BlueCross BlueShield of Illinois Launches “Be Covered Illinois” Campaign to Raise Awareness of Individual Health Insurance Enrollment Options

BlueCross BlueShield of Illinois (BCBSIL) on April 11th launched a statewide education and outreach initiative targeting Illinois’ uninsured residents. The “Be Covered Illinois” campaign, which will be funded by BCBSIL and supported by various community and civic groups, will focus on helping the state’s uninsured population understand how the new health care law impacts them and what steps they need to take to gain access to individual health insurance. The enrollment period for uninsured Illinoisans opens in October, with health care plans beginning in January 2014.

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Healthy Lifestyle May Offset Job Stress, Study Finds

Risk for heart disease rises when workers drink, smoke or overeat.

Job stress increases the risk of heart disease, but living a healthy lifestyle can significantly reduce that risk, a new study says.

Researchers examined data from more than 102,000 men and women, aged 17 to 70, in the United Kingdom, France, Belgium, Sweden and Finland. Their lifestyles were rated in one of three categories — healthy, moderately unhealthy or unhealthy — based on smoking, alcohol consumption, exercise/inactivity and obesity.

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National Women’s Health Week — May 12-18, 2013

Has it been more than a year since you’ve seen your doctor? Visiting the doctor regularly to receive routine care and important screening tests is one step you can take to live a healthier life.

The 11th annual National Women’s Checkup Day is Monday, May 13, during National Women’s Health Week. The Office on Women’s Health encourages women everywhere to participate in National Women’s Checkup Day by:

Contacting your current health care provider to schedule a checkup or visit to get an important screening during the month of May.

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The Heat is On: What Employers Can Do to Protect Employees from Heat-Related Illness

From IMA member Jackson Lewis

As a cold winter finally comes to an end, many of us look forward to summertime warmth. But while sun and heat may make for a fun day at the beach, they can spell danger for workers who are exposed to soaring temperatures and a rising heat index. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”), thousands of workers in the United States get sick from excessive heat exposure while working outdoors each year and more than 30 workers died in 2012 from heat-related illnesses.

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Many Americans Breathing Cleaner Air: Report

But some cities continue to have dangerously high levels of ozone and soot.

Although many Americans are now breathing cleaner air, others are living in cities that are more polluted than they were a decade ago, a new report shows.

“The long-term trend is positive and headed to much cleaner air,” said report author Janice Nolen, assistant vice president of national policy and advocacy for the American Lung Association. “[However], there is an uptick in some areas that are a concern and some areas where the problem remains very, very serious.”

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