Life and Health

*Hepatitis A – two doses

*Hepatitis B – three doses

*HPV – three doses for 19-26 years old males and females

*Influenza – annually for all ages

*Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR) – one to two doses for adults aged 19-54

*Meningococcal – one dose

*Pneumococcal 13-valent Conjugate (PCV13) – one dose

*Pneumococcal Polysaccharid – one dose before age 16 and one dose after age 64

*Tetanus, Diphtheria and Pertussis – once then one booster every 10 years

*Varicella – two doses

*Zoster – one dose for 60+ year olds

As a single and healthy adult, you may figure that health insurance isn’t a necessity. After all, you don’t have any pressing or chronic medical needs, and insurance is just another expense that will stretch your already thin budget. What you don’t realize is that you actually have several really good reasons to purchase health insurance today.

1. Avoid a Penalty

With the Affordable Care Act in effect, anyone who doesn’t purchase health insurance in 2015 will owe a penalty of $325 or two percent of your income. Avoid the penalty by enrolling in your parents’ insurance if you’re under 26. Otherwise, enroll in your employer-sponsored healthcare plan or apply for an affordable policy through the Healthcare Marketplace or a private insurer and avoid the penalty.

2. Cover Preventative Care

Maybe you only think about doctors when you’re sick, but they’re also important for preventative care. During regular checkups, they can catch the beginnings of heart disease, diabetes or other medical conditions, so put your health insurance to work as you prioritize preventative care.

3. Build a Relationship With a Healthcare Team

What happens if you get pregnant, develop arthritis or suffer from severe headaches? You’ll want a trusted medical team that knows you and your physical health history by your side. Use health insurance to make regular visits to a physician and build a relationship that will benefit you down the road.

4. Enjoy an Active Lifestyle

Do you avoid skiing, traveling or another fun activity because you’re afraid you might get hurt and won’t be able to afford the medical treatment? Purchase health insurance. While it doesn’t give you a license to be reckless, it does help you enjoy life without worrying that an injury will wipe out your savings and land you in the poor house.

5. Maintain a Healthy Reproductive System

Even though you don’t have a family now, you may want one in the future. Go to the doctor for regular checkups and reproductive health advice. Address reproductive problems now and maintain your reproductive health as you look forward to the future.

Health insurance can be expensive and it might seem like a waste of money or a budgetary strain, but it’s a wise investment. Talk to an insurance agent today about which policy is right for your needs and budget. Then use health insurance to take care of yourself today and prepare for a healthy tomorrow.

February is National Children’s Dental Health Month, and you can celebrate by making sure your children see the dentist regularly. Even your babies need a dental exam. Learn more about when your baby should see the dentist for the first time and what to expect at this visit.

Schedule Your Baby’s First Dental Visit

According to the American Association of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD), your child should see the dentist by the time he or she turns six months or within six month of the first baby tooth eruption. Rather than a full dental exam, the initial visit allows the dentist to meet you and your child, gather medical and dental history and teach you about good oral hygiene and proper preventative care. The dentist will simply feel your child’s gums and visually inspect any erupted teeth to make sure they’re healthy. It’s a non-invasive appointment that sets the stage for good oral health in the future.

Choose a Dentist

You could take your baby to see your dentist. However, consider scheduling your child’s first dental appointment with a pediatric dentist who specializes in treating infants and children. The entire dental team is prepared to examine squirming, fearful and anxious children, and the waiting room is filled with age appropriate books, toys and games or an aquarium.

Make the Visit Fun

No matter how you feel about dentists, your child needs to know that visits to this medical professional are fun and safe. Keep your anxiety in check by treating the first dental visits like a fun play date. Smile at your child, speak cheerfully and remain calm so that your baby feels calm and relaxed.

Maintain Good Oral Hygiene at Home

Your baby’s oral health improves between dental visits when you practice good oral hygiene at home. Rub your baby’s gums with a clean, wet washcloth after meals to reduce bacteria growth. Once the first baby tooth emerges, brush it at least twice daily with non-fluoridated toothpaste as you promote healthy oral habits and a healthy mouth.

When you take your baby to see the dentist, you lay the foundation for a lifetime of good oral hygiene. Take advantage of your dental insurance and schedule your baby’s first exam today.

You’ve recently welcomed a baby into your family, and now you’re ready to plan for your child’s future. You already know that life insurance is a wise financial decision for you, but does your newborn need life insurance?

Lock in Affordable Rates

Compare rates for a newborn life insurance policy and one designed for senior adults, and you’ll see that the newborn policy costs less. Life insurance companies know that young customers typically live longer, which decreases their risk of payout. By purchasing a policy now, you snag affordable rates while your child is young and healthy.

Assure Your Child’s Insurability

Insuring your infant does more than secure the best life insurance policy rates. It also ensures your child’s future insurability. In the future, illnesses like heart disease, diabetes and cancer affect your child’s ability to buy affordable life insurance. That’s why families choose to insure their healthy infants and assure their future insurability.

Provide for End of Life Expenses

It seems a little silly to think about paying for your newborn’s funeral.  However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that 4,246 children under the age of four died in 2011 from birth defects, genetic disorders and accidents. Life insurance covers burial and funeral costs, which gives you peace of mind and financial protection.

Give Your Child a Financial Head Start

Life insurance is typically available as term or whole life coverage. Either option provides essential coverage, but term life insurance usually costs less.

*Term insurance covers the policy holder for a set time frame. For example, buy your newborn a 15-year term life insurance policy, and your child is insured until he or she turns 15. In cases, this type of policy can be renewed.

*Whole life insurance provides a lifetime of coverage and builds cash value. As an alternative to an IRA or 529 Plan, whole life insurance gives you a way to save for your child’s future while providing life insurance for him or her.

Life insurance is designed to replace the primary wage earner’s income as it provides for the survivors’ financial needs. Purchasing a policy for your newborn can be a good idea, though, especially after you purchase adequate life insurance for yourself. Then weigh the pros and cons of newborn life insurance and talk to your insurance agent as you make this decision.

The Affordable Care Act requires all US citizens who meet income thresholds to have health insurance. You can choose your employer’s coverage, buy private insurance, join your state’s exchange or receive coverage from Medicare or Medicaid. What penalties will you incur, though, if you don’t have health insurance this year?

Individuals

In 2014, the penalty is the greater of $95 or one percent of your income. That figure rises to $325 or two percent of your income in 2015. By 2016, expect to see a $695 or 2.5 percent penalty. Additional points to remember include:

*Your 2014 penalty is capped at around $9,800, the average price for a bronze plan.

*If you didn’t have health insurance, you’ll owe a pro-rated tax penalty. That means you’ll pay the full penalty if you’re uninsured for the entire year but only one-twelfth the penalty if you’re uninsured for one month.

*The penalty is due for the current year on next year’s tax return. So penalties for 2014 will be due with your 2015 tax return.

Families

The 2014 penalty for an uninsured family caps at the greater of $285 or one percent of income. Expect to pay the greater of $975 or two percent of your income in 2015 and $2,085 or 2.5 percent of income in 2016. These penalties apply whether you have one dependent or a dozen.

Exceptions

If you’re an individual or part of a family that doesn’t make enough money to file income tax, you could either receive a subsidy to buy insurance or be exempt from the tax penalty. Unemployed people are also exempt. Likewise, if you can’t find a policy that costs less than eight percent of your modified adjusted gross income, you won’t owe the penalty.

Enroll Today

With a qualified health insurance plan, you avoid tax penalties. Plus, you’re able to receive the preventative and routine medical care you need. So enroll in the Healthcare Marketplace any time before February 15, 2015 or talk to an insurance agent today and learn more about your options.

Whether you’re a hugger by nature or prefer not to be touched, your physical and mental health benefit when you celebrate National Hug Day, held annually on January 21. Give a few hugs this day and every day as you improve your overall health and wellbeing.

Increase Oxygen Flow

Touch increases your body’s hemoglobin, and it carries oxygen to all your body’s organs. With oxygen, your body’s able to fight diseases as it recovers from illness.

Reduce Physical Pain

UCLA Pain Control unit’s Dr. David Bresler see the need for physical touch. He prescribes bear hugs four times a day as part of his patients’ pain management treatment plan. To give and receive a bear hug and reduce your physical pain, he suggests you face your partner and use both of your arms to fully embrace him or her.

Improve Mental Health

Hugging releases oxytocin, an important hormone that affects your mental health and wellbeing. With it, you feel happier and less anxious.

Reduce Stress

A study performed at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill researched the responses of 50 people after a stressful event. Part of the group held hands and hugged for 20 seconds while the rest of the participants sat quietly and did not touch. When asked to recall a recent stressful event, the cuddlers experienced lower heart rates and blood pressure readings then the non-cuddlers. You, too, will enjoy reduced stress when you hug.

Sleep Better

Instead of fighting insomnia or relying on sleeping pills, participate in a few hugs every day. They relax your body and your emotions so that you can enjoy a better night’s sleep.

Live Longer

Hugging stimulates your skin’s nerve endings, which allows them to signal your brain to slow cortisol release. It’s a hormone that fights stress, builds your immune system, reduces inflammation and assists you in living longer.

Hugs do more than show affection. They also improve your physical and mental health. Implement them into your daily routine on National Hug Day, and talk to your doctor about additional ways you can be healthy and whole.

When shopping for life insurance, you might be confused by all the options. Which ones earn cash? Which ones build cash value? What’s the best option for you? Learn more about the differences between the four main types of life insurance as you make this important decision.

Term Life Insurance

Term life insurance is easy to understand and affordable, but it offers coverage for only a limited time, usually anywhere from 10 to 30 years. If die before the policy term expires, your beneficiaries receive the death benefits to pay the mortgage, fund college or save for the future.

Whole Life Insurance

As long as you pay the premiums, a whole life insurance policy covers you for your entire life, which means your beneficiaries receive the death benefits whether you die this year or in 70 years. You can also borrow from the policy’s guaranteed cash value if you need money to pay expenses. The amount of money your policy earns depends on your specific policy.

Universal Life Insurance

Also known as a Flexible Premium Adjustable Life Insurance, this type of life insurance provides tax-deferred savings. The insurance company invests a portion of your policy into a savings account. You choose between a cheaper death benefit that pays the policy’s cash value or a more expensive option that pays the policy’s cash value plus the accumulated cash amount.

Variable Universal Life Insurance

With this life insurance, you pay for a death benefit and decide the premium percentage you want to invest. When you choose to end your policy, the appreciated money applies toward your policy’s premiums. Remember, though, that the invested money isn’t guaranteed and can lose value.

Some life insurance policies build cash value while others do not, and you can mix and match different types based on your needs. Talk to your insurance agent to discuss your specific needs and learn more as you decide which life insurance policy is right for you.

Have you resolved to quit smoking this year? If so, you’ll feel healthier, enjoy a better quality of life and save money. Several tips, including this short list, help you find success.

Keep a Craving Journal

In the week before your quit date, record details like when cravings hit and their intensity, how often, where and with whom you smoke and how you feel after you smoke. This information assists you in choosing smoking cessation tips and tools that address your specific needs.

Schedule a Quit Date

 
Saying you’ll quit one day isn’t enough. You need a specific date, preferably in the next week or so before you lose your resolve.

Tell People Your Plan

With accountability, you’re more likely to succeed. So tell the people in your life about your plans to quit, and ask a few close family members, friends, neighbors or coworkers to encourage and support you.

Anticipate the Challenges

No matter how much you want to quit, you’ll face challenges like insomnia, cravings, headaches or depression. Many quitting smokers resume their habit within three months, but anticipating challenges increases your chances for success.

Remove Tobacco

You can’t be successful if you store or hide cigarettes, lighters or ashtrays anywhere at home or work. Toss all tobacco-related products and consider deep cleaning your home’s carpets and furniture as well as your car to erase everything from your past.

Consider Medication

Your doctor can recommend gum, lozenges or a patch as you quit your habit. He or she can also prescribe medication that addresses depression, anxiety, stress or other feelings and emotions that affect your smoking patterns.

Take up a Hobby

Exercise, meditate, draw or do some other hobby that keeps your mind and hands busy. These distractions help you get and stay healthy.

Chew Something

Gum, fruit and nuts stimulate your need to chew. They’re healthy, too.

Quitting isn’t easy, but you can do it. Talk with your health insurance company for additional tips and smoking cessation classes as you invest in your health and keep your New Year’s resolution.

In Times Square with thousands of strangers or in your living room with close friends, ring in the new year with a party. Just make sure to follow several tips that keep your New Year’s Eve celebration healthy and safe.

Drink Responsibly

If you’re planning to drink, do not drive. Don’t let your drinking friends drive, either. Instead, choose a designated driver, hire a taxi, take public transportation or invite everyone to crash in your living room.

Go easy on the alcohol, too. Pacing yourself prevents alcohol poisoning and ensures you can pay attention to your surroundings as you act smart and stay safe.

Handle Food Safely

Appetizers, hors d’oeuvre and snacks keep the party going. Heat food adequately and refrigerate leftovers promptly, though, to prevent food poisoning. Check in with guests about possible food allergies, too, as you safely indulge in party foods.

Navigate Crowds

Whether you’re a guy or gal, grab a friend and travel in a group for safety. Keep an eye on your surroundings, never go anywhere with strangers and never leave your beverage unattended. Leave your valuables at home and hold your phone and wallet in a front pocket, too, especially if you’re headed to a crowded celebration downtown.

Drive Carefully

Winter weather can make roads slippery, particularly when you travel after dark. Drive carefully as you leave early, go slow and maintain a safe distance from other vehicles. Of course, if the roads are too bad, stay home and watch the party on TV instead of going out this year.

Ban Guns and Fireworks

Stick with noise makers and sparklers if you need special effects on New Year’s Eve. Otherwise, an inexperienced user could kill or injure someone. Plus, shooting guns and fireworks could break local noise ordinances and other laws.

Ringing in the new year is a fun tradition. Use these tips to keep the party, your guests and you safe and healthy.