Questions to ask about your medicines What is the medicine for?  How am I supposed to take it, and for how long? What side effects are likely? What do I do if they occur? Is this

[Read the Article]

Medical errors are one of the nation's leading causes of death and injury. A report by the Institute of Medicine estimates that as many as 98,000 people die in U.S. hospitals each year as the result of medical errors. Government agencies, purchasers

[Read the Article]

  A health journal is a complete record of your health. You keep the health journal yourself. The journal helps you keep track of every aspect of your health.   What is Included in a Health Journal? A health journal should keep track of

[Read the Article]

Once you’ve decided to take an active role in managing your illness, you and your doctor can work together to set goals that will lead to better health. These goals will be part of an overall treatment plan. Pick a problem. Take an honest look

[Read the Article]

Self-management of chronic illness means that you take responsibility for doing what it takes to manage your illness effectively. It’s important for you to be responsible for your health because the treatment recommendations your doctor makes w

[Read the Article]

  There are 2 main types of illness: acute and chronic. An acute illness doesn’t last very long. It goes away either on its own or in response to treatment, such as taking medicine or having surgery. Strep throat is an example of an

[Read the Article]

How current is this information? Health information is constantly changing. For example, researchers continue to learn new things about various diseases and their treatments. You should know whether the health-related information you're reading is u

[Read the Article]

“Don’t believe everything you read.” It’s an old warning that is especially true for health-related information you find on the World Wide Web. The Web can be a great resource when you want to learn about a specific disease or

[Read the Article]

America faces important decisions on health care this election year. Read the "Vote for America's Health" Guide to get the facts on some of the major issues affecting the health care system, including: Guaranteeing Americans have hea

[Read the Article]

Your doctor will try to be familiar with your insurance coverage so he or she can provide you with covered care. However, there are so many different insurance plans that it's not possible for your doctor to know the specific details of each plan. By

[Read the Article]

  Your health insurance policy is an agreement between you and your insurance company. The policy lists a package of medical benefits such as tests, drugs and treatment services. The insurance company agrees to cover the cost of certain benefit

[Read the Article]

Rules for seeing specialists Many managed care plans won't pay for you to see a specialist unless your primary care physician (usually your family doctor) thinks it is necessary. If you see a specialist without a referral, you might have to pay mor

[Read the Article]

If you have insurance through your employer, you probably are in a managed care plan. If you are in Medicare, you might be in a managed care plan too. You can't always tell from the name of the plan. It's the rules that count. When you signed up fo

[Read the Article]

If you use 2 or more drugs at the same time, the way your body processes each drug can change. When this happens, the risk of side effects from each drug increases and each drug may not work the way it should. This is called a "drug-drug interac

[Read the Article]

Lowering your "bad" cholesterol (also called LDL, or low-density lipoprotein) can reduce your risk of having a heart attack or stroke. A number of lifestyle changes can help you improve your cholesterol level (see the box below). However, i

[Read the Article]

If you get drug coverage through Medigap, you will get information from your insurance company. This information will help you decide what to do.   What if I already have drug coverage through my employer or union? You will get information fr

[Read the Article]

The monthly fee will be about $32. There will also be a $250 deductible each year. You will need to pay this amount before Medicare starts helping with your drug bills. You will also pay a small co-pay for each drug. Does this insurance pay

[Read the Article]

Because private companies are setting up the plans for Medicare, each plan will be a bit different. Some may use only certain pharmacies and others may cover only certain drugs. The cost also may vary. It is important to pick one that meets your need

[Read the Article]

Medicare is adding coverage for prescription medicines. This means that people who have Medicare Part A (hospital insurance) or Medicare Part B (medical insurance) will be able to get insurance to pay for part of their prescription drugs. Medicare is

[Read the Article]

A brief review of some of the factors involved for both plant extracts and chemical drugs might be helpful. Pharmacological research suggests that the most important issues to consider are: 'Drug' absorption. For a chemical or plant extract to

[Read the Article]