Healthereum – a New Incentive for Healthy Behaviors
When I was a kid, I used to get a lollipop for going to the doctors’ office. Nowadays, I get a copay. How would you like to return go the time of be rewarded for going to your appointments? And I’m not talking lollipops. The health care startup Healthereum is looking to utilize blockchain technology to do just that.
Healtherium Life Portfolio aka HELIOS is creating a rewards system for patients making appointments, finishing surveys, completing tasks, and so on. As a patient completes a task, they’re rewarded with digital tokens that can be traded back in to the provider. The provider is empowered to determine exactly what these tokens are worth. It reminds me a lot of the arcades where you win tickets that you can trade in for prizes. Except ideally these prizes are worth a lot more then the pencil eraser I’d usually wind up with.
You’d be totally forgiven if you were in a rush to dismiss Healthereum after hearing the words ‘blockchain’, ‘startup’, and ‘digital token’. However, the development team isn’t your run-of-the-mill garage hackers. Founded by experienced physicians and software engineers and advised by industry experts and executive business leaders, HELIOS brings a significant amount of expertise to the fore. This team behind Healtherium, has also developed a number of other extremely impressive products.
HELIOS is one of the latest examples in a trend towards incentivizing patient compliance and behavioral interventions. Research done into the behavioral science aspects of incentivizing care shows that it can often result in improved compliance. HELIOS looks exciting and it’ll be great to watch the development of the product to see how practices implement it.
In regards to of the larger field of incentivizing compliance, this writer has some concerns regarding the ethics of such systems. No one likes feeling manipulated or strong-armed into doing things. Such systems also need to consider issues of accessibility. A 20-something software engineer might know how to fully take advantage of something like a digital reward, but a retiree who doesn’t own a PC might have some trouble fully utilizing it and thus may be left out of savings. We absolutely don’t want to leave our vulnerable populations behind as we modernize care.
Oh Boy, people sure have created some WEIRD diets in order to lose weight. We look at 6 of the strangest diets that people actually thought would work! Suffice to say all of these diets are BAD IDEAS and you shouldn’t try them…
Once you start thinking about wanting to lose weight, you’re faced with a scary task. How do you make sense of all the conflicting information out there? April 2019 is our month of weight loss and obesity education! We’ll be examining diet plans, work-out plans, nutrition, weight-loss groups, the science of obesity and weight-loss, and even some things you can do to make money for losing weight!
Weird Diet #1 – The Tapeworm Diet
The perfect weird diet for crazy people and parasite lovers. Who writes down ‘Infect Self with Tape Worm’ when trying to figure out how to lose weight? Suffice to say, this is a bad bad bad idea.
Buy hey, on the plus side, hey at least you get a free low-maintenance pet!
Weird Diet #2 – The Cigarette Diet
For an unlimited time, this diet comes with a free side of lung cancer!
Weird Diet #3 – The Air Diet –
Also known in some circles as starving yourself. The air diet is a dumb and dangerous approach to weight loss. Basically you pretend to eat food, but really only drink salt water. Do you really need a doctor to tell you how dumb this idea is? This worst part… unlike most of the other diets on here, this one is pretty recent.
On second thought… maybe I should start one of those meal box plans. For only $20 a month you get 4 weeks of empty boxes. Bon appetite!
This diet was all about chewing your food excessively and then spitting out the pulpy mush still left.
The diet’s founder even had specific rules about how many times to chew each type of food. Out of all the weird diets, this one has a grain of good advice in it. Eating slower is a good idea. I mean, chewing your french fries 900 times won’t help you lose weight, but being more mindful about eating is always a good idea!
Weird Diet #5 – Cotton Balls?
“So what’s for dinner tonight?”
“I was thinking of having cotton balls.”
“Yum, that sounds great! I’ll have some too.” So with this diet you dip the cotton ball into a liquid and eat it. Probably one of the dumbest things you can do with a cotton ball (That’s not a challenge!)
Also, this another recent diet that breaks my historical diet rule. Sure makes that chewing diet look pretty smart in comparison!
Yeah I’m sure poisoning yourself will help you lose some weight. Why don’t you just hack off a leg while your at it. That’ll help you drop a few pounds. This item on the list of weird diets is thankfully harder to obtain now we don’t put arsenic in our diet drugs.
Look, there’s no shortcuts to losing weight. I wish there were! Fad diet of today, become the material for comical posts tomorrow. What’s no joke is the impact that being overweight has on your health and well-being. If you’re interested in learning about the quickest way to lose weight you should talk to your doctor, read our article, and do your research! Also, carefully crafted diet plans like those offered by BistroMD or created by a nutritionist bolster your chances for your weight loss goals.
12 Key Facts About the Quickest Way to Lose Weight!
Once you start thinking about wanting to lose weight, you’re faced with a scary task. How do you make sense of all the conflicting information out there? April 2019 is our month of weight loss and obesity education! We’ll be examining diet plans, work-out plans, nutrition, weight-loss groups, the science of obesity and weight-loss, and even some things you can do to make money for losing weight!
We’ve identified 12 key facts you need to know if you want to find the quickest way to lose weight. Trying to figure out the quickest way to lose weight without understanding the basics, is like trying to find the fastest way home when you’re already lost.
Being confused by how to lose weight is normal. Don’t worry, weight loss is confusing and you’re not alone. In a recent post we talked about the importance of losing weight, and how expensive it could be. However, actually losing weight can be dauntingly intimidating. When I was younger it felt simple, eat less and exercise more. Ok, to be honest, when I was younger, I had the metabolism of a humming bird and probably couldn’t gain five pounds if I ate fast food for every meal. Those days are long long gone.
Affiliate Disclaimer – This post highlights one of our affiliates – BistroMD. If you decide to purchase from them, Thrifty Patient may make some money. FYI, our affiliate policy is very strict, and we turn down partnerships that don’t meet our high health, ethical, social, and savings standards.
1. Know Your BMI
The very first piece of information you should understand is your BMI, or Body Mass Index. This will tell you if you fall into an underweight, normal, overweight, or obese category.
Why is this Important?: Trying to lose weight without knowing your BMI is trying to tell how much fuel is in your car without looking at the fuel gauge. It’s all just a guess until you take a look at the number!
2. Know That 1 Pound = 3500 Calories
There are 3500 calories (or kilocalories) in a pound. Unfortunately losing a pound isn’t as simple as just dropping 3500 calories. Among other things, you should also know what your estimated calorie count should be.
Why is this Important?: Calories are an important bridge between our food and our weight. It’s not the whole story, but an important piece in weight loss.
3. Know That Shortcuts, Fad Diets, Starvation and Exercise Alone Isn’t Enough!
The quickest way to lose weight is not by taking a shortcut. Also, sadly, exercise alone isn’t enough. Don’t get me wrong, the right diet, cutting down on calories, and exercising are all important. Remember, a short-term, weight-loss shortcut isn’t going to give you the lasting lasting weight-loss results you want. It’s better to make small improvements over a longer period of time.
Why is this Important?: A lot of companies will pray on people who equate weight loss with exercise or radical diets. Yet the science shows that exercise alone isn’t enough. And some of those fad diets can be questionable!
This leads us to one of the reasons we like BistroMD so much. They provide to scientifically-proven and nutritionally balanced meals.
Remember, a short-term, weight-loss shortcut isn’t going to give you the lasting lasting weight-loss results you want. It’s better to make small improvements over a longer period of time.
4. Know That It’s Not Just What You Eat!
We like to think in simple terms. I’m overweight because I eat too much. If I eat less, I’ll lose weight. This misunderstanding is probably the most important fact you need to know if you want to discover the quickest way to lose weight.
The science of food, eating, and weight loss is fairly complex. Our bodies sense if we’re not getting activity. They treat different kinds of food differently! They are regulated by complex hunger hormones and are sensitive to chronic illness and disease.
Why is this Important?: Two reasons. First of all, this fact reminds us to resist the urge to oversimplify. Second, as the saying goes ‘know thyself’. It’s always important to talk to your doctor before starting any weight loss plan. They can help you identify if you have any health concerns that’ll derail your plans!
This is another area where BistroMD really shines. Their meal plans take a complex look at nutrition and dietary needs.
5. Know How to be Mindful When Eating
How much time do you spend eating? Do you rush through your meals, like a job to be done? Do you actually take the time to experience your meals or are you too busy thinking of the next thing you need to do?
Why is this Important?: The quickest way to lose weight involves thinking about eating and dieting as an experience that involves our mind, body, social connections, and spirit. Click here to learn more about mindful eating.
6. Know Calories in < Calories Out… but…
As you learn more about dieting, don’t forget the basic mantra “Calories in should be less than calories out”. What does this mean? To lose weight, the amount you’re eating in calories should be less then the energy you’re burning and the exercise you’re doing. Remember you need to burn off 3500 calories to lose a pound. However… this doesn’t paint the whole picture. As we’ve stated earlier, it’s tempting to oversimplify and treat all calories the same. It’s obvious that 2000 calories of carrots and 2000 calories of donuts should be treated differently.
Why is this Important?: This is important to keep in mind as a general rule. But we should also be aware of its limitations. If we can be sharp enough to keep track of our calorie intake / output and wise enough to know not all calories are created equal, then we’ve taken a mighty leap along the quickest way to lose weight.
7. Know That Calorie Quality Matters
This point is worth repeating twice. Not all calories are created equal, and calorie quality matters! Harvard Medical school has a great article that talks about how not all calories are created equal. Another benefit of the BistroMD meal plans is that they’ve created meals that already take this into account. With BistroMD your meals are custom designed by registered dietitians. Take advantage of BistroMD and get 25% and Free Shipping.
Why is this Important?: If you’re serious about losing weight, self-sabotage is going to be a daily problem. It’s very easy to fool yourself into thinking that a few hundred calories from a drink, or some fast food are just like any other calories.
8. Know That Weight Loss Requires a Whole-Body View
We don’t eat just because we’re hungry. People eat when stressed, they associate food with happy times and sad times. Can you think of a food you hated or loved eating when growing up? Do you still avoid / crave those foods now? We naturally attach psychological and social events to eating. Here’s an article from the Cleveland Clinic about the roles food plays in our lives and strategies to address the psychological aspects of food.
Why is this Important?: Dieting without anticipating the psychological or social impact creates needless barriers to success. Diets often fail, and not knowing of that failure is due to a physical, social, or a psychological barrier sets you up for future failures.
9. Know That With Plans, One Size DOES NOT Fit All
There is no one right plan or path to weight loss. You’ll read reports about diets like the Atkin’s diet and the Keto diet or about plans like BistroMD or Weight Watchers. Many people will claim that each plan is the quickest way to lose weight. But, always keep in mind that what works for others, might not work for you – and that’s fine! One of the reasons we like BistroMD is because it offers so many choices. They work to reduce the chance of failure by working with you to find a program that works the best for you.
Why is this Important?: Keep in mind that the quickest way to lose weight for OTHERS might not be the quickest path for YOU.
10. Know About Decision Paralysis
Talk About Too Many Choices!!
Decision paralysis is when you have so many options it’s hard to pick one – so you don’t pick any and postpone, or you pick them all and don’t get anywhere. There are so many diet options out there! Many will promise to be the quickest way to lose weight. Each will have true believers, heaps of evidence, and tons of success stories. This leads to an interesting problem. Which do you pick? Are you easily distracted and try every new diet?
Why is this Important?: Keep in mind that the quickest way to lose weight for OTHERS might not be the quickest path for YOU. Being aware of decision paralysis sets you up to create a plan to avoid it.
11. Know How to Identify Points of Failure!
Your weight loss plans are only as good as its weakest link. Do you drive past your favorite fast food place on the way to work? Are you trying to eat vegan but hate carrots? Are you starting your diet up at the same time a big audit is going on at work?
Why is this Important?: Stressors don’t make it impossible to diet, in fact if you can identify and get in front of problems, your chances of success will go way up!
12. Know When to Seek Out Support
No One is An Island
There may be times when you hit a wall, or need advice on how to make your diet work. If you’re serious about losing weight, consider seeking out help. The quickest way to lose weight is through the hard-learned lessons of others.
Breaking News: Monthly Cigna Insulin Costs now Capped at $25.00!
Today Cigna and Express scripts took a major step towards driving down the price of insulin for everyday patients. Studies by groups like the American Diabetes Association that insulin prices are rising and people are cutting back due to affordability. For a chronic disease that costs the US more than 300 billion dollars yearly, highly priced insulin is as unethical as it is unaffordable. Insulin is a required drug needed to manage blood sugar levels. Without insulin, the consequences can be life-threatening. In fact, before the discovery of insulin, diabetes was a fatal disease.
Sadly, for many people the cost of insulin can be the difference between if they are treating their disease or just hoping it doesn’t get worse. Insulin too is only part of the problem. Since diabetes is a chronic disease, the cost of testing strips, meters, and regular blood work can be both financially and emotionally draining. With this Cigna insulin Patient Assurance Program, at least one of these factors is being addressed.
Cigna, Insulin, & Express Scripts
Cigna, working with Express Scripts has just announced a new capped price for monthly insulin. For participating Cigna plans, the Cigna Insulin Patient Assurance Program works by bumping down your copay. According to Cigna, this results in an average cost drop from $41.50 for a 30-day supply to $25.00 for that same 30-day supply. All of the savings works out to to about $200.00 a year. Taking into account that Diabetes is a life-long, chronic condition this could result in thousands of dollars in savings.
Who Benefits the Most from The Cigna Insulin Plan?
Everyone who needs insulin should benefit from lower prices offered by the Patient Assurance Program. By the way the press release was worded, certain plans may already be paying less then $25 for a month’s supply of Cigna insulin. People expected to see the biggest benefit will be those on a limited incomes, people who are on high-deductible plans (who may be paying premiums for prescriptions), and people who have been forced to cut back on their insulin due to financial constraints.
How Do I Take Advantage of the Patient Assurance Program?
First, you need to be a Cigna member. At the time of this writing open enrollment is currently closed and will reopen this year from Nov. 1st 2019 to Dec., 15th 2019. There are some circumstances which may allow you to sign up now, you should read about them on Cigna’s website or talk to one of their service representatives (click here).
If you are a member and interested in learning more about the Patient Assurance Program, I’d recommend calling Cigna directly or visiting their website.
Cigna indicates in their press release that they’ll “be activating this new program for participating plans by moving covered insulin products to a lower copay.” You may still want to call to make sure everything is going as planned and to learn when your lower costs will be reflected in your bills.
History of Eli Lilly & Discovery of Insulin
Want to learn more about, arguably, the greatest medical discovery of the 20th Century? Pick up a copy of Michael Bliss’ The Discovery of Insulin
