By Mary Agnes Carey and Eric Pianin – Kaiser Health News July 31, 2009 Which phrase best describes Democrats’ ideas on overhauling the health care system: a) a government takeover of health care, or b) a way to lower costs and improve the quality of care delivered? Is the proposal a) a package of tax hikes [...]
Group Health is seeking hospice volunteers with weekday availability in Seattle, East King and Snohomish counties. Hospice volunteers stay with terminally ill patients in their homes while caregivers take needed breaks, visit patients in nursing homes and other facilities, assist with errands, transportation and other practical tasks. The next training sessions will be held Monday, [...]
Seattle’s record heat wave has contributed to the death of a Seattle man, King County officials said Thursday. The man, in his 60s, had a heart condition that may have made him more vulnerable to the effects this week’s high temperatures in the Seattle area, officials said.
At a health-care town hall meeting in Raleigh, North Carolina yesterday, President Barack Obama sought to address the concerns small businessmen and women have about health-reform proposals under consideration in Congress. Click here to find links to the Web sites of Sen. Maria Cantwell and Sen. Patti Murray and Washington’s congressional representatives.
By Mary Agnes Carey and Eric Pianin July 30, 2009 After weeks of painstaking talks, Democrats celebrated breakthroughs on health care overhaul on both sides of the Capitol. Yet many lawmakers and health care experts said that yesterday’s events marked only one step on the very bumpy road to a final deal that President Barack [...]
Head lice is a common problem among children. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are an estimated 6 to 12 million cases of head lice infestation each year in the U.S. There are a number of treatments available for head lice, including a new drug recently approved by the U.S. [...]
Do the Democratic plans ask for changes that qualify as a “sacrifice”? By Jonathan Cohn This column is a collaboration between KHN and The New Republic . Twice during Wednesday night’s press conference, reporters asked President Obama what sacrifices his health care reform plans would ask of the American people. It’s a common and intuitive [...]
If you want to let your senators and representatives know your views on healthcare reform, you can contact them through their Websites listed below. To contact your U.S. Senators and Representative click on the links below: Senator Patty Murray Senator Maria Cantwell Representative Jay Inslee (Ist District) Representative Rick Larson (2nd District) Representative Brian Baird [...]
Under a new law that goes into effect this Sunday, many Washington retailers will have to make their employee restrooms available to customers who have certain medical conditions when no public restroom is available. Eligible conditions include inflammatory bowel diseases, such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, irritable bowel syndrome, any condition requiring use of an [...]
A dietary supplement marketed under the name STEAM is being recalled after it was found to contain a chemical similar to the drug found in the erectile dysfunction drug Viagra, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced today. The chemical, sulfoaildenafil, is an analog of sildenafil, the active ingredient in Viagra, the FDA said, [...]
By Jenny Gold – Kaiser Health News July 29, 2009 As Congress contemplates taxing insurers for gold-plated health benefits to pay for a health overhaul, it might catch another group in its net: employers who “self-insure”—or pay for their workers’ health bills on their own. The Senate Finance Committee is considering a proposal by Sen. [...]
An Excessive Heat Warning has been issued for Seattle and the Puget Sound Region. According to the National Weather Service, Seattle will be sunny and hot today with a high near 99°. Tomorrow will be slightly cooler, with a high of 97° predicted. Friday, cooler—but still a high of 91° predicted. Over the weekend, temperatures will drop [...]
LocalHealthGuide is a health news and information web service for Seattle and the Puget Sound Region. We are independent and unaffiliated with any hospital, medical association or insurer. If you have questions or if your group has an upcoming event that you would like us to cover, please let us know by going to our "Contact Us" page and dropping us a note. -- Michael McCarthy, Editor
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Lost in translation: Lack of trained interpreters can lead to medical errors
Interpreter services at hospitals and other medical settings are often inadequate, forcing family members, including children, to step in, or the task falls to medical staff members who may not speak the language well.
Some insurers deny ER coverage to people who have been drinking
Laws in more than half the states permit insurers to deny payment for medical services related to alcohol or drug use. Faced with the prospect of not getting paid for care, some ER personnel sidestep the problem by simply not testing patients’ blood or urine for alcohol.
Travel insurance can protect your wallet — and your health on vacation
Think your regular health insurance policy will cover you if you get into medical trouble overseas?
Don’t bet on it.
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