Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder - Term Paper Example

Children with ADHD Introduction Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a very common childhood mental illness which can continue till early teenage years and in very rare cases to adulthood. Its symptoms include difficulty in staying focused and concentrating, hyperactivity and being very impulsive. These symptoms affect the kids in competing and succeeding in the early school years, and doing simple everyday life activities with difficulty. In this disorder the brain development is delayed (about three years) which a child can catch on later in life. Care, Medication and Control for ADHD Children: The important thing to understand is that the there is no treatment for this disorder but a lot of symptoms can be cured with both behavioural changes and medication. Proper medication assists in treating Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD); it stimulates brain cells, and adjusts hyperactivity, helps in concentrating and modifies motor skills also. But these medications are usually adjusted for every child with trial and error and the precise medication and dosage is determined per child as per his bodily reactions towards it. Some of the side effects related with these medications are; anxiety, sleeping disorders, stomach aches etc. Certain dietary supplements are reported to have positive effects on an Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) affected child. A child consuming healthy diets has an edge on combating the disease; this includes whole grains, fruits, vegetables and low-fat protein diets. Where as a child with ADHD will have negative effects on his health if he is taking food additives and excessive sugar (AACAP, 2013). Ritalin; Use and Abuse: The most common drug prescribed for Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is Ritalin, it is readily available and generally it is given to children six years and above, but in a special cases it can be prescribed for younger children. Ritalin is the brand name for methylphenidate, and it reacts with the chemicals of brain and nerves which controls impulses. It is an addictive drug and it is not prescribed for pre-schoolers for a long period. Parents who are dealing with a child having Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have to be much more vigilant, not only on the child in question, but on his older siblings as well. Since Ritalin is the readily available drug for ADHD, its abuse is very common too. Adult siblings of ADHD affected kids often caught of abusing this drug, because it causes alertness, gives a boost of energy and attention which helps them in performing better in tests. However the longer intake of this drug can be extremely harmful, even fatal (CESAR, 2013). Virginia is the second largest state which prescribes Ritalin for the treatment of ADHD in children. It is advised by the governing bodies that it is a licit drug but keeping in account its behaviour changing results, also refer to as mind altering results and its misuse among non patients, its high prescription rate in the state only suggests that it is due to incompetent law enforcement and poor governance. Proper Diagnosis is Essential: It is of great importance that a child should be diagnosed properly for Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) before prescribing any drugs. It is commonly misdiagnosed, since the symptoms of ADHD can be easily misread for any other learning disability. Usually teachers are the first ones who can identify the problem in a child, his lack of interest, hyperactivity and poor concentration, but if she reports such a child to the school nurse he shouldn’t be given Ritalin right away ‘assuming’ that he has ADHD, in fact he should be referred to a paediatrician who furthermore will advise to take the child to mental health specialist as they have experience and expertise in diagnosing such a child based on various individual studies (CHADD, 2012). Health Insurance for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): Health insurance is an agreement between an individual and the insurance company. These insurance companies cover the high medical cost and they agree to pay a part of the medical cost when it is needed as per plan. One can get a policy or a plan from these companies based on your medical services requirements (NLM, 2012) Mostly, Americans get there insurance policies through their employers, in this case the employers pays for the insurance. The insurance through employers is referred to as ‘managed care plan’. A managed care plan, in general, is an agreement in which health care providers and medical services are offered to the members at reduced rates. There can be three broad ranges of these managed care plans; Health Maintenance Organization Plans (HMO) pays for care within the organization, in which you can nominate a doctor who takes care of most of your care. Preferred Provider Organization Plans (PPO) pays more if you stay in the organization but will also pay (lesser amount) if you leave the organization. Point of Service Plans (POS) let you choose between HMO and PPO whenever the need of health care arises. In addition to above mentioned insurances types, you can also purchase health care insurance on your own. If you meet certain requirements set by the government you will be eligible for Government Health Insurances, such as Medicare, Medicaid and SCHIP (State Childrens Health Insurance Program). SCHIP (State Childrens Health Insurance Program) is U.S. Health and Human Services has started this insurance program in which the country’s 10 million kids will be insured for free or for a small amount. Through this program every state will provide insurance to infants, toddlers and teens whose parents are not eligible for Medicaid etc. Most people around the country are not aware that there children are eligible for this insurance. Since treatment for Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is huge, ranging from diagnosis, treatments, drug usage, doctor visits and post treatment health care services and inspections, it is very important to understand and to have a knowhow of what is covered in your health insurance program. When choosing a health care program certain facts and figures are needed to be taken care of as to get as much benefit from the policy as possible, otherwise it will be a crisis situation for most because of the high treatment cost. One can get underemployed or can get completely broke. To avoid such crisis situations, we need to educate ourselves about our rights and claims in an insurance policy. A Medical Health Insurance policy usually covers a list of health benefits which covers test, procedures, drugs and treatment services, these are called ‘Covered Services’. Whether you buy a government health insurance or a private health policy from any health insurance market place , understand that it provide you the 10 essential health benefit services as it enforced by the federal government. These ten essential health benefit services are; Outpatient services you get without being admitted to a hospital ER services In Patient services such as surgery Maternity and infant care Mental health and substance use disorder services, including behavioral health treatment (this includes counseling and psychotherapy) Rehabilitation and Habilitation services Lab services Preventive, wellness services and disease management services Pediatric services ( services including regular medical services as well as behavioral and disorder services) Prescription Drugs From the above list, we should understand when we buy a health insurance policy whether from a health insurance market place or a government health insurance agency, we need to take in consideration these essential benefits offered to us we should make sure that they are included and clearly mentioned in the policy. As per the point of ‘Mental health and substance use disorder services, including behavioral health treatment (this includes counseling and psychotherapy) and ‘Prescription drugs’ we should become eligible for ADHD related test and treatments (NLM, 2012). Under the heading; Mental health disorder services, health care insurance companies usually limit you, whether you have Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), in numbers of doctors visit and test done, they have a certain amount offered annually for this purpose, here is when it’s get tricky, you can take care of all that when you are documenting your policy you need to put it in the policy exclusively describing your child’s ADHD treatment needs, then it will be covered extensively. Government’s Response: The Governments response towards appeals, against a health insurance company, usually is in our favor. Although it’s tiring, but being persistent shows it colors. People who have managed care plan from an employer are often denied of the basic rights required by ADHD child, but one should not leave it at that, because it has a high cost plus the well being of your child involved. Challenge your claim if your appeal gets turned down the first time, keep pressing on until you get through, studies shows that 44% of the second appeal claim won and 45% of the third appeal. So all is not lost if it works in the end and government it seems works in our child’s greater interest too It can be frustrating and time consuming but it is worth the wait. American Attitude; then and now: The American attitude towards the treatment, diagnosis and care including insurance policies regarding Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has come a long away over the years. In former years, first of all ADHD was not considered a serious problem and often mistaken for any other learning disability, and if the diagnosis is being made for ADHD its treatment and drugs are not easily excisable for the general public. Once it was established that it is a serious mental illness affecting mainly children, research and studies towards the diseases treatment and control went underway and lots of time and money is spend in the research and development of the medication of the same. Up till now there is no treatment for ADHD which can cure it for sure, but there are some medications which offer relief in some of its symptoms. Once its drugs (namely Ritalin) is made readily available, its abuse become popular, mostly by students, who take it as a “study drug” because it helps in focusing, concentrating and alertness, but on broader spectrum it can cause severe health risk like hypertension or rapid heart rate even death. As far as insurance policies are concerned, generally, mental health disorder doesn’t exclusively cover Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), but it can be challenged by a court of law, or better still it should be included in the covered services while purchasing a policy. In more recent times, the concern and responsibility towards general health of an American citizen is taken more seriously by the government as well. The “Affordable Care Act, ACA” or the “Obama-Care” as most commonly called will benefit most of the American citizen in health related issues. It doesn’t cover ADHD in particular, but its protection and procedures will benefit any child with ADHD. ACA will enforce all the health care insurance companies whether federal or private to follow and include the preventive services. Preventive services include tests and procedures to maintain health and avoid diseases (NIMH, 2014). REFERENCES American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Inc. ADHD Parents Medication Guide, Revised July 2013, Web April 17, 2014 National Institute of Mental Health, Transforming and Understanding Mental Health and Illness, Web April 17, 2014 CESAR (Center for substance abuse research), Ritalin, October 29, 2013. Web April 18, 2014 CHADD (Children and Adults with ADHD), Updated December 2012. Web April 18, 2014 National Library of Medicine, Health Insurance, Revised 2012. Web April 18, 2014 Read More