Breast enlargement is all about making your chest larger and more appealing in terms of its look and its feel. If you think your breasts are too small for your body then look to implants to improve the appearance of them.
Implants are basically made up of three components. The outer layer is called the shell. It is also sometimes referred to as the lumen or the envelope. The filler is what the surgeon inserts inside it while the third component, the patch is what is used to cover over the hole once the filler has been placed inside the shell. Most of the time it is composed of a single layer called the single lumen. However there are times when the implant is given a double layer.
Breast enlargement is done by way of using either saline or silicone ones. The outer layer of both types is made up of a silicone-rubber substance. When you hear someone talking about a silicone breast one they are making reference to the material used to fill the implant as opposed to the shell.
In the United States augmentation can be done by using either a saline filled one or a gel-filled one. In most cases the silicone- rubber shell is made up:
Cured medium to long strands of silicones
Finely powdered silica (approximately 20 percent) that is carefully bound to the polymers of silicone
Trace amounts of other substances
If you decide to have surgery and your choice of implants is saline filled then you have made a popular and very good decision. These are composed of a sterile saline solution that is the exact same kind of salt water that is used when general surgery is performed. The types of these implants used vary based on whether they are prefilled before the operation or filled while the surgery is taking place. Another factor that plays a role is whether or not the volume of salt water can be adjusted.
There are three different types of single lumen implants. The first single lumen is prefilled before it arrives at the hospital or clinic. The lumen refers to the outer shell of the implant. The second type is filled with a measured volume of saline while the breast enlargement operation is underway. No adjustments can be made to the volume once the augmentation has been completed. The third single lumen is filled during the surgical procedure.
Following the breast enlargement procedure it is possible for the implant's volume to be adjusted whether it requires an addition or an extraction. This is done by way of a valve that can be found in the implant.
In Seattle Breast Enlargement procedure helps you to have those firm and full breasts you have always longed for making you feel confident and composed about yourself. To know more, visit http://www.cosmeticsurgeryforyou.com
Breast Enlargement - The Anatomy of an Implant
Swine Flu Virus Not So New, Study Finds
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The H1N1 swine flu virus may have been new to humanity in many ways but in one key feature its closest relative was the 1918 pandemic virus, researchers reported on Wednesday.
Their findings could point to better ways to design vaccines and help explain why the swine flu pandemic largely spared the elderly.
"This study defines an unexpected similarity between two pandemic-causing strains of influenza," Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said in a statement.
Two studies show an important structure called hemagglutinin is very similar in both the swine flu H1N1 and its distant cousin, the H1N1 virus that caused the 1918 pandemic. Hemagglutinin is used by viruses to infect cells and gives influenza viruses the "H" in their designations.
For one study, published in Science Translational Medicine, Chih-Jen Wei, Gary Nabel and colleagues at NIAID injected mice with a vaccine made using the 1918 influenza virus -- which killed an estimated 40 million to 100 million people.
When they infected the mice with H1N1 swine flu, the vaccinated mice survived, while many unprotected mice died.
The reverse also worked -- when they immunized mice using the 2009 H1N1 virus, and then infected them with the 1918 strain, the mice were protected.
"This is a surprising result," Nabel said. "We wouldn't have expected that cross-reactive antibodies would be generated against viruses separated by so many years."
The team also showed that as flu viruses circulate, they develop a kind of shield called a glycan that protects them from the body's immune system. That may allow them to become regular, seasonal visitors.
"It gives us a new understanding of how pandemic viruses evolve into seasonal strains, and, importantly, provides direction for developing vaccines to slow or prevent that transformation," Fauci said.
This Is What Happens When You Don't Read The Bill!
I guess someone forgot to tell the administration and those who voted for health insurance reform to actually read the bill.
The current bill signed into law yesterday does not, in fact, provide guaranteed-issue health insurance coverage from children this year, sort of.
I assume this will be fixed but we will have to wait and see.
Gap in law for children's healthcare protection
Impact - MLRs (Medical Loss Ratios)
I am watching President Obama sign the new health insurance (care) reform bill on CNN. I wanted to share some things I have heard recently that may eventually impact the number of carriers in California selling individual and family plans either through exchanges or privately, or both.
While carriers (insurance companies) can boast an overall MLR (medical loss ratio) above 85%, this number is generally inclusive of all sectors of insurance (large group, small group, individual and senior). However, when small group and individual (especially individual) is segregated out, the MLR often falls well below 80% with an average running about 74% on individual and family health plans.
"MLR" is the ratio of premiums paid in to what is paid out for medical care and wellness. The current reform will require in 2011 that all carriers selling individual and family plans must meet 80% MLR in that market. That means every company selling health plans in California by 2011 must be spending at least 80 cents of every dollar received in premiums on healthcare and related expenses.
I will save the reduction in administrative costs necessary for another post. Needless to say it certainly is probable that reduction in those expenses, including agent commissions, will occur.
My concern is if and how some carriers will be able to meet the new MLR.
I suspect that some carriers may choose to exit the market in California instead of trying to achieve 80% MLR on individual & family health coverage.
I will be curious to see who is left standing between now and 2014.
Health Insurance Reform - What To Expect
Happy Sunday to you all. I am watching the House vote and waiting for the final determination on the Health Insurance (Health Care) Reform Bill.
Since I have received many questions concerning changes I thought I'd quickly summarize here what to expect initially if/when this Bill is passed and signed into law today.
During the first year you can expect:
Pre-Existing Conditions - The Bill includes $5 billion in immediate support to provide temporary coverage to uninsured Americans with pre-existing conditions. The money would help until the new health insurance exchanges are created in 2014.
Elimination of Benefit Caps - New policies sold will not have annual caps on benefits nor lifetime caps on benefits.
Children with Pre-Existing Conditions - Children with pre-existing health conditions will not be excluded from purchasing health insurance coverage.
Preventive Care - New insurance policies will be required to offer free preventive care benefits.
Small Business Tax Credit - A tax credit for small businesses up to 50% of premiums to help small businesses purchase health insurance.
Help for Seniors - $250 towards drug coverage in the "donut hole" to help pay for prescription drugs.
Appeals Process - An independent appeals process will be set up for those who feel that they were unfairly denied a claim by their insurance company.
Other changes take place in 2014 and beyond.
Women Outdo Men in Memory Test
The first stage of the memory test saw the participants first listening to 10 words then recalling them in next 2 minutes. In the second round the participants were asked to recall the same 10 words, 5 minutes after round 1.
The score of the female participants in the first round was 5% greater than the male ones and 8% greater in the second round.
The research team led by Matthew Brown and Brian Dodgeon took up another test, wherein the participants were asked to name as many animals as they could think of, within one minute. Here, both the male and female participants scored neck to neck. The average number of animal names as listed by them was 22."Men performed significantly more poorly in the verbal memory tests: particularly on the delayed memory test", said the lead researchers.
The researchers also observed the affect of health conditions of the participants on their respective memories, concluding that those with better physical fitness yielded better scores.
All these participants were from the National Child Development Study. The researchers kept a track of them since these people were at the age of 16 years and they were observed again when they turned 50.
source: http://topnews.us/content/213259-women-outdo-men-memory-test
Medicare You Can Buy Into Act - Grayson (D-FL)
Congressman Alan Grayson of Florida has authored H.R. 4789. The Bill, titled "Medicare You Can Buy Into Act" or "Public Option Act", would open up Medicare enrollment to US residents of all ages 19 and above. The link below is for this bill, which is only four pages long.
Read The Bill Here
H1N1 vaccine: Phases II, III human trials begin today
Dr Prasad Kulkarni, director of clinical trials at the institute, told Newsline on Sunday that they had received the required approval from the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI). A total of 330 people in three age groups — paediatric, adult and elderly — will be enrolled for the trial. “Initially, the trial will begin at four centres; We will include two more later.”
The trial sites have been identified at Pune, Ahmedabad, Kolkata, Indore, Bangalore and Chennai. A private hospital and a medical college are taking part in the trial in Pune.
The Serum Institute will enroll 300 people for the trial.Once the intra nasal spray vaccine has been administered, the results will be tested in laboratories at the Serum Institute and National Institute of Virology.
The officials hope to submit the trial data to the DCGI by the second or third week of April.
Kulkarni said the results of the Phase I clinical trial of the injectable vaccine against the HINI virus would be submitted to the DCGI soon.
The Ahmedabad-based Zydus Cadila has also embarked upon the multi-centric Phase II and III clinical trials of the vaccine.
Source: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/h1n1-vaccine-phases-ii-iii-human-trials-begin-today/587951/2
California HIPAA Dance (Redux)
Another change for HIPAA in California.
Blue Shield of California, in response to Anthem's proposed premium payment arrangement (which is apparently not going to be fully implemented), has taken the following action with regard to HIPAA plan enrollments in California.
Effective 3/2/10, PPO enrollments from HIPAA plans will no longer offer any date of the month not before application receipt date. Now, 1st or 15th of the month following approval of the application.
From Wall Street Journal "The Wellpoint Mugging"
A very interesting article from the Wall Street Journal.
The Wellpoint Mugging
Some parts of the article are quite telling.
He ought to subpoena California's political class because Wellpoint's rate hikes are the direct result of the Golden State's insurance regulations—the kind that Democrats want to impose on all 50 states. Under federal Cobra rules, the unemployed are allowed to keep their job-related health benefits for 18 to 36 months. California then goes further and bars Anthem from dropping these customers even after they have exhausted Cobra. California also caps what Anthem can charge these post-Cobra customers.
This next one hits home for me as one of the leading Anthem HIPAA producers in California. While I know that Anthem is taking losses on the guaranteed-issue side, I also am confident that my book of Anthem HIPAA business (which apparently is #2 in the state of CA right behind e-healthinsurance)is not creating losses. Yes, the whole pool is losing money and Anthem has been covering almost 80% of it for several years (same with MRMIP). However, I always strive to do proper case development before I pick the appropriate HIPAA plan for a client and find I have a fairly even spread between my three California major medical carriers. And no, Anthem has not invited me to lunch for my high HIPAA production LOL!
This explains why Anthem lost $58 million in California on its post-Cobra customers in 2009. If WellPoint didn't raise premiums amid these losses, it would soon be under assault from its shareholders, if not out of business.
The company presented its findings to California insurance commissioner Steve Poizner last November, who had a month to review the proposed increases and never objected. But recently amid the White House campaign, Mr. Poizner has joined the chorus claiming to be "skeptical" of the increases and demanding that Anthem postpone them while he conducts a review. Anthem has done so.
More HIPAA Dancing
I have learned that Anthem Blue Cross California has again changed its position with regard to HIPAA enrollments.
Apparently they have backed off of the "no premium" with application design (which virtually guaranteed a 60-day minimum gap in coverage) and will allow premium submission with the application in the near future.
The current no premium program was only in effect on the HMO HIPAA plans, not the PPO HIPAA plans. Anthem had indicated a desire to have a unified HIPAA application with no premium pre-payment possible. Apparently this has been scrapped and HIPAA applicants will soon be able to pre-pay premiums for both HMO and PPO HIPAA plans with Anthem Blue Cross CA.