Categories
Benefits plan Group health insurance Health insurance toronto

Things to Think About When You Pick an Employee Group Benefits Plan for Your Company

Group benefits ontario

Employee turnover is a big problem for United States businesses. Every year it costs them about $11 billion. Attracting and keeping good people should top the priority list for most employers. Offering the highest salary is not the way to keep people happy. Multiple research studies have shown this to be true. Providing decent benefits is one way to keep people happy and not looking for new jobs. Most workers appreciate their employee group benefits plan and consider it to be one of, if not the, most important benefits they get from their job.

Offering an employee group benefits plan for health insurance is good for employers as well. Giving this benefit to workers gives the company some important tax benefits. It has also been shown to improve employee retention and help prevent expensive turnover. It can help businesses attract new workers and actually has been shown to reduce the number of sick days people take. Picking the right employee group benefits plan can be a challenging task. You want to find a plan that is both good for your employees and your bottom line.

What is the best plan for my workers?

Most small businesses go with a traditional health insurance. Employees like this because they are allowed a wider variety of doctors and hospitals they can go to when they need to. It is one of the more expensive group health insurance plans. Managed care plans are considered to be one of the more cost-effective benefits solutions, whose downsides are that the copayments are higher and that can be harder for employees, especially when combined with high deductibles.

Make a list of what you think your employees would prefer in terms of health, dental health, mental health and even maternity coverage. You can take that to group benefits specialists knowing what you know you have to have and what benefits do not need to be included in your employee group benefits plan.

Do I need to go to a benefits broker?

If you want to go to a broker, and most small businesses do find their employee group benefits plan through one, you should find one who has experience dealing with your industry and companies that are similar to yours. If they are not similar in what they do, they should be similar in size. Talk to people you know in your industry about who they used to write up their employee group benefits plan. Ask how they found them and what working with them was like. Unfortunately, not all brokers are as honest as one might hope. That makes getting recommendations all the more important.

Compare your list to the policies the broker brings to you.

You may look at the different policies your broker brings you for your employee group benefits plan and find yourself wishing you could take some items from one plan and combine them with parts of another plan. If only that were possible but you can find a plan that has as many of the features you need as you can.andnbsp;

How much does it cost? Look at how much you will pay but also how much your employees will pay. Look at their copayments and coinsurance payments and deductibles. How much of the premium will your employees be asked to pay? Will they be able to afford it? If the plan forces your employees to pay for one quarter or more of their treatment costs or if there are other out of pocket costs that are excessive, do not take that plan. That is not a benefit, it is an unfunded mandate.

What is the coverage like? No one likes the fine print but you need to read every word of it. Look at what conditions are covered? What is the maximum they will pay for them? If the plan you are looking for sets unreasonable maximums for expensive conditions you should look to another plan. You are helping people lead better lives, not trying to make them worse.

Finding a good employee group benefits plan takes work but is worth it. Your employees will be happier and more likely to stay at your company.

andnbsp;

Categories
Uncategorized

2016 National Fly Fishing Championship Beginning June 1

discount fly rodsA national fly fishing tournament in New York is slated to begin in the next few weeks.

The 2016 National Fly Fishing Championship will take place on June 1 at Lake Placid. The tournament will last four days and anglers will compete to win the title of the country’s top fly angler along with a roster spot on the U.S. National Fly Fishing Team that plans on competing in the world championship of fly fishing later this year.

According to U.S. Fish and Wildlife information, there are approximately 3.83 million fly anglers decked out in waders and fishing clothes who share a love for the sport.

Three fishing areas along Lake Placid will host the anglers: West Branch of the Ausable River, the Saranac River and the Salmon River.

Watertown Daily Times reports that the Lake Placid region makes for great angling sites for both trout — who feed below the surface about 90% of the time — and bass.

Each angler participating in the tournament will be designated a 200-meter stretch of public stream where there is potential for local fishing to take place. There will be volunteer teams spread throughout the area to track what each angler catches.

Registration for this national tournament is limited to only 75 anglers and registration costs $50.

Fly fishing brings in about $750 million each year and men and women across the country are passionate about the sport. Sales are likely to increase over the next few months as summer weather approaches.

High-quality fly fishing equipment is necessary for any serious angler. It’s important to know who to talk to and where to go for quality equipment. You’ll be able to find discount fly rods that are still of the highest quality, fly fishing boxes that can store all your fishing items, fishing clothes, reels, and much more at an experienced sporting goods store.

Sportsman’s Finest has just about everything you could ever need for a fly fishing trip. They have discount fly rods that will still be able to bring in some of the largest trout ever, they can provide you with luggage for every fly fishing occasion, wading gear, and other accessories an angler — whether experienced or a beginner — might need.

If you want to learn more about this great sport, talk to experienced professionals, or check out some high-quality discount fly rods and other products, contact Sportsman’s Finest today!

Categories
Hair clinic Hair restoration Hair restoration los angeles

FYI on FUE Hair Transplants

Scars

Baldness, especially in men, is quite common (see: male pattern baldness). In fact, just in the U.S., two-thirds of men experience some degree of hair loss by the age of 35, and many men begin losing their hair long before this age. But just because something is widespread and normal doesn’t make it less difficult to stomach for some men. Despite its frequency, many men feel self-conscious by their hair loss. This is typically because hair loss is seen as a sign of aging, and no one wants to feel or look older than they are.

Other men handle their baldness with more confidence, embracing their appearance and accepting it as a part of who they are. But for those who have a harder time with hair loss and want to keep their head of hair, there are options out there! Hair clinics across the country offer services such as hair transplants, hair restoration, and hair replacement.

Heard of Hair Transplant Clinics?

Like other clinics, hair transplant clinics are operated by medical professionals who specialize in a particular area–in this case, hair transplant surgery. Doctors have different methods of restoring a patient’s hair. Some methods are more invasive, complicated, and expensive than others. These procedures are relatively new and require a wealth of knowledge, but they are effective.

What is FUE and What Does it Entail?

One of the most common methods of hair restoration is known as Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE), sometimes shortened to Follicular Transfer (FT). The FUE procedure takes time (up to eight hours), because as its name suggests, one hair follicle is extracted from the area of donation at a time (sometimes groups of a few hairs). Compare this to the “strip harvesting” method which is quicker (multiple follicles are extracted at once) but results in scarring and involves a longer recovery time. Average recovery time of FUE, however, is typically less than a week and there is no visible scarring to worry about.

Does FUE Work, and is it Worth It?

Everyone is different. We all have different skin types, hair patterns, preferences, and concerns. Naturally, some patients who have undergone FUE surgery love the results and recommend it to others suffering from hair loss. Other patients aren’t so satisfied and consider their procedure an unworthy investment. Fortunately, the internet provides a space where plenty of reviews, updates, and opinions can be broadcast for an enormous audience. This way, people considering something like FUE can witness firsthand how it went for someone else. But again, everyone is different, and results are bound to vary depending on the clinic, the doctor, and you.

Another thing that some people will have to consider before entering a hair transplant clinic is cost. But since FUE procedures are permanent, the investment is worthwhile for many. It’s important to remember that losing your hair is not the end of the world–it isn’t even remotely uncommon. But loving ourselves and our appearance is important, and if hair restoration is a gateway to a happier future, then FUE is worth thinking about.

Categories
Doctors urgent care Emergency room doctor First help urgent care clinic

When it’s Best to Go to Your Doctor, Urgent Care, or ER

Edmonds walk in clinic

Do you have a significant medical issue and aren’t sure how to proceed in getting treatment?


It’s the type of information that you don’t know that you need to know until you need to know it. When should you wait to be seen by your doctor for medical help? When can it be handled by one of the urgent care locations in your area? When is it best to go the emergency room? Stay tuned, we’re going to give you a simple guide of where to get medical care for any type of health concern:


When to Visit Your Doctor
If you are able to, going to your own doctor for a medical issue is ideal. Your doctor knows your medical history, and will have a hand in any ongoing treatment you need. They probably are in the best position to make decisions regarding your medical treatment plan. However, many of the most common medical treatments aren’t available at a private doctor’s office. Additionally, you should never forgo treatment you need immediately to wait for an appointment to open up with your personal doctor. Here are a few situations where going to a private doctor:

  • The medical treatment you need is not urgent, and you can wait until you are able to be seen by your doctor.
  • You need (non-urgent) medical treatment that will require ongoing participation from a medical professional.
  • You need follow-up care for a previous health issue, even if you were treated at another medical clinic.

When to Visit the Emergency Room
Emergency rooms are designed to treat life threatening issues. They are equipped to handle non-life threatening medical issues, but by going to an emergency room for a medical treatment that could be provided elsewhere, you are tying up ER resources that should be available for saving lives. Also, emergency rooms often cost more for the same medical treatment than you would have to pay at your doctors or urgent care.


Emergency rooms are very important for the following instances:

  • Bleeding profusely
  • Heart attack or stroke symptoms
  • Severe head injuries
  • Compound fractures (broken bones where the bone is protruding from the skin)
  • Other medical emergencies where you believe the vitality of the patient is at risk.

When to Visit Urgent Care Locations
Urgent care locations fill the gap in medical care between what your medical provider offers and what the emergency room is designed for. Getting treatment at an urgent care is in your best interest if you need to be seen before your medical provider can fit you in, you are only able to seek medical treatment after normal business hours or on weekends, or if the medical treatment you require is outside of the scope of what your doctor offers.


Visiting urgent care locations
is typically far less expensive than going to the emergency room; many times, insurance providers treat it the same as visiting your primary care physician. Also, you’ll find the wait times at an urgent care to be shorter than that of the emergency room. Emergency rooms are designed to treat patients on a hierarchy of who needs care more. If you have a broken femur, you’ll be bumped after the patient who has a stab wound, regardless of who came in first. Meanwhile, urgent cares units serve patients on a first-come-first-serve basis. A few good reasons to go to urgent care include:

  • Intravenous fluids. Most primary care physicians are not able to, but urgent cares are able to administer IVs.
  • Fracture care. Urgent care offices are usually able to provide X-rays, bone setting, and casts, unless your bone injury requires surgery.
  • Lab services. If you need blood tests, or urine analysis in order to get a diagnoses and treatment, you can usually receive it onsite at an urgent care, rather than having to go to a separate lab.
  • Prescriptions. When you know you just need a round of antibiotics to treat a minor infection, you may be able to get it in a single visit to an urgent care, rather than having to make a trip to a pharmacy.

Do you have any questions regarding when to visit your doctor, go to urgent care, or the ER?

Categories
Bariatric wheelchair Bariatric wheelchairs Comfortable wheelchairs for the elderly

How Medical Products Can Increase Hospital Patients Comfort

Geri chairs for elderly

There are a lot of products that are necessary in the medical type of setting. Hospitals and nursing homes must provide their patients with beds that are adjustable and comfortable, easy to access restrooms with handicapped accessible washrooms and even easy to use wheelchairs for transportation around the facilities. A hospital or nursing home would not function as smoothly if they did not have these types of products available to their patients. This could hinder their health and their physical improvement during their hospital stay. These products need to be of high quality and extremely durable, ensuring that that are used safely and correctly.

Wheelchairs are probably one of the most needed transportation devices. In fact, 56,672,000 individuals, about 18.7% of civilians living in the community, reported at least one disabling condition in 2010. Those with chronic conditions or disabilities require the assistance of a geri wheelchair to get around. Without the use of a wheelchair, they would not be able to independently transport themselves around communities or campuses. Wheelchairs are common in both the hospital and the nursing home type setting. Pedal wheelchairs are available for those patients who are still able to pedal themselves around with either the use of their arms or their legs.

Wheelchair use also allows those with disabilities to live normal lives, such as working. Many jobs are handicapped capable, allowing them to live a normal working life. Despite the lack of opportunity for disable candidates, more than three quarters of the employers surveyed by BMO in 2012 said that after recruiting disabled workers, the hires either met their expectations (62%) or exceeded them (15%), further proving that wheelchairs can help the disabled find employment. A geri chair can provide them with high quality seating, while still doing the roles of their job.

The use of products such as wheelchairs and a shower commode chair are only going to increase as people get older. For the first time ever, there are now more people in Canada age 65 and over than there are under age 15, according to Statistics Canada. This age difference results in a higher number of people with disabilities and requiring the use of wheelchairs and a shower commode chair.

Although some people may have certain disabilities and chronic pain conditions, they may not require the use of a wheelchair. They may simply need assistance with everyday activities, such as showering and bathing. Those who are able to still walk may find that standing in a shower for an extended period of time can be a struggle. A shower commode chair or a bariatric chair can help them preform these daily duties, without requiring additional assistance. The chair gives them a place to sit if they need to, or if they need a break during their shower. Products such as the shower commode chair allow seniors and those with disability concerns to remain in the comfort of their own homes. They can also make nursing home and hospital employee?s jobs easier, by providing them with assistance when working with the elderly or those with disabilities.

The average age of people in the country is getting older. People are living longer and they are being faced with more disabilities and chronic health conditions that prevent them from working and from doing everyday activities, such as showering. Fortunately, there are products available to make these activities easier, both for the patient and for the employees of hospitals and nursing homes. These products can make the patient more comfortable and feel more independent.

Categories
Doctor Urgent care highlands ranch Urgent care lakewood co

Three Reasons Why You Should Choose Urgent Care

Summer health concerns: part 1

The chances are high that at some point in your life, you’ll have to seek emergency medical care — or at the very least, medical care you can’t or don’t want to wait around for. Nobody wants to admit it, but accidents happen. You could twist your ankle jogging, or perhaps get dehydrated during a bad bout with the flu. As much as you might avoid it, nobody can have perfect health at all times. It’s certainly better that you seek professional medical care if you’re at all questioning if it’s necessary. Once, it seemed that the best option for emergency medical care was, of course, the emergency room. But many people choose not to go to the emergency room even when they perhaps should, for a number of reasons. They end up staying home and risking getting worse, not knowing that there is a compromise. You can get quick medical care without going to the emergency room — and without sacrificing all of the time, money, and energy you’ll lose during an emergency room visit, as discussed below. Through advanced urgent care, you’ll get the necessary urgent medical care without the sacrifice. Here are a few of the reasons why advanced urgent care could be a better option for you than the emergency room.

1. Quality Care

Your chief reason for balking over seeking advanced urgent care over the emergency room may be a perceived difference in the quality of care. Many people believe that the emergency room is the only way to get fast, quality medical care, as emergency rooms are attached to hospitals and advanced urgent care centers often are not. Conversely, even when advanced urgent care centers are close to or even connected to hospitals, people aren’t aware of what makes an urgent care center an urgent care center. Urgent care centers provide quality medical care, and employ medical professionals, just as any other legitimate center providing medical care would. In fact, 50% of urgent care centers are owned by a physician or a group of physicians. They provide care that can be found in emergency rooms — for example, 70% of urgent care centers can provide intravenous fluids when needed, just like an emergency room. Urgent care providers can prescribe medication as well. At many urgent care centers, simple fractures can be set — 80% of urgent care centers provide fracture care in total. Certainly, sutures can be provided when necessary. If a case is too complicated for an urgent care center to handle, they won’t provide inferior care, but rather refer the patient in question to a hospital. Urgent care is not lesser care; it’s simply a different way of receiving quality care.

2. Shorter Wait Times

Many believe that emergency rooms are fast and hectic places, the way they’re portrayed on television. The reality is quite different. Unless your emergency is grave, you can end up waiting for care for hours. In comparison, the wait for attention at an urgent care center is much shorter. It’s estimated that about 60% of urgent care centers provide medical care from a physician or mid-level provider within 15 minutes, with 65% of urgent care centers having physicians on-site at all times. According the Urgent Care Association of America, 57% of patients wait 15 minutes or less to be seen, while 80% of urgent care center visits last 60 minutes or less.

3. Convenience

Perhaps the greatest point about urgent care centers is their overall convenience. For one thing, urgent care centers tend to provide more affordable care. Therefore, it is easier for people to gain access to that care when they need it. Another good point about urgent care is that it is often available at all hours. While emergency room care is accessible at most if not all hours, the wait time and high costs make it less than appealing to many people. Care a doctor’s office, on the other hand, is only available during normal business hours. Urgent care merges the best of both worlds, making the simplest experience.

Categories
Central jersey radiology Diagnostic imaging Radiology

Everything You Need to Know About Having an MRI

Breast biopsy

“You need an MRI.” No-one likes to hear those words. For many patients the thought of an MRI can be extremely frightening; for those with claustrophobia, the idea is even more disturbing. An MRI (magnetic resonance imaging), however, while not necessarily pleasant, is not painful. Here is everything you need to know about having an MRI.

Every year, more than 30 million MRI scans are conducted and of those 22% (6.6 million) are head scans. An MRI scan typically lasts between half an hour and two hours and will require you to lie very still. An MRI scan essentially takes a series of pictures, each lasting about 15 minutes. There are generally two to six series of pictures per scan. Such scans can be used to create 3D images to be viewed at different angles.

Some radiology centers do have access to scanners that can cut down on the claustrophobia. These open scanners work in a way that is like a normal MRI machine, but the benefit is that it is open on three sides. This openness can reduce anxiety and help patients better cope with head scans.

In cases when a doctor needs images of a limb such as a knee, foot, arm, elbow or wrist, an extremity MRI may be used. An extremity MRI is a special scanner that is specifically designed to provide images of such limbs. Such an extremity MRI would be scheduled if a doctor feels a mass in a limb during an examination, sees something abnormal in an x-ray or bone, if there is redness, pain or swelling in a leg or of an ankle joint, or in a number of other circumstances.

MRI radiology centers will issue detailed instructions to anyone scheduled for an MRI, indicating the requirements for preparation. This means that you should not eat for two or more hours before the scan. There are no other special precautions necessary. If you are pregnant, especially if you are in the first trimester, in most cases an MRI scan will not be scheduled. If absolutely necessary, though, one can be performed.

While an MRI might not be procedure that anyone wants to have done, understanding what happens, how it works and what is required of you can help you through it; open MRI scanners can also play a significant role in reducing stress and helping claustrophobic patients cope.

Categories
Affordable digital hearing aids Batteries for hearing aids Hearing aids

Five Signs You May Suffer from Hearing Damage

Hearing aid battery

Like many signs of aging, hearing loss can be so gradual that we may not realize it’s happening to us. Our bodies grow accustomed to the incremental loss of sensation and we lose perspective of the accumulative damage. Among Americans, 1 out of every 5 adults suffers from hearing loss, and for those over the age of 65, numbers increase to 1 in every 3 adults. While it can be difficult to notice the change, there are always clues.

Here are a few signs that it is time to seek out hearing loss treatment.

    You have trouble following conversations in large groups.
    Do you struggle to keep up with the table talk in busy restaurants or crowds? Do you find yourself tuning out of a conversation when too many people are talking or when the room has lots of background noise? Hearing aids may help you rejoin the conversation. In spaces with lots of background noise or competing voices to follow, someone with hearing loss can have trouble distinguishing between important sounds and plain old noise. Digital hearing aids and assisted listening devices can help sharpen sounds and weed out background comotion.

    You can’t always tell which direction sounds are coming from.
    Not only do our ears help us hear, they also help with balance and location perception. Hearing well from both ears helps us place where sounds are coming from. If you’ve found yourself looking to the right when you hear a siren, but the ambulance drives up on your left, you may be suffering from hearing loss. People who have hearing damage in one ear will mistakenly assume that all sounds are approaching on their more perceptive side. Hearing aids and custom hearing protection can help restore normal perception.

    Your friends and family complain about the TV and radio.
    You think the volume is just right, but your fellow watchers ask you to turn it down. This one may seem obvious, but it even happens to people who have sought treatment for hearing damage. Hearing aid batteries begin to wear out, and often times we turn the dial up instead of checking our hearing aids. If you’re straining to hear when others are happily listening, it might be time to get your hearing checked.

    You have trouble understand young children.
    It’s true that sometimes children have trouble annunciating their words, and occasionally their parents are the only ones who can distinguish the child’s meaning. That being said, hearing loss can make it especially difficult to hear the high-pitched voices of young children. Their words may sound muffled and distant, but if you’re struggling to understand more than other adults, it may be a hearing issue.

    You frequently suffer from a ringing in your ear.
    Tinnitus, or ringing in the ear, affects 50 million Americans. The noise can come and go, but when you hear it, it’s annoying and distracting. A tinnitus hearing test can help determine if the ringing is an internal auditory issue and can be resolved. Tinnitus can be linked to other health or hearing issues and a professional audiologist can help discuss all the options and possible solutions. Even sporadic ringing in the ears can be a big annoyance and it’s unnecessary to suffer through without a solution.

Any of these signs may be a tip that it’s time to check your hearing. Though hearing loss is a common and easily preventable health issue, many people avoid seeking help. On average, people with hearing damage will wait seven years before they pursue relief.

Hearing loss can be isolating and frustrating, both for those who are hard of hearing and the friends and loved ones trying to communicate with them. Assistive listening devices and hearing aids can make a big difference. Modern advances help audiologist fine tune hearing aids to suit the specific concerns of each patient. It never hurts to have your hearing checked.

Have you noticed these signs in yourself or a loved one? What other clues have helped you recognize hearing damage? Tell us about what made you seek help and the solutions that have given you relief.