Hospice care is meant to make the experience of dying easier on ailing individuals and their families. Median time spent under hospice care is generally 17 days, but some for-profit hospice facilities may be extending the length of services in order to bump up profits, according to The New York Times.

Such practices could put undue strain on both government-funded Medicare programs and families who pay for private health insurance. Medicare in particular could suffer from practices that focus on creating healthier assets over providing opportunities for healthier living.

Medicare’s hospice bills have risen from $2.9 billion in 2000 to $12 billion in 2009, according to Vermont Public Radio. While the fact that the service is available to more Medicare beneficiaries is promising, the rising costs are cause for concern.

Because hospice is not designed to prolong life, but instead to make those that are dying more comfortable in their final days, it can serve as a much needed respite for individuals who have battled long illnesses. As the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid point out, hospice is designed to promote physical comfort and support emotional, social and spiritual needs for those in their final days of life.

If you have not already done so, make sure that your company’s or clients' health flexible spending accounts (FSAs) and health reimbursement accounts (HRAs) have been amended (if needed) to comply with the requirement in the health reform law that over-the-counter medicines and drugs (except insulin) require a prescription for tax-free reimbursement. This prescription requirement must be communicated to employees.

The IRS gave plan sponsors until June 30, 2011 to amend their plans to comply with the new requirements, but the amendment must be effective retroactively for expenses incurred after December 31, 2010 and the plan is administered in compliance with the requirement beginning January 1, 2011.

If a debit card program is offered, the amendment must be effective retroactively for expenses incurred after January 15, 2011. Employee communications should also describe the impact on debit card transactions.

Technological advancements and greater access to health insurance may herald good news for those suffering from type 1 diabetes.

According to the source a recent study shows the life expectancy for those diagnosed with type 1 diabetes has risen from 53.4 years for those diagnosed between 1950 and 1964 to 68.8 years for those who discovered they had the ailment between 1965 and 1980.

Type 1 diabetes, sometimes called juvenile diabetes, is a condition often found in younger persons where the body does not produce insulin, which is necessary to convert sugar into energy, according to the American Diabetes Association. While many people benefit from insulin therapy, other preventative measures may have impacted overall survival rates.

The ADA has previously recommended preventative measures such as weight loss, blood pressure control and smoking cessation in order to curb the effects of diabetes. Many health insurance companies have created programs for diabetics that follow this model, and such efforts may have changed things for the better.

Joel Zonszein of Montefiore Medical Center in New York told USA Today that he felt the recent findings were a sign of better days ahead.

"Our patients are doing much better," he said. "The morbidity is also much less. I think this study is very reassuring." 

While many Americans look toward steady employment to provide their families with benefits like increased income and health insurance, they may not realize that their desk jobs are harming their health.

The American Cancer Society recently realized findings from a 14-year study that highlight the health risks posed to both men and women who sit for longer than six hours each day. The study found that women who sat throughout the day are 37 percent more likely to die than those who do not sit for such long periods. Men in similar situations increased their mortality rate by 18 percent.

Furthermore, both men and women who do not engage in physical activity found themselves inflating their risk of death to alarming levels. Inactive men who sit for long periods are 48 percent more likely to pass away, while women are 94 percent more disposed to die.

"Prolonged time spent sitting, independent of physical activity, has been shown to have important metabolic consequences, and may influence things like triglycerides, high density lipoprotein, cholesterol, fasting plasma glucose, resting blood pressure, and leptin, which are biomarkers of obesity and cardiovascular and other chronic diseases," said Dr. Alpa Patel, the study’s leader.  

While many individuals stress over the lack of affordability when it comes to health insurance, some may not realize that some of their healthcare habits are helping to put added strain on an already exacerbated situation.

Primary care providers from across the nation recently reported as many as 10 percent of all office visits are unnecessary, according to the Consumer Healthcare Products Association (CHPA).

CHPA predicts the healthcare industry could save upwards of $5.26 billion each year if patients attempted to treat small injuries and ailments at home. Furthemore, the company estimates that if non-essential doctor's visits were cut in half, the number of yearly visits to primary care offices would be slashed by $26.3 million.

"As consumers face rising healthcare costs and a pending primary care physician shortage, and as lawmakers look to reign in healthcare spending, these data show how over-the-counter medicines are smart solutions for affordable healthcare, especially at this critical time," explained CHPA president and CEO Scott M. Melville.

If consumers had adequate direction and information, CHPA asserts they could effectively manage minor health issues with over-the-counter products, saving both time and money and reducing the strain on an already overwhelmed healthcare system.