Having a traumatic injury can be devastating, especially if it's a brain injury. A recent study commissioned by the CORE Health Foundation reveals emergency room visits and hospitalization costs can be exorbitant, highlighting the need for people to have a good health insurance plan. CORE advocates for those with disabilities.

In Texas alone, traumatic brain injury caused $6.8 billion in expenses. CORE says more money is needed to help offset the high costs associated with treating TBI.

CORE co-founder and chairman of the Academy of Certified Brain Injury Specialists Jim Misko says even though people are surviving TBI, more work needs to be done.

"As we close out the first decade of the 21st century, Texas has seen significant medical advances that can increase the rate of survival for a TBI," said Misko. "Unfortunately, the number of cases continues to increase, which puts added strain on the financial systems supporting these injuries."

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates 1.7 million people are diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury each year. Many cases of TBI are mild, in the form of a concussion, but can be more severe or even fatal.

The clock is ticking for many in the health care industry. With health care reform, numerous changes have to be made across the industry to be in compliance with new laws and regulations.

Many people are familiar with the requirement for most Americans to obtain health insurance. Some people may opt for group health insurance coverage through their employer while others may end up going with an individual health insurance plan. How a person goes about getting health insurance will ultimately depend on their own personal situation.

Another change coming to the health care industry is the full switch to electronic health records by 2014. For some, making the switch to EHRs may be difficult.

Protus vice president of marketing Steve Adams suggests organizations switch over to internet faxing to help ease the transition. Adams notes that with traditional fax machines, "the paper documents they produce require extra steps in order to be entered into an EHR system. Switching from a fax machine or fax server to an internet fax service is quick and easy, and will save healthcare organizations a lot of work in both the short- and long-term."

It's a well-known fact - many Americans have a weight problem. The battle with one's waistline starts early in a lot of cases. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention performed a study which found that in 2007-2008, roughly 10 percent of children under the age of 2 were already in the 95th percentile for weight.

There have been a number of initiatives undertaken to help combat obesity. The Mind, Exercise, Nutrition, Do it! program is a 10-week after-school course that teaches children between 7 and 13 years of age and their families how to live healthy lives.

Data showed that children who attended the program shows increased cardiovascular fitness and spent less time in front of the television.

"MEND is one of very few community-based healthy lifestyle programs with positive outcomes from a randomized controlled trial, and their comprehensive, family-based approach to addressing childhood obesity is a promising model that should be funded, implemented and evaluated," said board member Dr. Eduardo Sanchez.

Those with weight problems are at an increased risk of developing many conditions, such as diabetes and heart disease. Such conditions make it crucial to have good individual health insurance.

Thousands of people are involved in vehicle collisions each year. Accidents can result from an inexperienced driver, some form of distraction, alcohol or even fatigue. Regardless of the reason for the accident, health care treatment costs can be high.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says costs associated with deadly motor vehicle accidents can run upwards of $58 billion a year. Even non-fatal accidents carry a high price tag. The CDC reports hospitalization fees can cost $28 billion a year and emergency room visits $14 billion.

Many people may think that there isn't a serious chance of them getting into an accident serious enough to need emergency room care. Those people may be surprised to learn the CDC found that a person receives emergency room care every 10 seconds because of a vehicle crash.

While the statistics reported by the CDC represent annual numbers, it does highlight the importance of carefully selecting a health insurance plan. Each health insurance company has their own dollar amount for deductibles and will cover certain procedures.

When going through insurance options, consumers can begin by going online to look and getting health insurance quotes. While doing so, it's important for consumers to keep in mind not just expenses for annual doctor appointments, but also for potential emergency room visits.