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Deadline Thursday to sign up for health plan in marketplace

With the deadline coming up quickly — Thursday — to purchase a health plan on the Health Insurance Marketplace, the Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services Director Anita Fox is urging residents who need coverage for 2026 to act now. "Comprehensive, high-quality health insurance leads to better health outcomes, and time is running out for consumers to take advantage of free, local assistance to get the coverage they need through the Health Insurance Marketplace,” Fox said in a news release. “The biggest mistake you could make is to wait and miss the deadline on ...

Flu season means taking precautions, care of self

Although the holiday season is over, flu season is just getting started. Though the duration and severity of the season is hard to gauge from year to year, it seems the sickness has already begun to spread in the Upper Peninsula, though typically the flu season is at its worst in January or February. But it’s easy to take steps to prevent getting the flu in the first place. The first step is to get a flu shot – anyone age 6 or older, that is. The vaccine, which lasts one season, comes in two forms: A shot and a nasal spray for children. Doctor’s offices, health departments and ...

State urges testing for radon gas in homes

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has again declared this to be Radon Action Month in Michigan, encouraging all residents to learn more about this environmental hazard and test their homes during this winter’s heating season. Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas produced by the natural decay of uranium found in all soil types. It enters buildings from the soil and can accumulate to high concentrations indoors. Yet radon cannot be seen, smelled or tasted, and has no short-term side effects that could cause alarm or warn of its presence, according to the Michigan Department of ...