Health care....a kitchen table discussion



Health care is a major kitchen table discussion among moms and dads across America.  According to a 2010 article by USA TODAY, " in 2010, 50.7 million Americans were without health care". My husband and I have spent many evenings discussing our family's health care status. Even though we were business owners, we could not afford to pay for private insurance. Most people think that it's the unemployed that go without insurance, but it's also those who work and make too much for State funded insurance but not enough for private insurance.

Health care is a right not a privilege. Parents should be able to provide that one fundamental safety net for their children....Health care. During the time we were uninsured, my oldest son broke his ankle, my younger son had several asthma attacks and I had an ectopic pregnancy! Thankfully, we had friends who are doctors and we made it through those difficult times getting the care we needed. But what about those families who have no where to turn?  I firmly believe that we are our brothers and sisters keepers. It's our job to support  moms who may be in this situation and need help and guidance through these difficult times. No time for pride nor embarrassment because a 'closed mouth won't get fed'. Speak out and seek help among friends. We are here to help each other. Most families are living paycheck to paycheck. The middle class as we know it seems to have disappeared.  We must be willing to support and encourage those who are having difficulty. Reach out to families whom you know are without insurance. There are state funded programs that can help them.

A report funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation estimates the effects the Affordable Care Act. A portion of The report, written by Urban Institute researchers are as follows:

■The share of adults under age 65 without health insurance would decline by 28 million, from 18.6 to 8.3 percent.


■Costs of uncompensated care provided to the uninsured would drop by 61 percent, from $69.6 billion to $27.3 billion.

■Nearly 30 percent of those who would have been uninsured without reform would be covered by Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Another 20 percent would be covered through the new health insurance exchanges and an additional 10 percent would be covered by private insurance outside the exchanges. Of the remaining 40 percent—those who would still be uninsured—most would be eligible for Medicaid or CHIP but are expected to choose not to enroll.

■The expansion of Medicaid would enroll 13 million adults and nearly 4 million children.

■About 44 million people under age 65 would be covered through health insurance exchanges. About half, 23 million, would be covered by nongroup insurance, the rest by employer-sponsored exchange plans.

This is good news but until these go into full effect under the Affordable Care Act, we need to support each other and find ways that we can help. Talk to your friends and be a friend. Be supportive, be understanding, be healthy and embrace your journey.

Resources:
Benefits.gov
Gettingcovered.org
Healthcare.gov

A Morning of Wellness

A Morning of Wellness is not solely for mothers. It's for  individuals who are interested in taking control of their health and ready to make a lifestyle change. It's also geared towards those who want to start their day with fun and enjoy being around wonderful families. Finally, it's for the individual who's looking for a 'stress buster' and eager to get started living a healthy lifestyle.



National Women's Health Week: May 8-14, 2011

Photo: At the end of a hike with son

As women and mothers we tend to put the needs of all others ahead of ourselves. This is your time. This is our time to take care of ourselves.  Let us make health and wellness our # 1 priority this month. National Women's Health Week is May 8-14.  I urge you to commit to something that encourages wellness. Do some form of  movement (ex. walk, dance, run, aerobic class) make healthy choices during mealtime, meditate or be in tune with your mental wellness. Do some form of preventive health screening(diabetes, blood pressure, cancer).  Make an appointment to visit your doctor this month.

Check your local listings for events that promote wellness this week. Health fairs, screenings and other fun activities will be taking place nationwide to promote women's health. Make a commitment to focus on you this week. Women are the building blocks of their families and by extension, the entire community. It's time to get moving and this week is a great way to Spring into Health.

According to LetsMove.gov  "This year, the Office on Women’s Health is partnering with the President's Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition to support their program, The President’s Challenge—a program that promotes the importance of moving every day and choosing a physical activity that you like so that you will stick with it."

It's time to make that commitment to be in charge of your well being and I hope you take up the challenge this week. Let me know what activity you'll commit to this week to promote your well being.  Be inspired, be brave, be healthy, be balanced and embrace your journey!

Mum needs a time-out!

This week has been so exhausting for me. I have to accept that no one is organized all the time. I pride myself as being very organized. I'm not a 'multi-tasker'. I don't even know what that means. The way I see it, my brain only allows me to do one task at a time. However, I'm a woman who sets tasks and executes them. Not this week though. I'm a mess! I'm not able to focus.  I need a timeout.

Most moms, if not all, get burnt out at some point. I just don't understand why I'm burnt out at this time! I'm exercising daily. I'm doing yoga weekly, I get down time and my diet is good. WHY do I feel this way? Am I guilty of masking stress once again? I don't think I am. My responsibility at work has increased and has been overwhelming. Perhaps it's more overwhelming than I've admitted to myself.  This space I'm in makes me feel uncomfortable and very vulnerable. I need a timeout.

It's time for me to tap into my inner-self and be present. There comes a time when we are guilty of doing too much. There comes a time when we need to say 'no'. That's difficult for me. However, in order to avert a mental breakdown....I need to stop and take a timeout. I need to spend some quality time in prayer and ask for guidance in managing my stress. It's time for me to stop attempting to play the role of 'super-woman' and seek Divine help. If I continue to throw too many balls in the air, eventually one would hit the ground; so I'm giving myself permission to take a timeout.

A timeout for moms can mean several things. For some it's time at the spa, for others, a night out with friends. Normally, this would be the timeout I would seek. However, this time, I need to find a quiet space and spend sometime with me. I need to organize my thoughts and prioritize my 'to-do' list. I need to stop feeling the need to help 'everyone'. Most of all, I need to ask for help when needed. I seldom do that.

So if you're like me  and having a tough week or feeling burnt out, give yourself permission to take a timeout and re-evaluate your priorities.  Give yourself the gift of self this Mothers' Day. Treasure the journey of motherhood but don't get lost along the way. Find time for yourself so that you can replenish and renew.  Your family would thank you for it. If we become depleted, we will have nothing to give. So give yourself a timeout. Be relaxed, be recharged, be balanced and embrace your journey. Happy Mothers' Day!

Cinco de Mayo

AP/Photo- Members of Ballet Folklorico

This Thursday is Cinco de Mayo. This Mexican Festival is the celebration of the victory at the Battle of Puebla (May 5, 1862). It is a commemoration of the victory of 5,000 Mestizo and Zapotec Indians over 6,000 of the French Foreign Legion. Major celebrations will be taking place throughout the US and Mexico.

I love celebrations and incorporating them into my everyday life. That's why I'll be making a change to this week's menu to expose my family to the festive Mexican culture.  So I'll be heading to the supermarket to grab ingredients for fajitas. The beautiful thing about making fajitas is that you can prepare some stuff in advance. My flank steak will sit in a marinade overnight. The guacamole will be made the night before and my salsa will be store bought. The veggies will be cut and stored in a plastic baggie overnight as well. That way when I return from work on Thursday, dinner should take less that 30 mins to prepare! All ingredients for the meal will be placed on the table and everyone can build their own fajita!

This is a great way to introduce your family to a different culture and have fun at dinner time. So dare yourself to try something different for dinner and have fun with your family. Be adventurous, be festive, be balanced and embrace your journey!