The Lifetime Cap Debate: What does it mean for you?

On February 22nd President Obama proposed a new health-care plan that would remove the lifetime caps on coverage so that people facing a chronic illness would be able to ensure their medical bills were covered.

To a reasonably healthy family a cap of $500,000 or $1 Million dollars seems like an amount that they will never reach in their lifetime. As someone that is familiar with the bleeding disorder community you realize how small that number really is.

Chief Policy Officer for the Ohio Department of Insurance Doug Anderson states that there are no safety nets in the private market for people who reach lifetime caps. He also touches on the hardships many middle class families who have someone with a serious health issue face. It can truly be catastrophic.

Do you know what profits the insurance companies made last year?

The 5 largest made profits of $12.2 billion, which is 56% more than in 2008. In order to make $12.2 billion dollars the insurers covered 2.7 million few people than the year before.

Take Action NOW! Visit the National Hemophilia Foundation to join the fight to help eliminate lifetime caps.

TO learn more about the debate on healthcare reform visit Insurancenews.net.

For any additional questions please call NewLife Home Care at 877-707-LIFE or visit our website.

Protect Yourself: What precautions should be taken?

What precautions should be taken?

· Avoid taking aspirin and nonsteroidal anti- inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).

· Get vaccinated (including infants) with the hepatitis B vaccine.

· Administer factor VIII or IX on a regular basis, to help prevent bleeding and joint damage.

· Avoid circumcising male infants of women known to be carriers until the baby has been tested for hemophilia.

· Carry information at all times identifying the person as someone with hemophilia.

What should be avoided?

You should avoid vitamin E and fish oil supplements if you have hemophilia, as they seem to increase bleeding time by keeping platelets from clumping. Vitamin K plays a role in normal clotting and may be useful either from dietary sources or in supplement form, but research is needed in this area. Do not take vitamin K supplements without first talking to your doctor.

· Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba)

· Garlic (Allium sativum)

· Ginger (Zingiber officinale)

· Ginseng (Panax spp.)

· Horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum)

· Turmeric (Curcuma longa)

· White Willow (Salix alba)

Newlife Home Care has many tools and resources to help our clients maintain health diet and exercise. Please contact us today at 877-707-LIFE or visit our website for any information regarding proper diet and exercise. We will work with you to create many customized programs to meet your specific needs.

Stay Healthy With Regular Exercise!

Regular exercise can build strong muscles and help prevent joint problems. People with hemophilia can exercise safely, although they should avoid contact sports. Physical therapy may also play an important role in reducing joint problems caused by repeated bleeding in those areas. Your physical therapist may recommend the following exercises:

· Stretching

· Movement exercises

· Resistance training (such as weight lifting)

You should also work with your primary care physician and specialists to create a program that works the best for your needs.

Activity typically recommended for hemophilia clients:

• · Bicycling
• · Fishing
• · Frisbee
• · Elliptical machines
• · Swimming
• · Archery
• · Golf
• · Hiking
• · Snorkeling
• · Stationary Bicycle
• · Walking
• · Yoga

Visit The World Federation of Hemophilia for a detailed exercise program.

Also please visit our site NewLife Home Care or contact us at 877-707-LIFE for additional information.

FDA Warning: Maalox Antacid and Bleeding Disorders

The FDA has recently discovered several mix ups in two popular antacids provided by Maalox.

Maalox Advanced Regular Strength and Maalox Advanced Maximum Strength are antacids containing aluminum hydroxide and magnesium hydroxide, which neutralize acid in the stomach. Maalox Total Relief is an upset stomach reliever and anti-diarrhea medicine whose principal ingredient is bismuth subsalicylate, which is related to aspirin.

Like aspirin, it can cause stomach bleeding. It should not be used by individuals with a history of gastrointestinal ulcer disease or a bleeding disorder, nor by children or teens recovering from a viral infection. It is also counter-indicated for patients taking oral anti-diabetic drugs, blood-thinning drugs and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

To read the article in its entirety please click the following link: LA Times Blog Or visit our website for additional information.

Proper Nutrition and Exercise: How important is it?

What effect does proper nutrition and exercise have on people with bleeding disorders? What should be consumed and what should be avoided?

The life of a person with a chronic illness can many times be consumed with the things that you can’t do, can’t eat, and can’t accomplish...

What are the things that you CAN do to enjoy a happy healthy life?

There are many basic things that a person with a bleeding disorder can do to stay healthy. This could include:

• exercise
• preventative care
• physical therapy

Both Physical Therapy and regular exercise will improve your flexibility and muscle strength. This is especially important if you have a bleeding disorder because of joint bleeds. Strong muscles around the joints can help prevent and increase recovery time from joint bleeds.

Proper nutrition also plays a very important roll in management of a chronic illness. This accompanied with current immunizations and safety will help to ensure that you can lead a happy healthy lifestyle.

What if you have a child with a bleeding disorder?

The same basic steps outlined above also apply to children, except that a parent or other caregiver performs daily care activities. During childhood, a child with hemophilia will need to be taught about his or her disease and its management. Gradually, the child may be able to take on some of the self-care needed to address his or her hemophilia.

Call us today at 877-707-LIFE or visit our website at www.newlifehomecare.com for more helpful tips for staying healthy!

Let Your Voice Be Heard!

NewLife has a long history of fighting for the rights of our clients. We have fought and won many court cases on behalf of our clients. The subject of these cases include:

• Patient Discrimination
• HIPAA violation
• Breach of contract

Help Fight The Fight!!!

There are currently many advocacy issues facing the bleeding disorder community. Want to know how you can join on both a community and national level?

Current Legislative Issues: (national level)

• Lifetime insurance caps: Ask your representative to eliminate lifetime caps!!!

• The Advisory Board and Standards of Care/Access Campaigns

Advocacy Resources:

• Six Simple Steps for Effective Grassroots Advocacy

• How a Bill Becomes a Law

• Lobbying Do's and Don'ts

Newlife Home Care and the individuals that work there have spent countless hours fighting for the rights of their clients. Don’t hesitate to call today and see how you can get involved, 877-707-LIFE.