Physicians Practice - June 2008 - (Page 18) MARRYING FOR HEALTHCARE We’re not sure what to make of the Kaiser Family Foundation’s recent finding that a sizable number of people get married just for health benefits. We suppose it’s better than marrying someone because you’ve already reserved the reception hall and it’s too late to get your deposit back from the caterer (as some people do). But still, won’t you cause yourself more health problems by marrying Mr. or Ms. Wrong? Seems to us you would. Nevertheless, in a poll of 2,003 adults released by Kaiser in April, 7 percent of respondents said that they or someone in their household had gotten married just to gain access to their new spouse’s health benefits. Respondents also listed concerns about healthcare costs as their second-biggest economic worry, outranking housing costs, rising food bills, and even those pesky credit card balances. Only gas prices are of greater concern. Referring to those marrying for healthcare, foundation president Drew E. Altman told the Los Angeles Times, “It’s a small number but a powerful result, because it shows how paying for healthcare is reflected not only in family budgets but in life decisions.” BED-LAM In Rhode Island a local charity is suing a hospital over a 96-yearold gift that was supposed to endow a “free bed.” Over the years, the bed at Rhode Island Hospital that was supposed to be paid for with Louisa Lippitt’s $4,000 has disappeared, though the hospital does provide millions annually in charity care. A successor to the charity that Lippitt selected in 1912 to choose the neediest patients who would benefit from the free care is suing to have the bed reinstated. “It just seems illogical to me that a quote-unquote ‘permanent free bed,’ which by its very name suggests that it is to last forever, can somehow not last forever,” Mark Swirbalus, a lawyer for the charity, Children’s Friend and Service, told the AP . The charity doesn’t expect the hospital to designate a specific bed, but it does want the institution to provide care to its clients. DON’T EAT THIS Hats off to Men’s Health magazine for its “Worst Foods in America” feature, which highlights the unhealthiest fare in America’s chain restaurants. The “winner”: cheese fries with ranch dressing at Outback Steakhouse, which contains: • 2,900 calories • 182 g fat (equivalent • 240 g carbs to 14 Krispy Kreme donuts) Check out the whole list: http://www.menshealth.com/eatthis/ 20-Worst-Foods/index.php http://www.menshealth.com/eatthis/20-Worst-Foods/index.php http://www.menshealth.com/eatthis/20-Worst-Foods/index.php
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