Healthcare News & Stories

According to the CDC, vaccinations have prevented over 21 million hospitalizations and 732,000 deaths among children in the last 20 years. In spite of that astounding statistic, a recent study from the University of Michigan found that 93% of pediatricians had at least one parent who refused a vaccination for their child during the past year.
The effects of this are all too well known. As recently as December of 2014, we saw an outbreak of Measles that affected over a hundred children as a result of unvaccinated children and adults. All of which could have been avoided with proper preventative care.
Unfortunately, there are many myths about vaccines that encourage or frighten parents into not vaccinating their children, and as a result, infections can easily spread among the unvaccinated. I want to take a few minutes to share some of the most commons myths about childhood vaccines and talk about the facts.

Early retirement, whether desired or forced, can dramatically impact your health insurance coverage. Depending on the circumstances, you may find yourself responsible for funding your own coverage. The cost of monthly premiums differs widely based on your age, location and benefit needs.
When the Covid Pandemic hit the US in 2020, many people who anticipated waiting until 65 to retire, reexamined their plans. Some people found that businesses they had grown from the ground up were suddenly struggling to make ends meet. Others found their hours cut and occupations furloughed. Regardless of the specific reason, many people approaching the age of 65, and many some distance from this traditional retirement age, began to reconsider their plans for retirement.
Although some individuals who are considering an earlier than expected exit from the work-a-day world, have established a cushion from rising stock values and increased housing values this really is more of the exception than the rule. Most people who watched their careers take an unexpected turn during the Covid pandemic are in a much less enviable position. According to a New School for Social Research professor of economics and policy analysis, Teresa Ghilarducci, most people considering early retirement due to the pandemic have much more modest means as they exit the workforce.

Getting help finding the right plan for your budget and health needs is possible by using a health insurance agent or a government navigator.

In the United States approximately 16 million workers are self-employed. Self – employment can provide an entryway to entrepreneurship and small business ownership as well serving as a preferred option for those wanting more flexible schedules than corporate life can typically provide.
In 2020 it was estimated that approximately 41% of the American workforce worked in a freelance position as a self-employed person. Although many people take on freelance gigs to supplement their primary employment with a single company, about 28% of Americans who worked in freelancing in 2020 did freelance work as their full-time occupation. Regardless of whether this trend is a part of an overarching lifestyle choice as many social pundits suggest, this shift does have significant implications for areas like health care coverage.
In recent US history, most of those in the paid workforce have relied upon employer-sponsored health care plans to help them meet their health insurance needs. As the US experiences this shift from more traditional forms of work into this evolving freelance, or gig, economy there is an increased need for individual health care plans that are not attached to a specific employer.

In 2021, around 59 million Americans worked freelance, representing over one-third of the US workforce. Although many people take freelance gigs to supplement their primary employment, about 28% of Americans who freelanced in 2020 did freelance work as their full-time occupation. And Upwork, an online freelancing platform, believes these numbers will continue growing as more people turn to freelancing. Regardless of whether this trend is a part of an overarching lifestyle choice, as many social pundits suggest, this shift does have significant implications for areas like healthcare coverage.

Mental health professionals are in high demand right now. Given that we’re eighteen months into a deadly global pandemic, this is no surprise. Many of us are grieving the loss of loved ones, jobs, plans, and normalcy. And if that’s not hard enough, the stresses of our everyday lives haven’t stopped.
At Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (Blue Cross NC), your total health is our top priority, now more than ever, including your mental and emotional health.
If you’re struggling with your mental health and need some extra support, you’re not alone. Studies show that the rate of anxiety and depression has risen significantly among American adults during the pandemic. And our children’s mental health is suffering, too.

Has the pandemic made you rethink your priorities?
Are you considering a job change or possibly working for yourself? Health insurance benefits and your cost share could play a large role in your decision. Here is what you need to know.
How will a job change impact your health insurance coverage?

With the state slowly reopening, it can be difficult to know where and when to wear a mask. Does it matter if you’re vaccinated? What if you have kids who aren’t? How do the new COVID variants play in?
These are common questions. We’re here to help you make sense of the latest guidelines so you can keep yourself, your family, and your community safe.
The Delta variant is more contagious than previous strains of covid-19.

One morning in early April – for the first time in 390 days – I packed two lunches, made sure my kids had on their school uniforms, loaded them in the car and took our place in the morning carline.
I was glad for my face mask to hide my emotions as a teacher checked their temperatures and they headed up the stairs to their school building – my fifth grade son with a protective arm around his kindergartner sister, a purple Post-It note with her name and her teacher’s name on her chest.
She’d never been inside the building as a student before.

My eldest son is 11 years old. After months of home learning, he returned to the classroom last fall. The transition back to the classroom came earlier for our family than for most, but it was still marked by tremendous anxiety for my son. Being with peers isn’t always easy.
Many of us eagerly anticipate the moment when we can gather in groups again. We crave that vital sense of connection to our loved ones, to our peers and to our community. But that doesn’t mean reintegrating into social settings will be easy. It can be especially scary for children.
My son’s reluctance is not an isolated tale. Incidents of children refusing to return to group settings are on the rise. In particular, many parents have noted that their children with anxiety disorders were happier and more comfortable at home. While the pandemic has left most children feeling more stressed, we know that some children with social anxiety or OCD have actually been happier in social isolation.

KNOWING THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FACT AND FICTION COULD SAVE LIVES.
The internet has given us access to information faster than ever. Unfortunately, that information is not always accurate. And the spread of misinformation has real consequences on our health care decisions.
In recent years, misinformation has proliferated throughout the internet. It can seem impossible to differentiate what is true and what isn’t. When COVID-19 arrived, public trust in institutions was already dwindling. That created the perfect storm for misinformation to spread, at a time when the difference between fact and fiction could save lives.

Parents’ Questions, Answered
By now, you probably know that COVID-19 vaccines are available to kids and teens 12 and up.1 For many of us, the choice to get vaccinated was fairly straightforward. Making that choice for our kids, however, may feel more complicated.We want to help you find the information you need to make that decision. As always, we recommend talking to your child’s pediatrician if you have any questions or concerns.
Are COVID-19 vaccines safe for kids and teens?

It’s too hot to be outdoors?
Not if you’re near water. Or better yet, on it.
Sure, you might think. If you have a boat.

Dual Special Needs Plans (D-SNPs) are specialized Medicare Advantage plans for people with
both Medicare and Medicaid and typically offer many extra benefits and features beyond
Original Medicare.

We all understand the importance of going to the doctor when we are feeling unwell or for our annual checkup. But what about making sure that our teeth and eyes are healthy too?
If you’re working on your health by getting annual physicals, eating healthier, or exercising, you should consider taking care of your dental health and vision care as well. It makes a difference.
Why Dental Care Matters

It’s curious how well-versed we are in the physical benefits of hiking. The activity can:
Reduce the risk of heart disease
Reduce your risk of hypertension, or high blood pressure. (Hiking regularly has been shown to lower blood pressure by 4 to 10 points.)

In discussing LGBTQ+ behavioral health, centering the voices of LGBTQ+ behavioral health specialists is essential.
We reached out to Hayden Dawes LCSW, LCAS to clarify the role of health plans in supporting whole health for our LGBTQ+ members. Here’s what he had to say.
Helpful terms

I admit that I didn’t fully understand the difference between Medicare and Medicaid before I started working in health care. I know I’m not alone. It’s confusing, and I’ve come to realize that many people are unfamiliar with how each one works.
It’s important that we understand the options and benefits each program provides, as well as recent changes and enhancements that will offer not only increased access to health care, but better value for North Carolinians.
But first, let’s begin with the basic questions. What is Medicare? What is Medicaid?

In a tizzy over what to do for mom for Mother’s Day? It’s simple, really: she just wants to be with the family. And what better family activity is there, especially in spring, than taking a hike together!
Here are five hikes across the state that are especially good for a Mother’s Day outing. Included are the miles of trail available and a link for additional information.
1. Flower Hill Nature Preserve, Johnston County

The temperature was in the 50s, the sky a blue we haven’t seen much of this year. I was scanning the ground along the Pump Station Trail, eager for signs of spring. It was the third week of February, late by seasonal norms for the first sign of spring’s first responders: the spring beauty, its five rounded pedals scanning the sky for sun like a satellite dish seeking a signal, and the trout lily, with its delicate fingers of crimson and yellow. Alas, the best I could do was one mottled leaf of a trout lily, barely penetrating the leaf litter. Spring was on the cusp.
And that’s OK, because when spring-like weather finally hits — when temperatures reach the 60s for two or three days straight and the sun quits being coy, we’re in for quite the show.
Ah, but where to catch the show that represents the psychological start of spring? Today, we look at five spots with excellent odds for spotting memorable ephemerals.

You may have heard in the news recently about “breakthrough cases,” or vaccinated people testing positive for COVID-19.
If you’re vaccinated, you might be worrying about whether your vaccine will hold up against the more contagious delta variant.
If you’re not vaccinated, you might be wondering why you should get vaccinated if you could get infected with COVID anyway.

Growing up I saw men in my family struggle with real emotions and avoid most deep conversations. I partly blame this on my Italian heritage, where men are expected to work hard, avoid feelings and push through pain. In my family, a man’s role was to provide and protect the family at all costs. If you showed any sign of weakness, that meant you were not in control.
As a kid I straddled two worlds: one trying to be the man that I thought was expected of me, and the other wanting to be able to express my feelings. I was an emotional kid, and I know it was hard for my dad to relate to me.
My emotions were all over the place:

When I was 26, I got sick, and I never got better.
Several years later, I still haven’t gotten used to living with a chronic illness. I’ve never had a moment of radical acceptance. I’ve never woken up and said, “Ah, yes, I get it now! This is all part of a grand plan! It all makes sense!”
What I have done is learned to live a meaningful life within my limitations. It didn’t happen overnight, but it did happen.

When we talk about racism, some people say, “You’re an insurance company. What does race have to do with anything?”
It’s a good question, and the answer is: a lot.
Some people may be surprised to find out how much race impacts health. For example: