Ruthann Russo, author of The Raw Food Diet Myth, will be joining Gary Pozsik on his radio show Health, Wealth and Happiness. The show will be live on WGVC 620 AM of Columbia SC on Monday Sept 8th at 1:00 PM ET.

About the Health, Wealth and Happiness Show:
Health, Wealth and Happiness airs from 1p.m.—2p.m., Monday- Friday and covers the issues that make us whole. The first half-hour addresses our physical or emotional health needs, the financial portion teaches us how we can make our money work for us. The show ends with an Arts and theater segment, highlighting the latest happenings in the arts and introduces you to our local entertainers. Health, Wealth and Happiness is a great use of an hour, you will definitely learn a lot.

Ruthann Russo, author of The Raw Food Diet Myth, will be joining Jason Minnich on his radio show The Smart Fitness Health Show. The show will be live on FM 100.1 of Fort Wayne, IN Saturday Oct. 25th at 9:20 ET.

About The Smart Fitness Health Show:
The Smart Fitness Health Show every Saturday morning from 9-10am on FM100Talks Hosted by Jason Minnich. We'll be discussing various topics from health and fitness, nutrition, sports performance, weight loss, fad diets, and revealing the truth about why diets don't work!

Are you fed up with products that don't do what they claim? Restrictive Diets? Calorie Counting? Hyped-Up Infomercials that leave you disappointed? This show is about sharing the TRUTH and having the power to achieve your fitness goals, whether you think you can or not.

Question: Why are there so many medical malpractice lawsuits?
From: Carla C.-B. of Virginia Beach, VA

Answer: As defined by several sources, medical malpractice (aka tort) is “an act or omission by a healthcare provider which deviates from the accepted standards of practice in the medical community and which causes injury to the patient” (physical and/or emotional). Criteria for medical malpractice include all of the following: a duty was owed, duty was breached, the breach caused injury, and there was loss or harm. Without loss, there is no malpractice, even if there was negligence. Interestingly enough, the number of medical malpractice lawsuits has declined during the 1990’s and since. One site, medicalmalpractice.com, reports that fewer than ½ of 1% of the country’s physicians face serious state sanctions annually. In 1995, there were 90,212 claims. The number in 2000 was 86,480. It also reports that about 98,000 patients die each year due to medical errors. Some studies have shown, however, that only a small number of people (between 2% - 5%) that have experienced wrongful injuries file medical malpractice lawsuits. The Public Citizen’s analysis of National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB) data, between 1991 and 2005, showed that the total number of malpractice payments made on behalf of doctors declined 15.4%. Public Citizen’s analysis also found that between 1991 and 2005, the number of malpractice payments per 100,000 Americans dropped more than ten percent. According to the Center for Justice & Democracy, medical malpractice payouts are less than one percent of total U.S. health care costs. Many states have adopted tort reform measures to contain the number of claims and the awards being paid. Many hospitals are also aggressively working on risk management.

Maca is an off-white powder that has a vaguely sweet taste to it. Maca root grows in the mountains of Peru. It is a radishlike root vegetable that is related to the potato family. Maca contains significant amounts of amino acids, carbohydrates, minerals, including calcium, phosphorus, zinc, magnesium, and iron, and vitamins B1, B2, B12, C, and E. Peruvian maca also includes a number of glycosides (sugar molecules that help remove toxic waste from the body). Official nutritional data for calories and glycemic load for maca is unavailable at this time. Maca has been claimed to have significant immunoprotective properties and to aid in hormone function, among other benefits. It is commonly added to smoothies and other drinks as a sweetener, but also for its nutritional benefits. Maca has a very distinctive flavor, so the best strategy is to taste test the powder both plain and mixed into a small amount of smoothie or other drink to determine whether it is to your liking. You will not need much powder to flavor your drink. Maca can be found in most health food stores and online for about 18 dollars for a seven-ounce jar.

For more information about all natural sweenters or incorporating more natural choices into our lifestyle see The Raw Food Diet Myth now available on Amazon.com.

Question: How to eat right and have a good diet?
From: Manny L. of Los Angeles, CA

Answer: This is an area very dear to my heart. I grew up on meat and potatoes but changed my eating habits as an adult. I became a vegan and ate no meat at all for 20 years. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of books and online resources on nutrition. You must be comfortable with the plan you choose. When my daughter was diagnosed with Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy a couple of years ago, I began searching for nutritional solutions. I found the raw food diet for my family and me. Raw foods are any food that is grown in the ground and then eaten in an uncooked form in order to retain enzymes. It has given us increased energy and a deeper respect for the earth and staying fit. I have been so impressed in the positive changes we have all experienced that I am in the process of writing a book about it (titled The Raw Food Diet Myth) which includes the importance of physical fitness and healthy lifestyle. Please check my website, www.rawfoodmyth.com, for free downloads and information.

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Question: What is the difference between maximum deductible and maximum out-of-pocket?
What is the difference between co-pay and co-insurance?
From: Sharjeel A. of Houston, TX

Answer: You asked two questions that many healthcare consumers find confusing. A deductible is the amount of money the insured person must pay before the insurance plan starts to pay. It is usually per year. There may be a set amount per individual and/or per family. Some health insurance plans have co-payments, some have co-insurances but I have heard these terms used incorrectly, even by health professionals. Co-payment is a preset, flat fee that the insured must pay in addition to the amount paid by the insurance company. For example, your health insurance plan may stipulate a $20.00 co-pay for physician visits and the doctor’s office will charge you that amount during your visit. The co-insurance is the percentage of each claim above the deductible. In other words, if you have a 20% co-insurance, you will pay the deductible and then 20%. There may be a specified ceiling amount after which the insurance plan pays 100%. Out-of-pocket is the preset amount of money the patient must pay before the insurance pays 100%.

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To identify the values that drive your healthcare planning and decision making, ask yourself: “What attributes am I looking for in healthcare providers and the healthcare process? What matters most to me?” Remember, you are the “customer.” Without the patient, a healthcare provider has no business. If it seems like the balance of power in healthcare is not in your favor, reminding yourself who the customer is may help you to feel more empowered. To make a difference in your own healthcare, you need to be confident, knowledgeable, and in control. Creation of a personal value, vision and mission statement (VVMS) can help you identify these issues ahead of time and ultimately lead you in the path to better health.

To help you plan out a personal VVMS you can download the Healthmap Program for free at www.healthmapforms.com and get started today.

Question: I am looking for a new primary care physician in Queens, New York. How do I know if he/she has good skills in dealing with patients besides being a good medical doctor?
From: B.G. of New York

Answer: The underlying theme in my book, 7 Steps to Your Best Possible Healthcare, addresses this very issue in detail. Choosing a physician, whether as a primary care physician or as a specialist requires you to do some homework. You need to determine what is important to you in addition to the physician’s clinical skills. Is it communication skills? How about personality? According to Doctors Ezekiel and Linda Emmanuel, there are 4 types of patient-physician relationships. All are based on the degree of control that the physician has versus the patient’s degree. They are: Paternalism (physician has greatest control), Consumerism (patient has greatest control), Mutuality (patient and physician work together, and Default (neither is engaged, usually indicates the end of the relationship). You need to determine which type you are most comfortable with. If you are shopping for a new care, you would take it out for a test drive. Consider making an appointment to meet the physician. But be prepared with questions. One of my co-workers interviewed several pediatricians by phone or in person when she was expecting her first child and found one she felt confident in and who she felt had the personality that to handle first time parents’ anxiety, who shared some of the same positions on childcare, and who would care for the child with proficiency and gentleness.

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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:

Podcast: The Healthcare Crisis - Ruthann Russo, author of The Raw Food Diet Myth, talks with Rick Barber of KOA Radio about the nutritional value of school lunches in America.  A full recording of the show is available here: http://www.koaradio.com/cc-common/podcast/single_podcast.html?podcast=overnight.xml

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Some health plans treat individuals who have mental health disorders differently. Coverage for mental health conditions in the U.S. has traditionally not been on par with coverage for medical or surgical conditions. For this reason, the Mental Health Parity law was passed in 1996. This law provided parity, but only for annual and lifetime limits between mental health coverage and medical surgical coverage. The current version of this law is looking to expand parity by including deductibles, co-payments, out-of-pocket expenses, coinsurance, covered hospital days, and covered out-patient visits. While this law, when it is passed, is likely to increase mental health coverage even more, legislatures will probably need to continue working to amend and clarify provisions of the act for years to come. The Joint Committee of the Senate and House of Representatives continues to work to eliminate this bias. Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter is a proponent of this legislation and works tirelessly with the committee to promote it. You should check your plan’s policy to determine whether you have any limitations on coverage for mental health conditions.

Question: Why the insurance companies have the power to deny procedures or surgeries that the patients’ doctors have decided are medically necessary?
From: Kathleen P. of Naples, Florida

Answer: As I read your question, I was reminded of times I read my health insurance policy manual but could not find a clear definition of “medically necessary.” For a treatment or procedure to be covered, it must meet the insurance company’s definition of medical necessity. There are many health plans and, it would seem, many varying definitions that are not always clear. Most insurers consider the terms “reasonable and necessary” or “appropriate clinical standards of practice” as part of the definition but these may be interpreted differently by physicians and insurers. Hospitals, physicians, and consumers wrestle with denials of treatment not meeting the definition of medical necessity. In your health insurance policy book, you may find services and procedures that are covered, excluded, and need pre-authorization. The most common reasons for medical necessity denials are the treatment is considered experimental, investigational, cosmetic, not intended for that diagnosis, or listed as non-covered. If you are arguing a medical necessity denial, make sure to document all contacts. Read your policy manual and be clear on the reason for the denial. Make sure that your physician’s office has sent all the necessary documentation, explanations, and benefits. If you and your physician feel your argument is justified, follow the denial process. You may be surprised at the results!

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: The Healthcare Crisis - Ruthann Russo, author of The Raw Food Diet Myth, talks with Rick Barber of KOA Radio about the raw and living foods lifestyle.  A full recording of the show is available here: http://www.koaradio.com/cc-common/podcast/single_podcast.html?podcast=overnight.xml

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• Download / Listen in web browser
• RSS Feed

Question: How can I find out what each hospital specializes in?
From: Ramishia M. of Elk Grove, CA

Answer: I would probably change that question to: How to find a hospital that specializes in a certain condition? There are hospitals that specialize in cancer care, orthopedic care, children’s, cardiac, physical rehabilitation, behavioral health disorders, etc. Some facilities have more than one “center of excellence.” For a list of top specialty hospitals, see the U.S. News & World Report Best Hospitals list published every July or visit health.usnews.com/sections/health/best-hospitals. But don’t stop there. Check the accreditation and quality of the facility. Go to Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations to check whether the hospital is accredited by this JCAHO, the premier accrediting body for virtually all types of healthcare organizations. Then go to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to determine how well a hospital meets Medicare criteria for a diagnosis. Other sites are HealthGrades , Vimo , and The Commonwealth Fund .

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Hospitals negotiate fees with health plans continuously. A similar strategy may work for you, especially if you are uninsured. If you have no insurance coverage or need to pay some hospital fees, it will be helpful to speak with the hospital business office or finance department. Either you or your medical mentor can have the discussion. First, let the hospital know you are aware that their published charges are not the same as the rates the insurance companies pay them. And, as a customer, you expect, at the very least, to be charged no more than the average rate a health insurer would reimburse the hospital for the service. Before the discussion, look up the average cost on the American Hospital Directory Web site, which provides hospital information through free and subscription-based services.

The fact that hospitals charge uninsured patients the rate on their charge master is not malicious. Federal law actually requires the hospital to charge you its published fee—unless you, the patient, initiate negotiations to reduce the fee. You can and should use this information to negotiate the price for your healthcare services.

Question: Why do hospitals charge different prices for the same procedures?
From: Shanna G. of Niwot, CO

Answer: There never seems to be a simple answer to healthcare questions and this one is no exception. Insured patients pay different amounts based on a negotiated rates between the hospitals and the insurance companies. Insurers and hospitals negotiate rates based on the volume of patients with that insurance who are treated at that hospital. The higher the number of patients sent to that hospital, the lower the negotiated rate. The patient is impacted by the deductible and patient financial responsibility. Hospital charges vary based on their proportions of Medicare, Medicaid, commercial, private pay, and charitable care cases. Medicare is starting to publish what it pays to individual hospitals. This may give patients an idea of the actual cost to the hospital as hospitals say Medicare pays slightly less than cost. Also, hospital charges do not include all the physician charges. I have heard from many people that it was very difficult to get a definitive charge for a procedure or that the amounts quoted ranged a great deal. An excellent site to check on the price of a procedure is www.vimo.com. It provides national statistics for a condition or procedure, including the number of patients with the condition, the number of hospitals included in the statistics, the average list price, the average negotiated price, and the average length of stay. The least expensive hospitals per condition are available as are the hospitals where procedures are most commonly performed. You can look up information by hospital name or zip codes.

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St. Luke’s Hospital in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania was recently featured in an article in the local paper, The Morning Call. The article reads, “St. Luke's Hospital is so confident in its surgeons' ability to perform successful robotic prostate surgery that the hospital is taking the unusual step of offering a limited money-back guarantee. Under the guarantee, patients and their insurance companies will not be billed if complications from robotic prostate surgery arise within 30 days.”

This is the kind of patient-centered service all hospitals should consider offering to some degree. All healthcare outcomes can’t be guaranteed – and, just like any other guarantee, this one comes with its fine print and limitations. But the point here is that this is a revolutionary step for healthcare providers. And, certainly a positive step for patients – especially patients of St. Luke’s Hospital and others like it. Although it appears that St. Luke’s is the only hospital currently offering this kind of guarantee, chances are other patient-centered hospitals will follow suit.

On a personal note, my father recently had surgery at St. Luke’s Hospital. The care and treatment was superior – based on experiences we have had at other hospitals. Besides the excellent bedside manner from the surgeon and all of the nursing staff, my father’s outcomes were good. Check out a few of the perks: no limitations on visiting hours; you can order food at any time and get it within a short time; a beverage cart team that comes to patient’s door a few times a day and offers beverages to the patient and his visitors; coupons for a percentage off any food purchased by the patient’s family in the cafeteria or hospital restaurant. But in all honesty, the best feature of this organization is its people. I felt like they were trained by the same people who train the staff at the Ritz Carlton – plus these folks were all clinical or operational healthcare experts. This is what we should expect – and get – in our healthcare every day. Good service, good people, good outcomes – all put the patient in a good mood. And, it all adds up to the true definition of high quality healthcare. Thanks St. Luke’s.

Question: How can I get involved in volunteering in the healthcare system?
From: Terri M. of Appleton, WI

Answer: I truly believe that volunteers are an essential part of healthcare. Having worked in healthcare settings, I have personally observed the warmth and cheer that volunteers bring to patients and visitors or the assistance they provide to administrative and clinical health workers. Volunteers rock babies, play games with children, bring water to patients, assist with clerical duties, man reception desks, etc. In the community where I live, the local newspaper lists organizations, including healthcare facilities that are seeking volunteers. On a local level, contact the local hospital’s volunteer department to offer your assistance. There are many organizations, including Project Hope, AmeriCares, Health Care Volunteer, that travel within the U.S. and worldwide to bring medical and dental care to the needy. Try contacting the Red Cross or U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to register your assistance.

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A newly launched blog is bringing together diverse women with one common mission – to disrupt the health care status quo. Disruptive Women in Health Care™, is the first effort of its kind to create a platform where women from diverse backgrounds, careers and expertise can assemble to share provocative ideas, thoughts and solutions to the health challenges this country faces.

The blog features women nationwide who are leaders in their respective fields and bring a wealth of knowledge to the health care discussion. In addition to the Disruptive Women authors, the blog will feature guest posts from an array of expert commentators.

I am honored to be involved in such an important and exciting project. I encourage you to check out the site and please see my first post More Responsible Patients=More Accountable Providers.