The process of claiming disability can be long and tedious, therefore requiring the applicant to display a considerable amount of patience to reach the point of receiving benefits. On average, this will entail a period of several months, while in some cases even taking longer than that. So what can you do to ease such frustration? By arming yourself with knowledge of how the process actually works, you can be better prepared for what lies ahead.

Unless you’ve been stricken with a disability such as blindness, more than likely you will be among the 60% or so of applicants who are denied during the first stage of applying. This is due to the fact that those whose job it is to determine your eligibility will be approaching your case with the preconceived agenda of saving the state money. Of course this would never be admitted, but such is proven evident upon proper research.

With your disability denial comes the right to appeal. Depending on who you talk to, your chances either increase the second time around, or decrease significantly.

The third and final chance you have in the process of claiming disability will be a hearing with an Administrative Law Judge. This is your last chance to plead your case. But as in most cases involving the law, you’d be better off with representation. So let’s look at your options for such…

Legally, you can acquire the services of an attorney or advocacy group at any stage of applying for disability. With that said, keep in mind that some do not accept first-time applicants. But it really depends on your disability. The law covers a wide variety of conditions that may be eligible for benefits, but like their counterparts, a lawyer or advocate will look over your individual case to determine the potential for winning. The advantage is, you’re much more likely to get a fair assessment. If representation is offered to you, expect an average fee of 25% of your lump sum if they prove successful. Do not accept counsel if they charge a fee despite the outcome of the judgement. They should only be paid if you are paid.

Although the process of claiming disability benefits can be exasperating, keep in mind that as an American it is your right to receive help when an illness hinders your ability to provide for yourself. Be patient. It does get better!

The Process of Claiming Disability is a post from: Healthizm

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Practitioners of health, purveyors of elixirs, snake oil sales, the latest publications of medical studies. All the above have specific opinions about exactly how the human immune system works. When it comes to not getting sick, or regaining health once illness has set in, one of the best approaches is to know the facts, be a little skeptical, but also be willing to try specific techniques that might provide benefits in light of anecdotal or scientific evidence to the contrary.

One of the first conclusions which must be accepted is the fact that immunity in the body is the result of a vast number of contributing components. This is why it is called a system. The body actually does a rather remarkable job at keeping the nasty things which are responsible for disease from overtaking otherwise healthy persons.

As complex as immunity is, and just as uncertain as is the concepts of whether “boosting” ones immunity is even possible, there are some ways that are generally accepted as providing benefits to the body.

Living Healthy

All the things that are good for the body are likely to help it reinforce its own natural abilities to ward off the diseases germs bring. Some activities which seem to help increase immunity are as follows:

• Not smoking
• Reducing saturate fats and increasing vegetable and fiber intake in ones diet
• Keeping weight at healthy levels by reducing calorie intake and increasing exercise
• Drinking alcohol in moderation
• Getting enough rest and sleep
• Washing hands regularly

Staying Warm In Cold Weather

When mothers tell children to wear a coat because it’s cold outside, there may be some good reasons for the advice. Scientific evidence is thin concerning whether the low temperatures are causing the body to be less effective with regards to fighting infections and other disease. What does seem to be more important is how comfortable a person is while they are experiencing low to extremely low temperatures. If wearing a jacket or coat provides the body with a level of comfort in its surroundings, chance are the immune system is going to work better than if it is cold and uncomfortable.

Don’t Stress Out

A good amount of research has been done by a wide variety of scientist and medical practitioners studying the effects of mental and physical stress on the body. Unfortunately, immunologists have not contributed much in the way of data comparing the effects of stress to immunity.

Common sense and plenty of family remedies, however, provide for a number of treatments which include ant-stress techniques. It makes sense that if the mind or body is working overtime dealing with outside stressors it is unlikely to have the resources to ward off the sickness that can sneak in.

Calming the mind and spirit certainly will not hurt ones immune system, and likely will provide benefits far exceeding the lack of scientific proof of its effectiveness.

Supplements and Herbal Remedies

This is one of those unproven areas of immunity boosting treatments. Though research is constantly being done to show efficacy of one claim or another, much of what is touted as immunity boosting can only be described as conjecture.

One of the major challenges with proving an herb or vitamin supplement as being universally true has to do more with how individuals react to specific ingredients. What works for one may certainly not work for another.

Stay Young

Of course, this is easier said than done. Time waits for no one, apparently. While stopping the aging process may not be possible, keeping the mind and body supple, agile and thinking young may well have the immunity boosting effects one is looking for.

Some studies show that as the human body ages it has increasing difficulty fighting infections and preventing diseases from wreaking havoc. Mental acuteness seems to have positive effects on the body’s perception of its age. Stay sharp, and continue thinking young, healthy thoughts.

Be Skeptical With an Open Mind

Very few scientific studies show anything conclusive when it comes to truly providing for immune system boosting. As such, maintaining a healthy skepticism regarding popular remedies and cures may be sound advice.

At the same time, understanding the general deficiency in conclusive evidence regarding immunity boosting solutions means there are a number of possible avenues one might choose to explore. Be wise, seek additional information where lacking and be willing to try something new to see if it just might work.

This post was brought to you by guest blogger, Vern Marker. Vern is a freelance writer with a passion for health, who has worked for a number of health care practitioners including a nutritionist and an endocrinologist.

Boost Your Immune System: 6 Sure Fire Ways is a post from: Healthizm

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Many people have become familiar with the idea that software exits that can accurately record, store and retrieve medical data on a patient. Beyond that there are many other functions and abilities that the various programs can offer. And if you’re a patient , your most likely question and greatest concern is going to be whether or not your doctor’s office can send electronic prescriptions, and that’s a great question. Meanwhile, if you’re the doctor, or records manager at the office, you’re going to have a list of additional questions and priorities. The surprise is that not all programs are the same.

Before making your purchase of any of the available programs you should first find out all of the available services that they can provide. Some of the standard functions are data storage and retrieval and interactive face sheets. Other common features are scheduling options. Some of the other functions available include accounting software, electronic prescription filing, medical billing, picture archiving systems and much more. It’s important to conduct some EMR compare research and then determine which features are most important for your office. Then you can narrow down your software service options. These programs are bringing great new advances to medical offices, be sure that you choose the one that is best for your needs.

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In a move public health and human rights advocates have hailed as a “victory,” the so-called  HIV travel ban, which barred entry to the U.S. by people living with HIV or AIDS, has been officially revoked, bringing to a close years of work to end the measure.

“I think there’s reason to be joyful that the ban has been lifted because a ban like this sends the message that somehow we’re going to protect ourselves from HIV by not letting people with HIV come into the country,” Dr. Tom Coates, a UCLA global health expert, told ABC News. “And the truth of the matter is that’s not how we protect ourselves from HIV.”  Read more…

USA Ban on HIV-Positive Visitors, Immigrants Expires is a post from: Healthizm

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This could be great news for older women who over the years have loved to sip their cappuccinos. Studies seem to indicate that as long as a woman does not smoke, drinking coffee may actually lower the risk for a stroke. After a 24 year study using data and charts from Nurses Health it was found that a stroke was 20 percent less likely to occur in women who had four more cups a day, as opposed to those having less than, one cup a month. One cup a month is close to not drinking coffee at all. From the data collected during 2006 is was also concluded that coffee seems not to affect the occurrence of heart attacks, it is not a risk factor, and that it may also contribute to the prevention of diabetes. The studies were comprised of questionnaires, tracking the dietary habits of women over a 24 year period. The study started in 1980, and included women with no family history of heart disease or stroke. The women would check in every 3 years to update their information. The study tracked all dietary consumption, including the intake of caffeine. This one particular study found no correlation between caffeine consumption and any of the age related diseases. It was found that it had no effect, neither lowering nor raising the occurrence of strokes in the test groups wherein the women did have diabetes or issues with cholesterol or blood pressure. All this was taken into consideration as well as whether the women smoked or their weight, alcohol intake and physical exercise as well as which stage of menopause they were in and whether they were taking hormones.

Esther Lopez-Garcia from Madrid was the head of the study, and most likely is sitting in some cafes in any of the five star Madrid hotels, sipping coffee when not teaching at the University. Lopez-Garcia does state that while drinking coffee has shown a 45 percent decrease in strokes, it only works when one isn’t smoking a cigarette along with that morning cup of joe. And it seems that other beverages that contain caffeine such as soda and tea, have no effect. So it’s something about the coffee itself. Something in the coffee contains the antioxidants necessary to improving blood vessel functioning and lowering inflammation. While all this is good news, the researchers are not advocating non-coffee drinkers to go out and start drinking it for it’s health benefits. As some conditions are only exacerbated by caffeine, such as anxiety or insomnia. Or any other risks associated with heart disease.

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For the first time, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene will compel nearly 25,000 New York restaurants to publicly post inspectors’ cleanliness ratings, which have previously been available only online or at the department. Rating signs, to be supplied by the city, will be required to be visible from the street, either in a restaurant window or vestibule.

The agency also plans to switch to a letter-grade system similar to that used for years in Los Angeles (using the letters A, B and C for passing inspection grades). The new rules, which will be part of a broad revamping of inspections, will be put in place over the next two years, giving restaurant operators time to comply.

The department said that Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg signed off on the program as part of the executive budget announced Friday. He has scheduled a Saturday news conference to announce the new procedures.

“We expect this will improve our inspection program,” said Dr. Thomas R. Frieden, the city health commissioner. “It will encourage restaurants to be cleaner and inform people so they can make better choices about where to eat.”

Though the health department will lose millions of dollars as well as staff members in next year’s budget, Dr. Frieden said he did not expect the inspection program to be cut because, he said, “it will result in more revenues for the city and fewer episodes of illness that the city might have to pay for.”

In addition, the commissioner said he hoped to hire 45 additional restaurant inspectors, adding to the current total of 140, over the next two years, at a cost of $4.8 million, to help implement the new program.

Dr. Frieden said it would improve the quality of the 800 million restaurant meals the department said were served in the city yearly. “Every day more than a thousand people get sick from eating in restaurants,” Dr. Frieden said.

Some in the restaurant industry said they needed to study the details of the program, but “a major objection we have is that an inspection is a snapshot, it reflects a condition on a particular day, but not necessarily a long-term condition,” said E. Charles Hunt, executive vice president of the New York City chapters of the New York State Restaurant Association. “It would be unfair to make owners post these ratings if a temporary judgment had been corrected.”

Mr. Hunt added that he was concerned that the department would try to use the new system to bolster city revenue. “This could make it even worse for restaurant owners, making it more costly,” he said.

But Elliott S. Marcus, an associate health commissioner, said the department did not plan to raise the schedule of fines, from $200 to $2,000, adding that restaurants scoring an A will pay less in fines.

“Possibly this presents another concern to restaurant owners in a very difficult economic time,” Angus McIndoe, proprietor of a 160-seat restaurant at 258 West 44th Street, said of the new system. “But you have to take health concerns seriously. If it makes things better for the general public, then maybe it will be better for us.”

Dr. Frieden credited State Senator Jeffrey D. Klein for pressing the adoption of the new system. “It gives the public a clear and easily digestible statement about cleanliness,” Senator Klein said. “And it will have chilling effect on restaurants, since the public will force them to comply.”

Currently, city restaurants receive one inspection a year and are judged according to a point-ratings system. This includes business hotels in New York.

Under the plan, restaurants receiving an A grade would stay on a yearly inspection cycle. Those with B grades would get two inspections, and those with C grades would get three. Those with public-health hazards will be closed until violations are corrected.

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Did you know that there are some dangers associated with the use of pharmaceuticals. Did you know that the number of people in the US killed by pharmaceutical drugs is double the number who die annually in car wrecks!! Another frightening statistic is that around a million people every year are severely injured by their prescribed medications taken at home!! Read more Pill Bottle Magnifier

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Should we be reconsidering the conventional wisdom on saturated fat? Yes, according to Gary Taubes’s interpretation of the new report in The New England Journal of Medicine on a two-year diet experiment in Israel.

The Israeli researchers found that people on a relatively low-fat diet lost less weight (6 pounds) than those who ate a low-carbohydrate or Mediterranean diet (10 pounds). These relatively modest weight losses were interpreted as discouraging news for dieters, and they also set off a debate on whether the whether the low-carb diet was really an Atkins-style diet, as my colleague Tara Parker-Pope reported.

Mr. Taubes prefers to focus on another aspect of the study: perhaps the best news yet about saturated fat. As I wrote last year, in a column about Mr. Taubes and his book “Good Calories, Bad Calories,” the medical establishment originally warned people to avoid all kinds of fat, but subsequent studies kept failing to produce evidence of the benefits of a low-fat diet. Then the supposed experts said the villain wasn’t just any fat but specifically saturated fat. But now their recommendations are being undermined yet again by research, Mr. Tabues says.   Read more…

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