Medical Insurance for Small Businesses

November 11, 2009 by Andy Johnson · Comment
Filed under: General 

Of those, about 20 million are employees, or a family member of an employee; of a business that has 50 or fewer employees. For companies that have more than 50 employees, more than 96% of workers have medical insurance. That number is only about 43% for small businesses. What accounts for this phenomenon? You hear over and over again that employee healthcare insurance is one of the biggest expenses that a business owner faces. In addition, small businesses typically must pay larger premiums than businesses with more than 50 employees. State requirements that certain conditions, treatments and providers be covered by the group health insurance policy is another reason that small business medical insurance can be costly.

Small business medical insurance applies to businesses that employ between 2 to 50 people. Any permanent, compensated employee that works at least 25 hours per week is typically eligible to enroll in a small business health plan. Despite the costs, small business health insurance has very real benefits. When you’re able to offer health insurance to job applicants, you are guaranteed to have a more talented pool of candidates to choose from. As we’re reminded of daily in the news, quality medical insurance is a major concern for Americans.

Last but absolutely not least, a healthy employee is a more productive employee. Having healthy employees, like the retention issue mentioned above, saves you money. When an employee is out on a paid sick day, you’re shelling out the cash without getting any of the work. So although you’re paying part of your employees’ premiums, you’re saving money in other areas by offering medical insurance. Need more convincing? Group health insurance has tax advantages for business owners. Typically employer contributions to small business medical insurance plans are 100% tax deductible.

With a group health insurance plan, you are spreading the risk amongst all of the employees. That means lower premiums and better coverage. The arguments in favor of small business medical benefits are persuasive. Finding affordable medical insurance for employees is possible. It all starts with carefully researching the group plans available to your business. Be sure that you are working with a legitimate, reputable medical insurance company, and you’ll reap a number of benefits that will ensure a strong return on your investment. And medical insurance for your employees really is an investment in your business.

Gout Diagnose and Early Treatment

October 7, 2009 by Andy Johnson · Comment
Filed under: Medicine 

The hyperuricemia known as Gout develops as a debilitating condition assembling arthritis with accumulation of uric acid crystals in the body’s joints. Gout is an inflammatory disease occurring especially in men over the age of 50 in countries with an unhealthy diet like Western Europe and the USA. A starches based diet seems to prevent the appearance of Gout in many countries.

The accumulation of uric acid crystals occurs because the kidneys cannot eliminate it successfully or because the body produces uric acid in excess. The most common cause is a high intake of the precursors found in food and called purines. Purinic bases are mainly contained in fish, meat, animal muscles, poultry and seafood. Vegetables containing purines do not contribute to the apparition of gout and also moderate consume of the mentioned food cannot trigger hyperuricemia. Alcohol products are also known to stimulate the accumulation of uric acid in the joints.

Gout can be triggered by high amounts of released body fats during diets as the uric acid is stimulated to crystallize and deposit into the joints. Although the risk of developing Gout in these cases is relatively small, physicians recommend the administration of an anti-gout medication with 0.5 mg Colchicines daily for about six months during the weight loss diet.

More cases of hyperuricemia have developed after a low-carbohydrates diet was recommended, that is known to contain high amounts of purines. Like the foods rich in proteins, these kinds of food determine a rapid loss of weight and trigger an increase of the uric acid levels in the blood. The caused stress will raise the seric uric acid as well.

An early treatment of Gout increases the chances of a rapid recovery. The primer Gout medication is based on Colchicines and also the less preferred NSAIDs due to their side-effects. Patients with high levels of uric acid in their blood can be treated with Allopurinol, but persons with normal uric acid can also suffer acute attacks of Gout. High levels of seric uric acid without a chronic arthritis will not require permanent medication but a good food diet would be helpful.

In addition, you and your patients now have a new option. ULORIC is a new treatment for lowering blood uric acid levels in patients with gout. Do not take ULORIC if you are taking Azathioprine (Imuran®, Azasan®), Mercaptopurine (Purinethol®), or Theophylline (Theo-24®, Elixophyllin®, Theochron®, Theolair®, Uniphyl®). For some people, gout may flare up when starting certain gout medicines, including ULORIC. If you have a flare while taking ULORIC, do not stop taking your medicine. Your healthcare provider may give you other medicines to help prevent your gout flares. Sign up for future updates about ULORIC, plus details about patient resources on the new ULORIC.com.

Gout diets recommend avoiding muscle food and high protein vegetables like beans, peas and lentils. Persons with high accumulated amounts of uric acid in their tissues require a longer period of treatment.

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