The Importance of Pursuing Mental Health Integration
Why Pursue Mental Health Integration?
It is the right thing to do: The NCCBH vision statement provides the foundation for our work: We are committed to creating and sustaining healthy and secure communities, achieved through a system that holds the needs of consumers paramount, regardless of their ability to pay.
Vital to this commitment is a network of organizations and advocates promoting services of unparalleled value.
NCCBH members primarily serve public sector consumers, those with severe and persistent mental illness or serious emotional disturbance-the needs of this population are often overlooked in primary care and integration planning. We must assure that their needs as well as the needs of the broader community are appropriately addressed.
Many people in the broader community now receive their behavioral healthcare in a primary care setting, and the gap between the medical and behavioral healthcare systems must be bridged: As noted by Robin Dea and many other commentators, there is:
“evidence that many, if not most, people coming into primary care are being treated for psychosocial problems, not organically based medical disease . . . evidence of medical cost offsets from treating behavioral health problems presenting as physical health problems in the primary care setting . . . the assumption that if adequate detection of early stage psychiatric illness took place in primary care, there would be some prevention of patients going to more severe episodes of major psychiatric illnesses . . . and primary care is where most people who have behavioral health problems are in fact seen.”
Some of the important findings from the research field include:
-The Epidemiologic Catchment Area (ECA) Study and articles based on this survey data, reported the finding that about 50% of care for common mental disorders was delivered in general medical settings. However, many subsequent studies have shown that these disorders may be undiagnosed or under-treated.
-Screening systems, treatment guidelines and provider education in primary care are necessary but not sufficient steps to ensure a difference in outcomes.
-Collaborative and stepped care has been shown to achieve outcomes that are better than “usual care”.
There is the opportunity for quality improvement of care within the primary care and specialty behavioral healthcare settings: Studies have shown that many people with depression stop taking their medications before the minimal time required to effectively treat an episode of depression. Patients at Group Health Cooperative who initiated medications for depression with their primary care physician and received targeted stepped up care and relapse prevention support were significantly more likely to adhere to adequate dosages of medication and to demonstrate a greater decrease in depressive symptoms.
Application of research findings such as these through adoption of evidence-based practices in both primary care and specialty behavioral health (BH) settings will result in better outcomes for consumers.
With the publication of Priority Areas for National Action: Transforming Health Care Quality, the Institute of Medicine’s 2003 follow up to Crossing the Quality Chasm: A New Health System for the 21st Century, a major opportunity and challenge has appeared for the public mental health system.
The Quality Chasm recommended the systematic identification of priority areas for national quality improvement; Priority Areas proposes twenty areas for transforming health care nationally. Included in this list are major depression (screening and treatment) and severe and persistent mental illness (focus on treatment in the public sector).
Their inclusion as priority areas, as well as the findings in the Interim Report from the President’s New Freedom Commission on Mental Health, with its observation that the system is “fragmented and in disarray-not from lack of commitment and skill of those who deliver care, but from underlying structural, financing and organizational problems” suggests that the time for new strategies is at hand.
Many people being served by public behavioral health services need better access to primary care: A rationale less frequently articulated for integration is that the specialty BH system, especially the public sector focusing on the severe and persistent mentally ill adult population (SPMI) and seriously emotionally disturbed (SED) children, serves a disabled consumer population with healthcare needs that are frequently under-addressed due to difficulties in obtaining medical services.
Most state Medicaid waivers related to coverage for physical healthcare have focused on enrollment of the TANF population into Medicaid managed care plans, leaving the disabled Medicaid population unable to adequately access care, or in better situations, reliant on “safety net” providers-community health centers (CHCs) or county delivered health services.
Community health centers serve people who need better access to behavioral healthcare. These “safety net” providers serve a broader scope of patients than just the Medicaid population. But many states have implemented mental health Medicaid waivers that focus the public mental health system on the SPMI/SED and Medicaid populations, with minimal levels of support for non-SPMI/SED or uninsured populations. Often there is not a good match of target populations between the two systems. If the Medicaid mental health program also has a highly managed service authorization and payment methodology, there may be additional barriers to reimbursement for mental health services.
This has led to frustration for “safety net” healthcare providers because they have difficulty obtaining behavioral health services for their non-SPMI/SED or uninsured patients. In a recent survey of CHC medical directors, 80% indicated that cost is the main barrier to behavioral health care for their uninsured populations. The recent financing and development of behavioral health services in CHCs addresses this frustration and is just the latest in a series of efforts to acknowledge that a large proportion of the population gets their behavioral health services in primary care.
Because behavioral health clinicians are a resource for assisting people with all types of chronic health conditions: Yet another reason for integration is the potential contribution of BH clinicians regarding behavioral and lifestyle change: providing interventions targeted at better management of chronic disease, supporting and “leveraging” the time of primary care providers through disease management programs.
Disease management activities focus on several areas: early identification of populations at-risk for costly chronic disease (e.g., asthma, diabetes), care interventions that utilize evidence-based practices, education-intensive orientations that focus on both patient and provider, care management and a coordinated approach across multidisciplinary treatment teams, and a method for systematic data collection that measures clinical and cost-effectiveness. Large organized healthcare systems, such as Northern California Kaiser-Permanente, implement their major disease management programs with specifically assigned nurses as care managers and educators.
However, many physicians in individual or group practices do not have access to this level of support unless they are in the network of a health plan with active disease management programs. In markets where primary care and multi-specialty groups have accepted accelerated risk, disease management approaches will be especially value-added.
We are in a time of significant public policy activity regarding financing of the national healthcare system and the uninsured population. As we approach the 40th anniversary of the founding of the community mental health center movement, the dialogue has returned us to our public health beginnings-serving the needs of a population.
The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Primary Care Integration Initiative is currently being implemented across the country. The HRSA initiative includes: identification of system issues related to integration and the development of related strategies; development of a service manual for CHC behavioral health services; development of BH intervention models for CHCs; and grants for establishing BH services in existing CHCs.
Newly funded CHC sites will be expected to provide dental, mental health and substance abuse services, either directly or by subcontract arrangements. CHCs are in the process of decision making about building their own BH services or contracting for BH services, as they prepare their grant applications. (The NCCBH website, www.nccbh.org, has a Primary Care Integration Resource Center with more details about the HRSA process.)
At the same time that HRSA is putting new BH resources into CHCs, reports are emerging from many states indicating that the public mental health system is funded at somewhere around half the level that is needed. In the private sector, the relentless downward pressure on behavioral health PMPMs has also reduced overall system resources, shifting cost from the private sector to the public sector.
Reports such as these were released prior to the current fiscal crisis in state Medicaid programs; rather than addressing the shortfalls, there are significant new reductions in BH services in many states. And, the implementation of managed care methods for Medicaid have made it difficult for some community based BH providers to continue to enact their mission of serving the needs of the population, regardless of ability to pay.
The implications for system-wide duplication and competition for the scarce resources of BH staff and funding, as well as the opportunity to improve consumer access to both health and behavioral healthcare services, suggests that collaboration is a priority at the national, state and local levels. Good public policy will work at sustaining, supporting and requiring collaboration between the two “safety net” systems of community mental health centers and community health centers.
The conceptual model proposed in this paper can become the basis for HRSA grantees to work with their partners in the public mental health system to fully define working relationships and collaboration on behalf of consumers of care.
In summary, the reasons for integration are grounded in the desire to improve access to both primary care and behavioral health services; ensure that there are evidence-based practices as well as consistent communication and coordination of clinical activities (especially medication management-a key concern of consumers) among the providers serving any single individual; wed the skill sets of primary care physicians and BH clinicians in order to better manage chronic health issues; and, participate in and shape the public policy debate regarding how services should be organized, delivered and financed in ways that ensure that needs of public sector SPMI/SED consumers and the broader community alike are met.
Linda Rosenberg leads the National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare in treating children, adults and families with mental illnesses and addiction disorders across the country. She holds faculty appointments at several schools of social work. http://www.thenationalcouncil.org/
In: General · Tagged with: Health, Importance, Integration, Mental, Pursuing
Start-up Health Products Business
Public Health is the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private communities and individuals. However, as individuals we must take an active role in maintaining our health by leading healthy lifestyles and making sure that we are using proper nutrition daily.
Nutrition is the science that studies how people eat and how eating affects their health and performance. This includes foods or food components that cause diseases or deteriorate health such as eating too many calories. This is a major contributing factor to obesity, diabetes and heart disease. Personal health depends partially on the social structure of one’s life.
Healthy eating is a choice but not much of a choice for those who simply lack the knowledge, awareness and clear understanding about healthy cooking. Health is a positive concept emphasizing social and personal resources as well as physical capacities. Health represents the amount of damage a character can take before death.
Healthy people should have the right to boost their brains with pills, supplements, herbs and vitamins like those prescribed for hyperactive kids or memory-impaired older folks.
Health care is the prevention, treatment, and management of illness and the preservation of
mental and physical well being through the services offered by the medical, nursing, and allied health professions.
Health research builds primarily on the basic sciences of biology, chemistry, and physics as well as a variety of multidisciplinary fields, i.e. medical sociology. Health care is further the prevention, treatment, and management of illness and the preservation of health through the services offered by the medical, dental, nursing, and allied health professions.
Health care embraces all the goods and services designed to promote health, including preventive, curative and palliative interventions, whether directed to individuals or to populations.
Health care in Venezuela is probably the most extensive and given the country’s fortunes in oil wealth, expenditure has recently increased greatly, starting with mass vaccinations under the Plan Bolivar 2000. While health care in Africa is usually non existent or highly limited and under resourced.
Here in the United States health inspectors are conducting fewer inspections of nursing homes, restaurants and adult day care sites because of budget constraints and the inability to train and keep inspectors and officials. For this reason it is imperative that you take control of your health care issues and become active in resolving them.
Health system problems aggravated a cholera outbreak in Zimbabwe 10 December 2008 — A
widespread cholera outbreak and inadequate access to safe drinking water and hygiene are
threatening the well being of thousands of Zimbabweans.
Because of the on-going importance of health — customers are never more than a single click away from ordering products online and referring their friends and associates who are ready to join a membership program.
Customers spread around the world can be attracted by a health business and take notice. You will see that other people will also be interested in marketing a vitamin or natural health business by noticing that others will easily sign up underneath you.
Online store owners, entrepreneurs and small businesses who e-sell their own products find that they have money rolling into their accounts in no time soon after taking action because shoppers readily kick into high-gear.
There are many resources to help you and your family stay healthy. Products classified as dietary supplements are not required to meet any Food and Drug Administration standards which makes it easy to promote a natural health business.
Making extra income can’t get much easier in the booming health industry especially when you don’t have to look after any products or logistics. Health and wellness spending is continuing as companies seek new marketing channels for their advertisements and employers look to control healthcare spending.
Sharqauenta Wells is the Author of this Article and has been a Health Food and Nutritional advocate for over 20 years. Start your free health products business today with TeamCyberMed and/or NaturesBrand
In: General · Tagged with: Business, Health, Products, Startup
Individual Health Plans Advantages and Disadvantages
Whether you are self-employed, have one or two jobs or retired, you need a good health insurance plan for yourself and your family. It is important to get good health insurance coverage against unexpected medical expenses in order to avoid to be buried in debt. However, a plan that is good for someone else may not be the right one for you. In industrialized countries like the US, where the health insurance companies constantly change their policy, it is necessary that you have adequate information before choosing a health insurance plan. This article explains the different types of health insurance, their advantages and disadvantages so that can choose wisely if you shop for health insurance.
Individual health insurance
Individual health insurance is a form of individual contract between you and an insurance company to guarantee the repayment of all or almost all medical expenses. This may includes hospitalization, medications, dental care, seeing a specialist, and certain therapies (radiotherapy, chemotherapy, etc.). This service may be provided by a government-sponsored social insurance program (mostly for individuals with low income), or from private insurance companies.
What is the history behind health insurance?
Some hundred years ago, before the appearance of health insurance, all patients used to pay their health care costs. Around 1694, Hugh the elder Chamberlen (1630-1720) introduced health insurance. At that time, the idea was not widely known and welcomed by the public. Around the end of the 19th century, health insurance took an expansion, and other forms insurance such as accidental or disability insurance started being available in certain states in the United States.
Franklin Health Insurance Company of Massachusetts was the first company to provide accident insurance in the United States. However, it covered only injuries caused by railroad and steamboat. As the insurance industry grows, in 1866, there were approximately sixty companies offering accidental insurance in the United States. Today, there are more insurance companies than we can count.
Although there are numerous insurance companies, health insurance plans are grouped into three main categories:
Fee-for-service – also known as indemnity plans is a type of insurance plan where you, patient, have to pay all medical expenses out of your own pockets, and then request a reimbursement from your insurance company. These types of plans have their advantages and disadvantages.
Advantages: they offer more flexibility in choosing your own doctor. You can decide the time to see your health care provider, and what type of treatment you want; as long as you remain in the limit that your insurer will pay
Disadvantages: in indemnity plans, most doctors require upfront payment, so you have to submit claim forms to the insurance company to receive a reimbursement. That requires paper work, and sometimes many phone calls. Fee-for-service plans offer limit benefits; they do not cover annual physical exam and educational programs.
HMOs (Health Maintenance Organizations) – Health maintenance organizations (HMOs) are managed care plans that offer health care coverage to their members through hospitals, doctors, and other health care providers that are in their network. That is, having their service, you are limited to members of their network.
Advantages: unlike Fee-for-service plans, you do not have to pay up front; although some of them require a copayment. You do not need to submit forms after forms to receive reimbursement. In addition, HMOs usually charge a lower cost.
Disadvantages: you can use only health care providers who are associated with the organization. Most HMOs (Health Maintenance Organizations) tend to refuse to approve certain treatments. Although some HMOs accept their members to see physician or specialists who are not in their network, they often charge you additional costs.
(PPOs) participating provider organization, also known as Preferred Provider Organizations – is a form of managed care organization of physicians , hospitals, clinics and other health care providers that sign a contract with an insurer to provide health services to its member at reduced rates . Usually, PPOs cost more than traditional HMOs, but offer more options to their members.
Advantages: Preferred Provider Organizations provide more flexibility to their members; they have a bigger network of doctors and hospitals. You can take service from health care providers that are not part of their networks (certain charges often apply). You pay Lower copayments for care from primary care physicians. In addition, you do not need a referral to see a specialist.
Disadvantages: PPOs cost more than traditional HMOs. You will more likely to make co-payments (usually from $10 to $30) when you visit a health specialist.
Do some health insurance companies offer better service to their members than others?
Yes. Some insurers offer better service to their members. To learn more about health insurance companies that provide satisfying individual health insurance plan in the US, visit our top rated list on www.individualshealth.com
Raphaelo is a nutritionist who loves to help others in their health decision. To learn more, Please visit his individual health plan website
In: General · Tagged with: Advantages, Disadvantages, Health, Individual, Plans
Frequently Asked Questions About Health Coaching
What is health coaching?
Health coaching is a collaborative and personalized program that focuses on improving health and wellness. Health Coaching builds an individualâs capacity to achieve short- and long-term health and fitness goals. Participants in a health coaching program interact one-on-one with their health coach by telephone, instant messenger, email and online journal.
Frequently Asked Questions About Health Coaching
What is health coaching?
Health coaching is a collaborative and personalized program that focuses on improving health and wellness. Health Coaching builds an individualâs capacity to achieve short- and long-term health and fitness goals. Participants in a health coaching program interact one-on-one with their health coach by telephone, instant messenger, email and online journal.
Unlike personal training or counseling, YOU, the client, are the expert when working with a health coach. Whether you’re working toward general wellness or a more specific health-related issue, a health coach will focus on enhancing your quality of life. Our health coaches guide, motivate, provide customized resources, and help you to set achievable goals. Health Coaches do not diagnose, prescribe, or give advice. Instead health coaches use their expertise to provide you with tools, not opinions.
The role of a health coach is unique. A health coach will not just ask you if you have done your crunches for the day UNLESS that is what you want your health coach to do. Instead, the health coach is there to help you identify and achieve whatever goals you set for improved vitality by coordinating the many resources available to you through this and other programs.
Do I have to have a serious health issue to benefit from a health coach?
No. We know that no two people are exactly the same and your health status may vary from day to day. Health coaches help you to assess your level of health and well-being and to work on the issues at hand. Your health coach will provide the human touch to motivate you toward setting and achieving your goals through a personalized plan of action. However, if you do have a serious health issue, your health coach can help. If you need to modify your lifestyle due to an issue such as diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and/or musculoskeletal injuries, a degreed and highly trained expert health coach can assist.
Who are the health coaches?
Our health coaches are high-level, seasoned professionals, experienced in behavioral change and in serving moderate-risk and sedentary, high-risk and high-stress populations. All Health Coaches hold degrees in Exercise Science, Health Education, Exercise Physiology, Counseling and Health Education, Counseling and Education, and each health coach has a minimum of a bachelorâs degree and at least 3 years of experience. In addition, 80 percent of our health coaches also hold a graduate degree in a related field.
I’m not sure health coaching is right for me. How do I decide?
If you would like someone to provide support, guidance and motivation that can help you achieve personal health and lifestyle goals, you will benefit from your relationship with a health coach.
How much time will health coaching take?
The time you devote to health coaching is entirely at your discretion. Communication between you and your Personal Health Coach will be as often as needed and will be determined on an individual basis. You will be paired with a health coach who will remain with you throughout your entire health coaching process. Communication between you and your health coach may occur every day, just once per week, or even less whether it is by email, journal or a combination of both.
If you would like to spend more time learning about your challenge and your solutions you have come to the right place. Through the health coaching program you will have access to a comprehensive library of lifestyle education and resource materials that will be hand selected by your health coach specifically for you. These resources come from nationally acclaimed resource providers.
What is health coaching?
Health coaching is a collaborative and personalized program that focuses on improving health and wellness. Health Coaching builds an individualâs capacity to achieve short- and long-term health and fitness goals. Participants in a health coaching program interact one-on-one with their health coach by telephone, instant messenger, email and online journal.
John Bates, wellness coaches
and health
coaches
tells you all about fitness and health related issues.
In: General · Tagged with: about, asked, Coaching, Frequently, Health, questions
HEALTH COACH WELLNESS COACH
A Health and Wellness Coach can help you:
Increase profits Attract and retain more customers Expand your reach beyond your facility Increase services without adding staff Greatly differentiate your gym from your competitors Improve the health and wellbeing of your customers A Health and Wellness Coach can expand your reach and increase profits without expanding your resources
Imagine that your members interacted with a health and wellness coach every day. With consistent personalized attention, members would become more dedicated to their fitness regimen, feel better about themselves and their health, and be more satisfied with your fitness centerâall of which makes them more likely to maintain their program and less likely to leave.
The Health and Wellness Coach solution from InfiniteHealthCoach.com
Our Health and Wellness Coach program is an affordable Web-based “virtual club and personal training studio” designed to help members succeed in achieving their fitness goals. It is a powerful and practical way for members to have daily interaction with a certified health coach, giving your fitness center an innovative advantage in member retention and profitability.
Each new member who joins your facility provides additional revenue that goes straight to your bottom line. In today’s aggressive market, it may just be the unique member benefit your fitness center needs to “outmuscle” the competition.
Boost Member Retention with Health and Wellness Coaching
By increasing your ability to provide personalized attention, InfiniteHealthCoach.com helps you reduce attrition, turning âat riskâ members back into active members who renew at the end of their contract.
This high-quality health and fitness resource lets you target high-risk dropout candidates by offering them their own online personal trainer and health and wellness coaching service thatâ¦
Makes it easy to set goals and track progress Demonstrates proper exercise techniques Motivates and engages members regardless of their location
Satisfied members stay members longer, and each month they work with a health and wellness coach generates additional revenue for you.
Extend Your Reach with Health and Wellness Coaching
The anywhere, anytime the online convenience of health and wellness coaching allows you to expand your core services beyond the walls of your fitness center to reach non-traditional members who might not otherwise come into your facility. Offering a Web-based membership program to these individuals also helps you develop a feeder system for new traditional memberships.
Plus, you’ll be able to better serve corporate clients with a proven behavior-changing program that proactively addresses their rising health care costs. The system’s flexibility allows you to tailor a program to virtually any topic your client companies may request;from simple tobacco cessation or stress reduction to full-scale health and wellness coaching.
A Small Investment in Health and Wellness Coaching Yields Exceptional ROI
For a small per-member investment, InfiniteHealthCoach.com can help you provide a service that enhances your members’ success. As a result, members develop a better appreciation for your fitness center and the added value you provide. By giving clients fast, convenient access to their health and wellness coach, you can generate additional revenue over a longer period of time.
Health and Wellness Coaching for Fitness Centers
A Health and Wellness Coach can help you: Increase profits Attract and retain more customers Expand your reach beyond your facility Increase services without adding staff Greatly differentiate your gym from your competitors Improve the health and wellbeing of your customers A Health and Wellness Coach can expand your reach and increase profits without expanding your resources
Imagine that your members interacted with a health and wellness coach every day. With consistent personalized attention, members would become more dedicated to their fitness regimen, feel better about themselves and their health, and be more satisfied with your fitness centerâall of which makes them more likely to maintain their program and less likely to leave.
The Health and Wellness Coach solution from InfiniteHealthCoach.com
Our Health and Wellness Coach program is an affordable Web-based “virtual club and personal training studio” designed to help members succeed in achieving their fitness goals. It is a powerful and practical way for members to have daily interaction with a certified health coach, giving your fitness center an innovative advantage in member retention and profitability.
Each new member who joins your facility provides additional revenue that goes straight to your bottom line. In today’s aggressive market, it may just be the unique member benefit your fitness center needs to “outmuscle” the competition.
-
Boost Member Retention with Health and Wellness Coaching
By increasing your ability to provide personalized attention, InfiniteHealthCoach.com helps you reduce attrition, turning âat riskâ members back into active members who renew at the end of their contract.
This high-quality health and fitness resource lets you target high-risk dropout candidates by offering them their own online personal trainer and health and wellness coaching service thatâ¦
Makes it easy to set goals and track progress Demonstrates proper exercise techniques Motivates and engages members regardless of their location
Satisfied members stay members longer, and each month they work with a health and wellness coach generates additional revenue for you.
Extend Your Reach with Health and Wellness Coaching
The anywhere, anytime the online convenience of health and wellness coaching allows you to expand your core services beyond the walls of your fitness center to reach non-traditional members who might not otherwise come into your facility. Offering a Web-based membership program to these individuals also helps you develop a feeder system for new traditional memberships.
Plus, you’ll be able to better serve corporate clients with a proven behavior-changing program that proactively addresses their rising health care costs. The system’s flexibility allows you to tailor a program to virtually any topic your client companies may request;from simple tobacco cessation or stress reduction to full-scale health and wellness coaching.
A Small Investment in Health and Wellness Coaching Yields Exceptional ROI
For a small per-member investment, InfiniteHealthCoach.com can help you provide a service that enhances your members’ success. As a result, members develop a better appreciation for your fitness center and the added value you provide. By giving clients fast, convenient access to their health and wellness coach, you can generate additional revenue over a longer period of time.
The Results-Oriented Approach To Health and Wellness Coaching
InfiniteHealthCoach.com offers members unlimited access to their own health and wellness coach and therefore are able use the service as often as they like, with no additional cost to you.
Through our health and wellness coaches employees not only learn what they need to do, but more importantly, they learn how to sustain their new, healthy lifestyles. The health and wellness coach is there to provide positive reinforcement, advice, additional information and support at every step.
The results speak for themselves. Of those who used the InfiniteHealthCoach.com health and wellness coaching model…
94% of participants reach their primary goals 89% reported improved overall health and well-being 75% experienced fewer stress-related physical symptoms 56% improved aerobic conditioning 50% increased their healthy eating choices 72% of those who lost weight lost more than five pounds 40% remained tobacco-free at 6 months
John Bates, wellness coaches
and health
coaches
tells you all about fitness and health related issues.
In: General · Tagged with: COACH, Health, Wellness
Guidelines for Health Risk Assessments (HRAs)
Health Risk Assessments (HRAs) are tools that identify and quantify an individual’s risk of
morbidity or mortality using demographic, medical and lifestyle information. “Health Risk
Assessments (HRAs) and Medicare”, an evaluation report completed by RAND for CMS, reached the
following conclusions.
• Effective Health Risk Assessment (HRA) plan have demonstrated beneficial effects on behavior,
physiological variables and general health status
• Interventions that combine Health Risk Assessment (HRA) feedback with the provision of Health
Plans are most likely to show beneficial effects
• To be effective, Health Risk Assessment (HRA) questionnaires should be accompanied by follow-up
interventions (e.g., information, support and referrals)
High quality Health Risk Assessments (HRAs) offer, a computation for individual risk from the
following most common diseases and risk factors.
• Asthma
• Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Diseaase (COPD)
• Diabetes
• High Blood Pressure
• Ischemic heart disease
• Major depression
• Stroke
• Overweight/Obesity
• Use of Tobaccos Products
• Mental health
• Immunizations
The Health Risk Assessment (HRA) collects and reviews information to predict a member’s
likelihood of experiencing the most common diseases.
Health Risk Assessments (HRAs): Demographic characteristics
A person’s age, gender and ethnicity are indicators of elevated risk for certain diseases. At
minimum, the Health Risk Assessment (HRA) should collect information, to the extent allowed by
law, information on the member’s age, gender and ethnicity.
The Health Risk Assessment (HRA) should include queries addressing the individual’s personal and
family history of diseases or risk factors for common diseases. The Health Risk Assessment (HRA)
must include queries to assess health risks related to the highly personal health characteristics
and behaviors listed below.
• Weight Management
• Nutrition
• Use of Tobaccos Products
• High Blood Pressure
• Cholesterol
• Exercise
• Alcohol consumption
• Traveling by motor vehicle
• Stress Management
• Mental health
Perceived Health Status
The Health Risk Assessment (HRA) should include queries that assess A person’s self-perceived
health status. The queries should allow an individual to rate their own health status on a
relative scale.
Disclosure of use of Health Risk Assessment (HRA) information
The organization should disclose how the information obtained from the Health Risk Assessment
(HRA) will be used and to whom it’ll be disclosed. The organization may offer the disclosure and
use information within the Health Risk Assessment (HRA) tool or reports or through written
communications.
Ability to save and print Health Risk Assessment (HRA) results
Internet-based Health Risk Assessment (HRA) should give the member the ability to save and print
his or her Health Risk Assessment (HRA) results. For paper-based Health Risk Assessments (HRAs),
the organization should have a mechanism in place for the member to receive a written copy of the
results.
Health Risk Assessment (HRA) Results
Companies should offer a printed or printer-friendly internet-based report for each individual
participant. The report may emphasis on either individual risks for specified diseases or on
Health.
Health Risk Assessment (HRA) computations may emphasis on either individual risks based upon
personal risk factors or on overall risk or health. The report should offer an explanatory
information to help them understand the outcome. Reports should clearly identify behaviors that
can lower risk for each risk factor, and recommend targets for improvement. Reports should
include resources (e.g., community plan, internet-based information and materials) that can help
members change to a healthier lifestyle. At minimum, the organization should give computation for
individual risk from the following most common diseases and risk factors.
• Asthma
• Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Diseaase (COPD)
• Diabetes
• High Blood Pressure
• Ischemic heart disease
• Major depression
• Stroke
• Overweight/Obesity
• Use of Tobaccos Products
• Mental health
• Immunizations
Health Risk Assessment (HRA) report
The Health Risk Assessment (HRA) should give internet-based print-friendly results and the
ability for the user to print the results. The Health Risk Assessment (HRA) report should include
a profile of individual risk level for personal conditions or diseases according to age, gender,
ethnicity and risk factors that were identified in the questionnaire. The report should clearly
identify behaviors that can lower the risk for each risk factor and recommend targets for
improvements.
Available Resources
The Health Risk Assessment (HRA) report should also include references to resources that can help
the member understand the Health Risk Assessment (HRA) results and assist the member in changing
to a healthier lifestyle.
The resources can include references to relevant internet-based information, materials and
community plan.
John Bates, personal health coach and wellness life coaching tells you all about fitness and health related issues.
In: General · Tagged with: Assessments, Guidelines, Health, HRAs, Risk
Health and Wellness Coaching
Do you find it challenging to stay motivated when endeavoring to make changes to your health? Are you aware that changes must be made in your daily life but you do not know where to begin? If so then Health and Wellness Coaching might just be the solution you have been seeking.
Health and Wellness Coaching is a service offered by trained professionals who work with you individually to assist you reach your Wellness goals. Health and Wellness Coaching motivates, guides, and supports a person in order to reach sustainable behavioral changes by offering creative solutions to their problems.
Health and Wellness Coaching provides individually designed programs to meet your unique needs by focusing on physical, mental, and emotional health. They assist you become proactive in your life by removing unhealthy behaviors and making Wellness a priority.
Benefits of Health and Wellness Coaching for Your Staff Members
Staff Members can benefit from Health and Wellness Coaching in a variety of ways. Health and Wellness Coaching can assist individuals decrease major health risks in their lives by changing high risk behaviors. Some of the many reasons why employees work with Wellness Coaches are to get in shape, lose a little (or lot) of weight, reduce stress, stop using tobacco, and design balance in their lives. Wellness Coaches aid individuals with current health problems as well as preventing future health issues.
Because each program that a Wellness Coach designs is unique to suit the needs of the individual, they can be sure that it’ll be a program that is right for them. Most busy employees mistakenly believe that they do not have the time for Health and Wellness Coaching. Fortunately Health and Wellness Coaching professionals are able to offer their services in a variety of convenient ways. While electronic Health and Wellness Coaching through the use of e-mails and instant messaging has become a popular method due to its convenience, telephone and face-to-face interactions may also be used. Staff Members have the ability to reach their goals and improve their lives through the assistance of Health and Wellness Coaching.
Benefits of Health and Wellness Coaching for the Company
The overall benefits of Health and Wellness Coaching for a business are remarkable. Staff Member high risk behaviors such as tobacco use and obesity cost companies millions of dollars every year. These high risk behaviors often cause preventable illness and keep employees from coming to work. Health and Wellness Coaching guides, supports, hold individuals accountable, and ensures that they receive continued motivation to assist them reach their Wellness goals and eliminate unhealthy behaviors in their lives.
By implementing Wellness Plans and using Health and Wellness Coaching in their companies, employers reduce the risk of preventable illness in their companies. This improves the overall health of employees, reduces healthcare and insurance costs, decreases absenteeism, and ultimately enhances performance and productivity. When employees experience the benefits of higher levels Wellness in their lives it causes an improvement in job attitude, energy, and morale. Companies that utilize Health and Wellness Coaching for their employees experience the benefits of higher productivity.
Wellness Coach
Wellness incorporates many facets of our daily lives. From the amount of sleep to the water we drink, to the food that we eat and the activity that we maintain, our health is dependent upon many factors of our lifestyle. Working to improve our Wellness can be challenging to reach on our own. That is why we can utilize the assistance of a Wellness Coach.
What’s a Wellness Coach?
A Wellness Coach is a highly educated professional who is trained in behavioral change. Wellness Coaches generally have degrees in Exercise Science, Health Education, Exercise Physiology, Counseling and Education. A Wellness Coach assists individuals in recognizing current health concerns as well as preventing future health related issues. These professionals work with individuals in a variety of ways including; face-to-face, phone, via instant messaging and / or email. The latter of those is also referred to as electronic Health and Wellness Coaching and is the most efficient and cost effective method of working with a Wellness Coach. No matter what method is used for communication a Wellness Coach provides a personalized program specifically designed to address the needs and concerns of each personal client.
In what ways can a Wellness Coach assist me?
Most individuals maintain several healthy habits in their lives. One person may be a fitness enthusiast; another may abstain from alcohol and tobacco; while another may maintain a healthy daily diet. However, overall Wellness is much like a puzzle, and a high level of health is only achieved when each piece of this puzzle is in place. A Wellness Coach will aid an individual in correcting his/her missing piece of the puzzle. An web-based Wellness Coach may address the needs of sleep deprivation, stress management, diet, or any number of health related issues. The Wellness Coach will motivate, guide, and offer valuable resources to offer individuals with the necessary tools to make life changes.
How is a Wellness Coach unique?
A Wellness Coach serves a distinctly different purpose than a personal trainer, a counselor, or a supportive family member or friend. First, a Wellness Coach is an expert in his/her personal field. When a client determines the need for a Wellness Coach he or she will complete a Health Risk Assessment (HRA). based on this assessment the individual will be assigned a Wellness Coach specifically selected to address his/her individual needs. Next, a Wellness Coach is available electronically 24 hours per day. Through web-based communication individuals have the opportunity to contact a Wellness Coach as much or as little as he may like. Communication with a Wellness Coach may range from daily to weekly, and can occur by e-mail, journal or a combination of both. Finally, a Wellness Coach is trained to aid in changing the way that the individual thinks and the way that they view themselves. A Wellness Coach maintains the purpose of helping the individual to work towards achieving a higher quality in life. This happens by addressing the cause of a certain problem rather than simply addressing the effects of a problem. A Wellness Coach will assist individuals recognize their needs, determine goals, and take the necessary steps towards achieving these goals.
While Wellness are growing concerns in our daily lives, it may seem challenging to make the time to educate oneself and address the needs or our well being. Working with the assistance of a Wellness Coach enables us to emphasis on our personal needs and make progress towards changing.
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In: General · Tagged with: Coaching, Health, Wellness
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Living Wills and Health Care Directives – What is Involved?
The following is an example of a Health Care Directive (many people still refer to this as a Living Will).   It is broken down into 3 basic parts. 1) Appointment of the Health Care Agent. 2) Health Care Instructions. 3) Making the Document Legal.  Like most legal documents, it can be a bit confusing and overwhelming. The purpose for making this easily available to the public is simple. To help people know what to expect before contacting a lawyer and having him or her draft a directive for them.  Nobody likes thinking about their demise or incapacity. However, dealing with such issues is a necessary part of life.Â
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This example should not be used as a substitute for getting solid legal advice from a licensed attorney. Every individual is different. Please consult a lawyer in your area to discuss your specific estate planning needs.
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HEALTH CARE DIRECTIVE
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I, ___________________________________, understand this document allows me to do One or both of the following:
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PART I: Name another person (called the health care agent) to make health care decisions for me if I am unable to decide or speak for myself. My health care agent must make health care decisions for me based on the instructions I provide in this document (Part II), if any, the wishes I have made known to him or her, or must act in my best interest if I have not made my health care wishes known.
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PART II: Give health care instructions to guide others making health care decisions for me. If I have named a health care agent, these instructions are to be used by the agent. These instructions may also be used by my health care providers, others assisting with my health care and my family, in the event I cannot make decisions for myself.
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PART I: APPOINTMENT OF HEALTH CARE AGENT
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This is who I want to make health care decisions for me if I am unable to decide or speak for myself (I know I can change my agent or alternate agent at any time and I know I do not have to appoint an agent or an alternate agent)
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NOTE: If you appoint an agent, you should discuss this health care directive with your agent and give your agent a copy. If you do not wish to appoint an agent, you may leave Part I blank and go to Part II.
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When I am unable to decide or speak for myself, I trust and appoint ___________________ to make health care decisions for me. This person is called my health care agent. Relationship of my health care agent to me: ___________________
Telephone number of my health care agent: _________________________
Address of my health care agent: _________________________
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(OPTIONAL) APPOINTMENT OF ALTERNATE HEALTH CARE AGENT: If my health care agent is not reasonably available, I trust and appoint _________________ to be my health care agent instead. Relationship of my alternate health care agent to me: ___________________________Telephone number of my alternate health care agent: ___________________________ Address of my alternate health care agent: ___________________________
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THIS IS WHAT I WANT MY HEALTH CARE AGENT TO BE ABLE TO
DO IF I AM UNABLE TO DECIDE OR SPEAK FOR MYSELF (I know I can change these choices)
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My health care agent is automatically given the powers listed below in (A) through (D).
My health care agent must follow my health care instructions in this document or any other instructions I have given to my agent. If I have not given health care instructions, then my agent must act in my best interest. Whenever I am unable to decide or speak for myself, my health care agent has the power to:
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(A) Make any health care decision for me. This includes the power to give, refuse, or
withdraw consent to any care, treatment, service, or procedures. This includes deciding whether to stop or not start health care that is keeping me or might keep me alive, and deciding about intrusive mental health treatment.
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(B) Choose my health care providers.
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(C) Choose where I live and receive care and support when those choices relate to my
health care needs.
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(D) Review my medical records and have the same rights that I would have to give my
medical records to other people.
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If I DO NOT want my health care agent to have a power listed above in (A) through (D) OR if I want to LIMIT any power in (A) through (D), I MUST say that here:
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My health care agent is NOT automatically given the powers listed below in (1) and (2). If I WANT my agent to have any of the powers in (1) and (2), I must INITIAL the line in front of the power; then my agent WILL HAVE that power.
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______Â Â (1)Â To decide whether to donate any parts of my body, including organs, tissues, and eyes, when I die.
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______ (2)Â To decide what will happen with my body when I die (burial, cremation).
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If I want to say anything more about my health care agent’s powers or limits on the powers, I can say it here:Â ________________________________________________________________________
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PART II: HEALTH CARE INSTRUCTIONS
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NOTE: Complete this Part II if you wish to give health care instructions. If you appointed an agent in Part I, completing this Part II is optional but would be very helpful to your agent. However, if you chose not to appoint an agent in Part I, you MUST complete some or all of this Part II if you wish to make a valid health care directive.
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These are instructions for my health care when I am unable to decide or speak for myself.
These instructions must be followed (so long as they address my needs).
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THESE ARE MY BELIEFS AND VALUES ABOUT MY HEALTH CARE
(I know I can change these choices or leave any of them blank)
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I want you to know these things about me to help you make decisions about my health care:
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My goals for my health care: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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My fears about my health care: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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My spiritual or religious beliefs and traditions: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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My beliefs about when life would be no longer worth living:
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My thoughts about how my medical condition might affect my family:
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THIS IS WHAT I WANT AND DO NOT WANT FOR MY HEALTH CARE
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(I know I can change these choices or leave any of them blank) Many medical treatments may be used to try to improve my medical condition or to prolong my life. Examples include artificial breathing by a machine connected to a tube in the lungs, artificial feeding or fluids through tubes, attempts to start a stopped heart, surgeries, dialysis, antibiotics, and blood transfusions. Most medical treatments can be tried for a while and then stopped if they do not help. I have these views about my health care in these situations: (Note: You can discuss general feelings, specific treatments, or leave any of them blank)
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If I had a reasonable chance of recovery, and were temporarily unable to decide or speak
for myself, I would want:
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If I were dying and unable to decide or speak for myself, I would want:
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If I were permanently unconscious and unable to decide or speak for myself, I would want:
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If I were completely dependent on others for my care and unable to decide or speak for
myself, I would want: …..
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In all circumstances, my doctors will try to keep me comfortable and reduce my pain. This is how I feel about pain relief if it would affect my alertness or if it could shorten my life:
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There are other things that I want or do not want for my health care, if possible:
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Who I would like to be my doctor:
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Where I would like to live to receive health care:
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Where I would like to die and other wishes I have about dying:
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________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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My wishes about donating parts of my body when I die:
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________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
My wishes about what happens to my body when I die (cremation, burial):
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________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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Any other things:
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________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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PART III: MAKING THE DOCUMENT LEGAL
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This document must be signed by me. It also must either be verified by a notary public
(Option 1) OR witnessed by two witnesses (Option 2). It must be dated when it is verified or witnessed.I am thinking clearly, I agree with everything that is written in this document, and I have made this document willingly.
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My Signature
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Date signed:
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Date of birth:
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Address:
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If I cannot sign my name, I can ask someone to sign this document for me.
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Signature of the person who I asked to sign this document for me.
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Printed name of the person who I asked to sign this document for me.
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Option 1: Notary Public
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In my presence on___________________________________ (date), __________________________________________ (name) acknowledged his/her
signature on this document or acknowledged that he/she authorized the person signing this document to sign on his/her behalf. I am not named as a health care agent or alternate health care agent in this document.
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(Signature of Notary)
 (Notary Stamp)
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Option 2: Two Witnesses
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Two witnesses must sign. Only one of the two witnesses can be a health care provider or an employee of a health care provider giving direct care to me on the day I sign this document.
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Witness One:
(i) In my presence on _______________________ (date), ________________ (name) acknowledged his/her signature on this document or acknowledged that he/she authorized the person signing this document to sign on his/her behalf.
(ii) I am at least 18 years of age.
(iii) I am not named as a health care agent or an alternate health care agent in this document.
(iv) If I am a health care provider or an employee of a health care provider giving direct
care to the person listed above in (A), I must initial this box: [Â Â ]
I certify that the information in (i) through (iv) is true and correct.
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(Signature of Witness One)
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Address:Â ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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Witness Two:
(i) In my presence on ________________________ (date), _________________ (name) acknowledged his/her signature on this document or acknowledged that he/she authorized the person signing this document to sign on his/her behalf.
(ii) I am at least 18 years of age.
(iii) I am not named as a health care agent or an alternate health care agent in this document.
(iv) If I am a health care provider or an employee of a health care provider giving direct
care to the person listed above in (A), I must initial this box: [Â Â ]
I certify that the information in (i) through (iv) is true and correct.
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(Signature of Witness Two)
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Address:
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REMINDER: Keep this document with your personal papers in a safe place (not in a safe deposit box). Give signed copies to your doctors, family, close friends, health care agent, and alternate health care agent. Make sure your doctor is willing to follow your wishes. This document should be part of your medical record at your physician’s office and at the hospital, home care agency, hospice, or nursing facility where you receive your care.
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Some of this information was taken from Minnesota statute section 145C.16. This should not be considered legal advice, it is provided as a public service.
Blake Vanderhyde is a Licensed Attorney based in Minneapolis, MN. To learn about Minneapolis Probate Lawyer please visit our website.
In: General · Tagged with: Care, Directives, Health, Involved, Living, Wills
Cheap Health Insurance Made Easy
Cheap health insurance has become the issue of the moment in South Carolina and across the country. More small businesses are increasingly unable to provide cheap health insurance plans to their employees because of the rising cost and the lack of federal and state legislation that would allow small businesses to purchase cheap medical insurance in pools. In the meantime South Carolina and other states are looking to cut the costs of the Medicare and Medicaid health insurance programs for the elderly and the poor. However, more affordable forms of health insurance plans are available as some private companies are experimenting with a new variation of cheap health insurance known as health discount plans. In the article that follows we’ll explain the various aspects of cheap health insurance in South Carolina and how to find a plan that works for you.
Health Care Costs due to Managed Health Care
The current health care system in America is inaccessible to approximately 47 million poor and lower middle class people. In order to address the growing health care insurance crisis in the U.S. that resulted in health care cost growth in the 1970s and 1980s, health maintenance organizations (HMOs) sprung up. These were initially as non-profit groups designed to separate unnecessary tests and treatments from those that the patient required in an effort to keep costs down. Managed care organizations began screening requested procedures by physicians to pre-authorize what the HMO would or would not cover. However, the number of people who are the riskiest to insure-diabetics, cancer, etc.-continues to rise. Many South Carolina managed care industry experts say the cost of cheap health insurance is still high because of the existing pool of insured people who use the health care system more than an average amount.
The other battle that is ongoing in South Carolina involves the health insurance companies and hospitals, the latter which cannot turn anyone away from care by law. However, as the number of South Carolinians who cannot afford cheap health insurance increases, hospital emergency rooms are handling the majority of the load. More people have to turn to hospitals as their primary health care givers given a lack of adequate or non-existant health insurance coverage.
Cheap Health Insurance Plans Through the Workplace
Most cheap medical insurance policies in South Carolina are usually written through group coverage offered at work by your employer through a private South Carolina cheap health insurance company. This is usually the more cost effective way to purchase cheap health insurance now available since a large number of employees allows South Carolina companies to reduce their insurance premiums. Similar to buying in bulk, the more health insurance plans a business can purchase for its employees the less expensive the insurance is per employee. In South Carolina, like the rest of the nation, the number of companies that can provide cheap health insurance for their employees is declining.
Personal Health Insurance Plans
Health insurance plans can be purchased by individuals and families from virtually every insurance provider in South Carolina. Trying to purchase health insurance on an individual basis can be more expensive if the person already has a health problem, known as a pre-existing condition. Many companies will not cover people with pre-existing conditions if they have no continuation of coverage-renewing health insurance coverage after only a prescribed short period of time-picked up from an earlier cheap health insurance policy.
South Carolina Health Insurance Pool
The South Carolina Health Insurance Pool is a state health insurance plan designed to provide coverage for those that either do not have or have lost medical coverage at no fault of their own and are uninsurable. The pool was created by the General Assembly to help people who couldn’t get health insurance coverage from any other source, including people with certain disabilities. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of South Carolina currently administers the pool.
Coverage is available to a person who has been a state resident for at least 30 days and meets the following criteria:
They were turned down for private health insurance coverage for health reasons;
They were accepted for private health insurance, but have pre-existing illnesses or conditions excluded from coverage, for a period exceeding 12 months;
They are paying health insurance premiums for comparable coverage which are more than 150 percent of the premium levels charged by the pool;
In certain situations, other individuals whose last health insurance coverage was an employer based group health plan may be eligible for coverage.
No matter what your age, there are also several federally sponsored programs to help you if can’t afford the premiums for individual health insurance, providing you meet their eligibility guidelines.
Medicare, a health insurance program for people age 65 or older, certain younger people with disabilities, and people with end-stage renal disease.
Medicaid, a program for the poorest individuals and low-income families with children.
The Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), a plan that provides health care to children whose parents make too much to qualify for Medicaid, but earn too little to afford individual health insurance.
Types of Cheap Health Insurance Coverage
Cheap health insurance plans generally fall into one of two categories: indemnity plans and managed care plans (HMOs, PPOs or POS plans). An indemnity plan allows you to choose your own doctors and pays for your medical expenses totally, in part, or up to a specified amount. Managed care plans generally provide broader coverage within a specified network of health-care providers.
Although you can purchase cheap health insurance plans that cover specific areas of health care (surgical, hospital, physician expense plans) most plans cover varying degrees of health care in a number of different areas. This health insurance coverage, known as major medical insurance, offers extremely broad coverage with a very high maximum benefit that’s designed to protect you against losses from catastrophic illness or injury.
When comparing cheap medical insurance plans, check to see if they provide additional benefits that you may need, including prescription drugs, preventive care, mental health benefits, maternity care, and vision care. A comparison of various health insurance policies and rates through many South Carolina health insurance companies can be obtained at www.insurances.sc.
Cheap Health Insurance Recipient Costs
With most cheap health insurance policies available in South Carolina, the way to control cost is to cut down on the out-of-pocket expenses. Since most health care insurance policies require you to make a co-payment (the amount you pay a health care provider with every visit), anything involving a lot of time spent in the doctor or dentist’s office can become expensive. Most also require a deductible (costs you must cover out of your pocket for any major expense before your cheap health insurance policy picks up the remaining costs). You may also have coinsurance, the percentage of cheap medical insurance cost you will still have to pay after you reach your deductibles.
Another thing to consider is COBRA health insurance. This law allows employees who leave a job the ability to stay on that South Carolina company’s employee health insurance for up to 18 months although they have to pay the full amount of the coverage. Check the COBRA benefits to see if purchasing a less expensive individual health insurance plan may be in your best interest.
How to Buy Cheap Health Insurance
If you need to purchase individual health insurance, it can be expensive. Unlike group plans, in which the costs and risks associated with health care are spread among many people; individual health policies are “medically underwritten” to take into account your personal health history. Any “pre-existing” condition such as heart disease, diabetes, and even pregnancy, can nix your chances of acceptance or boost your premiums.
To determine the acceptability of a particular applicant, a health insurance underwriter can require information regarding the following:
The individual’s age: Age determines rates and whether coverage will be issued at all.
The individual’s gender: at younger ages, males have a lower rate of illness and injury than females. That changes by age sixty.
The individual’s health history and physical condition: Someone who has had a previous condition that can contribute to a future illness/injury is not considered an ideal risk. In response to a less than ideal medical history, modified coverage may be offered depending on the individual’s health, higher than normal premiums may be issued, or the person may be denied coverage altogether.
The individual’s occupation and hobbies: Some occupations such as construction workers have higher insurance rates, along with people who enjoy dangerous activities such as skydiving or bungee jumping. At times certain occupations are considered so hazardous that insurance companies will not cover them at all.
Your first step in getting cheap health insurance coverage is to understand exactly what you need. Think carefully about what coverage you must have. Do you need health insurance for your whole family, or just yourself? Do you want to choose your providers? If you’re over 65, do you need insurance to fill the gaps in Medicare? Do you need – and can you afford – long-term disability and/or long term care coverage? Even if you begin by soliciting cheap health insurance quotes you must still know exactly what you want in terms of health insurance coverage so you will be comparing apples to apples when weighing any cheap health insurance premium quote.
After that, contact a South Carolina insurance agent in your area. Ideally, you can start with an independent South Carolina insurance agent who is familiar with the insurance companies that do business in your area. This agent is also not bound to write coverage for any particular health insurance company so he or she can give you an honest appraisal of various health insurance policies.
When you’ve found the right coverage, you’ll give information to your agent to complete the necessary forms. Be honest. It’s important to disclose your medical history thoroughly and accurately. Report all of your health problems to your agent. If any of your health information is misstated or incomplete, the company might refuse to pay your claims and could cancel your policy.