Medigap Plan Will Ensure Your Total Coverage Of Medicare 2010

Applying to Medicare original policy is a common decision of most of the people. It is always good and wise decision to make for securing your future with a health insurance plan. It will help you after the age of 65 when you will retire from your work and might face some difficult physical problems due to old age. Almost all types of health crisis are included in this health insurance policy. It will make you relaxed and tension free. But like many other insurance Medicare original insurance plan also laps some expenses that you have to pay during your treatment. It is not covered in your insurance and always an amount of money is barred from giving the claimer. Not all types of treatment are included in the policy index. It is one of the common problems that a policy holder of Medicare original plan faces after doing a Medicare or at the time of claiming the expenditure. But now there is a solution from this crises and this is booking for a Medicare supplemental insurance plan which secure your health purposes totally and most efficiently.

You can trust on this plan 100% and will get the full coverage of the original one only after booking this. This special policy or plan is also known as medigap insurance plan simply because it bridges the laps or better to call the gaps between the actual and desired. Actually it is also seen that after a treatment gets finished the plan does not cover all the expenses as it is sated and the policy holder does not get the whole some of money that is spent by him. And he has to pay some money from his own pocket always in spite of having medical insurance. But it is not unnatural and unexpected as there are some boundaries for these types of insurance policies.

You can solve this problem with the help of an extraordinary and splendid plan you can supplement your original Medicare insurance plan. And this plan is called medigap health insurance plan. It is very useful to have all the benefits of your Medicare plan. It will help you to get all the benefits of the previous plan. But you have to do the original first to claim all expenditures. It is called Medigap plan only because these plans cover up the gap between the Original Medicare policy coverage and the total bill payable therefore the name is like this. Now it should be told that all these types of medigap plans are administered by several private companies and sold by them only. No governmental body can handle this plan.

There are total 12 plans which are available in market to cover your needs. You may consult with a medigap plan advisor and then request for a medigap plan. There is one option on which you can relay 100% and that is medigap California. This is such a medigap plan which is secured and worth of your money.

Substitute Yogurt in Your Recipes for Healthier Meals

Yogurt can improve baked goods' texture, not to mention make them lower in fat and calories.

(NewsUSA) - Eating healthier isn't about deprivation, but replacing low-nutrient foods with healthy substitutes. Incorporating yogurt into basic recipes is the pefect way to start.

By using yogurt instead of sour cream, cream cheese, whipped cream or mayonnaise, meals become not only lower in calories and fat, but also higher in calcium and protein. In baked goods, yogurt can improve texture and keep foods moist. When it's not heated, yogurt provides live active cultures, which can aid digestion and provide immune system support.

Greek yogurt -- a thick strained yogurt -- is especially versatile in cooking. It can be used in dips, spreads and low-fat desserts, or in any recipe that calls for cream, cream cheese, ricotta cheese, sour cream or other fats. You can even use Greek yogurt as an egg extender by replacing one egg with one-fourth cup yogurt.

For a decadent, reduced-fat dessert, try this recipe for Vanilla Cheesecake Made with Vanilla Oikos Organic Greek Yogurt:

Vanilla Cheesecake

Made with Vanilla Oikos

Organic Greek Yogurt

Makes 10 Servings

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups shortbread cookies, finely ground

1/2 stick unsalted butter melted

1 1/2 cups vanilla Oikos Organic Greek Yogurt

4 large eggs

2 8-ounce packages low-fat cream cheese

1 cup super-fine sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

Juice and zest of 1 lemon

Directions:

In a medium-sized bowl, mix cookie crumbs and butter. Press into a 9-inch spring form pan and refrigerate for 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Add all ingredients for filling in bowl, and combine using food processor or hand mixer. Pour into cooled crust. Bake for 2 hours. Let cool overnight in refrigerator.

To find other recipes, or to use an online ingredient-substitution calculator that will compute how much yogurt to use in place of your original ingredients, visitwww.stonyfield.com/recipes/substitutioncalc.cfm.

Restaurant Chains Responding to Healthier Lifestyles

Restaurant chains are catering to public demand by creating delicious, healthy meals, like the roasted eggplant, spinach & flatbread pizza.

(NewsUSA) - Recent studies indicate that as many as one-third of all American adults are obese. And while healthier diets provide an obvious antidote to their fattier counterparts, there is an obvious reason Americans tend to choose foods in the latter category -- they taste awesome.

So, if the challenge is to marry great taste with healthier intake, and the nation's well-being hinges on the result, health mavens couldn't do much better than to look toward today's more innovative restaurant chains.

For example, recently chosen for the top spot on "Health" magazine's America's Healthiest Chain Restaurants list, UNO has found a way to offer a menu filled with healthy choices, and to have its customers embrace these choices enthusiastically.

"We start by rejecting the notion that healthy food must sacrifice taste," said Frank Guidara, CEO of UNO Chicago Grill. "That simply isn't true. Granted, to achieve both, you will require the highest level of culinary talent. But we have plenty of that at UNO, and that's why we knew we could create menu offerings that would be both healthy and delicious."

A chef of great talent knows that for every unhealthy item added to enhance taste, a healthy alternative can be found or concocted. At UNO, that means diners can enjoy a roasted eggplant, spinach & feta flatbread pizza on multigrain crust without guilt or worry, since it has only 280 calories and six grams of fiber per serving. Diners can choose the multigrain crust option for any flatbread pizza. Another great option for a delicious entree is the lemon basil salmon, which has just 240 calories per serving.

And when it comes to carbohydrates, UNO teamed with Barilla to offer whole grain penne as an option to any pasta -- helping to add more fiber and whole grains to your diet without sacrificing taste.

Just as important as healthy choices is good, easy-to-access information. That's why UNO offers nutrition information through its Web site and on display in restaurant lobby kiosks, with categories that show diners which items are under 500 calories, which are vegetarian and which are created to serve those with food allergies. What's more, UNO's site offers tips for eating healthy in restaurants, including ways to lessen fat content and caloric intake without sacrificing flavor.

Healthy eating will become mainstream when everyone figures out how to combine good health with great taste, and in that pursuit, UNO is leading the way.

Survey Shows Unique Needs of HIV-Positive Women Often Not Addressed

Dawn Averitt Bridge, founder and chair of the Board of The Well Project.
(NewsUSA) - There are now an estimated 300,000 women in the United States living with HIV/AIDS. New findings from the "Women Living Positive" survey show that a communication gap exists between women living with HIV and their health care providers when it comes to having important discussions about HIV and its treatment that meet their individual needs.

More than half of women surveyed (55 percent) say they have never discussed with their health care provider how HIV medications might affect women differently than men.

"With the rise of HIV infections in women, it is important that women living with HIV and their health care providers maintain open lines of communication and discuss important topics including their emotional well-being, family planning considerations and care that best meets their health and lifestyle," said Kathleen Squires, M.D., director of Infectious Diseases and Environmental Medicine at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital and professor of medicine at Jefferson Medical College.

In addition, each year more than 6,000 HIV-positive women in the United States give birth. The survey shows that many HIV-positive women and their health care providers aren't discussing how HIV treatment options might affect a pregnancy until after they conceive.

More than half of respondents (52 percent) identify themselves as caregivers. Forty-three percent of women feel that living with HIV has made taking care of their families "much more," or "somewhat more," difficult.

"We hope the "Women Living Positive" survey findings will encourage more discussion between women and their health care providers about HIV medications that best meet their individual needs," said Dawn Averitt Bridge, founder and chair of the Board of The Well Project, a non-profit organization for women affected by HIV, and an HIV-positive mother.

The survey was supported by Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. in collaboration with The Well Project.

GfK Roper Public Affairs conducted the survey with 700 U.S. women, aged 21 and over, diagnosed with HIV/AIDS and on HIV treatment for three or more years. The women interviewed were part of three different ethnic or racial groups -; African-American, Caucasian and Hispanic.

For more information about the "Women Living Positive" survey, visit www.thewellproject.org

Walk Your Way to Better Health

Walking is a great way to burn calories and reduce the risk of certain chronic diseases.

(NewsUSA) - Want to get outdoors, improve your health and socialize with friends? It might be time to put on your walking shoes.

Regular physical activity may help control weight and lower the risk for certain diseases.

Some exercise is always better than none. If you're not used to exercise, walking is a great way to become more active. Walking requires a pair of sturdy walking shoes to get started, and proves a viable way to burn calories, build bone density, reduce the risk of chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes and heart disease, and socialize with friends.

Not sure how to get started? Sisters Together: Move More, Eat Better, a national initiative of the Weight-control Information Network (WIN) designed to encourage Black women to exercise and eat healthier foods, offers the following tips to get moving:

* Make it fun. Find a partner. Your walking partner should be able to match your speed.

* Find proper footgear. Wear shoes with proper arch support, a firm heel and thick, flexible soles.

* Wear clothes that will keep you dry and comfortable. Look for synthetic fabrics that absorb sweat and remove it from your skin.

* Divide your walk into sections. Warm up by walking slowly for five minutes. Then, increase your speed and do a fast walk. Finally, cool down by walking slowly again for five minutes. Do light stretching after your warm-up and cool-down.

* Try to walk as often as possible. To avoid stiff or sore muscles and joints, start gradually. Over several weeks, begin walking faster, going farther, and walking for longer periods of time. Aim for 30 minutes of walking a day on most, if not all, days of the week.

* Set goals and rewards. A goal might be participating in a fun walk or walking continuously for 30 minutes. Reward yourself when you meet a goal, but not with high-calorie foods.

For more information and tips, visit the WIN site at www.win.niddk.nih.gov.

Kids Take Gum Disease to Heart

Proper oral health early in life will pay off later.

(NewsUSA) - Teaching your kids to care for their teeth will do more than ensure a healthy smile -- it may also help them avoid health problems later in life.

Many parents consider cavities a normal part of childhood -- after all, children eat more sweet foods than adults and often neglect brushing and flossing. But research links cavities and gum disease with serious health problems, including cardiovascular disease.

Research suggests that there is a relationship between gum disease and heart health. The American Academy of Periodontology reports that people with periodontal disease are almost twice as likely to have heart disease. Likewise, in a study of 657 heart-disease patients published in "Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association," lead researcher Moise Desvarieux, M.D., Ph.D. of Columbia University discovered that patients with harmful bacteria in their mouths were more likely to have a clogged artery in their neck, a precursor to stroke.

Researchers believe that, when the harmful bacteria that cause gum disease invade the gum line, they also access the bloodstream. Once they enter the circulatory system, these harmful bacteria can cause disease in other parts of the body.

But kids will be kids, and some may stop brushing their teeth before they finish singing "The Star Spangled Banner" or forget to floss after eating that ice cream cone. Even if kids are excellent brushers and flossers, they can't get rid of the harmful bacteria living in every part of their mouths.

Parents can skip the risk by giving their kids probiotics for oral care, like EvoraKids (www.myevorakids.com), a chewable that contains beneficial bacteria that are normally found in healthy mouths. When these good bacteria adhere to the teeth, they leave less room for harmful bacteria to grow, helping to support tooth health.

"Daily use of a product such as EvoraKids is an easy way to naturally maintain oral health," says Dr. Jeffrey Hillman, D.M.D., Ph.D. and chief medical officer for Oragenics. "The good bacteria inhibit the growth of the damaging bad bacteria, leading to better health and breath."

For more information, visit www.myevorakids.com.

Preparation is Key to Cold and Flu Prevention Year Round

Don't think that warm weather means that you don't have to worry about cold and flu.

(NewsUSA) - While most people associate cold and flu with winter, warmer weather does nothing to cut your risk -; you can catch a cold at any time, year round. Despite the extensive warnings about the H1N1 virus in the fall, the majority of Americans saw this past cold and flu season as about the same or only slightly worse than the previous year, according to an online survey conducted by Matrixx Initiatives, Inc., makers of Zicam Cold Remedy.

The survey also revealed that many Americans heeded the warnings about H1N1 -; in fact, 95 percent of respondents said they took proactive steps to avoid cold and flu this winter. And those who took proactive steps to defend themselves against the flu shouldn't stop now.

"It's important to remember that preparation and early treatment are the best defenses against the common cold, which can strike year round," noted Dr. Tim Tucker, Pharm.D., FAPhA, and immediate past president of the American Pharmacists Association.

Dr. Tucker recommends acting as soon as cold and flu symptoms become apparent. "Zinc products, such as Zicam Cold Remedy, can reduce the duration of your cold if taken within the first 24 to 48 hours after the onset of symptoms," said Dr. Tucker.

In addition to basic precautions, like getting enough rest, taking a daily multivitamin, drinking fluids and washing hands, Zicam Cold Remedy offers additional tips to help you stay healthy all year:

1. Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth, and clean frequently touched surfaces, such as keyboards and door knobs.

2. Eat a balanced diet, and avoid sugar. Do treat yourself to dark chocolate, as it contains antioxidants and mood-boosters.

3. Exercise at least 20 to 30 minutes a day. Regular exercise strengthens the immune system.

4. Avoid stress. Setting a hectic schedule can cause immune-weakening stress and fatigue and interfere with your ability to get enough rest.

5. Relax. Recharge your batteries at least once a day, even if only for 10 or 15 minutes.

For more information, visit www.zicam.com.

Protect Yourself: Plan in Case of Disability

No one expects a disability to happen to them, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't practice planning and prevention.
(NewsUSA) - Monica, a 37-year-old professional and mother, shattered her elbow when she slipped on her porch. In most cases, the story would have ended there, but Monica wasn't that lucky. After her elbow surgery, Monica developed a condition called osteonecrosis, which caused her bones to crumble.

Once a successful worker in the financial sector, Monica became confined to a wheelchair and required a hired caretaker to bathe, eat and dress. Monica was awarded Social Security Disability Benefits (SSDI), but it took two-and-a-half years to start seeing payments -- years in which Monica couldn't work and couldn't afford rent. Monica used up her retirement savings to pay for her care. By the time she received SSDI, it was too late to save her finances.

Unfortunately, Monica is not alone in neglecting to plan for disability. According to a 2009 Harvard study, over half of all personal bankruptcies are caused by illness or injury.Yet, many people fail to consider that disability can happen to them. According to the Council for Disability Awareness (CDA), 60 percent of people feel that their chances of becoming disabled are 2 percent or less during their working years. The real number, according to the Social Security Administration, is 30 percent.

But you can take steps to protect yourself. First, visit www.whatsmypdq.com to learn your Personal Disability Quotient (PDQ), or your chance of an injury or illness that will keep you out of the workplace for an extended amount of time.

Then, evaluate your lifestyle and see if there are any changes you can make to reduce your chances of disability. The CDA recommends cultivating healthy behaviors, such as eating well and exercising to maintain a healthy weight. Regular check-ups and cancer screenings can catch problems before they lead to disability. Simply staying aware and using activity-appropriate safety equipment, like seat belts, safety goggles and helmets, can help you avoid disabling injuries.

"Through planning and prevention, people can minimize their chances of becoming disabled -- or at least minimize the financial impact a disability can have on their income and lifestyle," said Barry Lundquist, president of the CDA. "For most people, their income is by far their most valuable asset, and their ability to earn that income cannot be taken for granted."

To learn more, join the discussion at www.twitter.com/the_CDA or explore the tools and resources available at www.disabilitycanhappen.org.

Cutting Health Care Spending Without Cutting Health Coverage

Regular checkups can save you money on health insurance.

(NewsUSA) - During these tough economic times, as America continues to look at cost cutting options, many people will be shopping for a health insurance plan. It's important to know that there are health plans that are affordable and are a fit for you and your family while still offering the coverage you need to protect your family.

Know your needs. What types of coverage are most important to you? Do you or a family member take a prescription regularly? Knowing how much coverage you need is important when deciding which health care plan is best.

Learn the lingo. Some insurers are working to use more consumer-friendly language. Learning how a high-deductible plan tied to a health savings account (HSA) that offers choice among physicians and hospitals and how it works best with your needs, is important.

Availability when you need it most. Many insurers are working hard to ensure customers have health-related information when they need it, such as:

* Use of understandable consumer-friendly language

* Access to customer call centers and nurse hotlines 24/7, 365 days a year, giving constant access to a nurse or person to help solve a claims issue

* Online tools to search for claims information and check for benefit qualifications, co-pays, and deductibles

* Tools to compare prices on the drugs you need, helping find the best prices available

Schedule that yearly appointment. Regular checkups can help prevent potential problems or catch conditions early, saving money.

Note to editors: The following states may find this story useful: CA, CO, AZ, TX, TN, FL, GA, NC, CT, SC

Look for "extras." Many insurers offer discounts for programs such as smoking cessation, weight loss, fitness club memberships and other services already being used by an individual.

Quality matters. Feel confident about choosing the right individual plan for you. Check out report cards for different plans on the National Committee for Quality Assurance's Web site, available at http://reportcard.ncqa.org/plan/external/plansearch.aspx.

For information about individual health products from CIGNA, visit www.cignaforyou.com/hctips.