Making the most of your health benefits

Every January, millions of New Yorkers receive their health benefits packets, promising that this year will be the year that they are going to make the most of what is available to them. They are going to schedule their physicals and get needed preventive health screenings. They are going to better manage any health conditions they may have. And, they are going to live a healthier life.

Well, I, like many of you, have kept some or none of those promises I made to myself just a few short months ago. However, it is never too late to start and while you are spring cleaning other parts of your life, consider doing the same for your health. You can start by taking out that benefits packet – or going to your health insurer’s website and renewing your commitment to using your benefits wisely toward better health.

Here are some things you may want to consider:

1. Assess your health. Most health plans offer health self-assessments on their web sites (i.e. myuhc.com). These tools not only provide a snapshot of your health status, but offer advice on improving your health. Some may also offer online coaching to help you make eat better, exercise more, manage stress and other wellness-related factors.
2. Activate check-up reminders. Use wellness reminder tools available through your health plan or another online application to track check-ups and procedures such as mammograms, vaccinations and annual physicals.
3. Manage your benefits. Online tools offered by your health insurer can help you keep track of your health and health benefits. At UnitedHealthcare (myuhc.com):
• Individuals can find out what doctors are in network and what costs are associated with your plan;
• Doctor visits, treatments, immunizations and prescriptions are kept and regularly updated on your confidential personal health record; and
• Cost comparison tools can help individuals choose the best care for them based on quality and cost.
4. Save money through wellness saver programs. Some health plans have begun offering discount programs that enable covered employees to get discounts of up to 50 percent on health care products and services, including Lasik surgery, smoking cessation programs, gym memberships and even fitness apparel. 
5. Lower your prescription costs – by using generic or preferred brands, which usually have lower co-pays. Get higher dosed pills and split them, cutting the medication co-pay in half. Of course, all of these should be done with the knowledge of and advice from your physician.
6. Compare treatment costs. Tools like UnitedHealthcare’s myHealthcare Cost Estimator help estimate the cost of more than 100 common treatments and procedures. These estimates are personalized to reflect an individual’s own health plan benefits, including their real-time account balances when applicable.
7. Use case manager assistance, if needed. Sometimes, we all need a little support to best manage our health, particularly conditions like heart disease, diabetes and cancer, among others. If you need help, ask. You may be eligible for this extra assistance.

So before the weather gets much nicer – and we forget all about our renewed promise to better manage our health and health care dollars – check your benefits to get the most out of your health care dollars.

New York HEROES help friends and families live healthier lives one step at a time

It’s alarming! The rate of obesity continues to climb in this country – particularly among young people.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in three children is obese or overweight, putting them on the road to lifelong chronic conditions like diabetes and heart disease. If left unchecked or untreated, obesity will affect 43 percent of adults by 2018 and will add nearly $344 billion in that year alone to the nation’s annual direct health care costs, accounting for more than 21 percent of health care spending, according to America’s Health Rankings®, released by United Health Foundation.

But we cannot throw in the towel. We have the tools to get healthier, reduce lifestyle-related illnesses and live longer lives healthier, not to mention slow health care spending in this country.

By encouraging physical activity and teaching children about healthy eating – and keeping track of how they eat and how much they move, we can give our kids the best possible chance to grow into healthy adults. And young people can play an important part in their own lifelong health as role models and leaders in helping their friends, their families and their communities.

That’s why UnitedHealthcare developed the UnitedHealth HEROES grants to give youth organizations the funds to implement their creative programs to combat childhood obesity. Now in its fifth year, UnitedHealthcare gave out nearly $500,000 in the first four years of the program, including almost $5,000 to New York state youth groups.

This year, UnitedHealthcare encouraged kids to “Step into Service” by including a running, walking or hiking component to their programs to remind participants that every step counts towards a healthier lifestyle.  From the Capital region through the Finger Lakes to Long Island and into New York City, young people developed some pretty creative ideas.

The 2013 HEROES programs kicked off on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service on January 21, wrapping up with events throughout the weekend of Global Youth Service Day, April 26-28. 

The Boys & Girls Club of Troy hosted a family night and community health fair, featuring a video that students put together on healthy living.  Teen leaders in Binghamton joined in the Cornell Cooperative Extension – Broome “CITIZEN U: Steps Challenge,” staging a play about healthy living and encouraging younger students to walk for better health.  Students at the Brentwood Community Schools took hikes at a local nature preserve, discussing health topics along the way. 

In New York City, Neighborhood Change Youth Organization, Inc., educated students about fitness walking and created maps of walking trails in local Staten Island neighborhoods, while young people at the West Harlem Community Organization organized a track and field day for young people in the neighborhood. And the New York City Urban Debate League at the Bronx School for Law, Government and Justice, even worked exercise into their girls’ debate program.  Not only did they debate on the topic of health care reform but girls tracked their steps using pedometers to ensure they get the recommended 12,000 steps daily.

While many of the 2013 HEROES programs will end in April, we believe that the steps these young people have taken will stay with them far longer than this weekend, helping them live more active lives and make better food choices – helping them live healthier lives – and bend the alarming obesity trend in this country.