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THE ARIZONA REPUBLIC
A SPECIAL PUBLICATION CREATED BY REPUBLIC MEDIA CUSTOM PUBLISHING
HEALTH-CARE NEWS YOU CAN USE FOR YOUR WHOLE FAMILY
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Vol. 2, N No. 12
December 2012
HEALTH-CARE News
Women and the Affordable Care Act
ACA emphasizes preventive care, especially for women
BY DEBRA GELBART
As a result of the passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), women now have access to a range of preventive services that require no payment from the patient.
Eliminates financial barriers
Important services “Mammography, cervical cancer screening and anything related to preparing for childbirth are especially important benefits,” said Heather Jelonek, chief operating officer for the John C. Lincoln Accountable Care Organization (ACO). An ACO is a group of health-care providers who agree to share responsibility for the total cost of care for a designated group of fee-for-service Medicare patients. In addition, screening for sexually transmitted infections in sexually active women can permit earlier treatment before the situation becomes more complicated, Jelonek said. Shah cites the yearly well-woman exam benefit as particularly important. Along with a Pap test and a mammogram order (if needed) and/or birth control counseling (if needed), the well-woman exam gives a doctor an opportunity to discuss other issues, including medical risks based on family history. “The ACA allows us as a medical community to focus on population medicine in addition to individual medicine,” Dearing said. “Through both the ACA and electronic medical records, we’re now identifying patients in the practice, particularly those with chronic health conditions, who we haven’t seen for awhile and encouraging them to come to the office for a check-up.”
“The stress we have in the holidays is based on expectations. We create expectations that a lot of people, including ourselves, can’t meet, and then we’re disappointed.”
RICK D’ELIA
“The ACA eliminates financial barriers patients have faced when trying to access preventive care,” said Jim Dearing, D.O., a family medicine physician and the chief medical officer for the John C. Lincoln Physician Network. “It’s always the best policy to prevent a disorder or disease rather than wait until it manifests itself and then deal with it.” Pooja Shah, M.D., an OB-GYN with the Banner Health Clinic in Mesa agrees. “Often women are so busy that they leave their health off their priority list,” she said. “As a health-care provider, I emphasize to my patients the importance of regular health checks.”
— Chip Coffey, MATC, LPC, St. Luke’s Behavioral Health Center Chip Coffey, MATC, LPC, director of therapy services at St. Luke’s Behavioral Health Center, said that to keep holiday stress at bay, people should participate in activities they enjoy. For him, that means hiking and photography, an activity he finds very calming and soothing.
‘Tis the season...for stress! Experts offer tips on tackling holiday stress
W
hile pressures to celebrate, buy the perfect present and remain perpetually cheerful can feel overwhelming this time of year, the key, experts say, is setting boundaries and remembering what makes you truly happy. Here are a few tips to help you cope with holiday stress.
Stick to priorities
Work and family commitments, plus shopping, baking and celebrations can fill anyone’s calendar. When you start to feel that pang of stress, that means your body is telling you to re-prioritize. “When we’re under stress, we stop doing the things that make us feel good,” said Michael Weinberg, Ph.D, LPC, behavioral health services senior manager at Banner Thunderbird Medical Center. “That’s a mistake. If a nice walk in the morning helps you feel better, take one not only in the morning, but in the evening also. Increase the behaviors that give you balance instead of not even doing them because you don’t have the time. They’re the activities that will help you deal with the stressors you have little control over.” Chip Coffey, MATC, LPC, director of therapy services at St. Luke’s Behavioral Health Center, agrees. “The hardest part is sticking to our life routine while all this is
going on,” he said. “I know when I work out on a daily basis, I’m at my happiest. When I get off my schedule, the more dissatisfied I am with the way my days are going.”
Have realistic expectations
Sometimes, interpersonal stresses can become exaggerated during the holidays because we have expectations that everything should be perfect. “When the holidays come up, those people in our life who we have difficulty with — they’re not going to be different,” Coffey said. “The holidays come around, and we think we’re going to do some
Chip Coffey
BY ELISE RILEY
therapy on them, we’re going to fix them. That typically ends pretty dramatically.” Rather than enter the house certain that your sister will second-guess the selection of pies you brought for dessert, make the conscious decision to not let those folks bother you. “We need to be willing to put our blinders on a bit,” Coffey said. “I make the choice that I’m going to enjoy the day.”
Set boundaries
Weinberg recommends approaching these situations by setting boundaries. He says your “outside boundary” is like a hula hoop surrounding and protecting you. “That boundary protects you from the world around you,” he said. “The one-liners, the facial expressions — you keep those outside your boundary like a force-field. You don’t let them in. But the content of the communication — let that in and take a look at it. People who don’t have a good external boundary take everything in, and they’re miserable.” But you also need an “inside boundary” — like a wet suit — to help keep your feelings appropriately contained, but not stuffed. “With your inside boundary, you express feelings in an appropriate way,” Weinberg Continued on page 3 ‘TIS THE SEASON
IN THIS ISSUE: 02: BEWARE OF SNEAKY SUGARS
Seeking out sneaky sugars that can have a not-so-sweet impact on your health
04: DISHING DIRT ON GERMS
Find out the germiest areas of your home and office - you might be surprised!
04/05: SUPPORT GROUPS
Dozens of support groups are listed covering a wide variety of health issues
05: EVENTS/EXPERTS/INFO ONLINE Learn what experts have to say about three important health-related topics
By The NUMBERS The following benefits are now available at no cost to women if they have health insurance. When the Affordable Care Act takes full effect in 2014, those currently uninsured can join health insurance exchanges, assuming they have been implemented in Arizona, to take advantage of preventive care opportunities.
Choose HealthSouth:
7 BENEFITS FOR WOMEN NOW AVAILABLE THROUGH THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT Along with well-woman visits, the Affordable Care Act covers counseling and/or screening for numerous issues including, but not limited to:
1
Birth control
5
Mammography
2
BRCA (breast cancer gene)
6
3
Cervical cancer
Sexually transmitted infections
4
Domestic and interpersonal violence
7
Various pregnancy-related issues
Not a complete list; for further details, visit healthcare.gov.
—PAULA HUBBS COHEN
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