IS ANYTHING BEING DONE? YES!

The problem of uninsured Americans – North Carolinians specifically –
has been decades in the making. But some initiatives are making significant differences now. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina has taken steps to make health care more accessible and affordable for everyone by:
• Working with the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association to cut fraud, waste and abuse – saving subscribers more than $240 million nationally in 2004 alone.* BCBSNC efforts reduced fraud, waste and abuse by nearly $10 million within the state in 2006.**
• Making the cost of prescription drugs more affordable by providing incentives to customers to use generic drugs, and piloting programs such as electronic prescribing.
• Showing real results in helping members make good choices about activity and nutrition, and manage their chronic conditions through our Member Health PartnershipsSM. This program helps them save money and avoid illness down the road.
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BCBSNC Sheds Light on Medical Costs

Insurer Publishes Typical Costs for Hundreds of Visits, Procedures and Diseases

Chapel Hill, N.C. (Jan. 17, 2008) – Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (BCBSNC) is taking some of the mystery out of health care costs. BCBSNC, the state’s largest health insurer, is publishing online the average prices it pays statewide for physician office visits, diagnostic procedures and screenings, prescription drugs, and disease treatments. The Health Cost Estimator, now available to members at bcbsnc.com, includes one of the most comprehensive listings of total average costs related to diseases and conditions of any health insurance plan. Along with its effort to promote health cost clarity for its members, BCBSNC supports initiatives to increase the quality, safety and effectiveness of health care.

“Our Health Cost Estimator will give our customers a much clearer idea of where their health care dollar goes because the prices we pay translate to the premiums that customers pay.” said BCBSNC President and CEO Bob Greczyn. “Consumers are paying an increasing share of health care costs, but until now they’ve had little way of knowing what medical services actually cost.”

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Who they are. What they face.Yes, the uninsured are the poor, the homeless, the less fortunate. But they’re also your neighbors across the street. Your child’s best friend at school. The small business owner who waves from her shop every morning. They are every race, religion, ethnicity and creed.
The 15.6 percent* of North Carolinians – that’s 1.3 million of the state’s residents – without health coverage come from every socioeconomic class, every level of education and every region of this diverse state. There is no one “face” of North Carolina’s uninsured. There are many faces – perhaps more than you ever imagined. But the challenges they’re dealt are very similar – such as greater risk fordeveloping debilitating illnesses, an increased number of hospital stays and significantly reduced (more…)

Tips for R and R on the Waterway!

Nothing could be more pleasing than having a nice and a peaceful journey in the cool waters down the intracoastal waterway on a boat.  Many homeowners all over the world like to spend their weekends relaxing on their boats with family and friends. Boating is one of the most favorite  pastimes for many Americans. “Getaway” could be defined as: “we’re outta here”,  or perhaps “we gotta find ourselves all over again”.  When life gets hectic, you need time away to “Relax” which is defined as: “a slower pace”, “a starry night”, “looking out over the water”, sit back and enjoy the tranquility of being on the water.   This can be very relaxing, especially since health scientists feel that simply looking at the water can help lower your blood pressure and relieve stress. This can make for a healthier life and a happier person. (more…)

THE INVINCIBLES

They’re young. They’re just starting out. They’re often paid lower wages. And, in some cases, they can’t imagine themselves as sick or helpless. They’re used to being covered on their parents’ plans, but they’ve reached the age when they’re no longer eligible for dependent coverage.  Whatever the reason, those from 18 to 34 comprise the group that’s most likely not to have health insurance coverage.* As a result, preventive care is neglected, routine checkups are delayed, and needless financial and physical suffering is experienced (more…)

Facts

The impact of being uninsured*
• The uninsured have a 25 percent greater chance of
premature death.
• Nationally, there are 18,000 avoidable deaths annually among
the non-elderly due to lack of health insurance coverage.
• Uninsured women suffering from breast cancer have a 30-50
percent greater risk of death than those who are insured.
• Low-income uninsured.**
– 4.5 times more likely to have diabetes
– 30 percent more likely to have high blood pressure
– 50 percent more likely to have high cholesterol
– Almost twice as likely to have fair or poor health
Help for the “uninsurable”
• BCBSNC estimated in 2006 that a high-risk pool in North Carolina
could cover 9,000 “medically uninsurable” citizens, requiring
a subsidy of approximately $40 million a year.*
• North Carolina legislators are considering creating a state high-risk pool with premiums for eligible individuals capped at 175 percent of individual standard rates.**

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. 

BCBSNC data. 2006.
House Bill 265, 2007 Session of the N.C. General Assembly.
Institute of Medicine and the National Academy of Sciences, ”Covering the Uninsured: Being Uninsured Has Adverse Health Consequences.” Fact Sheet. N.C. Task Force on Covering the Uninsured. April 2006.
Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Survey Data. Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention. 2003.

SMALL BUSINESSES, BIG RISKS
There’s a direct correlation between an employer’s size and the likelihood that the firm will provide health benefits to its employees. The smaller the company, the less likely it is to provide coverage – a reality that impacts all demographics.

That’s a particular problem for North Carolina, because small businesses are increasingly the engine behind the state’s economy: 98 percent of businesses in North Carolina are small businesses,* and more than half of them don’t offer health insurance.** It’s hard for small businesses to qualify for rates as low as those available for large firms, particularly if some of their workforce is in poor health.
About half of the uninsured in North Carolina (55.3 percent) work for a small firm or belong to a family where someone works for a small firm (fewer than 25 employees).***

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.

United States Small Business Administration. http://www.sba.gov/advo/research/profiles/06nc.pdf
Fifty-nine percent of North Carolina businesses don’t offer health benefits. Kaiser Family Foundation State Health Facts. 2002.
“North Carolina’s Uninsured.” North Carolina Medical Journal. May/June 2006.BCBSNC, Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina, Small Businesses and Health Insurance, Health Benefits

Most of us are shielded from the heavy burden of the full cost of medical procedures, treatments and drugs. That’s because employers spend, on average, five times more than employees do for healthcare.

From 2001 to 2002, premiums for employer-sponsored health insurance increased by an average of almost 13 percent nationwide. In this sluggish economy, businesses are struggling to pay for the steep increase in insurance premiums and some are asking employees to assume a greater responsibility.

Fortunately, there are simple things that we can all do to help keep healthcare affordable for everyone:

Discuss all treatment options with your doctors
Ask if a generic drug is available when you need prescription medicine
Carefully review your doctor and hospital bills and ask for explanations of charges that you don’t understand.

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.

          1. Take care of yourself: Don’t let a nagging problem get worse and end up in the emergency room. Your family doctor or other primary care provider is your best resource for non-emergency medical needs.

          2. Stay in network: Visiting in-network health care providers saves you out-of-pocket costs. Check out the online provider directory at www.bcbsnc.com/memberservices to see which doctors participate in our network and what deductible and coinsurance amounts may apply to your visit.

          3. Save money with generic drugs: Did you know that some generic drugs can cost 80 percent less than their name brand counterpart? Make a habit of asking your pharmacist if a generic option is available.

          4. Free and discounted customer benefits: Improve your health and save money by enrolling in Member Health PartnershipsSM1. These programs offer special tools and savings to help you lose weight, manage stress, quit tobacco and manage a host of other conditions. (more…)

According to a recent article from The New Times, napping may improve your memory.  In a world where everyone seems to be sleep deprived, we certainly can benefit from a little extra sleep once in a while.  Not only do we feel better, but maybe we can improve our memory as well!

 “Take a nap.  Interrupting sleep seriously disrupts memory-making, compelling new research suggests.  But on the flip side, taking a nap may boost a sophisticated kind of memory that helps us see the big picture and get creative.  Over time, a chronic lack of sleep can erode the body in ways that leave us more vulnerable to heart disease, diabetes and other illnesses.  But perhaps more common than insomnia is fragmented sleep- the easy awakening that comes with aging, or worse, the sleep apnea that afflicts millions, whop quit breathing for 30 seconds or so over and over throughout the night.  Indeed, (more…)

ABOUT NORTH CAROLINA HEALTH INSURANCE:

Residents of North Carolina have a variety of health insurance plans they can research and qualify for.  The most important question is, what is the best and most affordable plan for you and your family?  Our agency has written for some of the top companies in North Carolina throughout our career.  We have recently become exclusive agents for Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina, a company providing healthcare coverage for residents of North Carolina.  You may ask, why exclusive for BCBSNC?  It really revolves around customer service and products offered for health insurance coverage in North Carolina.  As an agency doing business for 34 years in North Carolina, we take tremendous pride in offering the best health insurance plans on the market with a company that we have 100% confidence in how they treat our clients as well as the products they offer.  There are so many health insurance plans in North Carolina that are being offered today, it is our job to determine what will work best for our clients and provide the best NC health coverage and affordability that is offered on the market today.   So, lets talk about North Carolina health insurance plans and highlight what we think is the best product on the market and provide the best health coverage for you and your family. (more…)

Walking: A plan of action

Bringing the benefits of moderate walking exercise to your workforce is a realistic, effective goal. But like many other things that are good for you, it takes the right approach to make sure you trigger a long-term change instead of a temporary fad. The key to success is planning.

Step 1: Map it out

Begin by making sure your company’s management supports what you’re doing. You don’t need a detailed plan or a budget yet—just make sure you’re not (more…)