Posted on Thursday, July 28, 2016

Sneak Peek: What doesn’t your health insurance cover?

Exciting news!

I was recently contacted by the fabulous website Grandparents.com with some questions regarding health insurance and what it doesn’t cover. I have been approached many times with questions about health insurance, as it can be very confusing to navigate.

Did you know that the average age of a grandparent in the United States is 48? Neither did I. Grandparents, along with many other people, struggle with finding healthcare coverage for themselves and their loved ones.

We shared a lot of interesting information with Grandparents.com. Here is a glimpse at only a few of the many interesting facts we discussed:

Insurance is essential. Make sure to research and compare insurance policies before selecting a plan. Consider if the plan covers your prescriptions, physicians, and services you need or may utilize in the future. Make sure to use your medical life list when evaluating options.
If your insurance tells you that alternative therapies, such as massage or acupuncture, are covered services, make sure to find out what is required for them to be covered, how many visits are covered, and what health care providers you can see. Unforeseen costs can be burdensome, so make sure you know before you go!
A good rule of thumb to determine whether a service is covered by insurance is to ask yourself whether or not the service is a medical necessity? This can be tricky, but usually insurance companies say services such as travel vaccinations or massages are not a medical necessity, and therefore are not covered.
If you are receiving high out-of-pocket costs for services that are not covered, look for a plan that better suits your needs. If that’s not feasible, talk to your doctors and ask if they will put you on a payment plan or offer discounts for paying in cash.

For more information, check out the article today on Grandparents.com and make sure to let us know what you think!

For more healthcare tips for you and your family, check out my workbook for dealing with caring for your children, as well as your aging parents: Life in the Sandwich Generation. Life in the Sandwich Generation is a workbook filled with information, tips and tricks for managing the demands needing to care for your aging parents, as well as taking care of your children. It details how you can involve your children in the process and how to learn more about your parents health and finances, while still making time for yourself and your spouse. You can find it here for only $10!

Posted on Monday, July 25, 2016

Caring For Your Sunburn

So you screwed up. You were out in the sun a lot longer than you anticipated, and you wound up with a sunburn. You can try and practice safe sun, but sometimes no matter how careful you still get a sunburn. Follow these tips to help to get your skin to heal as soon as possible.

First, take a shower or bath to relieve the pain. But be careful about the soap you use, it can irritate the burn and make it worse.

Second, once you get out of the shower use a lot of aloe and moisturizer. The aloe will aid the skin in healing and help to soothe it. Just be sure to avoid using a petroleum-based lotion, it will trap the heat in making the burn worse.

Third, drink lots of water. This will help prevent dehydration and restore moisture to the affected area.

Fourth, use a cold compress. This will help take down the inflammation. If the burn is severe take an aspirin or ibuprofen to help reduce pain.

Fifth, if you have to be back in the sun make sure to take extra good care of your skin. Reapply sunscreen often and cover sensitive areas like your scalp.

Sixth, take a calcium supplement. All of the vitamin D from the sun pulls calcium out of your system. Supplementing with a good quality calcium will help the burn to heal much faster. This can also be used to prevent burns. If you’re someone burns easily and you’re taking a trip to a sunny place try increasing your calcium intake several days before your trip. This will help avoid sunburns and even sun poisoning.

Remember, a sunburn can cause lasting damage to your skin. And just one burn can increase your risk of developing skin cancer. Therefore, prevention is key, but if you do get a sunburn these tips will help restore your skin.

Posted on Thursday, July 21, 2016

Prepping For A Healthy Vacation

Summer time is full of road trips and family vacations. Even though you want to have fun and enjoy yourself, it’s still important to stay on track in terms of exercise and healthy eating. This can be difficult to do when you lack typical amenities, such as a kitchen, or are stuck sitting in the car for hours at a time. I have put together a list of tips that will help you prepare for a healthy vacation.

First, plan ahead. Make sure you pack food and healthy snacks, especially for in the car. You don’t want to have to make an unnecessary stop for fast food. If you pack healthy sandwiches and veggies you can stop at a rest area and have a picnic. It will be fun for the kids and it will ensure they’re eating a nutritious meal. Check and see if your hotel room has a fridge. If it does, bring extras to keep while you’re there. This way you can snack on healthy treats between meals. It will also help save money.

Second, get some exercise. Go for a quick walk when you take a stop to go to the bathroom. If you’re at the airport, use the stairs instead of the elevator. Do something to get your heart pumping and your blood flowing.

Third, incorporate fun outdoor activities. Sitting on the beach is really nice, but you need to get some exercise too. Bring your bikes with you. Go swimming or rent a paddle board. This will be a great exercise for your core strength and balance.

Fourth, allow yourself treats; you are on vacation after all. Don’t turn down ice cream, or your favorite meal. Just try to eat healthy throughout the rest of the day. Deprivation will only lead to binge-eating at some point.

Fifth, don’t stress before you go. People like to leave the house super clean so they come home to it all nice and organized. That is good, but don’t stress about getting it all done before you go. If you have time, great. But focus on getting ready to enjoy time with family and friends, the house can wait.

Sixth, put your phone away. Make yourself as unavailable as possible. Being on vacation is all about relaxing and taking some for yourself and doing the things you don’t always get to do. If you’re constantly glued to your phone you can’t enjoy life’s little moments.

I hope you’ve found these tips to be helpful and I hope you have a wonderful vacation!

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