Saturday, March 20, 2010

Circulatory Problems - Natural Solutions

Natural Effective Solutions:

1. Carefully observe guidelines for healthy eating. Avoid as much as possible cooked oils, white flour, meat, white sugar, and any foods, which have been over processed or have chemical additives.

2. Eat whole grains, fresh vegetables and fruits and a little raw unheated vegetable oil each day.

3. Occasional fasting helps to purify the blood vessels. One could fast on apples, pears or brown rice or do a juice fast for a few days. If one wants to do a longer fast, consult your doctor. Fasting on grapes is considered one of the most effective ways to purify the blood.

4. Vitamins and antioxidants help with better circulation: A, C, E, and Lecithin, B complex (especially B3, B2).

5. Alternating Hot and cold baths help the blood flow to penetrate into all parts of the body. In general finishing with a cold shower helps stimulate circulation. Consult your doctor as to whether this is for your specific case.

6. Dress warmly so as to allow your blood vessels to be relaxed and let blood flow.

7. Swimming in the sea all year long helps to keep the circulation flowing and the body vital. One must be regular. If you cease for a period of time, your body will loose its ability to adapt to the cold water in the winter.

8. Nettle tea and beating the extremities with nettles is a folk remedy for increasing circulation to the extremities. This may be painful while doing it, but it brings results.

9. Reflexology massage can be used to bring circulation to organs, which cannot be affected by other means. By massaging the reflex point on the bottom of the foot we are able to bring blood flow to the various interior organs, so as to revitalize them.

10. Swedish muscular massage can be used to bring better blood flow to the various extremities.

11. All forms of movement and activity are helpful, i.e. running, walking, dancing, swimming, playing, sports and exercising. These are a must for those with poor circulation.

12. Breathing facilitates the return of the blood through the veins to the heart. When we breathe deeply and slowly, we help the blood to return to the heart an also move the lymph through the system. Deep breathing every day is an essential for those with circulatory problems.

13. When we relax the blood vessels, our blood flows freely to the various parts of our body. We tend to obstruct the free flow of blood through unconscious tensing of the various muscles and also the blood vessels themselves. Relaxation is essential for healthy circulation. Perform «deep relaxation» daily, imagining the blood vessels opening and the blood flowing freely to the parts of the body which have insufficient circulation.

14. Various forms of heat, such as hot compresses, hot water bottles, and electric heating pads can be used to increase the circulation momentarily to various parts of the body.

15. Physical Exercises

a. The abdominal area is considered the «furnace» of the body, where heat and energy are produced. Sluggishness and tension in this area can impede our general flow of energies and also blood. Thus, you will need to do a number of exercises to stimulate and vitalize the area of the abdomen.

b. The endocrine system regulates our overall metabolism. You would do well to learn and employ specific exercises for rejuvenating and harmonizing the endocrine system.

c. Add other exercises for the various joints such as the shoulders, elbows, wrists, fingers, hips, knees, ankles and toes according to where you need better circulation. Even if our problems are located at the extremities such as with the fingers and toes, we have to open up all the other joints, which come before them. Although the symptoms may be in the extremities, the cause may be in one of the preceding joints. It is usually at the joints that the circulation gets blocked.

d. Ensure good circulation to the brain by lying on your back next to a wall and placing your feet up on the wall, so that the blood flows into the lungs gaining oxygen and then into the brain oxygenating and bringing nutrients to all the cells of the brain. This is essential for the pituitary and hypothalamus and thus for the endocrine and autonomic nervous system and thus for all bodily and mental functions.

16. Observe to see if emotional factors are involved. You may have an unconscious holding and a need for control of feelings or expression, which is also restricting the free flow of blood. If you are suppressing your emotions, learn to express them in effective and positive ways (without hurting others).

When we care for our body and mind, they serve us much more efficiently.

Friday, March 19, 2010

Aloe Vera - The Healing Plant


Aloe Vera is a plant of many surprises and wonders. Whether you use it as vital ingredient in beauty products or it is consumed as dietary supplement. Aloe Vera is a hot fertile region plant, but now it is cultivated in most part of the world. Aloe is a member of the lily family although it looks more of a cactus. It has been used for its medicinal purposes since the ancient times, but only recently has it enjoyed a rediscovery and subsequent popularity explosion.

There are over 200 varieties of aloes, but it is the Aloe Barbadensis Miller (Aloe Vera) plant, which has been of most use to mankind because of the medicinal properties it displays. Aloe Vera contains over 75 known active ingredients including a wide range Vitamins, antioxidant, minerals, calcium, essential Amino Acids, Sugars, Digestive Enzymes, Anti-inflammatory Enzymes, Plant Sterols, Lignin, Saponins, Anthraquinones and more. Aloe Vera contains many components, including vitamins A, B, C, and E. Aloe has a massive amount of minerals and enzymes, however not its entire component has been identified yet.

Nowadays, although medicines and drugs can be very effective in treating ailments, long term use often involves side effects for patients. Consequently more consumers and scientists are turning back to look at more traditional, and often natural therapies which have been neglected for so long. As a result, Aloe Vera is once again attracting attention as it can provide many benefits to our health and lifestyle without any side effects.

BENEFITS OF ALOE VERA

Ancient records show that the benefits of Aloe Vera have been known to mankind for centuries. Its therapeutic advantages and healing properties have survived more than 5000 years.

By using the aloe vera juice a person can get the benefits of aloe vera’s ability to aid in digestion, improve circulation, detoxify and heal from the inside. Aloe Vera juice can be a part of a person’s daily healthy regimen because it is safe to take everyday. If Aloe is taken internally, it increases the actual amount of our bile. It affects the small intestines and stimulates the muscular coat of the large intestine thus causing purging in about fifteen hours. Aloes also help increase the menstrual flow, since it belongs to the group of emmenagogues. Aloes have Aloin present used for therapeutic purposes. This causes less pain. It is a preferable drug for many forms of constipation. Continuous use of it does not lead to enlarging the dose to take.

Aloe’s benefits to our health include, helping to lower the blood sugar levels in diabetes patients. Aloe Vera is a strong laxative that may have some anti-cancer effects to humans. It is now being studied as a treatment for asthma.

USES OF ALOE VERA

Aloe Vera is commonly used externally to treat various skin conditions such as cuts, burns and echzema. It is alleged that sap from Aloe vera eases pain and reduces inflammation. Scientific evidence on the effects of Aloe vera sap on wound healing is contradictory. A study showed that the healing of a moderate to severe burn was sped up by six days when covering the wound on a regular basis with aloe vera gel, compared to the healing of the wound covered in a gauze bandage. In contrast, another study suggested wounds to which Aloe vera gel was applied were significantly slower to heal.

Many cosmetic companies add sap or products derived from Aloe Vera to products such as makeup, shampoos, soaps, moisturisers, sunscreens and lotions. Aloe gel is alleged to be useful for dry skin conditions, especially eczema around the eyes and sensitive facial skin and for treating fungal infections.Aloe vera has very good results in skin diseases and it is often taken as health drink. Aloe Vera is also found effective in treating wrinkles, stretch marks and pigmentations. Where as auravedic practitioners are in the favor of use of Aloe Vera. According to them Aloe vera has very good role in diabetic. Aloe vera is found to have smaller molecular structure and cutting properties. This help breaking down fat globules, therefore reducing obesity. Medical properties of Aloe vera are still on debate, but the beauty properties are highly accepted by the world.

Aloe Vera is also known to have certain medical properties. Aloe vera drink is used as a tonic for patient suffering from arthritis, diabetes and high cholesterol. This is because of the dietary supplement properties, which help in healing like anti fungal, anti oxidant, anti bacterial and some other properties. It is found to boost the immune system. The transparent gel that is found inside its leaf is used as a domestic emergency treatment in burns, injuries and solar erithema, also it is applied externally on hemorrhoids and foe a good cicatrisation. Aloe Vera contains at least two active compounds that decrease the levels of sugar in the blood and its extract is also used in patients with hypoglycemia. Its juice is consumed as prevention and treatment of many gastric disorders. The efficiency of Aloe Vera in the treatment of burns is due because it has a similar structure as aspirin, that in combination with magnesium have an anesthetic effect and because of its antimicrobian composition it helps for the hygiene of the burns, avoiding a possible infection.

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Almonds Help with Weight Loss

Did you know that aside from providing good mono-unsaturated fats, almonds may help you shed those unwanted pounds?� A few years back, researchers actually found that people eating a diet rich in almonds lost more weight than those on a high-carb diet with the same number of calories, which goes against the traditional belief that weight loss is all about calories in versus calories burned.

Researchers followed 65 overweight and obese adults, 70% of whom had type 2 diabetes, for 24 weeks. One group ate a 1,000 calorie/day liquid diet supplemented with 3 oz of almonds (384 additional calories) and the other group ate the same liquid diet but instead supplemented with a mix of complex carbohydrates (such as wheat crackers, baked potatoes, or air-popped popcorn). The two diets were equal in calories and protein but differed in fat and in addition to the liquid diet, they could also have salads with lemon juice or vinegar dressing.


The almond diet contained 39% total fat including 25% from heart-healthy monounsaturated fats, while the non-almond diet contained 18% total fat, 5% from monounsaturated fats. Participants in the almond diet saw an 18% reduction in weight and body mass index (BMI) compared with an 11% reduction in the non-almond dieters. Additionally, waist circumference, systolic blood pressure, and need for diabetes medication more so than the non-almond dieters. In terms of diabetic patients, since a side effect of some diabetes medication is increased hunger, the faster one can get off of medications, the better, so to stay slimmer.� But for everyone else looking to lose weight, these results are very important!� So what�s the mechanism behind all this almond based weight loss, you ask?� Well, the researchers speculate that the fat in almonds may not be completely absorbed and earlier research suggests that the cell walls of almonds can act as a physical barrier to fat, and they also may make you feel fuller, longer, something I can vouch for myself.� So go out and grab some almonds�turns out these yummy nuts are no longer diet-taboo!

Looking to lose weight?� Seeking to improve your nutrition?� Visit onemorediet.com for a whole bunch of healthy dieting and nutrition tips.

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Are you chronically dehydrated?

For many of us, when we hear the term dehydration, we immediately think of a man staggering in the desert, or an athlete having just finished a gruelling event. We are correct in a sense, however these are both examples of acute dehydration.

You may be surprised to learn there is a far more widespread form — chronic dehydration — that we should all be concerned with.

So how do you know if you are chronically dehydrated? Again, many people have the belief that when they require fluids they will feel thirsty. Not so. By the time the mouth is dry and you feel thirsty, the body is well and truly dehydrated. You may also be surprised to know that a dry mouth is a sign of acute dehydration. You have gone beyond chronically dehydrated by that point.

The body is a smart system though, and before you reach the point of dry mouth, the body will give signs as it begins the process of redistributing the available water. When the body is in a state of chronic dehydration, then fatigue/energy loss, constipation, digestive disorders, high and low blood pressure, stomach ulcers, respiratory troubles, acid/alkaline imbalance, excess weight and obesity, eczema, cholesterol, urinary infections, rheumatism and premature aging will take place. I can (and will) write an article on each of these problems, but they are all caused by being chronically dehydrated. Any way you look at it, having to go to the bathroom more than once a day is a small price to pay for feeling great and being healthy.


The human body consists of 70% water, the brain consists of 80% water, the blood consists of 90% water. Let’s face it, we rely on water as the basis of our existence — not soda, or juice or coffee, tea and beer. We need to ingest water in its purest form, free from any chemicals in order for our cells to remain hydrated and our body systems functioning as they should.

How much water do you need? The best way to calculate your daily water intake is to take half your weight in pounds and convert it to ounces. If you weigh 160 lbs and work in an office, then 80 oz of water throughout the day is what you need to be drinking. If you are working strenuously outdoors in a hot climate, then you would need more. It should seem like you are constantly going to the bathroom and your urine should be clear. This is how you know you are properly hydrated. Every night you sweat as you sleep, so you need to repeat the same process every day of every month of every year you are on the planet.

We know that a 1% loss of total body weight in water will result in a 10% loss in physical ability. When you consider at a temperature of 82 fa, water loss is 3 liters an hour, or more than 4% of total body weight, that means we can expect a 40% loss in physical ability. If you are working in that temperature, it increases. I don’t know about you, but there are a lot of places I’ve lived that get to 100. In such warm environments, you need even more water to stay hydrated. For your physical and mental well being, it certainly pays to consider both the quality and quantity of the water you drink.

Are you hungry or thirsty?

If we need water, we can either ingest liquid or we can ingest food with water content. Our bodies will settle for either, but it is usually the food we go for instead of the liquid. Yes, in many cases, we mistake hunger for thirst, eating as much food as we need in order to get the water our body requires. The result of this is added stored fat — assuming the foods consumed are processed or take away as most busy people are inclined to eat. And the more you eat — you guessed it — the more water you need to digest and eliminate waste from your body.

Our bodies are made of water and without it, we are lucky to survive 3 days. Despite this, so many of us live our lives with uncomfortable medical problems such as constipation, simply because we don’t drink enough water. Einstein once said, “insanity is doing the same things over and over expecting different results.” So, do it. Drink more water. Hydrate your cells. They will be happy and you will also be happy as a result.

Matt Canham runs http://Kangen-water.ws, a site dedicated to information about staying alkaline, hydrated and free from disease.

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Alternative Options for Treating Allergic Rhinitis

Here in northern California, allergies are a significant health problem leading to fatigue, sick days from work and school, and secondary infections. Allergic rhinitis is a reaction to seasonal airborne allergens. It affects about 7 percent of the population of North America and is a risk factor for 88 percent of asthma patients. We have some excellent prescription medications for treating this, and there are many over-the-counter medications available also. However, BEWARE of the sedating effects of those nonprescription medications!!! Recent studies have shown that an individual on a therapeutic dose of diphenhydramine (Benedryl) is a more dangerous driver than one who is legally drunk on alcohol.

Fortunately, there are also some effective alternative therapies for allergic rhinitis.

Remember: no matter what method you use to treat your allergies, nasal rinsing to clear the mucus membranes of trapped allergens is essential. It only takes about 30 seconds, doesn't hurt a bit when done correctly, and makes all the difference. I recommend Nasopure®, a product developed by Dr. Hana Solomon, a pediatrician who has put together in one simple kit all you need for successful nasal rinsing. There is an excellent article about this on the Nasopure website (www.nasopure.com). If you are regularly using your Nasopure®, and still having difficulties, you can try some of the following remedies without significant side effects.

Vitamin and mineral supplements:

* Vitamin A - 10,000 IU/day

* Vitamin B6 - 50-100 mg/day

* Vitamin B5 - 50-75 mg/day

* Vitamin C - 1,000 mg/day in 3 divided doses

* Vitamin E - 400 IU/day

* Zinc - 20-30 mg/day

In addition some herbs and nutrients can help:

Quercetin has anti-allergy and anti-inflammatory effects if you take it 250mg two or three times a day.

Freeze-dried stinging nettles (Urtica dioica) can relieve symptoms of allergic rhinitis at a dosage of 300mg twice a day.

Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), also called fish oil, can help asthma patients with allergies by stabilizing the airways. They come in capsules and the total dose of the combination should be 2-4 g/day.

Acupuncture has given many patients significant relief. The Chinese medicine paradigm is very different than Western medicine, so I can not explain the mechanism of action. But I know that it is effective!

See your doctor about allergy symptoms if you are unable to manage them on your own - the nonsedating antihistamines and anti-inflammatory nasal sprays available today are excellent in treating this significant health problem!

Stacey Marie Kerr, M.D. graduated from the University of California Davis Medical School in 1989 and is currently a board certified family physician. Dr. Kerr is a member of the California and American Academy of Family Physicians. She holds a B.S. in Education/Special Education from the University of Missouri, Columbia Missouri. She hosts a website the-doctors-inn.com that provides personalized answers to medical questions.

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Dental Care Insurance For The Self Employed

The self-employed man or woman may have several place they can look for dental expense insurance. Dental Care insurance may be available through a group policy, a dental expense insurance alternative may be available through a medical care insurance policy they acquire directly from an insurance carrier, a standalone dental care insurance policy may be available and simply paying for care out-of-pocket is another choice.

Group dental expense coverage may be available to you through your spouse's employer or through your business. If you only have a few employees, a group plan through your business may not be the best option. The best prices are given to larger employers. This means that if you have a spouse you may want to investigate options available through his or her employer.

The second best choice may be to get a dental expense insurance policy that is part of a package that includes medical care insurance. These policies are often well-priced and have good benefits. They are often the best alternative for those cannot get dental care coverage through an employer although they are usually not quites as good as dental care policies that are available through large employer sponsored policies.

Standalone dental care coverage is also an alternative, however, dental discount policies are often better. (See below).

Standalone dental policies are often purchased by those who need immediate dental expense coverage. This drives the price up and lowers the benefits available. insurance companies will generally make new policy holders wait for one or two years before major expenses are covered by these types of policies.

Because of the waiting period, these policies are not viable for those who need work done right away. Dental Expense discount plans are often much better choices for those who have an immediate need for dental care.

Standalone dental care protection is usually so poorly priced that in many cases individuals and families will do better by paying for dental expenses out of their pocket.

You may find that group coverage isn't available to you or it isn’t a good option. You may also find that purchasing a policy that includes healthcare assurance is similarly unavailable or unattractive. If this is the case, a dental discount plan may be your best alternative.

A dental expense discount plan isn’t insurance. However, it can be a very good deal.

For an annual price that might be the equivalent of two or three months of dental expense insurance premiums a dental expense discount plan can help you get 25% or even 35% off the cost of your dental work with no significant waiting period. This means that you can purchase a policy and get a discount of hundreds of dollars on the day your coverage begins.

For this reason many insurance agents recommend dental discount plans for their clients who are unable to get group coverage and for whom a packaged healthcare and a dental care insurance policy is not an option.

It pays to look at all of your health care and dental expense coverage options if you are self employed. The best option may lay with your spouse or domestic partner's employer-sponsored plan, a dental care and medical insurance policy you get directly from an insurance company, a standalone dental expense policy or a discount dental plan.

Lessening Your Personal healthcare Insurance Costs

There are many ways to lower your private medical care insurance premium. You can compare various policies to look for the most advantageous premiums. You can make sure that you are as healthy as you can be so that you can get the the lowest cost policy. You can increase your deductible.

There may be healthcare insurance bargains out there if you compare multiple offerings. This is not always because a disparity of features and benefits in the policies. You will need to do your research to make certain that the difference in price isn't because of a disparity in quality of coverage. However, often you will find that different health insurance policies offering nearly identical quality of coverage will have very different prices.

One company may have had more health care claims recently than other companies and will need to increase their rates for this year. There reverse can also be true. Sometimes a company will have a low claims experience and will lower their rates or have lower increases than their competitors.

Different companies will look at ages differently. One company may charge the same premium for a range of ages as opposed to each age. This may mean that a 34 year-old is offered the same premium as a 30 year old. It may also mean that a 35 year old is charged the same rate as a 39 year old. Another area where age-based rating can be very different is with newborns. Some carriers charge much higher prices for children under 2 than other companies.

One important but overlooked area in regards to health insurance is the health of the person or family looking to get health insurance coverage. Although many health conditions are beyond our control, many are not. A healthy active lifestyle may help you qualify for a lower cost policy than your neighbor.

People are routinely charged more when they are overweight, have high blood pressure or have other medical issues. Sometimes they are turned down for individual medical insurance protection and have to do without coverage or depend on government-based insurance protection. Staying healthy can make a big difference.

Another way to keep your premium down is to lower your benefits. Often lowering your benefits is a very good strategy. You may be able to buy a policy that has a deductible that is $1,000 higher than another but has a price that is $1,500 lower. It is not unusual to find this kind of a savings ratio.

When comparing deductibles to premiums, be certain to do the math to see what the annual savings in price would be. Deductibles usually apply to a period of 12 months.

Why Is Healthcare Insurance So Expensive

The main reasons why health insurance is has such high premiums now is that medical procedures cost a lot and are probably over used. Physicians now routinely perform many costly operations and procedures that were unheard of ten years ago. Our unhealthy lifestyles also impact our costs. We need medical care more and more. One way to shrink our costs for health insurance would be to shrink the number of bypass operations and angioplasties that are performed. In the good old days of less expensive medical insurance, these medical interventions were performed much less frequently.

Of course shrinking the number of interventions without lowering the necessity for those interventions would simply result in earlier deaths. The unwanted side effect of lowering costs is often lowering effectiveness.

A tremendous percentage of medical expenses are generated in the last years or even months of life. In an attempt to extend life we often will spare no expense.

From a purely financial standpoint, extending the working life of a forty year old helps our country more than extending the life of an eighty year old. Chances are the forty year old is working and paying taxes. If they were to die she or he would stop paying income taxes. If she or he were to become disabled they would not only stop contributing to our government's coffers, but might also start being paid money from the government in the form of government benefits. Extending the life of a senior citizen who is no longer paying earning contributing to our GDP or taxes and who is currently getting Social Security benefits has the reverse effect.

Money isn't everything but, we should at least be conscious of the importance of helping currently tax-paying workers continue to be tax-paying workers puts more money in our pockets that we can use for other things. Those other things can include extending the life of our senior citizens.

Unless you are a in congress, there is probably not a lot that you can do to change what health care insurance costs for everyone else. However, there may be a lot you can do to keep the costs down for yourself and your family.

Do what you can to stay hale and hearty. Being active and eating healthy foods in the right quantities will do several things for your health care costs.

If you are more healthy you will tap into your health care insurance less. This means that you will have less coinsurance and other out-of-pocket expenses to pay. You will qualify for lower premiums if you need to purchase private or individual medical insurance.

Shop around for medical insurance. Look at not only different insurance carriers, but different places to get coverage from. If you are eligible for COBRA, for example don't just look at COBRA. Consider private medical insurance also.

Getting A Better Deal On Healthcare Insurance

A bigger network of doctors and hospitals is a better network, however the size of the network in your area is what is most important. The health insurance carrier with the biggest network in your state may have the smallest in your city.

Make sure that any policy you consider has doctors and hospitals that are convenient to you. This may mean that they are in network doctors close to your home or close to your job. Having a hospital close to your home is also very vital.

Be sure that your health care insurance policy offers the benefits you need. You will want to know not only what is covered but also what is not covered.

Be certain to look out for the limitations on coverage. You should ask for a document that includes the limitations and exclusions for any policy you are seriously considering. You should also ask about the lifetime maximum benefits and the annual caps on benefits.

Don't rule out policies that have high deductibles. Often high deductible policies are excellent options. The low price often makes up for the reduction in the policy's benefits.

A good assurance carrier is a financially stable company. Knowing that your coverage company is in good standing with your state's insurance department and has a good financial rating with A.M. Best is very very significant. A policy is just a promise. The promise needs to be backed by a company willing and able to keep its promises.

Your state's department of insurance will be able to tell you when a carrier has a disproportionate number of complaints against them and if they are approved to sell in your state. This information is just a phone call away.

When you have limited your search to those companies that have in network physicians and hospitals in your area, that provide good benefits and are stable financially, it is time to look at price. The price tag is critical but only if you are able to get value as well.

Usually when you find a low price, it means that you are also getting low quality. This isn't always true. Prices are partially calculated by the way a company rates their policies. With one carrier you may be just under their acceptable BMI number for a good rate and with another you may be just over. One carrier may offer better rates to larger families another may offer better rates to smaller families.

Also, your selection of a deductible affects the amount you will pay. A low deductible policy isn't always the best option. Nevertheless, you will need to do the arithmetic before you an tell if a higher deductible plan makes sense for your family and you.

Obtaining hospital and doctors assurance well is of great consequence. Making the wrong decision when obtaining assurance can be just as devastating as making the wrong decision when buying a house. The network, the benefits and the financial stability of the carrier all have to be considered.

Starting Insurance While Pregnant

If you're expecting but have no insurance, there may be alternatives available to you that will lower the money you would have to pay the necessary medical expenses generated by your pregnancy. Failing to research your alternatives can mean that you are paying for your son's or daughter's birth for years to come. Your alternatives for maternity insurance if you're already expecting include employer-sponsored hospital and surgery insurance, government-sponsored medical insurance. If these are not available to you some non-insurance programs can lower your expenses by helping you get get a lower rate from your hospital.

If you are employed and will have a health care insurance open enrollment period before your baby arrives, you may be able to acquire medical insurance through an job-sponsored plan. If you're married, you should research alternatives with your husband's or wife's job in addition to yours.

If you are going to tie the knot and can do so before your son or daughter arrives, you may be able to be added to your spouse's insurance before the annual open enrollment period. With most group health insurance plans when an employee gets married their spouse is entitled for a special open enrollment period.

You may be qualified for health and maternity policies that are available through your local, county or state. In many cases these health care programs will accept women who are currently pregnant.

These policies may have some restrictions. They may limit what they pay and who they will pay. They may limit the doctors and hospitals you can go to.

There may be income requirements. Some plans may require that your income be under a certain level. Others may have no income limit but will ask those with higher incomes to pay more for the same medical insurance.

You can contact your local health department or Planned Parenthood for information on programs available in your area. If there are medical insurance choices for currently pregnant women in your area, they will probably know about it.

If you're unable to get hospital and surgery insurance that will cover your pregnancy, there are still things you can do to lower the costs you will have to pay. You can see which hospital in your area has the lowest rates. Hospitals can charge very different rates.

If you can pre-pay your maternity expenses, you will probably get a lower rate from your hospital. Discuss this option with the hospital you chose if you're able to do this.

You may also find that there are non-insurance programs available that will allow you to pay discounted rates to your hospital. If an insurance company pays for a person's medical bills, they typically pay what is known as the negotiated rate. This can be half what the hospital charges those who have no medical insurance. Even if you do not qualify for an insurance policy, you may be able to qualify for the same kind of discount.

You will have more choices available to you if you're able to get health and maternity insurance before you are pregnant. However, there may be choices available to you even if you are pregnant before you begin looking for pregnancy and health insurance.

Be sure to investigate all your options if you're currently pregnant and have no insurance. Doing so can save you a lot of financial pain.