored the statements Dr. Stoller made in his article.
You can just picture it, can't you? You're up to your elbows in tape and tissue paper, transforming your son into a spaceman for the school costume party, and you don't feel quite...right. Your back aches, you feel like your brain is slowing down, and...is it chilly in here? Two hours later, you have a temperature of 102º F and climbing, everything hurts, and you can't stop coughing. This is no ordinary cold. Most likely, you have influenza (the flu).
Are you ready for some football? If your kids are athletes, odds are they started practice for their fall sports several weeks ago. If your children have been involved in sports for a while, you are no doubt familiar with the risks of injury inherent in any sport. You have probably heard the warnings about overuse injuries, concussions, and various other issues common to youth athletics. If, however, your child or children are new to sports, you may not be as familiar with the risks.
It's August, and parents of school-aged kids know what that means: back to school. It's an exciting season of transition that holds new beginnings, returning to certain routines and the start of others, auditions, tryouts, and...exposure to new germs, courtesy of the rest of your kids' classmates. Goodness knows you don't have time for illness in the midst of everything that needs to be done over the next several months. If you or your children do find yourself battling an illness during this demanding time of year, we want you to be able to access a doctor with as little hassle (and as little cost) as is possible.
Viewpoints from a Naturopathic Physician Here at Liberty HealthShare, we strive to create an environment in which our members are empowered to make informed decisions about the care they pursue for themselves and their families. For example, Liberty is proud to share in eligible expenses within the realm of certain naturopathic and alternative treatments. Dr. Kendra Pearsall, NMD, is a member of our Physician Advisory Board and she shares her expertise here as part of our physician post series. The following are a few medical questions our members pose with answers from Dr. Pearsall, based in a naturopathic approach to health.
The school year just ended, but we all know it won't be long before we're shopping back to school sales in anticipation of the start of the new year. You probably don't need to worry about those purchases just yet, but this is a good time to plan ahead for your child's back to school check-up and, if necessary, his or her vaccinations.
by John Hunt, MD Chief Medical Officer, Liberty HealthShare Doctors are busy, often times and unfortunately because they are filling out forms for bureaucracies. This busyness can leave patients feeling cheated, like they are fighting for their physician’s full attention in the short amount of one-on-one time they actually get with him or her. So how can you get what you need and steward yours and your fellow members’ resources well when you often have barely any time to speak to the doctor?
John Hunt, MD Chief Medical Officer, Liberty HealthShare The last several decades have brought great advances in the science of medicine, but the art of medicine has been increasingly abandoned. However, healthsharing—if taken to heart by each and every Liberty HealthShare member and recognized for what it is—can empower the art of medicine toward rebirth. If you go to the effort of identifying a good primary care doctor for yourself and your family, you, your fellow members, and the healthcare community at large will be well served.
by John Hunt, MD Chief Medical Officer, Liberty HealthShare You have probably noticed that prescription medications are extremely affordable in some cases and terribly expensive in others. There are several reasons for this phenomenon. Some drug prices benefit from free markets and generally free international trade, with prices dropping to nearly zero (think Walmart and all the pharmacies that followed them with their $4 low prices). These days, some antibiotics are even free. Don’t believe me? Just Google it. But for every cheap or free prescription, there are just as many or more astronomically expensive drugs out there.
By John Hunt, MD Pediatric Allergist/Immunologist and Pediatric Pulmonologist Allergy season will be here before you know it, and if you're one of the many who suffers from seasonal allergies, you might be dreading it. Fortunately, you don't have to just let your symptoms roll over you, leaving you feeling like you've been hit by a truck. There are many affordable and easy ways to mitigate the sneezing, itchy eyes, runny nose, and other common symptoms of allergies.
by John Hunt, MD, FAAAAI When a child with chronic respiratory symptoms gets diagnosed with asthma, often parents will think, “Finally, I know what is wrong!” Unfortunately, that’s a mistaken thought. Asthma is not a diagnosis. Although there is now a name attached, you still don’t yet know what is causing the respiratory problems. This is important, so I will reiterate it: asthma is not a diagnosis. Rather, asthma is dysfunction in your child’s airways that can be caused by any one or more of several dozen very different potential causes. If your child has asthma, it is a reason to go searching for the underlying cause.
Viewpoints from a Naturopathic Physician What Every Woman Needs To Know About Mammograms. Mammograms are x-rays of the breast that are used in screening for breast cancer. The current conventional medical recommendations are that all women aged 50-74 should get a mammogram every two years in order to screen for breast cancer. However, one of the largest and longest studies of mammography to date, involving 90,000 women followed for 25 years, found that mammograms have absolutely NO impact on breast cancer mortality. In other words, the death rate from breast cancer was virtually identical between those who received an annual mammogram and those who did not. In fact, the latest research shows that in addition to having little to no diagnostic value, mammograms can actually cause a number of problems:
Presenting your Liberty HealthShare card to your doctor or hospital. One of the best things about being a member of Liberty HealthShare is that you can visit any doctor and any hospital you choose! With Liberty HealthShare, if you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor! Our call center often gets questions from new and potential members about how to discuss Liberty HealthShare when seeing the doctor. We're here to help you through that process.
As a Liberty HealthShare member, what are the steps you should take when seeing your health provider? What do I do when I go to the Doctor? This question is commonly asked by Liberty HealthShare members. For some, it’s your first time seeing a provider since joining. Others have been members for years but haven’t had a medical need in a long time. We want to be sure you understand what to do when visiting the doctor, from giving the receptionist your member ID card to how the medical bill submission process works, so you can feel at ease when going to your provider of choice.
What Liberty HealthShare members should do if they find themselves in this predicament. The Liberty HealthShare payment schedule to medical providers has been shown to be a simple and fair system. However, even after accepting payment for service, some medical providers engage in what is called balance billing.
In the town of Hutchison, Kansas there is a little known, exciting secret. And it's not just in Hutchinson. It may be in your town too. It could be a place you pass every day without realizing what it could be doing for you. What is it? A surgery center. Surgery centers are medical facilities that provide outpatient surgeries and other short-stay procedures. You may or may not be aware that most outpatient procedures can be performed in local surgery centers.