Connect Community - BCBSIL

Blogs: How Do I Buy an Individual Health Insurance Plan?

BCBSIL Connect Team

There are two times when you can buy health insurance — during open enrollment and special enrollment. Open enrollment starts on Nov. 1 each year. Any other sign-up time falls under special enrollment. To buy health insurance during speci...
- October 21, 2024
Blogs: Living With Diabetes? Find Big Eats on a Small Grocery Budget

BCBSIL Connect Team

Food choices are so important when diabetes is part of your day-to-day life. Here’s something to keep in mind: The best healthy meal plan for those living with diabetes isn’t very different from one for people without diabetes. Our bodies...
- October 21, 2024
Blogs: Postpartum Health

BCBSIL Connect Team

The days and weeks after giving birth are often a happy time. They're also a period of adjustment and healing for mothers. While you bond with your baby, make time for a post-delivery checkup with your provider. Your doctor plays an important role i...
- October 19, 2024
Blogs: Save Money With a Preferred Pharmacy

BCBSIL Connect Team

Did you know your health plan may offer a preferred pharmacy network? When you use a preferred pharmacy, you pay the lowest out-of-pocket cost on covered prescription drugs. With your Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois prescription drug plan, you...
- October 18, 2024
Blogs: How to Get the Most Out of Your Medicare Advantage Plan

BCBSIL Connect Team

Welcome to Medicare Advantage. We’re glad you’re a Blue Cross Medicare Advantage member. Ready to make the most of your health care plan? Start with these steps: Plan your Annual Wellness Visit. With no copay and no cost to you...
- October 18, 2024
Blogs: Diabetes and the Risk for Kidney Disease

BCBSIL Connect Team

If you have diabetes, you may not know about an important measure to protect your kidneys. What do your kidneys have to do with diabetes? It turns out, people living with diabetes have a higher risk of kidney disease. More than 35 million adults in ...
- October 18, 2024
Tu Salud: No dejes que la gripe estacional te afecte

EquipoConnect

Vacunarte contra la gripe puede ayudarte a gozar de buena salud. La temporada de gripe comienza en octubre y llega a su pico más álgido entre diciembre y febrero. Por lo tanto, si aún no te has vacunado contra la gripe, no esper...
- October 16, 2024
Blogs: Don't Let the Seasonal Flu Get You

BCBSIL Connect Team

Getting a flu shot can help you stay healthy. Flu season usually starts in October and peaks between December and February. As many have learned, it can linger through the spring. If you didn't get a flu shot before the start of the season, ask your...
- October 16, 2024
Blogs: Behavioral Health: Peeling Back the Onion

BCBSIL Connect Team

It is an understatement to say humans are complex creatures. So many factors affect who we are. Genetics, upbringing, our environment, family dynamics, friendships, love and work relationships — and, yes, even our behaviors. They’re all t...
- October 15, 2024
Blogs: Use Your Benefits With This Digital Hub

BCBSIL Connect Team

Understanding your health benefits is important. Still, it may be confusing at times. It can even seem complicated if your employer offers a lot of benefits. Often, people don’t make the most of their health benefits simply because they’r...
- October 10, 2024

El vínculo entre la diabetes y la depresión

EquipoConnect August 26, 2025

La salud mental involucra muchas partes de la vida diaria. Afecta los pensamientos y las emociones, y cómo controlas el estrés, te relacionas con otros y tomas decisiones. La salud general incluye los pensamientos y las emociones. No es...
- 4629 Views
The Link Between Diabetes and Depression

BCBSIL Connect Team August 26, 2025

Your mental health touches so many parts of your daily life. It affects how you think and feel, handle stress, relate to others, and make choices. Your thoughts and feelings affect how healthy you are. It isn’t surprising that having a mental .....
- 14238 Views
Protect Yourself with Careful Diabetes Management

BCBSIL Connect Team August 26, 2025

Everything you do to take care of yourself helps you lead a better life. And if you have diabetes, making healthy life choices and working with your doctor can help save you from bigger health problems later. Diabetes is all about blood sugar and...
- 15004 Views
Autism Spectrum Disorder and Your Child: What You Need to Know

BCBSIL Connect Team August 26, 2025

Parenting means helping your children grow, develop and navigate the world. It’s no different for parents of children with autism spectrum disorder. Yet they face a unique set of challenges. Taking action early can make a real difference in nav....
- 48763 Views
Detecta el cáncer de colon a tiempo con un examen preventivo

EquipoConnect August 26, 2025

Excluyendo los cánceres de piel, el cáncer colorrectal es el cuarto tipo de cáncer más común en los Estados Unidos. Es la cuarta causa de muerte relacionada con el cáncer en los Estados Unidos según la...
- 5480 Views
Clear the Air: The Truth About E-Cigarettes, Vaping and Smoking

BCBSIL Connect Team August 26, 2025

Many people, mostly teens and young adults, think using e-cigs will make them look more stylish. They also often think they are a healthier choice than smoking cigarettes. Whether they look like cigarettes, pipes, pens or lipstick holders, they all...
- 16825 Views
Watch Your Waist: Fat Around the Middle Can Be Dangerous

BCBSIL Connect Team August 26, 2025

We all know that carrying extra weight is not healthy. But do you know that where you carry your weight matters? It turns out that not all fat is the same. Fat at the waistline can indicate an increased risk for some serious health problems. Visceral...
- 33324 Views
Get a Mammogram: Early Detection Saves Lives

BCBSIL Connect Team August 26, 2025

Finding breast cancer early is the best way to prevent deaths from breast cancer. Getting regular screening tests is the best way to find breast cancer early. About 1 in 8 American women will get breast cancer at some point in their lives. Each year...
- 83009 Views
Have You Had Your Health Screenings This Year?

BCBSIL Connect Team August 26, 2025

Your annual wellness visit and health screenings play an important role in catching small health problems before they become big ones. Add your annual exam and health screenings to your to-do list to make sure they get done. If you still need some...
- 24601 Views
Is It Cold, Flu, Allergies or COVID-19?

BCBSIL Connect Team August 25, 2025

If you have sniffles, sneezes, coughing or sore throat, it can be hard to tell if your symptoms are from allergies, a cold, the flu, COVID-19 or RSV. Until you know for sure what’s causing your symptoms, it’s always good to err on the sid...
- 57353 Views
Get Ready for Open Enrollment

BCBSIL Connect Team August 25, 2025

If you want to buy a new individual and family health plan or choose a different one, get the details you need before open enrollment starts on Nov. 1. Break the task into easy-to-handle steps. Keep the Deadlines in Mind Open enrollment ends Jan...
- 42272 Views
Prepárate para el Período de inscripción abierta

EquipoConnect August 25, 2025

Juntar la información que necesitas antes del inicio del Periodo de inscripción abierta ayuda a simplificar todo el proceso. Si divides la tarea en pasos fáciles de manejar, incluso puedes ahorrarte algunas preocupacion...
- 5170 Views
Información importante sobre las pruebas de cáncer de próstata

EquipoConnect August 21, 2025

El cáncer de próstata es el cáncer interno más común en los hombres estadounidenses (con excepción del cáncer de la piel). Sin embargo, es difícil saber cuándo hay que hacerse la pr...
- 3506 Views
What You Need to Know About Prostate Cancer Testing

BCBSIL Connect Team August 21, 2025

Prostate cancer is the most common non-skin cancer in American men. But when to get screened for it isn’t an easy decision. Talking with your doctor can help you choose what’s best for you. Testing Recommendations The U.S. Preventive Ser...
- 19296 Views
Proper Oral Care for You and Your Baby

BCBSIL Connect Team August 20, 2025

Pregnancy and welcoming a newborn baby can be an exciting time. It’s easy to be busy making plans and preparations, but one aspect of your health not always discussed during this time is making sure you keep up with good dental care. Good denta....
- 5033 Views

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