Health Archives

Acute vs Chronic Stress: 2 Types of Stress Explained

What is the difference between acute vs chronic stress? Why is it important to understand the difference? How can you manage these two types of stress? Acute stress is short-term stress caused by immediate events like public speaking or a job interview. Chronic stress is long-term stress caused by repeated exposure to stressors over a long time. This article will show you how to tell the difference between these two types of stress and how to manage them. Learn about acute vs chronic stress below.

How Dopamine Highs Sabotage Your Willpower

What is a dopamine high? What is the biological purpose of dopamine? How can a dopamine high undermine your self-control? Dopamine is the brain neurotransmitter that is at the root of every craving and desire. Dopamine can be dangerous because it causes a form of arousal when you want something, but does not release any sort of satisfaction when you receive that item. This cycle of want and disappointment can lead to anxiety and addiction. Here’s everything you need to know about dopamine highs and how to use dopamine in your favor.

How Body Responses Sabotage Your Willpower

How do your natural body responses affect willpower? How can you turn your fight-or-flight response into a pause-and-plan response? Body responses such as the fight-or-flight response were great in the Stone Age, but not so great for our self-control. These impulses that were designed to save your life tend to kick in at the worst times—like when you’re on a diet and your body says that you need that fresh-baked cookie. Luckily, there are ways to fight these natural body responses and take the control back.

Why Is Heart Rate Variability Important to Willpower?

What is heart rate variability? Why is heart rate variability important to willpower? Heart rate variability is the variance in time between each heartbeat. The higher the variability, the more relaxed and adaptable your body is to stress. This is related to willpower because people with higher heart rate variability are better at delaying gratification, dealing with stress, ignoring distractions, and exercising self-control. Continue reading for more information on heart rate variability and what you can do to increase it.

The Rise of For-Profit Health Insurance in America

How did health insurance become for-profit? What were the first for-profit insurers to enter the industry? Health insurance didn’t start out as a for-profit business. It began as an employer-sponsored incentive. However, as demand increased, for-profit insurers like Aetna and Cigna began entering the industry. Keep reading to learn about the rise of for-profit health insurance and its pricing mechanisms.

The Willpower Instinct—A Brief Overview

What is The Willpower Instinct about? What can you learn from Kelly McGonigal’s research? The Willpower Instinct by Kelly McGonigal explains how our natural willpower gets compromised by stress, distraction, lack of sleep, not enough exercise, and other external factors. She gives advice on how to improve your self-control and take your willpower back. Continue reading for a brief overview of The Willpower Instinct.

What Is Medical Loss Ratio?—MLR Explained

What is the medical loss ratio? How much of their premium revenue do health insurance companies actually spend on medical care? Medical Loss Ratio (MLR) is the percentage of revenue from premiums spent by insurers on medical care. Before the Affordable Care Act, some providers’ ratio was as low as 64%. Today, it is closer to 80%. Here is how medical loss ratio works in the United States.

Brené Brown’s 10 Guideposts for Wholehearted Living

What are Brené Brown’s 10 guideposts for Wholehearted living? How can following these guideposts help you develop worthiness? In her book The Gifts of Imperfection, Brené Brown outlines 10 guideposts for Wholehearted living. The objective of these guideposts is to help you overcome your feelings of never being “enough,” and to live a happier, healthier life. Continue below for Brené Brown’s 10 guideposts for Wholehearted living.

Understanding Pricing in the U.S. Healthcare System

How are prices determined in the U.S. healthcare system? How do doctors bill for their services? In the United States, prices for medical procedures are determined by the American Medical Association of Physiology (AMA). Once set, the Relative Value Units (RVUs) have systemic national implications, nudging doctors toward performing the higher compensated procedures. In addition, doctors have their own methods to fluff up the patient’s bill. This article takes a look at the pricing in healthcare, including the strategies that doctors themselves use to bill their patients.

Medical Billing Codes—Explained

What is medical coding? Who creates and maintains medical billing codes? In the United States, medical billing codes are used to identify medical procedures and communicate to health insurance companies the type of treatment that has been provided to the patient. Three types of billing codes are now prevalent: CPT, HCPCS, and ICD. Keep reading to learn about medical billing, its history, and its implications for healthcare providers.