When you get an annual physical or preventive exam by July 31, 2017, you qualify for the Annual Physical credit and earn 300 bWell points.
Warmer weather means it’s time to get out of the kitchen and fire up the barbecue. While grilled foods are packed with flavor, the way you prepare them can have a big impact on how healthy they are. Follow these simple steps for a cookout that’s tasty and good for you. Read More…
Source: eatright.org, Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
Your age added to your heart rate should never exceed the number 220; otherwise the exercise routine is too intense for you.
To reduce salt intake, read food labels and minimize items for which sodium is more than double the calorie number.
Source: BCBSTX
Grilled carrots and smoky BBQ sauce come together in this fun and healthy vegetarian hot “dog” recipe. Perfect for those spring and summer cook outs! Watch the video… (If you’re not quite ready for a vegan carrot “dog,” pick the healthiest one from this list of best and worst hot dogs).
Baked beans are transformed into an easy main dish by adding chicken sausage and collard greens. Serve with coleslaw and cornbread. Read More…
Source: eatingwell.com
The American Academy of Family Physicians point out that 86% of U.S. men seek treatment only when they’re sick. Hey guys! It’s Men’s Health Month and time to set a healthy example for the kids and family by getting an annual checkup. Regular screenings can catch many health problems at an early state, when treatment is most likely to be successful. See a schedule of checkups and age-appropriate screenings.
Show your support of raising awareness for men’s health issues by Wearing Blue on Friday, June 16. Whether it is your friend, brother, dad, boyfriend, spouse or boss, show them you care about them and their health by wearing blue. Read More…
The current bWell campaign, Mission Superheroes, ends July 31 but it’s not too late to start investing in your wellness. First you qualify and then you start powering up:
Qualify: Get and submit a biometric screening and complete the online Well-Being Assessment at mybmcwellness.com. You will earn 1,000 bWell points and a reward valued at $100. Read the Mission Superheroes program overview for details.
Powering Up: Participate in the bWell challenges at mybmcwellness.com. When you reach the Powering Up reward level with 3,000 points, you are eligible for a $200 discount on your 2018 medical plan premium.
Taking Flight: When you earn 5,000 bWell points, you are eligible for an additional $300 premium discount.
Going Supersonic: Once you’ve reached the Going Supersonic reward level with 7,000 points, you are eligible for a chance to win one of 10 thrilling Great Escapes prizes. Winners will choose from five epic trips or five awe-inspiring experiences designed to reinvigorate or recharge weary superheroes.
BMC is partnering with the American Heart Association to bring more awareness to healthier lifestyle choices and promote wellness activities that contribute to heart health. To kick off this partnership and support National CPR Awareness month, BMC is hosting Hands-Only Bystander CPR training for Houston employees on June 19 and 20.
Cardiac arrest is a leading cause of death in the United States and occurs when the heart suddenly stops, usually due to an electrical malfunction in the heart that causes an irregular heartbeat and disrupts blood flow through the body. Survival doubles or triples if someone nearby administers life-saving CPR.
The rewards
Each one-hour session will be led by a certified CPR trainer who will you you how to give CPR to adults and children using your hands. If you are called on to give CPR in an emergency, you will most likely be trying to save the life of someone you love: a child, a spouse, a parent or a friend. Besides learning a valuable life-saving skill, participants will receive 100 bWell points for successfully completing the course.
Space is limited so register as soon as possible. A recording of the Houston training sessions will be available for replay. Check with your local HR business partner to confirm if your office has a practice dummy. Watch your email for future training dates and locations.
Doctors spend much more time entering data than talking directly with patients, according to a study published in Annals of Internal Medicine. If you have questions your doctor isn’t answering, use the Ask the Expert™ service from Best Doctors.
The Ask the Expert service will take the time to listen to you. Then, expert physicians will provide personalized responses to your general questions about medical conditions, treatment options or symptoms. No needless worrying, wondering or wandering the web for answers.
Get started with Best Doctors
Go online to start a case at members.bestdoctors.com.
Questions? Call Best Doctors at 1-866-904-0910.
Download the free mobile app on Google Play or the App Store.
There’s never a good time to get sick, and it’s impossible to predict when it will happen—even while on vacation. If your summer travel plans include a trip within the U.S., remember to use MDLIVE® for a non-emergency condition.
The doctor is always in with MDLIVE, an on-demand health care service included with the BCBSTX medical plans. Wherever you are, you can talk to a board-certified doctor in 15 minutes via secure video, MDLIVE app or interactive phone, easily and affordably.
Medical consultations are $40 and count toward your medical plan’s in-network deductible. Behavioral therapy consultations are $40 for PPO plan members. For HSA Plan members, consultation costs range from $80 to $175 until the plan deductible is met. After the deductible is met, members pay 15% of the consultation cost.
Pre-trip checklist
To support employees in their decisions to become parents, BMC offers benefits for parental leave. BMC’s new-baby benefits were enhanced in January to recognize the physical, emotional, and financial demands of childbirth and parenting.
The enhanced new-baby benefits include:
For Moms: Increased maternity disability leave from 6 weeks to 8 weeks—two additional weeks of paid time off.
For Moms & Dads: Increased parental leave from 6 weeks to 10 weeks, with two of those weeks paid at 100%. If you are the birth mother, this new benefit is in addition to the 8 weeks of paid maternity disability leave.
If you are the delivering parent, your time away consists of three types of leave: Short-Term Disability Maternity Leave, FMLA and BMC Parental Bonding Leave.
Learn more about how parental leave benefits work together (VPN required for remote access):
Join Magellan’s live interactive webinar on Wednesday, June 14, How to Improve Your Relationship with Management for Organizational Success. In this webinar, participants will learn skills, personality traits and behaviors that contribute to building positive employee to leadership relationships. Space is limited so register now.
June is a good time to keep a close watch on your contributions to your BMC 401(k) account. Once you reach the annual contribution limit for 401(k) plans—$18,000 (or $24,000 if you are age 50 or older)—your contributions stop. And since you are no longer contributing, BMC stops making matching contributions to your account.
Rather than contributing a higher percentage of your pay early in the year and stopping contributions later in the year, contribute a lower percentage consistently (at least 5% of your pay for each pay period) and get the entire match from BMC.
Useful Links
Watch the Benetube video to learn how to avoid missing out on BMC matching contributions to your 401(k) account.
Use the BMC Retirement Savings Calculator to learn how much you need to contribute throughout the year to receive the full matching contribution from BMC in your 401(k) account.
Read the payroll cutoff deadlines.
As exciting as it can be, buying your first home is a wonderful, exciting experience – especially if you educate yourself about the process beforehand. Read More…
Source: lifehacker.com and Fidelity.com
Useful Links
5 U.S. Housing Market Forecasts and Predictions for 2017 from the Home Buying Institute.
The 10 Worst States for First-Time Homebuyers from bankrate.com.
If you have moved or will be moving this summer be sure to update your address and other contact information. To make updates, go to Employee Direct Access (EDA) through the Oracle logon link on the BMC intranet home page.
MyBMC Rewards provides a snapshot of your pay, retirement benefits, health and insurance benefits and corporate programs. Visit MyBMC Rewards to:
Go online anytime or call 877-262-4849. Representatives are available from Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., Eastern time.
From enrollment reminders to important 401(k) information and benefits updates, you can be the first to know when your attention or action is required.
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