Quarter Three Newsletter | Pierce Group Benefits

QUARTERLY COMMUNIQUE

A PEEK INSIDE THIS EDITION AssuredExcellence Healthcare Program Priortizing Wellness in the Workplace OneNote Tips for Increased Productivity Simplify Your Healthcare with HealthJoy

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Quarter Three Newsletter

FEATURED ARTICLE AssuredExcellence: Second Opinions & Support for Serious Medical Diagnoses Scott Mayer, the Vice President of Healthcare Strategy at AssuredPartners, is the driving force behind AssuredExcellence — a program Mayer has spent six years building and improving in hopes that no one will ever need to utilize it.

The program is designed to connect employees and their dependents1 with high-quality care for a variety of serious medical diagnoses and procedures at minimal to no cost.2 “The goal when we started AssuredExcellence was to find a way to drive utilization to the highest-quality providers and get better outcomes, while lowering costs for both our client plans and plan members,” Mayer says. “We hope that no one will ever need to use this program, but if they are ever given a diagnosis they can call the AssuredExcellence number and ask for a second opinion.”

AssuredExcellence includes benefits for a broad range of services including orthopedic, cardiac and cancer, organ transplants, bariatric, eating and substance abuse disorders, and much more. Employees can begin the process by completing an application that includes basic information. Applications are reviewed by the prospective provider of care and, if it is determined that the applicant is a candidate for services, the provider will gather and review medical records. Following this review, the provider will contact applicants who remain eligible for services to schedule a consultation, surgery, or services depending on the medical issue being addressed. A stipend is paid to the employee to assist with lodging and/or transportation expenses associated with travelling (if necessary) to the designated Center of Excellence.

The program is voluntary to join and has seen several success stories. Mayer notes that one of his favorite cases involves an individual whose personal physician misdiagnosed them with a very aggressive cancer, only to have the Johns Hopkins Hospital team — AP’s cancer program partner within AssuredExcellence — provide a different, less severe diagnosis with a far less aggressive treatment plan than the original diagnosing physician, saving the patient money, and avoiding the physical and emotional tolls of rigorous cancer treatment. “For all its benefits, the AssuredExcellence . . . program has been underutilized. Only two AP employees have inquired about it in the last year,” Mayer says. “I know we have had far more than two members diagnosed with cancer in the last year,” he adds. “We should have had dozens upon dozens of inquiries, so we are trying to make more people aware that this program is out there for them at zero cost.”

If you are interested in learning more about the program, checking to see if it includes benefits for the services you need and/or receiving an application, please contact AssuredExcellence at 888-856-4317 or via email at assuredexcellence@assuredpartners.com.

Patients must be over age 18 for certain services.

Employees enrolled in a High Deductible/HSA Qualified Plan will be responsible for the balance required to meet the IRS minimum deductible.

There is no patient liability for covered services for all other program participants.

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This article was originally published by AssuredPartners.

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PIERCE GROUP

B E N E F I T S

Quarter Three Newsletter

WELLNESS CORNER Prioritizing Wellness in the Workplace Sometimes the chaos of our schedules and stressors of everyday life can weigh heavy on our overall health and wellness. Here are 5 ways that you can prioritize your wellness in the workplace!

1. Create a workspace with intention. Though it may seem simple, workplace wellness begins with workplace environment. Organizing your workspace to the way you work best encourages productivity and can substantially reduce stress. Working long hours while sitting at a desk can cause strain on your body over time. It’s important to set up your chair, desk, keyboard, and computer monitor in a comfortable position for your posture. A standing desk is another great asset to incorporate in your office as well.

2. Take a walk. Going outside during the day to take a walk is one of the most helpful tips for your health, both mentally and physically. Fresh air and vitamin D help boost energy and is great for your health. Getting up from your desk even just to take a short walk around the office allows you to stretch your body and refresh your mind. Taking a walk on your lunch break, having a walk-and-talk meeting with a colleague, or taking a phone call while walking are just a few ways to productively incorporate movement into your workday.

3. Build positive professional relationships. Your colleagues are some of the people you will likely spend a majority of time with in your daily life. With that being said, it is important to build positive professional relationships with them to ensure a healthy work environment. A positive relationship in the workplace is built upon some key characteristics including open communication, mutual respect, professionalism, mindfulness, and being a team player.

4. Have a healthy lunch. There are a huge number of benefits associated with eating healthy, work lunches are no exclusion. Diet plays a large role in your everyday health and having a nutritious meal for lunch is essential in providing you with the energy your body needs to be productive throughout the day. It promotes better concentration, focus, and improves overall mood.

5. Know when to disconnect. Due to the advancements of today’s technology, we can take work practically anywhere and anytime. Although this is useful it can sometimes lead to working everywhere, all the time.

Having a healthy work/life balance means different things for everyone. But, in general it’s a manageable mix of both work and play. Maintaining a healthy mix of the two helps prevent burnout in the workplace while also staying productive. Part of prioritizing your wellness is actually stepping away as needed too.

Written by Madeline Fansler Madeline Fansler is the Print Production Assistant for Pierce Group Benefits. She assists with a wide variety of Print and Marketing projects including benefits booklets and marketing assets. Maddie joined the team in March of 2022, bringing both print production experience and a degree in Graphic Arts & Imaging Technology.

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B E N E F I T S

Quarter Three Newsletter

BIRTHDAYS Celebrating July, August, and September Birthdays!

Whether we’re celebrating early, late or right on time, we hope that this next year is even better than the last. Join us in wishing everyone below a very Happy Birthday!

Wyndham Murray July 9

Lisa Bledsoe July 14

Veronica Lara July 14

Justin VanWyck July 14

Gail Tiffany July 15

Tom Gyseck

Janice Wagstaff

Diane Remes

Jolene Clayton

Karina Branch

Sharon Borden

Rosia Carranza August 23

Artina McKnight-Coard August 23

Deja Holley

Roennia Williams

Patti Kilpatrick

Kayla Stam

Katie Payne

Robin Craver

Sharla Gillespie

July 17

August 20

September 7

August 3

September 7

August 7

September 19

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August 11

August 27

September 26

August 17

August 29

September 30

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B E N E F I T S

Quarter Three Newsletter

TIPS & TRICKS OneNote Tips for Increased Productivity Recently, you may have been introduced to or overheard conversation about OneNote. For anyone unfamiliar with it, Microsoft OneNote is an intuitive, digital notetaking and documentation application that helps connect teams and bolster collaboration, working seamlessly across devices.

Here are a few ways you can get more utility out of the program and increase productivity.

Record Meetings & Audio Notes Use your computer, tablet, or mobile device to record presentations and take audio notes that can be embededd in OneNote.

1. Click a location on the page in OneNote where you want to place the recording, and then do one of the following: Video clip: click Insert > Record Video Audio clip: click Insert > Record Audio 2. To end the recording, Stop on the Audio & Video tab.

You can also "bookmark" important moments throughout recordings, so you can easily reference the information you need.

1. To add a bookmark, select the audio or video clip and click Play from the controls below.

2. When you reach the point where you want to make the cut, click Pause.

3. To indicate a point of interest, do one of the following: Video clip: Under Video Tools > Playback tab > Bookmarks > Add Bookmark.

Audio clip: Under Audio Tools > Playback tab > Bookmarks > Add Bookmark.

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PIERCE GROUP

B E N E F I T S

Quarter Three Newsletter

TIPS & TRICKS Handwritten Notes to Text OneNote includes a handy conversion tool so you can change handwritten text into typed text.

This is useful if you want to share your handwritten notes in a more legible format with other people and reduce the time it takes to manually convert notes.

1. On the Draw tab, choose the Lasso Select button.

2. On the page, drag a selection over the handwriting you want to convert.

3. On the Draw tab, choose Ink to Text.

Tags for Categorization & Prioritization OneNote provides several tags — visual markers — that you can apply to any part of your notes to help you visibly prioritize or categorize marked notes. You can tag anything from a single line of text to an entire paragraph.

1. Place the cursor at the beginning of the text you want to tag.

2. Click Home > Tags, and then click the icon of the tag you want to apply.

3. To remove a single tag, right-click it, and click Remove Tag. Note: You can search for tags by typing the tag's name in the OneNote Search box.

If you’d like to explore OneNote further, video training can be found here.

Note: Please make sure you’re using the correct version of OneNote (not OneNote for Windows 10).

Written by Mary Helen Fennell-Morgan Mary Helen Fennell-Morgan is the Multimedia Specialist for Pierce Group Benefits. She assists with a wide variety of projects including marketing assets and website management. Mary Helen joined the team in September of 2021, bringing a range of experience from both the education and non-profit industries.

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PIERCE GROUP

B E N E F I T S

Quarter Three Newsletter

WORKAVERSARIES Celebrating July, August, and September Work Anniversaries!

We appreciate each and every one of you, and the work you do for our client’s employees and their families. Be it your first year or your twenty-fifth year, thank you for being a part of Pierce Group Benefits!

THANK YOU! CELEBRATING 1 YEAR! Arthur Meredith, Account Executive - Congratulations on 1 year!

Gray Hooker, Vice President of Consulting Services - Congratulations on 1 year!

Mary Helen Fennell-Morgan, Multimedia Specialist - Congratulations on 1 year!

CELEBRATING 2-5 YEARS! Devin Draman, Remote IT Specialist - Congratulations on 2 years!

Brittany Turner, Senior Benefits Analyst - Congratulations on 3 years!

John Price, Client Coordinator - Congratulations on 3 years!

Justin VanWyck, Project Manager - Congratulations on 4 years!

CELEBRATING 5-10 YEARS! Donna Ross, Service Specialist - Congratulations on 6 years!

Shanisse Spencer, Service Specialist - Congratulations on 6 years!

Valeria Favero, Senior Service Specialist - Congratulations on 7 years!

Etoria Hill, Senior Account Executive - Congratulations on 8 years!

CELEBRATING 10+ YEARS! Monica Nixon, Regional Client Services Manager - Congratulations on 14 years!

David Charland, President of Employee Benefits - Congratulations on 21 years!

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PIERCE GROUP

B E N E F I T S

Quarter Three Newsletter

HEALTHY YOU Simplify Your Healthcare with HealthJoy Healthcare is complex and HealthJoy, available to you through an AssuredPartners-sponsored membership, makes managing your benefits and staying healthy easy, and simple.

HealthJoy’s first-of-its-kind healthcare navigation platform brings all of your benefits together in one easy-to-use mobile application with access to live healthcare concierge, instant self-service and provider search tools, on-demand help, and savings opportunities. You can even have JOY, a personalized virtual assistant, book appointments for you.

And the best part? It’s FREE for you and eligible spouses, and dependents!

On-Demand Chat. Consult with live healthcare professionals or virtual assistant JOY to get answers to your questions, make appointments, and much more!

Provider Recommendations. Not sure which facility or doctor is best for you, that also takes your insurance?

HealthJoy will do the research and provide local recommendations based on your needs.

Secure Virtual Wallet. No need to worry about forgetting your benefits cards at home, with HealthJoy you get a secure, personalized benefits wallet with your cards and information!

Medical Bill Review. Have inquiries about a medical bill? HealthJoy’s team of experts can answer any questions you may have, just email groups@healthjoy.com for assistance.

24/7/365 Medical Consultations. Connect with medical professionals 24/7, 365 days a year via phone or video. Prescription writing is also available through this service and prescriptions can be sent to the pharmacy of your choice!

Rx Savings Review. HealthJoy can review your prescription medications and help find alternatives at a lower cost.

Staying healthy can be easy. Let HealthJoy help you. Download on the Apple App Store (IOS) or Google Play Store (Android) today to create your account, and do more with your benefits!

Written by Madeline Fansler Madeline Fansler is the Print Production Assistant for Pierce Group Benefits. She assists with a wide variety of Print and Marketing projects including benefits booklets and marketing assets. Maddie joined the team in March of 2022, bringing both print production experience and a degree in Graphic Arts & Imaging Technology.

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“RISK IS THE SECRET TO SUCCESS.” - TONY ROBBINS