Keeping kids’ teeth healthy requires more than just daily brushing. During a routine well-child exam, you may be surprised to find the doctor examining your child’s teeth and asking you about your water supply. That’s because fluoride, a substance that’s found naturally in water, plays an important role in healthy tooth development and cavity prevention. 

Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina offers Dental Blue insurance coverage that pays 100% of preventive care , routine oral exams and cleanng.   Dental Blue also includes coverage for basic and major services as well.

Even tiny tots need regular checkups, just like mom and dad. The American Dental Association recommends kids start getting checkups at about age 1, or when their first tooth appears.

Yet even before then it’s important to care for your child’s teeth and gums. Though they’ll eventually lose them, baby teeth help a child speak and chew well, and also create a path for the permanent teeth that follow

For more information on health insurance coverage in North Carolina  please visit our website at www.nchealthplans.com or call our toll free number 888-765-5400 and speak with one of our qualified agents. Our agency provides coverage for health insurance in North Carolina through Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina (BCBSNC). You may qualify for a 15% healthy lifestyle discount if you are in excellent health. Call us for details.

Chapel Hill, N.C. – Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (BCBSNC) today announced the launch of HealthNAVSM1, a new mobile application designed to help on-the-go customers access information and manage their personal health care. The free app is now available for download by customers with an Apple® iPhone®, iPad™ and iPod touch®. 

The 1.0 version of the mobile app features four functions, including: 

• An urgent care finder that helps customers locate in-network urgent care centers, as a more efficient and affordable alternative to emergency rooms. 
• A prescription drug finder that allows customers to compare average drug costs, and find cheaper alternatives while they are discussing options with their doctor, or in preparation for a visit. 
• Customer service access that provides customers one-click access to call a customer service representative when they need answers quickly. 
• Health notes that let users store notes about personal and family health in one place, and includes suggested questions to ask your doctor during a visit. 

To download the app, simply visit the iTunes® store, search for BCBSNC and click download, or click on any of our mobile ads, which link directly to the description page in the iTunes store.

The above information is from a post by BCBSNC in 2010 and located at bcbsnc.com.

For more information on health insurance coverage in North Carolina, please visit our website at www.nchealthplans.com or call our toll free number 888-765-5400 and speak with one of our qualified agents. Our agency provides coverage for health insurance in North Carolina through Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina (BCBSNC). You may qualify for a 15% healthy lifestyle discount if you are in excellent health. Call us for details.

School, homework, soccer practice, ballet, board meetings, meal planning, social events – the list goes on and on. The end of summer often means the beginning of a hectic fall, and now is the perfect time to ensure that healthy eating stays on top of your priority list.

A healthy lifestyle for the entire family can be easier than it seems – even for the busiest household. With a little planning, both parents and kids will find themselves prepared for those last-minute meals and snack attacks that may otherwise place them in front of the vending machine, or in the drive-thru line.  As parents are back to work, and kids are back to school, it is even more important than ever to be armed with functional foods that will keep you fueled and feeling satisfied.  Planning ahead for snacks and meals that are both nutritious and delicious is the key to success. Preparing nutritious snacks and meals on a tight schedule is all about being creative, so finding the right go-to foods the whole family will enjoy is important.   Here are a few tips that you may find useful during these hectic times, especially with the holidays just around the corner.

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Blue Options HSA links a high-deductible health plan to a health savings account (HSA), which can be used to pay for qualified medical expenses tax-free.  Monthly premiums are as much as 50% lower than traditional health plans. The HSA is portable and any unused balance rolls over at the end of the year.Lower premiums—save as much as 50% off Blue Advantage .  Choose your own doctor from the largest provider network in the state.  Preventive care services covered at 100%

(1) An HSA is automatically included with your health plan if you select Mellon as your fund administrator

(2)  Mellon HSA includes a convenient debit card at no charge

(3)  HSA contributions and withdrawals are tax-fre

(4)  Annual contribution limit for 2010 is $3,050 for individual plans and $6,150 for family plans

(5)  Out-of-pocket maximum protects you from high-dollar medical costs

(6)  Secure access to health plan information online

(7)  Optional maternity coverage available.

*The content of this post is provided by BCBSNC.

For more information about health insurance coverage in North Carolina, please visit our website at www.nchealthplans.com or call our toll free number 888-765-5400 and speak with one of our qualified agents.  Our agency provides coverage for health insurance in North Carolina through Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina (BCBSNC). You may qualify for a 15% healthy lifestyle discount if you are in excellent health.  Call us for details.

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What does the Surgeon General have to say about regular physical activity? A lot. The list of ways it improves health is too long to list here, but it’s hard to name a health risk that exercise doesn’t mitigate in some way.

According to the nation’s chief medical officer, men and women of all ages can derive great benefits from 30 minutes a day of “moderate activity.” Walking falls squarely in that category. Even people who have been completely sedentary can start with 10-minute walks and build up gradually to the recommended 30 minutes a day.

Of course, anyone with a chronic health problem or an identified risk for one should talk with a doctor before starting any program of exercise. So should men over age 40 and women over age 50.

Walking might not seem like “real” exercise alongside intense activities like biking, running or swimming. But researchers have found that if people stick with it and make walking part of a regular routine, it leads to aerobic fitness and body fat reduction, whether it’s in long periods or multiple short ones. And reducing body fat means reducing your risk of heart disease, hypertension (high blood pressure) and anxiety.

One study found that when given a choice, sedentary adults were comfortable walking about 11 miles a week. They were able to vary the intensity and length of their walking sessions to suit their daily schedules. So your workforce doesn’t have to be burdened by the “not enough time” excuse any longer. But be aware that in another study, walks of less than 10 continuous minutes didn’t provide the same health benefits. The necessary participation has a low minimum, but it does have one.

Even people who improve health for a living have something to learn. An eight-year study of thousands of female nurses found that brisk walking three or more hours per week lowered women’s risk for coronary heart disease.

For more information on health insurance coverage in North Carolina, please visit our website at www.nchealthplans.com or call our toll free number 888-765-5400 and speak to one of our qualified agents.  Our agency provides coverage for health insurance in North Carolina through Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina (BCBSNC).  You may qualify for a 15% healthy lifestyle discount if you are in excellent health.  Call us for details.

Fall is my absolute favorite time of the year!  I love the cooler mornings and evenings.  It seems to help me focus on my family more, especially with the upcoming holiday seasons.  Looking for something fun to do this fall weekend that won’t break the bank? Make some family memories, begin fall traditions and enjoy life. Let’s start your Friday evening at a local High School football game or other fall sport.  It not only brings back memories of your high school days but also begins to spark the interest of your little ones.  There is something to be said about the game, the band, the cheerleaders, and the halftime shows.  Local high school sports are a great fall tradition!  Check your local high school website for game dates and times or call the school secretary.  Wake-up on Saturday and visit your local pumpkin patch.  Create a “pumpkin family” with your purchases!  Once you return home, have a decorating “party” with your family.  You will be amazed on items you can find in your pantry to use as decorations.  On Sunday, enjoy a family breakfast.  Don’t forget to bake pumpkin bread for a great treat.  Fill your home with the sweet aroma of pumpkin and it is sure to have your family “Falling for Fall!”

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Many BCBSNC applicants ask the question…. What is coinsurance?  BCBSNC defines coinsurance as “the percentage of the allowed amounts for covered services that BCBSNC will pay after you meet your deductible.”  In other words, it is the percent that the insurance company is responsible for paying towards your medical bills.  When does coinsurance come into play?  When you have to go into the hospital, have diagnostic testing such as MRIs, CAT Scans, or x-rays, or if you have surgery in a free standing surgery center. 

For more information on health insurance coverage in North Carolina, please visit our website at www.nchealthplans.com or call our toll free number 888-765-5400 and speak with one of our qualified agents.  Our agency provides coverage for health insurance in North Carolina through Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina (BCBSNC).  You may qualify for a 15% healthy lifestyle discount if you are in excellent health.  Call us for details.

Cold and Flu season are officially here, beginning in October and continuing through early Spring with February being the peak month.  Want to be one of those people we all envy that NEVER gets sick?  Here are a few points to follow to help you on your mission this season:  Wash your hands – most research recommends at least 5 times per day using soap and warm water.  The average length of time it takes to de-germ those hands is the length of the “Happy Birthday Song” so sing away (more…)

Allergies are defined as a sensitivity to certain substances called allergens.  Allergens are tiny particles that are carried by the air that we breath and bring on allergy symptoms in some people.  Allergens can be harmless to children or adults that are not allergic to them.  If you have allergies, exposure to a particular allergen triggers an allergic response.  Allergic responses can be stuffy, itchy, runny nose and sneezing.  There are 2 types of allergy triggers: those that are Seasonal and those that are Year-Round (perennial).  Seasonal allergies include weeds, grasses, trees and outdoor mold spores.  Year-Round allergies are animal dander, indoor mold spores, dust mites, and cockroaches. 

To limit your exposure to pollen, mold spores and dust:  Shower each night before bed, limit use of fans and open windows during high pollen count days, clean your home with bleach to get rid of any mold you can see, always wash bedding in hot water and dry in a hot dryer to help control dust mites.

For more information about  Medical Conditions and  health insurance coverage in North Carolina, please visit our website at www.nchealthplans.com or call our toll free number 888-765-5400 and speak with one of our qualified agents.  Our agency provides coverage for health insurance in North Carolina through Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina (BCBSNC).  You may qualify for a 15% healthy lifestyle discount if you are in excellent health.  Call us for details.

Beginning in July 2010 – Consumers with health problems who have been uninsured for 6 months may be eligible to obtain coverage through a new high risk pool program. And a temporary reinsurance program will help employers who provide coverage to their retirees in maintaining this coverage.

Beginning in plan years on or after September 23, 2010 – Pre-existing condition exclusions are prohibited for children under 19, dependents up to age 26 will be able to obtain coverage through parents’ health plans, routine preventive care will be covered without cost-sharing, limits on lifetime coverage will be eliminated along with other changes.

Beginning in 2014, the new law requires that all individuals have coverage and insurers must offer coverage to anyone regardless of health status and cannot vary premiums based on health status.

In 2014 – Individuals and small businesses will be able to purchase coverage through state-based exchanges. Consumers will be able to purchase health insurance regardless of health status and premiums cannot vary because of health status. Individuals will be required to purchase health insurance or pay a penalty. Subsidies will be available on a sliding scale to help individuals or families with incomes up to 400 percent of the federal poverty level to purchase insurance through new state-based exchanges.

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Immediate Press Release: September 20, 2010

Information below is from the North Carolina Department of Insurance Press Release

Insurance Commissioner Goodwin and Blue Cross announce policyholder refunds and lower than requested rate adjustments.

RALEIGH — Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina President and CEO Brad Wilson today announced a decision on individual policyholder rates for BCBSNC customers and a unique, one time refund that will return $155.8 million to more than 215,000 individual BCBSNC customers as a result of the Affordable Care Act.  The refunds will be issued by the end of the year to policyholders who had Blue Advantage or Blue Options HSA for Individuals policies in force as of March 23, 2010, the date the federal law was enacted. Refunds will be proportional to premiums paid and will be equivalent to more than 1.5 months of premiums. Customers may receive lower or higher amounts depending on their specific premium rates. For example, for an average policyholder’s monthly premium of about $380, the refund would be approximately $690.

“I’m pleased that the Department and Blue Cross were able to identify a way for $155.8 million to go back into consumers’ wallets,” said Commissioner Goodwin. “I’m also glad that we were able to negotiate a lower than requested rate adjustment that will save $14.5 million in future premiums for policyholders.”

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Beginning in 2014, businesses with 50 or more employees that do not offer coverage and have at least one full-time employee who receives a federal tax credit to purchase health insurance on his own through an Exchange, must pay the federal government a $2,000 per-employee penalty. The first 30 employees would be excluded from this assessment.

Employers with 50 or more employees that do provide coverage, but have at least one full-time employee who receives a federal tax credit to purchase health insurance on his own through an Exchange, will be assessed a penalty that will be the lesser of $3,000 per employee receiving a premium tax credit or $2,000 for each full-time employee, excluding the first 30 employees.

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