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What you do in your day-to-day life actively affects your health. The foods you eat and the personal choices you make drastically impact how your body feels and functions. Eating processed foods can leave you feeling groggy and frequently tired, whereas healthy food can leave you feeling energized and refreshed. Smokers and habitual drinkers often run into health problems like cancer or heart disease later in life. Certain choices can damage your health and well-being leading to illnesses and a shorter lifespan.  

Diet  

Most of us know that eating too much sugar is bad. It can cause high blood sugar and health complications from diabetes. Too much sugar can also cause cavities leading to pricey dental visits. Processed food is easy to grab and eat, but taking the extra step and preparing a healthier option like fruits and vegetables is better for you in the long run. 

Not drinking enough water also negatively impacts your health. Keeping yourself hydrated gives you more energy and allows your organs to function properly. Many people opt for sodas or other beverages, but they are often loaded with sugar and other chemical flavors that add empty calories that lack nutritional value.  

If you find water bland, try drinking some tea without additives. Most premade teas on the store shelf are loaded with sugar or other flavorings, so make your own at home with tea bags. You can also add sliced lemons, cucumbers, or other fruits into your water for a tastier and healthier beverage. 

Personal Choices 

Smoking and drinking alcohol can have major health implications. It is well-known that smoking can cause cancer and other diseases like Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). Smokers are also susceptible to vision loss and blindness. Smoking can also increase feelings of depression and anxiety. Being a smoker can also affect your insurance rates. Smokers’ health insurance rates tend to be higher because they are known to have more medical issues. 

A few drinks a week might not seem like a big deal. But any amount of alcohol can have a negative impact on the body. Shortly after drinking you may notice symptoms of dehydration like headaches, dizziness, and nausea. Frequent alcohol usage can have long-term effects like a weakened immune system, mood changes, memory problems, weight gain, and issues falling asleep. Overconsumption of alcohol can lead to liver disease, pancreatic problems, and heart-related medical problems like high blood pressure and heart disease.  

Smoking and drinking during pregnancy can lead to miscarriages, stillbirths, and premature birth. Babies can also be born with medical issues like fetal alcohol syndrome, and are more likely to have learning disabilities.  

Both alcohol and smoking are addictive and can create problems in your personal life. Addicts tend to struggle with friends and family members. If you are dependent on alcohol or smoking, please reach out to a specialist or recovery group for help.  

Physical Activity  

Being active is an important part of keeping up your health. A simple 30-minute walk a few times a week will drastically improve your health. Making decisions like parking further away and walking to your destination can also help.  

A lot of people spend most of the day sitting behind a computer screen. It’s necessary for your body to get the activity that it needs. Consider walking around the office as a short mental break to reset your body. Additionally, too much screen time is bad for our eyes. Studies have shown that blue light from screens negatively impacts our sleep cycle. Too much screen usage before bed can make your brain think that it’s still light outside, and therefore won’t start producing melatonin (the sleep hormone) until the lights are off and you’re ready for sleep. 

Not getting enough sleep is also harmful to your body. Being well-rested gives your body and mind the break they need and helps your brain to process all the information from the day. You may have noticed that when you get less than 6 hours of sleep you are more tired throughout the day and are less efficient with your tasks.  

Caffeine can’t solve all your problems. It’s good for a quick fix but you’ll soon notice that you are having difficulty sleeping more often, aren’t able to focus, have depression, and other health-related problems. Chronic sleep deprivation can lead to an increased risk of heart disease, depression, and a weakened immune system.  

Connect with your local insurance agent to discuss what policies best fit your medical needs. Consult with a doctor to better discuss your individual health needs. 

As the ball drops on New Year’s Eve and we usher in 2022, many of us will consider goals and aspirations for the coming year. Often, we set unrealistic goals that are difficult to achieve, ultimately resulting in another year of failed resolutions. Instead of setting goals like losing twenty pounds, focus on goals that are trackable, achievable, and will help you make progress on those big goals. Here are three realistic health goals you should set for 2022. 

1. Drink more water. 

Depending on how active you are, you should try to drink between half an ounce to an ounce for every pound you weigh. For instance, if you weigh 160 lbs., you should drink between 80 – 160 ounces of water every day. There are many ways to make drinking enough water easier, such as figuring out your favorite way to drink it. Do you prefer glass bottles, tumblers, or steel canisters? Find your favorite container, then calculate how many bottles you need to drink every day to hit your goal. It is very helpful to set smaller goals throughout the day, such as one full bottle before you start work, three bottles before lunch, or two bottles after dinner. Health benefits of this goal include:

• Increased energy levels and alertness
• Aids in weight loss
• Promotes good digestive health

2. Take five 30-minute walks a week.

Another great and relaxing way to improve your health in 2022 is to go for five 30-minute walks every week. Walking is a phenomenal way to get some low-impact cardio in, and a great overall way to stay in shape. These walks can be done at any time of day – early risers may enjoy a walk to start their day, whereas others may prefer to walk on their lunch break or take an evening stroll. Health benefits of this goal include:

• Increased heart and lung fitness
• Improved management of high blood pressure or high cholesterol
• Reduced stress
• Aids in weight loss

3. Get 7-9 hours of sleep.

While it may be tempting to stay up late binging on your favorite shows, getting enough sleep is crucial for your overall health. Getting enough sleep gives your body time to repair your muscles and form memories from the day. You should shoot for 8-9 hours of sleep every night, but make sure to consistently get at least 7 hours. Building a bedtime routine can help you achieve this goal – you can meditate, complete your skincare routine, or read for 15 minutes. Just focus on creating a routine to cue your body that it is time to rest. Health benefits of this goal include:

• Reduce stress and improve mood
• Lowers risk of major health problems like diabetes and heart disease
• Increased alertness and cognitive function

By setting the goals of drinking enough water, walking five days a week, and getting enough sleep, you can seriously improve your physical health and wellbeing in 2022. These goals are small and easily trackable, and by following this routine, you can reach even bigger goals like hitting a target weight or being a more focused and thoughtful person. Being healthy can also save you money by requiring fewer visits to the doctor, lower overall medical expenses, and maybe even a lower health insurance premium. 

It can be difficult planning for a future we cannot see. With the many financial products all aimed at fulfilling a financially “easy” retirement, how do we know which options are best? Will there be enough money to continue the same lifestyle or to at least pay the bills? Without a crystal ball, the financial anxiety is real and understandable. 

One product in particular isn’t reliant on mere hopes, parlor tricks, or a constantly changing economy: annuities. Annuities aren’t some loose and risky investment or prudish savings account – they are insurance for your retirement gap. Your retirement gap is that awkwardly large space between what you’ll get paid (or have saved) for retirement and what you’ll need to live a secure retirement. Here are 3 ways that annuities cover and close this gap, so that you can rest easy while planning for those seemingly dimly lit golden years: 

1) It’s guaranteed.  

Most people cannot live on social security alone or even with their pension combined. With annuities, you can rest assured that you will have the money you need to live comfortably through retirement. This legally binding, customizable contract between you and your insurance agency ensures that your premiums, or initial investment, will grow, tax-deferred, over the time allotted in your contract and that payday will arrive. 

2) You won’t outlive your annuity.  

Your annuity will continue to pay you for life, regardless if you choose immediate or deferred payments. In fact, your annuity can be passed onto a beneficiary, so it can actually outlive you. There are many types of annuities with different levels of risk and costs, so your insurance agent can best personalize this after discussing your situation and goals with you. 

3) There are tax incentives.  

One of the main advantages of annuities is that they are tax-deferred, meaning you won’t pay income tax on it until you withdraw or begin receiving payments. “This includes dividends, interest and capital gains, all of which may be fully reinvested while they remain in the annuity” (annuity.org). There are complex rules, though, that only your insurance agent or a tax professional should explain, so be sure to ask questions regarding taxes when shopping for the right annuity product. 

We all want to know that we will be safe and secure when we are our most vulnerable. Annuities are just the insurance we need to enjoy our senior years doing what we love and not worrying day-to-day about our finances that we worked so hard and long to build and protect. Annuities are the closest sure thing next to having a crystal ball. Call or email your insurance agent today 

to see how annuities can build your retirement to cover your needs and make your golden years a whole lot brighter and easier to see. 

Holidays are supposed to be about sharing good times with family and friends, so we’ve gathered some tips for how to avoid the biggest risks to your season of cheer.  

Illness 

Transmissible viruses are the biggest risk when celebrating the holidays. Avoiding people when sick is key, but sometimes it is accidental or unavoidable. Washing your hands frequently and taking other proper cautions suggested by the CDC can help mitigate viral infections taking hold.  

Mental health can also be tried and tested during the holidays. Stress, over-eating, consumption of alcohol, and Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) can all lead to an unhealthy mental state. This is as important a time of the year as ever to take care of yourself and reach out for help when needed. Self-care can go a long way, but it isn’t a cure-all, nor should anyone who isn’t a professional take on the sole task of ensuring or improving someone’s mental health; call your physician.  

Food 

Taking care when preparing those delicious dishes, such as avoiding cross-contamination and washing hands and prepping surfaces thoroughly with warm soapy water, is important, but not keeping food at the proper temperature is the most frequent cause of foodborne illness over the holiday season. There is a strain of bacteria called C. perfringens that is associated with cooked foods left out at room temperature, a common holiday occurrence. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, this bacteria is to blame for nearly a million cases of foodborne illness in the U.S. alone each year, with more cases happening in November and December. Try to keep your cooked and refrigerated food temperatures out of the danger zone, which is between 40 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit. This will help keep you and your dinner guests safe to spread the good tidings and cheer while breaking bread. 

Fire 

Fire According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), “Thanksgiving is the peak day for home cooking fires, followed by Christmas Day, the day before Thanksgiving, and Christmas Eve.” Be alert, follow cooking directions, and keep all burnables away from the stovetop. Fireplaces and candles carry similar risks during the holidays due to increased use in winter cold months and the abundance of decorations, and one small spark can ruin holiday plans and worse. Never leave a candle or fire unattended, and keep a fire extinguisher nearby. Avoid using open-flame heating and lighting sources, and opt for safer, battery-operated, or electric sources instead.  

Décor 

With all of these decorations, the most dangerous is the Christmas tree and its lighting. Live Christmas trees dry out when not properly watered or if cut too early or left up too long. Be sure to pay attention to this as well as the electrical load on the sources. NFPA found that “electrical distribution or lighting equipment was involved in almost half of home Christmas tree fires.”  

NFPA also reports that, excluding Christmas trees, in 2014-2018, fires caused an annual average of two civilian fire deaths, 30 civilian fire injuries and $11 million in direct property damage in the U.S. Help keep this completely preventable occurrence from wreaking havoc around the holidays. Take the proper precautions to ensure a warm, but safe, holiday. 

Slips & Falls 

The CDC reported in a relatively recent study on holiday-decorating-related falls that most injuries were to men aged 20 to 49 years, and many were caused by falls from ladders. The big take-away? “Prevention strategies should focus on raising awareness about falls and promoting safety practices during the holiday season,” and we want to help. 

Clear your work area of these tripping hazards, make sure you have good lighting, and take caution in poor conditions when outside. Wear good shoes and proper clothing for the weather and task. Ask someone to help brace your ladder and hand you tools to cut down on trips up and down from heights. Overall, awareness is key and knowing that this injury is a top contender every year for ruining someone’s joy can be enough to help protect your holiday season from the blues due to injury.  

Make sure that your holiday season doesn’t succumb to the pitfalls of celebrating these winter months. With awareness and some forethought on safety, you can make these holidays something you want to remember for years to come.  

We all know that sugar is not good for our bodies, but the scary repercussions do not seem to be fully realized when we look at American culture. Many of our holidays revolve around food, and, particularly and not coincidentally, processed and refined foods such as candy. Americans love candy and purchase around twenty-four pounds of candy per person, per year, ingesting the most around Halloween.

Americans, we have a problem.

Too much sugar is poisonous for our bodies. Sugar overworks the liver and pancreas and causes inflammation. It directly and indirectly leads to a wide array of health problems, from tooth decay and obesity to heart disease and diabetes. Removing sugar from your diet can even lower your chances of suffering from the worst symptoms and conditions from Covid-19.

In a study on the effects of sugar on heart health published in 2014, “people who got 17% to 21% of their calories from added sugar had a 38% higher risk of dying from cardiovascular disease compared with those who consumed 8% of their calories as added sugar.”

So we know it is bad, but there are important questions that remain: How much is too much and how do we change?

How much is too much?

The American Academy of Pediatrics says that “on average, sugar makes up 17% of what children consume each day,” way more than what the Food Pyramid suggests. It isn’t feasible for us to track our sugar using a pyramid graph, but there are more reasonable ways we can monitor and evaluate our sugar consumption.

Nutrition labels have continuously improved over the years in containing a wealth of info that should not be ignored. The American Heart Association recommends you look to this label and keep your daily intake to under twenty-five grams (or six teaspoons) for women and under 36 grams (or nine teaspoons) for men.

What to do about it.

Of course, there’s an app for that, but we can’t expect ourselves to digitally track sugar intake for every member in our home. One of the easiest ways to monitor is to limit and even cut sugary foods in their entirety from the shopping list.

Who is in charge of the shopping and meal preparations? Start here. Limit or remove foods that contain refined sugars, such as high fructose corn syrup, listed on the labels. Replace sugary drinks, which is the main way children consume sugar, with healthier options such as milk and water. Begin this healthy overhaul before the food even enters your home.

Don’t be a total killjoy, especially around the holidays, but do be conscientious of what is going into your and your children’s bodies. Don’t leave candy lying in plain view – out of sight, out of mind, right? Impose limits on daily sugar intake that follow the guidelines for children (25 grams per day for children 2 and older) and for adults, especially if you have dietary restrictions for a health condition.

Other ways are to choose healthier options. Insider ranked almost two dozen fan-favorite candies from worst to best (Smarties are “best”). Whole fruits and low- to no-calorie sweeteners are another, healthier way to satisfy a sweet tooth.

Most importantly, be mindful of what goes into your body, and if you buy the groceries, pay mind to those who look to you for guidance on living a healthy lifestyle. There are many resources around you. Ask your doctor, dentist, and even your insurance agent about these resources to cut costs and improve your dental, health, and life insurance plans. Heeding advice now will have more rewards than a king-size candy bar can offer! Your health is invaluable – treat it that way.

The Center for Disease Control recommends taking 10,000 steps per day to maintain good health. This is the equivalent of about five miles, but the average American only takes about 3,000 to 4,000 steps or 1.5 to 2 miles per day with a moderately active lifestyle. The best and simplest way to increase your daily steps is by taking a dedicated walk each day. Here, we break down five reasons why taking a daily walk can improve your health and positively impact your life.  

It Improves Muscle Strength 

Because walking activates nearly your entire muscular system, it is a great way to increase your muscle tone and overall strength. Your legs engage as you balance and walk up or down an incline. Your core, which includes your abdomen, side body, and lower back, works to stabilize you with each step. If you pump your arms while walking, your biceps and triceps can even strengthen through this small isometric movement. Overall, this strength helps increase your range of motion and takes the pressure off your joints.  

It Will Help You Sleep Better at Night 

Moderate aerobic exercise such as walking increases your body’s ability to produce slow-wave sleep. This is the deep stage of sleep that allows the body and mind to recover and reduce stress. The time of day that you exercise may have a small effect on your body’s ability to transition to sleep. Be mindful of this and avoid workouts before bedtime if your body is sensitive to this. Because exercise releases endorphins and raises your core body temperature, it cues a more wakeful state for 30 to 90 minutes. 

It Improves Your Mood 

Have you ever had a bad day and decided to take a walk to clear your head? While the change of scenery probably helped, taking a walk to improve your mood has scientific backing as well. Walking releases endorphins, which are the body’s natural pain killers and mood enhancers. It can also boost energy levels, which may be low if you are in a bad mood. Your body circulates oxygen faster, along with releasing cortisol, epinephrine, and norepinephrine, which are hormones that regulate energy levels. This combination of energy and endorphins leaves you feeling more positive after your walk.  

It Is a Low-Impact Way to Trim Your Waistline 

Walking burns calories without placing a major strain on your joints through high-impact or high-intensity workouts. A 155-pound person will burn about 150 calories during a 30-minute walk, and this can increase with time or a quicker pace. Combining a daily walk with a healthy diet will create a calorie deficit, meaning your body will naturally burn slightly more calories than it consumes. Because walking does not place as much stress on joints as running, this is a great low-impact option for all ages and fitness levels.  

It May Even Help You Live Longer 

In a recent study, scientists found that adults who took 8,000 steps per day had a 51% lower risk of dying from any cause compared to those who took half that. Walking improves your overall physical and mental health, putting you in a better place to live a long and happy life. It is also important to note that even a small change can make a major impact. Just a 30-minute walk five times a week can lower your risk of heart disease, the top disease killer in the U.S., by 19%.  

If daily exercise is not already part of your routine, consult with your doctor and start small. Even a brisk 30-minute walk is better than not taking one at all. From there, begin to add time and increase your speed as you become more comfortable with the exercise. Walking has multiple health benefits that can lower your risk of diabetes, hypertension, arthritis, obesity, and Alzheimer’s. Staying healthy even as you age can also lower your insurance premium as well.  

To learn more about lowering your premium by maintaining good health, speak with your insurance agent today. 

Understanding what types of insurance to offer your small business’s employees can feel like a challenge. However, this is a great problem to have! It means you as the owner have done a wonderful job growing the company and adding new staff members to your dedicated team. Health insurance benefits are a major way to attract top talent to your company.  

The Affordable Care Act changed the landscape for small businesses and now requires companies with 50 or more employees to offer an “affordable” health plan. For an employee-only policy, they cannot spend more than 9.5% of their household income for coverage. Even if your business has fewer than 50 employees, there are still major incentives such as tax credits, employee satisfaction and retention, recruiting talent, and reduced sick time. Here, we are breaking down the basics of the types of insurance coverage to keep your small business’s employees happy and healthy. 

Medical Insurance 

The first step in providing insurance benefits is to offer medical coverage. This includes preventative care like annual checkups, along with emergency support. You as the business owner have options for the types of plans and the amount of subsidizing you want to offer. A Preferred Provider Organization plan is the most common and allows employees to go to a doctor or hospital that is within a “preferred” group. This includes preventative and emergency care. Employees will pay for their monthly premium and any costs up to their deductible. To determine what amount you would like for employees to pay and what you as the business can afford to cover, speak with your local insurance agent who can help you find the best plan and pricing. 

Dental Insurance 

Unlike medical insurance, dental insurance is not required under the Affordable Care Act. However, offering this vital preventative service is typically a low-cost commitment for you as the business owner and a valuable form of care for your employees. Individual employee-sponsored dental plans can cost your small business about $14 to $30 per month per person, with family coverage being higher. Most dental issues are preventative, but they can lead to many more serious health concerns if they are left untreated. Therefore, it is important to offer your small business’s employees the opportunity to enroll in a group plan, even if you cannot subsidize a portion of the cost. A group plan that is negotiated by your insurance agent will be more cost-effective for your employees than a private plan. 

Vision Insurance 

Similar to dental insurance, you are not required to provide your small business employees with vision insurance. However, with three out of four Americans wearing corrective lenses, the cost of eye exams, glasses, and contacts are important to a majority of your employees. If you plan to cover some of the cost for your employees, this is often one of the most inexpensive types of insurance to budget for. Your expense may range from $5 to $10 per month for basic preventative care and corrective lenses. More comprehensive plans, such as those that offer a discount on LASIK surgery or other more intensive procedures, could cost you $15 to $20 per month per employee. Showing your staff that you value all aspects of their health and wellness, especially something that is often out of their control, will go a long way in creating a positive environment for your team. 

Short-Term Disability Insurance 

One final type of insurance that you may want to make available to your employees is short-term disability. While policies can range from three months to a year, each one serves to provide your employee with a portion of their income or salary if they are out of work for a short time. Reasons can include a medical illness or surgery recovery, pregnancy, or injury, but the specific list of covered disabilities will depend on the policy you select. The primary benefit is to your employee, who can hopefully avoid financial hardship while they are unable to work. However, offering this also benefits you as a small business owner. You most likely spend a lot of time and resources selecting and training your staff. By offering this benefit, you can help them maintain their lifestyle, recover safely, and return back to work at the appropriate time.  

Regardless of the size of your small business, offering a variety of insurance plans is becoming more and more important. Jobs and salaries are more competitive than ever, and employees are looking for a company that values both the work they contribute and their personal wellness. Speak with your insurance agent today to determine which group insurance plans are right for your organization. 

Medicare is the federal government that provides coverage to those who are 65+, under 65 and receiving Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) for a certain period of time, or under 65 and with End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD). The Medicare program is funded in part by the Social Security and Medicare taxes paid on income, in part through premiums that those with Medicare pay, and additionally in part by the federal budget. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is the federal agency that runs Medicare. 

How Does It Work? 

The availability of Medicare does not factor in income. Once you’ve become Medicare-eligible and enroll you can choose to get your Medicare benefits from Original Medicare (the traditional fee-for-service program offered directly through the federal government) or from a Medicare Advantage Plan. A Medicare Advantage Plan is a type of private insurance offered by companies that contract with Medicare. Original Medicare consists of Part A and Part B when it comes to providing coverages.  

It’s important to understand all of your choices for Medicare options and to pick your coverages carefully. How you choose to get your benefits and who you are getting them from can greatly affect your out-of-pocket costs and where you will receive your care. Medicare consists of four parts: Part A, Part B, Part C, and Part D. Each part covers a specific type of coverage. Below is a list of what each part of Medicare covers. 

• Part A provides inpatient/hospital coverage
    
• Part B provides outpatient/medical coverage
    
• Part C provides Medicare Advantage
    
• Part D provides prescription drug coverage 

Medicare and Medicaid Are Not the Same 

Both programs are similar but they are serving different purposes. Medicare is a government-run program that provides health insurance. Unlike Medicare, Medicaid is run by the federal government in partnership with states to help cover those with limited income. Depending on the state, Medicaid can become available for those who are below a certain income level while meeting other criteria (such as age, disability status, pregnancy) or it will become available for all people below a certain income level. 

In addition to potentially saving you money on your life and health insurance, taking steps to improve your life expectancy can greatly increase your overall happiness in life. Here are 5 steps that have been proven to lead to longer, healthier lives.   

Get Daily Exercise  

Committing to daily exercise is the number one way to help extend your life expectancy. Those who exercise for around three hours a week have DNA and cells that were nine years younger than those who did not, according to a study. The easiest way to start your journey to committing to exercising is by daily repetition. To have results like those in the study, three hours is equal to thirty minutes a day.  

Maintain Regular Health Screenings and Testing  

It’s important to maintain an annual appointment with your primary care doctor for a number of reasons. The challenge is trying to figure out which tests you need to take and when. Everyone has a unique set of risk factors and family history, which means only your doctor can provide you with a timeline of what tests you should take and when. Regular mammograms, colonoscopies, and Pap smears have been proven to decrease mortality and morbidity from the diseases they screen for. 

Find Ways to Lessen Stress  

Stress can affect life expectancy in two significant ways. Direct and unhealthy effects of stress on the body in the long term is the first major way. The other way that stress can shorten your life expectancy is through the negative behaviors that become stress triggers. Comfort eating and smoking are unhealthy behaviors that come from these stress triggers. Try to pinpoint the things in your life that are causing you to hold onto stress and engage in negative, unhealthy behaviors. Once you find these stressors, try to find ways to counter them in order to have less stress surrounding you. 

Reduce Your Time Watching TV  

Did you know that watching TV can lead to a less active lifestyle? Those who sit in front of the television are bound to eat more than those who spend less time in front of the screen. TV consumption can also lead to antisocial habits due to you being home, zoning in instead of being with others. TV is stressful because of the types of things that are on the news or shows that have high-stress situations in them. On average, people consume about four hours of TV a day, which adds up to nineteen hours a week – ultimately more than 1,000 hours a year.  

Stop Smoking  

Smoking is one of the biggest health risks in the world. Smoking can cause your lungs to lose their functionality. In addition, if you smoke around others, you are putting them at a higher risk for lung issues due to inhaling secondhand smoke. Breathing in secondhand smoke can increase the risk of lung cancer, heart disease and stroke. If a child were to be exposed to secondhand smoke, it doubles their risk of getting chest related illnesses which include pneumonia, ear infections, wheezing and asthma.   

The better you maintain your health through exercise, healthy eating, and reducing stress and unhealthy behaviors, the more you can lower the costs of your health and life insurance. It’s never too late to make a lifestyle change, and your wallet will thank you as well as your body. Speak to your agent today about how you can lower your premiums! 

Discovering that you’re going to be a parent can be the most exciting news you’ll receive in a lifetime! But underneath all that joy and excitement is another emotion just as strong: fear. There is a ton of responsibility that comes with bringing your child into the world and you want to make sure you are doing it the right way. Even though your baby won’t arrive for another nine months, planning ahead is imperative. A great starting point to be sure that you and your bundle of joy are taken care of is by letting your insurance company know the amazing news. When you do, you should expect the following areas to be covered through your insurance plan. 

Prenatal Care Visits 

For many parents, it feels as though over half of the pregnancy is spent constantly visiting the doctor’s office while the other small part is the actual birth. However, every visit is important and results in news about your baby’s development. Gender revealing ultrasounds, glucose testing, multiple screenings, and hearing your baby’s heartbeat are all included in your visits. As the trimesters continue, you will even see your doctor more frequently to track and make sure your baby remains healthy. Typically visits happen every two weeks, but once the baby reaches a certain size, you will instead start showing up weekly. That’s a lot of visits! Make sure you have an insurance plan that covers all of them. 

Outpatient/Inpatient Services 

Without a doubt, the most important part of your health insurance is to make sure the delivery of your baby is covered. No matter how you give birth–natural, cesarean section, water birth or otherwise–this will be very costly if you are not taken care of financially. And it isn’t just the birth that will rack up the bill; room and board also comes with a price along with your meals, medication, and more. Luckily, with the right coverage plan, you won’t have to worry and can instead focus on bonding with your newborn child. 

Newborn Screening Coverage 

Many have said that time stands still when their child is born, but unfortunately, it cannot remain that way. Once they are welcomed into the world, they immediately have to undergo several tests that weren’t possible when they were in the womb. This is all to make sure that your baby is healthy and ready to go home. Screenings include testing for congenital hypothyroidism, hearing problems, phenylketonuria (PKU), and sickle cell anemia. Although these screenings, as stated before, do help ensure your baby’s health, they are not going to be free. At least not without insurance. If you are unsure about whether or not this is included in your plan, make sure you have a conversation with your agent as soon as possible.  

Newborn Baby Care 

Delivering a baby is by no means a simple task. It can take a serious toll on you both physically and emotionally. As a new parent, you will need a lot of rest to combat the unbelievable amount of exhaustion you will feel. However, having a crying newborn baby in the room may not help in this situation, regardless of how badly you want to see them. Nurses offer to take your child back to the nursery to tend to them throughout the night while you catch up on your much needed sleep. Luckily, newborn care is also covered through health insurance. 

Lactation Counseling and Breast Pump Rental 

For mothers who choose to breastfeed their baby, lactation counseling is available at the hospital to teach new mothers how to perform the task properly. Many see this as a great benefit, especially since it is one of the first of many bonding moments between mother and child. Even after the mother has left the hospital, breast pump rentals are made available to help you further and, as you may have guessed, are covered under your health insurance. 

As soon as your baby is brought into this world, you want to be sure to inform your insurance agency so that your son or daughter can be added onto your current plan. This way, they will continue to be covered throughout the rest of their life. To get started on the right insurance plan, give us a call today and let us insure all your major life moments.