is it will also reduce the need for these patients to be hospitalized, require C-PAP apparatuses for sleep apnea, require a large number of prescription medicines and so forth. Therefore, there may actually be a cost saving on the health-care system in the long term. By decreasing the incidence of diabetes, heart attacks, strokes and other complications of obesity, this may be a cost-effective means.
by Michael A. Cibik, Esq. American Bankruptcy Board Certified Question: My bankruptcy case was dismissed. What does that mean? Answer: First, the automatic stay that was imposed when you filed your bankruptcy petition is no longer in effect. This means your creditors can attempt to collect their debt – including phone calls and court action, they can repossess your vehicles, furniture and other secured
items if you are behind in your payments and the mortgage company can start foreclosure proceedings. You no longer have the protection of the bankruptcy court. Remember, dismissal is different than a discharge. If your case was discharged, no creditors should be contacting you regarding any debts that were included in your bankruptcy. Next week’s question: What if I can’t speak English at my bankruptcy hearing?
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When A Claim Is Denied It is common that an injured worker is informed that their workers' compensation benefits are denied after a work injury was reported. Normally, after an employee is injured on the job, he or she will be treated by a medical provider selected by the employer. Oftentimes after initial treatment for the work injury, an employee is sent a denial of their benefits and yet they still need necessary medical treatment to address their symptoms and wage-loss benefits to compensate them for their lost earnings. The injured worker may not be able to return to work or may find that he or she has no job to return to. What can you do next? If you are seeking medical treatment for a work injury and your employer's panel doctors are no longer an option, a good alternative is to treat with your family physician. You can use your personal insurance to pay for the treatment (which can later be reimbursed if you are awarded workers'compensation benefits) or you can pay out of pocket and save the receipts. Talk to your doctor about payment if you do not have personal insurance, and see if you can set up a payment plan. Try to get treatment with the intent of reimbursing the doctor when you are awarded benefits later on. Your doctor can advise you on whether or not you can continue working and whether a specialist is needed. In the meantime, it is very important you seek legal advice from attorneys that do a lot of workers'-compensation cases. An attorney will meet with you free of charge and inform you about your rights. If you have been denied benefits by your employer, you will need to file a Claim Petition against your employer in order to get your past and current medical treatment paid and disability benefits for any time you missed from work. Your likelihood of getting these benefits is far greater if
you obtain the assistance of a qualified workers'-compensation attorney. Any fees that are charged by the attorney must be approved by a workers'-compensation judge. Usually a lawyer will not ask you to put up any money to pay for the costs of pursuing the claim. It can take a long time, sometimes up to a year, to get through the litigation and trial of your claim. A qualified workers'-compensation lawyer will explain the process to you and keep you informed of the
progress of your claim. The lawyers at Steiner, Segal, Muller & Donan, have been representing injured people for over 25 years and know how to win your claim. They will never ask you for money up front to pay expenses, and they will always keep you current on the progress of your claim. You can be certain your well-being is the most important thing to them. Call us at (215) 7698505 for advice and consultation.
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Chapters 7/13 & Stop foreclosures, creditors harassments, lawsuits, garnishments, and sheriff sales.
The good news is that as these procedures become more perfected, the results become better and the complication rates lower. This data published in the New England Journal of Medicine, is extremely encouraging. Bariatric surgery is not simply a cosmetic surgery, but in many instances, a life-saving and life-expectancyincreasing procedure. Patients should consult with their physicians whether they are candidates for this procedure. Generally, a cardiologist, a lung doctor and a psychiatrist are required to work in conjunction with an experienced bariatric surgeon in a program. I have personally seen improvements in blood pressure, sleep apnea, diabetes, and a marked improvement in quality of life, in patients who have undergone this procedure. I also strongly believe it prevents heart failure, heart attacks and strokes by the risk-factor reduction affected by this procedure. More research is needed in this area, especially which procedure is better: a banding-type procedure or a more-extensive Roux-enY procedure.
The Public Record • October 1, 2009
(Cont. From Page 8) heart stiffness can decrease one year after bariatric surgery. This means heart dysfunction and enlargement due to obesity improve after the significant weight loss with bariatric surgery in time. With the rising health costs, this obviously is an expensive operation. Expensive operating on millions of people may strain the health-care system. However, what makes this surgery promising
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Life Saving Surgery Getting Medical Care