The flu and COVID-19 are similar enough to cause confusion about vaccines. While the flu and COVID-19 are both contagious respiratory illnesses, they're caused by different viruses. And their vaccines use different technologies. That’s why health experts urge you to get vaccinated for both conditions. If you’re thinking the flu isn’t all that bad, think again. The flu can be severe and [...]

Belinda Fleischer is a single mom to an amazing son, an aunt, a daughter, a sister, a loyal friend, a nurse, a caregiver and a breast cancer survivor. Have you ever wondered why things happen the way they do or why they happen to you? Often the reason may not become apparent until much later, when you have the chance to reflect. I went for my annual mammogram in August [...]

Sharon Hagins has two daughters and five wonderful grandchildren and loves to crochet and travel. She has worked at Florida Blue for 31 years. Sharon describes herself as a big advocate for early detection and yearly mammograms. Several years ago, I had a lump in my breast. To my relief, it turned out to be dense tissue. Since women with dense breast tissue are at a higher risk [...]

Karla Logston is a registered nurse and diabetes care and education specialist, who is a clinical director at Florida Blue. Karla and her husband love to travel in their RV in their spare time.  I started having annual mammograms at age 40. There was no history of breast cancer in my family, but I had very dense breast tissue so it would be extremely difficult for me [...]

Karen Fulton is a wife and a mother to two beautiful daughters. She is a Registered Nurse now working as a Director at Florida Blue in South Florida. Karen’s background and her personal experience have led her to be an advocate for prevention and early detection through regular mammograms. [...]

For many Americans, stress and anxiety levels have grown exponentially since the onset of the global pandemic. No one is immune to these challenges, not even professional athletes. This week in particular has been a stressful one for [...]

The Florida Blue Centers continue to provide virtual support, services and events during the pandemic. Your neighborhood nurses, community specialists and sales and service specialists can answer questions about COVID-19, testing sites, community resources, navigating the health care system, virtual care, checking enrollment eligibility and other issues. Call 877-352-5830 to be routed to your l [...]

Choosing a primary care doctor can be a tough decision, no matter who you are. Even if you’re a doctor.  “It’s one thing I think everyone struggles with,” said Dr. Deborah Stewart, a senior medical dire [...]

From working from home to social distancing, we’ve all experienced changes in our lives and routines because of COVID-19. But that doesn’t mean you have to become a couch potato. In spite of our lives being turned upside down for nearly a year, there is a silver lining—the plethora of virtual classes, programs and other resources offered by the Florida Blue Centers. And anyone in the co [...]

Hopefully, you’ve gotten your flu shot by now. But if you haven’t, it’s not too late to get one to protect you and your family this season. Because COVID-19 continues to be a health concern, there’s ne [...]