Navigating Heart Health in Florida: Why the Best Health Insurance Companies Focus on Preventive Care
9 Minutes
Team Curative
Mar 8, 2024
Health insurance plans that emphasize preventive measures and extensive care for heart conditions can play a significant role in safeguarding the well-being of the Florida workforce — a necessity for a state where approximately two out of every ten deaths are attributed to heart disease, and where in a single year, over 5% of adults have suffered a heart attack.
Insurance plays a crucial role in combating this epidemic and employers must keep this in mind as they determine health benefit options. Floridians making choices about their health insurance should consider their risk factors for heart disease and the coverage they may need. The best health insurance Florida available prioritizes preventive care, including everything you need to keep your heart healthy.
What’s the leading cause of death in Florida? Heart disease.
Florida residents should know the risk factors and preventive measures affecting their care and coverage. In 2021, Florida Health reported that “heart disease accounts for approximately two out of 10 deaths in Florida,” and that in the previous year, CDC data found approximately 5.2% of Florida adults suffered from a heart attack, highlighting the need for heart care for Florida residents. Heart disease coverage, prevention, and care can refer to care for several conditions affecting the heart, including:
Coronary artery disease (commonly called blood vessel disease)
Arrhythmias (also known as irregular heartbeats)
Congenital heart defects (these are heart problems a person is born with)
Disease of the heart muscle
Heart valve disease
For Florida residents, it’s key to understand individualized risk factors and the preventive measures you can take now to reduce your overall risk. Understanding the health coverage options available and how the best health insurance companies provide care, can help Floridians make smart decisions related to their health insurance coverage.
What are the early warning signs of heart disease?
Florida residents should be aware of the early warning signs of heart disease. Certain health conditions can be risk factors:
High blood pressure. According to America’s Health Rankings, 58.3% of adults 65 and older, and 39.5% of adults ages 45–64 living in Florida had high blood pressure in 2019.
Diabetes (including type 1, type 2, gestational, and others). Over 2 million adult Floridians were living with a diabetes diagnosis in 2020, according to the American Diabetes Association.
Obesity. The number of adults in Florida living at a healthy weight is expected to decline from 34% in 2022 to 30% by 2030, according to Florida Health.
Florida residents should bring up overall risk factors with their healthcare providers to learn the best preventive strategies for their personalized risks.
Is heart disease preventable?
Risk reduction and preventive measures can reduce your susceptibility to heart disease. Preventive measures like the “behaviors for improving and maintaining cardiovascular health” can often impact your risk levels. These changes to lifestyle factors often include changes to:
Eating habits. Prevent risk factors for heart disease by including fresh fruits and vegetables and reducing processed foods in your diet.
Activity levels. Moderate activity for at least 30 minutes a day can reduce the risk factors for heart disease.
Tobacco use. Smoking or vaping accounts for “about a third of all deaths from heart disease,” according to Florida Health.
Sleep. Improved sleep habits like going to bed at the same time each night and sleeping at a comfortable temperature can lead to more heart-healthy sleep.
Starting heart-healthy habits can be easier said than done. Harvard Health Publishing recommends improving heart health with “a series of small changes” instead of overhauling all your habits at once.
What are the common treatments for heart disease?
For Florida residents, a visit to their primary care physician is often the first step. In an initial visit, your doctor may share suggestions for changes to your habits and other preventive and risk-reduction methods to treat your heart health.
Certain symptoms or family history could prompt your doctor to recommend heart disease tests, like a blood test or chest x-ray. Additional recommended testing could include stress and exercise tests, an electrocardiogram (also called an ECG or EKG), or a test for blockages, valve narrowing, or leaking. Your primary care doctor or cardiologist may recommend these tests.
Ongoing treatment for heart disease often includes:
Lifestyle changes. Healthy habits like an exercise routine or eating more vegetables can reduce your risk of heart disease.
Medication. Keep up with diabetes or blood pressure medication.
Regular visits to your doctor or cardiologist. Regular testing is recommended as it can detect medical issues early, before they become serious.
Surgery. If lifestyle and habit changes don’t sufficiently reduce your risk, your cardiologist could recommend surgical intervention.
Florida residents should be aware of their coverage for preventive care. The best health insurance companies can help Florida residents understand their plans. Curative offers care for Florida residents, from wellness checks to primary and specialty care, as well as office and hospital visits.
How can preventive care help you avoid heart disease?
While certain risk factors for heart disease are unavoidable, with the right care and preventive measures, some forms of heart disease are treatable or avoidable. This preventive care can take the form of lifestyle changes, like a diet that's low in salt and saturated fat, or starting a healthy habit like a daily walk.
In addition to lifestyle changes, your doctor can perform routine health screenings to help you better understand your heart health and risk of cardiovascular disease. The AHA recommends testing regularly for:
Blood pressure. Annually.
Blood glucose. At least every 3 years beginning at age 45.
Cholesterol. Every 4-6 years for normal-risk adults beginning at age 20.
Body weight, diet, and physical activity. During your regular visit.
Preventing heart disease is the priority for testing. Depending on your risk factors or diagnoses, your doctor may require additional and more frequent testing during your important, regular health checkups.
The best health insurance companies provide health plans with easy access to preventive care for a monthly premium
Early detection is a major reducer of risk factors for heart disease. The best health insurance companies emphasize prevention and heart disease risk reduction. Curative members can get access to the affordable, preventive care they need, with the support that makes it simple to find doctors and understand your insurance coverage.
Members can get started by scheduling a Baseline Visit with your Care Navigator to get a full picture of your health and better understand your benefits. Curative members who complete their Baseline Visit within the first 120 days of their plan start date continue to get benefits like $0 out-of-pocket costs for in-network care.
To get heart health measures covered, Curative members must:
Sign up for a Baseline Visit to learn about your plan.
Schedule a visit with your in-network primary care provider for $0 visits. (This visit is the best time to discuss your risk factors and ask questions of your PCP.)
Preventive health is a critical step in preventing potential health issues. Depending on the health plan you’re enrolled in, Curative covers heart health measures including preventive care with coverage for regular screenings, check-ups, and vaccinations.
After completing a Baseline Visit in the first 120 days of joining Curative, one monthly premium will get members:
$0 copays
$0 out-of-pocket fees
$0 preferred prescriptions
$0 deductibles for in-network care
Maintaining a healthy lifestyle and getting the appropriate screenings are critical to maintaining cardiovascular health. To learn how Curative earned its place as one of Florida’s best health insurance companies for preventive care, visit our members page.
About Curative
At Curative, it's our goal for people to love using their health benefits. That’s why our health plans actually deliver better health for Florida residents through our health plans’ affordability, engagement, and simplicity.
With $0 copays and $0 deductibles, Curative is changing the way Florida residents view health insurance.
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References
America’s Health Rankings (2021). High Blood Pressure in Florida. https://www.americashealthrankings.org/explore/measures/hypertension/FL?population=hypertension_45_64#
American Heart Association. (2019, March 22). Heart-Health Screenings. Www.heart.org. https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/consumer-healthcare/what-is-cardiovascular-disease/heart-health-screenings
DOH Orange County encourages commitment to a heart-healthy lifestyle for American Heart Month | Florida Department of Health in Orange. (2023, February 2). Orange.floridahealth.gov; Florida Department of Health. https://orange.floridahealth.gov/newsroom/2023/02/Healthy-Heart.html#:~:text=Be%20More%20Active%3A%20Adults%20should
Florida. (2020, May 19). Www.cdc.gov; CDC/National Center for Health Statistics. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom/states/florida/fl.htm
Harvard Health Publishing. (2019). 10 small steps for better heart health. Harvard Health; Harvard Health. https://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/10-small-steps-for-better-heart-health
Heart disease | Florida Department of Health. (2022, January 21). Www.floridahealth.gov; Florida Department of Health. https://www.floridahealth.gov/diseases-and-conditions/heart-disease/index.html
National Sleep Foundation. (Oct 2020). How Much Sleep Do You Really Need? https://www.thensf.org/how-many-hours-of-sleep-do-you-really-need/
Mayo Clinic. (2022, August 25). Heart disease - diagnosis and treatment - mayo clinic. Mayoclinic.org; Mayo Clinic . https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/heart-disease/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20353124
Warning signs and symptoms of heart disease Information | Mount Sinai - New York. (2022, October 26). Mount Sinai Health System. https://www.mountsinai.org/health-library/selfcare-instructions/warning-signs-and-symptoms-of-heart-disease
What does a cardiologist do?: How to work with one. (2024). Pennmedicine.org; Penn Medicine. https://www.pennmedicine.org/updates/blogs/heart-and-vascular-blog/2019/august/working-with-a-cardiologist#:~:text=Cardiologists%20are%20doctors%20who%20have%and%20veins%20that%20carry%20blood
