Your Health Hub: be Preventative
By Alisha Brown / Vice President, Stapleton Foundation
Copayments, co-insurance and/or deductibles have stopped many people from getting the care necessary to prevent chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and cancers that are among the most common and costly of all health problems. It is important that we are aware and take advantage of the new benefits and services that are now available to us as a result of the Affordable Care Act.
Under the Affordable Care Act (legislation passed by Congress in 2010 and upheld by the United States Supreme Court this June), many insurers are now required to cover certain evidence-based preventative services that can help you avoid illness and improve your health. If your health plan is subject to these new requirements, these preventative services come at no additional cost to you so long as the services are delivered by a network provider.
The Affordable Care Act also creates a new Prevention and Public Health Fund to assist state and community efforts to prevent illness and promote health, so that all Americans can lead longer, more productive lives. The Fund represents an unprecedented investment – $15 billion over 10 years – that will help prevent disease, detect it early and manage conditions before they become severe. By concentrating on the causes of chronic disease, the Affordable Care Act helps move the nation from a focus on sickness and disease to one based on wellness and prevention.
As the Affordable Care Act continues to roll out in Colorado, your voice matters! Decisions about our healthcare are too important to be left to policy and other decision makers alone. Here’s two way’s you can help our community speak out for the health services they deserve:
Become a be well block captain. These volunteers educate and inform their families, friends and neighbors on important healthcare issues. be well captains are given a $50 gift card each month to engage, educate and encourage people to make their voice heard about how they want health care to work for them. The next be well Block Captain Training Session begins September 13, 2012.
Visit the new be well Centers at Hiawatha Davis and Central Park Recreation Centers. The be well Center’s offer various free healthy living services that you and your family can take advantage of as well as learn more about the Affordable Care Act and how it impacts you and your family.
The be well Health and Wellness Initiative of the Stapleton Foundation helps residents in five neighborhoods in Denver and Aurora – comprising more than 90,000 residents and employees – to live healthier lifestyles. From Stapleton, Northeast Park Hill and Greater Park Hill to East Montclair and Northwest Aurora, our goal is increase access and usage of preventative care services, thereby reducing the spread of chronic illness and disease. For additional information about becoming a be well Block Captain, please call Frank Lucero at 303-468-3226. To receive more information about the Affordable Care Act, please call Ginger Harrell at 303-468-3229. For general program information, visit bewellconnect.org.