The guidelines rely on the 1990 ACR criteria and the 2010 ACR Preliminary Diagnostic Criteria in order to evaluate the claims and asses the fibromyalgia symptoms. There are 2 main points taken into consideration. The first is at least a 3 month history of pain in all parts of the body. The second is at least 11 of 18 possible tender points found on an actual physical examination.

After this point, if fibromyalgia has been established, further guidelines help assess the extent to which the person suffers. This brings needed structure into the discussion and evaluation of a disability claim for the chronic disease.

Individuals can apply for Fibromyalgia disability in their local Social Security office or by means of a internet application. Any person older then 18 who has been employed for long enough to be eligible and has been incapable to perform because of Fibromyalgia disability for the preceding year can apply. There are four steps to the on-line disability request process: Review the Adult Disability Checklist, fill out the Disability Benefit Application, finish the Adult Disability Report form and fill out the Authorization to Disclose Information form and give all of it to the individual’s regional Social Security office. The procedure for being approved for Fibromyalgia disability may be made easier with professional guidance such as from attorneys, health professionals as well as your insurance company.

The floor on medical loss ratios is now 80-85% depending on the type of plans issued. So if a health insurance provider paid out say just 75% of the money they collected in premiums, the would have to refund 5-10% to consumers. The rebate will come either in the form of a check or will be credited towards future premiums.

The WSJ reports that this year those rebates will total over $1 billion, with about 31% of private policy holders getting a rebate, depending on their provider.

The theory here is to reduce the cost of health care by capping the amount insurance companies can spend on administration or take for profit. While there are criticisms of the plan, such as providers simply cutting back on service, putting a floor under loss ratios will likely lower premiums. However it doesn’t address the key problem in the health insurance industry, and that is there is no cost competition driving down rates.

Since many states require auto insurance be purchased as similar law would benefit car insurance consumers. That industry has very low loss ratios, sometimes only paying out in claims half of what they take in. Next time you watch TV, notice how many car insurance commercials there are. Those are all paid for out of premiums and do little to actually improve customer satisfaction or lower rates.

It sounds good in theory. However, the United States government has never required citizens to purchase products. And the question to the Supreme Court is: Does it have the right to? In the context of Obamacare, it seems a benign issue. It is where it could lead that becomes the real question. The government already has the right to take your money from you through taxation. Now it will have the right to tell you how to spend the money you have left. For example, what if the government decided that its investments in solar power needed to be protected? What if they began mandating that anyone buying a new home must buy solar panels to go with it? What if the government began requiring any contractor working for them must be purchasing GM trucks?

Yes, those scenarios sound far fetched. But that is for now. Congress is full of corrupt politicians that are in the pockets of big business. Imagine if those corporate “campaign contributors” can influence laws that require their products be purchased?

It appears to be a no win situation. If the Supreme Court upholds the private insurance mandate, insurance will not be the last thing the federal government requires you buy. However if the Supreme Court strikes it down, it will knock out the foundation of Obamacare. Then we will be stuck with a system that does not function well and doesn’t serve its original purpose.

If you think you might need treatment, you should call your doctor’s office. But illness can strike at any time and your doctor might not be available. In such a case, try out FreeMD, a virtual doctor. Its a very clever system designed to help you choose the right course of treatment, be it a primary physician, urgent care, emergency room or even dentist. A surprising amount of people go to the emergency room for dental emergencies, even though few E.R.s are equipped to treat dental problems.

Enter a symptom and you will then be guided by a video of a real doctor to answer a series of questions. This virtual interview ends with a recommendation for where you should seek treatment, if you need treatment at all. Seeking the right place for treatment can potentially save you thousands of dollars by not overpaying for a level of service your illness doesn’t require. If everyone sought out the proper treatment centers, the cost of health insurance would be significantly lower. A trip to the emergency room can be ten times more expensive then a trip to urgent care, or the dentist.

The federal government has overstepped state regulations and made preventive health care services mandatory. While that may sound agreeable to many, the devil is in the details. Contraception, including the morning after pill, has decreed a “preventive” service by the Obama administration.

The core issue here is whether or not the government should force religious institutions to pay for what goes against their beliefs. Regardless if you think birth control or abortion are perfectly fine, we need to respect that this religion does not. The first amendment provides for religious freedom, its hard to see how this law does not violate that.

Catholics are very much against abortion, and they see the morning after pill as a form of it. To force them to pay for abortions is both heavy handed by the federal government and unconstitutional. As more aspects of the Affordable Care Act come into law, there will be more points of friction like this. While the law was passed in 2010, most of the real consequences of it do not come into play until at least 2014. There will likely be more stories such as this as time goes on.

As president Obama enters his 4th term, these numbers are unacceptable. The Democratic party controlled the federal government in 2009 and 2010, and focused their work on the Affordable Care Act, at the expense of helping the economic recovery. We should not be at all time highs in people without insurance.

One demographic the new law did help were adults ages 18-25, who’s uncovered rates fell from 27.2% in 2008 to 24.5% in 2011. This is a result of the law that requires adult children to be covered until age 26 by their parent’s plan. The small size of the decrease is a disappointment. People making less then $36,000, those that need help the most, climbed from 26.4% in 2008 to 30.5% in 2011.

In 2014, the government’s solution will be in play as Americans will be required to purchase health insurance. Subsidies will be given, based on a sliding scale, to help reduce the cost of premiums. Those that still do not have enough money to purchase health insurance will be slapped with a fine.

Guess which one is full of magnesium...

Magnesium is easily consumed in a wide variety of natural sources. Unfortunately, most people don’t eat a wide variety of natural foods. Whole wheat is absolutely packed with magnesium. However it is mostly stripped out in the process of making flour. While other nutrients are added back, magnesium is not. Simply eating whole wheat products is a great way to consume more magnesium. Increasing consumption of whole grains has been shown to help you lose weight. Perhaps due to the same effect magnesium has on diabetes.

Almonds and most nuts are an additional source, as are green leafy vegetables. A healthy diet makes a huge impact on your overall healthiness. And yes, some of these ingredients might cost you a little more. But how much is a stay in the hospital going to cost you? Even if you have health insurance, you’ll likely have a deductible that you’ll have to pay, or you will be a large cost to your employer.

The flu season typically peaks in January and February, so there is still time for the virus to make a rebound. Still, for now, this season has been very mild, helping to reduce health care costs and keep people working.

While the strains this year aren’t very harsh, they were also matched well by this season’s flu vaccine. Because the virus mutates every year, vaccine makers have to make educated guesses. This season they guessed right. In general, the best way to avoid getting the flu is to get your flu shot.

Coffee has been linked to a lower risk of prostate cancer in men. A recent study found men who drank 6 more cups had a 20% lower risk of any kid of prostate cancer and a 60% lower risk of developing the most deadly form. Drinking just 1-3 cups lowered the risk of the most dangerous prostate cancer by 30%. And it didn’t matter if it was caffeinated or not.

Another study found that drinking coffee helped lower the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. People who drank 4 or more cups a day were found to develop the disease half as often as those that didn’t drink coffee at all.

And drinking coffee can even lead to a reduced risk of heart disease. Researchers in Europe found drinking 2-4 cups of coffee a day led to a 20% decline in heart disease. They found similar results with consuming tea.

The lesson here is always try to drink something natural, over something artificial. It can have a huge impact on your health over your lifespan.