This article is from Harvard Health. Read more here.  Try these tips to ward off ongoing stress and its many health risks, such as chronic inflammation and chronic disease. Do you handle stress as well as you used to? For most folks, it gets harder as the years go by — and that’s a potential problem for health. Stress increases the risks for chronic disease, to which the body is already more vulnerable after a lifetime of wear and tear (and perhaps unhealthy habits, such as a poor diet or not exercising). Why is stress bad for us? We need the body’s stress (“fight or flight”) response to ..read more

This article is from the Mayo Clinic. Read more here.  Ready to reap the benefits of walking? Here’s how to get started — and stay motivated. Can you really walk your way to fitness? You bet! Get started today. Know the benefits Physical activity doesn’t need to be complicated. Something as simple as a daily brisk walk can help you live a healthier life. For example, regular brisk walking can help you: Maintain a healthy weight and lose body fat Prevent or manage various conditions, including heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, cancer and type 2 diabetes Improve cardiovascular ..read more

This article was posted in Crains Detroit Business. Read more here.  America represents 4% of the world’s population, yet we consume 60% of all prescription drug sales made on Earth. We use prescription drugs more frequently than anyone in the world, yet pay nearly three times more for them than other industrialized countries. There are now almost 20,000 Food & Drug Administration (FDA) approved prescription drugs on the market in America — more than in any country worldwide. According to a United States Health & Human Services report issued this month, over half of the new drugs ..read more

This story appeared in Priority Health’s ThinkHealth blog. Read more here. Staying connected is easier than ever, but unplugging from time to time can benefit your health.   While it’s important to stay up to date on what’s happening in the world (and in our social channels), some studies have shown too much screen time is linked to higher levels of depression, anxiety, obesity and other adverse health conditions. Continuously checking accounts and scrolling through feeds can be a tough habit to break. But in an era where “sitting is the new smoking,” with mental health being top of min ..read more

This article was posted on The Molina Healthcare Blog. Read more here. Kidneys are like special filters in your body. They help keep your body healthy and strong. What do healthy kidneys do? Healthy kidneys: Keep your blood at the right pH Release hormones that control body pressure Produce an active form of vitamin D to keep your bones strong Control the making of red cells Filter out waste products What is chronic kidney disease?  CKD is a condition in which the kidneys are damaged. This means that your kidneys can’t filter blood the way they should. What can CKD do to the body? CKD c ..read more

This article was posted on the McLaren Health Plan blog. Read more here.    Adding a Child to Your Health Insurance After Birth   Whether you’re expecting or adopting a baby, you’re in the midst of an exciting time! You may be prepping the baby room and getting ready to meet your newest family member. Along with all these other tasks, don’t forget about your child’s health insurance. When to Add Your Child to Your Health Insurance The search for the right health insurance plan should start before your baby is born. Having a baby qualifies you and your family for a Special Enroll ..read more

This article was posted on HAP’s blog, read more here. At your annual wellness visit, talk to your doctor about… COVID-19 and the flu – Today, there are two viruses spreading. And unfortunately, both conditions can be very contagious. To protect yourself from COVID-19 and influenza, ask about your risk factors. Then, see if your doctor can help you understand the symptoms. Because knowing what to expect, and what to do next, can be very helpful. (Don’t forget your annual flu shot.) Your mental health – Consider current events. How are you handling the stress and uncertainty of living in a pan ..read more

Michigan Association of Health Plans has announced that the association is now providing administrative management for the Michigan Quality Improvement Consortium (MQIC) guideline review process, which establishes and implements clinical practice guidelines with a focus on improvement for affecting positive health outcomes. The Michigan Quality Improvement Consortium is a collaborative effort to develop and implement standard clinical guidelines and performance measures and the review committee includes physicians and personnel representing Michigan HMOs and Michigan medicine. To date, the com ..read more

Linden Pay It Forward received a $2,500 grant from the Michigan Association of Health Plans (MAHP) to help stock their fresh and frozen food pantry out of the Argentine Township Police Department, which is used to help local families in need. This funding is being made available as part of MAHP’s Tackling Health Care Disparities in Michigan grant program, which encourages community-based organizations to collaborate and deploy local initiatives aimed at creating better health outcomes and improving health equity. Linden Pay It Forward is a group of volunteers who strive to serve their communit ..read more

This story appeared in Priority Health’s ThinkHealth blog. Read more here. For many Michigan business and employees, in-person work is gone for the foreseeable future. While remote work is preferred for some, it doesn’t work for the home-life of every employee. Here are some helpful ways to stay physically and mentally healthy while working from home. 1. Set a routine. Setting an every-day routine helps create a psychological barrier between work and home. It creates a definition of which spaces are for work and which are not-work zones, with physical, and mental space, and capacity. If you us ..read more