by Mark Smiley | Jul 28, 2023 | Uncategorized
By Akilah Graham
The Colorado Option was
sold by politicians in Denver and other advocates on promises of increased savings. I, along with so many other Coloradans, waited anxiously as the new system was passed and implemented. Today, we’re still waiting and wondering: where are the Colorado Option savings?
I am troubled by what I’ve seen as the Colorado Option has been implemented. The State-backed health plan is failing to deliver the savings that were promised. But even more concerning, the Colorado Option is actually leading to increased costs and is decreasing access to the high quality coverage and care that Coloradans depend on. The Black community has long struggled to see or benefit from savings promised in our health care system. I never considered whether I’d have to ask if the Colorado Option is making things worse.
Industry experts recently conducted a study that shows non-Colorado Option plans are the most affordable for the vast majority of Coloradans. In fact, non-Colorado Option Plans are the lowest cost on-exchange plans in 60 of 64 counties for the bronze tier, and 54 of 64 counties for the important silver tier.
Not only is the Colorado Option failing to deliver savings, but it is also driving insurance providers out of the state. The Colorado Option employs premium reduction targets, which mandate that insurance providers reduce their premiums; in other words, price controls.
The 2023 premium reduction target was five percent, which 85 percent of Colorado Option Plans offered in the individual market failed to meet. Naturally, insurance providers and industry experts are concerned that even more providers will be unable to meet next year’s 10 percent reduction target.
Instead of trying to meet unrealistic price controls or pricing their plans at unsustainable losses, several prominent health insurance providers had to pack their bags and exit the state’s insurance marketplace. Insurance providers simply can’t afford to meet these reduction targets.
On top of the premium reduction targets, additional restrictions enforced by the Division of Insurance will make it nearly impossible to attract new health insurance providers to the state. And Colorado patients and consumers are the ones who will suffer from the lack of competition.
Like so many government-controlled health care systems, the Colorado Option is dependent on health care providers accepting reduced reimbursement rates for the care they give. But Colorado as a whole is already suffering from a terrible health care provider shortage. Disadvantaged and marginalized communities are feeling the effects the most. Lower reimbursement rates will force health care providers to choose between passing increased costs onto patients (who likely can’t afford it), or cutting high-cost services – and some will be forced to close altogether. It goes without saying that it will make it next to impossible to attract new doctors and other health care professionals to replace them. Any system that continues to drive provider shortages is bad news for Colorado patients.
The primary question – “where are the Colorado Option Savings?” – is only the first one that comes to mind; this year’s implementation now leaves us with many additional concerns. Instead of seeking to double down on the failed Colorado Option in 2024, lawmakers should take the time to study what went wrong, in an effort to determine how best to deliver high-quality, affordable coverage and care to Coloradans across our great and diverse state.
Ms. Graham is one of the founders of the Colorado Black Arts Festival and a leader in numerous community and religious organizations.
by Mark Smiley | Jul 20, 2023 | Uncategorized
by Mark Smiley | Jul 20, 2023 | Uncategorized
by Regan Bervar | Sep 30, 2022 | Uncategorized
by Luke Schmaltz
The cruel hand of time spares no one and is well known for putting the squeeze on the nether regions of older men. Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) — aka an enlarged prostate — is a fact of life for many but does not have to be the case for all.
Symptoms include an abnormally frequent need to urinate, especially at night, as well as difficulty beginning the urination process, along with a weak stream and inability to fully empty the bladder. The prostate surrounds the urethra, and as it enlarges it applies increasing pressure which can hinder urinary flow and control.
Modern medicine is vague when citing causes for BPH, but according to mountsi nai.org, “The actual cause of prostate enlargement is unknown. Factors linked to aging and changes in the cells of the testicles may have a role in the growth of the gland, as well as testosterone levels.”
Western institutional medicine is quick to champion pills and surgery as the premier solutions to BPH. Yet, for those who distrust big pharma and scalpel-happy surgeons, there are a variety of ways to reduce an enlarged prostate and to possibly avoid the condition entirely.
Saw Palmetto Extract
Supplement containing extract from the saw palmetto plant can reduce an enlarged prostate.
The NIH (National Institutes of Health) recently studied the effects of two different preparations of this plant on BPH. The separate tests showed results which were more effective than a placebo. This isn’t entirely convincing, yet American Family Physician (aafp.org) reports, “Studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of saw palmetto in reducing symptoms associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia. Saw palmetto appears to have efficacy similar to that of medications like finasteride, but it is better tolerated and less expensive. There are no known drug interactions with saw palmetto and reported side effects are minor and rare.”
Stinging Nettle
The Mt. Sinai Health Library reports that stinging nettle has been used for hundreds of years, primarily in Europe, to treat early symptoms of BPH as well as other urinary tract problems. The Stinging Nettle web page reports, “Studies in people suggest that stinging nettle, in combination with other herbs (especially saw palmetto), may be effective at relieving symptoms such as reduced urinary flow, incomplete emptying of the bladder, post urination dripping, and the constant urge to urinate.”
Hydrotherapy
Men over 50 can choose natural, non-invasive options for treating an enlarged prostate.
A hot-and-cold immersion practice known as a sitz bath, as reported by Prostate Cancer 911, is a time-tested method for shrinking an enlarged prostate. Men are instructed to prepare two baths side by side. The first bath is heated to 105-155 degrees F and treated with 1/2 cup of Epsom salt while the second is maintained at a chilly 55-85 degrees F and treated with several drops of lavender essential oil. You enjoy the hot bath for three minutes, then endure the cold one for one minute and repeat two more times.
The report also states, “This is a natural way to shrink the prostate and soothe it. Hydrotherapy is commonly used as a method of prostate enlargement treatment, especially for relieving symptoms. A sitz bath increases blood circulation in the pelvic area and eases the constriction of the urethra.”
Exercise
Kegels are simple muscle contractions used by men and women to strengthen musculature in the pelvic region. For men, the practice can help strengthen the prostate and surrounding tissues, and thus increase bladder control. To perform a Kegel, simply squeeze your bladder as though you are attempting to stop the flow of urine mid-stream. Hold for five seconds and repeat 10 to 20 times per day.
Men are encouraged to begin a moderate daily regimen and slowly increase the amount of reps per day rather than overdoing it at the onset — just as with any other type of new exercise. In a report titled Kegel Exercises for Men, UCLA Health states, “Building up the strength in your pelvic floor muscles can help you gain better control of your bladder and urine flow.”
As for comprehensive exercise which engages the entire body, Harvard Health reports, “Based on questionnaires completed by more than 30,000 men in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study, researchers found an inverse relationship between physical activity and BPH symptoms. Simply put, men who were more physically active were less likely to suffer from BPH. Even low- to moderate-intensity physical activity, such as walking regularly at a moderate pace, yielded benefits.”
Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT)
According to a May 2019 Endocrine Extracts report published by Bio Scientifica, “Recent evidence shows that low, rather than high T [testosterone] is associated with BPH/lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS).” The report discusses results of a TRT trial in 120 men awaiting BPH surgery.
The subjects who received daily applications of T gel for six months showed improvement; “TRT arm was characterized by a significant decrease in ultrasound markers of prostate inflammation, including arterial velocity and acceleration.” The study concluded, “Testosterone replacement therapy is able to reduce prostate inflammation in men with BPH, metabolic syndrome, and hypogonadism: preliminary results from a randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial.”
Diet
The Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF) recommends a diet of cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, kale, cauliflower, etc.), berries, fish, plant-based protein (soy), beans, nuts, green tea, coffee (two cups per day), and cooked tomatoes. The PCF also cautions men over 50 against sugar in any form and processed carbohydrates while opting for moderate consumption of animal-based protein.
Essentially, this is known as the Mediterranean diet. The report also states, “PCF-funded epidemiologist Lorelei Mucci, M.P.H., Sc.D., at Harvard T.H Chan School of Public Health notes that people in Mediterranean countries not only eat more vegetables and fruits… they also eat less fatty foods, processed food, and red meat – categories that can ‘increase insulin resistance, increase inflammation, raise cardiovascular risk, and be a part of a dietary pattern that may increase obesity, as well.’”
by Regan Bervar | Sep 30, 2022 | Uncategorized
Distressed, Depressed? Ask For Help! “One of the biggest defects in life is the inability to ask for help.”
by Luke Schmaltz
According to Science.org., the human brain has changed very little over the last 35,000 to 100,000 years. Yet, the degree and variation of stimulation and stress it is currently being subjected to has increased exponentially — especially over the last century.
In effect, the human brain is being bombarded by the wholesale results of its own sophistication run amok.
Our brains get overloaded, the veritable bandwidth therein gets saturated, and some people’s minds become sick. The circumstances can be equated to overeating and getting a stomach ache, but the consequences of a “mind ache” are far more devastating.
Crisis Created
Seek Safe Space: Achea Redd warns constant rumination on the same thought can cause you to go into hyper focus, heart racing, and lack of focus.
Brain Game: Our brains get overloaded, the veritable bandwidth therein gets saturated, and some people’s minds become sick.
The human race, particularly Western society, is in a mental health crisis. More and more people are finding themselves unable to cope with the pressure, responsibility, confusion, misinformation, and a myriad of other stimuli which are rampant in everyday life.
Yet, the mess can’t be unmade by dumping prescription pills into the void. We have to dig ourselves out of this hole with the same tool that got us here in the first place — our humanity.
People from any walk of life, at any time, can become saddened, distressed, depressed, and yes — suicidal. When the walls close in and you’re all alone, when life doesn’t seem worth living but a tiny part of you wants to turn the ship around and find a way out of the darkness, the best course of action is to ask for help.
How To Begin
Dr. Arin N. Reeves, author of “In Charge,” a guide for women tired of being tired, offers a guide to exhaustion as it relates to mental health. She says the problem is it’s hard to tell when exhaustion is not just exhaustion. While more open about mental health, “we still aren’t forgiving or patient with people who are in that gray zone. People are pressured to be okay instead of being okay with not being okay long enough to figure out the problem.”
The top roadblocks stopping people in crisis are stigma and shame, suggests Dr. Bill Howatt. The three types of shame, the psychological expert says are, “Self, peer, and organizational.” When a person doesn’t feel “good enough” they get caught in shame. Thus, they don’t have empathy for self and others.
Motivated to get away from pain, they focus on symptom relief such as drinking. The CEO of Howatt HR says we need to educate people that mental health is no differ than the flu. “We can have a physical flu, and with support it will pass. An emotional flu can pass as well with rest and support,” he enlightens.
When To Act
Warning signs of a looming mental health crisis are many and vary in individuals. Achea Redd, author of the recently published book titled, “Be
coming Your Own Safe Space,” suggests what to watch for based on personal experience.
She says to watch for these indicators: Sudden sleep pattern changes (either too tired or not able to sleep), change in appetite, not enjoying the things you used to, headaches, gastrointestinal issues, or stomach pain.
“Constant rumination on the same thought can cause you to go into hyper focus, heart racing, and lack of focus,” Redd warns.
Where To Turn
Licensed Social Worker Tina Rushing says, “I always say professionals are vital in a crisis. Loved ones can help [and] be there for you but mental health professionals have the proper tools to make the difference.” The PRSL website posts an extensive list of international resources available at any time, anywhere for those in crisis.
For example, the Crisis Text Line can be accessed in the U.S. by simply texting “HOME” to 741741, and the person will be connected (for free) to a mental health support network. “I have personally used it when I was spiraling into a panic attack after a fight with a loved one,” Rushing says. “They helped me navigate my thoughts and emotions and worked with me to sort out why I was spiraling afterwards.”
Resources on the PRSL website also include help lines for veterans (1-800-273-8255 press#1), domestic violence (text START to 88788), rape abuse and incest (1-800-656-4673), eating disorders (1-800-931-2237), suicide prevention (text TALK to 741741); LGBTQ+ (text START to 678678); plus many more options.
What To Say
Mental Tune-Up: The music community is noted for taking care of one another. Punk Rock Saves Lives focuses on health and wellness, with emphasis on mental health.
Dr. Howatt offers sound advice for those ready to voice their need for help. Begin with the understanding that a mental health crisis is an intrapersonal impairment of emotions and thoughts that drive behavior. The person does not need to know what is wrong or why they feel the way they do. “All they need to do is say ‘I am struggling w
See A Doc: Mental illness is no different than the flu, says Dr. Bill Howatt. Getting help is a good choice, so go see a doctor. Copyrighted Kayla Hannaford
ith my emotions and thoughts, and I am not sure what to do. I need some help [in order] to figure out what I can do.’”
Dr. Arin N. Reeves adds: “It’s helpful to have one person you really trust who you can share your plan with and ask them if they can do some of the communicating for you. If not, and you are trying to explain the crisis, focus on concrete things that can help you describe what you are going through.”
It’s tough for professionals to grasp your feelings in crisis. They need to hear facts they can wrap their arms around. Examples: “I haven’t been able to eat in two days, or I have not been able to sleep for more than two hours at a time, or I cannot make myself get out of the bed.”
Solving The Stigma
Western society’s obsession with perfection and the pursuit of an unattainable status quo, by default, places judgment, shame, and condemnation on those suffering from mental health conditions.
“Mental health has been looked at as a moral weakness for many years. To change the culture requires education and senior leaders to make mental health prevention and mental illness a priority,” explains Dr. Howatt. His point: There is nothing wrong with getting help. It is a good choice and no different than going to the ER, if you have a broken arm.
So, get to a doctor. Assess yourself. Pay attention to how you are feeling and take pain seriously. You are not a hero for hanging on when you should be letting go and getting help.
by Mark Smiley | Aug 26, 2022 | Uncategorized
by Mark Smiley & Jeff Stiglic
Cerveza: Marble Brewery from New Mexico, had a booth at Summer Brew Fest featuring a few different beers, including Cerveza, a crushable take on a Mexican-style lager.
WeldWerks: WeldWerks Brewing Co. from Greeley is a mainstay at the Summer and Winter Brew Fests at Mile High Station in Denver.
Two Standouts: Uhls’s Brewing from Boulder had Smoothie Phizz, a sour smoothie beer, and Coconut & Strawberry Daiquiri, a sour wheat ale.
For craft beer enthusiasts, there are many choices of beer fests throughout the summer. Summer Brew Fest held over two sessions on July 23, 2022, at Mile High Station is one not to miss. Over 25 craft breweries from around the state and a few from outside of Colorado were on hand each session to pour their summer beers.
The event featured live music, which added to the already festive atmosphere. The afternoon session had Chili Powder —a tribute to the Red Hot Chili Peppers, who played later that evening at Empower Field.
The first Denver Brew Fest by RightOn Productions was created in a parking lot near Coors Field. Since then, the Summer and the Winter Brew fests have developed into an annual Denver tradition at Mile High Station and now the celebrations have been expanded to Avon, Colo., as well.
Some standouts from the fest included Uhl’s Brewing Company in Boulder, who brought Smoothie Phizz, a sour smoothie beer, and Coconut & Strawberry Daiquiri, a sour wheat ale. They also had a Buffalo Trace bourbon barrel aged tripel they released at 2 p.m.
Steep Brewing and Coffee Company from Keystone was also in attendance with Pau Hana, a coffee coconut porter, with 30 pounds of toasted coconut and infused with smooth cold brew coffee that was brewed using their freshly roasted in-house Free Trade-organic brazil coffee beans.
Marble Brewery from New Mexico, had a few beers to try. Cerveza is their crushable take on a Mexican-style lager. WeldWerks from Greeley, was also on hand with its flight of beers.
For more information on all of the fests including the Winter Brew Fest in January, visit www.brewfestevents.com.
