Category Archives: Feature
Choosing a Health Insurance Plan
The 2010 Affordable Care Act puts in place comprehensive health insurance reforms that will roll out over several years. Some new provisions are already in place; most changes will take effect by 2014. The law puts into place comprehensive health insurance reforms that will hold insurance companies more accountable and will lower health care costs, guarantee more health care choices, and enhance the quality of health care for all Americans. Major provisions affecting consumers include:
- Coverage for seniors who hit the Medicare Prescription Drug “Donut Hole,” including a rebate for those who reach the gap in drug coverage;
- Expanded coverage for young adults, allowing them to stay on their parents’ plan until they turn 26 years old;
- Small-business tax credits to help these companies provide insurance coverage to their workers; and
- Providing access to insurance for uninsured Americans with pre-existing conditions.
For more information about the new law, go to healthcare.gov.
Health Tip: Stick With Your Healthy New Year’s Resolutions
(HealthDay News) — People who make New Year’s resolutions often have the best of intentions, though these goals frequently slide.
The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics suggests how to stick with your goals for the new year:
- Make your goals specific. For example, instead of proclaiming that you want to exercise, commit to 30 minutes of activity per day.
- Choose one realistic goal, rather than several goals that are likely to be unachieved.
- Create a reminder list.
- Take immediate action, whether it’s by changing your diet beginning with the next meal, or by joining a gym.
– Diana Kohnle
Health Tip: Better Manage Stress
(HealthDay News) — Learning how to control stress can help you feel better and improve your health.
The Cleveland Clinic suggests ways to help manage stress:
- Become aware of the earliest signs of stress and how you respond.
- Learn and practice a relaxation technique that becomes “your” way of “de-stressing.” Practice the technique as soon as you feel stress.
- Imagine yourself in a stressful situation so you can practice dealing with stress.
- Apply your stress management techniques to real-life situations.
– Diana Kohnle
