Posts Tagged ‘Pediatrician’

Health Insurance Options For Children

February 7th, 2010

In today’s economy of massive lay offs and business closures I am finding more and more parents calling for coverage on just their children. These policies can range from great to just plain bad in the coverage spectrum. So I warn you, buyer beware. Here are the things I look for when providing quotes for children health insurance.

Simply put, most consumers don’t have a clue what questions they should be asking brokers before they purchase a health plan. I try to always remember that when dealing with parents only wanting to cover their children and I attempt to only present policies that go above and beyond the normal benefits levels. I think we all will agree that kids have the greatest likely hood of have x-rays and lab work done when visiting their doctor or pediatrician. Rarely do grown up have lab and xrays done when visiting their doctor. Also kids have visit after visit to the doctor peppered with both well baby care and immunizations. When dealing with parents looking to cover only their kids I always focus on policies that will cover both lab and x-rays with just a co-pay rather than have those procedures apply to some goofy $2500 deductible. Regardless of what some  health insurance brokers or agents say, those types of policies do exist . I just feel that kids deserve theses benefits.

Another important factor I try to consider is the immunization schedule. All major medical health insurance plans must follow state mandates as it relates to immunizations, basically the are covered up to about age six. Well, my question is what if there are other preventive or well baby visits beyond age six? I feel we should explore coverage that goes out to age 18. Again, those policies do exist, regardless of what someone may tell you.

There are so many policies on the street today offering affordable health insurance for children that have limits on the number of doctor visits. That’s should be a big no-no. I feel we should never limit the number of times kiddos can go to the doctor. Those policies may work fine for grown adults that may go to the doctor no more than two times a year but I feel it will totally upset a mom or dad that gets told at the pediatrician they must pay in full for any future doctor visits. I just will not present these policies and you should stay away from them too with little kids.

OK, another benefit that most policies do not cover is emergency room treatment without a deductible being satisfied. Virtually every policy requires a deductible and co-pay to be met before receiving treatment in an emergency room. Again, if your kids have a $2500 deductible you are basically paying for the entire emergency room treatment out of your pocket. There are a few policies available that offer ER treatment or Urgent Care facility coverage with only a small co-pay.

I think it’s a given that whatever children’s health insurance policy you purchase should be a major medical policy with lifetime maximums of somewhere around $3 or $5 million dollars. That should be common. And having coverage for all the big items like cancer and trauma will most likely be covered and you probably already know to look for those things.

Now, who is delivering on the benefits I have mentioned above? Well, there are a few. Unicare will defiantly stand above the rest in this type of policy. Aetna has an excellent policy that encompass most of the above mentioned benefits as well. World Insurance Company also has introduced a nice policy that should do the job in providing health insurance for children.

From a monthly price stand point I think Unicare will most likely be the best option for consumers. Unicare may be a tad more expensive than companies like Blue Cross and Blue Shield or Cigna but they just flat out blow them away when it comes to benefits for kids.

So if you are finding the harsh economy is making it more and more difficult to afford health insurance coverage on the entire family and thoughts of canceling your policy have crept into your thought process STOP. Let’s take a quick look at finding affordable health insurance for your children.

Chinese Herbal Medicine for your Children

January 1st, 2010

Firstly it must be understood that Chinese herbal medicines for children have literally been developed, tried, tested and in most cases proved to be very affective. These medicines have been in use for over 5000 years.

Chinese herbal medicine for children takes on a holistic approach which does not only look at treating the symptoms but also looks at strengthening the bodies resistance and mental stability of the patient ensuring overall health.

Unfortunately one of the shortcomings of conventional medicines is that they often have detrimental side effects. For example, the overuse of antibiotics can make a child more susceptible to illnesses like ear infections. Another is that they treat your child (and you) like a machine and not like people. We are not suggesting that you should seek to replace your conventional pediatrician, you can certainly look into incorporating Chinese herbal medicines for your children for their care.

What Ailments Respond To Traditional Chinese Medicine

There are some ailments and long-term conditions that seem to respond very well to Chinese herbal medicines for your children. These include asthma, diabetes and juvenile arthritis. Chinese Traditional Medicine (TCM) has realized that children have different health needs than adults and have been developed over thousands of years. Chinese herbal medicines for your children are designed to have the child’s body retun to its natural balance.

TCM Powders

Chinese herbal medicines for your children are often given to you in powdered form. These powders can then be mixed in applesauce or a drink and administered twice a day, or whatever the TCM practitioner recommends. Unlike modern medicines where there is an expiry date, the powders themselves are usually odorless, have very little taste and can be stored over very long periods of time. They are also tailored to meet the individual health needs of your child.

Chinese herbal medicine powders for your children are made from dried extractions of natural botanical material (roots, stems, leaves and the like). These medicines are now made and packed in modern, sterile laboratories. The plant material is boiled until a sap like substance is made. This substance is then dried and ground up to make the powders. They are far more potent than the original material it came from.

TCM Also Requires Your Active Participation

Unlike conventional medicine, where you depend entirely on the doctor’s direction, you are part of your health solution in TCM. Pediatrics in TCM looks at treating children in four ways

– through proper diet,

– herbal medicines,

– Chinese massage (Tui Na) and

– acupuncture.

– Your child will also be expected to learn how to handle stress and to regularly exercise.

You will find that most children like the TCM sessions like Tui Na massage or acupuncture. The needles are incredibly thin now and insertion can barely be felt. Sometimes Chinese Herbal medicines for your children are burnt near the child during these sessions. Don’t be alarmed. These burning herbs will not be put on the child. They seem to activate the emotions and self-esteem of the child to help give their natural immune system a boost.

As you can see it is not just a question of taking a prescription to cure the ailment but rather a complete system to transform the body back to natural balance.

Are Vitamins Important For Children And What Do They Need?

December 19th, 2009

The education on health and nutrition has covered a wide arena. Books, journals, news, advertisements, pamphlets, and the likes are all modes used in the transmission of the information. Hence, the education on the need to take natural vitamin supplements has become adamant and has covered people from all walks of life.
Children in particular are not exempted. They may not be working as tough and as hard as some of the working individuals out there or their health is not in demise compared to the senior citizens, yet the need for kids to take vitamins is a vital factor.
Why do we need to take vitamins? Are vitamins important for children? What do they need?
Several studies show the actual benefit as garnered from the intake of vitamin supplements. Several illnesses have been proven to be avoided due to the proper and sensible intake of multivitamins. The daily diet which the children take in may not necessarily provide the ample amount of all the nutrients needed by their bodies.
In fact, it is clearly emphasized how vitamin deficiencies and malnutrition lead to several types of diseases. The symptoms which become visible when one is deficient with a certain vitamin nutrient are tiredness, irritability, muscle cramps, headache, cough, and colds.
When these factors become noticeably ongoing for a long duration of time, then going to and seeing a doctor is highly recommended.
It is even good to see that today’s generation has further become aware of their health. Vitamins are particularly important to children. Basically, the vitamins which an infant takes up to such span of time of his formative years greatly contribute to his physical and mental developments.
The bone, muscle, and brain formations are considered to be very vital for a child. That is why it has always been deemed necessary for a child to possibly get the best level of vitamin nutrients as supplemented by vitamin pills or vitamin liquids prescribed by the pediatrician.
Do the children need to take vitamins?
This question oftentimes bugs the parents and the soon-to-be-parents. This question is also usually one that parents should ask themselves or their doctors. Before the children must be pumped with all sorts of vitamin supplements which are of course usually over-the-counter, the choice of vitamin must be set to be conducive to their good health. The doctor’s prescription will be of great help.
It always seems a good idea to give the children all the extra nutrients which parents can have hold on, however, it is a clearly stated fact that not all simple vitamin formulas are enough to keep the children healthy. It is not always an advisable idea to rely on the vitamin supplements to do the task of keeping the children healthy.
As always, a balanced diet, and a health-oriented lifestyle and daily practice will solve the problem.
In most cases, the doctors often prescribe vitamins for the babies and toddlers to take most especially when there is the suspicion of a vitamin deficiency tendency or any other kind of disorder which may hinder good health and proper nutrition. In the case of pregnant women, prenatal checkups require prenatal vitamins to aid in the fetus’s brain formation.
Children who tend to be picky eaters mostly need vitamins. However, it must be borne in mind that vitamins are only supplements and are not the direct source of nutrition. Vitamins are not substitutes for food. One more reason why kids must take vitamins is for the strengthening of the immune system in order to evade diseases and illnesses which may hinder proper growth and nutrition.
Vitamins also help out in the recovery period during prolonged illnesses or some chronic conditions. Vitamin therapy, as it is called, may be advantageous for children who suffer from very serious illnesses.
The children’s immune system must well be taken cared of. So when foreign bodies get through the system, the child’s strong immune system can fight it off. Al all times, children’s vitamins always come with iron and minerals. Parents likewise must not teach the children to take the vitamins like candies as they may have the concept of taking vitamins more than the usual.
It will be better to teach the children to treat the vitamins like medicine which will help them become strong and healthy.

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