4 Reasons Why You Need To Stop Vaping, or Never Start!

By Jessica Ennis, for UCHealth

Thanks to clever marketing tactics, e-cigarettes (also called e-vaporizers) have become a popular alternative for cigarette smokers and are attracting new users who’ve never picked up a cigarette before.

According to Dr. Jeff Sippel, a pulmonologist in UCHealth’s Comprehensive Lung and Breathing Program who see patients for lung and respiratory conditions, explains why you should stop vaping — or never start.

Vaping is highly addictive

 E-cigarettes contain nicotine just like traditional cigarettes, but it’s often available at higher concentrations.

“Vaping is as addictive to smoking cigarettes — if not more so — because of the nicotine concentration e-cigarette manufacturers are putting into their products,” Dr. Sippel says. “Vaping the equivalent of a pack of cigarettes could give you double the amount of nicotine.

“Another reason vaping is highly addictive is — unlike when you start smoking and contend with irritated lungs and the bad smell — e-cigarettes are available in a variety of flavors that smell really good and vaping doesn’t cause any lung discomfort.”

Learn more about talking to your kids about vaping, vaping and pregnancy, and an e-cigarette study.

Vaping probably won’t help you quit smoking cigarettes

Many cigarette smokers turn to vaping when they’re looking to quit, but there are better options.

“Some studies show that vaping isn’t helping people quit smoking cigarettes and many of those people are now using more nicotine,” Dr. Sippel says. “There are several products people can try to help them quit smoking, in addition to other non-medical tools, instead of turning to vaping.”

He recommends the following smoking cessation aids instead:

• Nicotine replacement products

Over the counter: nicotine gums, lozenges, patches

Prescription: nicotine patches, inhalers, nasal sprays

• Non-nicotine prescription medications

Bupropion SR (Zyban®)
Varenicline tartrate (Chantix®)

• Other tools

Participating in cognitive behavior therapy

Creating a support system

“If you’re trying to quit smoking, speak with your provider and they can work with you to come up with a plan that to help you succeed that doesn’t involve vaping,” Dr. Sippel says.

Learn more about UCHealth’s smoking cessation programs.

E-cigarettes contain harmful chemicals

While it is widely known that traditional cigarettes contain harmful ingredients, there’s still much unknown about the potential long-term effects of vaping.

“What we do know is that many e-cigarette manufacturers added vitamin E acetate in vaping cartridges, which is a molecule that is hard for lungs to clean out and can cause inflammation and lung injury,” Dr. Sippel says. “This is where we have seen some reports of serious lung injury.

Dr. Jeff Sippel explains why you should shop vaping.

“It’s one thing to avoid cartridges with vitamin E acetate in them, but when you vape, you’re also breathing in oil. Oil does not need to go into your lungs and there is a potential for injury when you are smoking oil. So, we don’t yet know what other problems could come from vaping down the road.”

The Centers for Disease and Control continues to investigate reports of lung disease related to vaping.

Young people who vape face greater risks later on  

If you’re a parent, you may not even know your child or student is vaping because it’s not as disruptive or obvious as cigarette smoking. The truth is, many are. In fact, vaping devices are the No. 1 way U.S. teens are using nicotine.

“It’s easy for kids to get drawn in to vaping because it’s marketed in a way to hide and disguise the activity and it comes in a ton of yummy flavors,” Dr. Sippel says. “There are even websites that sell hoodies with built-in usb chargers and inhalation devices disguised as the strings.”

There’s a misconception that vaping is less harmful than smoking cigarettes, but it’s simply not true. Dr. Sippel warns parents to not be tempted rationalized it as the “lesser or two evils.”

“Kids who vape are going to end up smoking cigarettes or become lifelong vapers which is going to give them high risk of lung injury and emerging illness we don’t even know about yet. No matter how you look at it, vaping is going to cause problems.”

The CDC offers additional tips on how to talk to your teens about the dangers of vaping.

UCHealth’s Comprehensive Lung and Breathing Program is recognized by the U.S. News and World Report “top hospitals” rankings as the best in the nation. Search for the UCHealth respiratory care program closest to you here.

Worried About the Corona Virus? What you need to know!

The news is full of stories about a fast-spreading virus from China called the novel (new) corona-virus. Scientists around the globe are racing to learn more about the virus. Concerned about what this means for your health and your family’s safety?

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) believes the immediate risk to the American public is low right now, but they’re asking everyone to help reduce the risk of infections spreading.

How to protect yourself and your family

Check the CDC website for up-to-date information, especially if traveling. Get a flu shot to prevent the flu. While the corona-virus is different from the flu virus, the flu is still a serious illness.

Practice good health habits. Wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer when washing isn’t an option.

• • Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.
  • Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
  • Stay home when you’re sick. That includes staying home from work, school, errands and travel.
  • Cover a cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
  • Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces, such as phones, keyboards and doorknobs.
  • Get plenty of sleep, be physically active, drink lots of fluids and eat nutritious food.

Sources Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: About 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) (January 28, 2020): cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/index.html.

Colorado Life Chang Events Definition

Life change events include but are not limited to: 

Family additions or changes

• Birth of a baby, adoption of a child or placement of a child for foster care
• Getting married
• Death of a household member enrolled in a plan through Connect for Health Colorado

Loss of health insurance coverage

• You lost of job-based coverage 
• You no longer qualify for Health First Colorado (Colorado’s Medicaid program) 
• You no longer qualify for Medicare Part A
• You are turning 26 and aging off your parent’s plan
• Your student health plan ended

Move or change in permanent  residence

• Move to Colorado
• Move to a new permanent address- certain conditions apply  
• Leaving incarceration
• Gain of lawful presence (i.e. legally living in the United States according to federal immigration laws)

Changes to income (for current enrollees only)

• Changes in your income that affect the amount of Cost-Sharing Reductions (lower out-of-pocket costs) you qualify for
• Changes in your income that make you newly qualify for Premium Tax Credit (lower monthly costs)
• Changes in your income that make you no longer qualify for the Premium Tax Credit (lower monthly costs)

See whether your new income makes newly eligible for financial help »

Definition of Medicaid & Medicare 2020

Medicaid

Medicaid is a federal- and state-funded program that provides health care coverage for low-income individuals and families, families with children, pregnant women, and people with disabilities. Medicaid recipients must qualify through a re-determination process that occurs every 12 months. Individuals and families must report any adjustments to annual income while on a Medicaid plan.

If you meet income requirements, Medicaid eligibility can cover the entire household. If a family’s household income exceeds the limits for Medicaid eligibility, yet the family cannot afford to purchase private health insurance, children up to the age of 19 can be covered by the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). For CHIP eligibility information, visit medicaid.gov/chip.
Medicaid benefits can vary state to state and most plans include behavioral health benefits. For more information about Medicaid, visit medicaid.gov. To find individual or in-person help in Utah, visit takecareutah.org and enter your ZIP code to locate a representative who can help you apply for Medicaid.

Medicare

Medicare is a federally funded program that covers adults age 65 or older, younger people with disabilities, and those with End Stage Renal Disease (permanent kidney failure requiring dialysis). At age 65, you are eligible for premium-free Part A Medicare coverage if you or your spouse worked and paid Medicare taxes for at least ten years. There is a premium required for Part B coverage.

You can enroll for Medicare when you turn 65 (either three months before your birth date, the month of your birth date, or three months after your birth month). If you don’t enroll during this time period, you can enroll each year from January to March, but waiting to enroll could incur a late enrollment penalty fee.

Medicare coverage is only for individuals—it does not cover an entire family or household. The Medicare program has different types of coverage:

• Part A – inpatient coverage
• Part B – medical coverage, outpatient procedures, and office visits
• Part C – Medicare advantage plans
     o Private health plans approved by Medicare, administered by a third party
     o Benefits can vary but must offer all services that Original Medicare covers
     o May require a monthly premium
     o May include Part D (prescription) benefits
• Part D – prescription drug plan that is supplemental to Parts A and B

In some instances, individuals may qualify for coverage on Medicare and Medicaid—this is called dual coverage. People age 65 and older who also meet income requirements may be eligible for dual coverage. In dual coverage situations, Medicaid is always secondary to Medicare or any other commercial coverage.

Colorado Tax Form 1095-A Information

Form 1095-A

Summary

At the beginning of each year, Connect for Health Colorado provides customers with a tax form, Form 1095-A. We mail Form 1095-A to the primary tax filer in the household.

This document:

• Shows the months they (and other members of their household) were enrolled in a health insurance plan last year.
• Shows how much they paid in monthly premiums and how much tax credit (if any) they received last year to pay for health insurance.
• Is required to fill out Form 8962, Premium Tax Credit. Form 8962 determines how much tax credit they qualified for based on their actual income and household size as shown on their federal income tax return.

Open enrollment 2018 ACA Colorado

Open enrollment is over for 20018, in Colorado, how ever if you have a Life Event problem during the year, please call me Jo Anne Bly 719-434-2015

Do's and Don''ts of Helping Loved Ones Pay Medical Bills

By Mathew Perrone, AP health writer

Relief from medical debt doesn’t top the typical holiday wish list. But help with unexpected medical bills could be a welcome gift for millions of Americans.

Four in 10 U.S. adults received a surprisingly high medical invoice within the last year, according to a September survey from the nonprofit Kaiser Family Foundation. And medical bills topped the list of financial commitments that Americans are afraid they won’t be able to afford, ahead of prescription drugs, rent or gas, according to the results.

Here are some tips for helping a loved one with their medical expenses — and potentially lowering your own tax bill along the way.

WHO GETS THE MONEY?

When helping someone shoulder medical bills, financial experts say the most important step is to make sure you pay the money directly to the hospital, physician or medical provider. Those payments are exempt from federal reporting and tax requirements, but only if they go to the business or person that provided the service.

“You can’t give the money to your neighbor and then have them pay their own expenses,” explained Melissa Labant, an executive with the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

Payments to friends or family members exceeding $15,000 per year must be reported as a gift to federal tax officials, who track them as part of lifetime gift limits. The vast majority of Americans will never have to worry about reaching the threshold: You can give up to $11.4 million to an heir or loved one before having to pay any federal taxes, under 2019 tax rules.

CAN YOU DEDUCT THE PAYMENTS FROM YOUR OWN TAXES?

Only for certain medical expenses and only for dependents.

They must be a family member or part of your household, which can include grandparents, cousins, in-laws and adopted children. You must also show that you provide at least 50 percent of their financial support, which can include the value of housing.

If the person meets those requirements, you can deduct medical expenses exceeding 10 percent of your annual gross income from your tax return. So an individual earning $100,000 in 2019 could deduct medical expenses over $10,000.

Those sky-high expenses usually only occur in the last year or two of life, according to Labant.

“That’s when the numbers get big enough and make enough of a difference that the accountants hear about it,” she said.

WHAT EXPENSES QUALIFY?

When it comes to medical expenses, tax law is very broad, encompassing just about anything used to treat, diagnose or prevent a medical condition: surgery, rehabilitation, prescription drugs, eye glasses, weight loss programs and even quit-smoking aids are included.

Cosmetic procedures and over-the-counter medications generally do not qualify.

SPENDING AND SAVINGS ACCOUNTS

Employer-sponsored accounts can be another way to pay for medical expenses, though there are important limitations.

Many companies offer health savings accounts or flexible spending accounts, both of which allow employees to set aside tax-free money for medical expenses.

Health savings accounts are considered superior, allowing a family to contribute up to $7,000 in 2019, collect interest and roll over any leftover money to the following year.

Flexible spending accounts are similar but cap contributions at $2,700 next year. Generally, the money is “use it or lose it,” with any leftover funds forfeited at the end of the year. However employers can permit workers to carry over up to $500 to the next year.

Health savings accounts are “much better, hands down, because you get the same pretax contribution, but it rolls over every year,” says Chris Schiffer, an accountant and financial planner with AEPG Wealth Strategies.

Plans vary, but generally money from either type of account can only be used for yourself, your spouse or a dependent.