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Health insurance is a special sort of insurance that can protect a family from financial ruin in case of serious illness to you or any of your family members. That’s because the insurer pays the medical costs of the insured. Most of us do not have health insurance on our minds while we are busy living our lives from day to day, but it the very first thing we think about when someone in our family becomes ill or has an accident. There are a wide variety of factors relating to health insurance coverage in Colorado.

Health insurance has become essential in Colorado, with the cost of medication claiming more than half of the family income every year. Health insurance covers all major expenses of routine and emergency medical procedures. There are various types of Colorado health insurances available both online and from the various insurance companies, brokers and local insurance agents.

Private Health Insurance

If you are self-employed, your employer does not provide adequate health insurance, or you are uninsured and do not qualify for a Colorado health insurance program, you can buy health insurance on your own.

You can buy health insurance directly from a health insurance company, such as Blue Cross, through an insurance agent who represents an insurance company, or online from reliable companies (such as the popular Roper Insurance). Consult with your insurance agent who may be able to help you find health insurance that fits your needs.

Since cost is often the most important factor when choosing a health plan, your answers to the following questions can help you decide which plan to purchase.

• How much is the monthly premium?
• How much will I have to pay before the health plan kicks in?
• Is there any limit on how much the health plan will pay for my care in a year – am I protected from large medical costs?
• How much is the copay for prescription medications and doctor’s visits?
• If I choose a PPO, how much will I have to pay if I use doctors or hospitals outside of the PPO’s network?

Other factors that may be important to you when choosing health insurance, are:

• What health services are not covered?
• If I have a medical condition (such as diabetes) will the health plan provide coverage immediately or do I have to wait six months or more? Starting in 2014, the health reform legislation will prevent health plans from deny coverage for a pre-existing condition.
• Does the health plan have a drug formulary that includes the medications I use?
• Is my doctor in the health plan’s provider network?

To help you answer these questions choose a local Denver insurance brokerage or agent that understands the unquie healthcare plans and laws in Denver, Colorado such as Roper Insurance at www.roperinsurance.com.

If you are trying to find the best Denver assisted living community for your situation, you need to know what your options are. You need to know what the criteria is for assisted living, you need to know what the different options cost so that you can determine if your financial resources are adequate for the time period you need the service, and you need to know which community is closest and/or has the service that you need and want.

Too often, I have Denver families come to me with questions that should have been answered months and years ago. For example, two days ago I received a call from a distressed lady in Denver who had been caring for her parents in her home. Her mom is “brittle diabetic” and her father’s dimentia is progressing rapidly. She is is stressed out and to the point that she is frustrated with her father’s behavior, her mom needs some peace and quiet in order to heal properly from a recent injury, and she (the daughter) is not enjoying her relationship with her parents as much as she was before having to care so much for their needs. She is becoming exhausted. Finances were definitely a concern although she still wanted to look into assisted living options.

I put her in contact with Springbrooke Retirement since they are inexpensive when compared to larger communities. I also spoke to her about a company that provides Denver home health and hopsice. It’s a company that I’ve used as an administrator in my assisted living community and have had nothing but the best service and care for my residents. Because her mother is brittle diabetic and receiving insulin, she qualifies for home health and this allows a registered nurse to come to her their home, take the blood sugar as needed each day and then provide insulin as needed as well. They can potentially provide a C.N.A. to come in and help with showers a few times a week and offer other valuable services that are all covered by Medicare. Options were given, choices were made, and she is now able to get some relief and assistance in this stressful time her life.

Prior to our conversation, she had no idea that these options were even available. At Springbrooke Retirement we are happy to share the years of experience in assisted living and in the healthcare industry with those that are in need of the information that will save time, money, and stress.

Springbrooke Retirement is a Denver assisted living community that offers independent living, assisted living, respite and memory care retirement home facilities.  Visit www.springbrookeretirement.com for more information.

As Medicare only pays for a short nursing home stay, after a major medical incident, seniors and their loved ones must evaluate if they want to private pay to stay in a nursing home or seek for alternative Denver in home senior care services.  Alternative senior care choices include options such as a 24 hour live in providing a Caregiver and Care Management in the home or relocating to Assisted Living.

Most Denver Nursing Homes accept Medicare and Medicaid patients but there are a small percentage of nursing homes which only accept Medicare patients.  At the same time, some nursing homes only accept Medicaid payments after a patient has spent all of their assets and qualifies for Medicaid.  They will not accept new Medicaid patients.  In 2006, 48% of nursing home care was paid for by Medicaid which matches the trend industry experts report:  seniors are seeking an alternative to nursing home care.

Reasons seniors may opt for in home senior care to staying in a nursing home:

1) Staff to patient ratio:  nursing homes often staff one Nurse’s Aide to 12 to 15 patients.  The nursing aide is the person responsible for assisting with personal care, such as  showers and bathroom visits.  Each patient’s care depends on the ability of the aide to juggle the needs of multiple patients. 

2) Cost:  although the daily rate for care may be acceptable, sometimes the additional fees for everything from hair cuts to transportation can add up and cost much more than the cost of paying for an individual Caregiver in the home or a private apartment with part-time care in an Assisted Living Community.

3) Care needs:  many times a senior will recover from medical conditions which require rehabilitation in a nursing center, such as a stroke, heart attack or hip replacement, and be able to function on less care.

4) Specific care needs:  seniors who may need more specialized care for conditions such as memory loss or diseases such as Parkinson’s Disease, may opt to find a community which specializes in this type of care.

5) Quality of nursing facility:  sometimes hospitals discharge patients to a nursing home for rehabilitation and do not consult with the patient on which facility they will be transferred to when they leave the hospital.  The nursing home may not suit the personal desires of the senior and this is often when families begin their search for elder care.

Ohomecare are experts on Denver senior healthcare, home respite care and in home snior care services.  To have your questions answered  about all of these aspects of elder care to assist seniors to find the right option for their home healthcare needs visit www.ohomecare.com.

I Don’t Hear Well. What Should I Do? What Should I Expect?

Because some hearing problems can be medically corrected, first visit a Denver audiologist who can refer you to an Associates Of Otolaryngology otolaryngologist (an ear, nose, and throat specialist ). If you have ear pain, drainage, excess earwax, hearing loss in only one ear, sudden or rapidly progressive hearing loss, or dizziness, it is especially important that you see us as soon as possible.

Sensorinural Hearing Loss

A hearing loss is sensorineural when it results from damage to the inner ear (cochlea) or auditory nerve, often as a result of the aging process and/or noise exposure. Sounds may be unclear and/or too soft.

Conductive Hearing Loss

A hearing loss is conductive when there is a problem with the ear canal, the eardrum and/or the three bones connected to the eardrum

Your Genes and Hearing Loss

One of the most common birth defects is hearing loss or deafness (congenital), which can affect as many as three of every 1,000 babies born.

The most common and useful distinction in hearing impairment is syndromic versus non-syndromic.

Non-syndromic hearing impairment accounts for the vast majority of inherited hearing loss, approximately 70 percent. Autosomal- recessive inheritance is responsible for about 80 percent of cases of non-syndromic hearing impairment, while autosomal-dominant genes cause 20 percent, less than two percent of cases are caused by X-linked and mitochondrial genetic malfunctions.

Syndromic(sin-DRO-mik) means that the hearing impairment is associated with other clinical abnormalities. Among hereditary hearing impairments, 15 to 30 percent are syndromic. Over 400 syndromes are known to include hearing impairment and can be classified as: syndromes due to cyotgenetic or chromosomal anomalies, syndromes transmitted in classical monogenic or Mendelian inheritance, or syndromes due to multi-factorial influences, and finally, syndromes due to a combination of genetic and environmental factors.

What Is Normal Hearing?

Your ear consists of three parts that play a vital role in hearing—the external ear, middle ear, and inner ear.

    * Sensorineural hearing: When the three small bones move, they start waves of fluid in the cochlea, and these waves stimulate more than 16,000 delicate hearing cells (hair cells). As these hair cells move, they generate an electrical current in the auditory nerve. It travels through inter-connections to the brain area that recognizes it as sound.

* Conductive hearing: Sound travels along the ear canal of the external ear causing the ear drum to vibrate. Three small bones of the middle ear conduct this vibration from the ear drum to the cochlea (auditory chamber) of the inner ear.

For more information on Denver ent doctors, common ear problems, hearing aids or hearing loss visit www.harvardparkhearing.com

The benefits of cosmetic plastic surgery depend on why the person chose the surgery, as well as the personality and self-perception of the patient. The following scientific studies describe how breast reductions and face lifts affect self-esteem on certain Colorado plastic surgery patients. These two studies focused on small-boned women and people who take anti-depressant medications.

The Health Benefits of Breast Reduction Surgery by a Colorado Surgeon

University studies on the effects of breast reduction surgery on the quality of life of small-boned women. They found that these women reaped significant health benefits from breast reductions.

The women in this study reported less lower back pain, neck pain, headaches, and bra strap “grooving” after their breast reduction surgery (mammoplasty). After the cosmetic surgery, the women were able to exercise more, play sports, and wear a wider variety of clothing.

“Women were also greatly relieved that they were more able to engage in healthful activities such as running or playing sports—demonstrating that breast reduction surgeries have even wider health implications,” says co-author Dr. Jason Spector, a plastic surgeon at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center and assistant professor of surgery (plastic surgery) at Weill Cornell Medical College.

Less Antidepressant Medication after Plastic Surgery

According to one Colorado plastic surgery study, a significant number of patients stopped taking antidepressant medication after undergoing plastic surgery.  They found that their self esteem improved and that the need for medication was no longer necessary.

Colorado Plastic Surgery

When choosing  a surgeon to perform plastic surgery make sure you use a Colorado board certificed surgeon with years of experience in plastic surgery.  Dr. Nicolette Picerno can perform your Colorado plastic surgery and has the experince that Denver, Colorado patients demand in a good plastic surgeon. Visit www.nicolettepicernomd.com for more information on cosmetic surgery, plastic surgery, botox and facial surgery.

Colorado Health Insurance for Individuals
Colorado health insurance does not have to be expensive. To keep premiums down, you need to have access to multiple health insurance quotes. We are one of the largest online health insurance agencies and represent most “A” rated health plans in the state. You get quotes from multiple health insurance companies with just a few clicks of an online form.

Guaranteed Colorado health insurance plans and most other states. No medical declines. We even have full guaranteed issue major medical plans and there are no group size requirements. You can obtain group of one major medical plans any month of the year.

Colorado Health Insurance for Employers
The employer is required to pay a minimum of 50% of the employee

The classes (i.e., management, hourly, salary, etc) of employees eligible for insurance.

The number of hours an employee must work to be eligible (24

The length of time between the hire date and when the employee can join the plan (i.e., 30 days, 60 days, one year). The employee’s coverage is typically effective the 1

‐only cost; they do not have to contribute anything for dependent coverage. In the small group market (less than 50 employees), the employer also makes the determination regarding: ‐40 hrs.) st of the month following this waiting period. Find out more about Colorado health insurance for companies at Roper Insurance.

After experiencing a heart attack can I get term life insurance? 

More often than not the answer is yes and you may be able to get your life insurance at a regular rate class. When assessing coronary artery disease, or CAD, and heart attack history the life insurance underwriter will assess the severity of the disease using factors including:

People with single vessel disease tend to do quite well and may be offered life insurance at better than standard rates. For example, research by RescueQuote.com found that a fifty-six-year-old man who had an AMI, acute myocardial infarction, caused by 95% LAD who had a stent applied could be offered a standard plus rate. Standard plus is a rate class that is just 1 step under preferred and better than the average person would be asked to pay. To get this rate a person would have to be a non smoker who is fully recovered from the MI. He would have to have good left ventricular function and do well on a stress test. In this case medicines including a beta blocker for blood pressure, a statin drug to reduce lipids and aspirin were prescribed to maintain normal values.If the same person had three vessel disease with stents applied it is possible that he could get a policy at table C. What that means is the rate charged would be the standard rate times 1.75. While this is a higher rate than the average person pays it is still quite affordable, especially considering that the need for term life insurance is high due to the increased risk.In any case, once you have had an MI you will need an agent who can shop the market for the company that will give you the best rate. Some companies will decline applicants with an MI history and others will tack on a large extra premium. Your agent will need to find a company with an experienced underwriter who will fairly review your case and give you a fair rate.

Many people ask how they high blood pressure effects their chances of getting declined for life insurance or getting insurance at very high rates.

Uncontrolled high blood pressure often goes hand in hand with serious health conditions including coronary artery disease, enlarged heart, diabetes, heart failure and stroke. In general, a life insurance company will look much more favorably upon a person who is taking antihypertensives to control their blood pressure than a person who has even minor hypertension who refuses to take medicine.

Stage 1 high blood pressure (140/ 90 to 159/99 )

Stage 1 is high blood pressure is often treated using diuretics. A diuretic works by flushing excess sodium and water from the body. Common diuretics are Lasix (furosemide) and hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ). You may have heard someone refer to their diuretic as a “water pill”. The diuretic along with life style changes may be enough to bring a person’s blood pressure down into the normal range. If this is you, a good agent should be able to obtain insurance in without any price increase due to the hypertension history.

Sometimes a diuretic alone will not do the job. In that case another medicine may be added. Calcium channel blockers include Norvasc (Amlodipine), Cardizem (Diltiazem), Procardia (Adalat). Calcium channel blockers reduce the amount of calcium going into heart and artery muscle cells during contraction reducing blood pressure. Beta blockers such as Lopressor (Metoprolol), Corgard (Nadolol) reduce blood pressure by reducing the beta nerve stimulation to the heart. ACE inhibitors reduce blood pressure by inhibiting the production of a hormone that causes blood vessels to narrow. Common ACE inhibitors are Capoten (Captopril), Prinivil (Lisinopril) and Altace (Ramipril). Angiotensin II receptor antagonist (more commonly called an “ARB” for angiotensin receptor blocker) prevent a hormone called angiotensin from affecting the blood vessels letting them widen. Cozaar (Losartan), Benicar (Olmesartan) and Diovan (Valsartan) are common angiotensin II receptor blockers.

Since there are several different ways to reduce blood pressure a person may have tried several different medications before finding the type of antihypertensive that works best for them. There are some life insurance companies that are fine with this as long as the blood pressure has been in the normal range over the last year. Another words, you have found a medication that is effective.

Stage 2 high blood pressure (160/100 or higher)

Often a combination of medicines will be prescribed for stage 2 high blood pressure. As long as the medicines are effective and all readings have been normal for at least one year then it is still possible to get the best rate class. The agent must be diligent and carefully review underwriting rules to be sure that no penalty is assessed for controlled blood pressure with the company he is quoting. It is still possible to qualify for preferred plus is everything else is good.

If none of the common medicines or combinations of medicines works to bring down a person’s stage 2 high blood pressure than an alpha blocker, central-acting agent or vasodilator may be prescribed. In this case underwriters must review and make decisions on a case by case basis. If the medication is working the underwriter must still evaluate the possible side effects of these potent medicines. Here you need an experienced agent who will take the time to communicate directly with underwriters. At RescueQuote your personal agent will take the time to review the underwriting rules of all the companies competing for your business and communicate with underwriters when needed in order to make sure that you are getting the best possible price.

For more information about how to get life insurance with high blood presure visit www.rescuequote.com.

Denver testicular cancers are relatively rare but highly curable, and occur predominantly in young and middle aged males. Testicular cancers were among the first types of cancers to be cured by radiation and/or chemotherapy, and treatment has been refined over the last two decades. Currently, over 70% of all patients are curable regardless of the extent of cancer. Thus, all treatment of testicular cancer is delivered with the intent to cure. However, it is important to know the extent of cancer and the specific type of testicular cancer in order to administer the best therapy.

Denver testicular cancer patients like being treated at Colorado Oncology Heamtology and that is in large part due to our exceptional staff. “Highly experienced, dedicated and caring” are prerequisites for anyone to become a part of the Colorado Hematology-Oncology team. As we have very little staff turnover, our patients enjoy a continuity of care that is unmatched elsewhere. We always strive to be in tune with patient needs.

For the best testicular cancer care in Denver visit www.denvercancercare.com.

Children’s toothpastes that have low concentrations of fluoride may be ineffective in preventing tooth decay, new research suggests and Highlands Ranch Dentist confirms.

During a recent study by the Cochrane Oral Health Group researchers found that toothpaste containing fewer than 1,000 parts per millionwere justas ineffective at preventing cavities as non-fluoride products.

Conversely, toothpastes containing more of the compound have been found to reduce dental decay by about 24%, according to one report.

Typically, children’s dental careproducts will contain as few as 100 parts of fluoride per million, because of the fear that they may swallow the toothpaste and develop a condition known as fluorosis, which manifests itself in white, black or brown streaks on the teeth.

Dr Anne-Marie Glenny, one of the report’s authors, told the news source, “From a public health point of view, the risk of tooth decay and its consequences such as pain and extractions is greater than the small risk of fluorosis.”

The American Dental Association recommends brushing and flossing at least twice daily and frequently visiting a dentist to prevent dental health problems like tooth decay.

Highlands Ranch Dentist at South East Denver Dental Associates can help you determine which toothpaste would be best for your children. They also service Denver and the Highlands Ranch area for comprehenisve dentistry for all ages:

• Children and Seniors
• Cleanings
• Fillings
• Crowns
• Root canals
• Extractions
• Dentures
• Implants
• Cosmetic Dentistry
• Smile Makeovers
• Veneers
• Implants

Visit www.southeastdenverdental.comfor more information and dental services in the Highlands Ranch, Colorado area.