Health
Medical Insurance: The battle rages on

Introduction
Ever since the economy suffered a collapse, medical insurance has become a cause for concern thanks to the convenient hikes in insurance premiums.
Just today, President Obama is expected to give the federal government more authority to ensure that the increase of insurance premiums is kept in check, which is in response to the company Anthem Blue Cross based in California that has raised its premiums by almost 39% for 800,000 policyholders come this May.
And the battle rages on, but who will win the war remains to be seen. Of course, the only people who stand to gain from this are the comedians who seem to churn out new material on this sensitive issue that the current government is left to deal with, leaving us no doubt that Obama truly has his work cut out for him.
Medical Insurance
Much like other forms of insurance, medical insurance also works in the same way that most other forms of insurance work. People pay premiums (monthly payments) to ensure that they will not have to bear a heavy part of the expenses if a medical emergency arises.
Of course, this doesn’t mean any kind of medical emergency, as the contract between the organization and the individual clearly states coverage limits (the maximum amount that will be covered for healthcare based on the premium, of course) as well as the list of ailments which can/ cannot be covered.
Now, just because you are paying premiums, this doesn’t mean that your medical bills for a particular illness will be covered completely. There is a certain amount of money that the policyholder must pay from his pocket before the insurer pays his share as per the contract, which is known as the ‘deductible.’
Depending on your needs, there are two types of insurance plans: ‘ comprehensive’ and scheduled.’ With the former, the premiums can be expensive as the payouts can amount to anywhere between one to five million dollars, depending on whether it is for hospital or physician charges.
Not only is this a significant difference between the two, but comprehensive insurance covers a large variety of illnesses as well.
Scheduled insurance, also known as mini-med plans, is just a basic policy that gives its holder daily access to a doctor or prescription drugs at a minimum cost, not covering emergencies with their annual benefit maximums ranging between $1000 to $25000.
So, your next question might be: What are my options then?
Options
It’s very simple, really. A large part of health insurance is provided by the private sector. At the same time, the government also caters to its citizens’ needs with programs such as Medicare, Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program, and the Veterans Health Administration.
While the former requires you to pay a premium for excellent health care services, the latter caters to disadvantaged groups such as veterans, low-income adults, children, the disabled, and for people who are above the age of 65 years and above.
In Closing
Interestingly, as the baby boomer generation retires, the numbers will balloon from 45 million to about 78 million in 2030, making Medicare the single largest healthcare payer in the nation, and without doubt will remain that way for some time to come.
Health
Comprehensive Guide to Mimosa Hostilis: Unlocking Nature’s Healing Secrets

Introduction
The Mimosa Hostilis plant is a powerful and diverse healer, and we’re happy to provide you with this comprehensive guide. This essay will explore Mimosa Hostilis, discussing its history, customary use, medical properties, and increasing therapeutic interest. If you’re looking for an exhaustive study of this remarkable plant, you’ve found it.
What is Mimosa Hostilis?
The northeastern parts of Brazil are home to the perennial tree Mimosa Hostilis. Mimosa tenuiflora is its scientific name, and a member of the Fabaceae family of plants. There are a number of names for this plant, including “Jurema,” “Jurema Preta,” and “Tepezcohuite.” Mimosa Hostilis is highly prized for its medicinal bark due to its wide range of potential uses.
Traditional Uses
For thousands of years, indigenous peoples across Brazil and the rest of South America have relied on Mimosa Hostilis. Recognizing the plant’s special curative properties, these communities have venerated it for ages. In its traditional forms, Mimosa Hostilis uses are:
1. Medicinal Purposes
Mimosa Hostilis has been used for its curative powers to cure a wide range of illnesses. It helps heal and calm cuts, scrapes, and burns when applied topically. There’s also speculation that it can aid tissue regeneration and general skin health.
2. Natural Dye
Mimosa Hostilis is a highly prized natural dye known for its brilliant reddish-brown inner root bark. It has been used as a natural dye by indigenous people.
Medicinal Benefits
Mimosa Hostilis, for its therapeutic potential, has received a lot of attention in recent years. Traditional applications have been supported by recent scientific investigations into its health advantages. Some of the most important therapeutic benefits include:
1. Anti-Inflammatory Properties
Mimosa Hostilis tree has strong anti-inflammatory chemicals that can lessen inflammation and the pain it causes.
2. Antioxidant Activity
The antioxidant properties of Mimosa Hostilis make it effective against oxidative stress, preventing damage to cells caused by free radicals and boosting health.
3. Wound Healing
There is evidence to suggest that Mimosa Hostilis can aid in the healing of skin wounds like cuts and scrapes.
4. Analgesic Effects
Certain parts of the plant have analgesic qualities and are used to treat pain and other unpleasant sensations.
5. Antimicrobial Action
Mimosa hostilis demonstrated antibacterial activity, suggesting it could be used as a natural treatment for a range of diseases.
Modern Applications
Mimosa Hostilis’s fame has grown rapidly outside its usual contexts in recent years. Herbalists, advocates of complementary and alternative medicine, and those in search of non-invasive treatments have all taken an interest in this plant. Some current uses of Mimosa Hostilis are:
1. Skincare Products
Mimosa Hostilis has been used in numerous creams, lotions, and serums due to its calming effects on the skin.
2. Natural Cosmetics
Natural cosmetics that utilize Mimosa Hostilis for its superior dyeing properties are a more sustainable alternative to their synthetically produced counterparts.
3. Ethnobotanical Research
Researchers in pharmacology, ethnobotany, and biochemistry are all looking into Mimosa Hostilis to better understand its many benefits.
Cultivation and Sustainability
The importance of sustainable farming procedures for Mimosa Hostilis grows as demand rises. The plant’s abundance and ecological balance rely on careful harvesting and protection during its life cycle.
Conclusion
Mimosa Hostilis is a miraculous natural gift with numerous potential medicinal applications. Many people find it fascinating because of its long history, various traditional uses, and several contemporary applications. Mimosa hostilis is a shining example of the potential of natural treatments, connecting old knowledge with cutting-edge science.
Health
Healthcare Reform Bill: And justice for all?

Introduction
Ever so often, there comes a movie that slips across that fine line from fantasy into reality (typo intended!) with an ensemble of stars known for their acting prowess. Of course, the critics still have to nitpick, but we would always find it engaging and interesting enough to talk about at the water cooler for the common moviegoer.
And I’m talking about ‘Lions for Lambs,’ which had Meryl Streep (journalist), Robert Redford (Professor in Political Science), and Tom Cruise (U.S. Senator) with the theme of a movie about the war in Afghanistan.
Watching Tom and Meryl go at it for about an hour filled with dramatic monologues from the former and snappy comebacks from the latter was a treat to watch, while Robert’s performance also reminded me that there are three professionals you just cannot trust these days… politicians, car salesmen, and lawyers. And some have engaged in the other two professions before taking office (and that public oath they seem to take for granted).
Political Parties, Bills, and an apparent lack of interest in Patriotism
What struck me the most was the apparent lack of interest in making a change, where some who are motivated enough do what they have to do, whereas others just passively sit on the sidelines and ‘blame it all on someone else.’
And of late, we have the Democrats and the Republicans playing these roles with the buildup to the healthcare bill (Obama’s Universal Healthcare Plan) released on March 21, 2010, with absolutely no support from the Republicans. So much for bipartisanship… huh?
Sad but true, really.
The BBC referred to this victory as the most ‘crucial’ since Obama has been in power, and you can be sure that the ‘change’ has just begun… a change in healthcare reform that will cover 95% of Americans as opposed to the 83% today, specifically to uninsured Americans. An important element of the bill will ban insurance companies from denying coverage for ongoing medical problems.
But apart from all this hue and cry about it being a historic landmark in healthcare reform, one might wonder what this bill can do for him/ her. So, here are a couple of pointers that might help…
Healthcare Reform Bill: And justice for all?
What surprises me is that ‘universal healthcare’ wasn’t even an option in the United States until now, which has been an important part of the healthcare system in several countries for so long now!
Anyways, now that the bill has been passed and made a law, some of the changes will take effect immediately, while others will take place between now and 2014.
1. Cost – An expenditure of $ 940 billion over 10 years
2. Coverage – 32 million uninsured Americans will be covered
3. Medicare – The prescription drug coverage gap is closed, while people over 65 will receive discounts and rebates on brand-name drugs.
4. Medicaid – Expanded to include families under 65 with low gross incomes
5. Insurance Reform – The ability to deny coverage to those with pre-existing conditions has been taken away.
6. Insurance Exchanges – Thanks to state-based exchanges, self-employed and uninsured citizens can now buy insurance.
7. Subsidies – Low-income families and individuals are NOW eligible to purchase insurance.
8. Individual Mandate: Everyone should be covered by Medicaid or Medicare, or they will be fined.
9. High-cost insurance – Employers who make their workers take costlier plans are subject to further taxation on excess premiums.
In Closing
And somewhere, Karl Marx will be turning in his grave while perhaps the resounding argument of the Political Science professor in ‘Lions for Lambs’ about making a change is finally here…
Health
Veggie experiment over already?! – Workout Recap (April 19-26, 2009)

You can follow my weekly recaps here every Sunday, but you can follow me every day as I post daily updates of my journey from GeekLand to FreakVille at Geek2Freak.com.
Current Stats and Measurements (April 26, 2009)
- Height – 6’3″
- Weight – 189.6 lb.
- Bodyfat – 9.94% (Skinfolds in mm – Chest:6, Abs:16, Thigh:13)
- Biceps – 14″
- Calves – 14.8″
- Thighs – 24.1″
- Waist – 33.1″
- Chest – 42.3″
“How to Get Abs” Progress Pics (April 26, 2009)
Today’s Diet Log
For up-to-the-minute coverage of my world-famous digestive system, check out my very cool and overly-detailed Diet Log.
Current Supplements
- 100% Whey Protein – Gold Standard
- Life Extension Multivitamins
- NOW Foods, Super EPA Double strength – 60 Softgels (Fish Oil Capsules)
- Optimum Nutrition Flaxseed Oil Softgels
- Greens+, 9.4 oz powder
Weekly Recap (April 19-26, 2009)
I’ve been 100% clean and meatless for 11 straight days, meaning absolutely no junk or processed food, only natural, whole, and mostly organic goodness.
On top of that, it was all raw up until 2 days ago as well.
I went back to cooking veggies because they were seriously messing with my “plumbing.” This was likely just my system getting used to them, but I was starting to dislike eating them at all.
It wasn’t even necessarily the taste, but something else. I’m not even sure what, maybe just the sheer amount that I had to crunch through at one time to get enough protein from the broccoli and spinach, but I got to the point after a little over a week where I was dreading mealtime.
That’s NEVER a good thing because even at 100% clean, I’ve still found my old diet very satisfying.
As far as the measurements, they were about as consistent as they could be, almost identical to last week, which normally wouldn’t be so bad, but this is the longest I’ve gone being 100% clean in a long time, so I was expecting a little better, especially a drop back into the 32’s in my waist.
My theory is that the enormous amounts of fruit I’m eating (12 servings/day) are just too many carbs, but I still need those calories.
I can’t turn many other places for calories on a meatless diet because I’m already consuming 12 servings of vegetables per day, too, along with 6-8 servings of nuts, plus a protein shake.
I could always turn to beans, quinoa, etc., for the extra protein and calories to replace the fruit. Still, my number one reason for trying this veggie experiment in the first place was the quickness and ease of eating without having to cook anything at all.
So, given the mounting difficulties for little to no improvement, I’m going to go back to my regular diet this week to compare the results.
My “regular” includes pretty much the exact same foods, but chicken and fish will now replace about 9 servings of fruit per day, bringing me down to only three: 1 apple, 1 orange, and 1 banana.
If I all of a sudden explode from meat reintroduction, then I’ll reexamine the veggie thing, but for right now, it just doesn’t “feel” right, and I never had any issue with meat, to begin with. I was just thinking how convenient it would be not always to have to be around a freezer or oven to store and cook meat.
I am cutting the veggie experiment short (11 days instead of 30), but I’m going with my “gut”.
It comes down to, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” I’ve had excellent results on my previous diet when I stick to it 100%, so I’m returning to the tried-and-true to prepare for summer!
That about wraps it up for this week. See you next Sunday, and don’t forget you can follow my daily updates at Geek2Freak.com.
Are there any other vegetarians/fitness enthusiasts out there? If so, let me know what the transition was like for you…
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