If you haven’t made your resolutions for health care for the new year, now’s the time! Here’s how to tap into the resources that your insurance company, employer, and community-based services can provide:
- Tap into preventive benefits. The Affordable Care Act requires health insurers to pick up the tab for such preventive services as vaccinations, screenings, and especially annual wellness visits – which provide an excellent baseline for setting your health goals.
- Get the most out of your health coverage. For example, most plans pay for weight loss programs and weight loss surgery when appropriate. You might also have full coverage (or a discount) for stop-smoking programs, dietitian services, and treatment for such chronic conditions such diabetes.
- Get health screening at work. Employee wellness programs usually offer rewards for participation in health screening that can pinpoint your risk for certain diseases. Says Helen Darling, President of the National Business Group on Health, “Many people don’t actually know their health status, and if you ask them, they almost always self-report as healthier than they are.”
- Use Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs). These programs offer a wide array of resources that workers and their dependents can use to help them through hard times that often lead to health-related problems (such as hypertension due to stress from a divorce or financial pressures).
- Check out community-based programs. Such healthcare organizations as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, American Heart Association, and American Cancer Society provide a wealth of free information and resources to help people stop smoking, lose weight, or reach other goals that improve their short and long-term health.
To learn more about keeping yourself and your family as healthy as possible, just give us a call.
