States Matter

Any discussion of group health insurance has to be tempered first with a disclaimer that the rules related to groups vary greatly from state-to-state. Group health insurance is almost always a much better deal than individual insurance. It tends to provide better coverage and cost much less since the cost is shared between the employer and employees in one form or another. Having said this, group coverage is a complex area of insurance and should only be ventured into with the help of a qualified, experienced health insurance agent or financial planner.

Worth Offering

The decision to purchase group health insurance is a smart one for a business. Talented and valuable potential employees now look closely at benefits when deciding where they wish to be employed. It is no secret that health insurance is very expensive these days. Offering it to potential employees can often be the nudge needed to convince them to select or stay with your company instead of heading to a competitor.

One new offering that many companies are including is the Health Savings Account option. Under this plan the employee agrees to a lower cost high deductible health plan and in return does payroll deductions (on a pre-tax basis) that is deposited into a HSA. Normally the company will contribute the premium savings as a match to the employees account. You may want to look through the various HSA rules to see if this type of account would work for your situation.

Requirements

As the name implies, group health insurance is available only to a group of individuals. In this case, the group is a collection of employees. Most small business group health plans define this as a collection of between 2 and 50 individuals. Group plans cannot be offered to select employees. If any single employee is offered health insurance by the company in question, all of the full time employees must be offered the same plan.

Group health insurance works in a manner that is entirely different than individual insurance. With individual health insurance, an insurance company is going to evaluate the individual’s health closely and may reject them based on any particular concerns that arise in the evaluation. This is not the case with group health insurance. Instead, risk is spread over the population of employees participating in the group plan, so the insurer is often forced to simply take the group as a whole regardless of the health concerns related to one or two individuals. Put another way, individual employees with certain health problems cannot be excluded.

Application

The preparation and filing of an application for group health insurance is a fairly complex matter. This is an area where an experienced professional is worth their weight in gold. They can help you work through the options available to your particular group while also organizing the application in a manner that is going to get you the maximum coverage for the minimum cost. Most business owners are DIY ["do it yourself"] enthusiasts by definition, but this is one area where you want to bring in professional help.

Administration

A group health insurance policy comes with an administrative requirement. A business will need to designate one or more people to administer the plan and work with employees who have questions or problems. Most businesses designate a person in human resources to handle the matter. Your particular choice doesn’t matter so long as you understand this is the responsibility of the business and arrange for it to be handled.

Applying for and setting up group health insurance can be a chore at first. The aggravation is more than worth it in the long run. Once the plan is up and running, the cost is a fraction of individual policies and provides employees with benefits that will generate loyalty to the company.

How Common Is Depression Among Children?

First of all, when we use the term children we are talking about pre-teens. Fortunately, the answer is that it is fairly rare compared to any other age group. The reason for this is it is believed that hormones and brain chemistry changes play a large part in the development of depression. Although the brains of children are obviously developing as they grow, they tend not to become subject to the type of hormonal and brain chemistry changes that are necessary for the onset of serious clinical depression.

This doesn’t mean that pre-teens do not suffer from depression. Clearly, they do. Part of the issue may be that is more difficult to diagnose them as such. By definition, children tend to be highly reliant on their parents and look to them for decision making. Whereas a depressed adult might stay in for the evening, a depressed child would have no choice but to go out with their parents if the parents so chose. As a result, a parent needs to be more sensitive to the potential symptoms of depression in children since the parent’s own decision making may mask them.

Symptoms Of Depression In Children

The symptoms of depression in a child are very similar to those seen in an adult. That being said, there tend to be two symptoms that are unique to children. The first is a tendency to be very clingy with one or both parents on a constant basis. The second is to undertake acts in which they harm themselves. This can include things such as burning or cutting oneself. If either of these symptoms are seen in a young child, professional treatment should be sought immediately.

As for more traditional symptoms, you can expect a child suffering from depression to show some, but not all, of the typical symptoms associated with the adult version of this mental health issue. They include:

• Feeling sad
• a loss of interest in things
• heightened anxiety
• sensations of worthlessness
• heightened guilt
• feelings of helplessness
• sudden changes in weight
• sleeping issues
• agitation
• suicidal thoughts

Is Your Child Really Depressed?

The question many parents face is determining whether their child is really depressed or simply going through a rough patch? There really is no easy answer to this differentiation. Mental health professionals suggest a parent listen to their instincts on the issue. If a child has significantly changed their attitude and outlook on life, a parent usually is going to recognize it. In the absence of this type of feeling, it is also wise to look for what is known as a two week period of change. If a child goes through a period where they are sad or showing symptoms of depression for two or more consecutive weeks, than professional treatment should be sought.

Depression Treatment In Children

Basically treatment for a depressed child is the same as it is for an adult. Medication and psychotherapy are the two core methodologies that are used. In addition to these, however, the mental health professionals look into the living situation of the child to determine if there is some underlying cause of anxiety which can give rise to the depressed state. Examples of this would be abuse, parental fighting and environmental conditions. Again, most children do not suffer from depression because of brain chemistry changes. Instead, they tend to show symptoms of the problem because of some kind of underlying anxiety issue. If an underlying issue can be identified and dealt with, the depressive diagnosis can often be countered.

The good news is that major depression in children is fairly rare. The bad news is that it does occur and left untreated it can be just as lethal as with adults. Given this, recognizing depression in children is something every parent should be able to do. If your child shows symptoms of depression for a period of more than two weeks, there is no harm in seeking out a professional evaluation to make sure that it is just a passing phase and not something that could lead to a tragic end. If you are covered by health insurance or a health savings account the evaluation is considered a qualified medical expense.

This plan, of course, will not work without the right sort of insurance, though, so you need to make sure you pick the correct sort of policy for yourself. Since you need to have a substantial deductible, an HDHP is going to be the best route for you to go and it is going to let you save a great deal more towards the costs of any care that you might incur over the years. Yes, some people will complain about the high deductible, but the purpose of that is to keep the monthly costs of the policy comparatively low. You can probably see why a lot of people are thrilled to have an option like this that lets them save for their own health care costs and get what they need because they pay a lot less in taxes. In the end, a little research will give you all of the specifics, but you might just be one of the people who decides this is a smart way to go.

If you are careful about how you plan for the future, this can be an excellent route to consider.  An HSA Account & High Deductible Health Plan combination mean that you have far fewer worries about unexpected medical expenses and that is always good news. Since it first came about in 2003, this has been a truly popular route for people to save by. Taking good care of your medical needs is much easier to do this way.

#1 – I started drinking Manna 360 every single morning for breakfast! It has 99% lactose free whey protein isolate which I read is one of the best things for Lymphedema. It is also loaded with antioxidants (ORAC score of 10,000!) and 1/3 of all the nutrients your body needs for an entire day. I can’t think of a better way to start the day and I am already starting to feel much better.

#2 – I’m trying to get some form of exercise every single day in addition to my nightly walk with our dog. I’m not one for boring, monotonous routines so I’m trying to do P90X which has a wide variety of work outs. On days that I’m sore I do the Yoga or stretching routine instead.

#3 – No alcohol during the week and only a couple on the weekend! This for me is a rather major change. I love a nice warm brandy or B&B on these cold winter nights, especially after walking the dog! However, I was noticing that I was going through a bottle quite a bit faster than I used to so apparently my drink size was growing. I’m definitely not the addictive type (I can basically change any habit with the snap of my fingers) but I know drinking on a daily basis is not healthy for me. So I’m done with that. I’ll still enjoy a cocktail or two on Friday or Saturday night but other than that it’s empty calories that I will subtract from my waste line.

Everyone always feels like they are a victim of circumstances if they are overweight, broke or haven’t found love. However, we truly are a product of our thoughts and actions (HABITS) so if you want to change your results in life take a good look at your daily routines. By changing 1 aspect at a time and sticking with it, you can change anything in life that you don’t like. I spent many years wondering why things didn’t change, once I began looking at my habits it was easy to see the cause.

Pick one habit and change it. Once you have done this you will see that it’s not that hard to do. You will be empowered to change another…. one step at a time!

I got several more pairs of compression socks for Christmas this year so I’m all set for the New Year! These socks have made the swelling in my foot much more manageable as I wear them during the day and take them off at night now. I have hardly had any pain the last couple months and have been very pleased with the performance of them.

As we move into 2012 however, I am going to take several diagnostic measures (MRI, CT Scan Etc.) to see if they can isolate the cause of this swelling. I’m convinced it’s scar tissue from a snow mobile accident I had several years ago but I would like confirmation. I would also like to see if it’s anything that could be surgically altered and improved. It would be really nice to get back to a normal life again. However, after everything I’ve read about people having these types of issues, it seems that most people just learn to manage the symptoms and never really find a solution. So I guess I’m hopeful but not expecting my Dr to provide any immediate solutions.

Happy New Year Everyone!

As you have read on this blog my recent plague has been my swollen foot and general lack of energy. Again I started to think about my circulatory health and how stress has taken it’s toll on my system over the years so I began doing research on antioxidants once again. I’ve heard so many companies talk about how their product has the highest ORAC values and their fruits are the best etc. that I had become a bit jaded. I went out and tried to find scientifically oriented, non biased information and came up with two antioxidants.

TWO OF THE WORLD’S MOST POWERFUL ANTIOXIDANTS!

Astaxanthin – which is a carotinoid (similar to betacarotene) which is derived from algae. It is one of the few antioxidants able to cross the blood/brain barrier making it extremely valuable for brain and eye conditions. Here is a video put together by a pharmacist that does a good job of telling you the basics:

GliSODin – is the second amazing antioxidant I came across in my research. It’s actually a combination of the antioxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase (known as SOD) which is derived from Cantaloupe and Gliadin which is a wheat protein designed to protect SOD during the digestive process. SOD has been used topically for years by celebrities and those in the know to keep their skin young looking and vibrant. However, SOD by itself was useless taken internally because it was quickly destroyed by the digestive system. This however has changed with the patented breakthrough of GliSODin.

Since taking these two supplements the first benefit I have noticed is an easing of the wrinkles in my face which is awesome! However, I am hoping that in the longer term there will be other beneficial affects throughout my circulatory and nervous system. The other area I hope to see good results is in the health of my eyes. I spend so much time working on a computer that having good eye protection is a must!

Antioxidants aren’t an overnight remedy for anything but seeing results in my skin so quickly has me convinced that other good changes are taking place as well. I am going to continue with this regimen in the anticipation of having good news to report the next time I go in for a physical. I’ll keep you posted on my results!!

Two of the most common edema / lymphedema problems are in the foot / leg and in the arm. It seems that most of the arm problems are a side effect of having lymph nodes removed during breast cancer surgery. Damage done to the lymphatic system during aggressive surgery can cause persistent ongoing problems with swelling. One of the ways women manage the swelling is through the use of a compression sleeve that covers the entire arm. There are many different types of compression garments to choose from but for arm swelling this is a simple solution. It’s amazing how well a bit of tension works, most times it doesn’t take much pressure in fact I’ve found that less usually works better.

Over the past few months I’ve fallen in love with Compression Stockings, I can’t believe how much better my feet feel when I wear them all day. In the past I’ve used NSAIDs but for foot pain and swelling using a good pair of compression socks is a much better way to go. I can be on my feet all day long with very little pain whereas in the past I would’ve been in agony.

If you do a little online research you will see that there are customized compression products available for almost every part of your body. If you suffer from edema and swelling I recommend you give them a try!

Compression bandages work fine on your foot as long as you are going to be sitting or laying around. As soon as you start walking around the layers begin to move around and it’s hard to keep them in place. After using them for a couple days I found it necessary to find a different solution. That’s when I started doing some research on compression socks as there are quite a few different varieties to choose from. The ones I tried first were the Jobst compression socks which are actually dress socks. The toes don’t have any compression so since my toes were swollen I actually cut the toe section off and stitched them up. Since I’m not a fan of knee highs I cut the top section off as well. My wife and kids have been laughing at me all summer because I wear these little black socks all the time. Their favorite is when I wear them at the lake with my Orthotic Sandals, that really makes their day!

The other type of compression socks I found was the compression toe socks which have the individual toes in them.

I found that these worked extremely well at night, but they irritated my feet when I wore them with shoes. That’s why I stuck with my custom black beauties by day and wore the toe socks when I slept at night. I have also been using the toe socks for doing yoga as they had good enough grip whereas most socks are too slippery. Runners use these compression socks after running marathons to keep swelling to a minimum. I must say I like wearing them, they make your legs and feet feel pretty good.

So there you have it, my observations and thoughts regarding the best compression sock solutions for swollen feet and toes. During the day I found the custom crafted dress compression socks to be the most comfortable and effective when wearing shoes and at the compression toe socks were unbeatable.

I also told her about all the information I found online regarding swollen feet and how much of it indicated rather serious diseases such as congestive heart failure, renal failure and cirrhosis of the liver. According to her these sites should make it clear that normally any of these would cause swelling in both feet as opposed to one. Swelling in one foot is normally a sign of a localized problem within that foot. The problem can either be vascular in nature causing poor blood circulation or an issue with the lymphatic system which causes lymph fluid to accumulate. Either of these problems can be chronic in nature and if the problem is vascular it may indicate that there are hidden risks elsewhere in the cardiovascular system.

At this point I’ve started to do some yoga as well as stretching exercises but I have to go at it quite lightly. If I try to do too much I immediately feel the pain in my leg and foot. I continue to manage the swelling by using compression socks and by using a liniment at night for my sore ligaments and tendons. I’m not sure exactly where to go from here so I think I will just continue my current course of action for the next several weeks. Light exercise and stretching along with elevating my feet as much as possible seems to be making progress.

If I don’t have a considerable improvement within the next couple months then I’m going to have to tap into our HSA Account and go through a battery of tests including an MRI to see if they can find exactly where the problem lies. If there is scar tissue it would seem to be a good idea to break up that scar tissue using aggressive massage techniques or something of that nature. But I guess until I know exactly what the problem is it’s kind of like fumbling around in the dark!

#1 – I’m trying to keep my feet elevated while I’m working. It took awhile to get used to this but now it seems much more comfortable than sitting at my desk. I bought a chair and ottoman that work well for sitting in and typing, much better than my old recliner.

#2 – I’m taking the dog on shorter walks and wearing my new walking shoes consistently with the Orthaheel inserts in them.

#3 – I have been wearing compression socks consistently, even when sleeping. This too took a bit of getting used to but honestly they have helped so much I’m considering wearing them consistently on both feet. If you are on your feet a lot during the day, I would definitely give them a try.

#4 – It has become apparent that my swelling was caused by a form of tendinitis and possibly aggravated by scar tissue from a snowmobile accident. At night I’ve been massaging them with fast freeze before putting on my compression sock for the night. This has made a dramatic difference in how my foot feels in the morning, it’s something I will continue to do.

#5 – I have continued with acupuncture treatments which reduced the amount of pain I was feeling. It seems that acupuncture was more effective with controlling the pain and had less effect on the swelling. However my practitioner felt that once the pain was under control the swelling would decrease as well. This may be the case but I still give more credit to wearing the compression sock.

At this point I’m not sure how long I’m going to have to keep up this altered routine, but I’m extremely happy to have increased mobility and reduced pain in my left foot. My sciatic nerve on the left side remains irritated so I’m still convinced that is part of the problem as well. I’ve been doing a couple different stretches that loosen up my hips and buttocks. I found this picture online of my favorite stretch, it really targets the area that hurts (hip socket).

As soon as I feel my foot is ready I’m going to start doing the P90X yoga routine a couple times per week. I used to do this routine whenever my back bothered me and it’s an incredible workout. I tried it when my foot first started bothering me but my foot was unable to take the strain and would swell up like a balloon afterwards.

It has not been an easy time of year to stay off my feet especially since ND summers tend to be short. At least now it feels like it is worth it since the swelling is subsiding and the pain in my foot is much more manageable. All I can say is “Don’t Ignore Pain And Swelling In Your Foot”! I should’ve addressed it right away instead of ignoring it until it became unbearable. The longer you let it go the harder it will be to get it back under control. Letting it go too long can also risk damage to the nerves which can cause long term issues, so be proactive when it comes to managing the pain and swelling.