Episode 216: Open Enrollment with Nicole Vasquez

The annual health insurance open enrollment period has begun! And a lot of people tend to get through open enrollment on autopilot, assuming that the health insurance that they had last year will continue to serve them well next year. But policies change. Physician networks change. And prescription drug formularies change. If you're living with MS, you can't afford to be on autopilot when it comes to making health insurance decisions. Those decisions can cost you -- in time, money, and unnecessary heartache. Every year during open enrollment, the National MS Society's MS Navigators help a lot of people make the best health insurance decisions for themselves and their families. So, I'm thrilled to be talking about all the things you want to carefully consider during open enrollment with MS Navigator Nicole Vasquez. We're also talking about a study that illustrates how the social determinants of health play a significant role in creating healthcare disparities among members of minority communities who are living with MS. We'll tell you about two companies that are partnering to test the effectiveness of an AI-powered app at predicting MS progression by tracking eye movement. You'll hear about the biopharmaceutical company that's hoping to treat relapsing-remitting MS with an ingredient used in ancient Chinese medicine. We'll remind you that Big October 2021 is happening right now, and you still have time to participate. And we'll share the Top 10 Best and Worst Cities in the U.S. for People with Disabilities. We have a lot to talk about! Are you ready for RealTalk MS??! Social determinants of health impact healthcare disparities among members of minority communities who are living with MS  2:34 Novartis Canada teams up with Innodem to test innovative tech that may predict MS progression   5:44 Medsenic is hoping to treat relapsing-remitting MS with an ingredient used in ancient Chinese medicine   7:43 The 10 Best and Worst Cities in the U.S. for People Living with Disabilities  9:32 Big October 2021 is happening now! Are you registered? 12:18 Nicole Vasquez tells us what we need to be thinking about during open enrollment   13:22 Share this episode  28:49 Catch Episode 6 of The MS Caregiver Conundrum  29:10 SHARE THIS EPISODE OF REALTALK MS Just copy this link & paste it into your text or email: https://realtalkms.com/216 ADD YOUR VOICE TO THE CONVERSATION I've always thought about the RealTalk MS podcast as a conversation. And this is your opportunity to join the conversation by sharing your feedback, questions, and suggestions for topics that we can discuss in future podcast episodes. Please shoot me an email or call the RealTalk MS Listener Hotline and share your thoughts! Email: [email protected] Phone: (310) 526-2283 And don't forget to join us in the RealTalk MS Facebook group! LINKS If your podcast app doesn't allow you to click on these links, you'll find them in the show notes in the RealTalk MS app or at www.RealTalkMS.com National MS Society COVID-19 Vaccine Guidance for People Living with MS https://www.nationalmssociety.org/coronavirus-covid-19-information/multiple-sclerosis-and-coronavirus/covid-19-vaccine-guidance National MS Society Third COVID-19 Vaccine Dose Guidance for People Living with MS https://www.nationalmssociety.org/About-the-Society/News/Additional-COVID-19-Vaccine-Dose-(Booster)-and-MS The MS Caregiver Conundrum Podcast https://mscaregiverconundrum.com STUDY: Health Disparities, Inequities, and Social Determinants of Health in Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders in the US: A Reviewhttps://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaneurology/article-abstract/2784442 2021's Best and Worst Cities for People with Disabilities https://wallethub.com/edu/best-worst-cities-for-people-with-disabilities/7164 Register for Big October 2021 https://cvent.me/0Kbo4e?rt=FHc6yg95SUyNOD1m6wi5iw&RefId=Attendee Join the RealTalk MS Facebook Group https://facebook.com/groups/realtalkms Download the RealTalk MS App for iOS https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/realtalk-ms/id1436917200 Download the RealTalk MS App for Androidhttps://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=tv.wizzard.android.realtalk Give RealTalk MS a rating and review http://www.realtalkms.com/review Follow RealTalk MS on Twitter, @RealTalkMS_jon, and subscribe to our newsletter at our website, RealTalkMS.com. RealTalk MS Episode 216 Guest: Nicole Vasquez Tags: MS, MultipleSclerosis, MSResearch, MSSociety, RealTalkMS Privacy Policy