Beyond Gluten Free – Still having digestive problems and migraines?

For those of you who’ve been diagnosed with Celiac Disease, you’re inundated with a wide variety of packaged gluten free food products in the grocery stores. Initially, this sounds like a good idea. But when you look a bit closer, you realize that the vast majority of these products are loaded with bad ingredients.

Various studies have been done that have found significant numbers of people continue to have digestive and other Celiac symptoms even after they’ve switched to the standard gluten free diet.

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  Varying Sensitivity

  
  

The exact sensitivity to gluten varies, with some people being triggered with as little as 3 parts per million (ppm), which is much lower than the 20 ppm the FDA standards set as the limit to label a product Gluten Free. Because of this, many of you will still be getting gluten in your diet.

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  Other Food Allergies and Sensitivities

  
  

Many people are sensitive, allergic or unable to properly digest a variety of other common foods. These will also cause many of the same or related symptoms. Some of them include:

» Cereal grains (oats, corn, rice, etc.)

» Soy (oil, flour, food additives made from soy, etc.)

» Processed vegetable oils (canola, safflower, sunflower, corn, soy, etc.)

» Sugar (all processed forms)

» Dairy

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  Thyroid Disorders

  
  

Celiac sufferers also have a much higher rate of thyroid problems. These can be much harder to diagnose and to treat. The key to solve these issues, once you’ve tried to resolve your problems with a variety of diet changes, is to find a doctor or practitioner that actually has experience successfully treating these conditions. This is actually much harder to treat than you’d expect. Very few doctors know how to do anything other than the old fashioned thyroid treatments, such as killing the thyroid and putting you on medication the rest of your life. They just don’t know anything about the more extreme diet changes that are needed to put these kinds of issues into remission. The Functional Medicine field is starting to gain more traction in spreading the word about the successful protocols they’re creating and customizing for patients.

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  Other Triggering Substances

  
  

The vast majority of food additives come with varying degrees of side effects. Since the sheer number of food additives makes it virtually impossible to test them individually to see which of them causes you the worst problems, it really is wise to simply eliminate them all. This may seem daunting, but there are a number of food plans available that do a very good job of eliminating these toxins. The Paleo diet is an example. If you make a point of avoiding buying all the packaged foods that are becoming more popular for Paleo (and any other food plan), and stick to making your own food, these can go a very long way to setting you on the right path.

Almost all of the 3,000 + food additives have side effects of varying degrees, so when you have any sort of health problem, it just makes sense to remove them from your diet. Most of these additives are highly processed, and derived from unnatural ingredients, or ingredients that have been so highly processed and stripped and chemically manipulated, that they don’t behave in the body like normal food. The sheer volume of information out there on how bad some of these substances are for humans, and the fact that nothing is done to remove these substances from the food supply, raises a red flag about the entire industry. Though the main stream media does not cover this topic, it doesn’t change the fact that the evidence is overwhelming, when you look for it, and that these substances are bad for us.

The Functional Medicine field is also starting to really gain some momentum in documenting success with patients via diet changes. These diet changes involve cleaning up the diet, getting the toxins out, and then customizing a diet plan just for you. For those who are eating a gluten free diet, this field of medicine can really help root out some hidden gluten, as well as knowing the other substances that are common, and not so common, that need to be removed from your diet. Some of them have the experience on how to fine tune what should be added, and how to customize a treatment plan for the stubborn cases where you just can’t find all the problems yourself.

When you first start eating Gluten Free, or make any other major diet change, it does take a bit of an adjustment to get used to planning out what to eat. At first it can seem very daunting. But with practice, it does become much easier, and will eventually become second nature. I’ve been eating a restricted diet for over 15 years, and it truly has become automatic. I’m an avid label reader, but even that has become automatic; I just look at the label, and know if it has bad food additives in it.

It can be easier, when you start, to create a menu for yourself. Then, once you’ve got a list of recipes you know are gluten free, you can build your shopping list from that. That way you’re not wandering around the grocery store trying to figure out what’s for dinner; that’s where it becomes overwhelming. This can work whether you create an entire weeks worth of recipes, or just a couple of days at a time. If you know you’re going to have days you’re not prepared for, then preplan out a couple of fallback recipes. You can either make sure you always have those ingredients on hand, or keep a couple recipe cards in your purse or wallet. Then you know you’ll have something good to eat, even if you didn’t have time to properly plan.

My favorite fallback recipe is chicken soup. I just throw in a whole chicken, water, salt, pepper and whatever vegetables I have on hand. Since it actually contains a chicken, I don’t even need flavoring (which is a No-No when trying to clean up your diet). The “power” flavor vegetables for chicken soup are fresh onions, fresh garlic, and fresh celery. Then throw in whatever other fresh veggies you want, and your favorite fresh herbs. You can either freeze the soup to eat later, or if you like to eat the same thing for a few days, then keep it in the fridge.

As you build the new habits, and start to make progress on your digestive issues, it really does motivate you to stick to it. And don’t worry too much if you make a slip up. Take it as a lesson learned, and remind yourself later on, when you want to do it again, how bad you felt. Use it as a motivator to find some other recipes for things you like, that don’t make you feel bad.

We often get in the routine of buying our groceries at the same places. Adding some new places to buy from, and different kinds of places that you may not have normally thought of, can help bring some variety to your diet. When you’re on a restrictive diet, it can sometimes feel like there’s nothing left to eat. Bringing in some new flavors, and new foods, can help overcome this feeling. If you ask the clerks in these new stores, especially the smaller ones, you’ll be pleasantly surprised that many will know a lot about special diets.

Taking control of your health can seem like a big task at first. I’d suggest just getting started, with the goal of making progress. There won’t likely be instant success. Sometimes it can take a while to figure out what you need to cut out. Every person is different, every person is unique.

Start by making yourself a plan, and know that the plan is not set in stone. It will be a moving plan, with changing goals, and shifting priorities. Try to avoid letting people tell you there is only one path, one solution. Some of the diet plans out there, especially those really heavy into the promotion of their plan, and their products, will try to sell you on their “magic,” one size fits all solution, or their magic powder, or magic pills. There is no magic solution. It’s a plan you will build, and mold, and shape, in the years to come.

I’d like you to know that you’re not alone. There are a lot of us out there who’ve cleared the path for you, and can help you on your food journey, on your recovery journey.

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Further Details to Help You Build New Habits – from Thora Toft’s Site – Feast for Freedom

Gluten Free “Eat Real” Quick Start Guide with Membership – FREE
https://feast-for-freedom.com

Changing Habits for Transformation – Article
https://feast-for-freedom.com/plan/grocery/item/37-change-routine/57-changing-habits-for-transformation

Finding New Places to Buy Food – Article
https://feast-for-freedom.com/plan/grocery/item/36-find-stores/51-finding-new-places-to-buy-food

Research and Sources

Do You Still Have Symptoms, Even Though You’re Gluten-Free?

I’m Eating Gluten-Free, But I Still Have Symptoms. What’s Going On?

Dr. Tom O’Bryan – information about autoimmune diseases and gluten-related disorders

New Glutens Discovered to be Harmful To Health

Gluten Sensitivity Genes and the Flaws of Lab Testing

Leaky Gut & Gluten Interview – with Karen Brimeyer & Dr. Peter Osborne

Dr. Izabella Wentz, Pharm. D.

Gut Microbiota for Health

Data gaps in toxicity testing of chemicals allowed in food in the United States

Food Forensics – The Hidden Toxins Lurking in Your Food and How You Can Avoid Them for Lifelong Health

The #1 Reason You Must Read Ingredient Lists: The FDA Admits They Can’t Do Their Job

Toxic Chemicals Deemed Safe Due to ‘Chemical Safety’ Loopholes

Thora shares her insights on eating gluten free while also eating “Real” via her website – Feast for Freedom. Thora has overcome chronic migraines and digestive problems by eating gluten free and removing all the toxic chemicals that have invaded the modern food supply. She combines her lifetime love of cooking with the concept of eating real, clean food. Get the FREE “Gluten Free Eat Real Quick Start Guide”.

Beyond Gluten Free – Still having digestive problems and migraines?

Living to 90 and beyond? No thanks | Michele Hanson

Worrying news for people in developed countries who will be born in 2030. A new study suggests their life expectancy will exceed 90. Only last year the World Health Organisation told us that, globally, “babies born in 2015 [could] expect to live to 71.4 years”, so that’s quite a jump we see here (although only for specific countries, most notably South Korea, which boasts the greatest longevity).

I dread to think what next year’s estimate will be, because life in your 90s is not always much fun. My mother lived to 98. It was difficult and frustrating for her from 90 to 95, losing her independence, and hellish after her stroke in her mid-90s – by which time she was longing to die, often begging me and the hospital consultants to finish her off. “We can’t help you with that, I’m afraid,” said one consultant, and I had to look the other way and have a little cry.

But my mother’s despair was understandable. Because, as the WHO pointed out last year, that “healthy life expectancy falls a good deal short of life expectancy”. And that’s the big problem. It would be lovely to live into your 90s if you were fit and healthy, could live free of discomfort, and carry on doing the things you loved – dancing, cooking, chatting, getting about – but you usually can’t.

Life is not much fun if, like my mother and her peers, you can barely move or talk, everything hurts, you’re terrified of incontinence and dementia, someone else has to wipe your bottom, you feel like a useless burden, and most of your friends are dead. Or if they’re still around, you can’t get to see them. Who’s going to take you to meet your remaining old chums and look after you? As the lead author of this year’s report points out: “We will need to strengthen our health and social care systems … [to] support the growing older population.”

I would laugh if it wasn’t so serious. In the UK, our health and social care setups are going down the pan already. What state are they going to be in after 2030? I imagine 70- and 80-year-old children tottering around caring for their ancient parents. Unless they’re still working, because who can afford to be retired for 25-30 years?

I am frightened of death, but becoming almost more frightened of living to a very old age in this country. But perhaps I won’t have to. There are always caveats to these reports: climate change, natural disasters, new and uncontrollable diseases or gigantic wars may wipe out millions of us. I don’t like to sound too dismal, but I no longer know which is the worse option.

Living to 90 and beyond? No thanks | Michele Hanson

193,000 NHS patients a month waiting beyond target time for surgery

An increasing number of patients are having to endure long waits for operations, according to a study that provides the latest evidence of the NHS’s failure to meet waiting time targets because hospitals are so busy.

Analysis by the Royal College of Surgeons found that over the past year an average of 193,406 people a month did not get surgery within 18 weeks of being referred.

The figure compares with 139,240 the previous year and 105,427 four years ago, and is the NHS’s worst performance by this measure since 2008. It covers patients waiting for operations including for broken limbs, traumatic injuries, brain conditions and eye problems.

Ian Eardley, the college’s vice-president, said: “We are now struggling to meet the standards and timeliness of care that the public rightly expect. Waiting longer creates prolonged pain, uncertainty and immobility for patients and is stressful for them and their families, especially those who may be very ill or in significant pain.

“Many of these patients are older and in the most serious cases, such as heart or cancer surgery, waiting longer could have a big effect on the quality of someone’s life and their eventual recovery from surgery.”

He said the sharp rise in the number of patients waiting longer than 18 weeks suggested the NHS had passed a tipping point.

In October 2016, for example, patients who had been on the waiting list for more than 18 weeks included 52,816 who needed trauma and orthopaedic surgery, 33,547 classified under general surgery, and 24,578 who needed a procedure to improve their eyesight.

The increases were most pronounced in ear, nose and throat surgery, up 124% since 2012-13, to 23,454 a month in 2015-16, and neurosurgery, up 109%, to 5,004.

The number of women who did not receive gynaecological surgery within the target time rose by 102% in the same period, to 14,795 a month..

Some NHS hospital trusts are leaving notably large proportions of patients waiting longer than 18 weeks for certain forms of surgery. For example, of the 717 patients who were waiting for neurosurgery at Plymouth Hospitals NHS trust last October, 59% had been waiting longer than 18 weeks.

The same applied to 48% of the 1,359 people awaiting oral surgery at Walsall Healthcare NHS trust and 44% of the 655 patients awaiting oral surgery at the University of South Manchester NHS foundation trust.

The shadow health secretary, Jon Ashworth, said he hoped hospitals’ poor performance against surgery waiting time standards would not prompt the government to soften the targets.

“We already know ministers want to water down the A&E target. Given this more widespread deterioration in waiting times, I hope this won’t lead to ministers abandoning others standards too,” he said.

Eardley said the delays in accessing surgery were likely to get worse given the intense pressure on hospitals and widespread bed shortages. “There is no sign of waiting times reducing any time soon and they are very likely to have become worse this winter. The key question is: how much longer will patients have to wait before the government steps in to relieve the pressure?”

On Friday, Theresa May seemed to edge closer to acknowledging the seriousness of the crisis confronting the NHS. “I recognise, and we have acknowledged, that the NHS is under pressure,” she said at a Downing Street press conference. She stressed the NHS had put £400m into preparations for coping with winter pressures.

She had said on Thursday there had been a “small number” of incidents of unacceptable practice in NHS trusts, and the health secretary, Jeremy Hunt, said there were problems in “one or two” areas.

Earlier on Friday, NHS England revealed that 65 out of its 152 acute trusts had had to declare an alert during the first week of January.

193,000 NHS patients a month waiting beyond target time for surgery

Social care: why are we "beyond the crisis point"?

There is not a crisis in adult social care, says Nadra Ahmed, chair of the National Care Association. “We are now beyond the crisis point. We really are at the edge of the cliff now.”

Residential care homes are closing at an unprecedented rate, hospitals are logjammed with elderly patients with nowhere to go; in the community, local authority cuts are leaving more than a million people desperately in need of more assistance in their homes.

Steep rises to council tax bills are now being pencilled in for 2017-2018 to help plug the hole in care funding, after Theresa May reportedly dropped her opposition to increases.

A 2% “precept” added to most council tax bills this financial year, approved by George Osborne in the 2015 autumn statement to pay for social care, has already added an extra £22.39 to the council tax bill for the average band D home in England, but critics say it is not enough.

The Local Government Association, which represents local authorities, estimates that the gap in social care funding will be at least £2.6bn unless the government acts urgently to inject more cash into the sector.

Izzi Seccombe of the LGA’s community wellbeing board says: “Extra council tax-raising powers are not the answer as they will not bring in enough money to alleviate the pressure on social care. The only solution is genuinely new money.”

A cocktail of factors have pushed adult social care into financial crisis.

Falling government spending

Net expenditure on social care has dropped in real terms from £8.1bn in 2005-06 to £6.3bn in 2014-15, a drop of more than one-fifth, according to figures from Age UK. The King’s Fund thinktank has said that without a change of policy, spending per capita is on course to reach its lowest level since the mid-1990s, following billions in cuts to local authority spending since the financial crisis.

A spokeswoman for trade union Unison, which has members in the social care industry, said: “The Association of Directors of Adult Social Services has estimated that £4.6bn has been cut from social care budgets between 2010 and 2015. As councils have had their funding cut, they try to commission care on cheap and at hourly rates they know it is impossible to provide care at. Councils are meant to ensure all the companies they contract care out to are paying their staff a legal wage. Most don’t and turn a blind eye.”

Rising need

The number of over-85s increased by one-third between 2006 and 2016 – and will increase by 100% over the next 20 years, according to Stephen Lowe of charity Age UK. “There has been a combination of falling spend at a time of increasing demand. There has been an actual fall in the number of people getting care over the past 10 years. We calculate there are 1.2 million people who need help with the activities of daily living who are not getting it.”

Fees paid by local authorities to homecare and residential home providers

The UK Home Care Association says the minimum needed to finance all the costs of a care worker visiting people in their homes to allow them to continue living independently is £16.70 an hour, yet the average paid by councils is £14.58. It said seven authorities paid less than £12 an hour or less than the direct cost of staff.

Care homes receive between £550 to £750 a week for each patient sent to them by local councils, yet about £750 is the bare minimum needed, says Ahmed of the NCA, which represents thousands of smaller care homes. The number of care homes overall in England has fallen from 18,068 in September 2010 to 16,614 in July this year at a time of growing need linked to the ageing population, according to figures released by the Care Quality Commission.

The minimum wage

The social care industry workforce is dominated by low-wage earners and the rise in the minimum wage this year alone is adding £600m to the total wage bill. The new national living wage of £7.20 an hour (for over-25s) came into force earlier this year, but planned rises will take it to £9 an hour by 2020 – affecting as many as 1 million workers in social care. The Resolution Foundation thinktank calculates this will cost employers in the social care sector £2.3bn a year by 2020.

Social care in residential homes also requires more highly skilled staff than in the past. “We have a recruitment crisis and are unable to get the staff needed to deliver care,” said Ahmed. “We need many more specialist nursing staff today to look after the greater number of people who have high levels of dementia and challenging behaviour.”

Bias against the poorest areas of the UK and the ‘postcode lottery’ of care

Care home closures have been most severe in the poorest parts of the UK, says Age UK’s Lowe. “Poor areas where residents do not have homes to sell and where care homes are almost entirely financed by local authorities have seen the most closures.” In south-east England, there is a higher proportion of self-funders in care homes, many of whom are cross-subsidising residents placed by local authorities. The result, Lowe says, is that care homes are targeting self-funders and avoiding local authority-paid residents.

Government officials admit that there is a huge variation in how well councils manage social care services. Half of all delayed transfers of care (where older patients are discharged from hospitals) happen in just 10% of councils, with Reading named as among the worst and Sunderland among the best.

GP referrals

Too many elderly patients seen by GPs are going directly to hospital, says Ahmed, when they should be going into a care home. “We need GP surgeries to work better with us. People shouldn’t be going straight into hospital when what might be better is to stay in a specialised nursing home for a few weeks.”

Blame Beveridge, the architect of the NHS

Former pensions minister Ros Altmann says the problem goes back to the initial design of the NHS by William Beveridge in the 1940s. “The NHS would give healthcare to all, free at the point of need, funded by taxpayers. However, it did not factor in social care, which was left untouched and still the responsibility of local councils.

“In the 1940s, the concept of millions of chronically ill older people needing a little help with their daily lives on a long-term basis was unthinkable. Either their families or local communities would look after them, or they would not live very long. Life in the 21st century is totally different, but our social care system is stuck in the past.”

Government response

The government says a combination of the higher funding, the additional 2% on council tax and the Better Care Fund will help alleviate the sector’s crisis.

A Department of Health spokesperson said: “This government is committed to ensuring those in old age get affordable and dignified care. We have given local areas access to up to £3.5bn extra by 2020, Many areas are providing high quality services within existing budgets and the CQC has rated the majority of adult social care good or outstanding.

“The Better Care Fund, which brings together health and social care provision locally for the first time ever, will get an additional £105m funding in the next few months to raise standards further. This rises to £1.5bn by 2019-20.”

The total number of care and nursing beds has remained constant over the past five years, says the government, despite individual care home closures. It expects the existing 2% council tax precept to raise nearly £2bn a year by 2019-20, or enough to support 50,000 older people in care homes or about 190,000 in their own homes.

Social care: why are we "beyond the crisis point"?

Beyond burkinis: why ALL clothes should be banned | Dean Burnett

A lot of people have been upset by images of French police forcing a woman to take a burkini off on a beach, in full view of the public, in accordance with the controversial French burkini ban. There are many reasons to be outraged by this ban: the suppression of individual rights and apparent hypocrisy in the name of “secularism”, the misogyny-tinged policing of women’s clothes specifically, the public display of intimidation, and so on.

All of these complaints are misplaced. The real problem with the burkini ban is, it’s too limited. Forbidding a specific type of swimsuit won’t achieve anything: we must ban ALL CLOTHES! And the sooner the better.

This may sound like a ridiculous notion. But, more ridiculous than banning a swimming costume in order to fight terrorism? I think not! Plus, there are many scientifically valid reasons for us to do away with clothes.

Firstly, clothes cause problems. Look at the long history of clothes being used as a tool of oppression and control, often resulting in political problems. If we didn’t have clothes, we wouldn’t have the means to use them to make people’s lives harder. Even today, in these more “liberated” times, clothes regularly cause problems. How many t-shirt controversies have there been now? Considering how much time has been wasted arguing over them, clothes have probably held back human advancement significantly.

In some extreme cases, clothes can lead to decapitation. Photograph: Alamy

If you doubt this, let’s not forget the time a questionable shirt completely overshadowed a major achievement in space exploration. None of this would have happened if we didn’t have clothes. We’d probably be on Jupiter by now! Admittedly, that would be depend on whether you define “space suits” as clothes, seeing as how they’d be banned, but the point still stands.

But you don’t need cite controversy to see that clothes do more harm than good. How long do you spend agonising over what to wear every day? How long to you spend chafing in uncomfortable garments while trying to work because of some unthinking poorly-thought-out office “dress code”? And you dare no deviate from it, or there will be consequences. So you end up spending large sums of money on things you don’t like, don’t enjoy and which don’t really do anything useful.

And that’s without the pressure of judgement risked whenever you walk outside wearing specific clothes. How often do we hear people ask “what your clothes say about you”? Ever changing fashions and clothing choices have just added another layer of stress and paranoia to a world which has plenty of that as it is.

There are other benefits to banning clothes. The environmental damage caused by constantly washing them would be drastically reduced, as would the financial cost of doing so. Everyone would suddenly have more money available, and no need to spend it on clothes! So it would be doubly good.

Let’s not forget the societal benefits. It may be a difficult adjustment at first, but when you consider that most people who practice body shaming or often less-than-perfect specimens themselves then removing the ability to hide your flaws behind opaque cloth could result in more tolerance and sensitivity between people. And if the human obsessions with looking good persists, people would have to work harder to make their own bodies more “presentable” by keeping in shape. The health benefits to all and reduced pressure on medical services that would result from this cannot be understated.

Admittedly, there’d be some down sides, at least at first. Quite a few industries would collapse and livelihoods would be ruined, so the economic impact would be harsh. We’d also be a bit more restricted in the environments we can live in, despite the resilience of the human body.

Scrabbling for the latest sale item or discounted garment could be a thing of the past. A lifetime of being perpetually cold is surely worth that? Photograph: Ray Tang / Rex Features

Women especially, with their difficult-to-restrain breasts, may find the adjustment difficult. Perhaps some exception could be made for sports bras? Although we’d have to carefully monitor the wearing of them, to make sure no woman breaks the arbitrary and questionable rules of what’s acceptable. Can’t see that being a problem though.

Granted, some clothes offer protection, but when you consider it will be virtually impossible to conceal weapons, the safety risks and benefits will hopefully cancel each other out.

There would also need to be some serious revaluation of our social norms, especially our sexual attitudes, but we’d get used to it eventually. Humans are good like that. Although funerals would likely be less sombre affairs for the foreseeable future.

Also, if we’re going to ban clothes, we should do it very soon, because they’re only going to get worse. Developments in flexible, resilient circuits mean we’ll soon see the arrival of genuinely “smart” clothes. Consider the implications; clothes that can think for themselves! Telling you the time, adjusting the heating without asking, sending reminders to your phone. What’s to stop them just calling you for a chat? What’s to stop them getting angry!?!

“Hi, it’s your favourite shirt here, just calling to… what’s that rustling?… WHO ARE YOU WEARING!?”

That’s no life. For this and every other reason mentioned above, clothes clearly need to be banned.

And what this shows is that, even if you can back up a decision with compelling and reasonable-sounding arguments, it doesn’t mean it isn’t ridiculous. Like banning a bathing suit.

Dean Burnett’s debut bookThe Idiot Brainis available now inthe UK,USAand Canada.

Beyond burkinis: why ALL clothes should be banned | Dean Burnett

UnitedHealth To Expand On Obamacare Exchanges In 2015 "And Beyond"

UnitedHealth Group UnitedHealth Group stated this morning it would expand personal well being prepare items on government exchanges beneath the Affordable Care Act “to as a lot of as two dozen” states for next 12 months, chief executive officer Stephen J. Hemsley explained this morning.

The nation’s biggest well being insurance business, which raised its revenue forecast for this yr by more than $ 1 billion to $ 130 billion thanks in part to powerful growth in the “public and senior sector” stated it will broaden its participation in public exchanges.

Hemsley produced his feedback throughout a 70-minute phone discussing the company’s 2nd-quarter earnings report that unveiled a two % decline in net earnings on improved taxes and other costs in element relevant to the health law.

But United’s underlying development was strong, especially on the revenue front. Revenues rose seven % to $ 32.6 billion on across-the-board gains in newly insured customers beneath the wellness law by way of exchanges, expanded Medicaid well being packages for the bad and its Medicare Advantage business, which gives overall health positive aspects to seniors in contracts with the federal government.

Searching ahead, UnitedHealth said it will increase aggressively its personal health strategy offerings on government-run marketplaces identified as exchanges right after closely examining the very first yr of the law and pricing of rivals. UnitedHealth rivals like Humana Humana (HUM), Aetna Aetna (AET), Wellpoint (WLP) and Blue Cross and Blue Shield programs are participating with much more private health program goods at this stage.

Hemsley described UnitedHealth’s growth on the public exchanges in 2015 “and beyond” as “advancing our participation in a measured method.” He stated they would be offering some distinct goods in the new exchange markets with varied pricing that includes HMOs.

UnitedHealth continues to increase its government organization lines. For illustration, UnitedHealth grew its Medicaid insurance enrollment for the poor by 19 %, or 730,000 individuals “in the past yr,” the firm mentioned in a statement. That included 380,000 in the 2nd quarter and “635,000 12 months-to-date,” the firm explained in a statement.

Significantly of UnitedHealth’s Medicaid development came in markets where states agreed to go along with the growth of Medicaid rewards underneath the overall health law.

UnitedHealth executives said they count on Medicaid growth to be a lot more than 800,000 just before the year’s finish.

In the 2nd quarter, UnitedHealth mentioned it earned $ one.41 billion, or $ 1.42 per share, in the 3 months that ended June 30. That compares to $ 1.44 billion, or $ 1.40 per share in the second quarter of 2013.

Pondering how Obamacare will affect your health care? The Forbes eBook Inside Obamacare: The Resolve For America’s Ailing Overall health Care Method answers that query and far more. Obtainable now at Amazon and Apple.

UnitedHealth To Expand On Obamacare Exchanges In 2015 "And Beyond"

UnitedHealth To Expand On Obamacare Exchanges In 2015 "And Beyond"

UnitedHealth Group UnitedHealth Group stated this morning it would broaden private well being prepare items on government exchanges under the Cost-effective Care Act “to as several as two dozen” states for next year, chief executive officer Stephen J. Hemsley said this morning.

The nation’s largest overall health insurance coverage business, which raised its revenue forecast for this 12 months by more than $ one billion to $ 130 billion thanks in part to robust growth in the “public and senior sector” mentioned it will broaden its participation in public exchanges.

Hemsley created his remarks throughout a 70-minute get in touch with discussing the company’s 2nd-quarter earnings report that unveiled a 2 % decline in net earnings on enhanced taxes and other expenditures in portion related to the health law.

But United’s underlying development was strong, particularly on the income front. Revenues rose seven % to $ 32.6 billion on across-the-board gains in newly insured clients below the well being law by way of exchanges, expanded Medicaid health plans for the poor and its Medicare Advantage business, which offers overall health positive aspects to seniors in contracts with the federal government.

Looking ahead, UnitedHealth said it will expand aggressively its personal overall health program offerings on government-run marketplaces known as exchanges after closely examining the initial year of the law and pricing of rivals. UnitedHealth rivals like Humana Humana (HUM), Aetna Aetna (AET), Wellpoint (WLP) and Blue Cross and Blue Shield ideas are participating with more personal wellness strategy goods at this stage.

Hemsley described UnitedHealth’s growth on the public exchanges in 2015 “and beyond” as “advancing our participation in a measured method.” He mentioned they would be supplying some various goods in the new exchange markets with varied pricing that includes HMOs.

UnitedHealth continues to improve its government enterprise lines. For illustration, UnitedHealth grew its Medicaid insurance enrollment for the poor by 19 %, or 730,000 men and women “in the previous yr,” the business said in a statement. That integrated 380,000 in the second quarter and “635,000 year-to-date,” the organization said in a statement.

Significantly of UnitedHealth’s Medicaid development came in markets in which states agreed to go along with the expansion of Medicaid rewards underneath the wellness law.

UnitedHealth executives mentioned they expect Medicaid development to be far more than 800,000 prior to the year’s end.

In the 2nd quarter, UnitedHealth stated it earned $ one.41 billion, or $ one.42 per share, in the 3 months that ended June thirty. That compares to $ 1.44 billion, or $ one.40 per share in the second quarter of 2013.

Pondering how Obamacare will have an effect on your overall health care? The Forbes eBook Inside Obamacare: The Resolve For America’s Ailing Health Care Program answers that query and more. Obtainable now at Amazon and Apple.

UnitedHealth To Expand On Obamacare Exchanges In 2015 "And Beyond"

UnitedHealth To Increase On Obamacare Exchanges In 2015 "And Beyond"

UnitedHealth Group UnitedHealth Group said this morning it would broaden personal well being strategy items on government exchanges under the Cost-effective Care Act “to as numerous as two dozen” states for following 12 months, chief executive officer Stephen J. Hemsley said this morning.

The nation’s biggest overall health insurance company, which raised its revenue forecast for this 12 months by a lot more than $ 1 billion to $ 130 billion thanks in component to powerful development in the “public and senior sector” said it will broaden its participation in public exchanges.

Hemsley created his feedback in the course of an hour-long call discussing the company’s second-quarter earnings report that unveiled a two percent decline in net earnings on enhanced taxes and other expenses in part connected to the overall health law.

But United’s underlying development was solid, specifically on the revenue front. Revenues rose 7 percent to $ 32.57 billion on across-the-board gains in newly insured customers under the wellness law by way of exchanges, expanded Medicaid wellness plans for the bad and its Medicare Advantage business, which provides overall health positive aspects to seniors in contracts with the federal government.

Searching ahead, UnitedHealth said it will broaden aggressively its personal well being program offerings on government-run marketplaces known as exchanges after closely examining the initial year of the law and pricing of rivals. UnitedHealth rivals like Humana Humana (HUM), Aetna Aetna (AET), Wellpoint (WLP) and Blue Cross and Blue Shield ideas are participating with more private wellness prepare items at this level.

Hemsley described UnitedHealth’s growth on the public exchanges in 2015 “and beyond” as “advancing our participation in a measured manner.” He said they would be giving some distinct items in the new exchange markets with varied pricing that involves HMOs.

UnitedHealth continues to enhance its government enterprise lines. For illustration, UnitedHealth grew its Medicaid insurance coverage enrollment for the poor by 19 percent, or 730,000 men and women. That integrated 380,000 in the 2nd quarter and “635,000 yr-to-date,” the firm explained in a statement.

Significantly of UnitedHealth’s Medicaid growth came in markets exactly where states agreed to go along with the expansion of Medicaid benefits beneath the wellness law.

UnitedHealth stated they count on Medicaid growth to be a lot more than 800,000 ahead of the year’s finish.

In the second quarter, UnitedHealth mentioned it earned $ 1.41 billion, or $ one.42 per share, in the three months that ended June thirty. That compares to $ 1.44 billion, or $ 1.forty per share in the 2nd quarter of 2013.

Asking yourself how Obamacare will impact your well being care? The Forbes eBook Inside Obamacare: The Repair For America’s Ailing Health Care System answers that question and a lot more. Available now at Amazon and Apple.

UnitedHealth To Increase On Obamacare Exchanges In 2015 "And Beyond"

UnitedHealth To Broaden On Obamacare Exchanges In 2015 "And Beyond"

UnitedHealth Group UnitedHealth Group mentioned this morning it would expand personal overall health strategy products on government exchanges underneath the Cost-effective Care Act “to as a lot of as two dozen” states for next year, chief executive officer Stephen J. Helmsley mentioned this morning.

The nation’s greatest overall health insurance coverage firm, which raised its revenue forecast for this yr by much more than $ 1 billion to $ 130 billion thanks in element to sturdy growth in the “public and senior sector” said it will broaden its participation in public exchanges.

Helmsley manufactured his feedback for the duration of an hour-prolonged get in touch with discussing the company’s 2nd-quarter earnings report that unveiled a two percent decline in net earnings on increased taxes and other costs in portion associated to the well being law.

But United’s underlying development was sound, notably on the revenue front. Revenues rose seven percent to $ 32.57 billion on across-the-board gains in newly insured clients underneath the health law via exchanges, expanded Medicaid wellness programs for the bad and its Medicare Advantage business, which gives well being advantages to seniors in contracts with the federal government.

Seeking ahead, UnitedHealth mentioned it will expand aggressively its personal overall health prepare offerings on government-run marketplaces recognized as exchanges after closely examining the very first 12 months of the law and pricing of rivals. UnitedHealth rivals like Humana Humana (HUM), Aetna Aetna (AET), Wellpoint (WLP) and Blue Cross and Blue Shield programs are participating with much more personal wellness prepare items at this stage.

Helmsley described UnitedHealth’s expansion on the public exchanges in 2015 “and beyond” as “advancing our participation in a measured method.” He explained they would be providing some diverse items in the new exchange markets with varied pricing that involves HMOs.

UnitedHealth continues to boost its government enterprise lines. For illustration, UnitedHealth grew its Medicaid insurance coverage enrollment for the bad by 19 %, or 730,000 individuals. That integrated 380,000 in the second quarter and “635,000 year-to-date,” the company mentioned in a statement.

A lot of UnitedHealth’s Medicaid development came in markets in which states agreed to go along with the expansion of Medicaid positive aspects below the overall health law.

UnitedHealth mentioned they anticipate Medicaid development to be a lot more than 800,000 before the year’s end.

In the second quarter, UnitedHealth stated it earned $ one.41 billion, or $ 1.42 per share, in the 3 months that ended June 30. That compares to $ one.44 billion, or $ one.40 per share in the second quarter of 2013.

Pondering how Obamacare will have an effect on your wellness care? The Forbes eBook Within Obamacare: The Repair For America’s Ailing Wellness Care Program answers that query and a lot more. Offered now at Amazon and Apple.

UnitedHealth To Broaden On Obamacare Exchanges In 2015 "And Beyond"

Half of nurses function by means of breaks or beyond their shift

Half of nurses are working by way of breaks or past their shift, revealing a health services beneath “significant strain”, a new report has warned.

A survey of almost three,000 nurses by Unison showed that two thirds believed they did not spend enough time with individuals, which most stated impacted care.

The report, Operating on Empty, stated half of nurses had been not confident about raising any issues they had with their local managers.

Gail Adams, Unison’s head of nursing, explained: “1 of the most damaging findings of this survey is how tiny has transformed given that final year. Despite all the government rhetoric, in spite of the Francis, Keogh and Cavendish reports, the spectre of one more Mid Staffs still looms big over the NHS. Progress on safe staffing amounts has been glacial and that signifies poorer care and patients nevertheless at risk.

“It really is clear that in spite of nurses doing work through breaks and past their hours, they merely do not have ample time to give patients the care and attention they want. That is distressing for patients and for the personnel trying to care for them.

“The Government requirements to encounter up to the damage it is inflicting on patients and staff, by not introducing legally enforceable nurse to patient ratios, and take urgent action.”

The union claimed that the survey also exposed an “in excess of use” of agency staff in the NHS.

In one more review final week, Unison said the ambulance support was on the verge of breaking down due to the fact of anxiety levels between employees.

The concerns will be debated at Unison’s overall health conference in Brighton, which opens these days.

Half of nurses function by means of breaks or beyond their shift