Japan’s overcrowded, understaffed hospitals are in danger – and so are the people who rely on those hospitals when they need emergency medical care. An elderly Japanese man who sustained head injuries after being struck by a motorcycle waited ninety minutes in an ambulance – while paramedics phoned fourteen different Tokyo hospitals, trying to find a hospital that would accept the man for treatment. All the hospitals refused to admit the injured man, saying they lacked the equipment and staff needed to treat him. The paramedics arrived at the accident site just a few minutes after the 69-year-old man was injured, but ninety minutes and fourteen hospitals later, the man died just a short time after paramedics finally located a hospital that would accept him for treatment. The man died from the shock caused by the loss of a large amount of blood – a condition which the man might have survived if he had received treatment earlier.

Stretching the Health Care System

This incident is only the latest in a list of recent cases occurring in Japan, where the emergency healthcare system is stretched thin due to staff shortages and the medical needs of an aging population. According to Japanese Health Minister Yoichi Masuzoe, the rapidly increasing number of elderly patients is a large part of the problem, with hospitals so full that there just isn’t room for emergency patients. While this particular incident clearly highlights the problems for Japan’s overburdened healthcare system, it is by no means an isolated occurrence. In 2007, more than fourteen thousand emergency patients were rejected three or more times by overcrowded hospitals before finally receiving treatment. The worst case so far was that of a woman who was rejected 49 times before finally receiving emergency treatment for breathing difficulties. Another high profile case, that of a pregnant woman who died eight days after being refused admission by nineteen different hospitals, finally prompted the government to establish a panel to investigate the issue.

What Tokyo is Doing to Change Things

Following the most recent incident, the city of Tokyo issued a directive that requires paramedics to coordinate with emergency call centers so that emergency patients can be accepted to a hospital within fifteen minutes. However, this doesn’t solve the most pressing problem of hospital overcrowding. Health Minister Yoichi Masuzoe has urged that the government develop a community support system to reduce the burden placed on hospitals. The Japanese government has also announced plans to improve coordination between hospitals and the emergency support system, and to increase doctor numbers in understaffed hospitals.

photo credit: udono

According to recent figures released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 148,000 Americans lost their jobs in the financial sector alone. Regardless of the industry in which they work, many of those who have found themselves out of work as a result of the economic crisis haven’t only lost their jobs – they have also lost their healthcare.

What do you do if you find yourself in this position? It’s tempting to go without – it’s one more expense at a time when you can least afford it. But without healthcare coverage, you can’t afford to become sick or injured, either. So what are your healthcare and coverage options if you lose your job?

Are you Eligible for Coverage through COBRA?

The Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) can be a good solution if you want to keep your employer-sponsored healthcare after your employment is terminated. However, there are some potential pitfalls to be aware of.

The most significant is that if you want to continue with your employer-sponsored healthcare, you’ll be paying not only your share of the cost, but your employer’s, too. Depending on your family status and other factors, you could end up having to pay three to four times the amount you’re used to.

Other potential problems involve eligibility requirements – COBRA is only available to employees of firms with twenty or more employees. Another future issue is that if the company is dissolved as a result of bankruptcy, COBRA protection may terminate automatically.

Other Coverage Options and Plans

If COBRA isn’t an option for you, it’s likely you’ll have to investigate individual health plans if you want some form of healthcare coverage. But if you do go this route it’s important to remember you have alternatives within this category.

• If you’re optimistic about your employment prospects, consider a short-term policy. Many carriers offer plans of one to six months, and some allow extensions when the initial period expires. However, most short-term plans don’t cover preventative healthcare, and deductibles tend to run high.
• Consider obtaining coverage through your spouse’s employer. Depending on company policy, you may or may not be eligible – if not, you may have to wait until the open enrollment period before you’re eligible for spousal coverage.
• Professional or membership organizations such as AARP can also provide healthcare coverage if you’re really stuck. But remember to investigate quotes thoroughly to make sure you’re getting a good deal.

photo credit: woodleywonderworks

Who’s at Risk for DNA Damage Due to Smoking?

People who began smoking at an early age are especially at risk for MSI. Studies have shown that people who have stopped smoking for 15 years had a reduction in their chances of getting MSI, which shows to prove that quitting smoking is the best option for your health. People who have developed MSI are said to be twice as likely to be diagnosed with colon cancer (even more so with those who have inherited flaws in their genes). Only about 2-5% of colon cancer cases involve inherited genetic malfunctions, while 15% of colon cancer tumor cases involve MSI.

Older women who smoke are also at great risk of getting colorectal cancers due to damaged DNA. When your DNA is damaged, it is unable to help your body fight against harmful tumor growths that later develop into cancer. Without the DNA repair proteins, the body is left defenseless.

How Many Tumors are Linked to Smoking?

With research studies conducted, it is known that continuous smoking habits can cause inheritance of flawed genes that can later promote tumor growths. Most of the studies support the idea of tobacco being strongly linked with cancers that involve MSI. A projection was given that 21% of MSI colon tumors are caused by smoking cigarettes.

Recent studies have also shown that other lifestyle choices can too have an impact on the development of MSI. Smokers who consume fried foods and red meats are at even higher risk of developing it and colon cancer (increased 3-fold). Those who smoked tobacco and consumed red meat cooked very well-done were increased 2-fold.

Creative Commons License photo credit: tosaytheleast