Maybe Paige has Narcolepsy too...
By The Dreamer on Sep 9, 2012 | In Narcolepsy/Cataplexy | Send feedback »
Narcolepsy Careline
By The Dreamer on Jul 19, 2012 | In Narcolepsy/Cataplexy, Support Group | Send feedback »
Link: https://narcolepsy.pafcareline.org/
Narcolepsy patients now have somewhere to turn for assistance. Created by an organizational partnership between Jazz Pharmaceuticals and Patient Advocate Foundation, this program is designed to help all patients who need assistance when dealing with the complications of a narcolepsy condition.
If you have been diagnosed with narcolepsy, the Narcolepsy CareLine is here to help you navigate the insurance and medical world as it relates to your diagnosis. This line is staffed by caring and knowledgeable case management specialists who will work with patients and their providers to ensure better access to care, help find solutions for medical debt crisis and assist in employment related issues. Now, narcolepsy patients have a partner on their side to guide them through the complex insurance and reimbursement system, allowing them to focus on living the happy and healthy life they deserve.
Opinionator: The Two Big Questions on Health Care
By The Dreamer on Jun 29, 2012 | In Health Insurance | Send feedback »
Link: http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/06/28/the-two-big-questions-on-health-care/?smid=tu-share
The remaining mysteries of the Roberts vote and the Medicaid expansion.
Insurance premiums are higher for state workers (and for others whose employers cover them) because of the uninsured.
So my premiums should be going down eventually?
Health IT Is a Small, But Significant Part of Health Reform
By The Dreamer on Jun 29, 2012 | In Health Insurance, Other Health Issues | Send feedback »
Link: http://mashable.com/2012/06/29/health-it-health-reform/
I’m finding all sorts of things that I have already been diagnosed with, but nobody had ever thought to tell me before….
"AWAKEN" Survey Findings
By The Dreamer on Jun 11, 2012 | In Narcolepsy/Cataplexy | Send feedback »
Link: http://investor.jazzpharma.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=210227&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1704297
"AWAKEN" Survey Finds Only 50 Percent of Americans Understand Significant Health Impact of Narcolepsy, and Many Physicians Not Comfortable Diagnosing the Sleep Disorder
Despite serious nature of narcolepsy, Americans also misperceive its severity compared to other diseases of similar health concern or prevalence
Specific findings from the AWAKEN Survey reveal:
- Seventy percent (70%) of adults have heard of narcolepsy – the lowest percentage among a range of diseases, including diabetes, sleep apnea, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, multiple sclerosis, schizophrenia, restless leg syndrome and cystic fibrosis.
- Of those adults who have heard of narcolepsy, only 7% consider themselves "very or extremely knowledgeable" about the disorder.
Similarly, only a quarter (24%) of PCPs and nearly two-thirds (62%) of sleep specialists consider themselves "very or extremely knowledgeable" about narcolepsy compared to the other diseases. - Even sleep specialists may not fully recognize the symptoms of narcolepsy, with only a fifth (22%) identifying all five symptoms of the disease – excessive daytime sleepiness, cataplexy (sudden loss of muscle tone), sleep paralysis, hypnagogic hallucinations and disruptive nocturnal sleep.
- Additionally, 22% of sleep specialists report they are "not very or not at all comfortable" diagnosing narcolepsy.
- Among PCPs and sleep specialists who see three or more narcolepsy patients a month, narcolepsy is still one of the least discussed topics compared to other sleep-related disorders – higher only than sleep paralysis. Other sleep-related conditions surveyed include insomnia, obstructive sleep apnea, excessive daytime sleepiness, restless leg syndrome/periodic limb movement disorders and hypersomnia.