Family Health Blog
Recent health news, buzzworthy medical blogs, and personal wellness advice curated by our PinnacleCare team and our CEO, Dr. Miles Varn.
Topic: Health Planning
Tips to help you prepare for a trip to the emergency room
The hospital’s emergency room is not a place you plan to end up, but each year in the U.S. people make 139.8 million visits to ERs across the country, seeking care for a wide range of injuries and illnesses. The best way to deal with what can be a very stressful experience is to plan... Read More
The documents caregivers need to make medical decisions
Nearly one in five adults in the U.S. is caring for another adult with health issues or other needs. If you’re providing care to parents or older relatives, one important part of that support could be making medical decisions on their behalf or helping them make informed medical decisions. The key to better caregiving is... Read More
Webinar: 2023 High-cost claims report: A look into trending conditions and injectable drug prices
Sun Life has been sharing its data, insights, and an overview of trends surrounding high-cost claims and high-cost injectable drugs for 11 years. Join us on Wednesday, May 17 from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. (ET) for a webinar and panel discussion on Sun Life’s latest research on these topics. This year’s report includes: Data on... Read More
Strategies to help you get access to the care you need
Getting access to the healthcare you need in the U.S. is harder than it should be for many people. In many areas of the country, there are long waits for appointments with specialists. A survey conducted by Merritt Hawkins, a national physician recruiting firm, found that it takes around 26 days for a new patient... Read More
You’ve got great benefits. Do you know how to access them?
The best benefits in the world won’t do you much good if you don’t know how to access and use them. It’s an issue that’s more common than you might think. One survey found that 86% of employees are confused by their benefit plan. The first step towards getting the maximum advantage from your benefits... Read More
Why you need to gather and organize your medical records
If you’re like most people, you probably see several healthcare providers over the course of the year—your primary care provider and a few specialists like cardiologists, dermatologists, OB/GYNs, mental health specialists, and orthopedists. Then there are visits to urgent care or retail clinics, virtual visits through apps or your health insurer, screening and diagnostics tests,... Read More
Natural disasters: How to be medically prepared
Snowstorms in Texas. Floods in the South. Wildfires in the West. Powerful hurricanes like 2021’s Category 4 Ida, which caused numerous deaths and millions in property damage from Louisiana to New England. As the U.S. and the world are confronted with an increasing number of natural disasters being prepared before a disaster strikes becomes even... Read More
How to prepare your college freshman to manage healthcare away from home
If you have a first year college student in your house, you’ve got a busy summer on your hands. There are forms to complete, supplies to buy, bags to pack, and travel plans to make if your child is going away for school. One thing that might not be on your to-do list is helping... Read More
In your 20s? Why you need a health strategy
A lot of younger people think preventive care and building a healthy strategy isn’t needed when you’re young and healthy. In fact, the number of people in their 20s who have a primary care doctor has dropped significantly. A Kaiser Family Foundation tracking poll found that among people between the ages of 18 and 29,... Read More
These proactive steps can help you manage the risk of common serious conditions
For 10 years, Sun Life has published an annual research report focused on the highest cost health insurance claims. The data in the report is drawn from Sun Life’s stop loss claims, a type of insurance employers who self-fund their health insurance plan purchase to protect against the financial impact of very high cost health... Read More