100 Best Health Care Policy Blogs

Whether you want to participate in the debate over universal health care or unfair health insurance policies and workers' comp, or if you you'd just like to learn more about the issues and legislation that affect the cost and quality of the health care your family receives, you've probably tried turning to the Internet for help. Unfortunately, it can be overwhelming to track down the exact kind of information you need without getting distracted, frustrated or even just lost. If you need a little more direction to help you with your search, check out our list of 100 of the best health care policy blogs online, where you can read up on public health, geriatric care, disease management, politics and legislation, and even the business of health care and pharmaceuticals.


Pediatrics

Here you'll find information about vaccines, medical marketing and other issues that surround pediatric care and policy.

1. Healthy Kids: Learn about free screenings, medical marketing, and other pediatric news here.
2. Dr. Tapas' Pediatric Blog: In addition to helping parents understand their children's symptoms and diseases, this blog "also discuss[es] issues surrounding pediatrics in an effort to aid parents in understanding how these issues will affect their children."
3. Dr. Gwenn is In: Dr. Gwenn is a pediatrician who blogs about everything from recalls to medical community news to childhood obesity to women's health.
4. Vaccine Awakening: Learn all about childhood vaccines, vaccine risks and the government's role in enforcing vaccines.
5. Saying No to Vaccines: This anti-vaccination blog reveals risks associated with vaccines and reports on lawsuits and court cases dealing with vaccines.

Ethics

Learn more about the ethics codes in hospitals and in the greater health care industry here.

6. Healthcare Blogger Code of Ethics: This is the website that evaluates medical blogs online.
7. Medical Ethics: Stuart Laidlaw of the Toronto Star writes posts like "Who gets treatment?" and "Access to health care."
8. Bioethics Discussion Blog: Learn about and participate in the bioethics debate here.
9. Health Care Organizational Ethics: This blog considers "the ethics of health care organizations and the wider health system."
10. Global Bioethics Blog: This blog reports on bioethics and medical research ethics around the world.
11. Health Care Renewal: This blog tries to hold accountable those who abuse the health care system.

Senior Care and Life Care

For information about geriatrics, Medicare, assisted living, disease management and chronic illnesses and the policies and laws they influence, turn to this list.

12. Disease Management Care Blog: Get news, stats, research finds and analysis of health issues like primary care, pay for performance, disease management, and health insurance.
13. The Senior Care Market: After browsing posts in this blog, consider how the booming senior care business impacts health policy.
14. Senior Care Notes: Learn about the business of the senior care industry here.
15. The Geriatrics Blog: Modern Medicine's Geriatrics page covers everything from the future of the niche industry to specific diseases to long-term care investments.
16. The Geriatric Patient: Elderly patients can turn to this site to learn more about the issues affecting their care.
17. Quality of Life Care: Learn about end-of-life care, life care resources and trends for baby boomers and more.
18. Pallimed: Read all about hospice care and palliative medicine on this blog, which also covers topics in health care ethics, coverage and policy.
19. Alliance for Aging Research Blog: Learn about new studies, cures, drugs and policies affecting geriatrics medical research.
20. SeniorCareMarketer.com: Recent posts in this blog include "Marketing to Boomers: Don't Stereotype" and "New Report: Trends and Best Practices for Marketing to the Senior Care Industry."

Politics, Legislation and Law

This list contains blogs all about health care laws and how they fit into the political system.

21. Health Care Law Blog: Read up on health care ethics, legislation, privacy issues, business and more.
22. Health Beat: Check this blog frequently for great pieces about the inner workings of the health care industry, as well as reports on legislations and issues affecting health care.
23. HealthBlawg: This health care law blog posts about lawsuits, legislation, managed care, Medicare, and more.
24. Each Patient Counts: The Massachusetts Medical Society uses this blog as a venue for posting about legislation, Congress' rulings on health care-related bills and more.
25. Health Law Prof: Read about health care issues and health law, from consumer behavior to insurance to exams and screenings to politics.
26. Health Commentary with Dr. Mike Magee: Dr. Mike Magee blogs about research, environmental health, patient advocacy, health care reform and a lot more.

Health Care and Business

Health care policies can be influenced by and can directly affect the business of health care. Learn about new technologies, systems and marketing campaigns in the health care industry here.

27. Health Business Blog: Read about the pharmaceutical industry, investments in prevention and more.
28. WSJ Health Blog: The Wall Street Journal's Health Blog reports on the business of the health care industry, as well as legislations and trends in health care.
29. Health Care Policy and Marketplace Review: Read posts about federal health care policies and health care consumers, health plans, pharmaceuticals and more.
30. Health Policy and Communications Blog: This blogger aims to discuss the health care system by analyzing its effect on and response to the economy.
31. Healthcare Economist: Find out how all health care issues, from maternal health to geriatrics to medical research, affect the economy.
32. Health Care Policy, Innovation and Renewal: This blog challenges the American health care system to become more efficient and quality-driven, "in an era of globalization, rising free market dynamics" and other changes.
33. Healthcare Today: Read about consumer culture in the health care system, reimbursement, health care politics, insurance, ethics and other issues surrounding the business of health care.

International Health Care

Find out about what's being done to improve health care policies in other countries like India, Africa and more.

34. World Health Care Blog: Recent posts from this blog include "Disease Management's Ace in the Hole" and "Health Care Challenges in the Post-American World."
35. The TIME Global Health Blog: Browse the archives to learn about global health policies, bird flu, TB, malaria, HIV and more.
36. International HIA Blog: Here, you can get "the latest news and views on Health Impact Assessment (HIA) and discussing policy and practice internationally."
37. The International Medical Marketplace: Read this blog to gain insight into how the business of health care around the world affects American health policies, treatments and trends.
38. Global Health Policy: The Center for Global Development fuels the discussion about global health policies, AIDS and more in this blog.
39. IH-Blog: APHA's international health blog writes about population growth, health policies, trade, and "stories from the field."
40. Global Health Report: Journalist Christine Gorman explores "what needs to happen next in global health" in her blog.

Drugs/Pharma

Sneak a peek into the world of the pharmaceutical industry by reading these blogs.

41. Hooked: Ethics, Medicine and Pharma: This blog analyzes the medical research and pharmaceutical industries by discussing sponsorship, projects taken on by Congress and more.
42. Eye on FDA: Find out what the FDA is currently up to when you check out this blog.
43. Pharma Marketing Blog: Visit this blog for the latest in the business of pharmaceuticals.
44. Pharma Gossip: Read about drug company alliances, pharma investments and more.
45. Pharmaceutical Engineering: Recent posts cover FDA probes, the UK pharma industry and growth in the U.S. prescription drug market.
46. MedAd News: This blog will teach you about the ins and outs of drug marketing.
47. The Pharmaceutical Marketing Blog: This is "the source for pharma markeing" news and trends.
48. FDA Law Blog: Learn all about health care law and pharma law as it relates to the FDA here.
49. Rx Blog: This "drug news and pharmaceutical information blog" can help you better understand how pharmaceuticals play a role in health care policy.
50. Pharmalot: This blog will help you understand court cases that center around pharmaceutical companies and the FDA.

Free/Affordable/Universal Health Care

Join the debate on universal health care and the health care crisis in America by reading these blogs.

51. In America, No One Should Go Without Health Care: Get the facts about America's health care system here, while you watch videos, get news from the AFL-CIO, and learn about health care reform.
52. We Don't Need Insurance, We Need Guaranteed Health Care: Learn about which candidates and sponsors support universal health care, read analysis and articles by nurses and other medical professionals, and more.
53. Health Care for All: The Campaign for America's Future network publishes posts from various authors who write about health care reform and the American health care industry.
54. Coverage for All: This site, from the Foundation for Health Coverage Education, shares information about different health coverage programs, news reports about health care policies and insurance, and more.
55. Common Health: The articles on this blog discuss coverage, cost, health care reform and related topics.

Nursing, Physicians and Hospitals

For insight into how nurses and doctors view health care policies, turn to these blogs.

56. Hospital Impact: This blogger asks, "what will it take for our hospitals to be the best run organizations on the face of the planet?"
57. Nick's Blog: The President and CEO of Windber Research Institute and Windber Medical Center blogs about quality of care, hospital bullies, Medicare and more.
58. Wachter's World: Get an inside look at hospitals' efforts to promote quality, patient safety and efficiency.
59. Healthcare Collaboration: Read about the campaign to improve doctor-hospital relations here.
60. Our Own System: This blog considers why the nursing shortage is so dangerous to the health care system.

Official Organizations

Visit the blogs from official health care policy organizations like The Policy Journal of the Health Sphere.

61. SCOTUS Blog: Keep track of any health care policy cases that make it to the Supreme
Court by checking this blog.
62. Health Affairs: This is the blog for The Policy Journal of the Health Sphere. Recent posts
tackle HIV/AIDS outbreaks in India and China, recipients of government health care
spending, and the business of health care.

Medicare/Medicaid

Older patients and those helping to take care of elderly friends and family members can learn about the confusing Medicare and Medicaid policies here.

63. Piper Report: Learn all about Medicare and Medicaid here.
64. Medicare News Blog: Read up on Medicare coverage and cases in hospitals and hospice.
65. Medicare Part D Blog: Find out what drugs are covered and which are not, tips on
enrollment, and more.
66. Florida Medicaid: Subscribe to this feed to get updates and reports about Medicaid.
67. Hospice Blog: Hospice Blog frequently brings Medicare and Medicaid discussions to the
table.

Health Insurance and Coverage

Learn more about the health insurance crisis by reading these blogs.

68. InsureBlog: Gain insight into the world of health insurance, health savings accounts and
more in this blog.
69. Workers Comp Insider: Learn about the policies, risks and business associated with workers
comp by reading this blog.
70. RiskProf: Get the lowdown on which laws and issues affect health insurance and liability.
71. Managed Care Matters: Managed Care Matters explores health care policy, insurance trends,
medical research and more to make sense of the insurance mess.
72. Insurance Industry Blog: This is the blog for the Insurance Information Institute, and
visitors will learn about health education, technology and other issues that affect insurance.
73. The New Health Dialogue: This blog tackles health insurance coverage, health care plans, and
the quality of health care.
74. Speaking of Outreach: Learn about dental insurance, health care reform, subsidized heatlh
care and other health policy issues here.
75. Health Insurance Blog: Learn about insurance reform, state legislation, and other health care
issues in this blog.
76. Health Insurance Blog: About.com's Kelly Montgomery shares her knowledge about
navigating health insurance reform, claims disputes, policies, confusing terms and more.
77. The Coverage Corner: Learn about discounts, local and state campaigns to make health
insurance more accessible, and insurance technology.

Sexual Health

From birth control to abortions to AIDS and STDs, sexual health policy is a major issue today.

78. Sexual Health: Sex Matters: WebMD's Dr. Louanne Cole Weston answers all kinds of sex
questions here.
79. Men's Sexual Health Blog: Get reports on research studies, legislation and other sexual
health issues for men.
80. Kinsey Confidential: Learn about sex education programs, sex health policy, pregnancy,
contraception and more here.
81. The Women's Sexual Health Foundation Blog: Get the lowdown on new sexual health meds,
pelvic fitness and more.
82. Birth Control Buzz: Read about adenomyosis, babies by design, eco-friendly birth control and
more topics about birth control.
83. Birth Control Watch: This pro-choice blog tracks legislation, campaigns, and news about all
types of birth control.
84. National Abortion Federation Blog: Learn about lawsuits, abortion cases and state and
federal legislation about abortion on this blog.

Public Health

These blogs feature articles about everything dealing with public health, including the FDA and the tobacco industry.

85. Dr. Buttery's Public Health Blog: Recent posts cover the FDA, chronic diseases, health
insurance and sex education.
86. Genetics and Health: Learn more about genetics and diseases here.
87. Health Mongers: This student-led blog tackles topics like research, public health reform, and
more.
88. The Rest of the Story: Tobacco News Analysis and Commentary: Learn all about the tobacco
industry and how it relates to public health.
89. Stayin' Alive: Join in the "discussion of public health and health care policy, from a public
health perspective" by reading, commenting and writing to Congress, as the blog encourages.
90. Impact Analysis: Read analysis about environmental health here.
91. U.S. Food Policy: Understand how organic living, the economy and U.S. food policies also
affect public health.

General Health Policy and Reform

Discover what these bloggers are doing to improve the health care industry.

92. Health Wonk Review: Visit this site to get summaries and analyses of stories posted on all the other health care policy blogs.
93. DB's Medical Rants: Read this professional's rants and reviews of the health care system.
94. Retired Doc's Thoughts: This retired doctor shares his thoughts and insight on health policy, government interference, pharmaceuticals and more.
95. Let's Talk Health Care: This online community is run by Charlie Baker, President and CEO of Harvard Pilgrim. In his blog, Baker discusses health care quality, cost effectiveness, reform, coverage, alternative medicine and Medicare.
96. Change Now 4 Health: This network encourages readers and members to "help fix the health care system" through innovation.
97. Future Healthcare: To get the most out of this website, choose a focus area like patient safety, future surgery, IT security or supply chain management.
98. PHMI Blog: Partners Harvard Medical International's blog covers all kinds of health news and policy updates.
99. The Alan Katz Health Care Reform Blog: Katz, a former president of the National Association of Health Underwriters and the California Association of Health Underwriters blogs about health care reform.
100. AFL-CIO NOW Blog: This blog often covers public health issues and health care reform.

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Top 10 Reasons to Smile

Smiling is a great way to make yourself stand out while helping your body to function better. Smile to improve your health, your stress level, and your attractiveness. Smiling is just one fun way to live longer read about the others and try as many as you can.

Note: Stay up-to-date on longevity and anti-aging with my weekly newsletter.
1. Smiling Makes Us Attractive
We are drawn to people who smile. There is an attraction factor. We want to know a smiling person and figure out what is so good. Frowns, scowls and grimaces all push people away -- but a smile draws them in.
2. Smiling Changes Our Mood
Next time you are feeling down, try putting on a smile. There's a good chance you mood will change for the better. Smiling can trick the body into helping you change your mood.

3. Smiling Is Contagious
When someone is smiling they lighten up the room, change the moods of others, and make things happier. A smiling person brings happiness with them. Smile lots and you will draw people to you.
4. Smiling Relieves Stress
Stress can really show up in our faces. Smiling helps to prevent us from looking tired, worn down, and overwhelmed. When you are stressed, take time to put on a smile. The stress should be reduced and you'll be better able to take action.
5. Smiling Boosts Your Immune System
Smiling helps the immune system to work better. When you smile, immune function improves possibly because you are more relaxed. Prevent the flu and colds by smiling.
6. Smiling Lowers Your Blood Pressure
When you smile, there is a measurable reduction in your blood pressure. Give it a try if you have a blood pressure monitor at home. Sit for a few minutes, take a reading. Then smile for a minute and take another reading while still smiling. Do you notice a difference?
7. Smiling Releases Endorphins, Natural Pain Killers and Serotonin
Studies have shown that smiling releases endorphins, natural pain killers, and serotonin. Together these three make us feel good. Smiling is a natural drug.
8. Smiling Lifts the Face and Makes You Look Younger
The muscles we use to smile lift the face, making a person appear younger. Don't go for a face lift, just try smiling your way through the day -- you'll look younger and feel better.
9. Smiling Makes You Seem Successful
Smiling people appear more confident, are more likely to be promoted, and more likely to be approached. Put on a smile at meetings and appointments and people will react to you differently.
10. Smiling Helps You Stay Positive
Try this test: Smile. Now try to think of something negative without losing the smile. It's hard. When we smile our body is sending the rest of us a message that "Life is Good!" Stay away from depression, stress and worry by smiling.
More Fun Ways to Live Longer

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WHAT'S THE BEST METAL DETECTOR

Thoughts on equipment selection from a national expert!

Each and every day I am asked -- "Tell me which detector is the best detector made?" I think that is a fair question, considering that when people buy a metal detector, they will be spending considerably more than $1.98! There is, however, a basic flaw in the question. The question should be modified to ask "Tell me which is the best detector for me?" This last question is best answered with a series of questions.


Have you ever used a detector before? If this is a first detector for you, then you should consider your usual purchasing habits as they relate to other items. Do you generally buy top of the line products with a lot of features, or do you like simplicity? A good example might be a camera. Do you like a "point and shoot" type, or do you like to be able to make a lot of adjustments? Think of this when looking at detectors.

How much money have you budgeted for this detector and how much time do you expect to devote to this sport? These two issues should be considered together. If you plan to detect many hours a week, you probably will want to have a detector with more electronic features than if you plan to spend an occasional few hours at the shore or in a park. The price of a metal detector will increase in relationship to the number of features it has. You can have a lot of fun with a basic detector but, if you expect extensive use and don't get enough features in your detector, you will be out shopping again before you know it.

Have you considered the cost of the accessory equipment you will need for use along with it? Aside from the price of the detector, you will need to buy some of the following items, such as a headphone with volume controls, trowels, beach scoops, a coil cover and a detector bag. Good headphones are especially important since they extend the sound of the signal, make your detector's batteries last longer, and keep the beeping from annoying others. There is no better, nor more comfortable metal detecting headphone than the Depthmaster Superphone.

Where do you plan to use this detector? There are different types of detectors for coins and jewelry, for relics, for prospecting and for use in the water. Some detectors can overlap in their application, but generally they are special purpose.

Nowadays, the most common type of detector purchased is a general purpose coin, jewelry, and relic detector. This will have a discrimination adjustment and sensitivity control at the very least. All detectors have waterproof coils. (But remember, if you fall into the drink with a land detector, you're out of luck!) Additional features, may include various types of meter displays, a manual ground balancing adjustment and more sophisticated discrimination adjustments called "notch." Some detectors may be micro-processor controlled.

There are detectors which are intended primarily for use at the shore or in the water. This type of detector will not have a meter display and targets will be found via the audio signal. This allows fewer openings in the control box, because the most important fact of life in a beach detector is that it doesn't leak!

Detectors intended for prospecting gold or silver frequently will have no discrimination and always require manual ground balancing or ground tracking for best results. The frequencies of these detectors are the most appropriate for locating precious metal ores. If you want to have a dual purpose prospecting/coin shooting detector, look for a prospecting detector with discrimination.

There is one other type of detector which is used for extreme depth situations. These are called "two box detectors" and they have limited general purpose use. Detectorists who use this type of equipment are looking for a cache, veins of ore, or pipes or cables.

What kind of physical shape are you in? Metal detectors can have very different configurations, and can therefore be a different physical experience for each person. Some detectors can be taken off the pole, and hung from the waist or other parts of the body, while others cannot. Some people prefer a good hefty solid feel to their detector, and some look for the lightest weight possible. What is best for your friend, may in fact be totally inappropriate for you. Remember to think about how you will feel after several hours of metal detecting.

Investigate new detectors before you assume that the purchase of an older used detector is a good deal. You may be pleasantly surprised at the many features new entry level detectors have for a very reasonable price. You don't want to end up with someone else's castoff if you could have a new detector for a comparable price.
While you are agonizing over the selection of a detector, the following fact should be kept in mind. Don't worry too much. If it turns out you like the activity and get "hooked," the first detector you purchase will not be your last!

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