Health & Wellness Archives

AMBA’s 5 Tips to Keep Your Summer Road Trip Fun and Safe

Isaiah on July 15, 2024

Nothing makes incredible memories like summer road trips. From visiting loved ones, checking out historic destinations, or taking advantage of fun tourist attractions, there’s nothing like hitting the road and enjoying an adventure. But these journeys have risks that you need to be ready for. Follow AMBA’s tips to help ensure an enjoyable and safe journey for road trippers of all ages.

Prepare and Pack

If you’re heading out on a road trip, the last thing you want is unexpected mechanical issues. Before hitting the road, check your tires, fluids, brakes, and more. Additionally, be sure you have a First Aid kit in your car. This emergency kit should include bandages, rubbing alcohol, a flashlight, emergency flares, tools, and aspirin.

Pack snacks, water, and chargers for smartphones and electronic devices. If you are traveling with children, pack games and activities to keep them entertained.

There’s An App for That!

Mapping apps make it easier than ever to adapt your journey. Whether you’re heading to a new or familiar destination, issues like heavy traffic or construction areas can cause delays, danger, or even stress. Apps that provide real-time traffic conditions can help you avoid these roads and reroute you to better alternatives.

Stay Smart: Stop and Sleep

Staying safe starts with staying alert. Did you know that driving for more than 8 hours at a time has nearly 2x the risk of crashing compared with drivers who have been on the road for less than 2 hours? Make plenty of stops, at least once every two hours. This will also give you the opportunity to stretch your legs, use the restroom, and get some fresh air. If you have passengers who can drive, alternate drivers every few hours.

Also, be sure to get plenty of sleep. People who sleep less than five hours before driving have a significantly increased risk of crashing compared to people who rest for the recommended eight hours.

Stay Cool

The summer heat during a road trip can be overwhelming. A lack of air conditioning on a hot summer day affects everyone. It is particularly dangerous for people with preexisting health conditions or who are sensitive to heat, such as children and older adults.

Heatstroke is a medical emergency that occurs when the body heats up faster than it can cool down. It can be deadly for older adults, especially during the summer, because their bodies have a decreased ability to adapt to temperature changes. Heatstroke symptoms can include dry, flushed skin, fainting, confusion, and a pulse rate that’s either too strong or weak.

Get MASA

No matter how many precautions you take, medical emergencies can happen anywhere, anytime – especially on the road when you’re far from home. A ground ambulance or air transport could cost thousands. Medicare may not cover this. Protect yourself from the high cost of emergency medical transportation with the Medical Air Services Association (MASA) plan from AMBA and NCRGEA. MASA provides lifesaving emergency transportation services. Services are paid in full, with no deductibles, co-pays, or dollar limits. Whether home or traveling, MASA covers your ambulance or airlift in all 50 states and Canada, regardless of age or medical condition. Plus, you can get your MASA plan through a trusted source: NCRGEA and AMBA. You can even sign up online. Learn more at Ambamedtransport.com/NCRGEA or call the AMBA Contact Center at 800-956-1228 M-F 9am-6pm ET.

Sources: https://aaafoundation.org/prevalence-impact-drowsy-driving/

https://www.routific.com/blog/best-route-planner-app-android

https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/safety/hot-weather-safety-older-adults#:~:text=Signs%20of%20heat%20stroke%20are,as%20under%20shade%20or%20indoors.

AMBA’s 8 Simple Swaps to Eat a Healthier BBQ

Isaiah on July 1, 2024

Can a delicious summertime barbecue and a healthy eating plan coexist? BBQs may make you think of hamburgers, hot dogs, sausage, and ribs. But just because you’re firing up the grill doesn’t mean you’re stuck with high-calorie, high-fat choices. Follow AMBA’s steps to make it easy to eat heart-smart choices you’ll love.

AMBA’s tips for a healthier BBQ:

Want to avoid the high-fat content of hamburgers while still enjoying all that juicy flavor? Choose low-fat beef, turkey, or veggie burgers instead. To add flavor, experiment with seasonings and top with grilled onions, mushrooms, or tomatoes.
Need your cheese fix? Add a small amount inside the burger instead of smothering it on top. You’ll still enjoy that cheesy taste but with less fat.
Skinless chicken breasts and pork tenderloin are excellent alternatives to red meat. Grill until cooked through, then lightly brush with your sauce of choice.
Want to enjoy the flavor without the fat? Choose turkey or chicken sausage.
Fish like salmon, skewered shrimp, and swordfish are great grilling options.
Marinades add flavor and tenderize leaner cuts of meat. Experiment with olive oil, mustard, vinegar, fresh herbs, garlic, teriyaki or soy sauce, or hot pepper flakes.
Vegetables such as corn, eggplant, zucchini, portobello mushrooms, and peppers are grill favorites. Coat with olive oil, herbs, salt, and pepper before tossing on the grill rack.
Don’t forget dessert! Grilled pineapple rings, peach halves, or watermelon wedges are delightful guilt-free dessert alternatives.

Treasurer Folwell Announces New Third-Party Administrator for the State Health Plan

Tracie Eubank on January 7, 2023

Wednesday, January 4, 2023

North Carolina’s Treasurer announced on Wednesday, January 4 the award of the Third-Party Administrative (TPA) Services Contract to Aetna. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (Blue Cross NC) is the current TPA for the Plan and has been the TPA for more than 40 years.

The three-year initial service period for the contract begins January 1, 2025, and continues through December 31, 2027, with the option to renew for two, one-year terms.

This change will not impact our members who are enrolled in the Humana Group Medicare Advantage Plans. It will only impact members on the Base PPO Plan (70/30) and the Enhanced PPO Plan (80/20) which are currently being administered by Blue Cross NC.

Plan members will start receiving more information regarding the changes in 2024 prior to our Open Enrollment Period for the 2025 benefit year.

The administrative contract, awarded by the State Health Plan Board of Trustees, oversees health care spending of more than $17.5 billion over five years. The new contract reflects a partnership that focuses on transparency and lower costs, with the potential administrative cost savings over the course of the contract equaling $140 million.

The award is the result of a Request for Proposals, a competitive bid process in which the Plan solicited and selected industry-leading partners providing exceptional customer service, technological resources and professional support. The services under the contract include processing claims and offering a comprehensive network of health care providers. Aetna was one of three companies bidding for the contract. Blue Cross NC and UMR, Inc. also submitted proposals.

The State Health Plan, a division of the Department of State Treasurer, provides health care coverage to nearly 740,000 teachers, state employees, retirees, current and former lawmakers, state university and community college personnel, and their dependents.

What Your Ears May Be Saying About Your Heart

Tracie Eubank on March 4, 2022

Could a hearing loss be trying to tell you something about your heart’s health? Listen carefully, because a growing body of evidence – based on six decades of research – points to a connection between hearing loss and cardiovascular disease.

In fact, several prominent experts call the ear a “window to the heart.”

“The inner ear is so sensitive to blood flow that it is possible any abnormalities in the cardiovascular system could be noted here earlier than in other less sensitive parts of the body,” explains David Friedland, MD, Ph.D., of the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. Dr. Friedland has been studying the hearing-cardiovascular connection for years.

Conversely, a healthy cardiovascular system (heart, arteries and veins) may positively affect a person’s hearing.

Another study, involving nearly 5,000 Icelandic citizens, indicate that a hearing impairment and dual sensory impairment (involving both vision and hearing) in older men are associated with increased mortality from cardiovascular disease and other causes. Researchers also observed that men and women who used hearing aids had significantly lower mortality risk compared with hearing-impaired individuals who did not use hearing aids.

Find out what your ears may be saying, simply call 877-806-7054 to request an appointment for a professional hearing exam with an Amplifon Hearing Health Care provider at a clinic near you. Our Patient Care Advocates will answer your questions and guide you through the entire process.

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Humana Neighborhood Centers Welcome NC State Health Plan Members

Tracie Eubank on March 2, 2022

Humana Neighborhood Centers, both in-person and online via the Virtual Neighborhood Center, offer special events, programs and activities designed to educate on physical and mental health. Many services can be used by anyone, including those who are not Humana members, at no cost. Each location offers a unique calendar of in-person or virtual events, programs and activities.

In-person locations are operating with limited capacity and by appointment to ensure the safety of visitors. Humana’s Virtual Neighborhood Center offers daily online classes on learning to manage health conditions, cooking healthy meals and learning to improve mental and physical health at home.

There are five Neighborhood Centers in North Carolina: Asheville, Greensboro, Charlotte, Raleigh and Winston-Salem. The centers offer classes and events and customer care specialists are onsite to answer plan benefit questions. Licensed Humana sales agents are available to help eligible non-members choose and enroll in Humana plans. Beginning in May, Humana Neighborhood Centers will host North Carolina State Health Plan (NCSHP) educational events at all five centers each month in 2022.