In this edition we have an article that discusses three things you need to consider about the Affordable Care Act (ACA). I mentioned last month that as of October 1, the open enrollment period for the ACA will begin. What does that mean for Central Florida? Well, according to the statistics gathered by Healthy Tampa Bay, there are 11.7 percent of children and 27.4 percent of adults without health insurance in Polk County alone. So potentially, there are a lot of people in the community who will be enrolling in some form of healthcare plan beginning in October. We want to make sure that the public is armed with knowledge, so that they can make informed decisions about all the changes that the ACA will bring about over time.
Since we follow the credo of “social responsibility is what we’re all about,” we feel it’s our duty to raise awareness of these changes for our readership and the surrounding region. Whether you have health insurance or not; whether you agree with the legislation that the Affordable Care Act will bring into law or not . . . I recommend reading this article and keeping you and your family in-tune with all the changes coming about. Even if the ACA does not apply to you directly, it will indirectly affect us all over time, and we would be wise to educate ourselves and others.
In addition to this topic, we also have an article about diabetes in this edition, which is another very relevant issue for Central Florida. Healthy Tampa Bay reports very high statistics for adults in the region with the disease who become hospitalized due to long-term and short-term complications, as well as very high instances of patients who have to visit the Emergency Room and/or are hospitalized due uncontrolled diabetes. If you or someone you know is struggling with this disease, make sure to read this article and follow the suggestions. If it can help you improve your quality of life, then it is worth the read. Enjoy this edition, and thanks for reading Central Florida Health News magazine.
