Deciding YOUR own Health Destiny

It's after 3PM and normally I do my blog entry following my morning coffee and CBS Sunday Morning program. However, today I just needed a little more time and inspiration to develop what I wanted to say in my writing.

I decided to write about my favorite subject which is Health, apropos for the historic vote in congress on Health Care reform, in addition to the running of the Los Angeles Marathon. What is interesting about both of these events are the people involved in them are extremely passionate about health but in two completely different ways. One is curative and the other preventative. The curative being, government trying to resuscitate or rather "fix" somehow a completely broken Health Care system by trying in essence to put a band aid on a massive coronary, however I suppose a band aid is better than nothing. And... for many individuals here in the US, congress is also deciding their health destiny. The other being (for many running today) trying to prevent ever having a massive coronary (although some are destine to have one anyway). While I do think to some extent marathon running is extreme, it is exercise and that is a means toward prevention of certain diseases. So I guess in a way these are to extremes that have the common thread of health. Although, I think I would rather be running in the LA Marathon today than to be in that fire pit of of HELL called congress.

Whatever comes out of that hell hole today (which I do hope reform does happen because to lay dormant is certainly NOT progress) my hope is that individuals realize we have the power to a very large extent to dictate our personal health outcome. Can the unforeseen happen? Of course it can, however 70% of the cost the US spends on Health Care (crisis care) is in large part for diseases that are completely preventable. I strongly believe that if we all took an interest in our own wellness we would be headed collectively in a much better direction. No you don't have to run a Marathon but getting outside for a walk, a hike or just playing and being active puts you on a path toward a better and more productive outcome. It is truly that simple. Making better choices about food or addictive substances that wreak havoc with your body is a power we take for granted. It's all about choice and making the best choices to live a health life with unlimited vitality.

So on this historic day no matter what the outcome is with regard to Health Reform, choose to reform your own health and I guarantee you will come out a winner....just like all those people who pump their arms over their head when they cross that finish line at the end of 26.2 miles - they are champions of their own health destiny.

Yours In Health ~ L

People are PISSED OFF about HeathCare - And they have every right to be

I just received notice that my health insurance premium is going up AGAIN!!!! It just went up...oh yeah - that was a year ago. My husband and I are self employed and have to carry our own individual insurance. He just turned 50 in April and last month his premium went up just because he is now in a new decade...Happy Birthday Honey!!! It went up $45 a month - $540 more a year and that's before I received this latest new increase that is effective in July. Now it's going up even more. And what are we getting for this increase? Less benefits I am sure - I didn't have the stomach to read the thick booklet that came with the notice. It actually made me ill and I refuse to go to the doctor because my insurance would not even cover it. My doctor is out-of-network. In a two year time period both our policies have increased our health insurance costs to over $1,200 more a year. I could buy food with that. Instead I am lining the pockets of a Blue Shield executive...UGH.

I AM SO PISSED OFF!!!!! I WANT TO SCREAM!!!!!

Apparently their are many others are out there with the same rant as me. I scourged the internet looking at blogs, articles, anything I could read to find out how others out there felt. I learned I am not alone. In fact, I am in abundant company on this. One person blogged, "We should all cancel our health insurance at the same time" - I thought... "that is brilliant!!!" What if every single person REALLY canceled their health insurance? It would be like when we all wanted to stop buying gas for a day. Great idea to get the point across BUT it ain't ever gonna happen except in my dreams. Although, I am certainly thinking seriously about canceling mine (ours) right now and just taking my chances. I'm healthy, no "medical" issues, and I do a lot of self care so the chances are very low I would seriously get into trouble with my health. At this point, as it is with the docs I do see, whenever I go, the insurance company never pays a damn dime anyway - I pay out of pocket because my stupid deductible is so high and they rarely pay for my "out-of-network" doctors anyway.

I really hope President Obama listens to the cries of Americans wanting better Health Care and Health insurance choices. I would switch to a single payer system in a heart beat and watch those insurance companies scramble when everyone leaves to go for it too. That would stir the bastards up and have them get the hell off their high horses. Give 'em something to compete against Barack!!!...Make them sweat - raise their blood pressure - stress them out and have them know what it feels like to be caught by the short hairs.

In the meantime I will just vent, wait for something better to happen and dream that it does happen in my life time.

My Letter to President-Elect Obama on my Vision for Health Care

Dear President-Elect Obama,

My BIGGEST concern has always been and still is HealthCare. Simply, the reason being… if you do not have your health in good standing nothing else really matters. Therefore, our system has always been on the wrong side of "Health" Care it should be called "Sick" Care. WE have focused more on the afterthought rather than the forethought and that has been the issue for years and that IS what has gotten us into the trouble we are in now today. The main reason being is, there is not a lot of profit in PREVENTION but a BOATLOAD in curative (and the pharmaceutical, medical & insurance industries), all know this. And so does the FDA I am afraid to say. Ninety percent of the reasons why people flood the medical care system are due to health issues that are completely PREVENTABLE...yet focus and emphasis and reward are not placed on having people pay attention to their own health, it is focused on how do "we" fix the problem after it has already broken (kind of like our economy is today).
We NEED a "HEALTHCARE" policy & system with an EMPHASIS on incentives to get healthy, maintain health and reward those who ARE and DO stay fit and healthy and stay out of the medical care system and not bog it down.

I am a 48 year old health/fitness professional (for 27 years) who has been an advocate of prevention and staying healthy & fit and to lead a life with vitality. The best way to help our broken "Sick Care" system is to stay out of it. Be empowered to take care of your own body because you only have one that your given for a lifetime. No one will care about "your" own body more than YOU.
I have a lot of GREAT ideas to help turn things around and it is NOW that we must begin to change the focus from curative to preventative, if not for me and my generation BUT for my child and the children who are to face this issue in upcoming generations.
Thank you for listening. I would be more than happy to share what I know.
Sincerely,
Laura S. Gideon