Disability Insurance: What and Why

Disability InsuranceA minor injury or illness that leaves you temporarily disabled may not seem like a big deal, but it can be; especially if you are forced to miss work. A lot of people assume they are covered by their health insurance, worker’s compensation, or workplace disability insurance, but they aren’t. That’s why you should strongly consider purchasing disability insurance.

Why You Should Consider Disability Insurance

Around 50 percent of American workers have disability coverage included in their employee benefits. However, the other half must purchase coverage individually or through a voluntary benefits plan in the workplace.

Regular health insurance may cover your medical bills, but Social Security disability benefits are only for long-term incapacities. Additionally, workers’ compensation will only help if you were injured or became ill at work. It’s estimated that around six percent of American workers experience short-term disabilities which can include injuries, illnesses, and pregnancies. According to a report published by Bankrate last year, more than 60 percent of Americans can’t even afford an unexpected bill of $500, which means that without a job, few people would likely be able to afford the basic costs of living.

What is Disability Insurance?

Disability insurance can help protect you financially if you miss work due to ill health or injury. A short-term disability insurance plan will protect workers’ incomes if they miss work between three days and six months as a result of a disability. Long-term disability insurance plans will cover periods of time between 2-10 years (or until retirement age).

Most short-term disability insurance plans will cover around 60% to 70% of your income, while long-term plans cover 40-70 percent. However, you should be aware that most plans have waiting periods, which means that a certain time could lapse before you are paid.

Disability insurance can help protect you financially in case you’re forced to miss work for an extended time due to illness, injury or pregnancy. For help finding the right disability insurance plan, be sure to visit us at The Benefits Store today.

Scientists Create a New Type of Light

PhotonsPhotons, which make up light, do not interact. It’s why when you shine two flashlights at one another, nothing out of the ordinary happens. However, scientists have discovered a new form of light as a way of getting photons to interact. This could potentially lead to all kinds of possibilities, from being able to use photons in quantum computing to even making real-life lightsabers.

A New Form of Light

A team of scientists from Harvard University, MIT, and other locations were recently able to demonstrate that photons can be made to interact. They published research in the Science journal describing observations of three photons interacting to stick together and creating a new form of light.

These observations were made during an experiment in which a weak laser beam was shone through a cloud of rubidium atoms. These rubidium atoms were cooled down to just above absolute zero and practically freezing them to a standstill. However, instead of shining through the cloud as single, randomly spaced photons like one would expect, they were bound together in either pairs or triplets.

Additionally, the team realized the photons that were bound together had acquired a small portion of an electron’s mass, which is unique because photons don’t typically have mass. As a result, they were traveling 100,000 times slower than normal photons do. Additionally, the phase of each photon was measured to see how strongly they were interacting. They found that the photons that bound together weren’t just acting independently, but strongly together as well.

These observations show that photons can be made to interact in different ways and that, as a result, they could be used to perform incredibly fast and complex quantum computations.

Discovering that photons can be made to interact with one another opens up all kinds of opportunities. However, the team is taking it one step at a time. The next experiment will be to discover other ways that photons can interact or if they can repel one another. For the latest science news, be sure to visit us at The Benefits Store today.

Women’s Health: Preparing for Your Next Checkup

Women's HealthWhen it comes to women’s health, general checkups are important, even if you think you’re completely healthy. Regular checkups can help keep you healthy by potentially preventing diseases and disability. The following are a few women’s health tips to keep in mind when preparing for your next checkup:

  • Ask if it’s time for recommended screening tests – There are a number of screening tests that are recommended based on a person’s general health, lifestyle, age, and family history. Ask your healthcare provider if there are any vaccinations, tests, or follow-up exams that you should schedule. Some of these vaccinations and tests may include STD screenings, tetanus shots, eye checks, pap tests, mammograms, or blood pressure tests.
  • Record any health issues – Before going to your scheduled checkup, write down all health issues you’re concerned about, no matter how minor they may be. For example, note any changes in your eating habits, energy levels, menstrual cycle, weight, and more. Be completely honest with your doctor. In some cases, these issues are isolated health issues with which your doctor can help, but in other cases, they could be indicative of problems that need to be diagnosed.
  • Review family medical history – Find out if any of your close relatives have been diagnosed with any new diseases or conditions. You’ll want to let your doctor know about these new health issues because they could influence your risk of developing certain conditions. Make sure that you’re aware of any conditions or health problems your immediate family has had in the past. For example, knowing what kind of health problems your grandparents may have had can be quite helpful for your doctor to know.

It’s important you schedule regular checkups with your doctor to ensure that you remain healthy no matter how old you are. For more information concerning women’s health or to find an insurance plan that best suits your needs, visit us at The Benefits Store today.

How Your First Flu Shapes Your Immune Response

Getting the fluPeople tend to react to different strains of the flu in different ways. It’s why some people may be hospitalized while others get over the same strain within a week or so. The reason behind this goes back to the very first strain of flu to which a person is exposed. The first flu virus a person hosts determines how their immune response to the flu is shaped.

How Imprinting Affects Getting the Flu

Generally speaking, adults between the age of 50 and 64 have the same hospitalization rate as children under the age of four. This year, Baby Boomers have had a higher hospitalization rate than younger children, and this can be traced back to the phenomenon of imprinting.

Imprinting refers to how the immune system reacts to the first flu virus to which it’s exposed. If it’s exposed to a weaker strain, then it may have trouble later in the individual’s life when they come into contact with stronger strains. The flu virus has a protein called hemagglutinin on the surface. When the hemagglutinin on newer strains is similar to the first virus the immune system encountered, the immune system will have an easier time producing antibodies and will be able to do so more quickly once it detects the resemblance of the proteins.

One of the reasons that Baby Boomers are getting sicker this year is because of the strain of flu that many of them first encountered. In 1968, there was a flu pandemic in which the virus had a very specific type of protein called H3 on the surface. Anyone born before that year was not imprinted with this strain. This year, the most prevalent strain is H3N2. Those who were imprinted with an H3 strain can more easily fight off the virus than those who weren’t, which is why so many Baby Boomers have been negatively affected.

The first strain of flu you encounter can affect how you deal with new strains every year. Find out more about fighting the flu by visiting us at The Benefits Store today.

Keeping Your Dog Safe From the Flu

Dog fluThis year’s flu season has been bad, which means that everyone who hasn’t had a flu shot yet should get one. However, it’s not just people who need to worry about the flu. Dogs can get the flu too, and according to Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, there has been an increase in the canine flu virus H3N2.

Be Wary of the Dog Flu

People with dogs should be careful about where they take them during flu season. Because the dog flu can easily spread from one dog to another through barks, coughs and sneezes, taking a pet to areas like dog parks, doggie daycares and kennels can increase the risk of exposure to the dog flu.

Dog flu is a serious respiratory illness, but there are medications that can be prescribed to help your dog recover. Rest and good nutrition will be beneficial as well. However, dog flu can sometimes be difficult to identify because the symptoms are so similar to kennel cough.

Some of the common signs of dog flu include a fever, green discharge from the eyes and nose, a cough that doesn’t go away, lethargy and a decrease in appetite. When dogs get the flu, they should be kept away from other dogs as well as animals in general, since the H3N2 virus can spread among all kinds of animals.

While some dog owners won’t want to keep their pets away from the dog park just because it’s flu season, they should be sure to keep their dogs at home if they exhibit any symptoms. Otherwise, there’s a risk that if your dog does have the dog flu, it will spread it to other dogs. Additionally, dogs should also be protected from humans who have the flu, since dogs can contract human strains of the flu.

Everyone should make an effort to take care of themselves during the flu season, but they shouldn’t forget about their dogs. For all the latest health news, visit us at The Benefits Store today.