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Celebrate Mother’s Day The HealthSpin Way

Lori-Ann and GirlsBeing a mom often times means taking care of others before yourself. I encourage moms of every age to make themselves a priority and take easy steps toward a healthier and safer life. Among these include:

  1. Maintaining a healthy diet
  2. Engaging in physical activity
  3. Getting enough sleep
  4. Finding ways to reduce stress
  5. And sharing your medical history with your friends and family

Making sure your personal and family health history is often times forgotten, but can be very important in the event of an emergency. What you need is a Medical Life List! In a nutshell, your Medical Life List is your own personal medical record created by you and updated by you.

You can find the template of the Medical Life List in MyHealthSpin’s free eBook, Easy Healthcare Guide: What You Need First.

So the question is…how will you celebrate Mom this Mother’s Day?

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Spin Your Healthcare Your Way!

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Will My Health Insurance Cover Diagnostic Tests?

Mid adult nurse preparing patient for CT scan test in hospital rGenerally, the answer is yes, but….  This is a question one of our readers asked so I thought I would share the answer here in case anyone else is wondering. Diagnostic tests are generally covered by your insurance, however, the deductible will apply.

Often, we compare the diagnostic test to preventative tests (which might be the same test, as with a colonoscopy). A preventative test under ObamaCare is generally covered without having to meet your deductible. Seems a little silly, right? One is fully covered and the other requires you to meet your deductible. The reason behind the distinction is that we want to encourage people to get their regular check-up and related tests, and if preventative care is not covered patients are less likely to get the test.

The next time you go to the doctor ask:

  1. What preventative tests should I get each year?
  2. How often does my insurance allow me to get the test?
  3. Should I schedule the test every year before or after I have my annual check-up?

These questions may help you keep up with your health. Remember being proactive is the best way to stay healthy and decrease the cost of your healthcare.

Does your doctor discuss the cost of tests with you when he or she orders the test? I’d love to hear from you!

MyHealthSpin helps you Spin Your Healthcare Your Way!

Check out how more information on insurance in our new book, Easy Healthcare: Choose Your Health Insurance.

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Can You Prevent A Healthcare Disaster?

DadMomMackinawBridge copyAccording to many doctors and my own parents, the answer is yes. Did you know that 70 percent of deaths in America are linked to preventable conditions such as diabetes, stroke, heart disease and several types of cancer? Many insurance companies are now incentivizing patients to start improving their health each day by getting regular check-ups, joining a weight loss plan or a gym.

You don’t have to be an athlete to work on prevention. My dad and mom lived everyday by the motto, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” They were always active. 365 days per year my mom walked 1.5 miles, no matter what the weather was in Michigan. My dad rode his bike 200 miles per week. We grew up going to the YMCA every Friday as a family–playing in the gym and swimming. In the summer we were camping, swimming, and hiking. There was always an emphasis on staying active. The picture in this blog post is them having lunch after they walked the Mackinaw Bridge for the 25th time!

It’s never too late to work on prevention. You can start by doing the following:

  1. Get a check-up by your primary care doctor. Ask what a good plan is for you.
  2. Start moving at work. Set a timer on your phone to move every couple of hours if you have a desk job. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Walk at lunch.
  3. Try getting a health monitoring device, like a FitBit. You will be surprised how monitoring your movement helps you focus on moving more.
  4. Set some simple goals. Don’t decide to lose 50 pounds this month. It’s unrealistic and will just cause more distress. Choose a few goals that can be accomplished right away such as having a vegetable each day or taking a walk after dinner two times per week.

Start today to make prevention a part of your daily routine so you can avoid a preventable healthcare disaster.

Tell me how you and your family are working on prevention. I’d love to hear from you!

MyHealthSpin helps you Spin Your Healthcare Your Way!

Check out how more information on insurance in our new book,Easy Healthcare: Choose Your Health Insurance.

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