Overland Park Insurance Agents look no further – Blue Star Benefits is the place for you. We have the tools and the resources to help you be more productive. We can help you facilitate your current client’s needs as well as expanding your book of business. We represent hundreds of Overland Park Insurance agents just like you – keeping their clients happy so they are able to procure more business. We are available to answer any questions or concerns your clients may have about their policies, giving you more time to focus on making money.

Blue Star Benefits is able to answer any questions regarding Blue Cross Blue Shield, Coventry, Humana, Golden Rule, and many more. We are also able to answer any questions you may have in response to the changing Health Care Laws. If you would like to join the Blue Star Benefits team, print off the BCBSKC Broker Application PDF. Once you submit the requested documentation as listed on the application, a copy of your Kansas and Missouri Licenses, as well as a copy of your E&O to support@bluestarbenefits.com. If you have any questions, or would prefer personalized assistance, please feel free to call 913.307.3603 to be connected with a knowledgeable team member.

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Since the 1970′s, the Autism Society has been celebrating National Autism Awareness Month in an effort to highlight the growing need for concern and awareness about autism. The United States recognizes April as the official month to educate the public about autism and issues within the autism community. The United States is not the only country that has decided that April is Autism Awareness Month, all over the world people are showing their support for the fight against Autism.

Autism is a disorder of neural development characterized by impaired social interaction and communication, and by restricted and repetitive behavior. The diagnostic criteria suggest that symptoms become apparent before a child is three years old. Autism affects information processing in the brain by altering how nerve cells and their synapses connect and organize; how this occurs is not well understood. It is one of three recognized disorders in the autism spectrum (ASDs), the other two being Asperger syndrome, which lacks delays in cognitive development and language, and pervasive developmental disorder, not otherwise specified (commonly abbreviated as PDD-NOS), which is diagnosed when the full set of criteria for autism or Asperger syndrome are not met.

For the last three years, a campaign called Light It Up Blue has been celebrated around the world. Iconic landmarks around the globe – including the Empire State Building in New York City and Willis Tower in Chicago along with the CN Tower in Toronto and Kingdom Tower in Saudi Arabia – as well as airports, bridges, museums, concert halls, restaurants, hospitals, and retail stores, are among more than 100 structures in over 16 U.S. cities and nine countries around the world lit up in bright blue on the evening of April 1^st, the first night of Autism Awareness Month in the United States and the eve of World Autism Awareness Day (WAAD).

Autism effects 1 in 88 children and currently, there is no cure. If you would like more information or want to know how to get involved, visit Autism Speaks, the official website for the fight against Autism.

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At Blue Star Benefits, we are known for our competitive prices on health, life and dental insurance. But did you know we also offer an amazing small business group coverage product? If you are a new company looking to find the right plan for your employees, or a well established company who is tired of being mistreated by your current provider, give Blue Star Benefits a call and speak with our small groups expert, Carey Cox.

A Group Coverage Plan is a plan where health Insurance is employer-paid health coverage for business owners, employees and in most cases, dependents. Many Americans have this type of coverage through someone elses or their own group plan. There are many benefits to this type of coverage. Besides employers and employees being able to share the costs, there are also unique tax incentives available to businesses that provide group health insurance.

If you are looking to find away to give your employees the best available health insurance benefits, and you are able to contribute toward employee premiums, then group health insurance is the way to go. This is a great way to keep your hardworking employees happy and at the same time, making your company more attractive to work for. And as far as the tax benefits, there is a good chance the amount you pay toward employee premiums may be tax-deductible.

Probably the best aspect of the small group insurance is the fact that no one can be turned down based on medical history. Group Coverage protects workers or family members of workers, who might otherwise go uninsured. Pre-exisiting conditions, including pregnancy, can be covered through a group policy. If this sounds great to you, give us a call at 913-307-3603 and set up an appointment with Carey. She will get some basic information about your company and your employees. Then she will be happy to show you a number of different health quotes from the best companies on the market so you can compare plan rates and benefits.

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Here at Blue Star Benefits, we are committed to making 2013 the best year ever for our clients and agents!

It’s a new year and the perfect time to make sure we have all of your contact and tax info correct. Has your address changed this year? Help us update our records with a current W-9 and current contact information as we prepare to send 1099s for 2012.

Please submit any address changes during the past year to Janice@bluestarbenefits.com

Blue Star Benefits is a general insurance agency in Overland Park, Kansas. We serve individuals and families as well as groups looking to find affordable coverage. In addition to this, we are also a great resource for brokers. Do you need help finding the right products for your clients? Or do you need someone to focus on your serving your current clients while you concentrate on selling and growing your business? Contact us today at 913-647-1000.

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Colorectal cancer is cancer of the colon or rectum. This year, over 143,360 people will be diagnosed with colorectal cancer and an estimated 51,690 will die of the disease. It’s as common in women as it is in men.  With certain types of screening, this cancer can be prevented by removing polyps (grape-like growths on the wall of the intestine) before they become cancerous. Several screening tests detect colorectal cancer early, when it can be more easily and successfully treated. Ronald Reagan, Daryl Strawberry and Sharon Osborne have all famously battled colon cancer and won their fight. There are many ways to reduce the risk of Colorectal Cancer.  Be physically active and exercise regularly. This will help you maintain a healthy weight. A high-fiber diet rich in fruits, vegetables, nuts, beans and whole grains and calcium-rich foods like low-fat or skim milk also help reduce the risk. Of course you need to limit red meat consumption and avoid processed meats and obviously, don’t drink alcohol or smoke excessively.

Early stages of colorectal cancer don’t usually have symptoms. Later on, people may have these symptoms:

• Bleeding from the rectum or blood in or on the stool
• Change in bowel habits
• Stools that are more narrow than usual
• General problems in the abdomen, such as bloating, fullness or cramps
• Diarrhea, constipation or a feeling in the rectum that the bowel movement isn’t quite complete
• Weight loss for no apparent reason
• Being tired all the time
• Vomiting

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November 6th has come and past, and while some are unhappy with the outcome, most can agree they are happy the election is over.  The constant political commercials dragging their opponents through the mud and biased news “reporters” misleading the public was enough to drive anyone crazy.  Add to the fact that social media sites like Facebook and Twitter have become the place where uninformed users feel they should display their political opinions, you are left with an unending amount of conflicting information about the changes to health care. One of the most frequently asked questions being “Can I keep my health insurance under Obama’s plan?”

When the bill first passed, Americans heard President Obama say that if you have insurance and you like your health plan, you can keep it. But as health plan choices changed from one open enrollment period to the next, people started to become concerned. Nearly 149 million Americans get health insurance through their jobs. The health reform law sought to keep this country’s predominantly employer-based insurance system intact.

Contrary to popular belief -  employers aren’t required to provide health insurance under the Affordable Care Act.  However, starting in 2014 companies with more than 50 workers that don’t offer coverage may be required to pay a penalty.

What is changing?

The law provides some additional benefits to your job-based coverage that you might not have had before it passed, for example:

• Young adults can stay on their parents’ health plan up to age 26 if they are not offered insurance at work .
• Lifetime caps on care and annual limits are being phased out.
• All new health plans must now also offer preventive care services, such as cancer screenings, wellness visits and vaccinations with no co-pays or co-insurance.

So why is everyone so upset?

Many people are happy with their present coverage and there is no guarantee that you’ll be able to keep the exact health plan you currently have. Under the Affordable Care Act,  your employer has no obligation to keep the same benefits in place. And, in fact, many companies are making fairly significant changes to the plans they offer, none of which have anything to do with health reform. Red Lobster and Olive Garden restaurants nationwide are cutting back their full-time employees to part-time to avoid having to pay the premiums.  The biggest changes you’re likely to see with regard to your job-based health insurance include a switch to high deductible health plans – nearly 60% of employers offered this type of plan this year – and in general, rising costs.

For more information on how the Affordable Care Act will effect individuals, seniors, small business owners and young people, visit http://www.whitehouse.gov/healthreform/relief-for-americans-and-businesses

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A health insurance exchange is a set of state-regulated and standardized health care plans in the United States, from which individuals may purchase health insurance eligible for federal subsidies. All exchanges must be fully certified and operational by January 1, 2014 under federal law. An Insurance Exchange is a State-based competitive marketplace where individuals and small businesses will be able to purchase affordable private health insurance and have the same insurance choices as Members of Congress.  Each State has the opportunity to create its Insurance Exchange to meet its needs.  Exchanges will serve as a one-stop shop where individuals will get information about their options, be assessed for eligibility for the Exchange, tax credits for private insurance, or programs like the Children’s Health Insurance Program, and enrolled in the plan of their choice.  Small businesses will also have the option to purchase insurance through a program offered by each Exchange.

According to healthcare.gov, the main functions of an Exchange, laid out in the Affordable Care Act, include:

• Certifying, recertifying, and decertifying health plans offering coverage through the Exchange, called qualified health plans;
• Assigning ratings to each plan offered through the Exchange on the basis of relative quality and price;
• Providing consumer information on qualified health plans in a standardized format;
• Creating an electronic calculator to allow consumers to assess the  cost of coverage after application of any advance premium tax credits and cost-sharing reductions;
• Operating an internet website and toll-free telephone hotline offering comparative information on qualified health plans and allowing consumers to apply for and purchase coverage if eligible;
• Determining eligibility for the Exchange, tax credits and cost-sharing reductions for private insurance, and other public health coverage programs, and facilitating enrollment of eligible individuals in those programs;
• Determining exemption from requirements on individuals to carry health insurance, granting approvals to individuals relating to hardship or other exemptions; and
• Establishing a Navigator program to assist consumers in making choices about their health care options and accessing their new health care coverage, including access to premium tax credits for some consumers.

In addition to these basic functions, the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) proposes that Exchanges implement outreach and education programs and comply with oversight and program integrity requirements. For more information, contact Blue Star Benefits to get help with any questions or concerns you may have about the upcoming changes.

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Pancreatic cancer is the fourth most common cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States.

More than 200,000 people world wide will die from Pancreatic Cancer each year. Little is known about the causes of pancreatic cancer. The disease is difficult to diagnose in its early stages, as it presents few symptoms and there are few tests to screen for it. As a result, most patients have incurable disease by the time they are diagnosed. Fewer than 5 percent of pancreatic cancer patients survive five years beyond diagnosis of the disease.

Pancreatic Cancer: Gastrointestinal Symptoms

Because pancreatic cancer grows around important areas of the digestive system, gastrointestinal symptoms often predominate:

• Abdominal pain. More than 80% of people with pancreatic cancer eventually experience some abdominal pain as the tumor grows. Pancreatic cancer can cause a dull ache in the upper abdomen radiating to the back. The pain may come and go.
• Bloating. Some people with pancreatic cancer have a sense of early fullness with meals (satiety) or an uncomfortable swelling in the abdomen.
• Nausea
• Diarrhea
• Pale-colored stools. If the duct draining bile into the intestine is blocked by pancreatic cancer, the stools may lose their brown color and become pale or clay-colored. Urine may become darker.

Pancreatic Cancer: Constitutional (Whole-Body) Symptoms

As it grows and spreads, pancreatic cancer affects the whole body. Constitutional symptoms can include:

• Weight loss
• Malaise
• Loss of appetite
• Elevated blood sugars. Some people with pancreatic cancer develop diabetes as the cancer impairs the pancreas’ ability to produce insulin. (However, the vast majority of people with a new diagnosis of diabetes do not have pancreatic cancer.)

Pancreatic Cancer: Skin Symptoms

Jaundice: As pancreatic cancer blocks the duct that releases bile into the intestine (common bile duct), the ingredients of bile build up in the blood. This turns the skin and the eyes yellow, a condition called jaundice. The same blockage causes dark urine and light-colored stools.

Itching: People with pancreatic cancer sometimes report itching all over. Blockage of the bile ducts is often responsible.

Risk factors

Risk factors for pancreatic cancer may include:

• Family history: 5–10% of pancreatic cancer patients have a family history of pancreatic cancer. The genes have not been identified. Pancreatic cancer has been associated with the following syndromes: autosomal recessive ataxia-telangiectasia and autosomal dominantly inherited mutations in the BRCA2 gene and PALB2 gene, Peutz-Jeghers syndrome due to mutations in the STK11 tumor suppressor gene, hereditary non-polyposis colon cancer (Lynch syndrome), familial adenomatous polyposis, and the familial atypical multiple mole melanoma-pancreatic cancer syndrome (FAMMM-PC) due to mutations in the CDKN2A tumor suppressor gene.There may also be a history of familial pancreatitis.
• Age. The risk of developing pancreatic cancer increases with age. Most cases occur after age 60, while cases before age 40 are uncommon.
• Smoking. Cigarette smoking has a risk ratio of 1.74 with regard to pancreatic cancer; a decade of nonsmoking after heavy smoking is associated with a risk ratio of 1.2.
• Diets low in vegetables and fruits
• Diets high in red meat. Processed meat consumption is positively associated with pancreatic cancer risk, and red meat consumption was associated with an increased risk of pancreatic cancer in men.
• Diets high in sugar-sweetened drinks (soft drinks). In particular, the common soft drink sweetener fructose has been linked to growth of pancreatic cancer cells^.
• Obesity
• Diabetes mellitus is both risk factor for pancreatic cancer, and, as noted earlier, new onset diabetes can be an early sign of the disease.
• Chronic pancreatitis has been linked, but is not known to be causal. The risk of pancreatic cancer in individuals with familial pancreatitis is particularly high.
• Helicobacter pylori infection
• Gingivitis or periodontal disease

Prevention

Although there’s no proven way to prevent pancreatic cancer, you can take steps to reduce your risk, including:

• Stop smoking. If you smoke, stop. Talk to your doctor about strategies to help you stop, including support groups, medications and nicotine replacement therapy. If you don’t smoke, don’t start.
• Maintain a healthy weight. If you currently have a healthy weight, work to maintain it. If you need to lose weight, aim for a slow, steady weight loss — 1 or 2 pounds (0.5 or 1 kilogram) a week. Combine daily exercise with a diet rich in vegetables, fruit and whole grains with smaller portions to help you lose weight.
• Choose a healthy diet. A diet full of colorful fruits and vegetables and whole grains may help reduce your risk of cancer.

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Face it – Moustaches  are cool!

Moustaches have always been a sign of manliness… and this November will be no different. For the past twelve years, November has offically been known as MOvember – a month where men across the world grow their moustaches in support of issues facing men’s health. During November each year, Movember is responsible for the sprouting of moustaches on thousands of men’s faces, in the US and around the world. With their moustaches, these men raise vital awareness and funds for men’s health issues, specifically prostate and testicular cancer initiatives.

Once registered at www.movember.com, men start November 1st clean shaven. For the rest of the month, these selfless and generous men, known as Mo Bros, groom, trim and wax their way into the annals of fine moustachery. Supported by the women in their lives, Mo Sistas, Mo Bros raise funds by seeking out sponsorship for their Mo-growing efforts. Mo Bros effectively become walking, talking billboards for the 30 days of November. Through their actions and words they raise awareness by prompting private and public conversation around the often ignored issue of men’s health.

At the end of the month, Mo Bros and Mo Sistas celebrate their gallantry and valor by either throwing their own Movember party or attending one of the infamous Gala Partés held around the world. The funds raised in the US support prostate cancer and testicular cancer initiatives. The funds raised are directed to programs run directly by Movember and their men’s health partners, the Prostate Cancer Foundation and LIVESTRONG Foundation. For the official rules – see Movember and Sons official website at http://www.movember.com

The male employees at Blue Star Benefits will proudly be participating in the growing of facial hair for the month of November. Please support our team Cholesterol Schoresteral by making a monetary donation or by encouraging us to keep on growing! For more information and inspiration check out The 35 Manliest Moustaches of All Time!

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Dental Insurance is a wonderful thing. Knowing you are covered when it comes to Dental Health gives you peace of mind and keeps you covered in case of an emergency. But having insurance does not mean you can slack off when it comes to taking care of your teeth and gums. Below are a few common sense tips that will help keep you in good dental health!

See your dentist twice a year. Seeing your dentist twice a year (up to four times a year if you are diagnosed with gum disease) can save you money, time and the potential for discomfort. The enamel of our teeth is the hardest substance in the human body. This is a mixed blessing, because most cavities are painless and we are often unaware of a problem until it is too late. A small cavity that progresses to the nerve and starts to cause pain will often require a root canal, post and crown. The cost of theses procedures is about 8-10 times the cost of a filling. Visiting a dentist twice a year will help make sure everything in your mouth is healthy and you have no dental trouble on the horizon.

Brush and floss at least three times a day. This is something dentists call home care. The work you do at home can greatly reduce the amount of treatment (and expense) you will require from your dentist. Although it seems excessive, most dentists suggest you brush at least three times a day, after eating and before bed. Brush for about 2-3 minutes, using the techniques your dental hygienist has recommended (if you are not sure about the best way to brush, just ask at your next visit). They also suggest you floss once a day, before you brush. For those who are especially cavity prone, use a fluoride containing mouthwash in addition to the fluoridated toothpaste that everyone should use.

Buy dental insurance. Do you have dental insurance? Having dental insurance will reduce out-of-pocket expenses. Contact Blue Star Benefits for a free quote on dental insurance for you and your family. When it comes to your families dental health, preventative care will help keep you safe and save you money on your bi-annual visits – but in the case of an emergency, dental insurance can literally save you thousands!

Ask for alternative treatment plans. There are often several different ways to treat a dental condition. Each option has both advantages and disadvantages and different costs. The replacement of a missing tooth is a good example. Permanent tooth replacement with fixed bridge or implant will cost substantially more than a removable partial denture. Always ask your dentist to explain all treatment decisions and their costs ahead of time so you can make an informed decision.

Get a second opinion. Different dentists charge different fees and have different philosophies of treatment. Some dentists believe that they should present the “most ideal treatment” to every patient, even though what is ideal for one patient may not be for someone else. That is why it is important for dentists to present all treatment options, including the risks, benefits and costs of each option. If your dentist is reluctant to provide treatment alternatives, consider getting a second opinion. Ultimately, it is up to you to decide what treatment you want and what you can afford.

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