Posts from 2016

superbugs
Dec 20 2016

How to Prevent Drug Interactions and Adverse Reactions

Disease Management  •  By Miles Varn

Drug interactions and adverse reactions send nearly 700,000 people to emergency rooms and cause 100,000 people to be hospitalized each year, according to data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System. The danger of drug interactions and adverse reactions increases a great deal as you age for several different reasons: Older people are more likely... Read More

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Medication errors can harm young children
Dec 13 2016

Medication errors: 4 steps to protect your children

Family Caregiving  •  By Miles Varn

As cold and flu season ramps up, parents and caregivers will be measuring out a range of liquid medicines—from pain and fever relievers to antibiotics—to give to their young children. But how sure are you that the dose you’re giving your children is accurate? A recent study published in the journal Pediatrics highlights how often... Read More

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Disability: Lower your risk with these steps
Dec 6 2016

Disability: 4 steps to lower your risk as you age

Preventive Care  •  By Miles Varn

As you age, your risk of becoming disabled because of a chronic health problem or an injury like a fall can increase. But studies have found that there are four proactive steps you can take at any age that can help decrease your risk of disability and improve your overall health, wellbeing, and longevity. Step... Read More

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Learn how to protect your medical privacy
Nov 29 2016

Medical Privacy: How to Keep Your Medical Information Safer

Personalized Healthcare  •  By Miles Varn

Medical privacy made front page news several times in 2015 and 2016 as hackers gained access to more than 112 million medical records from health insurers, hospitals, state health departments, a medical software company, and more. But the issue of medical privacy goes beyond information compromised in hacks. Medical records have also been inappropriately accessed... Read More

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How will the election affect my health insurance?
Nov 17 2016

How will the election affect my health insurance and healthcare?

Health Risk Management  •  By Miles Varn

If you’re in the process of choosing health insurance for the coming year, you probably have questions about how proposed changes to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) will impact your insurance choices and your access to healthcare. To help you better understand the situation, we’ve gathered the answers to some of the questions you may... Read More

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Stroke risk
Nov 15 2016

More young people are having strokes: How to protect yourself

Disease Management  •  By Miles Varn

While most people don’t think the young suffer strokes, a recent study found that an increasing number of people between the ages of 25 and 44 are actually having strokes. The simple fact is the rate of people 25 to 44 hospitalized for an ischemic stroke, the most common type, increased by 44% but actually... Read More

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Nov 8 2016

Strategies that can improve how older patients fare after being in the hospital

Family Caregiving  •  By Miles Varn

Being hospitalized can have a significant, ongoing impact on the health of older patients. Even when the treatment of the illness or injury that brought them to the hospital is successful, many older patients leave the hospital physically weaker, with cognitive issues like confusion, or with psychological issues like depression and anxiety that can have... Read More

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medical bills
Nov 1 2016

Choosing health insurance: What you should consider if you have a chronic health problem

Disease Management  •  By Miles Varn

As you think about which health insurance plan you’ll choose for next year, there are a number of different factors you should consider, including: monthly premium yearly deductible co-payments whether prescription drugs are covered whether you have coverage while traveling how the plan is rated for quality and customer service But if you’re living with... Read More

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effective weight loss
Oct 31 2016

Family history of breast cancer? 5 proactive steps for managing your risk

Preventive Care  •  By Miles Varn

If you have a family history of breast cancer, you may need a more proactive strategy to manage your risk. With October being breast cancer awareness month, much of the focus in the media has been around steps that all women should take to lower their risk of breast cancer and how often they should... Read More

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mental health
Oct 18 2016

Why parents may not have a say in medical decisions for their young adult children

Family Caregiving  •  By Miles Varn

When your young adult children reach the age of 18 or 19, you might be surprised to learn that you no longer have access to their medical information, even if they’re still on your health insurance plan or live with you. Once your child reaches legal adulthood (18 in most states, 19 in two states),... Read More

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