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Karla Flores

Insurance RX

I Make Insurance Easy & Simple

Smiling Babies

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Smiling Babies – The Best Medicine For All Of Us

When it comes to babies, nothing is more painful than to see them hurt. The good news is how much we can do to maximize their chances of living well… and it starts before they’re born.

Good prenatal care increases every baby’s chance to go full term and have a healthy weight at birth. The benefit to Moms is easier pregnancies.

New research shows how good prenatal care can go beyond birth and set the stage for better health as future adults. While not yet proven, there seems to be an association between malnutrition in uteri and an increased risk for obesity, heart disease, and diabetes in later years.

The March of Dimes supports programs that focus on pre and post natal care so both babies and mothers have the best chance to live happy and healthy lives. Regular doctor visits before and after birth means possible complications are identified and treated as soon as possible.

By supporting babies’ health, we minimize healthcare costs and increase our chances to see more babies smiling.

Learn how you can support the March of Dimes!

Turkey And Greece Create The First Sandwich

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John Montagu, the 4th Earl of Sandwich is credited with inventing the sandwich. In 1762, Montagu, a consummate gambler, requested something he could eat without getting up from the card table.  The cook placed a slice of meat between two pieces of bread and the sandwich as we know it was born. However, neither John nor the cook were the first to make and eat one.

Before this card game, Montagu traveled to Turkey and Greece where dips, cheeses and meats were commonly eaten between pieces of bread. His request started a trend and by the time of the Revolutionary War, sandwiches were well established in England. However, the colonists were slow to adapt it.  American cooks tended to avoid culinary trends from their former ruling state… and… since the name “sandwich” came from the British peerage system; Americans wanted nothing to do with it.

What EXACTLY is Hepatitis?

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Ask around to see what people think hepatitis is and you’ll probably find out most of us don’t know. Overall, hepatitis is a disease characterized by inflammation of the liver, the largest solid organ and gland in our bodies. We need to keep our livers healthy because they perform over 500 essential tasks.

In general, livers “clean” out toxins while they help digest food and absorb essential nutrients. Understanding hepatitis in its numerous forms (A, B, C, D and E) is the best way to prevent contracting these potentially fatal diseases.

Estimates show that 30 million travelers a year visit destinations considered high-risk for hepatitis A and B. Both are vaccine-preventable.  Hepatitis C and D are usually spread through contact with infected blood. The E form is uncommon in the United States and rarely results in chronic hepatitis, but that doesn’t make it harmless.

World Hepatitis Day is a global effort to raise hepatitis awareness.  The Hepatitis Foundation site shows you how to prevent, diagnose and treat hepatitis as early as possible. Only through education can we control and eliminate hepatitis altogether.

Cost of Diabetes – Insurance, Insulin Prices and Complications

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Diabetes is an expensive disease. Americans diagnosed with diabetes have healthcare costs that are 2.3 times greater than those without the disease, according to a study released this year by the American Diabetes Association (ADA).[1]

Between hospital and doctor visits, prescription medications and supplies, the cost of treating diabetes in the United States is $327 billion annually, a figure that’s risen by 26% in the last five years.

If you’re at high risk for Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes, have been recently diagnosed, or have a loved one coping with the disease, here’s what you can expect in terms of its impact on your finances.

Getting the Diabetes Diagnosis

The term diabetes actually refers to several diseases caused by excess sugar in your bloodstream. Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes are chronic conditions that are diagnosed with one of these blood tests done in your doctor’s office[2]:

    • The simplest and quickest test, called the glycated hemoglobin (A1C) test, indicates average blood sugar for the last two to three months. This type of test is often used in free diabetes screenings at hospitals and pharmacies, too.
    • The fasting glucose test involves a fast for eight hours before your blood test is performed.
    • The oral glucose tolerance test involves several blood tests over about a three-hour period. During that time, you drink a liquid with glucose mixed in, and have your blood tested at regular intervals.
    • The zinc transporter 8 autoantibody (ZnT8Ab) blood test is used specifically to determine if you have Type 1 diabetes.

 

The Cost of Diabetes

The ADA’s recent study indicates that people diagnosed with diabetes spend an average of $16,752 per year on medical costs.[3] About half of that (57%) is related to treatment, including the cost of diabetes medication.

Insulin therapy is a common treatment for people with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, but insulin prices have skyrocketed in the last several years.[4] Diabetes Management’s digital edition reports that the cost of insulin has increased from $100 to $200 per month to $400 to $500 per month, depending on the brand.[5]

Diabetics with no insurance must pay those costs entirely out of pocket.

Getting Diabetes Medication Costs Under Control

If the cost of diabetes medication has become out of reach for you or a loved one, try bringing your medical expenses down with these strategies:

    • Check with your doctor about an alternative if you currently use one of the newer manufactured insulins. Human insulin is an older type of medication that can be less expensive.
    • If you take a diabetes medication other than insulin, ask your doctor about a generic alternative.
    • Explore any prescription drug programs at your pharmacy which offer reduced prices for a low monthly fee.

Do Heart Attack Symptoms Discriminate Between The Sexes?

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When it comes to a pending heart attack, there’s not one warning signal that applies to everyone. Men and women share some symptoms like chest pain, indigestion and dizziness.  Shortness of breath also applies to both sexes, but in men it often feels like one can’t get enough air even when resting.

However, there are some symptoms that appear to manifest differently by sex.

Symptoms common in men are:

  • upper body discomfort or pain that includes arms, left shoulder, back, neck, jaw or stomach
  • rapid or irregular heartbeat
  • breaking out in a cold sweat

Symptoms more common to women are:

  • anxiety
  • sleep disturbances
  • unusual fatigue lasting for several days or sudden severe fatigue
  • jaw pain or pain that spreads up into one’s jaw
  • upper back, shoulder or throat pain

The most important thing for you to know is what’s normal and abnormal for your body. Even if you’re not sure any of these symptoms are warnings, get emergency care right away. The best way to recover from a heart attack is early intervention, regardless of sex.

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