Reuters - The addition of the type 2 diabetes drug metformin to a lifestyle modification program may help female adolescents lose weight loss if they also make dietary changes, according to a new study.
The unhealthy majority who don't value healthy living are chronically over-utilizing the system and the rest of us end up literally paying for their irresponsibility in the form of high fees and premiums.
The time has come to shift the burden of paying for those unhealthy lifestyles squarely onto the shoulders of those who continue to engage in them, and, as well, onto the insurance and health corporations as explained in my article on proposals for instituting "Universal" health insurance & care.
Those who lead healthy lives and follow a healthy lifestyle should buy bulk lutein be paying similar premiums for the same health insurance policies as those who lead unhealthy and irresponsible lifestyles. Leading a responsible and healthy lifestyle should result in the benefit of prorated (lower) premiums. Leading an unhealthy and irresponsible lifestyle should result in paying greater premiums each year. It can be done. It does require monitoring and profiling. There is obviously no other way, as, for decades, this unhealthy majority has ignored health officials recommendations and warnings and continues to do so.
Forming "Universal" Health Care & Health Insurance for all Citizens
The federal government and Health Care Finance Administration (HCFA) establishes coverage parameters and legislation for Mandatory Minimum Merit-Rated Health Insurance for all citizens:
A Mandatory Minimum Merit-Rated Health Insurance Coverage is established that all citizens must carry.
Coverage above and beyond this federal minimum would be offered by private insurers.
A Base Premium for 3MRHI is calculated and formulated for each geographic-economic area in the same manner as the BC/BS Association presently utilizes to determine its Premiums.
All health insurers would be mandated to provide 3MRHI.
Auto "bodily injury" and "medical payments" would be eliminated under auto insurance and placed under the 3MRHI coverage, as would all types of injury liability coverages under home owners and business premises.
The system would be put into operation gradually, placing all citizens onto the system within 3 years of passage of legislation instituting 3MRHI:
60+ years of age onto the system within 1 year; 30 to 59 years of age the next year; new-born to 29 years of age the following year.
Upon becoming a member of the 3MRHI system, the individual would be issued a 3MRHI card.
Citizens would pay directly through one of several methods: direct payment, deduction from their paycheck/pension, deduction of tax deductions, at the time of registering their vehicle (or registration is denied), when renewing home-owners or business insurance (or renewal is denied).
Insurances would then be categorized, i.e., all medical, injury liability coverage under auto insurance and home/commercial insurance would be terminated. Any and all health issues including bodily injury, illness, wherever and however occurred would be covered under 3MRHI
The Health Care Finance Administration (HCFA) would utilize the central data collection center Collosus for 3MRHI.
All pharmacies, fitness clubs, health care offices & institutions and insurers would be linked up with this central system.
An individual's 3MRHI card is scanned/swiped for every drug/vitamin/herbal, tobacco, alcohol purchase, when entering & exiting fitness centers and when utilizing health care providers/institutions.
Collected data from all above sources would be sent to the data collection center Collosus. All such purchases, uses, utilizations, activities in this system would be assigned a Health Value, a numeric value from 0 (unhealthy) to 10 (extremely healthy).
The system would calculate, on a monthly basis, the average Health Value from each individual's data to determine their overall yearly Lifestyle Index from 0 (unhealthy) to 10 (extremely healthy) by averaging the monthly Health Values.
Each individual's annual premium for the 3MRHI would be based on this Lifestyle Index.
An individual's 3MRHI annual premium would be surcharged (increased) a set dollar amount for each Lifestyle Index level below 5.
An individual's 3MRHI annual premium would be at a "base premium" for a Lifestyle Index level at 5.
An individual's 3MRHI would be credited (decreased) a set dollar amount for each LI level above 5.
These premiums, less any surcharges, but including all credits, would be fully tax deductible.
Recent efforts to expand health insurance coverage in several states are exemplary. Many claim making health insurance mandatory as was done in Massachusetts, is "not right". But, please attempt to purchase a home and not have homeowner's insurance which includes liability/medical payments. Please attempt to purchase or register a vehicle and not have insurance which includes medical payments/bodily injury.
Note that BOTH these insurances have, within them liability/medical payments as part of their insurance coverage. THIS IS "MANDATORY HEALTH INSURNACE COVERAGE" simply "hidden" within another type of insurance, AND IT HAS BEEN LIKE THIS FOR DECADES!
How difficult would (will...?) it be for the powers that be to simply eliminate and separate these categories of coverage from motor vehicle and home owners insurance policies and make them a part of a distinct policy, mandatory health insurance, to cover such "incidences".
It would (will...?) simplify and categorize insurance coverage's.
If our very bodies and our health are so much less important than structures and machines, then why not completely eliminate health insurance altogether?
To conjecture an end result, it just may force the significant reduction of healthcare/pharmaceutical fees (and lessen the number of medical bankruptcies!), as well as simplifying and streamlining the whole system.
The value system for most in American society, is quite warped, from the perspective of a health care professional (entertainment primary over health!).
Having society "pay-as-they play" through mandated, pro-rated (as auto/home owners insurance) health insurance would establish another truly equitable insurance.
For those working and middle income individuals and families, who do not qualify for state-subsidized premiums, but for who these plans would pose a financial hardship, there is a cost-effective plan: Simply make it mandatory for any insurance company selling health insurance in a state to form a not-for-profit subsidiary company which would offer the minimum plan to these folks at sliding scale premiums.
Health insurance companies would be mandated federally to form not-for-profit subsidiaries which would offer their health insurance plans at lower premiums to working, middle and lower income Americans, not qualified for Medicaid.
Regulating Health Care Costs
The present-day geographic methodology utilized by the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association to cap what is paid to providers for services, pharmaceuticals and medical equipment would be utilized under the 3MRHI system.
Patients would not be responsible for any payments to any provider or institution beyond what the 3MRHI system pays; no co-payments, no deductibles, etc.
Regulating Malpractice Litigations
Malpractice awards to plaintiffs would be capped at $1M or the injured party would be awarded proper medical care, gratis, to correct/heal/treat the injury, as well as awarded a set period of time of gratis 3MRHI to be determined at the time of litigation, each, not to exceed the point of maximum medical improvement for the injury.
Regulating Malpractice Premiums
Malpractice insurers would be required to form an "insurers' pool" (much like states do for home-owners insurance along coastal areas) in order to reduce malpractice premiums (calculated in a similar fashion as they presently calculate rates per provider specialty or subgroup) with a federally mandated maximum (cap) on premiums and coverage limits (1M/2M) .
Surcharges and Credits would be applied to the base premiums according to # of claims and claims-free years, respectively.
Regulating Health Care Professionals' Educational Costs
The U. S. Department of Education would take over all existing outstanding health professionals' loans, and, would be the sole provider of such loans (eliminating private sector involvement).
Interest rates accruing while the student is still enrolled full or part time would be set at a fixed 1%. Interest rates would be brought to a fixed 3% 1 year after graduation and remain at 3% throughout the payback period.
The principle amount of all loan payments by health care professionals would be fully tax deductible for the entire payback period; the interest portion of these payments would not be deductible.
While our legislators and their corporate lobbyists have failed to formulate any type of plan for providing a "Universal" system of health delivery and insurance, over the course of two articles, requiring less than 2 hours, basic foundation for changing this system has been accomplished, albiet, far from adequate or perfect.
Dr. David Robinson received his B.S. in biology at Bridgewater State College in Massachusetts and his D.C. from Life University, College of Chiropractic in Marietta GA.
He then returned to the South Coast of Massachusetts to establish private practice. In 1996 he received his fitness certifications as a Personal Trainer, Fitness Counselor and Aerobic Instructor from the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America, Los Angeles CA.
To learn more about and view Dr. Robinson's full biography, visit: http://www.fat2trim.com
