Overcharged then exhaustively details real reforms―showing how health care can become more efficient and pro-consumer when it is subjected to the competitive forces that apply to the rest of the economy, and will only get better and cheaper when consumers exert pressure from below.

    Crucially, Medicaid is also an intergovernmental program that yokes poverty to federalism: the federal government determines its broad contours, while states have tremendous discretion over how Medicaid is designed and implemented. Where some locales are generous and open handed, others are tight-fisted and punitive. In Fragmented Democracy, Jamila Michener demonstrates the consequences of such disparities for democratic citizenship. Unpacking how federalism transforms Medicaid beneficiaries' interpretations of government and structures their participation in politics, the book examines American democracy from the vantage point(s) of those who are living in or near poverty, (disproportionately) Black or Latino, and reliant on a federated government for vital resources.

    Yet most of us are neither healthy nor happy. We have been led to believe that if we think ahead and make the right choices, we can manifest our dreams. Yet despite our best efforts, we still have more disease and discontent than ever before. Is it possible that our essential ideas about life are flawed?We are all aware of the impact of sunlight on a plant’s growth and development. But few of us realize that a plant actually “sees” where light is emanating from and positions itself to be in optimal alignment with it. This phenomenon, however, is not just occurring in the plant kingdom — humans are also fundamentally directed by light. In Luminous Life, Dr. Jacob Israel Liberman integrates scientific research, clinical practice, and direct experience to demonstrate how the luminous intelligence we call light effortlessly guides us toward health, contentment, and a life filled with purpose.

    Scratch the surface and you find a thick layer of corruption in this life-sustaining sector.This hard-hitting volume shows a mirror to the society and, more specifically, to those associated with the health sector---on how healers, in many cases, are shifting shape to becoming predators. In the essays by contributors from within and outside the medical fraternity, we see the many faces, the many facets of corruption---from exorbitant billing by corporate hospitals to the non-merit-based selection in medical colleges to the questionable motives playing strong in the area of organ transplantation.But Healers or Predators? is not only about the illness affecting the sector. It also offers solutions, and some stories of hope. The Foreword by Amartya Sen is an added bonus.

    This application-focused beginner’s handbook explores basic reiki techniques, and teaches you how to heal over 100 common emotional and physical ailments with reiki. Through clear, step-by-step instructions—fully illustrated—this practical guide is the perfect companion for new reiki practitioners who learn by doing.From aches and pains to abundance and prosperity, reiki places the power to heal in your hands. Learn how to use reiki to heal yourself and others with: Remedies for 100+ ailments that provide clear instruction for treating physical and mental afflictions with reiki Basic reiki techniques that offer simple, step-by-step guidance on hand positions for reiki healing An essential introduction that teaches you fundamental information on the history and principles of reiki Take a hands-on approach to healing with over 100 remedies from Reiki Healing for Beginners.

    As World War Two gained momentum, she quit academic study to train as a nurse, thereby igniting her lifelong interest in caring for others. Following a back injury, she became a medical social worker, and then in her late 30s, qualified as a physician. By now her focus was on a hugely neglected area of modern health services: the care of the dying. When she opened the world's first modern hospice in 1967 a quiet revolution got underway. Education, research, and clinical practice were combined in a model of 'total care' for terminally ill patients and their families that quickly had a massive impact.In Cicely Saunders: A Life and Legacy, David Clark draws on interviews, correspondence, and the publications of Cicely Saunders to tell the remarkable story of how she pursued her goals through the complexity of her personal life, the skepticism of others, and the pervasive influence of her religious faith. When she died in 2005, her legacy was firmly established in the growing field of hospice and palliative care, which had now gained global recognition.

    If you, like so many others, are increasingly concerned about your loved one’s needs as they age, then ask yourself the following questions: How does your loved one see their life playing out? Where do they want to live as they age (in their own home vs. assisted living)? What kind of health do they aspire to be in? What kinds of activities do they want to engage in? If and when your loved one can no longer live independently, what is their preference (i.e., paid in-home help, assisted living or nursing facility)? Is their preference realistic considering their financial situation, and if not, what are the feasible alternatives? The Caregiving Journey goes far beyond the basics of wills and logistical funeral plans–basics many people have in place (especially where children are involved). Rather, you’ll be guided and supported to create a well-thought-out plan for those three, five or even 10 or more years when your loved one needs your help because they can no longer live on their own. With the inspiration, practical steps, support, and tools provided inside these pages, you’ll be well-equipped to guide your family members and loved ones to the end of their lives with love, ease and grace. Bringing together her 30+ years as a professional market analyst and her personal experience as a live-in caregiver for her mom, author Debbie Howard has integrated her experiences—along with the journeys of over 200 other caregivers—into this book to help you choose your best way forward. Learn more at www.thecaregivingjourney.com.