Thursday, November 17, 2011

Demograhpics of Boomers and Impact on Healthcare

With an aging boomer generation the cost of healthcare will only get progressively worse. Compound that with the overall poor health of fat Americans and you have a perfect storm of healthcare woes.

The Census Bureau reports that median household incomes dropped from $49,777 to $49,445, a of 0.7%. The employer share of healthcare premiums increased from $9,773 to $10,994. So let's add this up:

2010: $49,777 + $9,773 = $59,550
2011: $49,445 + $10,994 = $60,439

That counts as an increase of 1.5%. Adjusted for inflation, this is still a net loss, but it's a smaller one: about -1.2% instead of -3.4%.

With continued declines in household cash and increases in healthcare coverage everyone is taking home even less.

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Harm Reduction for Addicts

Harm reduction is another method of treating patients, particularly those with addictions. Ironically, the conservative right, usually full of so-called 'Christians' are the opponents of harm reduction tactics in healthcare because they believe it borders on 'enabling'.

These individuals perhaps need to think things thru.

Studies are coming out that clearly point out the necessity to reduce the harm of individuals engaged in high risk behaviour. Because the solution is not always, "get a job and get off the street" as if it was that easy, other methods need to be employed to help the most vulnerable, but as well reduce healthcare costs.

Herein lies the punch, harm reduction requires an increase in grace from practitioner to patient, and it also reduces the cost to the system significantly.

Do we really watn to hear about how to make people comparatively better and save money? Or are we to preoccupied on a crutch of political appeal to care about the person behind disease?

Friday, January 14, 2011

Nurses and their Backs

Injury in the workplace probably occurs by lifting fat patients.

I'm just saying, obesity is not only an epidemic on the system, it's an epidemic on th ebacks of healthcare providers (literally, no pun intended).

Anybody else lose their spine shifting the obese?

Get a friend and save your back, don't be a hero and try to move somebody large without help.....maybe frmo a forklift.