• Blogs: Make Your Health a Priority with Preventive Care

    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...
  • Blogs: End Your Energy Slump

    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...
  • Blogs: Winterize Your Exercise, Indoors and Out

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

    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...
  • Blogs: Keep Your Member ID Card Close

    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...
  • Blogs: Who Makes Decisions About My Health Care?

    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....
  • Blogs: What Is Diabetes?

    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...
  • Blogs: 5 Ways to Beat Holiday Stress

    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...
  • Blogs: Why Is It Important To Donate Platelets?

    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...
  • Blogs: Donating Blood: Common Myths Debunked

    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...
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    Pneumonia: A Lung Infection Can Affect Heart Health

    Every year, nearly one million people in the United States end up in the hospital with pneumonia. Along with making breathing difficult, the infection places stress on the heart. The added stress raises the risk for heart attack, stroke and dying...
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    How In-Home Test Kits Fit Into Your Schedule

    There are things you love to do and things you have to do. Some health screenings fall into the latter. For example, you may not be eager to have a colonoscopy. You're not alone. There’s a way you can dial down the dread. W...
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    Diet Drinks Are Soda-licious, but Come With a Price

    If you have a sugar craving, but don’t want to gain weight, then a diet soda is the perfect option, right? Not necessarily. Research shows that drinking diet soda may have harmful effects on your health. From strokes to weight gain, diet drinks....
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    ¿Qué servicios están incluidos en mi cobertura médica?

    Su cobertura médica incluye una serie de suministros y servicios para ayudarles a que usted y su familia se mantengan sanos. La mayoría de las coberturas médicas incluyen: servicios de emergencia; servicios para pacientes ambula...
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    What Does My Health Insurance Plan Cover?

    Your health insurance plan covers a number of items and services to help keep you and your family healthy. Most medical plans cover: Emergency care Outpatient services Hospitalization Maternity and newborn care Mental health and substance use treatm...
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    Wellness “U”: Tips to Stop Binge Drinking

    College is all about studying until your brain hurts, figuring out your future, making life-long friends — and drinking? Alcohol has become one of the most popular ways college students unwind. In fact, almost 54% of college students ages 18 to....
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    Make Your Home Asthma Safe

    Home is where the heart is, but it’s also loaded with asthma triggers. Many asthma triggers are hiding in plain sight in the bedroom, common living spaces, kitchen and bathrooms. There are two main types of asthma triggers: all...
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    Diabetes Risk Factors

    If you could spare yourself from a life-changing disease, you’d do it, right? For millions of Americans, paying attention to diabetes risk factors and doing something to control them can make all the difference. With diabetes, the body can no l....
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    Let’s Clear the Air About Lung Cancer Screening

    Every cigarette shaves 11 minutes off your lifespan. When you quit smoking, you give yourself more time to do the things you enjoy with the people you love. The minute you stop smoking is the minute you lower your risk for lung cancer — the lea....
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    Make a Plan to Manage Your Asthma

    If you have asthma, you can help yourself by actively managing your condition. Work with your doctor to create a care plan called an asthma action plan . And make sure you’re doing all you can to manage your condition. If you have medicin...
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    Your Doctors Need to Talk to Each Other About Your Care

    You and your primary care provider (PCP) work together to make sure you are in the best health possible for you. It’s a two-way street. Your doctor uses training and know-how to guide you. But to provide the best guidance, your doctor needs you....
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    Is It Cold, Flu, Allergies or COVID-19?

    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...
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    How to Prevent a Heart Attack

    The best way to survive a heart attack is to never have one. How can you prevent becoming one of the millions of Americans who suffer a heart attack? There is actually a lot you can do to protect your heart. Knowing the risks and symptoms of heart...
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    The Link Between Nutrition and Mental Health

    You’ve likely heard the cliché a million times — “You are what you eat.” So you might nosh on foods reported to lower your blood pressure, strengthen your bones or burn belly fat. You might even load up on brain food t...
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    ¿Tu hijo está teniendo problemas de salud mental?

    Los niños tienen mucho en la mente. Siempre están aprendiendo cosas nuevas y enfrentándose a retos que nunca han manejado. Y la pandemia ha hecho las cosas aún más difíciles para muchos niños. Han teni...
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