Tag: stuff

Binghamton High Poverty Area Gets Healthier

The north side of Binghamton, New York, was in desperate need. Not only does it have a high rate of obesity, but it also has the highest rate of poverty in the county. Making matters worse, the only grocery store in walking distance or on the bus line closed. It was hard to find affordable or quality fresh foods.

The Northside Healthy Lifestyles Program

The United Way of Broome County stepped up to help by creating the “Northside Healthy Lifestyles Program.” The program increased residents’ access to healthy food, in particular locally grown fruits and vegetables, and taught them about nutrition. The program also provided physical fitness opportunities for families to combat childhood obesity. But there was still something missing.

More Help Needed For Binghamton

Program coordinators soon learned that more was needed to improve the residents’ health. Community members wanted important health screenings and physical education activities for their families. They’d also benefit from health coaching and chronic disease management, which the program lacked.

“Families didn’t know where to get started,” said Kim Schwartz, program coordinator and physical activity specialist for the United Way of Broome County.

A Customized Approach To Getting Healthy

Excellus BlueCross BlueShield stepped in to partner with the United Way of Broome County with a three-year grant to enhance the Healthy Lifestyles Coalition Program. The program could now expand services to better support the community.

They added a new program, called the “Northside Health Coaching Program,” to provide individual motivational health coaching, physical education opportunities, peer counseling and free health screenings.

“The unique aspect of this program is that all participants will receive a customized approach to getting healthy,” said Jessica Renner, Excellus BCBS regional president.

Small Changes Have a Big Health Impact in Binghamton

The new partnerships and programs have helped the community. Northside community members are now learning about nutrition, taking yoga classes, learning stress management skills, and trying different programs to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

“Small adjustments add up to a big difference,” stated Schwartz. “Trained health coaches work with participants to make lasting changes together.”

After six months in the program, one program participant, Laura Race, has lost 89 pounds. She’s gone from a size 22 to a size 16.

“My blood pressure has improved, and my cholesterol has gone down. My doctor told me that health-wise, I’m a whole new person,” said Race.

Laura Race

Food, Fitness, and Bikes, too!

The enhanced Northside Healthy Lifestyles Program also has a new component called Fresh Cycles. The Fresh Cycles program helps kids and their parents with bike maintenance, including donated bikes, and recycling.

Adult volunteers provide hands-on instruction about basic bicycle maintenance and repair. They also educate about safe riding habits, e.g., wearing a helmet, following traffic laws and being visible on the roads. Group rides are open to anyone who wants to peddle through Binghamton’s neighborhoods, parks, and roadways.

“Together with Excellus BCBS, we’re making the health and wellness of Binghamton’s north side our top priority. Our goal is to get people to ‘Move More in 2017’ and take a more active role in their health care,” said Schwartz.

12 Tips for Using a Bike Share

Bike shares are popping up in cities like mine (Rochester, NY). They’re great for quick trips to the neighborhood store, or for a group ride when with friends or out-of-town guests.

It sounds like fun, but if you’re like me, you’re not quite sure how to do it. Yes, I know how to ride a bike, but how do I rent one?

Don’t worry. I have friends who’ve mastered this new service. Here are some tips:

  1. Bring your own bike helmet. Not sure how to find one?
  2. Carry a small backpack or messenger bag. You can clip your helmet to it and carry your sunscreen, water bottle, snack and wallet. Maybe even carry a spare pair of shoes? Many of the bikes also have baskets for those items you’re carrying.
  3. Put on sunscreen, and not just on your face. Make sure you protect your arms and legs, too!
  4. Wear “sensible” shoes like a pair of sneakers or closed-toe shoes. Come on, you know your mom would tell you not to wear flip flops, right?
  5. Know the route and the rules. Aim for routes that keep you off busy roads. Ride with traffic (riding against traffic is a leading cause of bike-car crashes), use hand signals when turning and use the bike lanes where they’re available. You can read up on many of the rules here.
  6. Get the app. Most bike shares are mobile-based. You simply download an app, preload your credit card, and you’re off like Dorothy and Toto.
  7. Look for bike share credits, if you’re using an app. My co-worker, for example, found a promo code on the Rochester Regional Transit Service (RTS) website for $5 in bike share credits!
  8. Know the bike share rules. Can you return the bike to a public rack, or should you return it to the bike share stations? How long can you rent the bike? The rules are usually detailed on the bike share app or website.
  9. Adjust the bike seat for your height! A quick tip: Sit on your bike, and push one pedal all the way down. You should have a slight bend in your knee, if your seat is adjusted correctly.
  10. Before you ride, squeeze the bike’s handles to test the brakes. Check the tires to make sure they’re not flat.
  11. Start easy. Consider biking along a trail or in a park, and skip high traffic areas. In Rochester, for example, there are spots to rent a bike along the Genesee Riverway Trail, an off-road trail along the Genesee River.
  12. Have fun!

When you’re done, tell your friends and family. Lots of people (like me) are thinking about it, but are too nervous to try. So share your story – whether it’s on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or just at the dinner table.

Here are a few bike sharing services in upstate New York. Please note that many bike share services close for the season around late October or November.

Enjoy the ride!

Hidden Gems: Wall Therapy in Rochester

I recently went on a slow bicycle ride through the streets of Rochester, stopping at notable city spots, such as the Genesee Brew House and the Rochester Public Market.

But what I really loved were the “hidden gems,” or numerous murals located throughout the city.

Each location left me wanting to visit the next as I admired how the wall art helped resuscitate a dilapidated building or added beauty and color to a normally blank space.

But turns out there was a greater meaning behind the murals.

 

The healing power of murals

The murals are part of Wall/Therapy, the brainchild of Dr. Ian Wilson, a radiologist in Rochester. Wall/Therapy began in 2011 to help address the collective need for inspiration and to heal “the city with new life and energy.”  Believing in the healing power of pictures, street artists from around the world helped create these public art murals.

 

More than just murals

Wall/Therapy seeks to heal through art. But it also helps bring awareness to another project of Wilsons’s, IMPACT! (IMProving Access to Care by Teleradiology). IMPACT! sets up diagnostic imaging sites in developing countries. The volunteer radiologists use cloud computing to help diagnose and recommend treatment for people in these countries. Artists also travel to these communities to paint walls with inspirational murals.

 

Where to find murals in Rochester

There are more than 100 Wall/Therapy murals throughout the City of Rochester.  If you are up for another adventure, there are other murals to explore, including those from M.A.R.C. (Mural Arts of Rochester Crew). M.A.R.C. is a mural arts project where city youth are hired by the City of Rochester and trained in areas such as community art development.

Here are some photos I took of the murals at the the Rochester Public Market:

Check out the locations below and find your favorite piece of wall art. It may help you see the Rochester area in a brighter light.

Wall/Therapy locations

M.A.R.C.

 

Build Your Own Trail Mix

Trail mix is my go-to afternoon snack. It’s the perfect blend of salty and sweet that keeps me going from lunch until dinner. Trail mix is also easy to pack and stores well. The next time you’re in the mood for trail mix, head to the bulk section of the grocery store and build your own! The perfect trail mix is all about getting a good blend of your favorite ingredients.

Nuts

Nuts are a great source of protein and fiber that help fill you up. They are also good for your heart with lots of healthy fat and omega-3 fatty acids. My favorites are almonds, walnuts, cashews, and pecans.

Tip: Look for unsalted and unsweetened nuts. Choose raw or roasted (your preference!). Nuts are high in calories so a one-ounce serving per day is all you need to get those health benefits. What’s a one-ounce serving? It’s 24 almonds, 18 cashews, 35 peanuts, 15 pecan halves or 14 walnut halves.

Seeds

Seeds can help boost your immune system because they have lots of zinc and selenium. They also contain calcium which helps to keep bones strong. I love pumpkin, sunflower, sesame and chia seeds.

Tip: Look for unsalted and unsweetened seeds. Like nuts, seeds are high in calories, so keep portions on the smaller side.

Dried Fruit

Dried fruit has many of the health benefits of fresh fruit. Many dried fruits pack antioxidant power (like dried Goji berries), promote heart health (like dried apples), and are rich in potassium (like prunes and dried apricots). The USDA recommends that everyone ages 2 and older eat at least one cup of fruit per day. Adding fruit to trail mix helps make that goal easier. My preferred dried fruits are raisins, dried cherries, and dried cranberries.

Tip: Look for dried fruit without added sugar. For portions, about 1/2 cup of dried fruit = 1 cup of fresh fruit.

Whole Grains

Whole grains add some crunch to your trail mix. They are a good source of fiber, iron and many B vitamins. Eating whole grains may help reduce blood cholesterol and lower the risk of heart disease, obesity and type 2 diabetes. Adding whole grains to trail mix also helps keep you feeling full long after eating. I like to add whole grain cereals, whole wheat crackers or air-popped popcorn to the mix.

Tip: Not sure if a product is a whole grain? Check the label for “100% whole grain” or “100% whole wheat”.

“Sugar and Spice”

A little “sugar and spice” goes a long way! Adding a few dark chocolate chips or unsweetened coconut flakes can take your mix from drab to fab. If you’re looking for a more savory and less sweet mix, try adding some spices, like cinnamon, turmeric, curry or cayenne pepper, to bump up the flavor.

My Go-To Trail Mix Blends

Fall Adventure Mix
Pecans
Walnuts
Pumpkin seeds
Wheat Chex cereal
Dried cranberries
Pumpkin pie spice
Dark chocolate chips

Sun Mix
Cashews
Almonds
Sunflower seeds
Golden raisins
Unsweetened Coconut flakes

Game Day Mix
Almonds
Peanuts
Pistachios
Raisins
Air popped popcorn
Pretzels
Dark chocolate chips

Hidden Gem: Whole in the Wall Restaurant

Binghamton locals refer to the Whole in the Wall restaurant as the best kept secret on the Southside of Binghamton.  But the word is out and I was thrilled to see the place full of people when I recently visited the restaurant with my mother for lunch.

What is Whole in the Wall?

The Whole in the Wall restaurant is a farm-to-table, all-natural and organic restaurant that is located on South Washington Street in Binghamton. The restaurant is close to downtown Binghamton but far enough away to provide adequate parking.

The restaurant has a cool, funky ambience when you enter. Additionally, local art work on the walls gives it a more creative, personal feel. The seating is intimate and not too formal, which allowed us to sit back and relax while we looked over the menu.

Garlic Ball – A Must Have!

We started off our meal with their famous garlic ball. It is pure yumminess!! The garlic ball is a huge fresh wheat roll, warm from the oven and is smothered in garlic butter.  It is totally worth the breath mint!!

The very yummy garlic ball.

More Must Haves

Since it was a bit of a cooler, rainy day, we both opted for the homemade cream of mushroom soup. The soup is another signature item on the menu and it surely did not disappoint.  You can tell that the soup is homemade, really fresh and just seasoned enough to not be overpowering.  I love mushrooms and they definitely did not skimp on the mushrooms in the soup.

At this point, our bellies were getting full. But as my mother reminded me, “we had to eat our veggies,” so we both ordered the house salad. The salads were just the right size and filled with tomatoes, cucumbers and carrots.  Everything was very fresh and we both cleaned our plates!

Don’t Miss

On our way to the counter to pay our bill, we grabbed a container of their homemade sun dried tomato pesto to take home. The Whole in the Wall chefs make their own homemade pesto in several varieties. It is sold nationwide

If you’re in the Binghamton, N.Y. area, and you grab a bite to eat at the Whole in the Wall, you and your belly won’t be disappointed!

The Details

 Whole In The Wall
43 S Washington St, Binghamton, NY 13903
(607) 722-5138
WholeInTheWall.com

Overwhelmed with Life? Try Making Your Bed

My parents passed on many a piece of advice to my brother and me over the years. Like most children, we generally did the opposite.

Eat your broccoli, it’s good for you = Whittle a hole in table leg, hide broccoli there.
Empty the dishwasher, you’ll feel accomplished = Pay off a sibling to do it for you.
Being home by curfew will make you feel responsible = change the clocks an hour ahead.

You can see where this is going.

But there was one piece of advice that I initially embraced. Then, as life went on, I forgot it. Now, after recently becoming a parent, I’ve finally realized the true genius of this “life tip.” It was my mom’s edict to make my bed.

Forgetting everything my mom ever told me

A call to make one’s bed was, shall we say, a distinct challenge. You can’t throw a twin bed out of the window as a way to avoid the chore. Paying my brother to make the bed defied economic sense when calculated against income from allowance, my mix cd business and hoarded lunch money.

As such, I acquiesced on the topic, until I went to college and Forgot Everything My Mom Ever Told Me. As she visited my freshman dorm room, she took stock of the scene: a cereal spoon molded to the floor in a halo of dried milk, a stack of CDs wobbling on a stack of papers, and an inked reminder on the back of my hand to do something, possibly study for an exam.

She looked longingly at my roommate’s pristine side of the room – a made bed, a calendar, file folders and – gasp! – an iron. She sighed, as mothers often do, then fell back on a piece of wisdom she often uttered to her notoriously disorganized youngest child:

“If you can keep your room clean, you can keep your life clean.”

My mom had a point

Anytime something felt overwhelming, she would ask “Is your room clean?”  After a dozen years and hundreds of “no’s,” she modified the question.

My flavored toothpick business is getting too large and I can’t keep track of my clients on the school bus.
Did you make your bed?

I’m not ready to pick a major and don’t know where to start.
When was the last time you made your bed?

This Italian class is really hard.
Go make your bed, then sit on it, with your books.

Make your bed. It could lead to other good things

This wasn’t just a mom-tested mantra; she used it in her days as a social worker. Sometimes tasks in life seem so insurmountable, she would say, that it’s hard to know where to start. Even the phrase “start small” feels big. But a palatable suggestion, like “make your bed,” well that can have some power.

Here’s why.

In the widely-circulated commencement speech and subsequent book from Naval Adm. William McRaven, the emphasis on making a bed isn’t just aesthetic. It’s about paying attention to detail, starting small and harnessing a special kind of momentum in your day:

If you make your bed every morning, you will have accomplished the first task of the day. It will give you a small sense of pride, and it will encourage you to do another task, and another, and another. By the end of the day, that one task completed will have turned into many tasks completed. Making your bed will also reinforce the fact that little things in life matter. If you can’t do the little things right, you will never do the big things right.

And, if by chance you have a miserable day, you will come home to a bed that is made — that you made — and a made bed gives you encouragement that tomorrow will be better.

Others in the home/life organization field say it’s one of those habits that snowballs into other good things. Kind of like when you say “hi” to someone and they say it back, it’s a simple task that makes you feel good (if it doesn’t, YOU ARE SOUL-LESS.)

So the next time you feel overwhelmed or aren’t sure where to start with something, try going back to basics. Try making your bed.

And if you can’t remember, just write it on your hand.

Hidden Gem: The Westminster Staircase

Referred to by some as the “Stairway to Heaven,” the Westminster Staircase in Syracuse holds special meaning for those of us who use it.

Starting on Euclid Avenue and leading to a small circular park at the dead end of Westminster Avenue, the stairs are a startlingly serene departure from the hustle and bustle of the University Neighborhood.

From the crest of the hill, you can catch some of the best views of Syracuse depending on the time of year. The stairs and park have been the scene of countless heart-to-hearts among friends, breakups, and even wedding ceremonies. But the stairs remain relatively unknown to the larger Syracuse community.

Is It Really “Hidden?”

To the untrained eye, yes! With the tree cover, you might mistake the base of the staircase for the steps to one of the neighboring Euclid Avenue homes built into the hillside. More observant passersby and those “in-the-know” will see the entrance to one of Syracuse’s more whimsical urban features.

What’s So Great About A Staircase?

Walking up the stairs recently, I could hear the sound of summer cicadas all around me (terrifying for some, calming for me). The noise of traffic was blocked by thick trees and I was surrounded by the lovely smell of earth and greenery. Even though I went on a 90-degree day, my walk up the stairs felt cool and relaxing in comparison to the sidewalk below.

At top of the stairs is Westminster Park, a modest patch of grass surrounded by a loop of road. Mature trees shade part of the park, and there is a solitary bench for weary stair-climbers. Above scrubby trees and bushes covering the sides of the hill, you can see the Carrier Dome and other iconic buildings on the Syracuse University campus. Milkweed growing among the brush is a sign the park may be a good place for watching for butterflies, and I saw a cardinal perched in one of the tree branches.

One More Thing

The staircase is used by many as an outdoor workout course. On my recent climb, I saw several people using the staircase to get in their steps for the day. Even just walking up the stairs will get you winded, so running up them is a great challenge!

The Details


Access the stairs from the south side of Euclid Avenue, between Maryland and Lancaster avenues. Or, enter from the dead end of Westminster Ave.

Please use caution as many of the bricks and cobbles have been worn away by the elements and there are many uneven surfaces. Only those with sure footing should use these stairs.

Your Back-To-College Health Checklist

I’ve never been as sick as I was my first year at college. I was barely sleeping and living off ramen noodles and coffee. No wonder I caught mono!

Unfortunately, my mono went without diagnosis for eight months! The cure for mono is rest and more rest. But when I did suffer a cold or aches and pains, a simple gift of a first aid kit from my parents ”saved” me on more than one sickly occasion!

That’s why a first aid kit is on my back-to-school health care checklist.

You can create your own first aid kit by including some typical injury materials, including bandages, gauze and tape and antibiotic ointment for cuts and scrapes. You might need ibuprofen for aches and pains and antihistamines for allergic reactions. Eye drops help get the red out. Add a thermometer, just in case!

But a first aid kit is just one of the items you might want to tackle before the start of school:

#1 On Your Checklist Is . . .

Although it’s the last thing on our minds when we’re healthy, getting your yearly checkup should be at the top of your checklist.

Many college students should also get certain vaccinations, including those for meningitis, cervical cancer and whooping cough. Flu shots are also strongly recommended, but many college campuses offer free vaccinations for them in the fall.

Ask your doctor about the best ways to care for yourself, especially if you’re away from home. Also consider getting your annual dental checkup and needed vision and hearing screenings out of the way before school starts.

#2 Your Doctor’s Digits

While you’re at it, ask your doctor about the best way to reach him or her while you’re at school. Your pediatrician knows you best, and you trust him or her. Ask if they do visits over the phone or by video chat for those times when you can’t get to their office.

#3 Unlock These Health Benefits

Maybe not as exciting as meeting your new roommate or choosing your first classes, but you may save yourself a hassle later on by  registering now for an online account on your health insurer’s website. You may “unlock” a bunch of important benefits, including instant access to your member card and a new kind of service that lets you video chat with a doc ! (See below for details.)

Register now while you’re healthy. You don’t want to be searching for this stuff while you’re battling high temperatures, a scratchy throat and the shivers.

#4 Get “The Card”

You’ll need your health insurance member card, whether it’s a digital version on your phone or a physical card. You’ll need your card wherever you seek care.

#5 FaceTime A Doc

Adulting is hard! Mom and dad might not be there to take you to your doctor when you’re sick. If you can’t contact your doctor or your college’s health center is closed, telemedicine might be your best bet. It feels a lot like FaceTiming or Skyping. You can talk or video chat with a doctor from your dorm room, apartment or between classes for non-emergency medical conditions.

If you have Excellus BlueCross BlueShield health insurance, you may have access to a telemedicine benefit through MDLIVE. Using an app on your smartphone, computer or tablet, you can get help from a doctor within minutes. If needed, the doctor can fax in a prescription to a nearby pharmacy.

Consider registering today for telemedicine so you’re ready to use the app when you’re sick: ExcellusBCBS.com/HealthCareLive

That’s all I have for tips! I hope you’re better equipped to handle whatever malady comes your way this school year.

Ready to Run? Learn to Love Hills

Hills kinda have a bad rep among runners. Something about gravity and sweatiness and REALLY HARD WORK! It’s true. Hills are not easy to run. But I love them anyway, and you can learn to love them, too.

“Love” is a relative term. You learn to love hills the same way you learn to love kale. You know it’s good for you. You know if you try it now and then you’ll get the results you want.

My journey to “love” started with my second 5k. I was new to running. I randomly picked a race, and when people started warning me about the hills, I shrugged it off like any clueless novice. I’d run a few mildly hilly training routes. I could do three miles without walking. How hard could it be?

I had no idea what I was in for

Two miles of hills! I huffed and puffed and almost made it to the top of the last hill before I had to walk. Almost. I felt a little defeated, because my goal was to run the whole race without walking.

*Cue the Rocky theme*

After that, I made it a point to run hills every single week until the course became easier. Not easy, but easier. I recently ran the Boilermaker 15k, which has more than its fair share of hilly goodness. Every time I reached the top of a hill, I felt like I’d overcome a challenge.

You, too, can embrace those inclines.

tips for making it to the top, don’t pass them up

You’ll get stronger! When you run up a hill, you use your muscles differently. Your leg muscles and your booty will get a better workout. Strengthening those muscles up the hills will help you run better when you’re back on lower ground.

AND faster! I will never win a race. But I do strive to improve my personal times. Run hills every week for a few months then sign up for a flat 5k. See what happens!

Tired of running the same flat routes? Or the treadmill? Hills present an opportunity to end the monotony of the same old route, same old terrain. Changing things up can help your mental game both on and off the road.

It’s a challenge! Think about how you feel when you overcome any challenge. It’s exhilarating! Satisfying! Maybe even a little exhausting. But you did it. Congratulations!

You can be THAT person! You know the person I’m talking about. The one who says “Bring it on!” when everyone else is groaning about hills. You may even inspire the look. Is it respect? Awe? Fear? I haven’t figured that out. Give it a try and let me know.

Tips to make the most of hills

Slow down! It takes more work to run up a hill than it does to run on a flat surface. Unless you’re speed training and your goal is to sprint uphill until you can sprint no more, slow down a little to avoid burning out. Try to keep a consistent level of effort throughout your run: this means a slower uphill pace.

Don’t look up! If you’re afraid of heights you’ve heard “Don’t look down.” Apply the opposite concept if you tend to think about how much further you have to go.

Watch your posture! Especially if “Don’t look up!” helps you get to the top. If you find yourself slouching forward or hunching your shoulders, your movements become less efficient and you end up making more work for yourself. Think about standing up straight and gravity will help you get the slight lean that will drive you forward with better form.

Run with friends! If you’re like me, running with a group will motivate you up the hills when giving up sounds like the better deal. Think of the stories that will come out of the shared experience: Remember that time we ran ten miles, uphill, both ways, in a blizzard? A little exaggeration never hurt anyone.

There’s no shame in walking! If running up hills isn’t your thing, you don’t have to avoid routes or races because they’re a little (or a lot) hilly. There’s no rule that says you have to RUN every step of the way anytime you lace up your running shoes. Do what feels right for you.

Have any other tips? A favorite hilly race? Maybe a favorite training hill? Share in the comments section below!

Lifehack: 26 Year Old Buying Health Insurance

If you’re like me, you give your health care almost no thought until you’re sick or you need to fill a prescription. You show your insurance card and it all kind of just happens because you’re on your parents’ health insurance plan.

But then your 26th birthday comes along and *bam* you’ll be dumped and forced to figure this health insurance thing out. #adulting

After my boyfriend turned 26, he went without health insurance for five months because his employer didn’t offer it. When we attempted to get him covered, we realized we were in way over our heads (that was 2014).

Fast forward a couple years and it’s ironic that my job is to explain health insurance in an easy-to-understand way. I’ll let you in on what you need to know and how to go about choosing a plan—we’ll call it a crash course in health insurance.

First, let’s understand the basics.

 If you can’t get health insurance through your employer, you can buy a plan through the exchange (in New York, the NY State of Health Marketplace) or directly from an insurer.

The benefit to signing up on the exchange is that you can get help paying for your plan. In 2017, if you make less than $47,520 (400% of the current Federal Poverty Level, or FPL), you’ll likely qualify for some sort of financial help, so it might be worth exploring your options on the exchange.

When you turn 26, you’re usually covered on your parents’ plan until the end of your birth month. But that doesn’t mean you should wait until the last day to start researching your options.

Losing your parents’ coverage is a “qualifying event” and makes you eligible for a Special Enrollment Period. It’s a set window of time to enroll in a plan, usually 60 days, and once enrolled, you’re locked into that plan until December 31st of the year you enroll.

“These deadlines are why you want to give yourself at least a month to research,” said Shelley Bollar, Supervisor for Marketplace Facilitated Enrollment at Excellus BlueCross BlueShield. “You want to make sure you’re ready prior to losing your insurance so you don’t have a gap without it. You never know when you’ll have health issues.”

Next up, learn how it works.

 No matter what plan you go with, most preventive care is free. These are things like your flu shot, annual physical, STD testing, depression screenings, and generic birth control.

There are a lot of plans to choose from. You’ll have to figure out how you’ll want to pay for it. The lower the plan’s monthly (premium) cost, the more you pay when you get care. The higher your monthly cost, the less you pay when you get care.

Here’s that this looks like:

This is where you start to think about how healthy you are.

People who are generally healthy and don’t see the doctor often tend to go with high deductible health plans, or the base, bronze and silver plans. That’s because these cost the least per month, and the user can pay as they go for services they use.

On the other hand, some people choose gold or platinum plans just because they’re more comfortable with traditional co-pays when they get health care, not necessarily because they’re visiting the doctor more often.

If your plan has a deductible, that’s the amount you pay upfront when you get care. This handy dandy chart put it into perspective for me:

Why is health insurance worth it? You’ll be protected financially if something catastrophic happens to you. If you fall off your bike and break your leg, for example, it could cost you $8,000 if you don’t have insurance! Each plan has an out of pocket maximum, which is the most you can pay in one year.

But your membership with a health insurer also gets you a discounted rate when you use health care services.

“Narrow your choices if you know there’s a particular health insurance company you want to go with, a certain price you want to pay, or a specific doctor you want to see,” says Shelley.

Start browsing plans at nystateofhealth.ny.gov to get an idea of what’s out there. If you see a few plans you like you can select them and compare side-by-side. Get a more narrow focus by bouncing over to the health insurer’s site. The research is on you.

Some other things to think about are

Take all the plan costs into consideration, not just your monthly premium. These are things like deductibles, costs for drugs, trips to the doctor, etc. Remember the deductible is what you pay first, upfront. Verify that the health care providers you see are in-network and “participate” with your plan.

Catastrophic plans are available to those under 30. You can’t get a tax credit with the base/catastrophic plan, but you get three free visits to your primary care doctor.

If you take prescription medications, the Silver Standard plan gives you copays on drugs from day one (so you don’t have to meet your deductible first). Make sure your meds are covered on the drug list (called a “formulary”).

Check to see if your gym membership can be reimbursed or if there are other health and wellness discounts. For example, Excellus BlueCross BlueShield plans gives you up to $400 back with the ExerciseRewards program.

You can only Google and read so much—I totally get it. The good news is there are experts who do this every day and can help you.

You can call a licensed agent at Excellus BCBS at 1-888-370-7098. They can estimate your financial help, explain all the insurance stuff, and help you choose a plan. You can also meet in-person with someone like Shelley, a facilitated enroller, or an independent broker. To schedule an appointment with an Excellus BCBS facilitated enroller, call 1-800-234-4781 or find someone available in your area.

And of course, you can review your decision with your parents. Once you’ve got health insurance under your belt, you can get back to doing all other things adulty.

Do you have other questions about buying health insurance? Leave your comments below.