VOLUME 7 • ISSUE 1 • JANUARY 2013
A SLICE OF ORANGE Refreshing Your Health
Start your New Year right! START YOUR NEW YEAR RIGHT! • Step 1: Get covered • Step 2: Visit your doctor • Step 3: Visit your dentist • Step 4: Make health goals,
and act on them.
THE JOURNEY OF A THOUSAND MILES STARTS WITH A SINGLE STEP. SO TAKE THE RIGHT STEPS AS YOU ENTER 2013!
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N
o matter what people say about New Year’s resolutions, the practice has merit. After all, when is a better time to start making changes in your life than the start of a new year?
So before everything goes back to its old frenzy, take the time to get to know how to jump start your health for 2013.
A SLICE OF ORANGE
VOLUME 7 • ISSUE 1 • JANUARY 2013
2
3 4
1 Step 1: Get covered
medicines, food supplements or medical
Step 2: Visit your doctor
Before we even start thinking about
devices (e.g., canes, splints, and braces)
An annual physical examination
the best for your health, let’s start
covered? How about annual physical exami-
(APE) is a good way to make sure
with a no-brainer: Get health cover-
nations? How about rehabilitation services
you are in tip-top shape come Janu-
age. The fact is that the world is a
(e.g., physical therapy, occupational therapy,
dangerous place, and health risks are very
speech therapy)?
real even to the healthiest people (the only
ary 2013. While visiting your family doctor is a good alternative, availing of an APE package may be better if your family
difference is that the risk is less for the healthy
Most importantly, do not forget to ask and
doctor usually has lots of patients. During an
– nonetheless it exists).
understand what to do in case of an emer-
APE when you are feeling well, your doctor
gency. Which hospitals are allowed? What
needs to take a more extensive history and
To be ready for most medical expenses you
documents do you have to bring? Who in
physical examination, which may not be pos-
may need in the future, make sure you have
your office do you need to inform? Are hospi-
sible when 10 other patients are waiting in
adequate health insurance coverage. Most
tal deposits and other initial cash-outs need-
his waiting area.
employers have one form of health insurance
ed? Is claim of Philhealth benefits required?
coverage for their employees or another.
When you need to get hospitalized, what is
In contrast, in APE packages offered by hospi-
Health plans nowadays have been stream-
the room rate limit? Can you upgrade a room
tals, your doctor is armed with a comprehen-
lined to offer extensive coverage at very rea-
at your own cost?
sive checklist and a battalion of other health
sonable costs. Some companies even have
professionals to assist him in performing and
health coverage at a cost of only P32.00 per
Most companies issue a handbook where all
explaining medical procedures and results to
day.
these information can be found, but if yours
you. The downside of talking to a new doctor
don’t, write all these information in a note-
is that he or she may not be as familiar to your
Know your company’s health benefits. Take
book, and store them together in an “emer-
past and family history as your family doctor,
time to talk to your HR about: What is the
gency envelop” that contains important docu-
but it also gives him a sense of objectivity
amount covered? What conditions and pro-
ments such as your health card, necessary
about your case.
cedures are covered and what aren’t? Are
HR/Philhealth forms, etc.
A SLICE OF ORANGE
VOLUME 7 • ISSUE 1 • JANUARY 2013
During an APE, be in control of the conversa-
Step 4: Make health goals, and act
cific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and
tion with your doctor. Slowly describe all of
on them.
time-bound). For example, instead of saying,
the symptoms you are feeling or felt in the
Armed with the health recommen-
“I will lose weight,” say “I will lose 10 pounds
past, in as much detail as possible. Answer
dations of your doctor and dentist,
of body fat in 6 months.”
all questions, but do not limit your answers
make an action plan of how you
to what your doctor asked. Especially during an APE, ensure that there is two-way com-
will implement these changes in your health.
munication, and not just the doctor leading
To make an action plan, break down the problem into manageable parts. For example, in our example, you can make the follow-
you from one question to the next. Your history
If, for one reason or another, you chose to
ing small changes to your life:
is a story that needs to be told exactly as it
ignore steps 2 and 3, here is a brief checklist
happened.
to help you identify possible health goals.
Step 3: Visit your dentist
1. Is your waistline greater than 37 inches
2. Choose fruits over junk foods.
Speaking as a doctor, a non-
3. Buy a non-stick frying pan.
dentist, but from experience, this
2. Do you feel tired most of the time?
third advice is one we often take
for granted, but shouldn’t. For one
3. Do you eat fast food or processed food
With your action plan laid out, all you have
thing, unlike diseases in other organs that may
to do for the rest of the year is execute, ex-
heal with time, this is not the case for many
4. Do you neglect exercise?
disorders of the teeth, including cavities. Be-
5. Do you smoke?
cause of this, prevention of dental problems
6. Do you drink alcohol?
1. Eat no more than a half-cup of
(men), or 31 inches (women)?
rice every meal.
4. Run 3 kilometers every other day.
Do you feel other bothersome symptoms? most of the time?
is way better than cure (not to mention that
ecute, execute! Lastly, remember that what we did here is not a New Year’s resolution, but a
many dental procedures can be costly, and
If you answered “yes” to any of these ques-
lifestyle change. This means small, consistent
not always covered by health insurance). As
tions, this is a clear indication that there is
changes made over a long period of time.
body parts that people see right in front of
room for improvement in your health for 2013.
So when you fail once, move on, carry on,
your face (and smell during your most inti-
and don’t look back. The journey of a
mate moments), your mouth and teeth should
Once you have identified your area/s of
thousand miles may start with a single step,
always be one of your top health priorities
health improvement, make a goal and action
but it is finished with a thousand other steps
come January 2013.
plan. Like all goals, make yours SMART (spe-
following the first.
Looking to enhance your corporate healthcare benefits? E-mail us at benefits@activelinkbenefits.com. The information in this newsletter is not intended as a substitute for professional medical care. Consult a doctor for all matters relating to your health, particularly for symptoms that may require diagnosis or medical attention. © 2013 ActiveLink
Benefits Made Better
ActiveLink 7/F Electra House Building 115-117 Esteban St., Legaspi Village, Makati City www.activelinkbenefits.com
A Slice of Orange
is a newsletter designed to help clarify basic health information and offer juicy tips on uplifting your health.
Editorial team Alvin Delfin Christine Llenes-Delfin Ivan Olegario, MD