All In One Information About Finance Hosting and Health

When is a doctor not a doctor? When is a clinic not a clinic? All questions of this type sound a little nonsensical. You can check whether someone has a degree and the credentials to be a doctor. Similarly, you always rely on a doctor in a clinic to diagnose and treat your medical condition. Right? Well, not necessarily. Here’s a slightly different question for you. Suppose a nurse works in a hospital for years and has vast experience in dealing with certain types of medical problem. You have that problem and are lying in a bed when this nurse gets in an argument with an intern – that’s a new medical graduate going through supervised training. The nurse effectively tells the doctor-to-be he has made a mistake. Whose judgement do you trust?

In other countries, experienced nurses are trusted to make limited diagnoses and prescribe some drugs. This allows urgent treatment to be given. If a consultant has to be summoned to confirm the treatment, this delay could be dangerous to health. In America, doctors are careful to protect their status and reputation. There are also medical malpractice implications if nurses are allowed to assume responsibility for critical parts of the treatment regime. It’s therefore interesting to observe the spread of medical clinics in drugstores and other retail environments. As an example, the Minute Clinic chain has more than 600 outlets in 24 states. These clinics are staffed by family nurse practitioners and physician assistants. Why should they have become so popular? (more…)

As and when 2014 comes along, we may be looking at mandatory health coverage. That’s all rather uncertain given all the cases that are lining up to attract the attention of the Supreme Court. So instead of guessing what the final decision will be, let’s focus on the here and now. As children, we shelter on our parent’s health plans and policies. Except, of course, these have become increasingly unaffordable for the poor and self-employed. Even employers have been feeling the pinch and pass on some of the cost to their employees. It’s tough out there right now. But when you start to grow up, there are decisions to be made. The health plans offered by many employers allow dependents to stay on the plan up to around 26 years old. This actually varies by state. Some actually allow employers to go up to 30 years old but this is a small minority. So, keeping this real, there’s a good case for leeching on your parent’s plan or policy for the maximum possible number of years. But not every parent is insured. (more…)