The Healthy Bee

Does this sound familiar - the engines roar, you’re thrown back into your seat for take-off, and the knuckles on your hands turn white as you grip the armrest for dear life? Air travel has become so integral a part of all our lives that we perhaps sometimes forget just how frightening it can be to many. A fear of flying, or aerophobia, can make any trip by air, for vacation or business, a potential nightmare. Indeed, a recent article in USA Today suggested that a fear

of flying “cripples - or at least burdens - the careers of millions of Americans”.

So what can you do to combat your fear of flying?

Firstly, take a deep breath. However difficult it may be, remind yourself that the chances of being involved in an accident are astonishingly low. Per million passenger miles, air travel is by far the safest form of transportation.

Try not to consume too much alcohol before the flight, or once you’re up there. Apart from potentially rendering you unfit to fly, alcohol at altitude can actually exacerbate feelings of claustrophobia and anxiety.

On board, several airlines try to make the whole process of flying that much easier for those of a nervous disposition. A spokesperson for Virgin Atlantic said: “We have a dedicated Flying Without Fear audio channel to help anyone through their flight. On selected flights we also have a meditainment channel giving our passengers the chance for some quality deep relaxation whilst flying with us.”

Many have turned to hypnotherapy to try to overturn an often debilitating fear of flying. Chris Thomas, a hypnotherapist with Vision Coaching Services, says:

“Flying phobias can be caused by either by conditioning stemming from a single frightening event; masked general anxieties from past experience, learned gradually over time either first hand or from others, or as a result of ‘distorted’ thoughts about airtravel. These fears are usually irrational and are usually deep within our subconscious.”

Thomas adds: “Even at airports all the wrong words are used unintentionally which condition people to fear flying. Examples of such expressions include “terminal, final destination, final approach, insurance desk, departure lounge and last and final call. Particularly post September the 11th peoples fears are brought to the fore with armed police are highly visible adding to the tension.”

Finally, if things are really bad, get yourself onto one of the courses run by several major airlines: British Airways and Virgin both hold courses for nervous flyers. They don’t come cheap, though: Virgin charges £199 for its one-day course, BA charges £235 - but the net result could be well worth it.

A BA spokesperson said: “Lack of control, claustrophobia, heights and fear of falling are the concerns of many nervous passengers. The psychologist will give some positive ways of coping with and minimising these fears and will conduct a relaxation session just prior to the flight.”

British Airways claims a 95% success rate for the 40,000 passengers who’ve passed through their Fear of Flying programme.

See you up there!



By: Liam Perkins

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Do you ever feel like you know just enough about Health Insurance to be dangerous? Let’s see if we can fill in some of the gaps with the latest info from Health Insurance experts.

Health insurance is something that most people don’t think about very often and yet it is something that when comes foremost to mind when a loved one is sick. Health Insurance coverage varies across the world, even across the different states in the United States of America.

Health insurance is a very specific type of insurance. With this type of insurance the insurer pays the medical costs of the insured if the insured becomes sick due to covered causes, or due to accidents. The insurer may be a private organization or a government agency. Health Insurance can protect a family from financial devastation in case of serious illness.

Today, according to statistics from the US Census Bureau, many Americans, approximately 85%, have some form of health insurance. Many people, about 60%, are insured through their place of employment or through health insurance acquired personally. For about a quarter of the population, federal or state government agencies provide the insurance. These agencies may include Medicare and Medicaid as well as various state funded health insurance plans.

I trust that what you’ve read so far has been informative. The following section should go a long way toward clearing up any uncertainty that may remain.

Today, health insurance costs are rising, which is a concern to many people. Because of ongoing advances in medical care and in technology, medical treatment is more expensive. These advances help people to live longer. Today there are more senior citizens than ever before – our population is aging. The elderly population is more frail and prone to illness thus requiring more medical care than a younger population that is healthier. This also causes an increase in the price of health insurance.

Health insurance costs are also rising due to personal health choices made by individuals. Poor eating habits, smoking, drug and alcohol abuse, a lack of exercise, obesity are some of these poor health choices. In addition, there are still rural areas where there is a lack of health professionals including doctors.

Today, health insurers offer discounts and incentives to people who love a healthy lifestyle. Often, a person will provide health information and a personal medical history when buying health insurance. This history may address questions such as smoking, weight, drug use, and disease history. The incentives offered by health insurance companies today may encourage individuals to quit smoking or make other positive changes in their lifestyle. Many times, heath insurers will not insure pre-existing medical conditions. The medical history provided will screen out such applicants.

Because of the concern over pre-existing medical conditions, there are now state and federal laws that help ensure that those individuals with pre-existing conditions can acquire or maintain health insurance, even if they need to change plans or providers. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is a federal law ensuring that all health insurance plans nationally have a common set of standards. In addition, states can also have laws regulating health plans including group health insurance and individual health insurance. This means that the laws regulating your health insurance protections may vary from state to state. Keep in mind, that even with these laws, access to health insurance may not be protected in all situations.

COBRA continuation coverage can help you if you leave of change your job. Under COBRA, you may be able to remain in your old group health plan for a certain length of time. This can assist you in those times when you are between jobs or waiting for a new health insurance plan to cover your pre-existing condition. Under COBRA, there are limits to what you will need to pay to continue your coverage.

When word gets around about your command of Health Insurance facts, others who need to know about Health Insurance will start to actively seek you out.



By: Emmanuel St-cyr

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