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5 Ways to Get the Most Out of Your Insurance

Health insurance is expensive, and if you’re lucky you’ll hardly ever need to use it. But regardless of your mental and physical health, it’s important that you have good coverage in case of an emergency. And whether you get your insurance through your employer or the Health Insurance Marketplace, you should  always use your insurance to its fullest ability. Today, we’re sharing how to ensure you get the most out of your insurance.

Choose a policy that matches your needs
If you have a chronic health condition it may be in your best interest to choose a policy with a low deductible. This will lower the amount of money you spend before your insurance starts to kick in. It also may be in your best interest to choose a plan with a low out of pocket max. An out of pocket max is a specific amount of money that you must meet and then your insurance will pay at 100%. Therefore, if you spend a lot of time at the doctors, having a policy with a low deductible and out of pocket max would meet your needs. Also, if you see a specialist, such as a chiropractor, on a regular basis, be sure that your policy has chiropractic coverage. This is not a benefit on many plans so be careful.

Make sure your doctors take your insurance
If you have a particular doctor or doctors that you like to see make sure they take your insurance. This may help narrow down between two companies. If you’re switching insurances give your doctors office a call and see if they accept any of the policies you’re considering. Also find out if you will need a referral from your primary care physician (PCP) to see any specialists you see.

See if they pay for your gym membership
Insurance companies see the value in keeping their clients healthy. Now a days, it’s common for your insurance to cover all, if not most, of your monthly gym membership.

See what other benefits they provide
Some companies provide coverage for things such as acupuncture and massage, or even other forms of physical therapy such as Pilates and yoga. Prevention is key to leading a healthy lifestyle so you should check and see if any of these services are covered to stay healthy!

Use it
You can’t get the most out of your insurance if you don’t use it! Make sure you schedule your yearly Pap test with your PCP. Get in to the dentist twice a year, get your eyes checked, and if you’re over the age of 50 schedule yourself a colonoscopy. These services should be at least partially covered by your insurance, so why not take advantage of them?

 

To learn more about choosing your insurance pick up my workbook Easy Healthcare: Choose Your Insurance or any of my three healthcare sets.

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One Question to Ask in the Emergency Room

When you’re being rushed in to the emergency room after an accident, one of the furthest things from your mind is asking that doctor if they take your insurance. However, in reality, this is one of the first questions you should ask. Most people don’t realize that they can be out of network with the doctors who are saving their lives, or even worse, the hospital in which their life was saved.

Unfortunately, you can’t assume that the physician who is caring for you is in your network. If you’ve ever spent an extended amount of time in the hospital, you know that many different doctors pop in and out of your room all day long. So it’s up to you to ask if they take your insurance; if not, be prepared to pay.

States such as California are making sure patients no longer get bills from out-of-network doctors. As of last month patients will be able to rest easy knowing that if their insurance is in network with the hospital they are in, they will not be treated by any out-of-network doctors. This law is designed to help the patient. So many people are getting hit with out-of-network doctors’ bills, and with the price of insurance already being extremely high, it’s important that we do everything we can to keep costs down.

What do you think about this law? Have you ever had this happen to you? Do they do this in in your state?

 

To learn more about choosing your insurance pick up my workbook Easy Healthcare: Choose your insurance.

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The 5 Best Alkalizing Foods

bigstock--166546871Eating an alkaline diet is so important for many reasons. First and foremost, it is proven to prevent cancer. Cancer thrives in an acidic environment; therefore, if you keep your pH alkaline (7.2-7.4) cancer has trouble surviving.

Many of the foods present in the American diet are acidic, even though they are good for us. This includes things like proteins and some fruits. Therefore, it is always important to include alkalizing foods in to your diet. Today we’re going to talk about five of the best alkalizing foods to incorporate in to your diet.

Lemon
If you’re someone who follows a high protein high fat diet, i.e. something like paleo, it is extremely important to use lemons on a daily basis. One of the easiest ways to do this is to add fresh squeezed lemon into your water. Diets high in acid can cause kidney issues. And although lemons may seem to be acidic they are very alkaline, making it a perfect balance.

Almonds
Almonds are very alkalizing, but you have to be sure you get them raw. Although roasted and salted almonds are delicious, they don’t have the same benefit as raw almonds do.

Kale
This leafy green has been all the rage for a while now, and for good reason. All of the vitamins and minerals in kale make it a great alkalizer.

Quinoa
This plant based protein is another alkalizing food. Plus, it packs a huge protein punch for just a little seed.

Cucumber
Cucumbers are very high in water, in fact almost 100%. So they help to hydrate your skin and are full of antioxidants.

Looking for a healthy lunch for tomorrow? Why not combine all 5 of these foods to make a nutrient super-packed salad? Cut up some kale, chop some cucumbers, add a little quinoa, sprinkle on some almonds and for the dressing drizzle with some lemon juice. The lemon juice will help to cut the bitterness of the kale, and the quinoa will add some extra protein.

What to learn more about an alkaline diet? Check out the Women’s Mind Body Wellness Summit. It contains 6 interviews by top female health professionals plus two workout videos and 3 bonus videos on mind-body wellness with MyHealthSpin Founder Lori-Ann Rickard. Now including a bonus video from Dr. Jennifer Shell!