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Health Insurance

You probably do not plan on you or someone in your family getting sick or hurt, but it happens and it costs.  Health insurance can protect you from potentially large expenses.  In fact, two thirds of personal bankruptcies are due to medical costs.

Aside from the cost, people without health insurance are less likely to seek and receive preventive care, recommended screenings, and help in managing chronic diseases like diabetes and high blood pressure.  When they do seek help it is usually after they have been sick for awhile – when it is harder to regain health and more costly.

As a result of the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, a Marketplace for purchasing health insurance has been established.  The Marketplace may be able to reduce the cost of insurance for you and your family.  If you are not insured you may have to pay a fee if you do not get insurance.

Close to a half million Mississippians remain uninsured.  Most do not know that the law might give them financial help to assist with the cost.  Health insurance does not guarantee good health, but it certainly sets the stage for maintaining and improving health.  It can also reduce the stress of financial pressures that can arise if illness or accidents strike.

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News

A woman stands on a sidewalk in a red sweatshirt and festive holiday-themed necklace.
Filed Under: Nutrition and Wellness, Nutrition December 10, 2024

The holidays are here! With all the activity, it's easy to skip your daily exercise. But these tips can help keep you active.

A woman stands in a kitchen
Filed Under: Food, Nutrition and Wellness November 12, 2024

Incorporating healthier eating habits into your daily routine can help prevent and manage diabetes by helping you maintain healthy blood sugar levels. Check out these tips to help you get started.

A box of food to donate, including beans, pasta, and canned goods.
Filed Under: Food and Health, Health, AIM for CHangE November 11, 2024

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- As the holidays approach, consider three ways to share the joys of the season by supporting local food pantries. Gifts of money, time and food items are all welcome.

Success Stories

A woman standing beside the window of a house that has a sign with “Venisha’s Home” listed on it.
Volume 10 Number 2

In Rolling Fork, the Mississippi town in Sharkey County devastated by a twister on March 24, 2023, despair was not an option.

A man wearing a suit stands beside a desk with a banner listing “Welcome to the Tunica Health & Wellness Hub.”
Volume 10 Number 1

You don’t have to have diabetes to benefit from the principles of the Dining with Diabetes (DWD) program.

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Volume 10 Number 1

Dining with Diabetes covers healthy eating, physical activity, disease monitoring, medication compliance, and risk reduction, and the course empowers participants by giving them access to nutrition knowledge and resources for food preparation. Classes include research-based education, cooking demonstrations, and healthy recipe tasting. These tools can help people make positive changes by planning menus, counting carbohydrates, controlling portions, and reading labels.

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