DENVER, Aug. 28, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --The Colorado Department of Insurance has authorized SeeChange Health Insurance (www.SeeChangeHealth.com) to offer medical plans to the state's small businesses. SeeChange Health is already the fastest growing health plan in California.

"Our health insurance is new, different, and we believe, better," said Alan Katz, SeeChange Health's EVP for Sales & Marketing. "Like traditional plans we're there for our members when they're sick or injured. But we go further, offering financial rewards to those taking steps to improve and manage their health."

This approach, referred to as value-based benefit design, has been shown to reduce the rate of growth of health care costs by revealing undiagnosed chronic conditions. "Early detection and intervention of serious health problems means a better quality of life for members, a more productive workforce for employers and lower health care costs for everyone," Katz said. "SeeChange Health's technology platform has long helped larger employer groups enjoy the advantages of value-based benefit plans. We're now bringing this innovation to the small group market."

SeeChange Health Insurance will offer 14 preferred provider (PPO) plans throughout Colorado including three compatible with Health Savings Accounts (HSAs). These policies are available only to small businesses of 50 or fewer employees through licensed, independent brokers. SeeChange Health anticipates being able to offer coverage to larger groups in the near future.

"Colorado is a state that appreciates the importance of health and fitness. SeeChange Health's focus on wellness, prevention and early detection is a great fit with the people and culture of the state," noted Katz.

About SeeChange Health

SeeChange Health delivers plans, technology and services aimed at creating better health and quality of life for employees, increasing workforce productivity, and lowering health care costs by encouraging individuals to play an active role in managing their health to prevent, detect and treat serious health conditions. Its SeeChange Health Insurance division provides value-based benefit plans to fully insured employer groups in California and Colorado. The SeeChange Health Solutions division provides consumer engagement and health incentive technology platforms to employers, health plans and third party administrators delivering the cost-controlling advantages of value-based benefit plans. For more information, visit http://www.SeeChangeHealth.com.

Contact:

Susan Cotton (818) 824-9164 SCotton@SeeChangeHealth.com

This press release was issued through eReleases Press Release Distribution. For more information, visit http://www.ereleases.com.

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Health Plan Provider SeeChange Health Introduces Value-Based Benefit Design to Colorado

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28-08-2012 04:17 A BIG CONGRATULATIONS GOES TO ALEXA ON HER SUCCESS DURING A FITNESS CHALLENGE THAT SHE TOOK PART IN AND WON!!!! This is one of the prizes she will be 8.5X10 fitness and health junk journal that I made. It is to help her track more of her progress as she continues along on her health journey!!!

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Health and Fitness Junk Journal - Video

Adventures Denver. On September 9, join REI, The North Face and Backpacker Magazine fro the 1st annual Adventures Denver, a day of outdoor adventure in Sloans Lake Park. Events will include a kids zone, stand-up paddling, climbing, health and fitness classes, demonstrations, live music, giveaways and dozens of exhibitors. The event is FREE and open to the public. backpackerpromos.com/denver-2012

Pop Up Picnic Denver is a one-day event open to participants city-wide starting at 11:30 a.m. on Sunday, September 16, 2012. Created by Slow Food Denver, Grow Local Colorado, and Healthy Realities, the event intends to bring awareness to the value of slowing down, eating real food, and building community. Anyone in the city of Denver may create a picnic site on September 16, 2012. Businesses, community groups, friends, families, and neighborhoods are all encouraged to participate. Pop Up Picnic participants may sign up to host a picnic starting immediately and running through September 15. To sign up or learn more about hosting a Pop Up Picnic, visit http://www.facebook.com/PopUpPicnicDenver or email popuppicnicdenver@gmail.com.

The Great Erie Outdoor Adventure. This is the third year of The Great Erie Outdoor Adventure on September 8 and 9, 2012. This family-oriented and nature-based event is where participants enjoy overnight camping in the Erie Community Park plus other activities such as a climbing wall, kayak tanks, mountain bike course/demo and a variety of environmental education vendors. There is a community dinner, outdoor movie and many fun contests, too. Site fees apply. http://www.erieco.gov/specialevents.

Free Days

Saturday, September 1 Denver Art Museum Sunday, September 2 Denver Museum of Miniatures, Dolls, and Toys 1-4 p.m. Sunday, September 2 Boulder History Museum Tuesday, September 4 Target Tuesday Nights at Childrens Museum of Denver 4-8 p.m.

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Events: Pop-up Picnic, Adventures Denver & Free Days!

Editor's Choice Academic Journal Main Category: Sports Medicine / Fitness Also Included In: Seniors / Aging;Public Health Article Date: 28 Aug 2012 - 3:00 PDT

Current ratings for: Middle Aged Fitness Protects Health In Old Age

Several studies have looked into how physical fitness might impact on elderly health and longevity. A report published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine in 2008 showed that midlife aerobic fitness can delay biological aging by up to 12 years, as well as securing an independent lifestyle during old age.

Dr. Benjamin L. Willis and team gathered data from Medicare claims with information on participants from the Cooper Center Longitudinal Study, involving 14,726 men and 3,944 women. The data spanned from 1970 to 2008. All the participants were healthy and had an overall median age of 49 years at baseline.

The researchers were looking out for incidence of eight chronic conditions after the age of 65: Alzheimer's disease, colon or lung cancers, chronic kidney disease, COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), stroke, ischemic heart disease, diabetes, and congestive heart failure.

The authors wrote:

The participants were followed up on average for 26 years. Those in the top quintile for fitness had a considerably lower incidence of chronic conditions later in life compared to the people in the bottom quintile (1.5 vs 28.2 per 100 person years in males, and 11.4 vs. 20.1 in females). Participants' fitness levels were measured by getting them to do certain tasks on a treadmill.Even moderate improvements in fitness during age were found to reduce the risk of developing chronic conditions later on.

The authors wrote:

Midlife fitness appears to be more closely linked with a lower incidence of chronic diseases later on than improved survival, which also benefits, but less so, the researchers noted. Dr. Willis explained that "Compared with participants with lower midlife fitness, those with higher midlife fitness appeared to spend a greater proportion of their final five years of life with a lower burden of chronic conditions."

In other words, midlife fitness increases your chances of living more healthily during old age and having a lower risk of developing chronic conditions. Your lifespan may benefit slightly too. Your last years of life are more likely to be free of chronic diseases, or at least affected by fewer of them, compared to unfit middle-aged people.

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Middle Aged Fitness Protects Health In Old Age

BAY CITY, MI When John Sharp and his wife Sherrylearned that the Dow Bay Area Family Y was hosting a health and wellness fair, they had several reasons to attend. The Sharps, who left Bay City in 1994, recently moved back to the area and were looking for a fitness center to join in addition to learning about health issues and opportunities.

"It's really educational, and I learned a lot of things about health that you might not realize," Sherry Sharp said. "This was alsoan opportunity for us to see the Y, and the facility reallyis beautiful."

The Dow Bay Area Family Ypartneredwith the Bay City branch of the NAACP to providea free health and wellness fair at the Y, 225 Washington Ave., on Monday, Aug. 27. The eventbegan at 2:30 p.m. and runs until 6:30 p.m.

Linda Lones, community outreach and communications director for the Y, said that shehopes the health and wellness fairdraws at least onethousand people to the facility.

"Mondays are the busiest days, and we are hoping for a good turnout," Lones said. "On a normal day, there are around 3,000 program participants, members and visitors with day passes at the Y."

The health and wellness fair featured free fitness classes taught by Y instructors and interactive experiences with 43vendors from local groups andhealth organizations.

"All the vendors have a passion for healthy living," said Cait Chojnacki,health and wellness director for the Y. "The organizations are across the spectrum when it comes to mind, body and spiritual wellness."

Jennifer Miles of Clifford represented Saginaw Valley State University's occupational therapyprogram. Miles emphasized the importance of preventive care and said that therapy is a rewarding field to work in.

"Nothing beats the look you see on the face of a senior citizen who can stand up from a chair on their own after a hip replacement," Miles said. "It's a look of hope."

The health and wellness fair was an opportunity to educate visitors about health issues throughout Bay County, and within the minority population, said Darold Newton, president of the Bay City branch of the NAACP.

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Health and Wellness Fair draws crowd at Dow Bay Area Family Y

Circumcision Benefits Trump Risks, Pediatricians Say

For the first time in more than a decade, the American Academy of Pediatrics is modifying its stance on circumcision. Research shows that the health benefits of circumcising baby boys outweigh the risks, but the "benefits are not great enough to recommend routine circumcision," the group said in a new policy statement. The decision should be left up to each individual family. And those who choose circumcision, as most U.S. parents do, should be reimbursed by insurance, the AAP said. In its updated policy, the AAP highlights the medical benefits of circumcision, such as a protective effect against human papilloma virus, HIV, genital herpes, and syphilis, as well as a reduced risk of penile and prostate cancers. The risks are limited to bleeding or mild infection. However, the procedure does cause pain. "I couldn't consciously do that to my child," Meredith Lovell-Thayer, a 27-year-old apprentice midwife from Frostburg, Md., told The Baltimore Sun.

College Fitness: 5 Tips for Staying in Shape

Many college freshmen are flocking to campuses this month, in cars packed with dorm accessoriesand perhaps tearful parents. After students say goodbye to their families and hello to their new roommates, the enormous lifestyle changes of college life will start setting in: Tougher classes. All-nighters. Shared rooms. Parties. Because of these newfound freedoms, distractions, and a slowing metabolism, it's common for students to become unhealthy and perhaps gain weight. Some may know it as the dreaded Freshman 15, others as the Freshman 25.

"In high school, [students] may have played sports or taken P.E. classes, so they had activity built into their lives," says Dixie Stanforth, fitness expert and lecturer in the University of TexasAustin's kinesiology and health education department. Now, she says, students have many more decisions that they're allowed to make on their own. "Nobody's telling them to study; Nobody's telling them to exercise and eat right," notes Stanforth. "[Before college], they didn't get to choose Wendy's for lunch."

By exercising regularly and eating healthfully, both freshmen and older college students can stay fit. Here are some tips:

1. Make a plan. Stanforth suggests students map out a specific fitness schedule at the beginning of the semester. "If all I do is think, 'Oh, I really should exercise,' [then] I'm not going to exercise," she says. "It's just not going to happen." [Read more: College Fitness: 5 Tips for Staying in Shape]

Restaurant Calorie Counts: Will They Change the Way You Order?

I remember taking a trip to visit relatives in California, and going out to breakfast at a popular chain restaurant, writes U.S. News blogger Melinda Johnson. I was in the mood for pancakes. But when I opened my menu, I was hit smack between the eyesby the calorie count listed next to my breakfast of choice.

Being a registered dietitian, you'd think I wouldn't be shocked by the amount of calories in an order of blueberry pancakes. But I wasn't wearing my work hat when I sat down to breakfast, and something about that high number in black and white made me cringe. I'm not a calorie-counter to begin with, and I have no problem indulging in my favorite treats now and then. Still, seeing that number did make me reconsider breakfast. All of the sudden, my "splurge" seemed more extravagant, and less worth it. I changed my mind about what to order, and decided on something a bit more sensible. In short, the restaurant labeling did the job it was meant to doit swayed the behavior of a consumer toward a healthier choice.

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Health Buzz: Circumcision Benefits Outweigh Risks

HEALTH HAPPENINGS

Send information about free or low-cost health-related events open to the public 10 days ahead of publication. Information can be emailed to calendar@bradenton.com.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Back-to-school immunizations: Manatee County Health Department, 410 Sixth Ave. E., Bradenton; 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday. Ages: 18 and younger. Cost: free. No appointments necessary. Information, 941-748-0747, ext. 1269, or visit http://healthmanatee.org.

H2U programs: These events are offered by H2U, an adult health and wellness organization sponsored by Blake Medical Center. The Cortez Center is at 6670 Cortez Road; the Bayshore Center is at 6049 26th St. W. For more information, call 941-792-0211; for reservations, call 888-359-3552.

n How to talk with your doctor: Learn how to get the most from your doctors' appointments at 2 p.m. Aug. 28 at the Bayshore Center and 2 p.m. Sept. 7 at the Ellenton Center.

n Conversations to have with your children: How to approach and get your message across; 11 a.m. Aug. 30 at the Bayshore Center.

n Low back pain: Learn the latest treatmentoptions and things you can do at home to help with the pain at 3 p.m. Sept. 4 at the Cortez Center.

n H2U information:Learn about benefits of the H2U program, including hospital VIP benefits at Blake, presentations,regular activities, exercise and travel; 2 p.m. Sept.13 at the Ellenton Center.

n ABC's of caregiving: Learn about normal age-related memory loss, reversible causes for dementia, irreversible dementias, what are the warnings signs and what to do if you have them; 2 p.m. Sept. 14 at the Cortez Center.

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Health happenings calendar: Aug. 28

BAY CITY, MI

The Dow Bay Area Family Y andBay City Branch of the NAACP are working together to improve community health.

The organizations are providing a free health and wellness fair todayat the Y, 225 Washington Ave., from 2:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

The health and wellness fair features free fitness classes taught by Y instructors and interactive experiences with vendors.

We hope that people learn the value of preventive health and learn about what their community has to offer when it comes to health and wellness," said Cait Chojnacki, Health and Wellness Director at the Y.

McLaren Bay Regional Health, the Bay County Health Department and other localhealth organizationswill be on hand to answer questions and provide information on a variety ofwellnessissues.

Topics includepreventive health practices for common illnesses, preventive measures for the elderly, addressing common diseases in the minority population, womens mens and teen health issues and the importance of diet and exercise.

Blood pressure readings andvision screenings are available.

"It is so often that we go through life conducting our day to day activities that we seemingly neglect our health and well being, but our health is just as important as our jobs, our children and our homes that need continuous maintenance," said Darold Newton, president of the Bay City NAACP branch."Without our good health mental and physical none of the aforementioned can be properly attended to."

Schedule of Try Before You Buy free fitness classes:

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Dow Bay Area Family Y partners with Bay City NAACP for health and wellness fair, free fitness classes today

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Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens

Fitness at Middle Age Leads to Lower Risk of Chronic Disease in Senior Years

Even study participants who died had fewer chronic ailments to the end

Aug. 27, 2012 - A new study declares that fitness in middle age points to less chronic health problems in later life. And, even those who died in old age, seemed to have less of these chronic ailments right up to the end. The study involved both senior men and women, older than 65, who were Medicare patients.

The study was published Online First by Archives of Internal Medicine, a JAMA Network publication. But, the findings came with a caution flag waved in a commentary by Diane E. Bild, M.D., M.P.H., of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.

The research was by Benjamin L. Willis, M.D., M.P.H., of the Cooper Institute, Dallas, and colleagues. They examined the association between midlife fitness and chronic disease outcomes later in life by linking Medicare claims with participant data from the Cooper Center Longitudinal Study, a large group of individuals who were examined at the Cooper Clinic from 1970 to 2009.

The study of 14,726 healthy men and 3,944 healthy women, with an average age of 49, when they entered the study, used eight chronic conditions (CCs) for the analysis: congestive heart failure, ischemic heart disease, stroke, diabetes mellitus, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, chronic kidney disease, Alzheimer disease, and colon or lung cancer.

In the present study, higher fitness measured in midlife was strongly associated with a lower incidence of CCs decades later, the authors note.

With a median follow-up of 26 years, the highest level of midlife fitness was associated with a lower incidence of CCs compared with the lowest midlife fitness in men 15.6 vs. 28.2 per 100 person-years and in women 11.4 vs. 20.1 per 100 person years, according to the study results. Age- and sex-specific quintiles of fitness were based on treadmill times.

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Fitness at Middle Age Leads to Lower Risk of Chronic Disease in Senior Years

Trish Browns office is simple. Four white walls, narrow plywood shelves, a single desk. Hardly anything especially notable except the collection of thank-you cards and letters neatly displayed on the bottom shelf.

Brown looks up at the collection. Short blond hair frames her soft face. A wide smile spreads across her face as she describes the cards as not only gifts but also the motivation behind working as a health and fitness instructor.

Isnt that what you want to do in life? she said, reflecting on the students whose lives she has affected. Point out and show people the good they dont see in themselves.

Thats why I am so lucky I get to do what I do.

Brown has been teaching Winona State University students the fundamentals of physical education since 2006. When shes not on campus, Trish works part-time with Winona residents of all ages, leading a variety of fitness classes, including spinning, body pump and kickboxing at the Winona YMCA.

Winona State senior Tucker Blegen has participated in several of Browns fitness classes, including hip-hop hustle and kickboxing. He said there was never a day when Trish wasnt on top of her game.

I love Trish. She is so energetic and makes you want to work harder and push yourself because you dont want to disappoint her, Tucker said. She motivates you by leading by example.

Although Brown had always been active in sports and exercise, she never thought fitness would become her career. She went to college looking to become a nurse, but when her athletic trainer at Bethel University in the Twin Cities introduced her to the possibilities of a career in fitness, she knew it was the right path.

You need to enjoy what you do and find the avenue to get there, Brown said. Its hard work, but its not work because I love it.

She got a bachelors degree in athletic training and health education. After moving to Winona, she majored in adaptive physical education at WSU. She then got a masters degree in curriculum and instruction. Now shes working on a doctorate.

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Monday profile: WSU instructor Trish Brown spreads fitness gospel on and off campus