Ctrl + Alt + Del
By Elva Perez, Employee Benefits Account Specialist
Ctrl + Alt + Del. This keyboard combination is crucial when you need to reset your computer at work, yet interestingly, it’s also the best way to reset another very important computer. Your brain.
Control, Alt, Delete:
- Control yourself
- Alter your thinking
- Delete negative thinking
The last blog I shared was about the 6 steps I practice in my daily life to help me find peace of mind. After practicing the steps on how to achieve inner peace, I do feel like I have become mentally stronger. I have been working for the past 13 years on living a positive peaceful life, and some of these practices have now become second nature. Yet it can be a struggle not to fall back on old ways or practices when our surroundings seem to pull us back down.
While adding those steps was beneficial, they were all just things that I needed to start doing. Things that I needed to add to my mental routine. But just adding better practices doesn’t always lead to the best result. You must also delete the poor ones. Sometimes we have to Ctrl + Alt + Del our brains to restart fresh.
The article linked below stood out to me because it wasn’t about adding to our practices. It was about identifying the behaviors we needed to free ourselves from in order to make room for the better ones. The negative practices that need to be deleted in our brains.
10 Things Mentally Strong People Give Up to Gain Inner Peace | Inc.com
I know life is not perfect and it will always be an active effort to keep my brain programed for inner peace, but you know what? I am perfectly ok with that.
- Published in Blog
The RISQ RECAP:
April 10th – April 14th, 2023
Each week, you’ll find specially curated news articles to keep you up to date on the ever-evolving world of insurance and risk management. The articles are divided out between items relevant to Property & Casualty, Employee Benefits/Human Resources, and Compliance. We’ve included brief summaries of each item as well as a link to the original articles.
PROPERTY & CASUALTY
Dog-Related Injuries Cost Insurers More Than $1 Billion in 2022
“Insurers paid out more than $1 billion in dog-related injury claims in 2022, a 28% increase over 2021 even though the number of claims decreased last year, according to the Insurance Information Institute (Triple-I) and State Farm. There were 17,597 dog-related injury claims in the U.S. in 2022, down from 17,989 in 2021, according to a Triple-I analysis of homeowners insurance claims data. Despite a 2.2% decline in the number of claims, the total cost of claims increased significantly—from $882 million in 2021 to $1.13 billion in 2022.” Full Article
– Insurance Journal
EMPLOYEE BENEFITS, HUMAN RESOURCES, & COMPLIANCE
CMS Updates Could Help Employers on Second Round of Drug Cost Reporting “Employers facing a June 1, 2023, deadline for 2022 prescription drug cost reporting have important new clarification on issues such as plans that cover more than one employer, average monthly premium calculations, and medical plans that carve out prescription drug benefits. That clarification and more come in updated instructions recently released by CMS.” Full Article – Ogletree Deakins
States Step in as Telehealth and Clinic Patients Get Blindsided by Hospital Fees “Along with Colorado and Connecticut, other states that have implemented or are considering limits on facility fees are Indiana, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Ohio, Texas, and Washington. Those measures include collecting data on what facility fees hospitals charge, prohibiting add-on fees for telehealth, and requiring site-neutral payments for certain Medicaid services.” Full Article – Kaiser Health News
ACA Preventive Service Requirements Partially Vacated “The final judgment does not impact all of the ACA preventive service requirements. Specifically, the ACIP (immunizations/ vaccines) and the HRSA (women’s preventive care recommendations, including the contraceptive coverage requirements and preventive screenings for children) are not changed by this ruling.” Full Article – Groom Law Group
NLRB General Counsel Issues Guidance Memorandum Regarding Severance Agreements “Memorandum GC 23-05 seeks to clarify the scope of the McLaren Macomb decision, including: the types of provisions that may violate the NLRA; language that may be acceptable in light of the decision; whether the decision applies retroactively to previously executed severance agreements; and the potential applicability of the decision to supervisors.” Full Article – Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP
San Francisco Employers, Do You Need to Submit an Employer Annual Report Forms by May 1st? “The HCSO applies to private and non-profit employers who employ any individual in San Francisco, and twenty or more workers inside or outside of San Francisco.” Full Article – Jackson Lewis
FAQs Anticipate End of COVID-19 National Emergency, Address Outbreak Period Extensions for COBRA and HIPAA Special Enrollment “The FAQs leave some open questions — notably, no examples address how the outbreak period’s end will affect extended deadlines for filing benefit claims, appeals, and requests for external review; express guidance would be welcomed.” Full Article – Thomson Reuters/EBIA
STATE & INTERNATIONAL COMPLIANCE
In addition to the RISQ Review, RISQ Consulting also provides a resource that features changes and updates to State and International Compliance measures. We’ve included brief summaries of each item below, and also provided links to the original articles if you’d like to read further.
Michigan Rolls Back its “Right-to-Work” Law; NLRB’s Top Lawyer Provides Post-McLaren Macomb Guidance “Michigan becomes the first state in nearly 60 years to repeal its RTW law, which was implemented in 2013 under then-Governor Rick Snyder (R). The repeal is viewed as a major victory for union organization which reached an all-time low in 2022.” Full Article – Benesch Friedlander Coplan & Aronoff LLPMICHIGAN
Proposed FTC Ban on Non-Competes: What Texas Business Owners Need to Know “The proposed rule, announced by the FTC in January, would generally ban the practice of non-compete agreements by making it illegal for an employer to enter these agreements, maintain existing agreements, and/or represent to a worker that they are subject to a non-compete.” Full Article – Boyar MillerTEXAS
UPDATED: The City of Los Angeles’ Fair Work Week Ordinance Will Take Effect April 1, 2023 “The Ordinance, which was unanimously passed by the Los Angeles City Council in November 2022, requires retail employers in the City of Los Angeles to provide employees at least 14 days’ advance notice of their work schedules and to compensate employees in the event of certain schedule changes.” Full Article – Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLPCALIFORNIA
Illinois Supreme Court Finds Federal Law Labor Preempts Union Members’ BIPA Claims “Walton should stop unionized employees from bringing new BIPA claims in state and federal court. Walton also forecloses unionized employees from bringing BIPA claims on a class action basis. Companies on the receiving end of a BIPA lawsuit from a current or former union member should always explore a motion to dismiss the lawsuit on preemption grounds.” Full Article – Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLPILLINOIS
Delaware’s “Freedom of Contract” Approach to Non-Compete Agreements– Even Between Sophisticated Parties in the Sale-of-Business Context– Has its Limits “Non-compete agreements have recently gained a new round of attention with the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) proposed rule that would effectively ban employers from imposing non-competes (albeit not in certain sale-of-business scenarios).” Full Article – Gibbons PCDELAWARE
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What Employers Say About the Future of Employer-sponsored Health Benefits
By Casey Kirkeby, Strategy Consultant
Employer-sponsored health benefits have faced several threats over the past few decades, but just like hard-working employees they protect, they still endure and remain the primary method of coverage today.
One of the most impactful changes has been the introduction the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The Employee Benefits Research Institute (EBRI) recently published a report examining the ACA’s impact and other government health care solutions on employer-sponsored health plans. The study interviewed 26 benefits executives from various industries whose organizations covered over 1.2 million individuals and spent more than $6.5 billion on benefits in 2021. Their data reflected that both employers and employees still viewed employer-sponsored health benefits as an important feature of the employment relationship. Who would have though, right?! While this public option doesn’t guarantee ongoing success and stability, it will hopefully help shield employers from future challenges like legislative policy changes, economic difficulties and labor market shortages. Just like any good relationship, the employer/employee benefit relationship takes hard work, trust, and transparency.
As health care costs rise, employers are looking at any option to control costs. One arrangement that has been quite popular in the Lower 48 is the ICHRA (Individual Coverage Health Reimbursement Arrangement). Since it’s inception in January of 2022, many employers have adopted the ICHRA, directing their employees to private exchanges so that the employee is able to make plan design decisions for themselves apart from the traditional one-size-fits-all model. There are important considerations to take into account before an employer jumps to this model and the process is still clunky, but it can be a good fit for some employers. However, employers and employees have been slow to embrace the ICHRA because it lacks control over healthcare costs and creates additional administrative burdens that the employer has to absorb.
Another survey conducted by the National Business Group on Health concluded that most employers plan to continue offering health benefits to their employees as part of their overall compensation package. Specifically, the survey found that 92% of large employers offer health benefits and expect to continue doing so in the future, with an increasing focus on virtual health and digital solutions.
Employers are always exploring different ways to control costs, such as offering high-deductible health plans, Wellness Programs, Employee Assistance Programs surrounding mental health, and incentivizing employees to use cost-effective providers. But for now, employers remain confident in their ability to provide affordable health benefits to employees as an important attraction and retention tool.
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To Wage War On Work & Wage
By Kevina “Liz” Mitchell, Employee Benefits Account Specialist
Like many of the other 10 million single mothers in America, I have one beautiful princess who my life revolves around. Yet, whether we be single parents, two parent homes, or even individuals, this past year has likely affected each of our metaphorical family orbits. Once inflation took flight last year and refused to land, I was faced with a hard decision: either leave my current job (which I love) or take on a second part-time gig. Neither choice is appealing, but I have chosen the second. A) Because again, I love my job and B) because although the job market is hawt, the jobs I do qualify for either do not pay what I need, or they just seem really sus.
I do wonder when the last time the State of Alaska updated their assistance eligibility requirement was. Though I have by all accounts a respectable white-collar job, I still struggle to pay my bills, often having to choose between buying food or paying said bills. There’s no extra. The things my daughter and I were able to enjoy before this inflationary period are now unattainable because they cost money that I simply don’t have. As she grows… so do her interests. She wants to take classes that there are no funds for. Even I would like to take a class or two to grow my interests but cannot. But, according to Alaska, I make too much money. So, help is not available to me.
My remaining option then becomes to work more hours, having even less time with my little girl who needs me, and exhausting myself more than I already am. I suppose I could don a nice dress and hunt for a rich man… but I’m anemic so I don’t have the energy for that, hahaha! I do, however, think this is an opportunity for some creativity. My mother has been pestering me to start painting again. Allegedly I have a growing fanbase on JBER that would like to purchase my art pieces. I’ve also decided that this is a wonderful time to monetize my stunningly straight teeth and infectious personality via the Food & Beverage Industry.
Either way, I know I’m going to be just fine. While this isn’t how I envisioned my life going I can’t say that it’s boring. At least I have this life and the wonderful daughter within it. I’m also pretty excited about the possibilities! Especially the part where I will have no excuses to not leave my house anymore…or maybe that part was just anxiety, I don’t know. But darn it all, it’s happening, and life goes on.
- Published in Blog
The RISQ RECAP:
April 3rd – April 7th, 2023
Each week, you’ll find specially curated news articles to keep you up to date on the ever-evolving world of insurance and risk management. The articles are divided out between items relevant to Property & Casualty, Employee Benefits/Human Resources, and Compliance. We’ve included brief summaries of each item as well as a link to the original articles.
PROPERTY & CASUALTY
“Risk management is shifting” – The Institutes CEO
“A predict and prevent approach to risk management is becoming more significant as technological developments create added value for both brokers and their policyholders. “With new technologies and capabilities, we can predict when bad things are going to happen and stop them, rather than waiting for an incident to occur and making sure the person is financially whole, which is a great thing and will always be,” said Pete Miller, CEO of The Institutes.” Full Article
– Insurance Business
EMPLOYEE BENEFITS, HUMAN RESOURCES, & COMPLIANCE
Email Layoffs From the Employment Litigator’s Lens “With the market continuing on its roller coaster trajectory, many employers have been forced to make big cuts to payroll. When doing so, employers must think about a number of things, between final paychecks, vacation time, and other benefits.” Full Article – Mintz
Workplace Investigations: Anticipate Cognitive Overload “Sometimes you just need to let things gel in your mind for a while. I came to this conclusion in my investigations practice years ago, but only recently recognized it as symptomatic of a far more universal phenomenon, what mental health professionals call “cognitive overload.” Full Article – Levy Employment Law LLC
Bystander Responsibility in the Era of #MeToo: Lessons Learned From Apple TV’s The Morning Show “Partners Tracey Diamond and Evan Gibbs sit down with Megan Bigelow, assistant general counsel at Sonesta Hotels, to talk about the popular Apple TV series The Morning Show and harassment in the workplace.” Full Article – Troutman Pepper
2023 Compensation Check-Up: Four Questions to Ask About Your Compensation Practices “Compensation is always a top-of-mind issue for employers, but on the heels of the “Great Resignation,” and amidst ongoing labor shortages, economic uncertainties, and evolving legal requirements, many employers are reassessing their compensation practices.” Full Article – Levenfeld Pearlstein LLC
The Two Factors Critical to Employee Recruitment and Retention “The United States is experiencing a historically tight and transient labor market. Employers seeking to remain competitive in such a market would be wise to re-evaluate the nature of employment in their industry, the roles within their companies, and related pay and benefits according to a time – Constangy Brooks Smith & Prophete LLP
-tested theory.” Full Article
Dear Littler: How Do We Handle Drug or Alcohol Impairment in the Workplace? “We are a manufacturing company with facilities in multiple states. We have had a number of incidents when supervisors have suspected an employee was impaired while working due to alcohol or drug use. We are particularly concerned about employees potentially endangering themselves or others if they are using our equipment while impaired, but we are unsure what to do in these circumstances. Can you help?” Full Article – Littler Mendelson
STATE & INTERNATIONAL COMPLIANCE
In addition to the RISQ Review, RISQ Consulting also provides a resource that features changes and updates to State and International Compliance measures. We’ve included brief summaries of each item below, and also provided links to the original articles if you’d like to read further.
Michigan Rolls Back its “Right-to-Work” Law; NLRB’s Top Lawyer Provides Post-McLaren Macomb Guidance “Michigan becomes the first state in nearly 60 years to repeal its RTW law, which was implemented in 2013 under then-Governor Rick Snyder (R). The repeal is viewed as a major victory for union organization which reached an all-time low in 2022.” Full Article – Benesch Friedlander Coplan & Aronoff LLPMICHIGAN
Proposed FTC Ban on Non-Competes: What Texas Business Owners Need to Know “The proposed rule, announced by the FTC in January, would generally ban the practice of non-compete agreements by making it illegal for an employer to enter these agreements, maintain existing agreements, and/or represent to a worker that they are subject to a non-compete.” Full Article – Boyar MillerTEXAS
UPDATED: The City of Los Angeles’ Fair Work Week Ordinance Will Take Effect April 1, 2023 “The Ordinance, which was unanimously passed by the Los Angeles City Council in November 2022, requires retail employers in the City of Los Angeles to provide employees at least 14 days’ advance notice of their work schedules and to compensate employees in the event of certain schedule changes.” Full Article – Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLPCALIFORNIA
Illinois Supreme Court Finds Federal Law Labor Preempts Union Members’ BIPA Claims “Walton should stop unionized employees from bringing new BIPA claims in state and federal court. Walton also forecloses unionized employees from bringing BIPA claims on a class action basis. Companies on the receiving end of a BIPA lawsuit from a current or former union member should always explore a motion to dismiss the lawsuit on preemption grounds.” Full Article – Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLPILLINOIS
Delaware’s “Freedom of Contract” Approach to Non-Compete Agreements– Even Between Sophisticated Parties in the Sale-of-Business Context– Has its Limits “Non-compete agreements have recently gained a new round of attention with the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) proposed rule that would effectively ban employers from imposing non-competes (albeit not in certain sale-of-business scenarios).” Full Article – Gibbons PCDELAWARE
- Published in Blog
Employee Satisfaction With Benefits Falls to New Low
This article is from RISQ Consulting’s Zywave client portal, a resource available to all RISQ Consulting clients. Please contact your Benefits Consultant or Account Executive for more information or for help setting up your own login.
A recent study from Metlife found that an increasing number of employees feel they are not receiving the benefits they need from employers. Employee satisfaction with benefit offerings has fallen to 61% in 2023 from 64% in 2022, reaching its lowest point in the past decade of the study’s history. One significant reason for this decrease in satisfaction is higher employee expectations due to financial and mental health struggles in the wake of the pandemic.
“Feeling cared for at work is a key driver of employees’ holistic health and happiness, which are strongly connected to employee productivity and job loyalty.”
– Bradd Chignoli, senior VP at Metlife
In general, employees continue to expect robust traditional offerings such as health insurance, paid leave and retirement. But they have also heightened their expectations regarding modern benefit options, such as financial wellness and caregiving assistance. While employers have started to increase their benefit offerings to coincide with employee desires, most have not been able to meet the newfound expectations quickly enough.
What’s Next?
With employee satisfaction with benefits falling to a new low, it’s important employers reevaluate their benefits packages. When employee needs are met, employers are likely to find their workforce happier and more satisfied with their everyday tasks. Each organization’s employees may desire different benefit offerings, so it’s important to consider the needs of the workforce before considering what to offer in the future.
For more information on employee benefit satisfaction, contact RISQ Consulting today.
- Published in Blog
PBM Drug Pricing Transparency Bill Heads to Senate
This article is from RISQ Consulting’s Zywave client portal, a resource available to all RISQ Consulting clients. Please contact your Benefits Consultant or Account Executive for more information or for help setting up your own login.
The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation recently advanced a bill to increase pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) transparency and combat what some legislators called “deceptive practices.” The proposed bill received bipartisan support in the committee, with an 18-to-9 vote, and is supported by many health care and consumer organizations.
The Pharmacy Benefit Manager Transparency Act identifies activities that would be unlawful for PBMs to engage in, including the following:
- Spread pricing, a practice in which PBMs charge health plans and payers more for prescription drugs than they reimburse pharmacies
- Clawing back reimbursement payments from pharmacies
Additionally, PBMs would be required to direct 100% of any rebate to the plan or payer and disclose the cost and reimbursement to the health plan.
PBMs were initially formed to process claims and negotiate lower drug prices with drug makers. Today, they administer prescription drug plans for hundreds of millions of Americans and manage many aspects of the prescription drug process for health insurance companies, self-insured employers, unions and government programs. This includes developing lists of covered medications, negotiating rebates from drug manufacturers and contracting with pharmacies for reimbursement. According to the Pharmaceutical Care Management Association, PBMs play a positive role in creating savings and options and providing expertise for employers regarding prescription drug benefit design and coverage.
What’s Next?
Since PBMs have largely operated out of the view of regulators and consumers, this bill could impact how PBMs operate, potentially increasing prescription drug transparency. There’s currently no timeline for the Senate to consider the bill. Last year, the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation passed the same bill, but it was never put to a full vote on the Senate floor.
Employers should continue to monitor the situation closely. [B_Official] will keep you apprised of notable changes.
- Published in Blog
The RISQ RECAP:
March 27th – March 31st, 2023
Each week, you’ll find specially curated news articles to keep you up to date on the ever-evolving world of insurance and risk management. The articles are divided out between items relevant to Property & Casualty, Employee Benefits/Human Resources, and Compliance. We’ve included brief summaries of each item as well as a link to the original articles.
PROPERTY & CASUALTY
APCIA Says Property Insurance Market ‘Hardest in a Generation’
“A combination of historic high inflation and a growing frequency of natural catastrophes is creating the hardest market in a generation for property insurance, the American Property and Casualty Insurance Association says in a new white paper. “The growth of population, housing, and businesses in hazard-prone areas are exacerbating the effects of climate change, leading to more frequent and severe catastrophe losses,” stated Karen Collins, the APCIA’s vice president, property and environmental, in a press release. “The higher costs of capital and reduced reinsurance capacity are further exerting upward pressure on insurance rates and may result in stricter underwriting in catastrophe-exposed markets.”” Full Article
– Insurance Journal
EMPLOYEE BENEFITS, HUMAN RESOURCES, & COMPLIANCE
No Surprises Act Gives Plan Sponsors Savings Opportunities “The No Surprises Act also provides an employer or plan sponsor of an ERISA group health plan an opportunity to revisit their plan’s administrative services agreements with their third-party administrator TPA and reduce or eliminate certain fees being charged by the TPA.” Full Article – Hall Benefits Law
IRS FAQs Explains When Health FSAs, HSAs, or HRAs Can Reimburse Nutrition, Wellness, and General Health Expenses “These FAQs do not break new ground or include any surprises. However, they may be helpful to those on the ‘front lines’ of cafeteria plan administration, who are sometimes asked to explain the reasons for plan operating rules and decisions.” Full Article – Thomson Reuters/ EBIA
Telehealth and the End of the COVID-19 Emergency “The stand-alone telehealth relief under the ACA is available until the end of the latest plan year that begins on or before the last day of the PHE. For calendar-year plans, this relief would last until December 31, 2023. When an employer ends its stand-alone telehealth benefit, it may need to provide participants a 60-day notice of a material reduction in benefits.” Full Article – McDermott Will & Emery
States Act to Strengthen Surprise Billing Protections Even After Passage of No Surprises Act “Where state law is more consumer- protective, the state law remains in effect. The NSA allows states to specify how payment disputes between insurers and providers are resolved. The federal approach does not apply if a state specifies its own mechanism. States may develop their own processes for enforcing the NSA and specified state laws.” Full Article – The Commonwealth Fund
DOL Annual Report to Congress on Self-Insured Group Health Plans (PDF) “Approximately 74,100 group health plans filed a Form 5500 for 2020, an increase of nearly 13 percent from 2019. Self-insured plans covered nearly 35 million participants and held more than $112 billion in assets, while mixed-insured plans covered roughly 29 million participants and held $157 billion in assets.” Full Article – Employee Benefits Security Administration, U.S. Department of Labor
Insulin as Preventive Care: Why Not Eliminate Patient Cost Sharing? “The No Surprises Act also provides an employer or plan sponsor of an ERISA group health plan an opportunity to revisit their plan’s administrative services agreements with their third-party administrator TPA and reduce or eliminate certain fees being charged by the TPA. Sponsors have a fiduciary obligation under ERISA to understand these fees and how they can be reduced.” Full Article – Health Affairs
STATE & INTERNATIONAL COMPLIANCE
In addition to the RISQ Review, RISQ Consulting also provides a resource that features changes and updates to State and International Compliance measures. We’ve included brief summaries of each item below, and also provided links to the original articles if you’d like to read further.
Cal/OSHA Proposes Changes to Update Workplace Exposure to Lead Regulations “On March 3, 2023, the Cal/OSHA Standards Board published notice of proposed revised regulations pertaining to workplace exposure to lead for the general industry and construction safety orders.” Full Article – Jackson Lewis PCCALIFORNIA
Paid Leave for Nearly All Illinois Employees Coming Soon “Paid leave for any reason is coming to Illinois. On March 13, 2023, Gov. JB Pritzker signed the Paid Leave for All Workers Act (Paid Leave Act), which requires employers to provide up to 40 hours of paid leave to nearly all employees in Illinois. The Paid Leave Act becomes effective on January 1, 2024.” Full Article – Cooley LLPILLINOIS
Paid Family Leave Comes to Maryland “Maryland has joined 10 other states and the District of Columbia in passing a paid family leave law. Under the new Time to Care Act of 2022 (TCA), eligible employees may apply to a state-administered fund that will be used to provide up to 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave, with the possibility of another 12 weeks for parental leave.” Full Article – Gordon Feinblatt LLCMARYLAND
Delaware is Moving Away from Broadly Enforcing Non-Competition Restrictions “Delaware courts are joining a growing list of legislative, judicial, and regulatory bodies that view restrictive non-competition covenants unfavorably. In three recent Chancery Court opinions, Delaware courts reflect an evolution in jurisprudence regarding restrictive covenants’ interpretation.” Full Article – Frost Brown Todd LLPDELAWARE
Michigan Senate Votes Repeal 2012 Right-to-Work Law “The “right-to-work” law prohibits union-security agreements, which required private and/or public employees to pay union dues or services fees as a condition of obtaining or continuing employment. Employees in unionized jobs who opted out of the union are still afforded rights and benefits as members of the bargaining unit. The bill will now return to the House for a vote before it goes to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer for her signature.” Full Article – Plunkett Cooney PCMICHIGAN
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Why Dental Benefits Are Crucial for Your Overall Well-being
This article is from RISQ Consulting’s Zywave client portal, a resource available to all RISQ Consulting clients. Please contact your Benefits Consultant or Account Executive for more information or for help setting up your own login.
Selecting and utilizing dental benefits is crucial because the condition of your teeth and gums significantly impacts your overall health. Proper oral health care can help prevent oral infections, tooth decay, gum disease, and other conditions. Not only does good oral health support your teeth and gums, but your overall health and well-being.
Here are some of the ways dental hygiene can affect your overall health:
- Help cardiovascular health. Gum disease increases inflammation in the body, including within the soft tissues of the heart. Plaque and bacteria enter the body through the gums and can clog arteries and increase your risk of a severe heart attack or stroke.
- Decrease the risk of experiencing dementia. Poor dental hygiene can cause you to suffer from tooth decay and even tooth loss. Substances entering your body through your gums can negatively impact your brain’s functions. In turn, there is a higher potential for memory loss which can develop into dementia.
- Improve respiratory conditions. Bacteria can travel from your mouth to the bloodstream and into your lungs, directly impacting your respiratory system. Good oral hygiene can help prevent unwanted bacteria from traveling further into your body.
- Lower the risk of diabetes. People with gum disease are more prone to developing diabetes. The reverse is also true; those with diabetes are more prone to gum disease. If you already have diabetes, it’s vital to maintain good oral hygiene for prevention, as you’re more likely to contract certain infections when you have diabetes.
- Prevent some infertility risks. Gum disease can cause infertility issues such as premature birth and low birth weight. Maintaining good oral hygiene can help increase your odds of a normal pregnancy.
How to Practice Good Oral Hygiene
It’s important to practice oral hygiene for your overall health and well-being. Here are a few tips to help prevent periodontal diseases and health issues:
- Brush your teeth daily. Brushing your teeth at least twice daily can help clean your teeth and gums of bacteria and food debris within your mouth.
- Schedule regular dental appointments. Have your teeth cleaned at least once a year in order to maintain good oral hygiene.
- Change your toothbrush every couple of months. You use your toothbrush every day. Changing your toothbrush every couple of months helps minimize the amount of bacteria on the toothbrush, preventing it from being transferred to your mouth.
- Eat firm, whole foods. Firm foods can also help clean your teeth as you eat. Consider foods such as carrots, apples and celery in your diet.
Learn More About Oral Hygiene
Good oral hygiene needs to be a top priority to maintain good overall health status. A healthy mouth is often a sign of a healthy body. For further information on the importance of dental health, reach out today.
- Published in Blog
