Through National Healthy Lunch Day, the American Diabetes Association calls on all Americans, including people with diabetes, to commit to making a healthy lunch part of their daily routine, whether it’s bringing a healthy brown bag lunch, or choosing wisely while eating out.
Take this day to make good nutrition a part of a healthy lifestyle both at work and at home. Here are 5 tips for packing a healthy lunch.
5 Tips for Packing a Healthy Lunch
One simple (and affordable) step to better health is to bring a good-for-you lunch from home. Here’s how:
Source: American Diabetes Association
Don’t let your health get tricked this Halloween! Here are a few ways to stay safe and healthy. Read More…
Source: Centers for Disease Control
Pumpkin Spice Granola: You many never buy pre-made granola again after you try this fabulous Pumpkin Spice Granola recipe! A little bowla granola makes a tasty, healthy snack or quick breakfast. Read More…
Source: janetandgreta.com
Veggie Egg Salad: Crunchy carrot, cucumber and scallions are a colorful addition to this vegetarian egg salad recipe. Pack it with some crunchy crackers and tomatoes for a healthy, light lunch. Read More…
Source: eatingwell.com
One of the keys to enjoying a more relaxing holiday season is to have a plan for the situations that often bring you stress. Keeping your expectations realistic, looking after your own health, and applying limits on what you’ll agree to do can be important components of less-stressful holidays.
Here are some quick and easy tips for beating holiday stress.
Source: Magellan EAP
Annual Enrollment is your annual opportunity to review your current benefits, make changes and select the plans that best fit you, your family and your life. Take this time to understand all that BMC provides to manage your health and financial future.
Getting started. Get familiar with what’s changing for 2016 at mybmcbenefits.com, and refer to the 2016 U.S. Benefits Guide for detailed information on all your BMC benefits.
HSA tax savings. If you want to maximize your 2016 Health Savings Account (HSA) contributions starting with your first paycheck in 2016, you must re-enter your HSA contribution amount on YBR during Annual Enrollment. If you don’t, your HSA contribution will be reset to $0 as of January 1, 2016, and will remain $0 unless you change it.
Flexible Spending Accounts. You must re-enroll in the flexible spending accounts during annual enrollment every year if you want to participate.
Check your beneficiaries and insurance. As life changes with marriage, kids, adoption, divorce and the like, make sure your beneficiaries are updated and that you have the appropriate amount of insurance.
Your benefits elections last all year, so choose carefully. Once you enroll for your BMC benefits during Annual Enrollment, you can only change your coverage if you experience a qualified status change (life event) such as marriage, divorce, birth or adoption of a child. You have 31 days from an event to change your benefits. If you do not update your benefits within 31 days from your qualified status change, you will need to wait until the next Annual Enrollment period.
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), most seasonal flu activity typically occurs between October and May. Flu activity most commonly peaks between December and February.
If you’re hit by the flu this season, Teladoc can help. Teladoc provides a doctor’s care from anywhere. For $40, a doctor will contact you within minutes (via phone or video), diagnose and if medically necessary, prescribe medication available at your pharmacy of choice. You can use Teladoc for cold and flu, allergies, and more.
Download the free Teladoc Android app or iPhone app now.
Useful Links
What You Should Know for the 2015-2016 Influenza Season from the CDC.
When you sync your activity tracker to mybmcwellness.com your steps, time, mileage, sleep and more will be automatically uploaded. Trackers reduce the amount of data you have to enter manually, and make it easier and fun for you to compete against your colleagues and receive immediate feedback and support about your participation in bWell challenges.
See the list of devices and smart phone apps you can use to track your activity.
If you can’t sync up your device to the website, call ADURO support at 1-855-864-0721.
If you have a Health Care Spending Flexible Spending Account (HCFSA) or Dependent Care Spending Flexible Spending Account (DCFSA), here are some important reminders.
Do you have money left in your Health Care FSA account? On December 31, 2015, up to $500 of your unused funds will carry over to 2016. If you have more than $500 in your account on December 31, 2015, you will lose it. (Please note: The Health Care FSA carryover rule does not apply to the Dependent Care FSA.)
You can use your Health Care FSA to help pay for medical, dental and vision expenses, such as doctor visits, prescription drugs, eyeglasses, contact lenses and hearing aids. You can use your Dependent Care FSA to pay for eligible child or elder day care expenses.
Save your receipts!
You have until March 31, 2016 to submit claims for these expenses, but they must be incurred by December 31, 2015 to be considered eligible for reimbursement.
Manage your spending accounts on the go. Download the free YSA Reimburse Me app from Google Play or the iTunes store.
The BMC Dental Plan covers three dental cleanings each calendar year at no cost to
you—and no deductible. If you haven’t booked your third dental cleaning of the year, now is a good time … before the hustle and bustle of the holidays.
Regular visits to the dentist may do more than just brighten your smile — they can be important to your overall health. According to the Academy of General Dentistry, more than 90% of all diseases produce oral signs and symptoms. Dentists can play an important role in screening for conditions such as cancer, diabetes, leukemia, heart disease and kidney disease.
Onsite Dental at Houston Campus
Onsite Dental Solutions operates exclusively for employees (and family members) who work in the CityWest Place complex in Houston. The office is in Building 4, Suite 100, and is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., weekdays. In addition to the convenient location, Onsite Dental Solutions is an in-network dentist for the BMC Dental Plan.
Useful Links
The Academy of General Dentistry study says Americans need to “brush up” at the office.
WebMD reports on the 19 habits that wreck your teeth.
The winter holidays include many welcome aspects of life: fun with family and friends, spiritual celebration, bountiful food and drink, and plenty of warm feelings. However, a busy holiday season can also bring lots of stress if you don’t have a plan for managing it.
You are invited to join Magellan’s live interactive webinar on Wednesday, November 18, 2015 from 1 p.m. – 2 p.m. Central time. This webinar will provide information about reducing stress during the busy holiday season. Register Now.
Log On and Learn!
Can’t attend the webinar? Log on and learn! Look for Holiday Survival in the Magellan member website under the Library/In the Spotlight section. You’ll find information on how to better care for yourself as you celebrate the season. (When prompted, type in BMC’s toll-free EAP number, 1-800-327-1393).
It's the money that you hope you'll never need: the “rainy-day” fund. That's because if you have to reach for it, something expensive happened. Unexpectedly.
And while you can't stave off every emergency, you can take some of the financial sting out of the unknown by salting away a little extra money.
Read the 9 strategies from Bankrate.com for starting a rainy-day fund, keeping it safe and making sure you have enough when you really need it. Read More…
MyBMC Rewards provides a snapshot of your pay, retirement benefits, health and insurance benefits and corporate programs. Visit MyBMC Rewards to:
Go online anytime or call 877-262-4849. Representatives are available from Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., Eastern time.
From enrollment reminders to important 401(k) information and benefits updates, you can be the first to know when your attention or action is required.