Good health is important to everyone, but with skyrocketing medical costs and a slumping economy now is harder than ever to pay for good quality Health Care. If you can't afford to pay for medical care right now, Medicaid can help provide the resources necessary to ensure you and your family have a long and healthy life
Medicaid is a state run program for low-income individuals and families. Many groups of people can gain access to Medicaid as long as they meet certain requirements set forth by their State's Medicaid administration. Medicaid requirements can include age, whether or not you are pregnant, disabled, your financial standing or if you are a US citizen.
Battle Of The Bulge: Medicare For Obesity
December 5, 2011
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently announced that obesity screening and behavioral counseling now be covered by Medicare.
CMS estimates that more than thirty per cent of all existing Medicare beneficiaries are categorized as obese. They are then qualified to receive benefits for obesity concerns.
Help for the Obese
With the new Medicare plan, qualified participants can receive six months of free dietary consultations and behavioral counseling. A patient who loses at least 6.6 during this time will be eligible for another six months worth of free sessions.
Living Large
Obesity is a medical condition where a person’s excess body fat accumulates to dangerous levels. Obesity can lead to a reduced life expectancy or increased health problems. The main causes of obesity are but not limited to a high food intake and low physical activity. Other factors include genetics, disorders, psychiatric illnesses or side effects of medication.
Obesity is measured using Body Mass Index (BMI), which compares weight and height. A healthy BMI is pegged between 18.5 and 25 kilograms per square meter. BMI’s between 25 and 30 are considered overweight, and 30 kg/m2 and above is categorized as obese.
Obesity contributes to the increased likelihood of many ailments, such as heart disease, diabetes, sleep apnea, osteoarthritis, and some kinds of cancer. It is the leading preventable cause of death worldwide. About one hundred thousand to four hundred thousand deaths in yearly U.S. are linked to obesity. The United States has one of, if not the, highest rates of obesity worldwide, with a statewide average of more than twenty-five per cent of all adults.
Fighting against obesity helps reduce the risk of many of the abovementioned medical conditions.