MIRAMAR BEACH — Look Good Feel Better's next session is 5-7 p.m. Dec. 15 at Sacred Heart Hospital of the Emerald Coast, Olson’s Women’s Diagnostic Center, 7800 U.S. Highway 98 W., Miramar Beach.

Advance registration is required to provide cosmetics that match your skin tone.

This group program is open to all women with cancer who receive chemotherapy, radiation or other treatments.

Call the American Cancer Society, 1-800-227-2345, for details.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Look Good, Feel Better program scheduled

CRESTVIEW — North Okaloosa Medical Center is helping area residents learn about the Health Insurance Marketplace and enroll in affordable plans.

“As a primary health provider in Okaloosa County, we want to help educate residents in an easy-to-understand way, as well as assist those who haven’t yet signed up for health insurance or Medicaid, if qualified,” said David Fuller, CEO of North Okaloosa Medical Center.

ONE-ON-ONE HELP

The Marketplace offers U.S. citizens access to affordable health insurance. Depending on household income, some individuals may qualify for financial assistance from the government — subsidies — toward the cost of the premium.

All Marketplace health plans must offer comprehensive benefits, and individuals cannot be denied coverage based on a pre-existing condition.

Health benefits include preventive care and wellness services, doctor visits, prescription drugs, hospital and emergency department care, lab services and pediatric services, among others.

“During the next few months, we’ll be going out in the community to educate consumers, hosting in-hospital events, and meeting one-on-one to help these individuals find affordable coverage for themselves and their family," Fuller said. “With many people in our community lacking access to a computer or having difficulty enrolling on the government’s website, our application counselors can help.

"We can (help) individuals and their families evaluate the health plan options and determine if they are eligible for Medicaid or other financial assistance.”

MEDICAID

In all states, Medicaid provides health coverage for some low-income families and children, pregnant women, the elderly, and people with disabilities.

In some states, the program covers all low-income adults below a certain income level.

“Even though Florida has chosen not to expand Medicaid, there are still many individuals in our community who qualify for Medicaid coverage,” Fuller said. "We can help screen these individuals and, if they qualify, we can enroll them at any time, with health coverage beginning immediately.”

Though a major function of www.healthcare.gov is assessing whether individuals and families qualify for financial help to lower the cost of health insurance, North Okaloosa Medical Center application counselors can perform the same analysis and help with the sign-up process.

Need help? Call 689-8170 to make an appointment to meet with an application counselor.

DID YOU KNOW?

As part of the Affordable Care Act, most U.S. citizens must have health insurance.

If you can afford health insurance in 2015, but don’t sign up, you may have to pay a penalty ($325 per adult; $162.50 per child— up to $975 per family or 2 percent of family income, whichever is higher).

And, without insurance, you will be financially responsible for all your medical costs.

BY THE NUMBERS

During the first enrollment wave, October 2013 through March, almost 10 million uninsured individuals enrolled in a Marketplace plan.

Still, approximately 30 million Americans remain uninsured.

Learn more about the Health Insurance Marketplace at www.healthcare.gov.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: North Okaloosa Medical Center helps residents sign up for health insurance

FORT WALTON BEACH — The Great American Smokeout is Nov. 20. The Florida Department of Health in Okaloosa County and Tobacco Free Florida are encouraging tobacco users in Okaloosa County to quit on that day or to use the day to make a quit plan.

On Nov. 20, an Okaloosa County Tobacco Free Florida representative will be at Crestview Urgent Care, 2400-A South Ferdon Blvd., Crestview, to answer any questions related to tobacco cessation.

The Great American Smokeout, sponsored by the American Cancer Society, is currently in its 39th year. The observance raises awareness about the dangers of smoking and the many effective resources available to successfully quit.

While quitting tobacco is difficult, it is not impossible. There are more former smokers in Florida than there are current smokers. Those who have tried to quit in the past but relapsed are encouraged to try again. Many former smokers made several attempts before quitting permanently.

“There are free, evidence-based resources readily available for Floridians to increase their chances of successfully quitting tobacco,” said Tobacco Free Florida Bureau Chief Shannon Hughes. “These resources can be the start of a healthier life for you, your family and your community. “

OTHER WAYS TO QUIT

Tobacco Free Florida offers three free, easy ways to quit year round:

•CALL the Florida Quitline, 1-877-U-CAN-NOW, to speak with a coach who will help assess a user’s addiction and create a personalized quit plan.

•ENROLL in the Web Coach program, which helps create a web-based quit plan unique to each individual user at https://www.quitnow.net/florida.

•SIGN UP for group classes at Area Health Education Center. Call 850-682-2552 or visit the AHEC office at 1455 S. Ferdon Blvd., Crestview.

Since 2007, more than 93,400 Floridians have successfully quit using one of these free services. For more information, please visit www.tobaccofreeflorida.com.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: GREAT AMERICAN SMOKEOUT: Want to quit? Double your chances by making a plan

NICEVILLE— A seminar featuring Dr. Dean Jacks is planned at 6:15 p.m. Monday, Nov. 17 at Chiropractic Associates, 705 W. John Sims Parkway, Niceville.

The workshop topic is "Strengthening and Protecting Your Immune System."

To register, call 850-678-8048. Seating is limited.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Strengthening your immune system focus of upcoming workshop

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Internet lessons and “tailored” text alerts can help some young people adopt healthier lifestyles, according to a national study aimed at preventing weight gain.

Although experimental group students didn’t gain or lose more weight than their control group counterparts, researchers remain hopeful the Internet-message approach can work because it helped college students progress from what researchers call the “contemplative stage” to an “action stage.”

An example of the contemplative stage would be someone who’s thinking about trying to eat fatty foods less frequently, but hasn’t taken action to do so, while someone at the action stage would choose to eat a salad, instead.

In the study, students aged 18-24 received individually targeted messages. Some students were in the “pre-contemplative” stage; others fell into the “action” stage, while others were in various stages between those two.

The study, published online last week in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, found more students who received the Web messages ate more fruits and vegetables and were more physically active than those in the control group.

Researchers weren’t as concerned about students losing weight as they were with giving them strategies to lead healthier lives to prevent weight gain, said Karla Shelnutt, a University of Florida assistant professor in family, youth and community sciences.

Researchers remain optimistic about the model because they’re targeting their messages – what they refer to, collectively, as an “intervention” ─ to students’ readiness to live healthier lives.

“If your intervention resulted in a switch from pre-contemplation to contemplation, that’s a success because you’re closer to that behavior change because you’ve learned about the importance of fruits and vegetables,” said Shelnutt, an Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences faculty member.

Known as Project YEAH – Young Adults Eating and Active for Health – 1,639 students at 13 universities, including UF, participated in the 15-month study. They were split, 824 in the experimental group that received the targeted messages, and 815 who didn’t get messages.

During the study, participants received a combined 21 digital lessons and “nudges” to remind them to stay on task, Shelnutt said.

One such “nudge” would be to “focus on fruit and vary your veggies.” For those in the pre-contemplative stage, the message was: “Did you know that more tomatoes are consumed in the U.S. than any other single fruit or vegetable? Tomatoes contain lycopene, which helps your body prevent cancer.” For those in the “contemplative/preparation” stage, the message was: “Focus on varying your fruit and veggies. Does your plate look like a rainbow?”

Students were assessed at the start of the study, after three months of emails and web lessons and again after 15 months. Researchers found students who received the messages ate 0.2 cups more fruits and vegetables daily, and females did a bit more rigorous physical activity than those in the control group.

Kendra Kattelmann, a nutrition professor at South Dakota State University, led the study.

With more such studies in the future, including a student-developed social marketing campaign, Kattelmann’s group wants to help people aged 18 to 24 who are at high risk to gain weight because they eat more fatty foods, don’t get enough sleep or exercise, drink more alcohol and smoke more. These tendencies put overweight people in this age group at higher risk for obesity by their mid-30s.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: These text alerts are helping college students live healthier

If you buy your own health insurance, add this important date to your year-end to-do list: November 15.

That's the date open enrollment is available for individual healthcare plans offered through the Healthcare.gov site, your respective health insurance marketplace (https://www.healthcare.gov/medicaid-chip/eligibility/) or independent agents in your community.

If you're working for a company that provides your health insurance, chances are your open enrollment period has already begun. The SHOP insurance marketplace, open to small businesses and nonprofits with 50 or fewer full-time employees, also begins taking online applications November 15.

Here are six things you should know to get started:

1. Timing is tight. Last year's health insurance enrollment process lasted six months. This year, it's only three – November 15 to February 15. You may be able to enroll outside of those dates if you're facing a major life change like a divorce, birth of a child or marriage; otherwise, that's your window.

2. Sticker shock is a possibility. Obamacare didn't guarantee cheap healthcare coverage; it guaranteed available healthcare coverage. Keep in mind that if you bought health coverage last year, your insurer will automatically re-enroll you on December 15 for new coverage effective January 1. However, that's no guarantee that your monthly premium will stay the same. Some experts are predicting only modest increases (http://www.cnbc.com/id/102055144#.), but depending on where you live, your premiums might go up or down. And if your 2013 carrier grandfathered your 2014 coverage, those changes may go well beyond price.

3. Your doctors and hospitals might change. Hospitals and physician practices scrutinize the state of the health insurance market very closely. Their income depends on it. In 2013, some medical practices made news by dropping insurance plans altogether and accepting only cash or credit; others changed the insurance plans they would honor. Something to keep in mind: the best way to confirm that you'll still have access to your favorite doctor and hospital choice is to pick up the phone. Your doctor's website may list the particular insurance plans his or her practice may accept, but don't expect the list to be current. Call your practitioner or their business office to confirm they're sticking with your plan or any you've chosen to use instead. You don't want to be surprised with enormous out-of-network costs later.

4. Planning future health needs is important. If in the next year you're planning to expand your family, undergo elective surgery or other factors that could affect how you'll use the healthcare system, query the plans about specialists, prescriptions and other specific services before you sign up. It could save you thousands in potential out-of-pocket costs.

5. Coverage isn't immediate. Depending on when you enroll during the open enrollment period, your actual coverage may not start until two to six weeks later. Check effective dates of coverage for every plan you're evaluating to make sure the timing addresses your particular needs.

6. You can get help. Personal referrals from friends and fellow professionals to particular plans and agents are always a good way to start your enrollment search. There may also be nonprofit assistance within your community or state to help you evaluate individual plans. On the national level, nonprofit Enroll America runs a nationwide site (http://www.enrollamerica.org/resources/in-person-assistance/) with specific tools and resources for help in your search.

Start now to build a good toolbox full of online and personal resources to help you with your 2015 health insurance search. 

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: 6 must-know facts about Obamacare open enrollment