The Problem with Universal Healthcare

I usually hit the delete key whenever I get a chain email... But this particular one caught my eye enough for me to read the whole thing. This story is probably impossible to prove or disprove (I tried to find the name of this professor), but the overall message was quite intriguing... enough so to share given its applicability to universal healthcare. My healthcare commentary is provided after the end of the story below (to preface, I believe in a compromise of sorts... I guess I'm a c…

3/02/2013 1

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Creative Ways to Wear a Scarf for Patients with a Trach or Ugly Neck Scar

[Watch the video below!!!] Given I operate on the neck not uncommonly... a common fear for a patient is how the incision will look afterwards. For a simple neck mass excision, the incision almost always heals just fine to the point nobody will notice the scar. However, this concern is multiplied a hundred-fold when a patient undergoes a tracheostomy (hole in neck) for severe obstructive sleep apnea or for some other airway reason. It could even be a laryngectomy where the entire voi…

7/07/2012 1

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Can Eye Drop Medications be Used in the Ear?

Can EYE drop medications be used in the EAR for ear problems like ear infections ? For the most part, absolutely, but not vice-versa. For pretty much any EAR drop preparation, there is an equivalent EYE drop preparation which can be used safely in the ear. Why does this matter? For some patients, the ear drops may burn when placed. Given eye drops uses a much "gentler" solution, such patients find that eye drops doesn't burn in the ear nearly as much compared to ear drop…

5/17/2012 10

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Want to See a Specialist Doctor Who Does Not Take Your Insurance? There Are Options...

It is not unusual nowadays that a patient may want to see a specific medical specialist who unfortunately does NOT participate with their  health insurance plan . This doctor is what is known in insurance parlance as a "non-par provider." In this situation, there are two options. 1) The patient pays the medical bill (self-pay) and forwards the receipt to the insurance company who hopefully will reimburse the patient. 2) The patient can request a "Letter of Medical Necessi…

11/05/2011 1

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