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Getting a Flu Vaccine The best way to prevent the flu is by getting vaccinated with a flu shot as soon as you can. Ideally, you should go get your flu shot during the fall—early fall if possible. However, you can still get vaccinated any time during the winter as well. The only danger is that you might catch the flu before you get a chance to get vaccinated. Remember, getting vaccinated for the flu is a lot different than getting vaccinated for other illnesses. Unlike many other vaccines, you’ll need to get the flu vaccine every year. This is because the vaccine is designed differently each year in order to combat the flu strains that health experts believe will be most widespread. There are different flu strains that are more common in certain areas every year, which is why even though you may have been vaccinated for a certain flu strain last year you will need to get vaccinated again this year. Other Flu Prevention Tips In addition to getting your flu shots, you should also take care to be extra clean during the flu season. Because so many people may be carrying the flu virus, you should always wash your hands after you touch potentially dirty surfaces or shake hands with somebody. When you do touch potentially dirty places, avoid touching your face afterwards. You should try to get vaccinated for the flu before winter hits. We will continue to provide you with advice concerning your health insurance, so be sure to contact The Benefits Store for information concerning all California medical plans.

Avoid balloons: Balloons may seem like a lot of fun as a child, but they can be quite dangerous for children under the age of eight. This is because they can easily choke on or suffocate on balloons that are broken or deflated. Avoid toys with small parts: If you are buying a toy for a child under three, avoid giving them toys that contain small parts so that they won’t swallow them, as they can cause choking. Provide safety gear: If you are getting a riding toy for a child, such as a skateboard, a scooter, or roller skates, then make sure you also provide safety gear (such as a helmet and knee pads) that properly fit the child. Throw away packaging: The packaging or plastic wrapping for many toys can become a safety hazard if you don’t discard it immediately. Supervise battery charging: If you give a young child a toy that requires batteries, make sure that they understand that they need an adult to supervise the battery charging. Always read the instructions and warnings on any toy that comes with batteries. Some chargers don’t have mechanisms to prevent overcharging, which can be dangerous if a child attempts to charge a battery. These are a few safety tips to keep in mind for National Safe Toys and Gifts Month. We want to provide you and your family with important health and safety information, so contact The Benefits Store for advice and information concerning all California Medical Plans.

While the risks associated with these mosquitoes is still rather low, it is still imperative that precautions are taken to limit their spread. Both species, which can be identified by a distinct black and white striped pattern on their legs and thorax, are also more aggressive than typical mosquitoes, heightening the danger. They carry infectious diseases such as the dengue fever, chikungunya and yellow fever. Neither chikungunya or dengue fever have any treatment or vaccine. Most recently they have turned up in 10 of California’s 58 counties. The typical California mosquito will become most active at dusk and dawn, but the two new species to be on the lookout for will often stay active throughout the day. They will also readily enter buildings. To keep themselves safe, and also help keep these two species at bay, the public should take the following steps: Apply mosquito repellents to your skin when you plan to be outside. Effective deterrents need to include DEET, picaridin, IR3535, and/or oil of lemon eucalyptus to both clothing and skin. You should wear long-sleeved clothing, long pants, socks and shoes during the times when mosquitoes are most active. Make use of air conditioning to cool your home or business; eschew open windows or doors that could allow mosquitoes entrance. Eliminate potential mosquito-breeding grounds, such as any source of standing water. These species need only a teaspoon of standing water to lay eggs. At the Benefits Store, we know that keeping your family happy and healthy involves a large measure of prevention. Keeping you informed on the latest health news and information helps us all take better care of one another.

The Prenatal vaccination for whooping cough is recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for all expectant mothers. In the past, the CDC recommended the vaccine was only given to mothers who had not previously been vaccinated. Studies such as the one conducted by the CDPH are responsible for this change, making it clear that a simple vaccination can potentially save the lives of thousands of infants. Pregnant women should be given the vaccine during the third trimester, starting at 27 weeks. Exposure to the vaccine will cause the mother’s body to produce the necessary antibodies to fight off the disease, while also passing off some of these antibodies to the unborn child. These antibodies will then provide crucial early life protection against the disease until the child receives additional vaccinations at two months. While the vaccination may not prevent the disease itself, the antibodies will provide protection from more serious complications and significantly reduce the child’s risk of death. A whooping cough vaccination can be given at vaccination clinics, doctor’s offices, and pharmacies. Providing adequate health care to both mother and baby during the course of the pregnancy is vital to the lifelong health of the child. For more information on this and other important medical and insurance issues, contact The Benefits Store today.

The biggest problem with unregulated colored contacts is that folks who do not normally wear contact lenses do not know how to properly care for them. Because of this, they may not be cleaned correctly, and when this happens, dirt and germs get in the eye when the lenses are inserted. This can cause some pretty severe infections, and if even microscopic particles get between the contacts and your eye, they can scratch the surface of your eye. It is not unheard of for people to have severe damage to the cornea which can cause pain and even blindness. There is also an issue with the legality of non-prescribed contact lenses. As of 2005, it is illegal for anyone to sell contact lenses to a customer without a prescription. This hasn’t stopped greedy retailers from continuing to offer them for sale however. They are also available online, but they have been made illegal for a reason. If you want to wear colored contacts, the only way you should go about getting the product is to see an optometrist and get an actual prescription. You do not need to have corrective lenses; the eye doctor will just want to make sure that you will be fitted with a pair that will correctly fit your eye. This will also allow you to eliminate the possibility of getting an improperly manufactured pair from an unlicensed seller that could cause you pain and even blindness. If you have any questions regarding vision insurance, or whether colored contacts will be covered under your plan, please contact The Benefits Store and we’ll be happy to help you.

Data from a new report has revealed that the California individual health insurance market has grown leaps and bounds since Obamacare went into effect last year – this shouldn’t be too big of a surprise considering the fact that individuals who chose not to purchase health insurance would be penalized by increasingly bigger fees. Source: iStock.com/kadmy According to the report, there are roughly 2.2 million Californians that now have individual health insurance – an increase of 64 percent. As of December 31st, 2014, 843,607 Californians jointed the individual market both on the inside and outside of the Covered California insurance exchange. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, the California individual health insurance market along with those of Florida, Georgia and Texas, account for half of the country’s enrollment growth of individual policies. By the end of 2014, a total of 15.5 million people across the country have purchased their own health insurance policy. This is a 46 percent increase from 2013. While the fact that the Affordable Care Act requires most Americans to pay a penalty if they do not purchase health insurance, another factor in the huge increase in health insurance purchases is the fact that everyone in the country is guaranteed coverage regardless of what their medical conditions are. The act also provides financial subsidies to lower-income consumers. Roughly 50 percent of California residents get their health benefits through their employer; however, the percentage of California businesses that provide coverage to employees has been decreasing. Only 58 percent of the state’s employers offered employees coverage in 2014, while almost 69 percent had offered coverage back in 2010. Around 1.4 million people are currently enrolled in the Covered California exchange. For more information or advice about purchasing health insurance in California, be sure to contact us at the Benefits Store today. #Californiahealthinsurance

The Covered California 2015-15 budget proposal was just revealed on May 13th and it showcases the same prudent fiscal planning that helped it to establish the biggest state health exchange in the country. Source: Facebook The federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act resulted in the establishment of Covered California’s insurance marketplace, which it created in partnership with the California Department of Health Care Services. The following are a few of the highlights of the Covered California 2015-16 budget proposal: This upcoming year will be the last year that federal establishment funds will be used. Covered California will receive roughly $100 million in federal funding for this year in order to continue to fund planning, development and implementation activities to continue to establish the biggest state exchange in the country. After this year, Covered California will begin relying on fees that it collects from its health plans in addition to the reserves saved from federal funds. The fiscal year should end with almost $194 million in unrestricted reserves, which is enough for more than six month’s of operating funds. This means that Covered California is currently on strong financial footing. If enrollment in the upcoming year ends up being larger than anticipated, then Covered California will lower the assessment they charge health plans. If enrollment ends up being lower than expected, they will explore the reduction of costs and either reduce reserves or increase the assessment they charge health plans. In order to maintain a positive balance sheet, Covered California will begin to rely more on state personnel and less on contracted services in order to accomplish their goals and serve their customers. These are just a few of the highlights of the Covered California 2015-16 budget proposal. For more information about Covered California, contact us at the Benefits Store today. #Californiahealthinsurance

Keep your employees healthy – The healthier your employees are, the less health insurance they’ll need. Some companies here in California and beyond have instituted wellness programs that include disease management in addition to offering services such as cancer screenings, flu shots and smoking cessation sessions. Not only does this keep employees healthy, it keeps them happy as well. Establish health savings accounts – Health savings accounts are becoming more and more popular amongst smaller businesses. Not only can they be used to pay for certain medical expenses and help reduce your health insurance costs; they are also tax-exempt and could provide your employees with tax breaks. The only drawback is a high-deductible health insurance plan is required. A representative from The Benefits Store can discuss this option with you in greater depth and help you determine if this is the right option for your employees. Reducing coverage – One way to go about reducing small business health insurance costs is by reducing the coverage and asking employees to contribute more. While this does save money, you’ll also make your employees less happy this way. Compare providers – Don’t forget that health insurance is a business. You don’t have to settle for the first small business health insurance plan you run across. Shop around and compare the rates and terms of the different insurers that are out there before you choose one. It could end up saving you a lot of money. These are a few ways that you can reduce your small business health insurance costs. Contact us at The Benefits Store for additional health insurance information and advice. Our brokers are available to assist you at no cost. Keep up with the latest news and information from The Benefits Store by signing up to receive our newsletter. Leave your email address in a comment below and we’ll add you to our list. Image Source: FreeDigitalPhotos.net #Californiahealthinsurance #healthinsuranceforsmallbusinesses #managinghealthinsurancecostsforsmallbusinesses

The California Senate recently approved a bill that would provide California health coverage for illegal immigrant children. This will make California the first state in the United States to provide health care coverage to kids who are in the country illegally, which means that they are requesting federal authorization to be able to sell private insurance to immigrants without requiring documentation. Source: iStock.com/Dangubic There are between 195,000 and 240,000 children under the age of 19 from low-income families that would be able to benefit from state-funded Medi-Cal, which is the state’s version of Medicaid, even if they are illegal immigrants. The legislation will also seek a federal waiver that would allow the state to sell unsubsidized private health care insurance through Covered California, which is California’s health exchange. Now that the legislation has been approved by the State Senate, the bill only needs to be passed and signed by the Governor in order to go into effect. While many Senators believe that this is an important step in helping to expand access to health care throughout the state, some believe that the bill will amount to nothing more than an empty promise, believing that it won’t actually help illegal immigrants to obtain access to doctors since there already is a shortage of providers that accept Medi-Cal. Although President Obama recently enacted an executive order that helped keep some immigrants from being deported because of a lack of comprehensive immigration reform, his action excludes any immigrants that came to the United States illegally from being able to qualify for federal health benefits. The cost to expand Medi-Cal to immigrant children could end up costing $135 million a year even without an executive action by the President. For more about California health coverage for illegal immigrant children, contact us at the Benefits Store today. #Californiahealthinsurance

According to a recent report by the California Healthcare Foundation, individual health insurance coverage in California has surged over the last few years, growing by 47 percent in 2014 and surpassing the coverage in the small-business market, which declined 11 percent last year. Source: iStock.com/shironosov The data shows the impact that Obamacare has had on the state of California. The individual health insurance market has been booming over the last two years because of the Covered California marketplace, which was established in part to offer premium assistance to those with lower incomes. Not only is it easier for California residents to obtain individual health insurance, they also have a financial incentive to do so – not buying health insurance will result in a fee that they will have to pay under Obamacare law. This fee grows by the year – in 2014, it was 1 percent of your household income or $95 per person – whichever was higher. This year, it’s 2 percent of your household income or $325 per person – whichever is higher. The number of small businesses that have dropped benefits in the last few years has risen substantially, although the number of businesses that have done this to let employees get their own health insurance through Covered California remains unclear. This is the first time that individual health insurance has surpassed small employer group coverage, although there is no old data to compare it to since it wasn’t until 2012 that legislation required the California Department of Managed Health Care and the California Department of Insurance to publicly release its end-of-the-year enrollment figures for the insurers and health plans that they regulate. Individual health insurance coverage in California continues to grow while small employer group coverage has been declining. For more information about health insurance coverage in California, contact the Benefits Store. #Californiahealthinsurance

There have been a lot of California health care reform initiatives over the last few years, and this doesn’t look to change any time soon now that another case looks to influence health care reform as it is brought before the Supreme Court. Source: iStock.com/iodrakon There are actually several pending cases that could result in national healthcare repercussions. The one you may have heard about is King v. Burwell, which challenges federal subsidies for health insurance. However, a new case has popped up in Vermont that involves claims data reporting that could have a huge impact on the way the government collects and analyzes healthcare data. Over the last ten years, 16 states have established mandatory APCD (All-Payer Claims Database Systems) that collect and analyze information from health insurers in order to guide payment reform efforts. Around 30 other states are either considering or pursuing some type of data gathering similar to APCD. The issue is that Liberty Mutual Insurance, an insurer in Vermont, which is one of the 16 states with mandatory APCD systems, is refusing to provide its information to the state. The insurer’s argument is that Vermont law is superseded by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974. They are contending that self-insured plans require claims data reporting already and that the state’s laws are interfering. Experts believe that this case could have a huge effect not only on Vermont but the entire country as well. While the results of the case may not have a direct impact on California health care reform initiatives, all states will take the decision into account before they consider making a long-term investment in APCDs. The Liberty Mutual Insurance case in Vermont could affect healthcare reform throughout the country. For more healthcare information, contact us at the Benefits Store today. #Californiahealthinsurance

The inflammation stage – Bleeding caused by the fracture within the bone and the tissue surrounding it will cause the affected area to swell. This inflammation will likely occur the first day the bone is fractured and can continue for upwards of two to three weeks. The soft callus stage – After two or three weeks, the pain and inflammation should begin to decrease. Once this happens, the fractured bone will begin to stiffen and new bone will begin forming; however, this new bone won’t be visible by x-ray yet. The soft callus stage will last between four and eight weeks after the fracture occurred. The hard callus stage – After the soft callus has formed, the new bone will begin to bridge the bone fracture. It’s at this point where the new bone can be spotted via x-rays. It should take between eight and 12 weeks for the hard callus to completely fill the fracture. The bone remodeling stage – Once the new bone has filled the fracture, the affected area will begin to remodel itself, which means that any deformities caused by the original injury will be corrected. Depending on the severity of these deformities, the bone remodeling stage could end up taking up to a few years to complete. Although bone fractures typically heal without issue for most patients, there are a few problems that can occur in particularly severe bone fractures. The biggest potential issue is compartment syndrome, in which severe swelling results in not enough blood getting to the muscles in the affected area. This can lead to long-term disability. For more information about related health insurance advice, contact us at the Benefits Store today.