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  • How Do I Buy an Individual Health Insurance Plan?

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

    BCBSIL Connect Team
    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
  • Living With Diabetes? Find Big Eats on a Small Grocery Budget

    Blogs: Living With Diabetes? Find Big Eats on a Small Grocery Budget

    BCBSIL Connect Team
    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
  • Postpartum Health

    Blogs: Postpartum Health

    BCBSIL Connect Team
    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
  • Save Money With a Preferred Pharmacy

    Blogs: Save Money With a Preferred Pharmacy

    BCBSIL Connect Team
    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
  • How to Get the Most Out of Your Medicare Advantage Plan

    Blogs: How to Get the Most Out of Your Medicare Advantage Plan

    BCBSIL Connect Team
    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
  • Diabetes and the Risk for Kidney Disease

    Blogs: Diabetes and the Risk for Kidney Disease

    BCBSIL Connect Team
    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
  • No dejes que la gripe estacional te afecte

    Tu Salud: No dejes que la gripe estacional te afecte

    EquipoConnect
    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
  • Don't Let the Seasonal Flu Get You

    Blogs: Don't Let the Seasonal Flu Get You

    BCBSIL Connect Team
    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
  • Behavioral Health: Peeling Back the Onion

    Blogs: Behavioral Health: Peeling Back the Onion

    BCBSIL Connect Team
    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
  • Use Your Benefits With This Digital Hub

    Blogs: Use Your Benefits With This Digital Hub

    BCBSIL Connect Team
    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
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    Aclaremos las cosas: La verdad sobre los cigarrillos electrónicos, el vapeo y el tabaquismo

    EquipoConnect
    EquipoConnect September 9, 2025
    Muchas personas, en su mayoría adolescentes y adultos jóvenes, creen que usar cigarrillos electrónicos les hará lucir más distinguidos. También suelen pensar que son una opción más saludable que...
    • 5881 Views
  • https://connect.bcbsil.com/cfs-file/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-00-08/women-cancer-prevention.jpg

    Las mujeres pueden reducir el riesgo de padecer cáncer

    EquipoConnect
    EquipoConnect September 8, 2025
    Cuidarte a ti misma para reducir las probabilidades de padecer cáncer es un gran objetivo de salud. Pero, ¿exactamente cómo puedes lograrlo? La atención médica preventiva, incluidos los exámenes preventivos, ...
    • 128 Views
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    What Is Metabolic Syndrome?

    BCBSIL Connect Team
    BCBSIL Connect Team September 3, 2025
    Metabolic syndrome is a set of risk factors that can trigger a trio of life-threatening diseases. You are more likely to have it if you are overweight or don’t get enough exercise. About one out of every three adults in the U.S. have it. &ldquo....
    • 6621 Views
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    How Bystanders Can Help Stop Bullying

    BCBSIL Connect Team
    BCBSIL Connect Team September 2, 2025
    Bystanders can play a key role in stopping bullying — both in school and online. Help your kids learn what it means to stand up for someone who is bullied. Sadly, bullying among kids and teens is still very common in the U.S. About 20% of all s....
    • 7658 Views
  • https://connect.bcbsil.com/cfs-file/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-00-02/GetYourEnergyBack.jpg

    What Can You Do to Get Your Energy Back?

    BCBSIL Connect Team
    BCBSIL Connect Team August 28, 2025
    Feel like the energy has just drained out of your body? Your habits and routine may be behind your fatigue. The good news is that you can make changes to beat some common energy zappers. And unless your lack of energy stems from an injury or health...
    • 23713 Views
  • https://connect.bcbsil.com/cfs-file/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-00-08/Diabetes-and-depression.jpg

    El vínculo entre la diabetes y la depresión

    EquipoConnect
    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...
    • 4577 Views
  • https://connect.bcbsil.com/cfs-file/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-00-02/5226.diabetes-and-depression.jpg

    The Link Between Diabetes and Depression

    BCBSIL Connect Team
    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 .....
    • 14173 Views
  • https://connect.bcbsil.com/cfs-file/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-00-02/diabetes_2D00_complications.jpg

    Protect Yourself with Careful Diabetes Management

    BCBSIL Connect Team
    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...
    • 14892 Views
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    Autism Spectrum Disorder and Your Child: What You Need to Know

    BCBSIL Connect Team
    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....
    • 48526 Views
  • https://connect.bcbsil.com/cfs-file/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-00-08/catch-colon-cancer.jpg

    Detecta el cáncer de colon a tiempo con un examen preventivo

    EquipoConnect
    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...
    • 5401 Views
  • https://connect.bcbsil.com/cfs-file/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-00-02/WomenCoughing.jpg

    Clear the Air: The Truth About E-Cigarettes, Vaping and Smoking

    BCBSIL Connect Team
    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...
    • 16716 Views
  • https://connect.bcbsil.com/cfs-file/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-00-02/fat-around-middle-banner.jpg

    Watch Your Waist: Fat Around the Middle Can Be Dangerous

    BCBSIL Connect Team
    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...
    • 32572 Views
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    Get a Mammogram: Early Detection Saves Lives

    BCBSIL Connect Team
    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...
    • 82520 Views
  • https://connect.bcbsil.com/cfs-file/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-00-02/yearly-health-screenings.jpg

    Have You Had Your Health Screenings This Year?

    BCBSIL Connect Team
    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...
    • 24276 Views
  • https://connect.bcbsil.com/cfs-file/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-00-02/cold-flu-allergies-COVID.jpg

    Is It Cold, Flu, Allergies or COVID-19?

    BCBSIL Connect Team
    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...
    • 56942 Views
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