FacebookTwitterYouTubeInstagramLinkedInRss

Biologics and Speciality Drugs and Issue for 2014 Healthcare Plans

2016-04-03T19:52:19-05:00

"Specialty" drugs are expensive and cover a vast array of health conditions. Insurer's have their individual methods of identifying and categorizing speciality drugs. Dozens to hundreds of medications are considered specialty drugs, either because of the way they're made, their costs or both. Some drugs are liquid and are injected, while others are in pill form. Many cost more than $2,000 a month. "Biologics" or specialty drugs are used by only a small percentage of patients but they represent the fastest- growing category of spending by employers on prescription drugs, according to several recent studies, because of their high cost. Some [...]

Biologics and Speciality Drugs and Issue for 2014 Healthcare Plans2016-04-03T19:52:19-05:00

Women have the greatest physical and financial risk regarding disability

2016-04-03T19:52:55-05:00

From the State Farm Center for Women and Financial Services at The American College: Women have the greatest physical and financial risk regarding disability. Fifty percent of women say that if they were to become disabled, the impact on their household's finances would be at least "somewhat devastating." Eighteen percent of women (compared to only 12 percent of men) are "extremely concerned" about the impact a disability could have on their financial situation. Women are almost twice as likely as men to think their cash reserves would last less than one month in the event of a disability (22 percent versus [...]

Women have the greatest physical and financial risk regarding disability2016-04-03T19:52:55-05:00

Claims Rising – Benefits Decreasing

2017-04-11T18:47:21-05:00

It is possible that beneficiaries receiving disability benefits under the Social Security Disability Insurance program (SSDI), will see their checks reduced possibly — by 21 percent within four years — because of burgeoning disability claims. The National Center for Policy Analysis, noted that nearly 1 million additional claimants were added in the last three years. Since the mid-1950s, the program has expanded and now covers workers under the age of 50, disabled spouses of deceased workers and disabled children who were never able to work. The program is funded federally and administered by the states. Claims for mental disorders have more [...]

Claims Rising – Benefits Decreasing2017-04-11T18:47:21-05:00

What to Expect in Terms of Social Security Reform

2019-10-13T11:45:55-05:00

And here are Obama’s six principles for reform: Any reform should strengthen Social Security for future generations and restore long-term solvency; The Administration will oppose any measures that privatize or weaken the Social Security system; All measures to strengthen solvency should be on the table, the Administration will not accept an approach that slashes benefits for future generations; No current beneficiaries should see their basic benefits reduced; Reform should strengthen retirement security for the most vulnerable, including low-income seniors; Reform should maintain robust disability and survivors’ benefits. WE will most likely see a mix of revenue increases and benefit cuts. The [...]

What to Expect in Terms of Social Security Reform2019-10-13T11:45:55-05:00

ADHD and Alcoholism

2019-10-13T11:46:00-05:00

Childhood ADHD and Conduct Disorder as Independent Predictors of Male Alcohol Dependence at Age 40 A recent Danish Study on Alcoholism studied males for a period of forty years examining the antecedent predictors of adult male alcoholism. This study revealed the correlation of premorbid behaviors consistent with childhood conduct disorder and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). At 30-year and 40-year follow-ups, a psychiatrist used structured interviews and criteria from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Third Edition, Revised, to quantify lifetime alcoholism severity and to diagnose alcohol-use disorder. Subjects who were above a median split on both the ADHD and the [...]

ADHD and Alcoholism2019-10-13T11:46:00-05:00

What is ADD

2019-10-13T11:46:01-05:00

WHAT IS ADD? Attention Deficit Disorder, or ADD/ADHD, is a psychological term currently applied to anyone who meets the DSM IV diagnostic criteria for impulsivity, hyperactivity and/or inattention. The diagnostic criteria are subjective and include behavior which might be caused by a wide variety of factors, ranging from brain defects to allergies to giftedness. Statistics indicate that between 6 percent and 8 percent of children have ADHD. There is also a 30 percent chance that if a child is diagnosed with ADHD a sibling will also have ADHD. Children with ADHD may also have a parent with ADHD. ADD, as currently [...]

What is ADD2019-10-13T11:46:01-05:00

ADD/ADHD — Statistics

2019-10-13T11:46:02-05:00

ADD/ADHD What are the Statistics? The U.S. Centers for Disease Control issued a report based on data collected in 2003 concerning the incidence of and treatment for ADHD state by state in America (CDC, 2005, www.cdc.gov/mmwr). The incidence rates varied from a low of approximately 5% to a high of 8% in children ages 4 to 17 years old. Approximately half had or were receiving medication treatment for the condition. Medco Health Solutions, focused almost exclusively on the growth of the diagnosis and treatment of ADHD in adults. See: Medco Health Solutions (2005). ADHD medication use growing faster among adults than [...]

ADD/ADHD — Statistics2019-10-13T11:46:02-05:00