By d-mars.com News Provider
Each year when the Medicare open enrollment period comes around, it's easy to feel overwhelmed by the many choices you have. You're not alone - most people have questions this time of year. What's the best way to get the most from your benefits? What if Medicare doesn't cover everything you need?
If these types of questions are swirling in your mind, not to worry. There are simple ways to think through your options and find a plan that suits your unique needs.
"Start by listing out what's most important to you when it comes to health plan coverage," says Mathew S. Philip, M.D., an Internal Medicine physician at Duly Health and Care. "There are some areas you may want to keep consistent, like your primary care physician, while you may be open to changing your pharmacy. Thinking about these things before starting the Medicare open enrollment process will save you time."
Would I benefit from an all-in-one plan?
Medicare all-in-one plans, like Medicare Advantage, may help simplify your options, and may provide more comprehensive and cost-effective benefits. Be sure to find out if your preferred provider participates in the plan you choose. For instance, Duly Health and Care physicians and providers participate in the following Medicare Advantage plans:
• Aetna
• Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois
• Humana
• United Healthcare
Dr. Philip and the experts at Duly Health and Care, formerly DuPage Medical Group, recommend that you ask these questions when evaluating your Medicare health plan options:
Dr. Philip and the experts at Duly Health and Care, formerly DuPage Medical Group, recommend that you ask these questions when evaluating your Medicare health plan options:
Does this plan include benefits that are most important to me?
Take time to review your healthcare needs over the past year. What medical services and prescriptions did you need? How much did you pay for premiums and out-of-pocket costs like copays for doctor visits and prescriptions? Reflecting on your needs over the past year can help determine what benefits you'll likely need in the year ahead.
Can I continue to see my primary care physician?
If it's important to you to stay with your current primary care physician, you'll want to make sure that provider is in your plan's network.
Are my prescriptions covered, and is my preferred pharmacy in-network?
If you rely on regular prescriptions from month to month, and you prefer to use a specific pharmacy near you, ask about your prescription coverage and make sure your pharmacy is in the network.
Most Medicare Advantage plans offer coverage for things that aren't covered by original Medicare, like vision, hearing, dental and wellness programs. Plans may also include a broader range of "extra benefits" than they have in the past, including transportation to doctor visits, over-the-counter medications, adult care services and other health and care tools and resources to support your well-being.
Ask yourself if you would like to take advantage of these types of benefits, and if they would make a difference for your wellness, convenience and overall quality of life.
The Medicare website has information about plan options. If you need personalized plan recommendations, Duly Health and Care is partnering with the Integrity Medicare Helpline to offer one-on-one appointments with an independent licensed agent (call 1-855205-2037). You can also sign up to attend a Medicare 101 seminar at Duly. IntegrityMedicareHelpline.com.
Preparation is the key to feeling confident about making the best choice for your health. To learn more, visit DulyHealthAndCare.com/Medicare.
Source: BPT
It surprises a lot of people to learn that the United States is the most dangerous place to give birth in the developed world. Women in the United States are more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than women in Libya and Kazakhstan, and the United States is the only industrialized nation to experience an increase in maternal mortality over the last two decades.
Pregnancy is especially dangerous for women of color. Black women in the United States lose their lives in childbirth at three to four times the rate of white women.
But there is good news. Experts say we can reduce deaths among moms and babies by improving health policies and changing the way care is delivered.
MomsRising, an online and on-theground organization working to improve the health and economic security of moms
and families, is urging federal and state lawmakers to invest in research into the reasons pregnancy and childbirth are so dangerous in the United States.
The group is pressing to improve prenatal care, better train doctors and nurses, diversify the perinatal health care workforce, make it easier for working moms to breastfeed, improve mental health care for pregnant women and new moms, ensure that pregnant women on Medicaid can keep their health insurance for a year after giving birth, and guarantee paid leave. Right now, one in four women go back to work just two weeks after giving birth because they can’t afford to take any additional unpaid time off to recover from childbirth and care for their infant.
“The early weeks of a baby’s life are critical for families. Insufficient paid leave for moms and dads is harmful for the health and well-being of both babies and parents,” says Tina Sherman,
MomsRising’s
The COVID-19 pandemic exposed vulnerabilities across our nation’s healthcare system, shining a light on disparities in access to care and health outcomes.
People of color and those with low incomes are often left without access to high-quality, affordable health insurance, causing them to delay or forgo lifesaving care.
Strides have been made in improving access to coverage with the implementation of Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act (ACA). To date, more than one in five people in the United States — nearly 75 million Americans—rely on Medicaid for health coverage, making it the country’s largest healthcare program. More than 15 million of these Medicaid enrollees were made eligible through the expansion of coverage brought about by the ACA.
Everyone needs access to health insurance, yet those who are least able to afford it are left with the fewest options for coverage. More than 2.2 million adults make too much money to be eligible for traditional Medicaid, but not enough to receive subsidies to purchase health insurance through the ACA Marketplace.
diabetes and hypertension control and an increase in early-stage cancer diagnoses.
• Improved access to care for children: Extending coverage to adults increases enrollment among eligible children and increases the care they received, including well-child visits, access to dental care, immunizations and vision care.
• More adults with low income are getting check-ups and other preventative care and have greater access to early and adequate prenatal care.
better access to credit, including low-interest mort gages and auto loans, and have an increased ability to seek employment.
The benefits of Medicaid for states’ economic health are also well-documented:
who can’t afford coverage are more likely to seek care in high-cost set tings like emergency rooms. When unin sured patients are unable to pay, these unpaid medical bills drive up
uncompensated care costs which in turn are absorbed by hospitals and the federal and state governments.
• Improvements in hospital budgets, especially for rural hospitals.
• Fewer evictions among renters with low income.
Perhaps most importantly, Medicaid provides peace of mind to people who would otherwise be uninsured. in the trenches of the pandemic, it is crucial that we move towards ensuring everyone living in the United States has access to quality, affordable health coverage.
The benefits of Medicaid for the individual are well-documented, leading to:
The benefits of Medicaid for the individual are well-documented, leading to:
• Better health outcomes: Among Medicaid participants, there are fewer premature deaths, fewer adults with low income screening positive for depression, improved
To learn more about Medicaid, visit https://thatsmedicaid.org.
Ts we prepare to close out 2021, the word that comes to mind is RESILIENCE. Resilience is defined as the ability to recover quickly from difficulties; getting back up when you fall. Between 2020-2021, some lost friends and family to COVID-19, others lost jobs and income, and for others, it was an opportunity to grow and stretch personally and professionally.
Self-reflection after overcoming trials is the perfect time to identify what you want for yourself in life and in love. While the holidays can cause one to feel lonely, you do not have to be alone. It is important to connect with friends and family and your faith. The new year is an opportunity to reflect and identify what you can do to improve your relationship(s) moving forward.
Below are five ways to experience resilience in your relationships.
• Seek to u nderstand the other person first, instead of trying to be understood. When both parties take time to really hear each other before getting defensive and trying to explain yourself first, you have an opportunity to develop and convey empathy for how the other is feeling, which may improve the way you feel. Positive communication is the key.
• Make quality time for each other. With careers, children, social networks, and the like, quality time becomes low priority with the person closest to you, your partner. It is easy to take for granted that they will always be there, however, you must remember to consistently put in the same effort and energy as you did when you met. When things get rough, talk about your needs with each other, or even a therapist, to get back on track.
• L et go of control. Each person brings unique personalities, likes, and experiences. When people argue, it is usually to convince the other to think or adopt their personal thoughts and ways of doing things versus respecting the other person’s way of thinking. Remember, you do not have to like what the other person says, thinks, or does, but you have to respect it and agree to compromise to find the happy medium.
• S how appreciation, respect, and
gratitude to each other for who they are and what they mean to you in your life. We tend to say, “they know I love and appreciate them,” but do they really? Learn and express your love to your partner in their love language not your own and speak to each other with the highest level of esteem and respect.
• L astly, take a break from talking about problems in the relationship and focus on having fun. It is easy to identify things going wrong, however, try to switch gears and focus on what is going right. Go on a date night, get together with friends, or take a weekend getaway, just do something fun. Schedule a specific time to discuss problems instead of everyday or as they occur. Everything does not need to be discussed at the moment.
Remember, investing in relationships increases vulnerability, which strengthens resilience to get through the tough times and makes each other feel cared for and less alone.
As your relationship coach, my goal is to work with individuals and couples to improve communication and restore confidence in your relationships.
For more information about me and my services, please visit my website at www. AllenCounselingGroup.com. You can also reach me by email at Tami@AllenCounselingGroup. com or by phone at (713) 5974499. Visit me on the web at www. AllenCounselingGroup.com.
Tami Vienn Allen is the owner of Allen Counseling Group and specializes in relationship counseling.
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