Teachers Health Trust Health Traxx: Volume 17 | Issue 2 | Spring 2018

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Health

A Publication for Teachers Health Trust Participants

raxx Spring 2018│Volume 17, Issue 2

For Teachers by Teachers

ANXIETY IT MAY BE MORE THAN JUST WORRYING

QUICK MEALS

VOLUME 17, ISSUE 2

HEALTHY & QUICK VEGETARIAN MEALS

BEAT THE HEAT

FIVE WAYS TO STAY COOL DURING THE HEAT


When it comes to your health, we’re here to help.

Whether you need help finding the best physician in your area, information about a new diagnosis or treatment, or support deciding if surgery is right for you, Grand Rounds will take care of it all. A free health benefit paid for you by Teachers Health Trust.

grandrounds.com/thtrust | 1-800-975-3054


contents Spring 2018

VOLUME 17, ISSUE 2

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10

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in this issue 4 5

RX SAVINGS SOLUTIONS How to save money on your prescriptions

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Your questions answered

6

WHO SHOULD I CALL?

7

MEET THE TEAM

When to call a Healthcare Advocate or Member Services Learn more about the people who serve you

8 ANXIETY

Signs and symptoms of anxiety related illnesses

10 QUICK AND TASTY COOKING

A full day vegetarian meal breakdown

12 BEAT THE HEAT

Top five ways to beat the heat this summer

14 THE CHEAPEST LIFE SAVING DRUG

How aspirin is changing the game for the better

16 WHEN TO USE THE ER

Know when to go to a doctors office rather than the ER

18 WELLDYNE RX

Advanced specialty pharmacy services

19 IN-NETWORK REMINDER

Helpful information from SDMI

20 SPRING CLEANING

Five quick tips to win against clutter

23 SAFETY MONTH

Your guide to safety for the coming season


Let Rx Savings Solutions handle the change for you. After you select a savings suggestion on the Rx Savings Solutions member portal, follow the steps until you reach the “Select a Pharmacy” page. Select your preferred pharmacy from the list on the left-hand side, then click this button. Yes, contact my prescriber!

Consider it done

Rx Savings Solutions contacts your pharmacy and/or provider to request the change.

You get a follow-up email from us confirming your request and explaining next steps.

We notify you when your new prescription is ready for pick-up or delivery.

Access the member portal at portal.rxsavingssolutions.com

FAQs

Your savings option requires a new prescription.

If the change hasn’t been approved after 5 business days, we contact you to talk next steps.


FA Q

YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED Q: How do I ensure that my provider takes Teachers Health Trust insurance? A: When accessing care through one of the many providers in the Las

Vegas area, always make sure they are in-network with the Teacher’s Health Trust provider network. You can do this by visiting the Trust website and making sure that provider is listed in our directory, or you can call your Healthcare Advocates at (855) 404-9355. We still recommend always asking the office staff at the time of your visit to triple check. When you ask this, always make sure you ask if they are in the Trust network, not if they take Trust insurance. The provider can take Trust insurance due to the outof-network benefit included in the plan design, but that doesn't mean they are in the Trust network.

Q: When and how I change my assigned Primary Care Physician (PCP) A: You are allowed to change your assigned PCP every quarter. If you

call and make a voluntary change in the middle of the quarter, the change will not go into effect until the start of the following quarter. You may also make a change during the open enrollment period, which will go into effect January 1 of the following year. of the following year. If for any reason your PCP is different than what you thought it was, please call the Healthcare Advocates at (855) 404-9355, and they will help resolve the issue. If you are seeing a provider in a certain group, and that provider leaves that practice for any reason, we will send you a letter notifying you that you have been assigned to a different provider. You can call and request a new assigned provider once you receive this communication, and the requested change will be effective immediately.

Q: What's the difference between copayments, coinsurance and deductibles? A: A copayment is a pre-determined amount of money that you must

pay at the time of service for certain types of care. A co-insurance is a designated percentage of the bill that you must pay that the insurance plan does not cover. If a bill is subject to co-insurance, and the plan calls for a 20 percent co-insurance for that service, you would pay 20 percent of the bill, while the plan pays 80 percent. A deductible is a set amount of money that you must pay before the insurance plan starts covering costs. Not all types of visits require you to pay into your deductible. This is just speaking to the definitions of what these terms mean, and is in no way a statement of how the Trust plan pays identified services. You can find the breakdown of what services require co-pays, co-insurance and deductibles in the Plan Document.

More questions?

We’re here to help!

Member Services can answer your questions about benefits, claims, billing and more. Contact the team by email at serviceteam@teachershealthtrust.org, or by phone at (702) 794-0272.


WE’RE HERE TO HELP When you have questions involving in-network providers, scheduling appointments, claims status, adding or removing dependents and more, do you know who to call? At Teachers Health Trust, we have two teams dedicated to getting all of your questions answered quickly and clearly— the Healthcare Advocates and the Service Team. Both teams share a common goal of helping you navigate your healthcare and live your healthiest life.

Contact a

Contact the

HEALTHCARE ADVOCATE

SERVICE TEAM

if you need to...

if you need...

Find an in-network provider

To ask in-depth benefit questions

Confirm your primary care provider

Information about eligibility

Schedule appointments for complex care medical conditions

Answers about prescription refills

Get help with referral management and coordination

Information about prescription costs or co-pays

Find or file a Provider Change Request form

To add or remove dependents from a policy

Request, obtain or send medical records

Policy payment or reimbursement information

Discuss or enroll in Here’s to Health programs (diabetes,

Answers about claims or details about an explanation

heart health, high risk pregnancy and asthma/COPD) •

Ask questions regarding telemedicine or teletherapy Contact Healthcare Advocates P: (855) 404-9355 | E: advocates@wellhealthqc.com

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of benefits •

To ask billing questions Contact the Service Team P: (702) 794-0272 | E: serviceteam@teachershealthtrust.org


F E AT U R E S

Meet The Team On the phones and in the office, we're here to serve you! This issue we caught up with Bianca Rhodes, Member Services Representative, and Michelle Vargas, Healthcare Advocate, for a little behind-the-scenes insight. What’s your job and what do you do on a daily basis? I’m a Member Service Representative. My day consists of answering questions that participants have regarding benefits, claim status and eligibility. What’s your favorite part of the job? My favorite part of my job is helping the participants. It's so rewarding being able to help them navigate through their questions and concerns and give them a little peace of mind. How long have you been working here? I have been with Tristar Insurance Group for one year. What’s one thing you wish everyone knew about what you do? I would want everyone to understand how hard our team works to make sure every question or concern is corrected and addressed most effectively. Bianca Rhodes

What’s your favorite thing to do when you aren’t working? My favorite thing to do when I'm not working is practicing my photography skills.

What’s your job and what do you do on a daily basis? I’m a Healthcare Advocate, and I assist members with questions regarding basic insurance concerns and any information related to primary care physicians.

Michelle Vargas

What’s your favorite part of the job? My favorite part of this job is being able to interact with the teachers and hear about the stories that they have to share. How long have you been working here? I have been a Healthcare Advocate for two years. What’s one thing you wish everyone knew about what you do? I wish everyone knew that our team goes above and beyond to help every individual member that calls, emails or visits us. What’s your favorite thing to do when you aren’t working? My favorite thing to do when I'm not at work is spending quality time with my children and playing with my dogs. SPRING 2018 | HEALTH TRAXX TEACHERSHEALTHTRUST.ORG

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F E AT U R E S

Anxiety: MORE THAN JUST WORRYING Do you feel anxious or constantly worry about events or activities where you'll be around other people? It could be more than just nerves.

Signs and Symptoms Feeling anxious before the start of a new school year or before making a big decision is a normal part of life. Constant worry or fear is another issue, commonly described as anxiety disorder. Those living with anxiety know that feelings of anxiousness can build over time, sometimes interfering with daily life. Understanding the different types of anxiety disorder and treatment options is the first step to learning to live with anxiety.

TREATMENTS

Many people diagnosed with an anxiety disorder benefit from psychotherapy or talk therapy. Another common treatment is cognitive behavior therapy (CBT). CBT helps a person identify situations that create anxious feelings and teaches different ways to think and react to fearful situations. Exposure therapy is a specific type of CBT that focuses on confronting fears repeatedly. It is often used along with relaxation exercises or imagery. Some individuals, under the guidance of a health professional, may find that medication relieves symptoms of anxiety and works best in combination with psychotherapy.

GENERALIZED ANXIETY DISORDER • Restlessness or feeling wound-up • Being easily fatigued • Difficulty concentrating or blanking out • Irritability • Muscle tension • Difficulty controlling the worry • Difficulty falling or staying asleep PANIC DISORDER • Sudden and repeated attacks of intense fear • Feelings of being out of control during the attack • Intense worry about when the next attack will happen • Fear or avoidance of places where panic attacks have occurred SOCIAL ANXIETY DISORDER • Feeling highly anxious about being with other people • Extreme self-consciousness around other people • Worry for days or weeks before an event • Staying away from public places • Feeling nauseous or sick around other people Source: nimh.nih.gov

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F E AT U R E S

Caring for you while caring about you. Coordinated care throughout the Las Vegas Valley for you and your family.

Make an appointment today

(702) 255-3547

Obstetrics & Gynecology|Pelvic Health|High-Risk Pregnancy Cardiology|Endocrinology|Anesthesia|Primary Care wellhealthmedicalgroup.com|

wellhealthmedicalgroup|

@whmedicalgroup

SPRING 2018 | HEALTH TRAXX TEACHERSHEALTHTRUST.ORG

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F E AT U R E S

Quick & Tasty

cooking Vegetarian Meals Who says that eating healthy is boring? Give these quick and tasty vegetarian meals a try!


OVERNIGHT OATS WITH BERRIES AND ALMONDS Ingredients: 1 cup of organic oatmeal, 1 cup of almond milk, 1 tablespoon of fat-free, sugar-free vanilla Jello pudding mix, 1 tablespoon of organic peanut butter, 1 scoop of whey protein, 1/4 cup almonds and 1/4 cup blueberries Instructions: (1) Place all ingredients minus the almonds and blueberries into a medium bowl and stir until mixed completely. (2) Place bowl in fridge and let sit overnight (at least 4 hours). (3) Place berries and almonds on top. Serves 1 for a meal. Recipe via bareperformancenutrition.com

CHOPPED CHICKPEA GREEK SALAD Ingredients: For the salad —1 (15 oz) can of chickpeas, 1 red bell pepper, chopped, 1 yellow bell pepper, chopped, 1 green bell pepper, chopped, 1/2 small red onion, chopped, 15 grape tomatoes, halved (about 1 cup), 1/3 cup pitted Kalamata olives, 1 medium cucumber, quarter sliced, 4 oz feta cheese. For the dressing —1 tablespoon olive oil, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 2 cloves garlic, minced, 1 teaspoon dried oregano and 1 teaspoon of salt and pepper. Instructions: (1) Place all salad ingredients into a large bowl and toss to combine. (2) In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and oregano. Pour onto salad and toss again to combine. (3) salt and pepper to taste. (4) Place in refrigerator for 1 hour to marinate, or serve immediately. Salad is best enjoyed within 2-3 days after making. Serves 4 for a meal, or 6 as a side salad. Recipe via ambitiouskitchen.com

ASIAN CHOPPED SALAD WITH SEASONED TOFU Ingredients: For the Tofu — 1/4 cup soy sauce, 2 tablespoons mirin, 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon minced or grated fresh ginger, 1/2 teaspoon sugar, 1 tablespoon Asian sesame oil, 1 pound firm tofu. For the salad — 1 romaine heart, chopped, 5 cups mixed vegetables, 1/4 cup dry roasted peanuts, 1/4 cup chopped cilantro, 1 serrano pepper, seeded and minced. For the dressing – 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, 1/4 cup tofu marinade, 2 tablespoons canola or peanut oil, 1/3 cup low-fat buttermilk or plain nonfat yogurt. Instructions: (1) Marinate tofu: combine with soy sauce, mirin, rice vinegar, ginger and sugar in a 2 quart bowl. (2) Whisk in the sesame oil and combine well. Drain tofu and pat dry. (3) Slice into cubes. (4) Cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes to an hour. (5) Bake 7-10 minutes until edges beginning to color then remove from heat. (6) In a large bowl combine all salad ingredients. Whisk together the dressing and toss with the salad. Serves 4 to 5. Recipe via cooking.nytimes.com SPRING 2018 | HEALTH TRAXX TEACHERSHEALTHTRUST.ORG

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F E AT U R E S

Heat strokes are among the leading causes of death for teens and young adults, accounting for over 9,000 deaths in the past 30 years. — Centers for Disease Control

TOP 5 WAYS TO

BEAT THE HEAT! Hot weather can be a challenge for everyone, but it may cause additional burdens for people with chronic respiratory diseases. Hot weather makes it harder for your body to cool off and requires extra oxygen to do so. It is important to control moisture and humidity in your home and aim to keep the humidity at 30-50 percent. Putting a humidifier in your bedroom or other areas of your home can drastically improve the quality of your breathing.

1

3

2

4

Keep cool and stay in the AC. If you need to run errands, do it in the early morning or late evening when it is cooler. Avoid being out in the hottest part of the day. Stay hydrated. Drinking lots of water can help you regulate your body temperature. Also, hydrating keeps mucus thin, making it easier to clear your lungs and airways.

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Read the weather forecast and air quality report. Do this daily. Avoiding smog and excess humidity in the summer is critical to your health. Stay connected. Have a friend or relative check on you if you live alone. If you develop or are unable to control symptoms of nausea, weakness, dizziness or shortness of breath, call your medical provider, or with worsening severe symptoms, call 911.

5

Keep your cool if the power goes out. Determine if you are the only one without power. If you are, check the fuse box. Reset or replace fuses if necessary. If the problem is widespread, contact the power company for an estimated duration of the outage. Stay in the coolest part of the house. Stay hydrated. If the outage is prolonged, go to a facility or residence with power.


Teacher Advantage Health Programs Support for a healthier life Teacher Advantage Health Programs are designed to give you the advantage of health and wellbeing with support and lower out-of-pocket costs when visiting your PCP or approved Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) specialist

Have A Heart

hypertension & congestive heart failure program

My Best Pregnancy

high-risk pregnancy program

Breathe Easy

asthma & copd program

Control Is The Goal diabetes program

Program Benefits Include: • $0 copay for designated in-network specialists • Educational materials and resources • Special group events • Support via specialized service teams • Additional benefits per program

Your healthier life starts here. Advocates@WellHealthQC.com or (702) 794.0272 ext. 2774 All program benefits are subject to qualifying enrollment. Qualifying enrollment varies based on program requirements and/or preliminary consultation(s).

SPRING 2018 | HEALTH TRAXX TEACHERSHEALTHTRUST.ORG

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F E AT U R E S

The Cheapest Life Saving Drug How aspirin is changing the game

A

spirin is one of the most effective, readily available and cheapest medications sitting on the generic, over-the-counter shelf. Aspirin, the medication that millions of Americans have at home at the ready in case chest pains occur. Let's explore the background that made aspirin a hallmark therapy for cardiovascular disease. The use of aspirin in the acute heart attack setting has been well-established. In a landmark trial (ISIS-2), aspirin was given within 24 hours to people suffering from a major heart attack. This resulted in a 23 percent reduction in cardiovascular mortality at five-weeks, comparable to the effect of the "clotbuster" thrombolytic agent, streptokinase. This study also found an additive benefit of aspirin to streptokinase; when combined, the reduction in mortality was approximately 42 percent. This study helped to clearly establish aspirin as an important tool in the treatment of acute coronary syndrome. It also lends credence to the cultural belief in taking aspirin when having severe chest pain. Aspirin has also been part of the well-established regimen in patients who undergo coronary stenting. In these cases, aspirin helps to prevent blood clots from forming during strategies to open up blocked arteries, namely stent placement and balloon angioplasty. Aspirin is then continued in these high-risk individuals to help prevent future cardiovascular

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complications, both at the area of angioplasty, as well as at new plaque sites in the heart arteries. Healthy patients without a history of cardiovascular disease should talk to their doctors about the benefits of taking aspirin. Meta-analyses demonstrate that aspirin can decrease the risk of cardiovascular events and myocardial infarctions in people who have not had a prior cardiovascular event by about 25 to 33 percent. Combined endpoint of stroke death from vastly caused and myocardial infarction was also reduced by a significant amount. In a 2009 meta-analysis published in Lancet, use of aspirin for prevention of cardiovascular disease resulted in a 12 percent relative risk reduction of events. In either case, the use of aspirin can lead to a substantial decrease in your risk for a cardiovascular event. Like all medications, aspirin does have side effects that should be discussed with your doctor. The most serious side effect involves bleeding, a by-product of inhibitory effect of aspirin on platelet aggregation. G.I. bleeding and intracranial hemorrhage are amongst the most worrisome of complications. A risk-benefit analysis needs to be done to determine whether or not you would benefit from aspirin. The American Heart Association recommends use of aspirin when the 10-year cardiovascular risk exceeds

10 percent, which would exceed the risk of bleeding. You and your physician can calculate your 10-year risk with the use of calculators, such as the Framingham score calculator. (http://hp2010.nhlbihin.net/atpiii/calculator. asp) There are other risks and benefits to aspirin, so a careful discussion regarding aspirin beyond the simple calculation is important to assess the appropriateness of the medication. Issues with prevention of cardiovascular disease in people who have already suffered from a heart attack are more straightforward. In high risk individuals, such as those who have already suffered from a cardiovascular event, antiplatelet therapy has demonstrated a 22 percent relative risk reduction in recurrent infarction, stroke or vascular death based on data from the Antiplatelet Trialists' Collaboration. Like many cardiovascular therapeutic treatments, the greater the risk and the more severe the disease, the greater the benefit.

It is recommended that you visit your doctor regularly to evaluate your risk of a cardiovascular event and to find ways to lower your long-term cardiac risk.

SPRING 2018 | HEALTH TRAXX TEACHERSHEALTHTRUST.ORG

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F E AT U R E S

Save Time and Money,

KNOW WHEN TO USE THE ER Going to an emergency room (ER) for nonemergency treatment is a costly practice - both in time and money. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, you will pay up to three items as much for treatment in the ER than you would in a doctor's office. You will waste a lot of time too, since ERs are not set up to care for routine illness and do not work on a first-come first-served basis, but rather take the most serious cases first.

Before heading to the ER, ask yourself how serious is the condition. If you believe you could die or be disabled, it is definitely an emergency! For less serious conditions, consider other options. For example: TeleMed (visit WellHealthOnline.com)

Emergency Room or 911

Office Visit or Urgent Care

Allergies

Trouble breathing

Sprain

Asthma

Sudden unusual headache

Back pain

Bronchitis

Signs of stroke

Minor cut or burn

Cold or flu

Sever chest pain

Minor eye injury

Ear ache

Heavy bleeding

Fever

Deep wound

Heartburn

Overdose

Nausea

Seizure

Rash

Head or spin injury

Sinus infection

Broken bone

Sore throat

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Our passion for this profession reaches far beyond simply practicing good medicine. It finds affirmation in a patient’s smile, a warm handshake, a jovial conversation. We believe in order to provide life-changing care for our patients, they first need to know how much we care about them. For us, it’s more than just a rewarding career— it’s a labor of love.

hcpnv.com


Member Materials

PRESCRIPTION DELIVERY SERVICE Prescription Delivery Service offers free delivery of medications to a convenient place – home, work, or doctor’s office. We recommend this service if you take a medication on an ongoing basis. Here’s what you need to know: Registering: Get started by registering for Prescription Delivery Service. You’ll need to provide insurance, contact, payment, and health information for you and your covered dependents. Online: For 24/7 access to your benefit and prescription information, go to www.WellDyneRx.com and click “Members.” Select “Member Registration” to set up your account profile. Sending Prescriptions: Your doctor must write your prescription for a 90-day supply (or the number of days your plan allows for mail service). There may be limitations on some medications, such as controlled medications, due to state and federal laws. Send your prescriptions to WellDyneRx: Electronically: This is the quickest way to fill your prescription. Ask your doctor to electronically send your prescription to WellDyneRx Prescription Delivery Service. By Fax: 1-888-830-3608 or 1-877-221-1259. Onlyprescribers may fax prescriptions to a pharmacy. By Mail: Write your Member ID and date of birth on the prescriptions and mail them to WellDyneRx. Ordering Prescriptions: WellDyneRx offers several easy ways to order your prescriptions. We will send a reminder when it’s time to refill your prescription. The best time to order refills is when you have a 14-day supply of your medicine left. Online: Order refills by going to www.WellDyneRx.com, click on the “Members” link, and then sign into your member portal. By Mail: Mail your original prescriptions, with your Member ID and date of birth written on them, to WellDyneRx. By Phone: Order through the WellDyneRx automated phone system at 1-888-635-7351, press 2. To access your account, you will be prompted to enter your date of birth, zip code and phone number. By Mobile App: Order refills from the WellDyneRx mobile application. Go to mobileapp.welldynerx.com, or search for “WellDyneRx” in the iTunes App Store or Google Play Store.

Payment: Payment is required with every prescription order. WellDyneRx accepts Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, check, check by phone, or money order. We also accept payment cards for flexible spending and health savings accounts. Once you have registered, you can add or update your payment cards online or through our automated phone system. Medication Preference: WellDyneRx substitutes FDA-approved generic equivalent drugs for any brand name medications ordered, if available and permitted by your doctor. A generic drug is a variation of a brand name that has the same effectiveness, quality, safety, and strength, as confirmed by the FDA. If you prefer to receive only brand medications and pay the additional cost, please contact Member Services. Prescription Order Status: Check the status of your prescription order online or through the WellDyneRx automated phone system. We also send email alerts that include order information, refill reminders, and shipment notifications. Automated phone messages are available for select order statuses and refill reminders. Member Services: Member Services representatives are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to answer questions and help with prescription orders. Pharmacists are available for consultations 24 hours a day, 7 days a week if you have questions about your medication, including how to take it, what to do if you miss a dose, side effects or drug interactions. For medical emergencies, please call 911. By Phone: 1-844-635-7351 1-800-900-6570 TT

Mailing Address: WellDyneRx P.O. Box 90369 Lakeland, FL 33804


IN-NETWORK REMINDER ABOUT In 1958, Dr. Leon Steinberg came to Las Vegas to help Sunrise Hospital build the first radiology center in Southern Nevada. Through his experience in the hospital setting, he saw a need for a more patient-friendly option for medical imaging, so he struck out to build such a practice. With his son, David, and Dr. Mark Winkler as his partners, Dr. Leon opened the first SDMI office in 1988. Their standards of excellence in patient care and in technology have brought national and international recognition from the medical imaging and healthcare communities. SDMI is designated as a Diagnostic Imaging Center of Excellence by the American College of Radiology, its highest honor. The practice has also submitted voluntarily to the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC) to give you, the patient, the utmost confidence in SDMI’s ability to provide you with the appropriate and highest quality of healthcare possible.

THE BENEFIT - RADIOLOGY/DIAGNOSTIC FREESTANDING DIAGNOSTIC FACILITY $0 copayment (deductible does not apply)

HOSPITAL/FACILITY

20 percent coinsurance (deductible does not apply) Radiology coinsurance only applies when facility copayment does not

PCP OFFICE

ALL OTHER IN-NETWORK PROVIDERS

20 percent coinsurance with a referral (deductible does no apply); 20% coinsurance after $600 deductible without a referral

OUT-OF-NETWORK

40 percent coinsurance after deductible, plus any charges over Eligible Medical Expenses*

20 percent coinsurance X-rays of chest, spine, pelvis and extremities, abdomen; ultrasound of abdomen, dexa bone density (deductible does not apply) All other radiology services in PCP office are not covered

LOCATIONS NORTHWEST •

2767 N Tenaya Way Las Vegas, NV 89128

6925 N Durango Dr Las Vegas, NV 89149

SOUTHWEST •

9070 W Post Road Las Vegas, NV 89148

PARADISE •

2950 S Maryland Pkwy Las Vegas, NV 89109

HENDERSON •

2850 Siena Heights Dr Henderson, NV 89052

4 Sunset Way Bldg D Henderson, NV 89014

DOWNTOWN •

800 Shadow Lane Las Vegas, NV 89106 SPRING 2018 | HEALTH TRAXX TEACHERSHEALTHTRUST.ORG

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F E AT U R E S

HOW TO WIN AT

Spring Cleaning in five

QUICK TIPS

It's that time of year again, spring cleaning season! Time to arm yourself with brooms, donation bags and vacuums to clear out the clutter that could be affecting your mental health. Here are five quick tips to win at spring cleaning this year!

Tip 2 DECLUTTERING CAN HELP OTHERS Cleaning up your stuff doesn't need to be a "throwing out" process - your unwanted or unneeded objects can be very useful for people in need. Consider donating your items to a local charity or donation center for the community.

Tip 4 DECLUTTERING PURIFIES THE AIR AROUND YOU Guess what's clinging to your clutter? Yep, dust directly affecting the quality of the air you breathe. This means that time spent on some spring cleaning literally purifies the air you breathe - good for your mind and body.

Tip 1 DECLUTTERING PROMOTES RELAXATION Research in recent years has found that stress levels at home are at their highest when dealing with belongings. In other words, the less time you spend dealing with your stuff, the more relaxed you will be. A little bit of effort now can set you up to be calmer in years to come.

Tip 3 DECLUTTERING STIMULATES CREATIVITY Along with calming the mind, minimizing excess clutter in your life has been found to stimulate creativity - so you can make something beautiful as a result of tidying up your environment.

Tip 5 DECLUTTERING SHARPENS YOUR MIND Research has found that decluttering your work and living spaces helps your brain focus. Put simply, clutter competes for your attention. In turn, organized environments lead to a sharp, productive and concentrated mind. Source: goodnet.org

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SPRING 2018 | HEALTH TRAXX TEACHERSHEALTHTRUST.ORG



NEED HELP NAVIGATING THROUGH YOUR BENEFITS? COPAYS

BENEFITS

DEPENDENTS BILLING

ELIGIBILITY

PRESCRIPTION

COST

TAKE

THE SHORTCUT Give us a call at 1.800.432.5859 or log in to your member portal at www.teachershealthtrust.org/participants/portal

TRISTARexchange© Member Portal Advantage • Real time and up-to-date deductible and out of pocket amount. • Easy access to important and pertinent claim status. • Detail itemized information such as remark codes and/or claim deductions. *Powered by

®


F E AT U R E S

Spring Into Safety 250,000

people are affected by heatrelated illnesses each year.

1

Sunburn Always wear sunscreen when outdoors for long periods of time. Sunscreens should be applied 30 minutes before sun exposure to allow for maximum protection. Reapply sunscreen every two hours, especially if swimming.

2

Hydration Stay hydrated, especially when in extreme heats. The Mayo Clinic recommends 3.7 liters of water for men and 2.7 liters for women daily.

3

Double check Always make sure to double and even triple check grills and campfires to ensure that they are either turned off or contained to a safe area.

4

Appropriate clothing Wear appropriate clothing when participating in sporting and outdoor events to avoid injuries.

5

Look around Warmer weather means barbecues, parades and fireworks. Always look around to make sure that you are in a safe area to use items like fireworks. SPRING 2018 | HEALTH TRAXX TEACHERSHEALTHTRUST.ORG

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