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2021 greetings: Vaccines
2021 greetings: Vaccines 💉 Self-Care 🧘🏽♂ and You!
2021 greetings: Vaccines 💉 Self-Care 🧘🏽♂ and You!
Bringing you message of joy, hope and health in this New Year!Since the Covid vaccines started to become available in December, the conversation in healthcare circles has shifted from practicing self-care to focusing solely on the vaccine. However, it is clear that even with the vaccine, life will not return to pre-Covid days for many months. I am on a mission to make sure no one will forget the important lessons on the importance of self care and keeping ourselves healthy that we learned during this pandemic time! We all have seen in the past year just how essential our health is. The truth is, the pandemic has actually allowed us to quicken everything that has to do with healthcare. It has allowed us to bring all the minds together - the science, the scientists, the sages, the leaders, the politicians, the healthcare industry, everyone has mobilized to come together to create sustainable healthcare. The conversation is now on the table. And we must remember, it will take a cohesive, global mindset in order to overcome the 'new now.' I say 'new now' and NOT the 'new normal,' as nothing about this is normal. Even this vaccine roll out has never been done before on such a scale as we are now undertaking. With this in mind, I invite you to re-invigorate your self-care practices. Evaluate your supplements, get your Vitamin D levels tested, take some moments to be in the fresh air. Look for the moments when you can be mindful in the everyday, and simply breathe. Every day we can make a new choice. And in those choices we can change the world. With love, Naama and the A+ Team
LA County Covid Vaccine Update and Info
LA County residents who are 65 years old and older can now register for COVID-19 vaccination appointments. The opening of appointment registration for a new tier comes as the County opens five large capacity vaccination sites.
Medicare members will be able to receive the vaccine through the public health emergency period at no cost from in-network or out-of-network healthcare professionals. Covered members will be notified by email and mail in the coming weeks.
To find the latest COVID-19 information, visit the
or
You can count on us to support you with up-to-date information as available.
If you're considering travel out of the country, or into the US from overseas, you'll want to make sure to have travel insurance with COVID coverage. Several options are available - please contact our specialists for more info at (818) 508-7177.
HOW TO SCHEDULE YOUR VACCINATION AT A LOS ANGELES COUNTY SITE
Visit
to schedule appointments at LA COUNTY Vaccination Sites. Residents who don't have computer access may call (833) 540-0473 between 8 a.m. and 8:30 p.m. for assistance with reservations.
In addition to the L.A. County operated sites, more than 75 pharmacies have registered to provide vaccinations. Vaccine allocations are also going to large healthcare provider organizations like Kaiser Permanente and Providence Health and Services. In addition, residents may call their healthcare provider, who may direct them to a preferred location for the vaccine.
For up-to-date information on LA County's vaccine program, visit VaccinateLACounty.com.
The five established sites, which were chosen for their regional accessibility and their ability to handle large capacities are:
Pomona Fairplex, 1101 W McKinley Ave., Pomona, CA 91768
The Forum, 3900 W Manchester Blvd., Inglewood, CA 90305
California State University, Northridge, 18111 Nordhoff St., Northridge, CA 91330
L.A. County Office of Education, 12830 Columbia Way, Downey, CA 90242
Six Flags Magic Mountain, 26101 Magic Mountain Pkwy., Valencia, CA 91355
These large-scale vaccination sites started operating Tuesday, January 19, and will be able to vaccinate approximately 4,000 people per day at each site, significantly increasing the number of people vaccinated. The large-scale vaccination sites will aim to vaccinate 500,000 Los Angeles County residents in a month.
To ensure that people at higher risk of transmission and illness are vaccinated first, Los Angeles County has established a tier system. In addition to those 65+, priority for current vaccination is going to front line health care workers and residents and staff at skilled nursing and long-term care facilities.
This strategy works to protect our entire community by ensuring that our most vulnerable and most critical healthcare workers do not get sick.
Vaccinations are free, and available to all regardless of immigration status or insurance coverage. For those who have insurance, coverage information may be requested as part of the appointment scheduling process.
NOTE: The vaccine supply is still very limited, and we continue to urge patience as we work urgently with our federal and county partners to expand capacity and supply in the weeks ahead.
Blue Shield Update: No cost Teladoc visits are here to stay
In 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Blue Shield of California waived the cost for Teladoc medical and behavioral health services. This continued throughout the year. Now as we enter 2021, Blue Shield has announced that Teladoc fees will continue to be waived as part of member health plans.
Employer News
The U.S. Treasury and the Small Business Administration re-opened the PPP loan portal to eligible lenders with $1 billion or less in assets on January 15, and the portal is fully open as of January 19 to all participating PPP lenders.
For more information on how to apply for a First or Second PPP loan, check out the
.
2020 Tax Season: Proof of Coverage and What to Look Out For
During tax season, Covered California sends two forms to our members:
1. The federal IRS Form 1095-A Health Insurance Marketplace Statement; and
2. The California Form FTB 3895 California Health Insurance Marketplace Statement.
Form FTB 3895
The Form FTB 3895 is an important state tax document that serves as proof of coverage for individuals to claim the Premium Assistance Subsidy (state subsidy), reconcile any advanced state subsidy received, and to file an accurate tax return to avoid paying the state individual mandate penalty for the 2020 tax year. The amount displayed on the Form FTB 3895 reflect how much was paid to Covered California Health Insurance companies to help with the cost of a consumer’s health coverage. A Form FTB 3895 helps ensure the amount of state subsidy applied in 2020 is accurately reported and serves as proof of Minimum Essential Coverage.
Please Note: The IRS Form 1095-A and Form FTB 3895 is generated for each enrolled plan (except minimum coverage plans), regardless of if APTC/state subsidy was applied.
Affordable Care Act more essential than ever in light of the Covid-19 pandemic
Covid-19 changed the public's perspective and relationship with healthcare, as the risk of contracting the virus made having the security of a good health insurance policy tangible to a wide population. The Affordable Care Act changed the face of healthcare forever! Though it took a financial toll on the entire system, I believe it was one of the best things that ever happened in our nation's history.
Between the ACA, Medi-Cal and Medicaid, everyone should be able to have coverage. Our goal is to make sure that everyone has access to our healthcare system. We saw more sign-ups this year than ever had been recorded under the Trump administration, proving that despite the legal challenges, providing access to affordable plans was essential, especially as so many who lost their jobs also lost their employer-provided care.
Read more at
.
Learning How to Meditate: Are the Apps Worth It?
I am often asked how to start practice meditation, especially in the past couple of years as the benefits of mindfulness practice have become so much more well-known. Many people ask about the new meditation apps, like Headspace or Calm, and whether they are a good way to start practice.
I love this question because it shows how much meditation has become part of people's every day routine and thoughts. Numerous studies have proven the benefits of regular mindfulness practice, which range from improvements in
to
, to
and employee retention. With mindfulness on everyone's mind during the current pandemic, it is natural to look at the many tools and technologies available as a way to help guide us into the practice. Meditation is a technique to bring comfort into our uncomfortable life.
I can only share with you what I experienced for so many years. I have tried many different ways to connect to my soul as part of being the 'software of our soul' approaches. What I will say is, using an app is great, I still love to listen to guided meditation (especially by Deepak Chopra MD). Using technology to meditate activates our left brain (the analytical side). We are listening to the cues, deciphering the instructions, comparing them to our experiences, rituals, and memories that the words have also embedded in the software of our soul.
To experience transformational healing, we need to involve the Self within ourselves, we need to connect to our higher Self. When we understand that our past actions lead to our current habits, we can consciously change our habits, and our lives. We can take care of ourselves and stay on the conversation for health, support and Tikun Olam. It's all about what we give and what we share. It's all about the LOVE that we all need to learn and share.
Where the power in meditation exists, is the ability to access the ‘gap’, in between our 60,000-80,000 thoughts per day. To access this gap, I would wish to inspire you to activate the right side of the brain, the non-linear, intuitive and creative side.
My personal practice of meditation, Primordial Sound Meditation, a method developed by Dr. Deepak Chopra, can support us all on this journey for stillness. This form of meditation uses a mantra, a repetition of a 'primordial sound,' to help us quiet our minds. When we focus on the mantra, in an internal and introspective way, we develop our ability to relax deeply, breathe and let go. The vibration of the sound itself, even when repeated silently, helps to shift our consciousness. Through daily mantra practice, the mind can truly be released into the quiet space where words and analysis cease. Mantras are the instruments of our mind, and the key to unlock this non-linear side of our brain and create the fertile ground for true connection.
No matter how your life looks like now, in the 'New Now' we are all on this boat together. We are each having different experiences and different reactions, but we are here to help and support each other. Whether you are just starting or are looking to deepen your practice of implementing stillness into your daily schedule, we would love to share and hear from you.
Naama in the News!
1. Medicircle, an India-based health news site, recently interviewed A+ Insurance CEO Naama O. Pozniak on how the health insurance industry has been impacted by COVID-19, and what we should be doing in order to collectively heal.
Read the article:
What we have been reading
1. This article explores how different people see the world differently, but that doesn't mean that one view is better than the other views.People With Creative Personalities Really Do See the World Differently
Final Thoughts
Sending you all much love for a great week and a healthy, safe and mindful 2021.
Naama & the A+ Team!
Sent with gratitude for our connection
