DR. STEPHEN J. WOHAR
HEALTH & WELLNESS LETTER
A newsletter for the patients of Dr. Wohar
727 Route 481 Monongahela, PA 15063
Phone: (724) 258-3371 · Fax: (724) 258-3374
Website: www.drstevewohar.com
Email: drwohar@verizon.net
Office Hours: Mon. 9am-5pm Tues. 3:30pm-8:30pm Wed. 10:15am-2pm
Thurs. 3:30pm-8:30pm Fri. 9am-4pm Sat. 8am-12pm
July 2010
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Weighing In On The Health Care Debate
The government majority found a way to pass their health care reform bill. Some aspects of it appear positive. Others do not. All big undertakings are usually surrounded by controversy. This is no exception.
I am NOT in favor of government-controlled healthcare. I am not a big fan of insurance companies either. The abuses of these companies have led, in my opinion, to the predicament we are now in. If you read further on in this newsletter, you will see that we are in the process of dropping out of Aetna due to their abuses. Something NEEDS to be done to regulate insurance companies.
I am in favor of government keeping them in check. Power corrupts. Insurance companies are making gigantic profits while reducing benefits and increasing out-of-pocket expenses for Americans. Dependent children—like my daughter Stephanie (age 19)—are forced off their parent’s insurance plans and must get their own. That, at least, will change if the health care bill is not repealed. That is a good thing.
Pre-existing condition clauses are out-of-control, too. Although insurance companies argue it would reduce their profits to remove them, it’s not right that they want to collect our premiums only when we are okay but, exclude us if we have health conditions. The new legislation addresses this problem too. THAT is another good thing.
However, whereas power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely. That is how the saying goes, at least. I believe it. The government can make laws, regulating insurance companies, which look out for the common good. This is a good check-and-balance setup. But if the government has full control of healthcare and IT is corrupt—which many of us believe it is—who will put a check on IT when there is abuse? According to the American Constitution, the will of the people and our freedom to elect new leaders provides restraint on unbridled government. However, the boldness of the government in passing the recent healthcare bill despite the wishes of the majority of us, gives me cause for concern.
So there’s my 2 cents. In the upcoming election, I will vote for candidates who acknowledge that we DO have a problem and need positive reform. But not for any candidate who would like to move us away from our democratic freedoms as Americans and into a socialistic government-run system. I hope many of you will agree and do the same.
Respectfully,
Dr. Wohar
OFFICE NEWS
Office Will Be Closed July 22nd thru July 28th
I will be on vacation from Thursday July 22nd, through Wednesday July 28th. Regular office hours will resume on Thursday, July 29th at 3:30 pm.
I will be going to Iowa to visit my daughter, Stephanie. Many of you remember her from the office and still ask about her. She is performing in a childrens’ theatre at a resort in northwestern Iowa. She is having a very positive experience, despite being frightened by the all-too-frequent tornado warnings. Our high Pennsylvania Mountains shield us, for the most part!
If you need to be seen while I am away, I am recommending that you call my brother, Dr. John Wohar, in Monessen at 724-684-4551. With your permission, Chris can fax him your recent office notes so he knows your recent history and care. You, certainly, may call any other chiropractor of your choice or proceed to your preferred hospital’s ER.
Chris will be checking the office messages while I am away. Please feel free to leave a message and she will return them as soon as she can.
Office Closed August 13th and August 14th
I will be attending a seminar on “Enzymes” in Virginia from Friday, August 13th thru Sunday, August 15th. My wife and I have taken enzymes daily for years and believe they are vitally important to maintain good health. This seminar will, hopefully, further my understanding of the proper and practical use of enzymes.
New Office Assistant In August
You are probably trying to keep track of all the new faces in the office this past year. It has certainly been a revolving door since Chris took leave in May 2009!
Susan graciously filled in from August 2009 thru April 30th 2009. She left for a full-time position. It was a pleasure having her here for a while. We wish her the best in her new job.
Luann works on Saturday mornings and will often substitute on other days.
Chris returned to her post in December 2009. She currently works Wednesdays and Fridays. She is back in charge of insurance and billing again as well. She is best able to help with your questions and concerns in those departments.
My niece, Maria, has been working Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays since mid-May. Her father is a chiropractor in Monessen. She has a great interest in and appreciation for chiropractic. It is a pleasure having her here. She will be leaving the office at the end of July. I will miss having her fun personality and positive attitude around the office!
We will have a new, permanent, part-time assistant in the office in August. Hopefully, that will end this parade of new faces and let you know who to expect when you come in!
Thank you for your patience and understanding over the past year. It was inevitable there would be some mishaps. And there were. I apologize for those. We are working to restore a smooth order around here again.
Music Survey
THANK YOU to all who participated in our music survey. We are trying to update the office environment. Our preliminary tally of the surveys, however, shows a very wide range of preferences. We look for music that is positive, relaxing and yet, not so boring to put you to sleep!
We will be adding new music over the next few months. I had to tell Chris sorry, but Adam Ant just won’t work in the office!
INSURANCE NEWS
Dr. Wohar Dropping Out of Aetna
I have provided notice to Aetna that I am dropping out of their network as soon as my contract with them allows. We will inform those of you who have Aetna when this will go into effect, as soon as we finalize this with them.
I try to participate in networks to help you optimize your health insurance benefits. However, I cannot afford to be an in-network chiropractor with them. Our typical, uncomplicated, office visit fee is $40. This is necessary to keep the office in operation. Aetna allows $17 for most visits, $23 for more comprehensive visits. Of this, you pay $15. That means they pay either $2 or $8 for your visit and we have to write off $17 to $23! On top of that, they require more paperwork than most insurance plans. Doctors’ fees are usually decided by what are deemed USUAL, CUSTOMARY, and REASONABLE for an area. Aetna’s reimbursements do not meet any of those criteria.
Although this office will no longer be in-network, you may still receive some benefits from your Aetna insurance. And if you have an Aetna HMO with no out-of-network coverage, you may still continue in our office, if you choose to. You would be solely responsible for your care.
Multiple Copays
This continues to be the most confusing issue with insurance. We all wish it was simple, like it used to be. 20 years ago, almost everyone had a $100 deductible. Once you paid that, your insurance paid 80% of additional charges and you paid the remaining 20%. Those days are gone.
Insurance plans have created a dizzying array of coverage packages. In an attempt to keep this simple, I will stay focused on multiple copays.
Some plans have no copays; others require only one copay, no matter your condition or treatment. Then there are those plans which may involve multiple copays. Unfortunately, they don’t spell it out to you when you enroll. It is hard to tell from your insurance card if you have multiple copays. It may appear you only have one. The only way to know is to research your benefits online, call member services, or contact us.
Here are some general guidelines that may tip you off to the possibility of 2 copays for a visit:
It gets even more involved than that!
Know that you still benefit from being able to treat different problems in one stop. The alternatives are seeing different doctors for each condition or, treating separate complaints on separate visits. These would usually still involve 2 copays in the end.
“Sleep Away the Pounds”
That is the name of a book I just finished reading. Very interesting.
Columbia University studied the sleep habits of 3,682 people. They noticed a very clear pattern between the number of hours of sleep and being overweight. Here’s what they found:
In addition, numerous other studies report that “reducing sleep to 6 ½ or fewer hours per night causes potentially harmful metabolic, hormonal, and immune changes that can lead to illnesses and disease such as cancer, diabetes, obesity, and heart disease.”
I have tried, unsuccessfully, for years, to get 7 or more hours of sleep at night. Like many of you, I find there is simply too much to do. But this book has me thinking I need to place a higher priority on sleep. Sleep deprivation alone can sabotage our health and weight loss goals—despite regular exercise and a healthy diet.
Here are some suggestions for better sleep:
The book I mentioned is on the waiting room bookshelf, for you to browse. You may decide to get your own copy. I found the book very informative and interesting.
Good luck and happy slumbers…
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Why do my problems come back?
Q: Yes, I feel much better when I get adjusted, but why do my same problems seem to return again over time?
A: This is a very common and reasonable question I hear in the office. While there are several explanations for why your condition comes back, here are 3 of the most common:
1) SCAR TISSUE
Any “soft tissue” (ligaments, muscles, skin), injury heals with scar tissue. It is a generic patch-up tissue the body uses. While it helps repair damaged areas, it is not the same as the original tissue. Scar tissue has 3 main disadvantages:
1. It is weaker
2. It is less flexible
3. It is more pain sensitive
Even with the best recovery possible, an area healed with scar tissue is more vulnerable to recurrences or flare-ups.
2) DECAY/ DEGENERATION
Some tissues of the body suffer permanent damage either from major trauma, repetitive stress, or long-term wear-and-tear. Tooth decay is probably the best understood example of this. Disc degeneration in the spine is nearly as common. Once the damage is done, the involved joint will tend to keep mis-aligning and locking up.
Chiropractic care is like dentures for the teeth. It can make your spine work better and function closer to normal. It can mean the difference between back surgery and a decline in your activity level or maintaining a nearly normal lifestyle. Many of you have significant disc damage in your spine and still get excellent results form your care. But like a higher mileage vehicle, your spine is “high maintenance.”
3) LIFESTYLE
Some problems are created over and over again by your everyday activities. Prolonged sitting at a computer, mental/emotional stress, swinging a golf club or baseball bat, lots of bending and twisting at work, are just a few examples. Chiropractic care helps keep things functioning and feeling better but, it is an ongoing battle against daily wear-and-tear.
Chiropractic Care: A Wise Investment for Your Future
So even though many conditions require periodic check-ups and adjustments, the benefit is that you can feel your best and remain more active. How long you choose to benefit from health care is always up to you. Making spinal care a regular part of your healthy lifestyle is a wise investment in your health now and for the years to come.
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Reminder of Upcoming Dates that the Office will be Closed
Thursday, July 22nd – Office closed
Friday, July 23rd – Office closed
Saturday, July 24th – Office closed
Monday, July 26th – Office closed
Tuesday, July 27th – Office closed
Wednesday, July 28th – Office closed
* * * * * * *
Friday, August 13th – Office closed
Saturday, August 14th – Office closed
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In This Issue . . .
Page
1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Health Care Debate
2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Office News
3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Insurance News
4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sleep Away the Pounds
5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . “Why do my problems come back?”
6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Summer Office Hour Changes
