Author Archive for Jana

BCBSNC Updates Growth Hormone Therapy Program with Omnitrope as Preferred Drug

Published on January 27, 2012 in BCBSNC. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , .

 A new update has been made to the growth hormone therapy program.  Omnitrope, the preferred somatropin brand, is now the medication of preferred over others.  This drug was selected based on safety, efficacy, delivery device, and cost.

Key Points:

  • On November 18, 2011, Omnitrope moved from Tier 4 to Tier 3.
  • On January 1, 2012, all other growth hormones were moved to Tier 4.
  • By March 1, 2012, any BCBSNC member who is not on Omnitrope will be required to have their physician submit documentation demonstrating a medical explanation on why they should be prescribed a different drug.

 

BCBSNC No Longer Requires Interviews with all Parents of Newborns

Published on January 27, 2012 in BCBSNC. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

Since April 8, 2011, BCBSNC is no longer requiring telephone interviews with parents of newborns for every application. This change applies to all under-65 individual products. The requirement for telephone interviews with parents of newborns is now being determined on a case-by-case basis during the underwriting process.

Rates for Dental Blue for Individuals and Dental Blue Select Plan remain unchanged

Published on January 27, 2012 in BCBSNC and Health Insurance. 0 Comments Tags: , .

Dental Blue for Individuals and Dental Blue Select Standard rates for complete and enhanced plans have been approved for 2012. There will be no changes to the rates for benefit year January 1, 2012 through December 31, 2012. Please see the attachment below for the rate charts and other important product reminders.

If you have questions about any of the Dental Blue products, please contact your BCBSNC representative.

2012_dental_rates.pdf

Getting baby to sleep through the night

Published on January 13, 2012 in Uncategorized. 0 Comments Tags: , .

Sleep seems to be all you think about when you are a new parent. Newborns have been known to sleep as much as 16 hours a day, but they usually sleep for just a few hours at intervals. This is because they have a very small digestive system that causes them to wake up to be fed. Lucky parents have babies who begin to sleep through the night, around 5 hours or more,  by around 3 months of age. Then there are the parents who look like walking zombies till their baby reaches a year or even 2 years of age! So what are these sleep deprived parents to do? Well first of all, Marty Baker, MD, from Charlotte Pediatric Clinic, recommends that parents try not to keep baby awake for a ‘full feeding’ during the night. Dr. Baker says, “If her or she needs to feed, keep the environment dark and quiet and provide the minimum amount of interaction it takes for your baby to get back to sleep.” Here are four additional tips to help get your baby to sleep through the night so you will get some much needed sleep as well:

  1. Increase daytime activity. Newborns often have erratic sleep schedules, causing them to be sleepy throughout the day and be alert at night. To switch their sleep pattern to a more normal one, try to keep them more awake during the day by playing and talking with them. Everyday household noises can also help encourage babies to stay alert during the day. When bedtime rolls around, avoid playtime and other stimulating activities before bed and dim the lights to signal to them that it’s time for bed. Soft, soothing lullabies may also help.
  2. Keep an limit on nap times. Getting regular naps are good for your baby, but don’t let them sleep too long, or you will risk having them be wide awake at night. Shorter nap times will help them sleep through the night.
  3. Create a bedtime routine.  A steady nighttime routine will help to get your baby’s sleep cycle on the right track. Relaxing activities just before bedtime such as reading, bathing, cuddling and listening to soft music with the lights dimmed, all help to let baby know that it is time to sleep. Constant repeating of these activities each night will help your baby associate this routine with sleep.
  4. Put baby to bed while he or she is still awake. One step to creating a bedtime routine requires that you put baby to bed before they fall asleep. You want them to be drowsy, but still awake. Why is this? Well, it helps them link the crib with sleep. Try to avoid letting your baby sleep in your bed, because this will make it harder for them to fall asleep on their own. Most importantly, you will increase the risk for (SIDS) or sudden infant death syndrome if you let your baby sleep with you. Once you put them to bed in their crib, some fussing is to be expected, so allow some time to pass before you come in to check on them. Be as quiet as possible and by all means do not turn on the lights! If they continue to cry for several minutes, try using a pacifier or gently rubbing their back. Your baby’s sleep schedule will probably never match up to yours, so you will need to make adjustments to your schedule if possible. Don’t forget to take care of yourself during this sleep deprived time by grabbing a nap yourself when your little one nods off. Having a baby monitor nearby will reassure you that when the baby wakes up, you will be there to attend to their needs. Good luck!

Supermoms may be vulnerable to depression

Published on December 27, 2011 in Health and Wellness. 0 Comments Tags: , .

Are you one of those “supermoms” that tries to juggle everything and will jump through hoops to be at all your kid’s activities? Well you may want to slow down a little.

According to a new study on 1,600 women, working moms who try to do everything and have unrealistic standards when it comes to work and family, are more prone to experience depression. On the other hand, working moms who let some things go, have a lesser risk for depression when compared to Type A and stay-at-home moms. So try to relax and don’t put too much pressure on yourself to be perfect. A happier mom is much better for you and your family in the long run!

Eating this fruit may help women prevent osteoporosis

Published on December 21, 2011 in Health and Wellness. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

What fruit do you think is best for helping women to prevent bone loss? Well, believe it or not it is the often overlooked ugly duckling prune. Researchers from Florida State University have discovered that women who consume six to ten prunes daily have more bone density than women who eat other types of fruit.

Prunes are packed full of boron and potassium. Both of these are good for increasing bone mass, according to the author in the study, Bahram H. Arjmandi.

Depression can cause problems for your digestion

Published on November 26, 2011 in Uncategorized. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

Is there a link with constipation and depression? Actually yes.

Depression is a condition that many people feel uncomfortable talking about. Then there is constipation. Hardly anyone wants to even think about that. This said, many people suffer from each of these conditions.

Constipation can be a side effect from numerous antidepressants. Also, people who are not very active tend to experience constipation. Depression can cause one to be less active since it can be hard to get out of bed or off the couch when you are down.

So it seems that your digestive health is tied to your mental health; sort of a mind-body connection.

If you are experiencing digestive problems due to antidepressants it would be wise to talk to your doctor before trying laxatives, stool softeners or some other type of medication for constipation. Some people have found that changing their diet is the answer. Eating less dairy, avoiding gluten, consuming more legumes and drinking water are some things to try.

Treating depression is a job that mostly comes from within. Sometimes the humiliation involving depression and its undesirable side effects can leave you feeling like you yourself are your on your own with this problem. But with your doctor’s help, you should be able to find an answer.

Turning your thermostat down can help you burn calories

Published on November 20, 2011 in Health and Wellness. 0 Comments Tags: , , , .

If you are sitting at a desk, can you actually burn more calories if your thermostat is turned down? The answer is yes. Your calorie expenditure will increase if you stay lightly dressed, but it won’t increase a lot. Dr. Wayne Askew, director of the division of nutrition at the University of Utah, says that it would be more effective to walk up and down a few flight of stairs.

One’s basal metabolic rate is raised slightly in colder climates said Askew. He also said there could be a small increase in calories that are burned when your lungs warm the cold air and your cold skin gets warm again.

When it is cold enough to cause the body to shiver, there is a more substantial increase in calories burned. Askew said that this is not a great weight-loss technique if someone has plenty of body fat making them less likely to shiver. He also said that it is very hard to do work that demands fine motor skills, like writing or using a computer when the body is shivering.

When the core body temperature gets to a dangerously low level and the shivering response is stimulated to the extreme, Askew said the energy expenditure can be as high as that from work that requires 40 to 50 percent of the person’s maximum aerobic capacity. However, if the core temperature drops too low, the shivering response stops and hypothermia can start to set in.

How to help older children to stop wetting the bed

Published on November 14, 2011 in Health and Wellness. 0 Comments Tags: , , , .

Daytime bladder control usually occurs when children are between 2 and 4 years of age, but night-time dryness frequently happens much later. The American Academy of Pediatrics found that 15 to 30 percent of 6-year-olds and 4 percent of 12-year-olds are still wetting the bed occasionally.

There are a couple of reasons why children may still wet the bed at night. Some of these are:

  • A small bladder volume
  • Sleeping too deeply to detect the feeling of a full bladder
  • Family history of bed-wetting
  • Producing more urine

When a child is examined for bed-wetting or “nocturnal enuresis,” they usually first ask whether the child has ever developed night-time bladder control. If they have been dry at night for a six-month or more period in the past, this tells the doctor that there could be an undisclosed medical reason for this unexpected change. If the child never totally developed bladder control at night, it is called primary nocturnal enuresis.

The treatment for primary nocturnal enuresis entails reducing how much urine the child produces at night and teaching the child to awake to the feeling of a full bladder. Some basic actions would be to reduce the child’s consumption of liquids before bed, staying clear of caffeinated and carbonated drinks and waking them to urinate about an hour or two after they have been asleep.

If the child is still wetting the bed after these techniques are practiced, a bed-wetting alarm can be used. This alarm goes off when a child has urinated, waking the child up to go to the bathroom. These alarms have been highly successful when they are used on children who are at least 7 years old and have started to have some dry nights.

Also, a medication called DDAVP can be used in some cases. This medicine works by reducing urine production overnight, but it doesn’t cure bed-wetting due to some possible side effects. It is usually used for certain types of social situations like summer camp or sleepovers.

Sometimes nocturnal enuresis can be a sign of an underlying medical condition. If the child has pain with urination, lower extremity weakness, increased thirst or fever, or daytime accidents, they should be seen by a physician. More information is available about bed-wetting at www.aap.org. You may need to type “bed-wetting” in the search bar.

TOPS weight loss program is a good option for those on a tight budget

Published on October 14, 2011 in Health and Wellness. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

Do you need to lose weight but the lack of money is holding you back? Well losing weight doesn’t have to cost a fortune, especially if you try the nonprofit program called TOPS, which stands for (Take Off Pounds Sensibly). A University of Colorado study revealed that people who participated in the TOPS program for three years lost 5 to 7% of their body weight and continued to keep it off.

The program puts an emphasis on the importance of support-group meetings and eating healthy. Fortunately there re no specific foods that you are required to eat. Probably the best thing about this program is that it only costs around $90 a year! Some weight loss plans can cost that much a week.

Throughout the U.S. and Canada, there are 10,000 chapters. To find one near you, just go to tops.org.