BMC employees have walked the circumference of the earth almost two times with a total of 114,946,678 steps (or 57,473 miles) as part of the first BMC Step It Up! Activity Challenge.

 Almost 700 employees tracked their daily activity between May 12 and June 8, with a goal to record 50,000 steps per week. The competition mascot, a giant shoe, visited the San Jose and Tampa offices to urge on Step-it-Up! challengers. After four weeks of invigorating competition, BMC awarded prizes for the most activity recorded and for participation. Prizes included 20, $250 gift cards and 60, $100 gift cards or Fitbit devices.

Thank you to all participants for making this first event a success. Congratulations to the winners for stepping up to the challenge. Participants who logged their steps or commented on Challenge Chatter at least eight times also earned a $200 BMC medical premium discount for 2015. Challenge winners got more than prizes and prizes for participating though. Here are a few of their comments:

“This competition has been a great motivator.”

“Thanks for hosting the challenge. It has definitely encouraged me to move!”

“I worked really hard to step it up and have lost so much weight too.”

“The secret to staying fit is to incorporate the activities you love into your lifestyle.”

Keep it up! Now that you’ve come this far, keep building your momentum. Taking just a few minutes each day to record your progress online (weight, diet or exercise) can provide the motivation you need to keep pushing forward. Consider using online progress trackers such as myfitnesspal.com, Fitbit.com, or SparkPeople.com.

Love to walk? Visit StartWalkingNow.org to find American Heart Association-designated walking paths, personalized walking plans, an online community of walkers and more. 

Now you can access the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas (BCBSTX) member website with a single click from My BMC Compensation & Benefits. The first time you click on the Blue Cross Blue Shield link, a registration page will appear. Enter the requested information, including your BCBSTX identification and group number from your medical card. See the pages and instructions. 

Click on the new link to view medical coverage details, access or request identification (ID) cards, check claim status, find a doctor, hospital or urgent care facility, or view general health insurance information and terminology. 

You have until July 31, 2014 to earn a discount of up to $600 on your medical premiums for 2015.

If you haven’t taken any action, start now:

1. Get a health screening and submit it by the deadline. Order an at-home screening kit or visit your health care provider’s office with this form.
2. Complete your Well Being Assessment™ (WBA) at mybmcwellness.com.

If you complete these two steps before the deadline, you’ll earn a $200 discount on your medical premiums for 2015.

If you have already submitted your health screening results and completed the WBA, review the wellness incentive chart and decide what activities you can complete by July 31, 2014 and earn up to another $400 in discounts.

For more information about the BMC Wellness Program discounts and deadlines,
call 1-866-336-8226.

As a Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas member, your health benefits travel with you when you venture outside the U.S. The BlueCard Worldwide® program can help you find doctors and hospitals in more than 200 countries and territories around the world.

For assistance outside the use, please call the BlueCard Worldwide Service Center toll free at 800-810-2583 or collect at 804-673-1177. Before you travel, download the free BlueCard Worldwide mobile app.

To learn more about the BlueCard Worldwide program, visit bcbstx.com/member/bluecard or read the program overview.

BMC policy requires that you use your company-issued American Express card to purchase airline or rail tickets for business travel. Using your BMC American Express card gives you extra insurance protection benefits in addition to Business Travel Accident insurance coverage and any other insurance coverage you may have. For more information, please visit mybmcbta.com.

We are half way through the year. What’s your Health Savings Account (HSA) balance? If you won’t reach the IRS annual limit by year-end, there’s still time to maximize your contributions. You’ll reduce your 2014 taxable income and your tax bill.

The annual HSA contribution maximum varies based on who you cover and your salary. Keep in mind that both your contributions and BMC’s count toward your maximum. The 2014 maximum HSA contribution is $3,300 for "you only" coverage or $6,550 for other coverage levels. If you are 55 or over, you can add $1,000 to the limit. You can start, stop or change your HSA contributions at any time during the year.

When are contribution changes effective? HSA contribution changes take effect on the first day of the following month, depending on the payroll deadline. See the Payroll processing deadlines here or from the BMC intranet by clicking through this path: Benefits & Pay > All US Benefits and Pay > U.S. Payroll > 2014 Payroll Cut-off Schedule.

BMC July contribution. BMC will deposit the second company-provided contribution to HSAs in July. The July deposit is 50% of BMC’s total annual contribution.

Keep your money. HSA money (including the BMC contribution and interest earned) is yours until you use it – whether that’s next year, three years from now or into retirement. Unused money rolls over from year to year. Plus, once your balance grows high enough, you can invest your HSA to help it grow over time. Read the April Benefits eNews article, “One HSA…Many Ways to Save,” to learn more about investing your HSA. 

Resilience is the ability to adapt to and withstand significant sources of stress — such as family and relationship problems, serious health problems, workplace stress and financial worries. It means "bouncing back" from difficult experiences. Resiliency, the theme of the July Employee Assistance Program (EAP) webinar, is a skillset we can learn.

Learn about resiliency and how a positive outlook can help you spring back quickly and effectively. Register now for the July EAP webinar, “Importance of a Positive Outlook,” on Wednesday, July 9, from 1 to 2 p.m., Central. 

Resources:
The 5 Best Ways to Build Resiliency, Experience Life.com

Summer is time for the ultimate mental pick-me-up-vacation. Think you don’t need a vacation? Think again! According to Web MD, people who take vacations have lower stress, less risk of heart disease, a better outlook on life, and more motivation to achieve goals. 

A vacation also gives you time to learn expand your horizons or help others. White-water rafting, a photography workshop, building schools in South America, or a European walking tour—these and other vacations can leave you refreshed and rejuvenated, with memories to spare.

Vacation Planning Resources:

Discounted tickets for top U.S. attractions

Visit the BMC intranet to find out how to register and start enjoying employee discounts on tickets to theme parks, water parks, sporting events and New York and Las Vegas shows.

Airport security tips for summer travelers

The U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) posts helpful tips and reminders on their blog. Check it out to learn what items are prohibited, how to enroll in the TSA pre-check program, travelling with medication, and more.

Secrets to a great vacation

Check out these nine suggestions to make this year’s vacation great.

Because you spend a lifetime building your savings, it’s important to carefully consider who will inherit your assets. In fact, a beneficiary designation can often override instructions in a will. Make sure you review, update, or add new beneficiaries, as needed, on any retirement accounts you have, such as 401(k) s and IRAs. You’ll also want to review beneficiary designations on your other assets, like your home and your bank accounts. For more information, read “Five Ways to Protect What’s Yours.”

You may be able to borrow from your retirement savings, but is it a good idea? The terms may seem attractive; however, there are serious planning and tax issues to consider. Here are six facts you should consider before you request a loan from your account.