The Resource - Instant Benefits

[Pages:4]May 2010

The Resource

A Human Resources newsletter for the staff of Scottsdale Healthcare

Preventive healthcare is the best remedy for health reform

Health Reform changes are hard to understand because there is plenty of misunderstanding out there about what the law means. Even the analysis in the media is contradictory. The long-term impact on most employer-sponsored plans is still unknown because many provisions of the law will take years to implement.

As we reported earlier, the immediate changes to your health plan will include allowing dependent children to remain on their parent's plan until they turn 26, elimination of pre-existing condition

limits for minors, and removal of the $1,500,000 lifetime maximum benefit. These changes will take effect on January 1, 2011.

Despite the law's good intentions, however, the greatest impact on the affordability of your future health plan benefits is still the actual cost of healthcare itself. It is painfully apparent that, in the short term at least, health reform changes will not reduce or hold down increases in healthcare costs.

The best way to keep the benefits in your health plan affordable is to maintain good health. As healthcare professionals, we already know how to do this, but health is a deeply personal issue and one that is not easily shared with an employer or a health plan administrator. Nevertheless, changes in lifestyle or attitude are essential for those who want to have affordable healthcare available to them when it is needed.

To encourage personal wellness, for many years Scottsdale Healthcare has offered free preventive

care benefits in your health plans. Preventive visits and testing are still the best indicators of

disease, and early detection gives you more lower-cost options for dealing with it. Despite the

availability of free preventive care services and immunizations, too many of our staff and family

members do not use this benefit. For an

example of this, see our Wellness article on page 4.

Have Questions?

If you would like us to answer your questions

Our recommendation remains: Take care of

about Healthcare Reform and your Benefits

your health. It requires dedication to change

in these pages, please email your question

life-long habits, but the results can only benefit to employeebenefits@ and include

your personal wellbeing. If you're looking for

"Healthcare Reform" in the subject line. We'll do

a way to get started, check out the wellness programs offered by Corporate Health, Women's and Children's Services or the

our best to keep you informed on the impact of this law and what you can do about it.

Diabetes Center.

BENEFITS

Important notice about your Walgreens Health Initiatives Prescription Drug Plan

Your Employee Benefits department has recently become aware of an error in the co-payments charged for certain medications under our prescription drug plan. Since January 2010, Walgreen's Health Initiatives (WHI) has undercharged for a few brand name medications covered under our health plan. Unfortunately the co-payments WHI collected for these prescriptions were significantly less than the amounts they should have collected.

This issue was brought to our attention by staff members, and we have worked with Walgreens to correct them. Everyone who has been affected by this undercharge has already received a letter from WHI informing them that the correct co-payments will be charged on their prescription refills starting June 1. Unfortunately, these new co-payments will increase for those few staff members affected by this error. To those staff members affected by this increase in co-payments, we recommend that they obtain prescription refills and 90-day

prescriptions (where possible) before their co-pays increase on June 1.

We wish to thank our alert staff members and let you know we heard and respond to your questions. We will follow up with additional information on our prescription drug plan in the next issue of The Resource.

403(b) FYI....

Scottsdale Healthcare, like other employers offering a Retirement Security Plan, has a fiduciary duty to its participants to ensure that the plan is professionally managed. This fiduciary responsibility requires us to periodically seek and evaluate proposals from responsible plan administrators.

This summer a request for proposal will be sent out to several retirement plan administrators, including our current administrator Prudential, regarding the administration of our 403(b) Retirement Security Plan. The members of Scottsdale Healthcare's 403(b) Committee will evaluate all proposals to ensure our retirement plan continues to be well managed.

YOUR MONEY

College loan programs to change on July 1

Anew law alters federal student-aid programs while reducing the role of private lenders. Under the new healthcare legislation, starting July 1, all students and parents seeking federal education loans must borrow directly from the government through the college financial-aid office, rather than through private lenders. If you or your college-age student already have a federal loan with a private lender, your college financial-aid office will alert you as to how to handle the transition to the Direct Loan Program for the 2010-2011 school year.

If you are applying for the first time or if you attend a school that already participates in the Direct Loan Program, you will not be greatly affected by these changes. As a result of the savings that the government expects from eliminating subsidies for the private lenders, the maximum Pell Grant for low-income and lower-middle-income families will gradually increase from $5,550 for the 2010-2011 academic year to $5,975 in 2017-2018. For more information go to and search for "Financial Aid."

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Discount of the Month

Scottsdale Healthcare employees and volunteers may now receive a 24 percent discount on AT&T Mobility monthly charges. Whether you're an existing AT&T customer or you sign up for new service, simply log in to wireless/ScottsdaleHealthcare to get started.

If you've been craving an iPhone, or even just a new cell phone, you can receive promotional prices on a new phone along with the 24 percent discount on monthly service. Whether you apply online or at an AT&T store, simply use the Employer code 03038130 to get your discounts.

BEST PLACE TO WORK

Fortune 100 Best Companies survey arrives June 15

Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For will be sending their survey to hundreds of randomly selected staff members on June 15. You could be one of the lucky recipients of this survey. Obtaining placement on the prestigious Fortune 100 list is part of Scottsdale Healthcare's strategic plan.

The survey will arrive in your business email inbox or at your home address if you do not have business email. This survey is conducted by Great Place to Work Institute and they require a minimum number of completed surveys back from our employees in order for our company to be considered for the list. Therefore, it is very important that you respond to the survey. Your answers will not be viewed by anyone at Scottsdale Healthcare, so we encourage you to be complete and honest in your responses.

Smart Tips

For making the most of your benefits

Use your Healthcare Flex Spending account to pay for over-the-counter medications at the pharmacy. Here is a short list of drug store purchases that you can "charge" on your Flex Spending card:

allergy medicine antacids anti-diarrhea medicine band-aids bug bite medication (not bug spray) Calamine lotion carpal tunnel wrist supports cold medicines cold/hot packs for injuries cough drops diaper rash ointments first aid cream hemorrhoid medication

home pregnancy tests incontinence supplies laxatives liquid adhesive for small cuts menstrual cycle products for pain

and cramp relief motion sickness pills nasal sinus sprays nasal strips nicotine gum or patches for

stop-smoking purposes pain reliever Pedialyte for sick child's dehydration

pills for persons who are lactose intolerant

products for muscle pain or joint pain reading glasses rubbing alcohol sinus medications sleeping aids used to treat

occasional insomnia special ointment or cream for

sunburn spermicidal foam Visine and other such eye products wart remover treatment

Most staff members are using the Scottsdale Healthcare PPO network for their primary healthcare provider, but we just want to remind you that if you're contemplating surgery or a complex series of treatments, you may save a great deal in out-of-pocket expenses if you make sure your radiologist, anesthetist, lab services or other referred providers also are also in-network.

Prompt Care service is available to all staff members for treatment of acute, minor illnesses or injuries. Sponsored by our Corporate Health department, Prompt Care provides limited, immediate care at no charge to staff members at any of the five Corporate Health clinics. A Prompt Care physician or PA performs a free, one-time evaluation and treatment of most minor illnesses or injuries. This is a significant benefit for staff members who need immediate care and cannot wait for an appointment with a personal physician. Some of the most common conditions treated by the Prompt Care program are colds, earaches, flu, pink eye, vaccinations, sprains/strains, and minor dermatologic or gastrointestinal complaints.

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WELLNESS

Staff members are skipping out on preventive care

Too many of our female staff or family members over age 40 are not getting their routine mammograms. Mammograms can save your life by finding breast cancer that is too small for you or your doctor to feel, sometimes up to 3 years before it can be felt. When breast cancer is found early, you have more treatment options. Even if you have no family history of this disease, keep in mind that 80% of women treated for breast cancer have no family history of this disease. Women in their 40s and older should get a mammogram every 1 to 2 years, and that increases to annually for women over 50. A woman's chance of getting breast cancer is greater as she ages.

When you go for a mammogram, you may feel a little bit of discomfort but each X-ray takes less than 1 minute. If fear of pain concerns you, use the Women's Diagnostic Center at Scottsdale Healthcare Shea where they offer MammoPad? technology, which uses FDA approved foam cushions to create a softer experience during your mammogram.

Since January, your Scottsdale Healthcare health plan has recorded only 261 routine mammograms performed for more than 2500 women over 40 who are covered by the health plans. It's still early in the year, so we encourage every staff member or spouse of a staff member to schedule her routine mammogram as soon as possible. Your family will be glad you're taking care of yourself.

The Resource

May 2010 ? In This Issue

? Preventive healthcare is the best remedy for health reform

? Important notice about your Walgreens Health Initiatives Prescription Drug Plan

? College loan programs to change on July 1 ? Fortune 100 Best Companies survey arrives

June 15 ? Staff members are skipping out on

preventive care

Recognition for Scottsdale Healthcare's Commitment to Excellence

? Magnet "Health System" Designation, from the American Nurses Credentialing Center. Scottsdale Healthcare Thompson Peak will be included in our next Magnet survey.

? Best Places to Work Award Winner

PRSRT STD US POSTAGE

PAID PHOENIX, AZ PERMIT NO 4385



HUMAN RESOURCES 9201 E. Mountain View Road, Suite 100 Scottsdale, AZ 85258

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