All Posts in "Health & Fitness"

With all the noise swirling around the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, it is only natural to have questions.

Whatever your views are about the law, it is important to understand some basic facts, so you can make the right health care decisions for you and your family.

Here are some things everyone should know about the Affordable Care Act:

·        If you already have insurance, you and your loved ones have gained important protections. Starting next year, you no longer will be denied coverage if you have a pre-existing condition, nor will you be dropped from your plan if you get sick.

·        If you have Medicare Part D, you will save on prescription drugs if you fall into the doughnut hole. You also will qualify for important preventive services at no cost to you.

 ·        If you do not have health insurance or buy it on your own, there’s a new way to shop for it through a health insurance marketplace. The health law creates the new Washington HealthplanFinder (wahealthplanfinder.org) to help you get the coverage you need, with benefits starting next year. Depending on your income, you may also be able to get financial help covering the costs.

Open enrollment in the Washington HealthplanFinder begins this October, and coverage will start as early as January. The health law mandates that all health plans offered to those who buy insurance on their own or in small groups must include a set of “essential health benefits,” such as preventive and wellness benefits, prescription drug coverage, and emergency care.

In addition to the marketplace, there are even more benefits and protections to help you and your family. Young adults now have easier access to coverage, because they can stay on their parents’ insurance plans until age 26. That’s a significant benefit at a time when so many young people are unemployed.

Seniors gain, as well. In our own state more than 829,000 people who rely on Medicare for their health coverage can be assured that their benefits are protected. In fact, certain benefits have improved.

If you have Medicare Part D, and you reach the coverage gap or “doughnut hole,” you will get more than a 50 percent discount on brand-name prescription drugs, and more than a 20 percent discount on generic drugs. These discounts will continue until 2020, when the doughnut hole disappears altogether.

Medicare now covers yearly wellness visits and preventive care. This benefit – at no cost to you – includes screenings for cancer, cholesterol and diabetes, immunizations, diet counseling and more.

Other parts of the law could have a big impact on people too young for Medicare, including the 40,000 Washingtonians who are 50-64.

Insurers can no longer place dollar limits on the care they cover in a year – or over your lifetime. Further, health insurers must now cover vital preventive services, including screenings for diabetes and cholesterol, mammograms, flu shots and other immunizations, as well as counseling to quit smoking and eat right.

Also, the law helps all taxpayers by increasing efforts to fight fraud, scams and waste in Medicare. And it supports small business by reducing red tape and offering a tax credit.

Given all these provisions, it’s no surprise that people have questions about the Affordable Care Act.  Fortunately, the answers are just a few clicks away.

For practical, customized information on how the law affects you and your loved ones, just go to HealthLawAnswers.org.

In the three years since it passed Congress, a great deal has been said about the health law – much of it inaccurate. Now it’s time to understand what it really means.

Mike Tucker, who wrote this article,

It's time to understand what the new national health law really means, says AARP's Mike Tucker.
It’s time to understand what the new national health law really means, says AARP’s Mike Tucker.

is an AARP Executive Council member.

Contributing Author by — October 1, 2013 in Health & Fitness

Pierce County Aging and Disability Resources is sponsoring “Addiction: Getting Rid of the Pink Elephant,” a free public workshop about addiction to prescription, over-the-counter and illicit drugs and alcohol. Representatives from AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) and NA (Narcotics Anonymous) will offer their stories of struggle and hope and how support is so important.

The workshop will be held on:

• Oct. 7 from 12:10 to 12:50 p.m. at the Pierce County Annex main meeting room at 2401 S. 35th St. in Tacoma, and from 7 to 8 p.m. at the Lakewood branch of Pierce County Library System at 6300 Wildaire Road SW. in Lakewood.

• Oct. 9 from 12:10 to 12:50 p.m. at the County-City Building’s Rainier Conference Room at 930 Tacoma Ave. S. (seventh floor) in Tacoma, and from 7 to 8 p.m. at the Sound View Building at 3602 Pacific Ave. in Tacoma.

“Alcohol and drug addiction can slowly take over a life, sometimes without family and close friends being aware,” said Aaron Van Valkenburg, manager of Aging and Disability Resources. “People can become quite adept at hiding their addiction. Families and friends can easily ignore tell-tale signs. But there is help – and hope – for individuals whose lives have been taken over.  Learn about important resources for families and friends.”

The workshop offers the opportunity for participants to ask questions about their own situation and how to connect with resources in Pierce County, officials said. More information is available at at (253) 798-4600.

srmedia by — September 18, 2013 in Health & Fitness

State legislation to cement the relationship between medical professionals and patients took effect July 28, allowing professionals to not have to participate in a public or private third-party reimbursement program, such as Medicaid, to obtain or keep their licenses to practice.

 “When the federal healthcare reform bill was being debated, one of the selling points we heard repeatedly was that people would be able to keep their existing doctor,” said state Sen. Randi Becker (R-Second District). Senate Bill 5215, which she sponsored, “is a positive step towards ensuring doctors have the ability to manage their patient list and can continue to see the patients they’ve developed relationships with.”

SB 5215 also requires that medical professionals be made aware of, and agree to, any changes made by insurers to their reimbursement rates.

In 2014, individuals under age 65 (including parents and adults without dependent children) with incomes below 133 percent of the federal poverty level ($14,500 for an individual in 2011) will become eligible for Medicaid in every state. This change ends the longstanding coverage gap for low-income adults, Becker said. States can choose to expand eligibility for adults prior to 2014, and several states have already done so.

Noting that the state already has a shortage of medical professionals, Becker said providing assurance that they’ll be able to manage their patient load will encourage those here to stay in practice, and may help bring in professionals from other states.

 “In many areas of our state it’s already difficult to find a doctor willing to accept new patients. As up to one million newly-insured folks join the system, that shortage will be exacerbated. With this bill, we’re encouraging professionals to come to Washington to serve the medical needs of the people of our state.”

SB 5215 also requires that medical professionals be made aware of, and agree to, any changes made by insurers to their reimbursement rates. The bill now moves to the House of Representatives for further consideration.

In 2014, individuals under age 65 (including parents and adults without dependent children) with incomes below 133% of the FPL ($14,500 for an individual in 2011) will become eligible for Medicaid in every state. This change ends the longstanding coverage gap for low-income adults. States can choose to expand eligibility for adults prior to 2014, and several states have already done so.

srmedia by — August 21, 2013 in Health & Fitness

Dr. Jason Brayley, a sports medicine physician with MultiCare Orthopedics and Sports Medicine, says it’s never too late to incorporate exercise into your life. He offered a few tips for getting started and keeping up new healthy habits:
• Talk with your doctor before you begin a new exercise program, and evaluate your health. Consider customizing or modifying your physical activity to prevent injury. For example,
• “Don’t feel like you have to ‘go big’ from the beginning. Even starting with five minutes a day is five more minutes than you did the day before.”
• Don’t be afraid of the aches and pain. “Your body will be happier in the long run if you help it re-learn to get active.”
• More information about orthopedics or sports medicine is available from MultiCare at http://multica.re/UVE3PK or 253-792-6555.

srmedia by — July 23, 2013 in Health & Fitness