Posted by Melissa C. on Mon, Apr 02, 2012 @ 08:33 AM
We began talking about unemployment and health insurance back in the beginning of 2010. A recent Bureau of Labor Statistic’s press release from March 9, 2012 stated the total number of unemployed is at 12.8 million workers. It had been as high as 15 million. And while this is a sign of the economy slowly recovering, there are still 5.4 million workers who have been unemployed for 27 weeks or longer. So it’s understandable that even though it may seem like a long time, many workers remain without work.
If that’s the case for you, while your priority is finding a job, having health insurance remains an important factor in your future planning. COBRA coverage with its extended benefits might be the option you’ve taken. These benefits may be running out for you or possibly were too expensive for you to even consider in the first place.
You may be at the point that a low-cost permanent plan suits your needs better. A major medical health plan stills allows you to pay monthly and protects you from financial ruin should you have a costly unforeseen illness or injury.
Monthly premiums are kept low on individual health plans today by providing high deductibles, offering different coinsurance options and covering important benefits while making less used benefits as options on the plan. Plus, preventive care visits are covered by the plan at no additional charge to you and can help keep you healthy. Celtic plans even provide vision benefits and services for free (not available in all states).
So it’s definitely worth considering an individual health insurance plan. Start with the monthly rate you think you can pay for health insurance and then run some quotes for a few plans -- I think you’ll find a good fit pretty easily.
http://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.nr0.htm (March 9, 2012)
Posted by Melissa C. on Mon, Feb 27, 2012 @ 11:29 AM
February is American Heart Month
Heart disease kills an estimated 630,000 Americans each year. It’s the leading cause of death for both men and women. Recognizing the importance of these numbers means taking a moment to consider what you can do during American Heart Month. It may be a good time for a well-visit to the doctor, who can screen for risk factors associated with heart disease.
This is especially true, because in the United States, the most common type of heart disease is coronary artery disease (CAD), which can lead to a heart attack. You can greatly reduce your risk for CAD through lifestyle changes and, in some cases, medication.
You can make healthy changes to lower your risk of developing heart disease. Controlling and preventing risk factors is also important for people who already have heart disease. Here are some steps you can take:
- Watch your weight
- Quit smoking and stay away from secondhand smoke
- Control your cholesterol and blood pressure
- If you drink alcohol, drink only in moderation
- Get active and eat healthy
- Talk to your doctor about taking aspirin every day if you are a man over the age of 45, or a woman past menopause
- Manage stress
For more information on American Heart Month visit: http://www.cdc.gov/features/heartmonth/
Posted by Melissa C. on Mon, Jan 30, 2012 @ 01:09 PM
One of the better innovations of consumer driven health care is the qualifying high-deductible health plan coupled with a Health Savings Account (HSA). It provides consumers low-cost major medical coverage with more control over their health care expenses.
And it continues to offers big advantages to enrollees for 2012. For individuals making post-tax contributions you can reduce your taxable income by the amount you contribute to your HSA. Plus, the interest on your HSA funds grows tax deferred!
There are a number of advantages to having a HSA, including the ability for funds to accumulate year after year. The 2012 annual contribution limits have increased slightly over 2011 limits. That means 2012 provides individuals and families a great opportunity to save for current and future health care expenses with the following contribution amounts, deductibles and out-of-pocket maximums:
- Individuals with an HSA program can contribute $3,100 and families can contribute $6,250 into their accounts. HSA holders age 55 and older can contribute an extra $1,000 for the year.
- The minimum annual deductibles are $1,200 for individuals and $2,400 for families.
- The annual out-of–pocket maximums (including copays, deductibles and other amounts, but not premium) are $6,050 for individuals and $12,100 for families.
Ready to learn more about Celtic HSAs?
Posted by Melissa C. on Tue, Nov 15, 2011 @ 01:18 PM
As if we haven’t been touting the value of exercising and watching your diet enough, here’s another reason why these two important activities can pay off. Every 17 seconds, someone new is diagnosed with diabetes. Nearly 26 million children and adults have diabetes in the United States. An additional 79 million Americans are at high risk for developing type 2 diabetes.
How do you help prevent diabetes? For people diagnosed with prediabetes, changing your diet and increasing your physical activity can lessen the chance of getting diabetes.
During American Diabetes Month this November, the American Diabetes Association is encouraging people to take action and raise their hand to Stop Diabetes. Participating today, may help you or someone you know from getting diabetes in the future. For more information visit: http://stopdiabetes.diabetes.org/site/PageServer?pagename=SD_what_is_sd
Posted by Melissa C. on Tue, Oct 04, 2011 @ 01:56 PM
We’ve been talking a lot about getting healthy. After you’ve put in the time to exercise and eat right, you also need to do the things that keep you staying healthy. One aspect to maintaining your overall health, is getting an annual physical and age-appropriate screenings.
One of the most important screenings for women over 40 is a mammography. October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, which educates women about the importance of early detection. In recognition of the fact that mammography is the best available method of detecting breast changes that may be cancer, long before physical symptoms can be seen or felt. More and more women are getting mammograms and as a result, breast cancer deaths are on the decline.
If you have a health plan, utilize the wellness benefits this month or remind the women in your life to and make getting a mammography important.
For more information you can visit:
http://www.y-me.org/information/
http://www.nbcam.org/index.cfm
Posted by Melissa C. on Tue, Jul 12, 2011 @ 09:12 AM
Hopefully you’ve started your exercise plan as we talked about in our last blog. With the warm weather upon us, it’s a great time to be outdoors and be active. Bike riding, jogging and even a nice stroll will help you burn calories and get fit.
Remember though, if you’re out in the sun not only do you need sun block, you need to protect your eyes as well. According to the American Optometric Association (AOA), even on an overcast day, harmful UV rays can cause sunburn of both the skin and the cornea of the eye.
July is UV Safety Month, so here are some great tips from the American Optometric Association to help prevent eye damage from exposure to UV radiation:
1. Wear protective eyewear anytime your eyes are exposed to UV light, even on cloudy days.
2. Look for quality sunglasses that offer good protection. Sunglasses should block out 99 to 100 percent of both UV-A and UB-B radiation and screen out 75 to 90 percent of visible light.
3. Check to make sure your sunglass lens are perfectly matched in color and free of distortion and imperfection.
4. Purchase gray-colored lens. They reduce light intensity without altering the color of objects, providing the most natural color vision.
5. Don't forget protection for childern and teenagers. They typically spend more time in the sun than adults.
For more information on UV protection, please visit: http://www.aoa.org/uv-protection.xml.
Posted by Melissa C. on Tue, May 31, 2011 @ 02:51 PM
It’s almost summer and a great time to challenge yourself to be more active. Research shows us that more we move, the more we lower our risk for many cancers. We lead busy lives and sometimes it may seem like an impossible chore to add one more thing to our to-do list, like exercise. But consider this: Americans spend nearly 3 hours a day watching TV. We’ve got the time.
In fact, the American Institute for Cancer Research recommends that 30 minutes of moderate activity daily along with eating healthy reduces our chances of developing cancer, diabetes, heart disease, stroke and other serious health problems. So not only will you feel better, but you're helping yourself maintain a healthy future.
Here’s what you can do to get started:
- Physical activity can be low-cost or free. In fact, you can start by taking the stairs instead of the elevator or walking down the hallway at work to deliver a message rather than send an email.
- Do it when you want to. You can do two 15 minute sessions of brisk walking versus trying to set aside a specific time to go to the gym.
- Be active by yourself or with others. You may prefer to exercise alone or be more motivated by joining a class. Do whatever works for you.
- Go at your own pace. Work up to 30 minutes of exercise. The important thing is to get started doing some kind of physical activity every day.
Information provided by the American Institute for Cancer Research. Check out the AICR site for more information.
Posted by Melissa C. on Fri, May 06, 2011 @ 01:25 PM
We’re quickly approaching graduation season. It’s a time of transition usually marked by a change in residence, a change in employment, and a change in health insurance plans. You or someone you know might be losing dependent status on a parents’ group health plan. Or, you may be starting your first job in the “real world” and have a waiting period before group coverage begins.
This is a great time to consider affordable student health insurance.
The type of health plan that most easily fits the needs of young adults is a Short-Term plan. It’s budget-friendly and provides the essential major medical benefits many young adults are looking for. Plus, web-savvy twenty-somethings like how fast and easy it is to apply for coverage online!
Short-Term benefit plans are designed to be affordable while covering the “basics” - hospitalization, Rx drugs, PPO office visits, surgical fees and labs. They’re also designed to be bought for the number of months needed by the graduate. They can pay monthly as they go or even with their credit card. And in today’s economy if the job search takes a little longer than expected, you can reapply for more coverage.
It’s important your health insurance needs are met while you’re in school, during your first few months after graduation, or if your first job doesn’t offer health insurance coverage. Individual health insurance is a great way to protect your health and budget while you’re taking your first steps in the “real world.” For more benefit and price information visit The Celtic PostGrad Health Plan page.
Posted by Melissa C. on Wed, Feb 16, 2011 @ 08:29 AM
It’s that time of the year, and I don’t mean tax time. It is cold and flu season and these can give you a headache too! Here’s some useful information provided by the Center for Disease Control to help you understand the differences between these illnesses – plus, tips for protecting your health year round.
What is the difference between a cold and the flu?
The flu and the common cold are both respiratory illnesses but they are caused by different viruses. Because these two types of illnesses have similar flu-like symptoms, it can be difficult to tell the difference between them based on symptoms alone. In general, the flu is worse than the common cold, and symptoms such as fever, body aches, extreme tiredness, and dry cough are more common and intense. Colds are usually milder than the flu. People with colds are more likely to have a runny or stuffy nose. Colds generally do not result in serious health problems, such as pneumonia, bacterial infections, or hospitalizations.
How can you tell the difference between a cold and the flu?
Because colds and flu share many symptoms, it can be difficult (or even impossible) to tell the difference between them based on symptoms alone. Special tests that usually must be done within the first few days of illness can be carried out, when needed to tell if a person has the flu.
What are the symptoms of the flu versus the symptoms of a cold?
In general, the flu is worse than the common cold, and symptoms such as fever, body aches, extreme tiredness, and dry cough are more common and intense. Colds are usually milder than the flu. People with colds are more likely to have a runny or stuffy nose. Colds generally do not result in serious health problems, such as pneumonia, bacterial infections, or hospitalizations.
Remember to take these everyday steps to protect your health:
- Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. You can also use an alcohol-based hand cleaner.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread this way.
- Try to avoid close contact with sick people.
- Stay home if you are sick until at least 24 hours after you no longer have a fever (100°F or 37.8°C) or signs of a fever (without the use of a fever-reducing medicine, such as Tylenol®).
- While sick, limit contact with others as much as possible to keep from infecting them.
Content source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Posted by Melissa C. on Tue, Jan 04, 2011 @ 02:30 PM
Qualifying high-deductible health plans coupled with a Health Savings Account (HSA) continue to offer big advantages to enrollees for 2011. High deductible health plans provide quality medical benefits and services at a low cost while an HSA provides big tax advantages. For individuals making post-tax contributions you can reduce your taxable income by the amount you contribute to your HSA. Plus, the interest on your HSA funds grows tax deferred!
There are a number of advantages to having a HSA, including the ability for funds to accumulate year after year. The 2011 annual contribution limits remain the same as the 2010 limits. That means 2011 still provides individuals and families a great opportunity to save for current and future health care expenses with the following contribution amounts, deductibles and out-of-pocket maximums:
- Individuals with an HSA program can contribute $3,050 and families can contribute $6,150 into their accounts. HSA holders age 55 and older can contribute an extra $1,000 for the year.
- The minimum annual deductibles are $1,200 for individuals and $2,400 for families.
- The annual out-of–pocket maximums (including deductibles and other amounts, but not premium) are $5,950 for individuals and $11,900 for families.
Ready to learn more about Celtic HSAs?
Celtic Insurance Company does not provide tax, investment or legal advice. Federal and state tax laws may change and are subject to interpretation. If tax, investment or legal advice is requested, consumers should seek the services of a licensed professional.