This month there is heightened awareness on preventable health problems, early detection, and treatment of diseases impacting men and boys. See the tips of easy things you can do during the month to help raise awareness of making healthy lifestyle choices, making regular annual visits to the doctor, getting educated about heart disease or diabetes, starting general health conversations with your male friends, and much more. Read More
When you bring up mental health or substance use issues with your doctor, you can expect your doctor to listen and understand and present options for treatment to you. In general, treatment for mental health and substance use disorders includes talk therapy and medications. Most people can receive all their care close to home from an outpatient provider or by telehealth. Treatment is effective and can lead to improvements in all your health conditions. Read More
Source: bcbsnc.com
Pick one of these awesome summer activities and commit to doing it this weekend. You don’t have to hit all 25 activities on this list, of course. Just choose one that appeals to you. Now, whether you’re a thrill seeker or a forest bather, get outside and get moving so you can be healthy for good! Read More
Source: heart.org
National Wear BLUE Day is celebrated the Friday of Men’s Health Week, June 14. Whether it is your friend, brother, dad, boyfriend, spouse, or boss, show them you care about them and their health by wearing blue. If Friday of Men’s Health Week doesn’t work for you, then pick any other day of the year and start a fun Wear BLUE day at work. Read More
Source: menshealthnetwork.org/wearblue/
Family Health & Fitness Day will be held on June 8, 2019. Celebrated the second Saturday in June each year, this special day promotes the importance of parks and recreation in keeping communities healthy. Read More
Source: nrpa.org
June is Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness month, a time for people of all ages to get involved in the fight against the disease. More than 5 million Americans are living with the disease, and it is the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States.
Changing your Facebook page to purple, ordering a coloring book for the children to increase Alzheimer’s awareness or simply wearing purple, are just a few of the ways for the family to get involved. And on June 21 – the summer solstice – people across the world will participate in a fundraising activity on the Longest Day. Read More
Source: alz.org
Peanut Butter Banana Soft Serve: This peanut butter cup banana soft serve is a healthy way to satisfy your ice cream craving. All you need is homemade peanut butter cups and frozen bananas! Read More
Source: fitfoodiefinds.com
American Macaroni Salad: To keep picnic salads light and healthy, don't leave the mayo out, use less of it. Loading up your salad with plenty of fresh vegetables gives it extra crunch and ups the nutrients, too. Read More
Source: foodnetwork.com
While the challenge ends on May 31, you have until June 7 to track or enter activity completed in the last week of the competition. As of May 29, the top three spots on the leaderboard are occupied by:
The Red Hot Chili Steppers (Pat Tagtow's team) – 181,569 average steps
Walk & Reinvent (Eric Olmo’s Team) – 108,063 average steps
Steve Solcher's team – 94,124 average steps
Be on the lookout for the announcement on June 12 when we reveal the winners of the team grand prize and individual prizes.
Summer Self Improvement: As the warmer, relaxing months of summer approach, don’t forget to visit mybmcwellness.com to sign up for a well-being challenge or create your own. With three months left to the end of Destination bWell, you’ll want to make sure you don’t abandon your emotional well-being, and physical health during vacation. Get ready to head into the summer season with vigor and vitality.
Need a boost? Work with a Lifestyle Motivator: Do you want to do something good for yourself today and every day? The BMC wellness program, bWell, provides free personalized lifestyle motivation and other wellness resources to help you and your spouse get healthy and stay healthy. Take advantage of this free offering today!
Lifestyle motivators will work with you to design a personalized action plan to help you quit tobacco, shed pounds, sleep better, increase your energy levels, prevent diabetes, and much more!
Consultations with Lifestyle Motivators are available at your convenience by phone, video, or web chat. Call 800-724-1215 or email coaching@marqueehealth.com to set up your first appointment.
Undetected billing errors by health care providers and processing errors by health plans cost companies like BMC thousands of dollars every year. But did you know that errors and improper billing can cost you hundreds or thousands of dollars too?
To avoid losing money to billing errors, the most important step you can take is to always carefully review the health care bills you receive from providers and then compare them to the explanations of benefits (EOB) you receive from your health plan.
Resolve all billing issues promptly. If too much time passes and your provider hasn’t been paid, the provider may refer the bill to a collection agency—which could potentially impact your credit rating. Never assume that you can delay payment to a provider indefinitely or decline to pay anything at all.
Find a mistake? Call your provider’s billing department and tell them you’ve found a mistake. Have all of the related paperwork handy when you make the phone call. If you can’t resolve the issue over the phone, call your health plan’s member services at the number on the back of your medical ID card.
If you are unable to resolve the issue, place a confidential call to Alight's Health Pro at
877-262-4849. Your Health Pro will research your issue and work with your health plan to resolve it on your behalf.
Useful Links If it’s not a bill, what is it? Check out Read Your EOB in 1-2-3 from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas
Planning for summer can feel like a full-time job, but thinking ahead and starting early can help with:
Be prepared by registering for your benefits now so you can enjoy summer later. Here’s how:
Learn how to lose weight and improve your health by eating the foods you love. The Naturally Slim program has the secret to lasting weight loss, and it doesn’t include starving, counting calories, or eating diet food. Your BMC benefits give you the chance to learn how to eat to reduce your chances of getting a serious disease like heart disease or diabetes and increase your chance of living a longer, healthier life—for free!
The next Naturally Slim program begins on July 8, 2019. Employees, spouses, and adult dependents over the age of 18 who are enrolled on the BCBSTX medical plan and haven't participated in the program earlier this year are eligible to apply. Space is limited. Apply between June 10 – 21, 2019, at naturallyslim.com/bmc.
During June, new members can join the BCBSTX Fitness Program and pay no enrollment fee. The Fitness Program gives you access to more than 10,000 participating facilities so you can work out whether traveling, at home or at work.
Other features of the Fitness Program include:
To snag your free enrollment, log in to BAMSM at bcbstx.com and search for the Fitness Program under Quick Links. You will need to enter the code “summerfit” during enrollment to join for free before June 30. If you have any questions or prefer to enroll over the phone, call 888-762-BLUE (2583) Monday through Friday, between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., Central (6 a.m. and 6 p.m., Mountain).
When you develop the habit of offering small kindnesses without expecting anything in return, you bring out the best in yourself and others. Join Magellan’s live interactive webinar on Wednesday, June 12, Simple Strategies & Life Hacks to Bring Out the Best in Others. Learning objectives include:
Space is limited, so register now.
How much better would the world be if everyone did one thing each day to try to lift someone else out of their discomfort or sadness? Such a collective effort would have untold universal benefits. While you may not have a daily opportunity to be a helpful hero to someone, adopting such a mindset enhancement can make a positive difference.
Source: magellanhealth.com
Your BMC benefits give you access to Best Doctors, a confidential, free program that helps you and your dependents find peace of mind when facing important decisions about your medical diagnosis or treatment plan. According to Best Doctors, orthopedics (a branch of surgery that involved the skeletal system, including the repair of joints, bones, ligaments, and tendons) represents 27% of all expert medical opinion cases they handle.
If a doctor has recommended orthopedic surgery for you or a dependent, call Best Doctors first and speak with an expert. With the Best Doctors Ask the Expert™ service, you can discuss your questions and concerns with a clinician over the phone. The clinician will then share your questions with the most appropriate Best Doctors specialist. You’ll quickly receive the expert’s written answers in an easy-to-understand report.
Visit the Best Doctors website or call 1-866-904-0910 to learn more and receive an expert medical opinion.
As you get closer to age 65, Medicare is likely to appear at the top of your to-do list. Learning about Medicare can be like learning a new language. You need to learn the words, understand the main ideas, and become Medicare fluent. To help you avoid the new-to-Medicare confusion, BMC and Fidelity have partnered to present a workshop in Houston on Wednesday, June 12. A virtual workshop will be held on Friday, June 21, at 1 p.m., Central. Join us to learn about Medicare eligibility, choices, costs, and considerations when timing your Medicare enrollment.
Watch your email for details and how to register.
We’re halfway through the year, which makes it the perfect time to check in on your progress on the financial front, to make sure that you’re still on track, and maybe adjust your plan if necessary. A financial plan should not be rigid; it must change and adapt to changes along the way. It grows, shrinks, and changes as events occur, and attitudes change. By reviewing it every six months, you’ll be able to stay on task and make sure your goals are up-to-date. Read More
Source: fidelity.com
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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