• A plan that gives you more control over your health care dollars
• Save more money with low monthly premiums
• Enjoy tax savings with a health savings account
• Coverage for preventive care and catastrophic events
• Combine a high-deductible health plan (HDHP) with a health savings account (HSA) and you can potentially reduce your monthly premium significantly and save money.
• Coverage for preventive care and catastrophes
• The money you contribute to your HSA is tax-deductible.
• When you need to pay for medical services, you can pay for them with the funds from your HSA.
• Your HSA rolls over from year to year. That means you keep what you put into it. It’s your HSA – it’s your money.

The information in this article is from bcbsnc.com, product benefits.

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 professional 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.

You may have seen the sport out on the beach.  While many people find paddle boarding fun, many also see the health benefits with this popular sport.   If you are an avid water lover, and ready for a good challenge, then stand up paddle boarding might be the perfect combination for your summer activity.  Also, more activity promotes good health so having fun with your summer activities can improve overall health and fitness. 

According to exercise experts, this sport is a full body workout.  Paddle boarding strengthens your core, improves balance, and best of all burns calories.   When you paddle you rotate using your abs.  You may also develop muscles on the core areas (hips, trunk and buttocks). You can contact most local surf shops to find paddle board lessons which are being taught up and down the East Coast.   Our agency owner worked closely with AB Surf Shop on Atlantic Beach to purchase an awesome board for a Christmas gift and we were very happy with our purchase.

Paddle boarding does take a little practice.  The hands-on experience is challenging.  Although regular practice will guarantee success, most people usually are able to stand within 10 minutes.  Paddle boarding is an active sport for any athletic ability and any size person. 

Paddle boarding is a fast growing water sport.  Remember it is important to stay active and healthy.  Not only do you get health benefits from your healthy lifestyle, but you can save money when purchasing private health insurance and get discounts in your premium due to excellent health. 

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.

GREAT COVERAGE STARTS HERE:  For most all non-grandfathered plans offered by Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina now offer 100% coverage for all preventive services….no more co-payments or deductibles.  Some of these benefits include adult annual exams, urinalysis, blood test, screen test, immunizations, well-baby care, well- child care, mammograms, colonoscopies, polyp removal and obesity evaluation and management.

Also being offered are our new lower costs plans by BCBSNC ,  Saver 1, 2 & 3 plans offering high deductibles as well as limited office visit co-payments, limited prescription coverage and plans offering no co-payments with deductibles as high as $10,000.00 and $20,000.00.    Of course, Blue Options HSA and Blue Advantage plans are among the most popular plans being sold today.  Now you have the ability to select from a broad array of plans that will work best with your budget.

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 professional 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.

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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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.

Chapel Hill, NC – Today Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (BCBSNC) filed a rate request with the North Carolina Department of Insurance for a base rate increase of 6.97 percent for Blue Advantage and 2.06 percent for Blue Options HSA. These requested base rate increases are the lowest since 2007. Blue Advantage and Blue Options HSA currently serve more than 300,000 customers under the age of 65.

Seventy percent of Blue Advantage/Blue Options HSA members would see rate changes less than 10 percent, including almost 28,000 customers who would see rate decreases.

“Most of our Blue Advantage and Blue Options HSA customers will see smaller rate increases for 2011,” said BCBSNC President and CEO Brad Wilson. “However, the only way to make premiums affordable over the long term is to get soaring medical costs under control.”

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The term “health care reform” is being used a lot these days. Health care reform became a reality with the passage of two related bills:

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), signed into law on March 23, 2010  and  The Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act, signed into law a week later on March 30, 2010. Because these two bills work together, we often refer to health care reform as a single “new law” for the sake of simplicity.  Health care reform law has many separate provisions that will come into effect at different times over the next eight years. Here are some of the most important ones: (more…)

Get back down to basics and enjoy fresh summer produce from your local North Carolina Farmers Market or local produce stands.   North Carolina offers a wide variety of locally grown fruits and veggies just in time for summer.  Local produce stands are popping up everywhere so find the one “growing” closest to your family.  Are you having a hard time trying to get your children to eat fresh fruits and veggies.  Have you heard the question, “You really want me to eat that?”  If so then try the tips below to get your family back down to basics and jumpstart healthy eating habits for your children.  The strategies are mom tested and kid approved.  Check with your pediatrician to find the vegetable and fruit recommendations for your child.  Vegetable and fruit requirements vary by age and other factors of your child, but generallly children need 2 to 4 servings per day.  There are so many health benefits to eating fruits and vegetables, not to mention the memories your family will make when trying new recipes. Summer is here and it is the perfect time to support your child in creating healthy eating habits.  Your child will thank you later. 

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