• Make Your Health a Priority with Preventive Care

    Blogs: Make Your Health a Priority with Preventive Care

    BCBSIL Connect Team
    You owe it to yourself to take care of your health. One good place to start is by scheduling your yearly preventive health care exam. Preventive care is very important for people of all ages. Scheduling an annual preventive care visit will give you a...
  • End Your Energy Slump

    Blogs: End Your Energy Slump

    BCBSIL Connect Team
    Do you sometimes feel like the energy has just drained from your body? You’re not the only one feeling more tired, more often. Many people have lifestyles that lead to frequently feeling tired. There are simple steps you can take to have more e...
  • Winterize Your Exercise, Indoors and Out

    Blogs: Winterize Your Exercise, Indoors and Out

    BCBSIL Connect Team
    Has old man winter blown away some of your exercise motivation? Even though it’s cold outside, your muscles still need to feel the burn. You can beat midwinter workout blahs by switching things up. Just 30 minutes of moderate activity most days...
  • Managing Diabetes? You Have a Partner Who Can Help

    Blogs: Managing Diabetes? You Have a Partner Who Can Help

    BCBSIL Connect Team
    If you’re living with diabetes, think of your primary care provider (PCP) as your partner in taking charge of your health. You can work together to successfully manage your diabetes so you can stay healthier. It’s important to get the reg...
  • Keep Your Member ID Card Close

    Blogs: Keep Your Member ID Card Close

    BCBSIL Connect Team
    It might be a thin piece of plastic tucked in your wallet until you need it. Or it might be something you find in an app on your phone. Either way, your member ID card packs a wallop. What else holds everything you need to take care of your health? W...
  • Who Makes Decisions About My Health Care?

    Blogs: Who Makes Decisions About My Health Care?

    BCBSIL Connect Team
    This article is intended for HMO members enrolled in an employer health insurance plan. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois provides coverage for your health care. But you and your doctor are in the best position to make decisions about treatment....
  • What Is Diabetes?

    Blogs: What Is Diabetes?

    BCBSIL Connect Team
    Diabetes is taking a serious toll on our nation. About 38 million Americans suffer from the life-threatening disease — and the numbers keep growing. With diabetes, the body can no longer make enough insulin or use the insulin it does make to c...
  • 5 Ways to Beat Holiday Stress

    Blogs: 5 Ways to Beat Holiday Stress

    BCBSIL Connect Team
    While `tis the season to be jolly, for many of us the holiday season can also be a stressful time. With all the pressure to cook, gather and shop, it’s no wonder we feel overwhelmed during the holidays. The weight of stress can affect our heal...
  • Why Is It Important To Donate Platelets?

    Blogs: Why Is It Important To Donate Platelets?

    BCBSIL Connect Team
    Blood platelet transfusions can save the lives of people with low platelet counts or malfunctioning platelets, says the American Red Cross. What Are Platelets? Platelets are tiny cells that flow through your blood. Their main job is to prevent and st...
  • Donating Blood: Common Myths Debunked

    Blogs: Donating Blood: Common Myths Debunked

    BCBSIL Connect Team
    Blood donations save lives, and the need for blood has never been greater. Every two seconds, someone in the U.S. needs blood or platelets, says the American Red Cross. More people, more illness, even more natural disasters around the world mean we n...
  • https://connect.bcbsil.com/cfs-file/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-00-02/new-protect-peepers.jpg

    Protect Those Pretty Peepers

    Our eyes are a vital part of our health, but it’s easy to take them for granted. It’s important to make sure you keep them healthy. Here’s how you can keep your eyes healthy and injury-free. Have a yearly comprehensive dilated eye...
    • 20801 Views
  • https://connect.bcbsil.com/cfs-file/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-00-05/7282.priorauthorization.jpg

    Prior Authorization: What You Need to Know

    Understanding your health insurance is the best way to enjoy all its benefits. When you know what steps you need to take before treatment, things go more smoothly. One of the most important steps is prior authorization. Many times, your doctor will...
    • 93326 Views
  • https://connect.bcbsil.com/cfs-file/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-00-02/technology-and-exercise.jpg

    Can Turning to Technology Help You Get Fit?

    Want to get more exercise, but something often seems to get in the way? You’re tired. You think you don’t have time. Or you just forget. We know we need exercise to feel better and help prevent obesity, heart disease and other health prob...
    • 4589 Views
  • https://connect.bcbsil.com/cfs-file/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-00-08/colon-cancer-warning-signs.jpg

    Cáncer de colon: conoce las señales de advertencia

    A nadie le gusta hablar sobre el cáncer de colon. Y eso está bien, siempre y cuando tomes medidas para prevenirlo. Al fin, el cáncer de colon es la segunda causa principal de muerte por cáncer en los Estados Unid...
    • 2913 Views
  • https://connect.bcbsil.com/cfs-file/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-00-02/colon-cancer-warning-signs.jpg

    Colon Cancer: Know the Warning Signs

    No one likes to talk about colon cancer. And that’s OK, as long as you take action. After all, colon cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States. You can take steps to protect yourself. March is Colorectal Canc...
    • 6552 Views
  • https://connect.bcbsil.com/cfs-file/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-00-08/diabetes-check-with-doctor.jpg

    ¿Padece diabetes? A continuación, le brindamos más información sobre lo que esto implica

    La mayoría de los alimentos que consumimos se convierten en glucosa (es decir, azúcar). Nuestros cuerpos usan este azúcar para alimentar nuestras células con la energía que necesitan para funcionar de manera correct...
    • 1438 Views
  • https://connect.bcbsil.com/cfs-file/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-00-17/2158.MedicareInHomeDiabetesExercise_5F00_232927027.jpeg

    In-Home Diabetes Care: The Importance of Moving

    Diabetes management is about more than food and medication. It's important to stay physically active, too. When you exercise, your muscles use sugar for energy. This helps reduce glucose levels without added insulin. A study by Mayo Clinic found...
    • 5989 Views
  • https://connect.bcbsil.com/cfs-file/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-00-17/8233.Nurseline_5F00_gpd.jpg

    Nurseline: Get Your Questions Answered

    Health issues don’t always follow a 9-to-5 schedule. Sometimes, problems and questions come up at the worst possible times (like 8 o’clock on a Friday night, or when you’re on your way to a family reunion). It's tempting to hop on t...
    • 16554 Views
  • https://connect.bcbsil.com/cfs-file/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-00-17/0358.GettyImages_2D00_107429830.jpg

    Tips for Using Your HMO

    There’s a better way to use your health maintenance organization (HMO) plan. Start with your primary care provider (PCP). Your PCP knows how to help you get the health care you need. It’s an important relationshi...
    • 6052 Views
  • https://connect.bcbsil.com/cfs-file/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-00-17/vaccine-shutterstock_5F00_175429211.jpg

    Fending Off the Flu Bug

    It’s flu season. No one wants to suffer through the aches, pains and general misery of being down and out with the flu virus. So what’s your plan to avoid it? You could stay home and avoid contact with all other humans. You could tr...
    • 19246 Views
  • https://connect.bcbsil.com/cfs-file/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-00-02/why-aren_2700_t-you-sleeping.jpg

    Why Aren’t You Sleeping?

    Feeling more groggy than usual? You know you’re not waking up refreshed from a good night’s sleep. But what’s keeping you from sleeping? Turns out, there are many potential obstacles to getting and staying asleep. You can improve yo...
    • 38776 Views
  • https://connect.bcbsil.com/cfs-file/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-00-02/5483.levels-of-care.jpg

    Learn About Different Levels of Mental Health and Substance Use Treatment

    Would you know what to do if a friend or family member needed help with a mental health or substance use issue? What kind of help would they need? Who could help? Not knowing what to do can be scary and confusing. But there are many things you can...
    • 26125 Views
  • https://connect.bcbsil.com/cfs-file/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-00-02/1667.candyapplies.jpg

    Wait, That's Sugar, Too?

    If you’re trying to watch your weight, chances are you’ve indulged in something sweet with a sugar substitute. It seems like a good way to enjoy a treat without all the calories, right? These sugar substitutes are often made from high-int...
    • 5788 Views
  • https://connect.bcbsil.com/cfs-file/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-00-08/diabetes-risks.jpg

    Factores de riesgo de la diabetes

    Si pudiera evitar una enfermedad que cambia la vida, lo haría, ¿cierto? Pues, conocer los factores de riesgo de la diabetes y hacer algo para controlarlos, puede marcar la diferencia para millones de estadounidenses que tienen riesgo d...
    • 4193 Views
  • https://connect.bcbsil.com/cfs-file/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-00-02/diabetes-check-with-doctor.jpg

    Living with Diabetes? Learn More About What It Means

    Most of the food we eat is turned into glucose (sugar). Our bodies use this sugar to fuel our cells with the energy they need to work the right way. It’s a fine balance, though. When blood sugar levels are higher than they should be, it ca...
    • 5614 Views

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