Tag Archives: florida
Floridaโs No-fault Automobile Insurance Laws
In years since 2012, all drivers licensed in Florida have been required to carry what is known as PIP coverage. That stands for Personal Injury Protection.
This much-needed rider allows you to get the medical help you may need following an accident regardless of fault or if the other party has auto insurance.
Unlike some other states, there are time constraints within which you are able to seek treatment for accident-related injuries.
In Florida, you have just two weeks (14 days) after an accident to start treatment.ย ย If you do visit a doctor’s office or emergency clinic during this time frame you automatically lose your ability to use your PIP coverage.ย
If you are not taken by ambulance from the accident scene please follow up with your doctor and your chiropractor as soon as possible.
Every policy issued in Florida carries the full $10,000 worth of PIP coverage, even though, in some situations, you may only be entitled to $2500, a reduced benefit. To access the full amount you must receive a determination of emergency medical condition. Many insurance companies will argue with you that you do not have a serious condition. Restrictions have been unjustly placed which discriminate against chiropractic physicians. because of this, we have to refer you out to another health care provider simply to get that determination on file.
If your auto insurer stops payment after $2500 for the $10,000 in benefits for which you pay a premium for, you may continue to obtain treatment with our office under a letter of protection if you are represented by a lawyer and are filing a claim for recovery against the at-fault driver.
DID YOU KNOW?: You canย install our mobile appย on your smartphone! With just a push of a button, we will know you need medical assistance and get you in as soon as possible. http://drkasters.com/web-app-download/
If you are in an accident โ donโt worry about the specifics right away. Call our office at 239-332-2555 and come in for a post-accident evaluation, treatment plan, and adjustments. Letโs get you on the road to health and we will file all the paperwork for you.
For More Information on PIP Laws in Florida:
The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation can assist you if you experience a problem or have a complaint. You can submit a complaint online by going to their consumer services website atย https://apps.fldfs.com/eservice.
Chiropractor | Nutritionist in Ft Myers, FL.
Chiropractic care is aย safe, alternative treatmentย when applied appropriately. Chiropractic treatments help in dealing with the symptoms of manyย conditions. Are you going to wait for your symptoms to be felt, or are you going to prevent it as soon as possible?
Dr. Jason B. Kaster, aย chiropractor, and nutritionist in Fort Myers can help you and your family achieve their optimal health.
Chiropractic Treatment May Relive Arthritis Pain
Painful joints make even the most simple movements unbearable at times. In cool weather and rain, they ache even more when you have arthritis.
While there is no cure for arthritis, it has been shown that chiropractic adjustments can lessen the severity of the pain you experience making the condition easier to live with.
Chiropractic is an amazing modality.
No two patients can be treated in the exact same way.There are over 150 techniques that chiropractors employ to manually adjust the spine, muscles, and joints with varying degrees of gentle force. Which techniques are used is dependent on the condition(s) of the patient.ย
Chiropractors focus on the correlation between structure and function, says Dr. Jason Kaster, D.C. who has been in private practice in Fort Myers, Florida for over 17 years.
When a joint is out of alignment it canโt move as designed. The aim of treatment with our practice is to restore proper joint function. The freer the movement you have the better you will feel.
If you have neck or back pain because of osteoarthritis, chiropractic is one of the safest routes of therapy.
Your chiropractor may use manual spinal adjustments or manipulate soft tissue to help relieve tenderness and muscle spasms. You may also be asked to do traction which slowly stretches the joints to increase range of movement, as well as ultrasound, ice, and heat. At-home physical therapy exercises they may assign you can do wonders as well.ย
ย Please take note: If you have an inflammatory disease (rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis or ankylosing spondylitis) you need to be more careful and really talk with your doctor and listen to your body. If your medical doctor has told you that you have active swelling in your joints, chiropractic may not be the right path for you.
That doesnโt mean we canโt help. It just means we woud just need to take a different approach to the treatment for your case. A consultation is advisable to get you going on some alternative safe and effective therapies.
They may include:
Electrotherapy.ย These tiny electric pulses are not painful. They treat soft tissue injuries by stimulating nerves and muscles.
Low-level cold laser.ย Thisย therapy uses a non-heat-producing laser or light that penetrates deep into the tissue, sometimes reducing inflammation.
Ultrasound.ย Many think of ultrasound as imaging technology, but when applied to soft tissues and joints, sound waves can also produce a massaging effect that helps reduce swelling and decrease pain and stiffness.
Infrared sauna.ย Imagine having a hot compress warm up your joints from the inside. These rooms use controlled amounts of heat to relieve pain and increase circulation.
Medical Doctors Agree
The American College of Physicians released updated guidelines in 2017. They now support the use of non-pharmacologic therapies. This includes chiropractic as well as acupuncture, as first-line treatment of pain, before medication.
If you are living with arthritis call the office of Dr. Kaster today. We would love to see how we can help you feel better and live well.
Chiropractor | Nutritionist in Ft Myers, FL.
Chiropractic care is aย safe, alternative treatmentย when applied appropriately. Chiropractic treatments help in dealing with the symptoms of manyย conditions. Are you going to wait for your symptoms to be felt, or are you going to prevent it as soon as possible?
Dr. Jason B. Kaster, aย chiropractor, and nutritionist in Fort Myers can help you and your family achieve their optimal health.
239-332-2555
www.drkasters.com to learn more!
The Aftermath of a Car Accident – How to Cope
Car accidents are one of the most traumatic experiences you can have in life. That horrible feeling that time is slowed, the brace for impact, and finally that jarring body jolting slam as the collision happens… there is a moment of pause where everything just stands still… and then reality sets back in and you have to gather your thoughts and refocus… “Am I hurt?”
Immediatelyย following an accident you will be asked if you would like to go to the hospital to be examined.
In Florida, you have 14 days to seek medical treatment for an accident from any and all sources. The claimย must be started or youย by law release your right to coverage under your insuranceโs PIP (personal injury protection) as well as potentially your right to sue for damages.
Even a minor accident can throw your body out of alignment causing soft tissue damage. It’s in your best interest to go see your chiropractor as soon as possible.
Soft tissue injuries lead to pain, swelling, and inflammation. It is vital that they are properly treated to ensure the best healing circumstance possible and get you on the road to recovery.
Your health should be your number one concern in an accident. At the office of Dr. Jason Kaster, D.C. they specialize in auto accident recovery offering not only chiropractic but many alternative adjacent therapies such as decompression, ultrasound, and electro-stimulation as well as therapeutic massage services right in the office.
When you visit your chiropractor a claim will be initiated by your insurance carrier. You may also keep a journal and claim mileage to and from all medically related appointments for reimbursement. They will pay your doctor(s) directly in your name. This allows you to get the treatment you need with no upfront out of pocket cost.
PIP with no additional medical coverage selected in Florida is valued at $10,000.ย If you have elected additional medical coverage that can be utilized as well. This can go a long way in getting you back to health. If medical bills exceed your allowed amounts you may want to consult with an auto injury attorney as well.
If you have been involved in an accident in Southwest, Florida please call 239-332-2555 or visit www.drkasters.com for more information or to schedule your appointment.
What is a Colposcopy?
If you have had a routine pap smear exam, which is suggested for women every three years, and it has come back repeatedly with a result of abnormal cells, your Gynecologist may suggest that you have a colposcopy done to further examine the situation and get a better gauge of your cervical health.
A colposcopy is a term used to describe a cervical biopsy. A tissue sample may be taken from either outside or inside the cervix, occasionally both are needed for the exam. A typical colposcopy takes only 10-15 minutes at the most.
What you will experience
Much like your yearly wellness exam or pap smear you will be asked to put on a paper gown and lay flat on the exam table, knees up, heels in the stirrups so the doctor can examine you. This position is necessary to be able to clearly see the cervix.
A speculum is inserted and a vinegar-like solution is used to wash the area to be biopsied. The physician will use an instrument called a colposcope (it looks like stand mounted binoculars attached to a light). It is used to examine you visually from several inches away. If at that time abnormal cells are visible a small biopsy is taken.
The colposcopy itself is nearly pain-free. Only the normal pressure of the speculum sliding in is felt and a possible slight sting of the vinegar solution. If you do need the actual biopsy expect slight discomfort. It is described as a sharp pinching which brings on a cramp like you have during a menstrual cycle. Bleeding and dark discharge is to be expected for the next 24 to 48 hours.
While it is often told to patients that they can simply return to work following the procedure, the fact is that this is actually a trauma to the body, however minor, some people do not feel so hot afterwards so if at all possible on the day you have this done, have the rest of the day off to go lay down and rest, just in case. With that said, many feel just fine afterward – it is just better to err on the side of caution.
Following a colposcopy do not have sex, use tampons or use any medication vaginally for a full 24 hours in order for the biopsied area to have time to heal. Your doctor’s office will let you know when the lab results are back and call you to let you know how to proceed based on the findings.
If you are in need of a gynecologist or oncologist in the Lee County, Florida area we invite you to utilize our free resource www.ipalc.org/find. It is a listing of Independent physicians in Lee County who provide the finest health care in Southwest Florida putting the value back in the doctor-patient relationship.
Managing Hives
Breaking out in hives can make you crazy. The itching, the scratching, it can be so intense it keeps you up at night. Nothing seems to help and until you know the source, you feel doomed to bouts at pretty well any moment.
When they initially come to pass it becomes a process of elimination in order to figure out the cause and eliminate it from your life.
Brought on by Hives, although normally associated with allergic reactions, can also be brought on by stress, insect bites, certain medications, infections, sun exposure and even extreme cold. The sooner you identify what it is that is causing hives for you, the better and more quickly you can halt them.
What works?
- Avoidance of the stimulant is the #1 best defense. If you canโt avoid it or havenโt yet figured out what it is here are some suggestions to help.
- Take Benadryl (antihistamine) to calm the reaction.
- Oatmeal or anti-itch bath โ take a cool bath and soak allowing the skin to moisturize.
- Scratching, though it may feel good, will increase the need to scratch. It’sย a vicious circle. If at all possible, avoid scratching. If that isnโt possible, try and use a skin brush rather than your nails which can have bacteria on them and are more prone to tearing. The brush will feel even better and not lead to broken skin areas.
- Moisturize with a hypoallergenic lotion directly after the bath. Pat dry.
- Use Calamine lotion to relieve itching by cooling the skin.
- Talk to your doctor about prescription options if you experience chronic hives.
Let your doctor help you pinpoint the cause. They are able to help diagnose and get to the root of the problems so that you can get on with your life, hive free. To find a practitioner here in Lee County, Florida please visit our FREE resource list from the Independent Physicians Association of Lee County by going to www.ipalc.org/find.