February 2018 - In This Issue:
This monthly newsletter provides information about different approaches to medical cost sharing, as well as information about tools you can use that are designed to maintain or regain your health. It also includes articles on health and wellness and information on complementary and integrative health, and it also provides information on products and services you can purchase or utilize to supplement either your medical or healthcare cost sharing program or your health insurance plan.

Inexpensive Policies That Can Supplement Your Health Excellence Plus or Health Excellence Select Programs With Cash Payments
We now offer four inexpensive programs that can be used to pay for unshareable amounts under your health care cost sharing programs (either Health Excellence Select or Health Excellence Plus ) or even if you don't participate in any program at all. Payments under these programs are made IN ADDITION to those received for shareable expenses as well.
  • Accident Fixed Benefits - a plan paying cash benefits to help pay for unexpected out-of-pocket costs associated with accidents.
  • Critical Illness-Term Life--a plan that helps you reduce the financial impact of a critical illness on your family and your future.
  • Dental Fixed Indemnity - get cash payment to help you pay for dental expenses with any dentist.
  • Hospital Expense Protection - stay one step ahead with set, cash benefits to help you pay for medical expenses in and out of the hospital.
Premiums for these programs are considerably less expensive than premiums for what people commonly call "AFLAC" programs. Please call us at 877-734-3884 for quotes and an explanation how these plans (and other supplementary programs) work.
Weight Control and Complementary Health Approaches
The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) published these guidelines for weight control on January 24.
 
Did you know that more than two-thirds of adults and one-third of children in the United States weigh more than they should?
 
Healthy eating and regular physical activity are the keys to keeping weight under control. But people sometimes ask whether complementary health approaches might give them some extra help. For some mind and body approaches, the answer may be yes. For example, research indicates that yoga and meditation may be useful as complements to other weight-loss interventions.
 
On the other hand, dietary supplements, such as green tea extracts, Chinese herbs, and bitter orange, have not been shown to be effective for weight loss, and they may have side effects. In addition, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has found that some weight-loss products sold as dietary supplements are tainted with hidden and potentially harmful substances, such as prescription drug ingredients. 
 
If you're planning to shed some pounds, it's a good idea to talk with your health care provider about developing a weight-loss plan that's safe and effective for you.

Learn more about weight control 
Quitting Smoking Tools That Can Help
About 70% of adults who smoke would like to quit. Fortunately, there's lots of help available. Evidence-based treatments, including counseling and medication, can double or even triple a smoker's chances of quitting successfully.
 
Other promising options include meditation-based therapies, yoga, and guided imagery. There's some evidence that these complementary health approaches can help reduce cigarette use and nicotine cravings. On the other hand, acupuncture, hypnosis, and dietary supplements haven't been shown to help people kick the smoking habit.   
 
5 things to know about quitting smoking

Paul Cholak
About Paul Cholak
 
Paul Cholak is the Principal of Control Your Healthcare Costs (a dba of Control Your Healthcare Costs, LLC). He's participating in spearheading the national movement of insurance agents and referring affiliates who are assisting Americans take back control of their health care costs by becoming self-pay patients and joining medical cost sharing plans, thereby reducing and in some cases eliminating some of their healthcare costs.

He also offers health and wellness tools that can serve as an adjunct to any health insurance plan and also offers supplemental health insurance products that can be purchased in addition to any medical or healthcare cost sharing program or health insurance plan.

Paul is an independent insurance agent and has life and health insurance licenses in 32 states.   

Paul has many years of experience in health and wellness and was associated with the first health and wellness consulting practice (the Health Strategies Group which was founded in 1986 as part of the Alexander and Alexander Consulting Group). He also supervised the first corporate child care center, which was featured on the  Today Show . He understands the needs of "self-pay" patients, has read extensively in the literature, and has a long-standing interest in finding alternative ways of delivering healthcare services.

He's a recipient of the prestigious Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award and been listed in Who's Who in America, Who's Who Registry of Business Leaders and Who's Who in Finance and Industry. Early in his career he was identified as one of the Emerging Leaders in America. 

He's a member of Phi Beta Kappa and other national honorary societies and organizations such as Omicron Delta Kappa. He's also an Ambassador with the Boca Raton Chamber of Commerce. He's a graduate of certificate programs from a number of prestigious institutions, been invited to speak at corporate and university training programs, been featured in articles in national books and magazines.and is also a published author.  

Paul Cholak
Control Your Healthcare Costs
877-734-3884 (Toll Free)
561-734-3884 (Local)
561-734-3886 (Fax)
pcholak@ControlYourHealthcareCosts.com