Look for your 2011 Benefit Summary in the mail before the end of this month, and go over it carefully. It shows the benefit choices saved in your record at the close of Open Enrollment.

The medical, dental and vision section shows the health plans you chose for 2011 (vision plans are linked to medical plans).

 

If you didn’t actively choose your health plans, you were automatically enrolled in the Statewide medical and ODS Traditional dental plans, and dependents you cover now will lose coverage Jan. 1, 2011. If your summary shows "No" next to dependents you currently cover because you didn’t actively enroll, you can remedy this impending loss of coverage. Submit a Remedy Form to your agency by Dec. 31, 2010. Click here to download the Remedy Form.

 

If you enrolled in or increased life or long-term care insurance and you don’t see the new coverage listed, contact the plan. Coverage won’t go into effect without plan approval of your medical history.

 

Your 2011 health plans are the places to call if you have questions about providers, coverage or ID cards. The summary lists their phone numbers, as does PEBB’s website. Click here to see the list of phone numbers.

 

If it looks like you made an enrollment error during Open Enrollment, you can ask your agency to correct it. (Not enrolling during Open Enrollment is not an error.) Use the Correction Form for this; click here to download the form from the PEBB website. The agency can correct the error before the start of the new year if you submit the form by Dec. 31, 2010.

 

You can also ask for a correction by giving the form to your agency within 30 days of getting your first paystub or statement in 2011. Corrections made then go into effect the first of the month after the agency gets the form.

 

 

Your feedback helps PEBB keep improving quality services. Take the annual member survey at www.surveymonkey.com/s/2010PEBBsurvey by December 17.

 

It’s anonymous, quick and easy. And it aids your Benefit Board in planning for future benefits.

Members new to Providence Choice must choose their medical home by January 1. They get the full health and financial benefits of this plan only through their medical home clinic.

 

Providence will send them a letter soon to help them choose a clinic from a list.

 

Beginning in 2011, principal subscribers in PEBB medical plans who want to use the no-cost Weight Watchers® benefit must first complete the Online Health Assessment provided by their plan.

 

Don’t wait. If you’re thinking about joining Weight Watchers in 2011 complete your Online Health Assessment as soon as possible.

 

Your confidential assessment takes about 15 to 30 minutes and gives you valuable information that helps you set and reach your personal health goals.

 

You only have to take the assessment once each year before enrolling in your first Weight Watchers session of the year. Processing new enrollees takes about three weeks, so start the process now before the January rush.

Three weeks after you complete your Online Health Assessment, call Weight Watchers at 866-454-2144 to request your participant code. The code allows you to join your choice of local meetings, Weight Watchers At Work or Weight Watchers Online.

 

For details on Weight Watchers enrollment and renewal, go to

www.mypowwr.com/downloads/PEBB2011.pdf.

 

The Great American Smokeout is November 18. If you smoke, set this date as the start of a new journey towards a life free of tobacco. But don’t go alone; let Quit for Life® help you along the way.

 

When you enroll, an expert Quit Coach will work with you, side by side, to create a personalized Quitting Plan.

 

This no-cost program for PEBB members includes phone-based sessions with a Quit Coach, quitting medication, and access to a website where you can learn more and share experiences.

Enrolling for benefits and naming beneficiaries can cue you to think about other life-planning tools such as wills, advance directives and POLST.

 

Wills

The employee assistance program through Cascade Centers offers a no-cost tool to create your own will. It helps you choose your format, guides you on how to build it, and gives instructions on signing.

 

At www.cascadecenters.com, click on the Employee Assistance tab, Legal/ Financial Resources Library, then Legal Tools. Select "Register Now" and follow the prompts.

 

Advance Directives

An advance directive gives instructions on what health care you want and don’t want when you aren’t able to choose life-sustaining treatments or removal of life supports. Click here to download an advance directive form. Read one member’s story on how making these decisions can make a huge difference.

 

 

POLST

POLST stands for Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment. A provider uses this form to turn a person’s wishes on life-sustaining treatment into real medical orders. When your provider registers your POLST, it becomes available to emergency room staff and those who respond to 911 calls. This is especially important for people who are medically frail. Click here to learn more about POLST.

More and more PEBB members use the Internet for health information. But for health questions that need immediate answers, call the "advice nurse" at your health plan. The number is on the back of your plan ID card.

 

The advice nurse can help you decide whether you need to go somewhere for care and how soon you need to be seen.

 

Sometimes you may need to make an appointment. Other times, it may work just as well to get advice over the phone on how to handle your problem and what symptoms to watch for.

 

Using the Web

To find health information that’s trustworthy, you must pick your websites carefully.

 

 

Want to make a change for the better? Your Benefit Board makes sure you have resources to support your decision and follow through.

 

Your Health Plan

Use your health plan’s website to keep in contact with your doctor, review your health and track your progress. Both Providence and Kaiser provide online resources and services that keep you informed about your health. Select your health plan and register on their website.

Weight Watchers 

Achieve your weight loss goals and improve your overall health by enrolling in Weight Watchers. PEBB medical plans cover participation for the principal subscriber. Click here for more information.

 

Employee Assistance Program

If you’re struggling with a drug or alcohol issue that affects work or family, free confidential help is just a call away: 1-800-433-2320. Your EAP will connect you with a behavioral health expert who can help you set a plan for change. Click here for more information.

 

Quit for Life®

Your chances of quitting tobacco will be eight times greater if you use this program than trying to quit on your own. Call 1-866-784-8454 or click here to enroll online.