If “more individuals” want lower premiums, they can take these very easy steps:

1. Eat healthier, and excercise regularly. Obesity is the current #1 cause of increasing health costs.

2. Don’t screw around. More than half of the babies born here are to unmarried mothers, and about half of those births, are C sections – and about 25% of the babies and mothers have complications from the surgery (including premature babies because they were scheduled too early), resulting in the #2 health care expenditure. If we didn’t pay for hospital births regularly, it would drastically drop the premiums.

3. Use your common sense. Yep, playing football on skis, can result in serious injuries or death. Flooring the gas when you hit a yellow light, means you’re much more likely to rearend the guy in front of you – or hit the guy turning left as the light turns red.

Ya want cheaper health coverage? Take responsibility for yourself, and stop blaming insurance companies. They aren’t making money from the premiums they’re charging.

And yes the above poster is correct, distal to the sole of your foot is your toes. You mean superficial.

If this is a legitimate question [and I have seen many a Q on YA that is very detailed and serious sounding but is actually a hoax !] then don’t be a wuss.

I have looked after many a patient who has had fragments of glass caught underneath their skin from car crashes and the like. For some reason these things don’t get infected, at least the ones that I have come across. But they all eventually make their way to the surface and pop out for the patient to keep in a specimen jar. If it hurts, pad the surrounding area only, while wearing shoes – this may even aid its escape from your sweaty foot.

If it is really too much to bare then make an appointment – I can see you Monday afternoon. I love doing stuff like that.

Don’t wait!