(The following information was issued jointly by UnitedHealthcare, Aetna and HighMark. The BLET asks Division officers to post this in your places work and to distribute it at your upcoming Division meetings.)
CLEVELAND, July 31 — Reap the benefits of a healthier lifestyle with the Wellness Programs the National Railroad Health Plans have made available to you and your dependents. At no additional cost, you have access to a smoking cessation program and a healthy weight program.
Smoking and excess weight are substantial health risks that take a staggering toll on our lives and resources. Tens of thousands of smokers die every year from lung cancer. Deaths and costs from other cancers known to be caused by smoking, such as pancreatic, larynx, bladder, cervix, stomach and kidney cancer, or related heart and lung disease add thousands more to the mortality figures. Excess body weight is also associated with a host of serious health problems including heart disease, Type II diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. The medical costs for treatments associated with smoking and excess weight are astronomical – an estimated $75 billion annually just for tobacco-related illness. This results in substantially higher costs for every health insurance plan, including your own.
What is particularly troubling is that illness brought on by smoking and obesity is in large part preventable, and so is the human suffering and expense that is a part of it. That’s why the National Railroad Plans want to join forces with you by offering the means to fight the powerful addiction that accompanies tobacco use, as well as the frustration that inevitably results from unsuccessful dieting. These two new programs provide tools to assist members who have an interest in better health, all at no cost to members.
The smoking cessation program includes motivational on-line and telephonic personal coaching, nicotine replacement therapy (gum, lozenges or patch) and support for up to a year. And if you don’t quite quit or relapse, you can try again at no cost to you as many times as it takes. Because of certain risks that may apply to juvenile members, nicotine replacement therapy is not available to members under the age of eighteen.
The healthy weight management program emphasizes good nutrition and increased exercise. A key objective is to reduce body mass index (BMI) which is a strong indicator of healthy weight. Weight loss counseling includes access to registered nurses, weight loss therapists and nutritionists.
Make a commitment to proven steps that lead to longer, better living by completing a free, completely confidential, health risk appraisal available through your benefit administrator. Such an appraisal can provide immediate feedback on individual risk profiles and can be used to create individually tailored health improvement strategies. No one other than you and your health care coach will ever have access to your information.
The contact information for your benefit administrator under the National Railroad Health Plans is:
• UnitedHealthcare – 1.877.201.4840 (www.myuhc.com)
• Aetna – 1.800.842.4044 (www.aetna.com)
• Highmark – 1.800.650.8442(www.highmarkbcbs.com)