Urologists manage conditions of the genitourinary system and surrounding structures including the adrenal gland. Common conditions treated by urologists include prostate cancer, kidney and bladder disorders, and sexual dysfunction. One year of additional training post-residency is usually required.

Question: I would like to know scale of what they do pay and do not pay.
From: Maria G. of Deerfield Beach, FL

Answer: Thank you for your question. It does not have a simple and direct answer but I will do my best to provide a framework of information. There are literally hundreds of insurance plans that fall within 3 main categories-public, private, and Managed Care plans. Each plan has its own specific coverage benefits. The amount that the insurance plan will cover may depend on whether the provider is in network or out-of-network and/or the amount of the deductible and co-pay of the plan. A provider that participates with the plan will accept a negotiated amount from the insurer and you are responsible for the coinsurance amount. A provider that does not participate with the plan is able to bill you what the plan does not pay. It is extremely important to study these details when choosing a plan and to know what your plan will/will not cover and whether your provider is a participating provider.

Question: How to find the best hospital or doctor for your particular needs?
From: Julie T. of Warner, OK

Answer: There are many resources available to the healthcare consumer to choose the hospital or physician you feel is most able to manage your particular healthcare need. The American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) lists 95 specialties and subspecialties. If you are in need of a physician specializing in a specific area of medicine or surgery, you may want to ask your primary care physician for a recommendation, check with your local medical association, and check web based rating sites such as Healthgrades.com. Is the physician board certified? Certification is optional in many specialties and involves rigorous evaluation by physician peers. Log onto the ABMS’ website, www.abms.com, to determine if your physician choice is certified. You may want to meet the physician in his office, meet the office staff, and observe the office environment and operations but go prepared with a list of questions or check off points.

There are hundreds of resources available to research hospital ratings so I will recommend what I consider to be the top sites.  Check whether the hospital is accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) which sets the gold standard for care.  Other sites are U.S.News & World Reports annual list of the best hospitals by specialties, the Leapfrog Group (www.leapfroggroup.org), HealthGrades (www.healthgrades.com), VIMO (www.vimo.com), the Commonwealth Fund (www.cmwf.org).

In my book, 7 Steps to Your Best Possible Healthcare, I address these issues in great detail.  I also provide some practical tips to look for and questions to ask.

The Happy Times in Healthcare Podcast is here to help healthcare consumers become better educated in order to receive the best possible healthcare available to them. This podcast series covers a wide variety of topics including paying for healthcare - when you are insured and when you are not insured, selecting a new physician , using healthcare quality rating tools, and understanding your medical record. In this episode:

Take Charge of Your Life Interview - Part 2 of 2 - Eleanor Bobrow of the highly acclaimed public radio show Take Back Your Life talks with Dr. Ruthann Russo about how to navigate the healthcare system when a loved one is ill.

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Publication of the hard copy version of my book, 7 Steps to Your Best Possible Healthcare, is just around the corner. Over the holidays, however, I printed up and distributed about 2,000 copies of the book in its advance format to organizations, politicians, businesses, friends and family – pretty much anyone who was interested and would take one. After my interview on public radio WDIY on December 26, I began to receive some feedback about the book. Most of the feedback was complimentary, which was very nice. However, most of the feedback also contained questions and comments about the “raw food diet”. This surprised me, mostly because the book is not about the raw food diet. In fact, I only mention peripherally in two of the chapters that I have transitioned to a raw food diet in the past 2 years. And, then, for those who are curious, I provide some raw food resources that I use in the appendix.

As I mentioned in a previous post about the raw food philosophy and my new book The Raw Food Diet Myth: What Every Non-raw Foodist Should Know about Living Food, there are several different leaders in the raw food movement. Some of these leaders like Norman Walker and Ann Wigmore, are no longer alive, but they have left strong legacies, especially Ann Wigmore. Current leaders include Gabriel Cousens, Brian Clemente, David Wolfe, Victoria Boutenko, Joel Fuhrman, Matt Amsden and Sarma Melngailis, among others. Each is a leader in their own way, making their own contributions to the raw food philosophy. For example, Joel Fuhrman is a mainstream physician in Flemington, NJ. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, Dr. Fuhrman is a staunch proponent of the fasting, one of the components of the raw food lifestyle, and has written books like Fasting and Eating for Health and Eat to Live. It is important that Dr. Fuhrman has brought this line of thinking into the mainstream for us to consider and evaluate. Sarma Melngailis is the owner of Pure Food and Wine restaurant in New York City. The restaurant is a gourmet, one of a kind, raw restaurant catering to the non-raw foodist. One of Sarma’s goals is to introduce raw foods to as many non-raw foodists as possible.

Given the fact that most of the CEOs of the Fortune 500 companies have at some time dined at her restaurant, she appears to be achieving this goal. Different leaders bringing forward different components of the raw food philosophy are important to legitimize and sustain a movement like this. Given the fact that this movement is important because it makes us more conscious about our eating choices and, if we choose to adopt any of it, will likely make us healthier, we owe a lot to these leaders....Thanks!

I have found, in my research, many differences among the leaders in the raw food movement. For example, Dr. Gabriel Cousens believes good quality salt should be used to bring out the taste in most raw dishes and this is what his apprentices teach at the Tree of Life retreat in Patagonia, Arizona. However, Brian Clemente, director of Hippocrates Institute in West Palm Beach, Florida, an Ann Wigmore legacy, uses absolutely no salt in any recipes. Each has their own, well thought out rationales for their decisions. I am working on this analysis and will include it in The Raw Food Diet Myth: What Every Non-raw Foodist Should Know about Living Food. Other areas of disagreement include the temperature at which food can be dehydrated. Some say 145 degrees for the first hour and 115 degrees for the rest of the time. Some say 100 degrees. Others say 115 degrees for the entire time. Another interesting difference is in juicing. Some like Natalia Rose and Sarma support juicing using standard juicers (like the Green Star, Champion or Norwalk juicer) which removes all of the fiber and allows your body to quickly and easily digest the nutrients from the plants you are juicing. Others, like Victoria Boutenko, are strong supporters of the “smoothie” which requires creating the drink in a high speed blender. This method retains all of the fiber in the drink and has a much different impact on the body, obviously! Both have merit. Both have pros and cons. What is most important is for you to be aware of the differences and do your own evaluation and analysis – what could be more important?

My husband Joe and I are good examples of this experimentation. After trying both the juicing and the smoothie version of a drink, Joe prefers a smoothie and I prefer the juicer. Some of it is personal preference in taste and texture and some of it is the impact that the drink has on our bodies. Joe starts every day with a drink made from ripe bananas, ice and kale (or some other green from our local organic delivery) made in the high speed blender. I start every day with a drink made from 1 head of romaine lettuce, other greens that we have like celery, spinach, or cucumbers, one lemon, and about 2 inches of organic ginger root (to give it some zing!). Different people. Different tastes. Different choices.

The Happy Times in Healthcare Podcast is here to help healthcare consumers become better educated in order to receive the best possible healthcare available to them. This podcast series covers a wide variety of topics including paying for healthcare - when you are insured and when you are not insured, selecting a new physician , using healthcare quality rating tools, and understanding your medical record. In this episode:

Stories Behind the Steps Excerpt - Dr Diener Part 1 - In an excerpt from my upcoming release of The Stories Behind the Steps, I am joined by Dr. Ian Diener to discuss some of the issues to keep in mind while selecting a new primary care physician. For a free sample chapter of 7 Steps to Your Best Possible Healthcare please visit http://www.7stepshealth.com.

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The Happy Times in Healthcare Podcast is here to help healthcare consumers become better educated in order to receive the best possible healthcare available to them. This podcast series covers a wide variety of topics including paying for healthcare - when you are insured and when you are not insured, selecting a new physician , using healthcare quality rating tools, and understanding your medical record. In this episode:

Stories Behind the Steps Excerpt - Dr Diener Part 2 - In an excerpt from my upcoming release of The Stories Behind the Steps, I am joined by Dr. Ian Diener to discuss medical records and how they have evolved into a crucial aspect of your personal health planning. For a free sample chapter of 7 Steps to Your Best Possible Healthcare please visit http://www.7stepshealth.com.

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I'm proud to announce a new contest to celebrate the release of my new book, 7 Steps to Your Best Possible Healthcare.  You can now register online at www.HappyTimesInHealthcare.com for you chance to win a trip to disney and other great prizes.

Grand Prize: 6 Day trip to Disney including airfare, hotel and park hopper pass for 4

1st Prize:  1 year membership to Gold's Gym

2nd Prize: Canon Digital Camera

3rd Prize: 1 of 3 $25 Gift Certificates to Amazon.com

Plus Daily, Weekly and Monthly Prizes!

Daily Prizes (108): 7 Steps t-shirt
Weekly Prizes (16): My new book 7 Steps to Your Best Possible Healthcare
Monthly Prizes (4): $100 Day Spa Gift Certificate

Question: Can I learn more about a physician's training?
From: Glori M. of Las Vegas, NV

Answer: Physicians undergo rigorous academic and clinical training. Medical schools tend to accept college graduates with at least a 3.5 GPA. After their undergraduate education, these future physicians face at least 7 years of formal education-4 of these are spent in medical school and at least 4 are spent in residency in a U.S. teaching hospital (3 years for a few general medicine residencies like family practice). The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) governs residency education and training requirements. Following residency, some physicians continue as fellows to gain further training in a specialty or subspecialty. Physicians must meet state licensing requirements. Another step for some physicians is board certification. This is optional for many specialties but certification involves rigorous testing and evaluation by peer physicians (check the American Board of Medical Specialties’ website to determine if your physician is board certified). States require physicians to have continuing medical education (CME) as do most hospitals. Board certified physicians must also meet annual continuing education requirements to maintain their certification. In my book, 7 Steps to Your Best Possible Healthcare, you will find training description of numerous medical and surgical specialties and subspecialties.

Question: How to choose the best healthcare plan for myself and my family?
From: Virginia G. of Santa Cruz, CA

Answer: This is an area that I devote a chapter to in my book, 7 Steps to Your Best Possible Healthcare. You do not say whether you are choosing through your employer’s options, purchasing it yourself, or choosing a Medicare or Medicaid option. I will try to provide basic information but strongly suggest you read the book for details.

Due to upgrades to the HappyTimesInHealthcare.com website we've been forced to change the location of the RSS feed for the podcast.

Effectively immediately the new feed locations is http://www.happytimesinhealthcare.com/podcast/podcast.xml

If you are currently an iTunes subscriber you should automatically be redirected the new location without any action on your part.  If you are using a different type of podcast tool or feed reader you should also be redirected automatically, however given the varying types of applications in use today some applications may need to be updated manually.  For most applications this can be done by clicking the add feed option and then pasting or typing the new address of  http://www.happytimesinhealthcare.com/podcast/podcast.xml.

Below are direct links to subscribe using some of the more popular tools for your convenience:

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In its most recent issue, the U.S. News & World Report addresses alternative medicine. The cover states, "Top hospitals are now embracing such unconventional techniques as acupuncture, homeopathy, and energy healing." The article reports that recognized leaders in medicine such as the Mayo Clinic, Duke University Medical Center and the University of California-San Francisco offer acupuncture, massage and other Complimentary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) services.

CAM continues to grow in popularity and as a long time proponent of getting the best care possible, whether it be traditional or alternative, I’ve include an entire chapter dedicated to CAM in my new book. In addition to an introduction to CAM I introduce readers to several well known and well respected mainstream physicians who support and practice CAM. Among them are Dr. Ronald Hoffman, Dr. Mehmet Oz, and Dr. Christiane Northrup.

As Complimentary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) is becoming evermore mainstream many states are beginning to license naturopathic doctors (ND). Below is a listing of states that currently license NDs:

1. Alaska
2. Arizona
3. California
4. Connecticut
5. Hawaii
6. Idaho
7. Kansas
8. Maine
9. Montana
10. New Hampshire
11. Oregon
12. Utah
13. Vermont
14. Washington

NCCAM (National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine) describes the following five types of CAM:

1. Whole Medical Systems are built upon complete systems of theory and practice. Often, these systems have evolved apart from and earlier than the conventional U.S. medical approach. Examples of whole medical systems that have developed in Western cultures include homeopathic medicine and naturopathic medicine. Examples of systems that have developed in non-Western cultures include traditional Chinese medicine and Ayurveda.
2. Mind-Body Medicine uses a variety of techniques to enhance the mind’s capacity to affect bodily functions and symptoms. Some techniques previously considered CAM are now mainstream treatments (for example, patient support groups and cognitive-behavioral therapy). Other mind-body techniques still considered CAM include meditation, prayer, mental healing, and therapies that use creative outlets such as art, music, or dance.
3. Biologically-Based Practices use substances found in nature, such as herbs, foods, and vitamins. These practices include dietary supplements, herbal products, and other so-called natural but scientifically unproven therapies (for example, using shark cartilage to treat cancer).
4. Manipulative and Body-Based Practices use manipulation and movement of one or more parts of the body. Some examples include chiropractic or osteopathic manipulation, and massage.
5. Energy Medicine involves the use of energy fields. There are two types. Providers use biofield therapies to affect energy fields that purportedly surround and penetrate the human body. Scientists have yet to prove such fields exist. Some forms of energy therapy manipulate biofields by applying pressure to and manipulating the body by placing the hands in or through these fields. Examples include Qigong, Reiki, and therapeutic touch. Bioelectromagnetic-based therapies involve the unconventional use of electromagnetic fields, such as pulsed fields, magnetic fields, or alternating-current or direct-current fields.

The Happy Times in Healthcare Podcast is here to help healthcare consumers become better educated in order to receive the best possible healthcare available to them. This podcast series covers a wide variety of topics including paying for healthcare - when you are insured and when you are not insured, selecting a new physician , using healthcare quality rating tools, and understanding your medical record. In this episode:

Podcast: Stories Behind the Steps Excerpt, Vera & MaryAnn - In an excerpt from my upcoming release of The Stories Behind the Steps, I am joined by sisters Vera and MaryAnn who discuss how the concept of a Medical Mentor helped Vera overcome her battle with breast cancer. For a free sample chapter of 7 Steps to Your Best Possible Healthcare or to purchase a copy of the book please visit http://www.7stepshealth.com.

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