Category Archives: Health Care Advice

Workplace Wellness Seems to Really Work

Workplace Wellness Seems to Really Work

Investing in employee health cuts medical costs and ups productivity, heart experts say

By Robert Preidt

From MSN Health and Fitness

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 30 (HealthDay News) — Workplace wellness programs are an effective way to reduce major risk factors for heart disease, such as smoking, obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes, says a new American Heart Association policy statement.

Each year, heart disease costs the United States about $304.6 billion, the association says. Companies spend 25 to 30 percent of their annual medical costs on employees with significant health risks, mainly because of their increased likelihood of experiencing heart disease and stroke, it says.

But the financial burden also falls on workers, it says, in the form of higher premiums, co-pays and deductibles, reduction or elimination of coverage and trade-offs between insurance benefits and wage or salary increases.

“Research shows that companies can save anywhere from $3 to $15 for every $1 spent on health and wellness within 12 to 18 months of implementing a [workplace wellness] program,” the statement’s lead author, Mercedes Carnethon, an assistant professor of preventive medicine at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, said in a news release from the heart association.

“Beyond cost savings and increased productivity, visionary employers are realizing the value of an employee’s total health,” she said. “An effective worksite wellness program can attract exceptional employees, enhance morale and reduce organizational conflict.”

More than 130 million Americans are employed, according to the association, which means that workplace wellness programs have the potential to reach a sizable population.

“We are making great strides in workplace wellness, but we also know that half of employees don’t have access to these programs, mainly because they work in small companies or for employers that have a small number of employees at multiple sites,” Carnethon said. “We are hoping this paper shows employers large and small the benefits these programs may provide to both their employees and their bottom line.”

Keys to a successful program, according to the policy statement, include:

  • Smoking/tobacco cessation and prevention
  • Regular physical activity
  • Stress management/reduction
  • Early detection/screening
  • Nutrition education and promotion
  • Weight management
  • Disease management
  • Cardiovascular disease education, including cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and automated external defibrillator (AED) training
  • Work environment changes that encourage healthy behaviors and promote occupational health and safety

The policy statement was published Sept 30 in Circulation.

More information

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on physical activity.

What is HealthCare.gov?

What is HealthCare.gov?

By Molly Edmonds

From HowStuffWorks.com

When you make a large purchase, such as a car, you’d probably like to know that you’re getting the best deal for your money. There are plenty of Web sites that can help you in this quest, and you can compare and contrast different makes, models, features and price points until you find the perfect car for your situation.

On July 1, 2010, the U.S. government unveiled HealthCare.gov. This new Web site is designed to offer the same sort of information and transparency about thehealth insurance market so that consumers can be sure they’re getting the best value. The creation of the Web site was a requirement of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act that President Obama signed into law in March 2010, and the site is designed to provide comprehensive, easy-to-understand information on health insurance options.

HealthCare.gov presents extensive information on how the new health care reform legislation affects consumers, but it’s served up in a very personalized way. Whether you’re a pregnant woman in Ohio or a recent college graduate in Nevada, you can get information about how the law impacts your particular situation. For example, small business owners could visit a page that explains how the insurance marketplace is changing for them in the near future, as well as in 2014, when the final pieces of the legislation will be put into place.

The Web site also includes information on preventive care and how to compare the quality of care patients receive at local facilities, but its most notable feature is the insurance finder. For the first time ever, private plans and public plans have been cataloged together so that consumers can comparison-shop. This tool is designed to give consumers control in an area that has been so baffling for so many years. Rather than flipping through hundreds of pages of fine print or spending hours on the phone, consumers can now easily see the plans that are available to someone in their situation. On the next page, we’ll take a closer look at how this feature works.

Finding Insurance Options on HealthCare.gov

If you’re in the market for health insurance, HealthCare.gov can help you find specific options quickly and easily. All you have to do is answer a few simple questions, such as your state of residence, employment status, the number of people who need coverage and any relevant health issues. If you’re wary of providing the government with your information, know that the system is unable to retain any of the data you provide.

Based on this information, the insurance finder pulls up options that may be relevant to your situation. For example, a father of two who just lost his job would receive 10 options, including one about COBRA coverage, enrolling in a spouse’s plan, Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).

If this man decided that he wanted to purchase a new plan, he could enter his ZIP code to pull up specific companies offering insurance in that area. HealthCare.gov currently has information from more than 1,000 insurance carriers and more than 5,000 individual plans and products. The consumer can view each of the plans that a company offers, from the benefits to the doctors who are covered by the plan. The links to that information are provided by the insurance companies themselves, which means they have an incentive to provide easy-to-understand information and affordable care. After all, if you’re comparing a company that has a confusing benefit system and a byzantine Web site to a company that makes things very easy to understand, you’re more likely to go with the latter option.

In October 2010, HealthCare.gov will include pricing information for these plans, though it should be noted that those numbers will be only estimates. An individual would still have to go through the underwriting process at the insurance company and may be subject to a different fee. Still, the administration is hopeful that the basic estimates will give people a better idea of how much certain plans cost so that you won’t have to waste time pursuing one that’s completely out of your league. Though HealthCare.gov will provide pricing information, consumers can’t buy insurance through the site. For that, they’ll have to go directly to the insurer (HealthCare.gov lists contact information).

HealthCare.gov will continue to evolve until 2014. At that point, the site will also function as a portal to all state-administered insurance exchanges, which are required by the new legislation. In the short term, however, there are yellow feedback boxes located all over HealthCare.gov; the government is requesting user feedback on each page so that the site can continually be improved for consumers.

Don’t buy fake health insurance

Don’t buy fake health insurance

By Jen Haley

From CNN Money

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — Massive unemployment and a changing health care system is creating a breeding ground for con artists. One of the fastest growing scams is fake health care coverage.

You may see ads stapled to neighborhood telephone polls, flyers left on your car or maybe you’ll get a phone call from someone who’s selling health insurance at extremely low rates, as low as $29.99 a month in some cases, says Jim Quiggle of the Coalition Against Insurance Fraud. The sad truth is that often these bogus policies pay little or nothing on claims, leaving consumers with exorbitant medical bills.

“Fake health plans won’t be licensed. If they were, regulators would be breathing down their necks. And the last thing they want is regulators to know what they’re up to,” says Quiggle.

If you’re going to buy health insurance, make sure you speak with family and friends to get recommendations, says Barry Johnson of Healthcare Insight, a fraud-prevention company.

If you get scammed, it’s not only a high medical debt you have to worry about. Besides the obvious hit to your credit score if you can’t pay those bills, you could be opening yourself up to ID theft if you give out sensitive information like your Social Security number or your credit card number.

“This could reach into your financial existence,” says Quiggle.

Older people on Medicare are particularly susceptible to scams, says Johnson. Mobile medical clinics may visit communities and offer “free” services, like tests or medical supplies like orthotics after you’ve provided your Medicare number. These con artists then use your number to make bogus Medicare claims against your policy. Make sure you protect your policy number as you would any other piece of identification.

Feeling a Little Blue? Exercise as a Mood Lifter.

Phot by Flickr
Phot by Flickr

Feeling a little blue? Many studies have shown that exercise is a great way to improve your mood and fight symptoms of depression. There are several reasons exercise has psychological benefits. On a purely chemical level, when you exercise your body releases endorphins, which are known to block the sensation of pain and also to make you feel good. Exercise over time also raises self esteem.

It’s hard to avoid becoming fit when you exercise on a regular basis and being fit can help you feel better both physically and mentally. Exercise is probably the single most underused treatment for depression. Group exercise can have yet another positive effect for those with depression: socialization. Many people who have mild to moderate depression need more social interaction in order to begin feeling better.

One of the most important tips to keep in mind as you get started is to choose an activity that you enjoy. Your exercise plan should not be torture. If you detest the treadmill, try walking outside instead. You may also want to try new activities like yoga or a spinning class if those are things you haven’t done before. If doing exactly the same thing bores you, try something different each week. You should also aim to exercise for at least 20 minutes, three times a week in order to see the symptoms of depression decrease. As you become more fit, work up to 4 or 5 times a week for 30 minutes.

Besides raising self-esteem, having those extra endorphins and allowing you to socialize a bit, exercise improves health overall. Your heart is healthier, you are less likely to have diabetes or be overweight, your bones are stronger and the quality of your sleep improves. What good reasons are there to not exercise?

Sammie Clemmons
Fitness Coach
Click for more information about healthy workouts.

Omega 3 Helps Depression and So Much More.

The good news is that omega 3 helps depression, especially if you are suffering from a mild or moderate depression. It can also help with many other health issues with the key being to select the right oil or little or no benefit can be had.The fact that omega 3 helps depression isn’t so surprising when you realize that over 60% of our brain is made up of fats, with over half of that being DHA omega 3.

Photo by Flickr
Photo by Flickr

These special fatty acids, of which the main one is DHA, can also reduce the severity of schizophrenia by over 25%, showing just how effective they are for improving your mental well-being and mood.

Here’s the scientific version:

Fatty acids are essential for the healthy formation of the brain’s nerve cell membranes. The brain is the richest source of fatty acids in the body, and because nerve cell function depends on proper membrane functioning, changes in the membrane fluidity have a negative effect on behavior, mood and mental function.

By taking a daily omega 3 supplement, the best of which are fish oils, you can not only improve your depression but also benefit from prevention of heart attacks and strokes, lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol and help in the fight against prostate and breast cancer to name a few.

So omega 3 helps depression and helps you avoid many of the degenerative diseases later on, so how do you ensure you get the best?

Your priority is to get as much DHA as possible and my recommendation is at least 250mg of DHA per fish oil capsule or soft gel to reap the maximum rewards. Check the label as most contain far less and more of the other important but less useful one, EPA.

Molecular distillation will make sure there are no toxins left over from the fish like mercury and arsenic, leaving you with safe and very pure oil.

With over 90% of us being deficient in these wonderful oils and now you know that omega 3 helps depression, you could soon start to feel significantly better and enjoy all the many benefits they bring.

If you would like to learn more about the high quality DHA fish oil supplements I personally take daily, visit my website today.

Discover the best omega-3 fish oil today.

Rich Hawkins is a dedicated researcher of nutrition, diet and the amazing health benefits of high quality fish oil. Take a moment to visit his site now at http://www.best-omega-3-supplement.com and discover the very latest and effective DHA omega-3 fish oil supplements that Rich recommends after extensive research.