The Power of U

Springtime usually denotes a sense of rebirth and renewal. This makes it an appropriate time to kick some new life into your health plan for this year. You can start by eating more fruits and vegetables, drinking more water, or planning some outdoor physical activity with your family. No matter what path you take, making healthier choices today will reduce any health risks in the future. Your UPS health and wellness site provides resources to help you stay healthy and active throughout this spring season.

How Does Your Heart Rate?

What Women Should Know About Folic Acid

Save Your Life and Get Screened

Emergency Room or Urgent Care?

How Does Your Heart Rate?

Did you know that heart disease, the nation’s number one killer, claims a life every 34 seconds?

A healthier lifestyle plays a big part in reducing your risk of heart disease. Ask yourself these questions to evaluate your lifestyle:
– Do I smoke, and if so, how do I stop?
– What eating habits do I need to change?
– Am I including physical activity in my daily routine?
– How can I be more relaxed?
– Do I need medication to reduce my heart attack risk?

Try any of the American Heart Association Healthy Heart Quizzes today to see if you can find the answers to these questions and more.

With the right answers, a healthier lifestyle is only a heartbeat away.

Source: BlueCross BlueShield of Illinois, www.bcbsil.com and the American Heart Association.

Other resources:
Aetna Heart Health Fact Sheet

What Women Should Know About Folic Acid

If you are a woman of childbearing age, you need to know these facts about folic acid.

1. Most women need to take folic acid supplements. Experts recommend that women of childbearing age get 400-800 micrograms of folic acid each day. Because most women get only half this amount from the foods they eat, many doctors suggest taking a multi-vitamin with folic acid.
   
   
2. Take it even if you’re not pregnant. It’s important to get the recommended daily amount of folic acid regardless whether or not you’re planning to get pregnant. Because half of all pregnancies in the United States are unplanned, birth effects of the brain and spine, such as spina bifida, can occur before you even know you’re pregnant. Folic acid can help present these defects during the first weeks of your pregnancy.
   
   
3. Folic acid prevents birth defects. More than 2,000 babies are born each year in the United States with defects of the neural tube. The neural tube forms the baby’s spine, brain, and central nervous system. The most common neural tube defect (NTD) is spina bifida. This is a defect of the spinal column that can cause leg paralysis and other problems. During your pregnancy, your unborn baby needs folic acid for proper development of these organs and tissues.
   
   
4. Talk to your doctor about taking a higher does of folic acid if a birth defect occurred during a previous pregnancy. Studies show higher doses of folic acid greatly reduce the chances of having another baby with spinal and brain defects. You may also want to talk to your doctor about higher doses if you have diabetes, take anti-seizure medication or are obese.

Source: UnitedHealthcare

Save Your Life and Get Screened

New evidence shows that colonoscopies—perhaps the most recommended (and unloved) cancer screening test prevent deaths. In a recent study in The New England Journal of Medicine, researchers reported that death rates from colorectal cancer were cut by 53 percent in patients who had the test and whose doctors removed precancerous growths. The patients were tracked for as long as 20 years.

A major cause of cancer death in the United States, colorectal tumors are one of the few cancers that that can be prevented with regular screenings. Researchers expect more than 143,000 new cases and 51,000 deaths to occur this year. There is good news: incidence and death rates have been declining for the past 20 years, due to increased use of screening tests and better treatments.

To read more details about the colorectal cancer study, and what types of screenings are available, click on the link below.

And be sure to find out what preventive care benefits may be available to you and your family from your health plan. Read your plan’s summary plan description, or call your medical carrier’s Member Services number, printed on the back of your medical ID card.

Source: Grady, Denise. “The New York Times”

Emergency Room or Urgent Care?

Summer, winter, spring or fall—people always look for opportunities to enjoy some type of outdoor activity. Unfortunately, accidents and illnesses never take a break. When accidents or illnesses occur, many people immediately think of making a trip to the emergency room. But next time, stop to consider whether a more convenient and less costly alternative might be more appropriate.

Urgent care facilities
Urgent care clinics (also referred to as quick care, walk-in care or express care facilities) provide after-hours or walk-in, non-emergency medical care. Urgent care clinics perform the same services as a primary care physician—with no appointment required. Urgent care clinics typically charge much less than a hospital emergency room, and without the long wait. Consider using an urgent care clinic for non-emergency situations such as these:

– An animal bite
– A cut or abrasion
– A twisted or sprained ankle
– A fever or flu-like symptoms
– An ear infection
– A minor skin rash or bumps
– A cough, cold or sore throat

Emergency room visits
An urgent care clinic is not always the right choice. In a true emergency, you should go to the nearest emergency room as soon as possible, or call 911 if the situation is life threatening.
The insurance benefit you receive for an emergency room visit will depend on whether the condition is considered an emergency medical condition, as determined by your medical claims administrator. Be aware that, if your condition is considered a non-emergency condition, your out-of-pocket costs may be higher. Refer to your Summary Plan Description (SPD) for more details on emergency room treatment.

Be prepared before someone becomes hurt or sick
Take the time now to find out the location and hours of an urgent care clinic near you, and ask whether your insurance is accepted. For a list of clinics in your area, search the Web, or call your medical insurance carrier’s Member Services.

You should have a list of emergency numbers posted in your home, or stored in your cell phone. Here’s a list of possible numbers to include:

– 911 or your local fire department, police department and ambulance numbers
– Your local hospital
– Your nearby urgent care clinic
– Your family’s primary care physician and dentist
– Your medical carrier’s Member Services number
– Poison Control Center
– Relative or neighbor you would consider an emergency contact

Sources
Giles, Ken. "CPSC Warns: Summer Fun Brings More Emergency Room Visits." NEWS from CPSC 17 Jun 2002: n. pag. Web. 7 Jun 2010.

http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml02/02182.html