Thursday, May 30, 2013
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
Portland Doctor Makes the Headlines (go to web link to view video)
South Portland doctor stops accepting insurance, posts prices online (cuts price to patients by half)
[watch video at above web link - sorry, no way to embed it here]
Troy R. Bennett | BDN
Dr. Michael Ciampi took his practice back from Mercy health system after finding that patient care was too impersonal. He also stopped accepting insurance and Medicaid as way to deal more directly with his patients
Posted May 27, 2013, at 4:07 p.m.
Last modified May 28, 2013, at 11:49 a.m.
Last modified May 28, 2013, at 11:49 a.m.
Troy R. Bennett | BDN
SOUTH PORTLAND, Maine — Dr. Michael Ciampi took a step this spring that many of his fellow physicians would describe as radical.
The family physician stopped accepting all forms of health insurance. In early 2013, Ciampi sent a letter to his patients informing them that he would no longer accept any kind of health coverage, both private and government-sponsored. Given that he was now asking patients to pay for his services out of pocket, he posted his prices on the practice’s website.
The change took effect April 1.
The family physician stopped accepting all forms of health insurance. In early 2013, Ciampi sent a letter to his patients informing them that he would no longer accept any kind of health coverage, both private and government-sponsored. Given that he was now asking patients to pay for his services out of pocket, he posted his prices on the practice’s website.
The change took effect April 1.
“It’s been almost unanimous that patients have expressed understanding at why I’m doing what I’m doing, although I’ve had many people leave the practice because they want to be covered by insurance, which is understandable,” Ciampi said.
Before the switch, Ciampi had about 2,000 patients. He lost several hundred, he said. Some patients with health coverage, faced with having to seek reimbursement themselves rather than through his office, bristled at the paperwork burden.
But the decision to do away with insurance allows Ciampi to practice medicine the way he sees fit, he said. Insurance companies no longer dictate how much he charges. He can offer discounts to patients struggling with their medical bills
Before the switch, Ciampi had about 2,000 patients. He lost several hundred, he said. Some patients with health coverage, faced with having to seek reimbursement themselves rather than through his office, bristled at the paperwork burden.
But the decision to do away with insurance allows Ciampi to practice medicine the way he sees fit, he said. Insurance companies no longer dictate how much he charges. He can offer discounts to patients struggling with their medical bills
He can make house calls.
“I’m freed up to do what I think is right for the patients,” Ciampi said. “If I’m providing them a service that they value, they can pay me, and we cut the insurance out as the middleman and cut out a lot of the expense.”
Ciampi expects more doctors will follow suit. Some may choose to run “concierge practices” in which patients pay to keep a doctor on retainer, he said.
Gordon Smith, a spokesman for the Maine Medical Association, wasn’t so sure, saying most patients either want to use the insurance they pay for or need to rely on Medicare and Medicaid.
Even with the loss of some patients, Ciampi expects his practice to perform just as well financially, if not better, than before he ditched insurance. The new approach will likely attract new patients who are self-employed, lack insurance or have high-deductible plans, he said,
Ciampi expects more doctors will follow suit. Some may choose to run “concierge practices” in which patients pay to keep a doctor on retainer, he said.
Gordon Smith, a spokesman for the Maine Medical Association, wasn’t so sure, saying most patients either want to use the insurance they pay for or need to rely on Medicare and Medicaid.
Even with the loss of some patients, Ciampi expects his practice to perform just as well financially, if not better, than before he ditched insurance. The new approach will likely attract new patients who are self-employed, lack insurance or have high-deductible plans, he said,
because Ciampi has slashed his prices.
“I’ve been able to cut my prices in half because my overhead will be so much less,” he said.
Before, Ciampi charged $160 for an office visit with an existing patient facing one or more complicated health problems. Now, he charges $75.
Patients with an earache or strep throat can spend $300 at their local hospital emergency room, or promptly get an appointment at his office and pay $50, he said.
Ciampi collects payment at the end of the visit, freeing him of the time and costs associated with sending bills, he said.
That time is crucial to Ciampi. When his patients come to his office, they see him, not a physician’s assistant or a nurse practitioner, he said.
“If more doctors were able to do this, that would be real health care reform,” he said. “That’s when we’d see the cost of medicine truly go down.”
Before, Ciampi charged $160 for an office visit with an existing patient facing one or more complicated health problems. Now, he charges $75.
Patients with an earache or strep throat can spend $300 at their local hospital emergency room, or promptly get an appointment at his office and pay $50, he said.
Ciampi collects payment at the end of the visit, freeing him of the time and costs associated with sending bills, he said.
That time is crucial to Ciampi. When his patients come to his office, they see him, not a physician’s assistant or a nurse practitioner, he said.
“If more doctors were able to do this, that would be real health care reform,” he said. “That’s when we’d see the cost of medicine truly go down.”
People can change about GMOs just like they can change with fluoride - right after they do their own research! And then, there's the ultimate invention - an App that you take to the grocery store and have it read the ingredients on the label that require further "translation" of whether there are any GMO DNA!
Former Pro-GMO Scientist Speaks Out on the Real Dangers of Genetically Engineered Food
May 28, 2013
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/05/28/gmo-dangers.aspx?e_cid=201305283pack_PRNL_art_2&utm_source=prmrnl&utm_medium=email&utm_content=art2&utm_campaign=201305283pack
Story at-a-glance
- A former research scientist who once touted the benefits of GM crops now acknowledges the steady flow of research showing that there is significant reason for concern – and he has now reversed his position
- Federal departments in charge of food safety in the US and Canada have not conducted tests to affirm the alleged safety of GM crops
- The whole paradigm of the genetic engineering technology is based on a misunderstanding, as it operates on the 70-year-old “one gene, one protein” hypothesis, which has since been proven false
- Scientific evidence shows that many of the industry claims that GM crops yield better and more nutritious food, save on the use of pesticides, have no environmental impact whatsoever and are perfectly safe to eat are simply not true
- At present, the only way to avoid GM foods is to ditch processed foods from your grocery list, and revert back to whole foods grown according to organic standards
Monday, May 27, 2013
More research on Angelina Jolie's decision - Plus suggestions on how to keep $$ for grocery shopping down
Genetic Testing for Breast Cancer and Radical Mastectomy—Are Women Being Misled into a False Sense of Security?
May 27, 2013
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/05/27/angelina-jolie-double-mastectomy.aspx?e_cid=201305273pack_PRNL_art_1&utm_source=prmrnl&utm_medium=email&utm_content=art1&utm_campaign=201305273packReally? Never Go Shopping on an Empty Stomach
May 27, 2013
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/05/27/grocery-shopping-tips.aspx?e_cid=201305273pack_PRNL_art_2&utm_source=prmrnl&utm_medium=email&utm_content=art2&utm_campaign=201305273packSaturday, May 25, 2013
Can make new ears? Taxes are voluntary? Repeat of the Great Depression's Dust Bowl?
3D printers may revolutionize more than just consumer products - Scientists can now print human 'tissue' and functional artificial ears
Friday, May 24, 2013
Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/040480_3D_printing_human_tissue_artificial_ears.html#ixzz2ULq3BhOO
The Truth Comes Out: Former IRS Director Admits Taxes Are Voluntary
Thursday, May 23, 2013
Ck out the 35 stories about Portland's election results on the other Health/Healing Blog - Meanwhile, below articles are the latest in other political news
Global warming debunked: NASA report verifies carbon dioxide actually cools atmosphere
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/040448_solar_radiation_global_warming_debunked.html#ixzz2U3sHnei9
Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/040448_solar_radiation_global_warming_debunked.html#ixzz2U3sHnei9
(video of a solar storm)
Bayer, Pfizer Accused of Making False Claims About Their Top-Selling Multivitamins
May 22, 2013
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/05/22/multivitamin-claims.aspx?e_cid=20130522_PRNL_art_2&utm_source=prmrnl&utm_medium=email&utm_content=art2&utm_campaign=20130522
John Stossel, Tom Woods And Damon Root On Impact Of Labor Unions
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Portland's Citizens WON against Fluoride!! 61% anti-fluoride vote vs. 39% pro-fluoride vote
The Pro-Fluoride Group in Portland conceded just before 9:00 p.m., Tuesday night of the election:
http://www.fluoridealert.org/news/pro-fluoride-group-concedes-voters-reject-fluoridation-in-portland/
Portland: New emails reveal direct involvement by state agency in pro-fluoride campaign
We give up trying to post all the many articles while the "Blogger" is somehow not allowing us to post the article links that give the stories about the Portland election >> Go to the FAN's website, and click on the "NEWS" link to read all about it for yourself!
http://www.fluoridealert.org/news/
http://www.fluoridealert.org/news/pro-fluoride-group-concedes-voters-reject-fluoridation-in-portland/
Portland: New emails reveal direct involvement by state agency in pro-fluoride campaign
We give up trying to post all the many articles while the "Blogger" is somehow not allowing us to post the article links that give the stories about the Portland election >> Go to the FAN's website, and click on the "NEWS" link to read all about it for yourself!
http://www.fluoridealert.org/news/
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Anti-Fluoride Vote Won in Portland, Oregon!! 60% anti-fluoride to 39% pro-fluoride, as of May 21st, 11:00 pm vote count!!!
Special election results
http://portlandtribune.com/pt/9-news/152965-special-election-results
Portland Public Schools Director Zone 4
| Candidates | Votes | Percent |
| Martin Gonzalez |
26,397
|
44.40
|
| Steve Buel |
33,057
|
55.60
|
Portland Public Schools Director Zone 6
| Candidates | Votes | Percent |
| Tom Koehler |
44,661
|
81.09
|
| David Morrions |
10,416
|
18.91
|
Portland Measure 26-150 Children's Levy
| Candidates | Votes | Percent |
| Yes |
79,430
|
72.06
|
| No |
30,803
|
27.94
|
Portland Measure 26-151 Water Fluoridation
| Candidates | Votes | Percent |
| Yes |
44,759
|
39.31
|
| No |
69,109
|
60.69
|
Metro Measure 26-152 Natural Spaces
| Candidates | Votes | Percent |
| Yes |
105,836
|
53.45
|
| No |
92,189
|
46.55
|
Beaverton School Measure 34-204 Local Option Levy
| Candidates | Votes | Percent |
| Yes |
17,570
|
53.70
|
| No |
15,151
|
46.30
|
Clackamas County Measure 3-424 Resources for light rail
| Candidates | Votes | Percent |
| Yes |
19,952
|
43.44
|
| No |
25,978
|
56.56
|
Monday, May 20, 2013
The proof is in the...soil
Getting to the Root of How GMO Plants Harm Food Production and Your Health
May 19, 2013
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/05/19/gmo-harms-food-production.aspx?e_cid=20130519_PRSNL_Art_1&utm_source=prmrsnl&utm_medium=email&utm_content=art1&utm_campaign=20130519Thursday, May 16, 2013
Dr. Thomas Sowell says: “The academic world is the most closed-minded world out there.”
Thomas Sowell and the Intellectuals (Part 1)
http://spectator.org/archives/2013/03/28/thomas-sowell-and-the-intellec
The economist Thomas Sowell has just released a new book entitled Intellectuals and Race. The American Spectator sat down with him recently for a lengthy interview. In this first part of the interview, we discuss some of the causes of differences between ethnic groups, and how intellectuals in the early 20th century viewed race versus intellectuals today.Sowell, Race Hustlers, and David Hume (Part 2)
Suicides during 1932 Great Depression, 22 out of 100,000 -- Today? 30 out of 100,000
Middle-Aged Americans Committing Suicide at Unprecedented Rate
May 16, 2013
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/05/16/suicide-rate.aspx?e_cid=20130516_PRNL_art_1&utm_source=prmrnl&utm_medium=email&utm_content=art1&utm_campaign=20130516[SPECT imaging, EFT, and 9 Red Flags to identify potential suicide]
Story at-a-glance
- Newly released statistics show that more Americans now commit suicide than die in traffic accidents. The sharpest rise in suicides over the past decade is seen among the middle-aged. The suicide rate for men in their 50’s has risen by 50 percent, to nearly 30 suicides per 100,000; among women between the ages of 60-64 the suicide rate rose by nearly 60 percent
- Studies have repeatedly demonstrated that antidepressants are no more effective than a placebo, and in some case less effective
- The National Institute of Mental Health has announced it will no longer look to the DSM as the “gold standard” for categorizing mental health problems. In an effort to improve and transform psychiatric diagnosis and treatment, the Institute has launched a new research project that will incorporate genetics, imaging, cognitive science, and other information to lay the foundation for a new classification system
- SPECT imaging can help reveal brain dysfunction caused by head trauma, toxic exposures, and/or a combination of poor lifestyle habits, such as a poor diet and lack of exercise
- Energy psychology is an advanced tool that can effectively address some of the psychological short circuiting that occurs in emotional illnesses. Other lifestyle strategies that can help you optimize your mental health are included
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Economic and Political Videos & Stories for Today
How to Find the Healthiest Fare in Meat and Produce Aisles
May 08, 2013
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/05/08/ewg-pesticide-guide.aspx?e_cid=20130508_PRNL_art_1&utm_source=prmrnl&utm_medium=email&utm_content=art1&utm_campaign=20130508Survey Finds Teen Misuse And Abuse Of Prescription Drugs Up 33 Percent Since 2008
May 08, 2013
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/05/08/prescription-drug-abuse.aspx?e_cid=20130508_PRNL_art_2&utm_source=prmrnl&utm_medium=email&utm_content=art2&utm_campaign=20130508Is There Reason to Worry About New “Most Lethal” Bird Flu Strain?
May 07, 2013
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/05/07/h7n9-bird-flu.aspx?e_cid=20130507_PRNL_art_1&utm_source=prmrnl&utm_medium=email&utm_content=art1&utm_campaign=20130507Tuesday, May 7, 2013
More from Dr. Walter E. Williams - Honest perspective about racisim, without the "political correctness" theme
Honest Examination of Race
by Walter E. Williams
Recently by Walter E. Williams: Liberal Suffering and Confusion
http://lewrockwell.com/williams-w/w-williams168.html
One definition given for insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results; it might also be a definition of stupidity. Let's look at some cities where large percentages of black Americans live under poor conditions.
Experiencing a violent crime rate of 2,137 per 100,000 of the population, Detroit is the nation's most dangerous city. Rounding out Forbes magazine's 2012 list of the 10 most dangerous cities are St Louis; Oakland, Calif.; Memphis, Tenn.; Birmingham, Ala.; Atlanta; Baltimore; Stockton, Calif.; Cleveland; and Buffalo, N.Y. The most common characteristic of these predominantly black cities is that for decades, all of them have been run by Democratic and presumably liberal administrations. Some cities – such as Detroit, Buffalo, Newark, N.J., and Philadelphia – haven't elected a Republican mayor for more than a half-century. What's more is that in most of these cities, blacks have been mayors, chiefs of police, school superintendents and principals and have dominated city councils.
You might ask, "What's the point, Williams?" Let's be clear about it. I'm not stating that there's a causal relationship between crime, poverty and squalor on the one hand and, on the other, Democratic and black political control over a city. Nor am I saying that blacks ought to vote Republican. What I am saying is that if one is strategizing on how to improve the lives of the poorest black people, he wants to leave off his to-do list election of Democrats and black politicians. Also to be left off the to-do list is a civil rights agenda. Racial discrimination has little to do with major problems confronting black people.
Today 72 percent of black babies are born out of wedlock. Being born and finding out that your mother is 17 years old, that your grandmother is 35 and that you don't know who or where your father is is not a good start on life. In fact, it's a near guarantee for school dropout, poverty and crime, but such a start in life has nothing to do with racial discrimination.
Law-abiding poor black people suffer the nation's highest rates of criminal victimization from assaults and homicide. More than 50 percent of homicide victims are black. Would anyone claim that this victimization is caused by racist groups preying on the black community? In addition to victimization, the level of lawlessness in many black communities has the full effect of a law banning economic growth. That's because the thugs are equal-opportunity thugs who will rip off a black-owned business just as they'd rip off a white-owned business.
Black education is a disaster, but who runs the violent, disruptive big-city schools, where education is all but impossible? For the most part, it's not white people. Go to a city such as Detroit and you'll find that blacks have been superintendents, principals and most of the teachers for years. Most black high-school students, in Detroit and other cities, can't read, write and compute as well as sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade white students, but is it because of racism? What the elite teach is not only futile but counterproductive. For example, speaking standard English in an English-speaking country is critical for self-improvement. But that's not the lesson from the nation's multiculturalists, who call for the celebration of native languages and dialects. Sloppy-minded academics and assorted hustlers have taught that poor English, gangsta rap, men wearing pigtails and thug behavior should not be criticized but become a part of the celebration of diversity.Black people could benefit from an honest examination of the bill of goods they've been sold. Such an examination would not come from black politicians, civil rights leaders or the black and white liberal elite. Those people have benefited politically and financially from keeping black Americans in a constant state of grievance based on alleged racial discrimination. The long-term solution for the problems that many black Americans face begins with an absolute rejection of the self-serving agenda of hustlers and poverty pimps.
May 7, 2013
Walter E. Williams is the John M. Olin distinguished professor of economics at George Mason University, and a nationally syndicated columnist. To find out more about Walter E. Williams and read features by other Creators Syndicate columnists and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate web page.
Copyright © 2013 Creators Syndicate, Inc.
The Best of Walter E. Williams
Monday, May 06, 2013Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Yuk! "Boneless" chicken isn't chicken?
How Can You Tell You’re Eating Real Chicken? And Is It Safe to Eat?
May 01, 2013
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/05/01/eating-chicken-nuggets.aspx?e_cid=201305013pack_PRNL_art_1&utm_source=prmrnl&utm_medium=email&utm_content=art1&utm_campaign=201305013pack"...processed chicken nuggets, regardless of brand, are far more likely to contain all sorts of additives and fillers you’d be better off without.
For example, I wrote about the questionable ingredients of McDonald’s Chicken McNuggets back in 2010. Only half of Chicken McNuggets are actual meat. The other 50 percent includes corn derivatives, sugars, leavening agents and completely synthetic ingredients.
In a 2003 lawsuit against McDonald’s, Federal Judge Robert Sweet2 even questioned "whether customers understood the risks of eating McDonald's chicken over regular chicken." But there’s yet another reason for my questioning the trend of going boneless, and it’s even less savory than that..."
Story at-a-glance
- KFC recently rolled out Original Recipe boneless chicken, and is considering eliminating on-the-bone chicken from its menu altogether. Regardless of brand, processed chicken nuggets or shaped boneless “wings” are far more likely to contain less meat and more additives and fillers
- Scientists have been working on bioengineering "cultured" lab-grown meat for the past decade, and are getting closer to perfecting the process. Normalizing the idea that chicken doesn’t have bones will make it easier to eventually exchange the meat used in processed nuggets and boneless wings for bioengineered meat, without anyone noticing the difference
- Recently published data from tests conducted on supermarket meat samples reveals the presence of several disease-causing bacteria, including the super-hardy antibiotic-resistant versions of salmonella, Campylobacter and E. coli on virtually all types of store bought meats
- The misuse of antibiotics in livestock has become a direct source of foodborne illness. The best way to avoid contaminated meat is to avoid meat from animals raised in confined animal feeding operations (CAFO’s), aka “factory farms,” and buying organic, pastured or grass-fed meats instead. Organic standards do not permit growth promoters such as antibiotics to be used
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