Free Resources Archive

The pandemic has been challenging in so many ways. Social isolation, job loss, financial stress, increased caregiving responsibilities; and the anxiety, grief, and fear related to COVID-19 have dealt a blow to our collective mental health. Mental health issues currently have the highest increase for young people, marginalized groups, essential workers, and unpaid adult caregivers. What can you do about it, and how do you know when mental health crosses over into mental illness?

Read More.

What happens to my health insurance if I get furloughed or laid off due to the Pandemic?

Generally, a furlough is a temporary job separation so chances are your employer will continue your health insurance and you may apply for unemployment benefits. However, unfortunately furloughs often become permanent job loss.

Read More.

At first glance, it seems that the opening up of telehealth or telemedicine services to the public during the COVID-19 crisis was a major success amid all the negative news.  Telehealth had been languishing as a service reserved primarily for treating patients in rural areas far from readily available medical care.

Read More.

Almost all types of health insurance have a period of a few months whereby you can enroll in a new plan or change the coverage under an existing plan. Most of these periods come toward the end of the year. However, there are usually Special Enrollment Periods that allow you to enroll if you experience a qualifying life event.

Under the Affordable Care Act, the open enrollment period began for marketplace plans November 1, 2020 and ended December 15^th 2020.

Read More.

In the United States, almost 40,000 people get HIV every year. Many people infected with HIV don’t know they have it. This devastating disease attacks the immune system and affects all parts of the body, eventually leading to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), it’s most deadly and advanced stage, for which there is currently no cure. Yet there is hope for the many Americans living with HIV infection or AIDS. Researchers are developing new and more effective drug combinations, and scientists are growing ever closer to a vaccine. Improvements in medication and earlier diagnosis mean that those infected with HIV are living longer, healthier, and more productive lives.

Established by the World Health Organization in 1988 and observed each year on December 1st, World AIDS Day is an opportunity for organizations around the world to raise awareness and advocate for progress in HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment, and care.

This chapter offering advice for coping with an HIV/AIDS diagnosis is from AIDS Sourcebook.

Comprehensive information about risk factors, prevention, transmission, and treatment of HIV and related complications, along with tips for living with HIV/AIDS, is available in AIDS Sourcebook, 7th Edition.

Diabetes is one of the leading causes of disability and death in the United States. It can cause blindness, nerve damage, kidney disease, and other health problems if it’s not controlled. According to the American Diabetes Association, one in 10 American’s have diabetes and another 88 million have prediabetes.

This chapter, from Diabetes Sourcebook, provides an introduction to diabetes and it’s causes.

Comprehensive information about the risk factors, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of diabetes is available in Diabetes Sourcebook, 7th Edition.

The teen years are especially important in the battle against diabetes. As young people begin to take more personal responsibility for managing their health, they make their own choices about what to eat and what activities to pursue. These decisions can have consequences that impact well-being throughout the adult years.

Currently, efforts to overcome diabetes are making little progress. According to recent U.S. statistics, the prevalence of type 1 diabetes appears to be increasing among children and adolescents.

This chapter, from Diabetes Information for Teens provides facts and statistics about diabetes.

Comprehensive information for teens about diagnosing and managing different forms of diabetes and preventing complications is available in Diabetes Information for Teens, 3rd Edition.

An estimated 1 in 8 woman born in the United States will be diagnosed with breast cancer at some point during their life. Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death for women in the United States. National Breast Cancer Awareness Month focuses attention on the disease and is a chance to raise awareness about the importance of screening and early detection.

This directory of resources from Breast Cancer Sourcebook provides information on organizations that provide information, support, and advocacy for people with breast cancer.

Comprehensive information about the risk factors, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of breast cancer is available in Breast Cancer Sourcebook, 6th Edition.

Anyone can get psoriasis, but it is more common in adults. Certain genes have been linked to psoriasis, so you are more likely to get it if someone else in your family has it.

Read more.

As summer rages on in the Northern Hemisphere, many athletes are trading their indoor gym for outdoor workouts. The option to train outdoors is a welcome relief to those who have been in lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but as we move outdoors, there is one big factor to keep in mind.

Read More.