Members of the Alliance for a Healthier Indiana coalition have invited public health advocates to express their support of an increase in Indiana’s cigarette tax. The Senate Appropriations Committee will be voting on the state’s budget, HB 1001, March 30.

Along with adequate funding for evidence-based treatment services and a comprehensive tobacco prevention program, increasing the price of tobacco is a proven strategy for reducing the burden of tobacco use at the state level.  Indiana’s adult smoking rate has remained around 25% for several years, and a relatively low tobacco tax is partially responsible.

Increasing the price of tobacco has been proven to encourage current tobacco users to use less and others—especially those with lower incomes—to quit completely.  It also has a strong effect on preventing children from starting.

According to the Alliance for a Healthier Indiana, “increasing the price of tobacco is the single most effective method for decreasing smoking rates — especially in those under age 18. A 10% increase in the real price of cigarettes would reduce the number of kids who smoke by 6-7% and the number of pregnant women who smoke pregnant women by 7% — and result in $1.4 billion in long-term health care savings, all while adding more than $200 million in new revenue that could be used for boosting Indiana’s cessation efforts and programs.

For more information about how to talk to your elected officials about this issue, visit this page from the Alliance for a Healthier Indiana.

To learn more about HealthNet’s Tobacco Cessation Program, please click here.

Myth 1:  I have to set a quit date.

Fact:  Some quit smoking programs require people to set a quit date—usually two to four weeks down the road—to give them time to prepare to quit.  During this time, people get support from friends, clean their houses and cars, and practice doing other activities instead of smoking.  However, this is not the only way to quit.  The Quit Tobacco Program at HealthNet does not require people to set a quit date.  Instead, many people choose to begin using medicines and practicing alternatives to smoking before quitting for good.

Myth 2:  I have to stop smoking before I can take medicine to help me stop smoking.

Fact:  New research tells us it is safe to continue to smoke a little while getting started with nicotine medicine.  Talk to your doctor or quit smoking counselor to make a personal plan that will help you reduce and then quit smoking.

Myth 3:  Using nicotine medicine is like trading one addiction for another.

Fact:  Nicotine medicine is designed to satisfy part of the brain’s craving for nicotine so it is more comfortable to go without using tobacco.  Always use nicotine medicine according to the package directions or a doctor or counselor’s advice.  It may take several weeks or even months of using nicotine medicines until you feel ready to be nicotine free.  Then you can gradually reduce the amount of nicotine you get.  Working with a doctor or counselor can help you make a plan to stop using nicotine medicines.

Myth 4:  I have tried all the medicines out there to help me quit.

Fact:  There are seven medicines approved by the FDA to help people quit smoking, and most people have not used them all.  Five medicines contain nicotine.  These are patches, gum, lozenges, inhaler, and nasal spray.  Two other medicines are pills that help reduce the urge to smoke.  Chantix and Wellbutrin work differently but they both require a prescription.  Talk to your doctor about the best option for you.

Myth 5:  I have failed too many times before.  I am doomed to smoke forever.

Fact:  You may feel frustrated if you have quit tobacco and started again many times.  But there is good news!  The more times you try to quit, the more likely you are to eventually be able to quit for good.  Every time you go without tobacco, you learn more about your addiction and what does and does not help you avoid tobacco.  Most people who quit for life take at least five tries.  Working with a counselor and using medicine are two great ways to increase the chances your next quit attempt is your last!

For more information or to make a personal quitting plan, contact Linda Bundick, HealthNet’s Tobacco Cessation Counselor, at 317-957-2007. 

To learn more about HealthNet’s Quit Tobacco Program, click here. 

February has been designated as American Heart Month to raise awareness about cardiovascular disease. Cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death in the U.S., with approximately 800,000 deaths annually.

There are many simple things you can do to improve your heart and your health. Check out the information below for habits for a healthy heart!

Exercise.

Adults should aim to get at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise each week. Instead of sitting down on the couch after dinner, go for a 30 minute walk each day instead. You’ll have 150 minutes of exercise done in no time!

Quit smoking.

When you quit smoking, you not only lower your chances of heart disease, but you lower your risk of cancer and many other health problems.

Visit your doctor regularly.

Even if you are healthy, you should still visit your doctor regularly. Annual check ups are important because they can help spot problems before they become serious. Don’t have a doctor? We can help. Schedule an appointment at a HealthNet health center near you.

Eat a healthy diet.

Eating a balanced diet of fruits and vegetables is very important for our health. Instead of choosing pizza and junk food, grab an apple or carrots instead! HealthNet has a dietitian who can help you with healthy eating. Schedule a free appointment at the HealthNet health center near you!

1. http://www.heart.org/idc/groups/ahamah-public/@wcm/@sop/@smd/documents/downloadable/ucm_491265.pdf

]]> http://blog.indyhealthnet.org/habits-healthy-heart/feed 0 http://blog.indyhealthnet.org/tobacco-products-quit?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tobacco-products-quit http://blog.indyhealthnet.org/tobacco-products-quit#comments Thu, 18 Feb 2016 15:39:09 +0000 giveacareindy http://blog.indyhealthnet.org/?p=5331 When you think of tobacco, you probably think of cigarette smoking.  While cigarettes are the most popular form of tobacco, there are more products available than ever before to keep people addicted to nicotine and tobacco companies in big business.  Many items look so different from traditional tobacco products that you may have seen people using them and not realized what they were.

Click the links below to learn more about each product.

Combustible or Burned Tobacco:

You probably know about…
• Cigarettes
• Cigars
• Pipe tobacco

You may not have heard of…
• Cigarillos/Little Cigars/Brown Cigarettes
• Bidis
• Cloves/Kreteks
• Hookah

Smokeless or Spit Tobacco:

You probably know about…
• Chewing tobacco (plug, loose leaf, or twists)
• Moist snuff
• Dry snuff

Snus

You may not have heard of…
• Snus
• Dissolvable tobacco

Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS)

You probably know about…
• Electronic cigarettes

You may not have heard of…
• Vape pens/hookah pens

To learn more about these products, check out this presentation from Smoke Free Indy.

All forms of tobacco have health risks—even those marketed to be safer than cigarettes.  It is ALWAYS healthier to quit.  If you or someone you know is thinking of quitting, congratulations!  For help quitting, call 1-800-QUIT-NOW or visit www.equitnow.com.

Post by Linda Bundick

1. Stick to a schedule.  Try going to bed and waking up at the same time every day, even on weekends.  This will help control your body’s internal clock.  Continuing the schedule through the weekend will help you stay on track through the week.
2. Avoid naps.  They may help you through the day, but this could be causing you to not feel sleepy at night.
3. Use lights to manage your circadian rhythms.  These rhythms are your sleep and wake cycles.  Expose yourself to sunlight in the morning to help yourself wake up.  You could try avoiding bright light in the evenings; such as your smart phone, iPad, or tablet.  These screens are bright enough to reduce your melatonin.  Melatonin is a hormone in your body that helps you fall asleep.
4. Exercise is key!  Exercising can help wear your body down so you can be tired at night.
5. Have a relaxing bedtime routine.  Repeating the same relaxing steps before bed can reduce stress, anxiety, or excitement as you’re trying to fall asleep.  If you choose reading, try to read a book instead of something on a screen.
6. Evaluate the room.  Take a look at your bedroom.  Are there a lot of sounds?  Is there a lot of light? Is your mattress comfortable?  Is your pillow too soft?  All of these things could be affecting your sleep.   You might need to purchase darker curtains, a fan, or even ear plugs!

Derived from The National Sleep Foundation.
https://sleepfoundation.org/sleep-tools-tips/healthy-sleep-tips

Quitting is one of the best things you can do for your health—and your wallet!  It also can be scary, especially if you have quit before.  But there is good news!  As soon as you quit, your body starts to heal.  And every time you quit, you are closer to being tobacco-free for life!

Here are two tools to help you beat nicotine addiction for good!

1.  Double Your Chances of Quitting with Medicine

Seven medicines are approved by the FDA to make quitting more comfortable.  Five of these have nicotine, the addictive chemical in tobacco.  These medicines work by putting nicotine into the blood through the skin, helping reduce cravings.  The patch works slowly all day, so many people combine the patch with a faster-acting medicine like gum or inhaler.

• Nicotine patches (with or without prescription)

• Nicotine gum (with or without prescription)

• Nicotine lozenge (with or without prescription)

• Nicotine inhaler (prescription)

• Nicotine nasal spray (prescription)

Two medicines do not have nicotine.  They help reduce cravings by acting directly on the brain.

• Chantix (prescription)

• Buproprion SR (prescription)

Talk to your doctor about the best medicines for you, and be sure to get a prescription even if they are available over the counter.  Most insurance will help you get these medicines for a very low cost or even free if you have a prescription!

2.  Free Coaching from Quit Now Indiana

When you enroll, you can get a free starter pack of nicotine medicine if you have Medicaid, Medicare, or no insurance!

• Call 1-800-QUIT-NOW to talk to a coach who can help you make a plan to beat nicotine cravings and stay tobacco-free for life!

• Visit www.equitnow.com to web chat with a coach and use online tools.

• Ask your phone or web coach about Text2Quit, which sends you personalized   messages through your quit journey!

For questions about these or other tobacco cessation tools, please contact Linda Bundick, HealthNet’s Tobacco Cessation Coordinator at lbundick@iuhealth.org or 317-957-2007.

Post by Linda Bundick

In King v. Burwell, the United States Supreme Court had to decide on the newest challenge to the Affordable Care Act (“ACA”).  As stated in my first post, King argued that, as written, the ACA only provides support to states that set up their own exchange.  On the other hand, Burwell argued that the ACA meant to treat all health exchange markets the same, whether state-managed or not.

On July 25, 2015, the Court issued their opinion and ruled in favor of Burwell, saying that Congress meant to treat all exchanges the same.  This ruling means that those Hoosiers who received aid from the government to help purchase a health plan under the Federal Exchange will be able to keep this aid.

The 6 Justices who ruled in favor of Burwell explained that the words “established by a state” really meant to include Federal Exchanges as well.  Their 21-page ruling argued many points to help build their case, but one of their most basic points was that the ACA would fall apart if they read those words in favor of King.

King v. Burwell Broken Down

To help clarify this case, let’s think of the ACA as a 3-legged stool.  Each of the 3 legs, which are listed below, relies on the other in order hold the ACA up.  If one leg falls, however, then the entire stool will also fall over.   There are three key points, or legs, which make the ACA stand up:

1. People are given government aid (tax subsidies) to purchase a health plan.
2. The ACA says people must have insurance or pay a fee;
3. Insurance groups must accept every person in the State that applies for a plan, even if sick;

The Court said that if the ACA was read in favor of King then the ACA would collapse.  The points below make up what the Court called the “death spiral” of King’s argument.

1. No person in a federal exchange state would get any government aid in buying a plan.
2. If no one got any government aid, then many would not have to purchase any insurance at all, since the ACA says it would cost too much (over 8% of income).
3. If no one bought insurance, then insurance groups would have to a lot charge more money and many more people would lose coverage.

Conclusion

The Court said that Congress would not have meant for this “death spiral” to happen.  Congress would only pass the ACA in order for it to work; they would not have passed it if it was doomed to fail.  This is one of the many key reasons that the Court again found the ACA legal.  This was the second time the ACA has been in front of the Supreme Court, and the second time that it has been upheld.

Post by Dan Wegg

What does this mean for Indiana?
If the court agrees with King, over 200,000 Hoosiers may lose the money they received to help purchase their health plan, along with millions of Americans.[iii]  If the court agrees with Burwell, then all money that was received to help buy a health plan will be seen as legal and no one will be at risk for losing their support.

What will happen if King wins?
If King wins, Congress could slightly change the law to fix the problem. Although not likely, this would be the fastest option.  It could also fall on each state to fix the problem, for example, by setting up a new exchange. This, however, could cost a lot of money. We will hear a lot more about a fix in the coming months if the court rules in favor of King.[iv]

How will the Supreme Court decide?
The Supreme Court is made up of 9 Justices.  So far, 4 Justices seemed to side with the Burwell, while 2 seemed to side with King.  If this is the case, then Burwell only needs the support of one more Justice in order to save the ACA as it is written.[v]  Though this seems a bit more likely than not, it is very hard to say how this court will rule. We are looking for the ruling in late June; I’ll provide an update once more news is received.

Post by Dan Wegg, Corporate Affairs Manager

One of the most poignant stories reflecting that sacrifice is the story of Pat Tillman, a former NFL player for the Arizona Cardinals who after 9/11 decided to forgo the financial stability and fame that being a professional athlete provides and serve his country.  From what I have read, Pat did this not to gain notoriety or additional recognition, but because he felt a draw to serve his country and protect his country from those that had just perpetrated the largest murder of civilian’s in our nation’s history.  By all accounts, Pat was a superb solider, comrade and leader who unfortunately died as a result of a friendly fire incident while he was serving with his unit in Afghanistan. Thursday, November 6^th would have been Pat Tillman’s 38^th birthday and I am sure that his family misses him every day but knows that he died protecting and fighting for a cause that he believed in.

Recently, it has become very popular to attach ourselves to veteran’s issues. Our veterans remain a population that gives up so much to do what they feel is right that we need to not only provide recognition on nationally recognized holidays such as Veterans Day, but also provide the support and services necessary the other 364 days a year.

HealthNet’s Homeless Initiative Program serves all segments of the homeless population but has and will continue to serve a large portion of Indianapolis’s homeless veterans.  In 2013, HIP served 2,868 clients, 466 of those individuals were veterans.  Of those 466 homeless veterans, 136 were housed in one of our veteran housing programs including intensive case management to work on supportive goal building and achievement.

HealthNet’s Homeless Initiative Program veteran housing program has enrolled 119 veterans in 2014.  Indiana has the nation’s 4th largest National Guard of the 50 states. As more Indiana veterans become homeless, supporting our nation’s heroes will continue to be an important role. Every day, especially Veterans Day, HealthNet thanks those who are currently or who have served our country and their families for their courage, support and sacrifice.

For more information about HealthNet’s Homeless Initiative Program or to make a donation, please visit www.indyhealthnet.org. 

Post by Matt Holland

HealthNet is cultivating leaders and you could be next!  In April, HealthNet’s Senior Leadership Team formed the HealthNet Leadership Academy.  The Academy is comprised of professional coaches who have enjoyed success in business and now have a passion to identify and cultivate leadership within the HealthNet organization.  Imagine my surprise when I was given the opportunity to take part in the HealthNet Leadership Academy and have my skill set evaluated by those who have a proven track record of success in business and leadership.

During the first meeting we were introduced to nine “Coaches” who presented us with brief biographies of themselves.  Subsequently, we were instructed to select one Coach from the group who would provide three leadership sessions with us individually.

After two sessions with my coach, Jim Struck, I am convinced that this has been one of the most empowering opportunities that I have ever been presented.

Together, my Coach and I have quickly identified areas of improvement that are attainable and realistic.  I am excited not only for myself but for others like me who will benefit from the expertise of these professionals.

There is an old proverb that says; Give a man a fish and you will feed him for a day, teach him how to fish and he will feed himself for a lifetime.  I know that the Healthnet Leadership Academy has been a benefit for me.  I wonder “Who’s next?”