May is peak season for asthma and allergy sufferers. Asthma affects more than 24.5 million And more than 50 million Americans have all types of allergies – pollen, skin, latex and more.
Asthma is a chronic lifelong disease that affects the lungs. Asthma can cause wheezing, breathlessness, chest tightness, and coughing. Although asthma cannot be cured, it is possible to manage asthma to reduce and prevent asthma attacks, also called episodes.
An allergy occurs when your body’s immune system sees a certain substance as harmful. It reacts by causing an allergic reaction. Some allergies are seasonal and others are year-round.
The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America invites you to take a stand for people living with asthma and allergies. Learn more about what you can do to help raise awareness of these common diseases.
If allergies have you avoiding the outdoors right now, it's time for another look at an old fitness favorite – the stationary bike.
Source: WebMD.com.
Losing weight happens one pound at a time. Cut sugar and flour in half and you may lose up to a pound in two weeks.
Relieve allergies the natural way. Over-the-counter medicines will ease your symptoms, but some natural remedies may work, too. Here are a few to consider trying.
Sources: BCBSTX and WebMD.com
Celebrate mom with brunch recipes from eatingwell.com for a nutritious way to start the day.
Sweet figs and a filling of tangy goat cheese give a surprising twist to these hearty breakfast muffins. If you're not a fan of goat cheese, try them with cream cheese instead. Read More…
Here's a sweet spin on a healthy breakfast-sandwich recipe. Other seasonal fruit, such as blueberries or sliced peaches, would be tasty toppers too. Read More…
The fourth annual Step-IT-Up! Challenge is officially under way. Rewards up for grabs include 500 bWell points and a $150 gift card for members of two teams— one for the team with the highest total steps, and one for the team with the highest average steps per member.
Form or join an alliance (team) and log 375,000 steps each week between May 1 and 28. Teams must collectively meet the 1.5 million “steps” goal (through walking or converted from ANY fitness activity).
The Step It Up! Challenge just might help you shed a few pounds, lower your stress or even kick-start your year-round fitness program. Ready to hero-up? Read the Team Tip Sheet and watch how the BMC Shoe swoops in to save the day.
Good to Know
Did you know you can still participate in a step challenge if you are a surfer, yogi, or a gardener? See how your daily activity translates to steps.
Congratulations to team One Step at a Time on their first-place finish in the bWell stairWell Madness Challenge March 6 to April 2. The team logged 2,578 flights, beating out team Soul Mates with 2,173 flights and team Stair Into My Eyes with 2,152 flights. Team Free for All logged 2,103 flights, followed by TrueSight Trekkers with 1,458 flights.
The top three challengers voted most likely to climb the stairs include:
Douglas B., Lex Team – 1,302 flights
Jeffrey W., Free for All – 1,201 flights
Roger M., One Step at a Time – 785 flights.
All teams who met the challenge goal received 300 bWell points. Way to show us how high you can climb! If you didn’t compete in the Challenge, think about starting your own personal stair climb challenge. Your body will love it when you skip the elevator and take the stairs.
The doctor is always in with telehealth, an on-demand health care service included with the BCBSTX medical plans. MDLive™ gives you anytime, anywhere access to physicians and therapists by phone and/or online.
Medical consultations are $40 and count toward your medical plan’s in-network deductible. Behavioral therapy consultations are a $40 copay for PPO plan members and $80 to $175 for HSA Plan members. Watch this short video to learn how MDLive™ can save you time and money.
Get Started with MDLive™
Download the mobile app. Select Activate Benefit Here, under Employer or Insurance Benefits. You’ll be asked to enter your BCBSTX member ID number, which starts with BMY.
When travelling internationally, there's always the chance that you might experience an illness or injury. BMC medical benefits let you take care of your health wherever you are.
If you are enrolled on the PPO or HSA Plans, you have international medical coverage through the BlueCard Worldwide® program. In January, the program was rebranded Blue Cross Blue Shield Global Core, but this change does not impact existing coverage.
Before you travel, it’s always a good idea to go to mybmcbta.com and read up on all the benefits that protect you during your trip.
High blood pressure, heart failure, diabetes, HIV, arthritis, and osteoporosis usually last a life time with no “cure” in sight. Whether you were diagnosed with a chronic condition several years ago or you are coping with a new diagnosis, your BMC benefits can help.
Your health care MVP: If you’re newly diagnosed with a chronic illness, a BCBSTX nurse can help you develop the knowledge, skills, and confidence to better self-manage disease-related problems. If you’ve been dealing with a chronic condition for a long time, the nurse can help you manage symptoms more effectively so you can avoid unnecessary office visits, hospital stays, procedures, and prescription medications. Learn more.
Dealing with feelings: Following a diagnosis, you may experience confusion, frustration, or fear. Changes in your lifestyle may make you feel stressed, resentful, or overwhelmed. The support of a therapist can help. Call the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) at 1-800-327-1393 to start using your six, free counselling sessions. After that, your visits may be covered by your medical insurance.
Get a second opinion: Best Doctors can provide a second opinion about your medical diagnosis or treatment. When you use this service, a doctor specialized in your condition will review your medical records and tests. Learn more.
The bWell program can do more than help you increase your physical activity, improve your eating habits or fortify your finances. Watch how Debra H., a Project Manager at BMC, used the bWell program challenges to improve her health and take a trip of a lifetime.
Have you used the BMC benefits program to become a health or wealth hero? Nominate yourself or a colleague and you might see yourself—or them—in the spotlight when we include real employee stories in upcoming editions of Benefits eNews or on our Benetube channel at mybmcbenefits.com
Studies show that people who are continually unforgiving, angry and negative are usually unhealthy and may die earlier. They often suffer from high blood pressure, depression, headaches, chronic pain, digestive problems, insomnia, a weak immune system and more. Harboring anger and resentment takes a lot of bodily energy.
"I'm sorry, I was wrong—please forgive me" is one of the most healing things that can be said between two people. Forgiveness helps you rapidly attain improved spiritual and psychological well-being. Purposefully letting go of anger removes the power that an old dispute has over your thoughts and emotions.
Join Magellan’s live interactive webinar on Wednesday, May 10, Strengthening Committed Partner/Marital Relationships, to learn about enhancing communication and physical and emotional intimacy. Register here.
Another federal tax return successfully filed: Yippee. Now take a moment to give it another look—really! Your 2016 return may actually be able to help you lower your 2017 taxes. That’s right, reviewing a finished return can help identify what had the biggest impact on your 2016 tax liability. And that could give you a roadmap to lower your taxes this year. 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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