New Rx delivers prime prices

Family status change

Wash those hands!

Heart attacks don't just happen to men; women are also at risk

Bulging backpacks

New address? Let us know

New Rx delivers prime prices
On Jan. 1, 2005, Prime Therapeutics will replace AdvancePCS as the prescription drug mail-order company. Your prescription refills will be transferred to the new company. Your profile will not be transferred. You must complete a new profile, which includes your credit card information, before Prime will process your refills. Your mail-order benefits for a 90-day supply will remain the same: $20/generics, $60/brand, and $90/nonpreferred brand.

Refer to Prime Theraputics fills Rx needs for information on how to fill out a profile and how to order prescriptions.

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Family status change
If you experience a qualified family status change, you must add or drop a dependent within 31 days after the change has occurred. A family status change includes birth or adoption of a child, marriage or divorce, a spouse loses employment and health coverage, death of a dependent, or a dependent becomes ineligible for coverage by reaching the age limit, marrying, or being covered under another group plan. For more information, contact the benefits division, (713) 837-9400 or (888) 205-9266.

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Wash those hands!
Trying to stay healthy? Hand washing is your best defense.

Most of us don’t wash our hands often enough – or long enough – to prevent disease. In a recent survey by the American Society of Microbiology, 43 percent of respondents said they don’t always wash their hands after sneezing or coughing and 32 percent didn’t wash before meals. In addition, 54 percent admitted that when washing their hands, they didn’t spend at least 20 seconds at it, the minimum time needed to remove germs. It’s holiday season, a good time to be reminded that we can pick up cold and flu viruses through handshaking. Remember to wash your hands!

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Heart attacks don’t just happen to men; women are also at risk
For those who may not know it, heart disease is the no. 1 killer of women. According to the American Heart Association, coronary disease kills an estimated 250,000 women of all ages and ethnicities every year.

Women older than 40 with a relative who has suffered a heart attack at an early age, or women being medicated for high blood pressure or cholesterol, should talk to their doctors about being at risk for heart attacks

While some heart attacks are sudden and intense, like the kind portrayed in the movies where a person clutches their chest and falls to the floor, the symptoms in women are often far subtler.

The Mayo Clinic reported that a survey of female heart attack sufferers indicated they had warning signals unrelated to chest pain. Less than 30 percent experienced chest discomfort before their heart attacks. The majority reported feeling unusual fatigue, shortness of breath, indigestion and sleep disturbances. Those who did describe having chest discomfort before their heart attacks said they only felt a tightness or pressure.

The clinic surmised that the absence of pain might be a reason why some women didn’t recognize the symptoms and failed to seek medical help.

The American Heart Association has a risk-reduction program for women. To join, call (888) 694-3278 (888-my-heart).

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Bulging backpacks
Overloaded backpacks can cause back and neck pain in children as well as adults. Here are some tips for using backpacks correctly:

• Don’t overpack. The weight of the backpack should not exceed 10 percent of your body weight. That’s five pounds for a 50 pound child.
• Use a backpack with padded shoulder straps.
• Wear both shoulder straps to even the weight on your body.
• Cut the slack in the straps so the backpack does not dangle.

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New address? Let us know
If you move, you must fill out a benefits change form and send it to the Benefits Division Customer Service Unit, 611 Walker, 4-A, Houston, Texas 77002.

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