How to Stay Physically and Mentally Active at Home

A woman stretches in her home, as a dog watches
Let’s just get it out in the open: it’s not easy staying home right now. It’s spring and we’ve had some beautiful days. We want to enjoy lunchtime walks, the start of baseball season, hockey and basketball playoffs, weddings, graduations, spring musicals, and socializing with family and friends. Instead, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the best course of action we can take right now is to stay home....
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Don’t Be Fooled: 6 “Health Foods” That Are Really Junk Foods in Disguise

A woman checks the label on an item at the supermarket
We are lucky to live during a time when there’s an abundance of information available about the food we eat. The tricky thing is, sometimes there’s almost too much information available, so it can be hard to decide what’s healthy and what isn’t. You’ll see dozens of products in the grocery store aisles that lead you to believe they’re healthy....
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Talking to Kids About COVID-19

A little girl draws in a coloring book
The COVID-19 pandemic has been a life-changing experience for everyone. And while we are all learning as we go, children and young adults need extra help understanding and adapting to the changes happening around them. Understandably, each child responds to change differently. Their age, personality, and life experiences affect this response. The one thing all children have in common,...
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Broad Street Beats 2020: Dancing Through the Decades

A young runner adjusts the phone strapped to her arm
Last year, we released our first Blue Cross Broad Street Run Beats playlist compiled by the running community. We loved your responses so much, we decided to ask you again. What songs push you forward and keep you going?  The energizing, feel-good playlist we put together based on your responses will get your feet moving and your heart pumping!...
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Get Care from Home with Telemedicine

A mother feels her son's forehead while consulting with a doctor via telemedicine
Independence Blue Cross has offered telemedicine benefits to our health plan members for years. It gives members convenient, 24/7 access to a doctor by phone or video chat for non-emergency medical conditions. Without telemedicine, your only care option might have been urgent care or the ER if you were out of town, couldn’t get an appointment,...
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Handwashing: The Secret to Good Health

An adult and kid wash their hands.
The easiest way to protect yourself against illness? Handwashing. It seems too simple to be true, but a mere 20-30 seconds of proper handwashing, following the CDC’s handwashing guidelines, is one of the most effective ways to stop the spread of germs and disease. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 80 percent of infectious diseases are transmitted by dirty hands....
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Why It’s So Important to Take Care of Your Kidneys

A woman holds models of kidneys.
It took years for me, as a primary care doctor, to fully appreciate the many challenges patients face with chronic kidney disease. I still remember one of the first patients I ever admitted to the hospital when I was an intern. She was a dialysis patient who was in the hospital for cancer treatment. Seeing her condition made me realize how much I had to learn about chronic kidney disease....
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Shingles: Chickenpox Part II

Senior adult, male patient receives vaccine or medicine from his African descent, home healthcare nurse in nursing home or home setting. Nurse wears gloves and holds syringe.
For many adults, getting chickenpox was an unavoidable part of childhood. But if you’ve had chickenpox, you also have a 1 in 3 chance of developing shingles. That’s because the virus that causes chickenpox never leaves your body completely. Rather, it lies dormant and can reemerge later as shingles. Thankfully, there are things you can do to protect yourself from getting shingles....
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Preventing Heart Disease: Start Early for Good Heart Health

Girl holding big paper heart
Heart disease, also known as coronary artery disease, is a general term for plaque build-up in the heart’s arteries. Currently, the story about heart disease is a good news/bad news situation. Good news: Death from heart disease has declined over the past few decades. Bad news: Heart disease remains the leading cause of death for men and women across most racial and ethnic groups in the U.S....
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How to Make Your Home Safe and Prevent Falls and Injury

A hand grips a safety handrail
Every year, millions of Americans age 65 and older have a fall, and almost 20 percent of those falls result in an injury, like a broken bone. But while these statistics are concerning, there is good news. The National Council on Aging has concluded that adults 65 and over, with the proper care, can expect to live a full,...
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