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.

Health insurance protects you from the financial burden of high medical expenses.  An injury as relatively common as a broken arm or leg can quickly cost quite a bit of money. Add up an emergency room visit, x-rays, lab tests, setting the injury, a cast, follow-up visits and medications- soon your bill is over $10,000! A more serious illness or injury, such as a major car accident or a diagnosis of cancer, can easily cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.

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Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina members get more than health insurance. The family of discount programs are available to members at no additional cost and compliments their existing health insurance plan. These programs help members save money and take charge of their health.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina (BCBSNC)members receive discounts on chiropractic services 1-888-336-2583, hearing aids 1-877-979-8000, vision care, laser eye surgery 1-888-763-8123, vitamins 1-888-234-2413, weight management programs, products and services – and more! (more…)

Posted on 21. Dec, 2009 in A Closer Look
 

MYTH: Most Americans support the idea of a government-run health insurance plan.
FACT: There is simply no consensus. Where the majority stands on this issue depends considerably on how the question is phrased. If a public option is couched as simply another choice — one independent of the options they have now — of course most people say they’re for it. But when more detail is provided in evaluating the concept, opinions tend to be more negative.

For example, while a Washington Post/ABC News poll[1] did find that 57 percent of respondents supported a public option (versus 40 percent opposed), an NBC/WSJ poll[2] found that 48 percent of respondents felt a public option would “reduce access to their choice of doctors and would lower costs by limiting medical treatment options,” versus 45 percent that believed it would “help lower health care costs and provide coverage for uninsured Americans.”

Other recent polls indicate public skepticism about the direction of current health care reform proposals – particularly as they relate to a government-run health plan and health coverage costs. An October Wall Street Journal/NBC poll found that significantly more Americans think health care costs will increase under reform (47 percent) than believe reform will reduce costs (13 percent). Around the same time, a poll of likely voters conducted for the Civitas Organization[3] found North Carolinians deeply divided on this issue, with 49.3 percent of voters saying they disapprove of the health care plan being proposed by President Obama and Congress and 40.3 percent supporting it.

MYTH: Proposed health reform legislation will not tax the middle-class.
FACT: The Senate health reform bill includes indirect taxes on health care consumers, in the form of $11 billion in taxes on health insurers, drug companies and medical equipment manufacturers. Consumers will pay those costs in higher premiums. Some middle-class consumers could also see their cost impacted by the Senate’s 40 percent excise tax on “Cadillac Plans.”

If cost is the number one problem in health care, then reining in costs should be the number one priority in health care reform. New taxes and fees will increase costs for those who already have coverage.

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Health insurance companies use historical data and analysis to predict the medical expenses for any given group of individuals (usually a company’s employees). The premiums they charge are based on the amount of claims they’ve paid in the past and what they expect future claims to cost. When insurers pay out more in claims than they receive in premiums and when future services are predicted to cost more, premiums go up.

As consumers, we are demanding more medical services than ever before. And the cost of these services is going up. These increased costs are passed on to employers in the form of increased premiums. Insurance companies work with employers to adjust services offered, as well as co-payments and deductibles, to minimize the impact of rising costs.

Take time to understand your health plan — it can help save healthcare dollars for you and for all Americans. For example, many health plans offer a reduced co-pay if you choose FDA-approved generic prescription drugs, so you pay less. Because the average total cost of a generic drug is three times less than the brand name, it helps keep costs down in your health plan.

Understanding the basics of how health insurance works and how to make the most of your own health plan can help keep healthcare affordable for everyone.

The content of this post is from BlueCross BlueShield Association’s article “Coverage Basics: How Health Insurance Works”

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.

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…)

How do health insurance deductibles and out-of-pocket amounts work?

A deductible is the amount you must pay before the insurance company begins to pay any policy benefits. This is usually an annual amount per insured person, per calendar year.  Although typically there will be a maximum amount of deductibles you will have to pay per family in any given year.  For example, if your “per person” deductible is $500, and you have five people in your family covered under your health insurance, the maximum “family” deductible is usually three times the individual deductible or $1500.00 in this example.  Once three individuals have paid the $500 deductible, no more deductibles will apply to any member of the family for the remainder of the year.  (more…)

What is a Health Savings Account? (HSA).  You could be at the age you start thinking more seriously about any tax advantages available to you so let us explore the HSA benefits and if they work for you.

According to the Internal Revenue Service (Publication 969, 2007):  A Health Savings Account (HSA) is a tax-exempt trust or custodial account that you set up with a qualified HSA trustee to pay or reimburse certain medical expenses you incur.  You must be an eligible individual to qualify for an HSA. A qualified HSA trustee can be a bank, an insurance company, or anyone already approved by the IRS to be a trustee of individual retirement arrangements (IRAs). 

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