Archive for June, 2011
Cobra Health Insurance – What is It?
June 30th, 2011 | 
Author: What is Cobra? And how do I figure this out? There is a huge challenge faced by many people today; you’ve just been leg go by your employer. Basically, you have no income, and no health insurance benefits. Currently, the last thing you want to do is send money to your ex-employer for health insurance benefits. However, that is most likely what you’ll need to do. Are you covered? You are likely eligible to be covered by your employer’s COBRA health insurance plan. You must pay the premiums yourself; you will be eligible to remain covered, without any lapse in benefits, by your previous employers plan.
What is COBRA and how do I get it? Prior to 1986, loss of employment would also mean loss of you and your families health insurance coverage (if they were also covered by your employer). In 1986, the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) was passed. COBRA health insurance provides you the right to extend your employer-provided health insurance coverage. You continue to receive the same benefits, but at your own expense.
In all instances COBRA health insurance requires your previous employer to offer their health insurance coverage to covered employees, and their covered dependents. Slough, there are certain qualifying conditions, this will most likely be a good option if you are not a healthy individual. These conditions include the death of the employee, termination (fired, or laid off through no fault of the employee), a reduction in work hours except if due to gross employee misconduct, a spouse’s divorce or legal separation from the covered employee, a covered employee being eligible for Medicare, or a child that loses his dependent status under the plan. The COBRA health insurance program covers many contingencies.
Insurance professional Morgan Moran says, “COBRA health insurance provisions will apply to private employers with at least 20 employees. Individual state and local governments may also make rules regarding eligibility for COBRA health insurance. Take note that the COBRA health insurance provisions don’t apply to health insurance plans sponsored by the Federal government. Also, these provisions don’t apply to certain church sponsored insurance plans, or certain church-related organizations.
If you are a former employee who has elected to receive the continuation offered by COBRA health insurance agree to take over payment of the plan’s premiums. The former employer has the optional right to charge an administrative fee of up to 1%. If you lose eligibility for group coverage for yourself, or your dependents, there may be another option. Automatically enrolling in COBRA health insurance may not be your best bet. You may have the right to “special enroll” (without waiting for an open enrollment season) in other available group health coverage. Before deciding to enroll in COBRA health insurance, be sure to carefully weigh all your options.
If enrolling in COBRA health insurance is your only option, then get the coverage. Continue to protect yourself, and your family until you find a new employer, or new insurance. Contact your state’s Department of Insurance to learn your full rights under COBRA health insurance.” In many instances you may qualify for an individual health insurance policy. If you need help on where to find more information on Individual Health Insurance coverage please visit your trusted source for health insurance at www.FloridaHealthInsuranceWeb.com
Florida Health Insurance Consultants Are Here!
COBRA Health Insurance What Is It?
Branchial cleft fistulas
Branchial cleft fistulas (BCF) originate from the 1st to 3rd branchial apparatus during embryogenesis
of the head and neck. Anomalies of the 2nd branchial cleft are by far the most commonly found. They can be
a cyst, a sinus tract or fistulas. Fistulas (or sinus tract if they end blindly) display themselves as small cutaneous opening along the anterior lower third border of the sternocleidomastoid muscle, communicates proximally with the tonsillar fossae, and can drain saliva or a mucoid secretion. Management consists of excision since inefficient drainage may lead to infection. I have found that dissection along the tract (up to the tonsillar fossa!) can be safely and easily accomplished after probing the tract with a small guide wire in-place. This will prevent injury to nerves, vessels and accomplish a pleasantly smaller scar. Occasionally a second stepladder incision in the neck will be required. 1st BCF are uncommon, located at the angle of the mandible, and communicating with the external auditory canal. They have a close association with the fascial nerve. 3rd BCF are very rare, run into the piriform sinus and may be a cause of acute thyroiditis or recurrent neck infections.
Thyroglossal Duct Cysts
Thyroglossal duct cyst (TDC) is the most common congenital anterior midline neck mass usually (2/3
of cases) presenting before the second decade of life. Symptoms appear at an average age of four with the
sudden appearance of a cystic mass at the angle of neck level moving with tongue protrusion and swallowing.
Males are more commonly affected than females. TDC is an embryologic anomaly arising from epithelial
remnant left after descent of the developing thyroid from the foramen cecum. The lining is cuboidal, columnar or pseudostratified epithelium. TDC is associated to discomfort, infection and a slight probability of malignancy. A legally protective requirement is to document that the mass is not ectopic thyroid gland. Diagnosis is physical. Sonograms will show a cyst between 0.4 and 4 cm in diameter, with variable sonographic appearance and no correlation with pathological findings of infection or inflammation. Once infected surgical excision is more difficult and recurrence will increase. Management is Sistrunk’s operation: Excision of cyst with resection of duct along with the central portion of hyoid bone (a minimum of 10-15 mm of hyoid bone should be removed) and some muscle surrounding the proximal ductules (the length of single duct above the hyoid bone spreads into many ductuli as it approach the foramen cecum). Extensive dissection can cause pharyngodynia. The greatest opportunity for cure is surgery at initial non-inflamed presentation. Inadequate excision is a risk factor for further recurrence.
Surgical Response of Newborns
The endocrine and metabolic response to surgical stress in newborns (NB) is characterized by
catabolic metabolism. An initial elevation in cathecolamines, cortisol and endorphins upon stimulation by
noxious stimuli occurs; a defense mechanism of the organism to mobilize stored energy reserves, form new
ones and start cellular catabolism. Cortisol circadian responsiveness during the first week of life is diminished, due to inmaturation of the adrenal gland. Cortisol is responsible for protein breakdown, release of gluconeogenic amino acids from muscle, and fat lipolysis with release of fatty acids. Glucagon secretion is
increased. Plasma insulin increase is a reflex to the hyperglycemic effect, although a resistance to its anabolic function is present. During surgical stress NB release glucose, fatty acids, ketone bodies, and amino acids;necessary to meet body energy needs in time of increase metabolic demands. Early postoperative parenteral nutrition can result in significant rate of weight gain due to solid tissue and water accumulation. Factors correlating with a prolonged catabolic response during surgery are: the degree of neuroendocrinological maturation, duration of operation, amount of blood loss, type of surgical procedure, extent of surgical trauma, and associated conditions (hypothermia, prematurity, etc.). They could be detrimental due to the NB limited reserves of nutrients, the high metabolic demands impose by growth, organ maturation
a) The full-term, full-size infant with a gestational age of 38 weeks and a body weight greater than 2500
grams (TAGA)- they received adequate intrauterine nutrition, passed all fetal tasks and their physiologic
functions are predictable. b) The preterm infant with a gestational age below 38 weeks and a birth weight
appropriate for that age (PreTAGA); c) The small-for-gestational-age infant (SGA) with a gestational age over 38 weeks and a body weight below 2500 grams- has suffered growth retardation in utero. d) A combination of (b) and (c), i.e., the preterm infant who is also small for gestational age.The characteristic that most significantly affects the survival of the preterm infant is the immature state
of the respiratory system. Between 27 and 28 weeks of gestation (900-1000 grams), anatomic lung
development has progressed to the extent that extrauterine survival is possible. It is only after 30 to 32 weeks of gestation that true alveoli are present. Once there is adequate lung tissue, the critical factor that decides extrauterine adaptation and survival of the preterm infant is his capabilities to produce the phospholipid-rich material, surfactant that lines the respiratory epithelium.