Two New Benefits for Your Health
The Washington Teamsters Welfare Trust is happy to announce we’re adding two new benefits, available starting June 1, 2005:
- A 24-hour nurse advice line that’s free to members and covered dependents
- The opportunity to participate in one of three different medically-supervised weight loss programs through Sound Health Solutions. You pay part of the cost; the Trust pays the rest. There’s a clinic-based program, an online program and a third option that’s a combination of the online and clinic-based programs.
Call the Nurseline at 877-887-1020 (toll-free) RNs staff the nurse line 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, so you can call any time. It’s free and always confidential. In an emergency... Remember, in an emergency, call 9-1-1, not the nurse line
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Have you ever had one of these situations?
- Your child gets sick in the middle of the night and you’re not sure if you can wait until morning?
- You develop a health problem while you’re traveling?
- You get new symptoms that worry you, but you’re not sure whether to go to your doctor?
Now you have a new resource for help: a nurse advice line that you can call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The nurse line is staffed with trained, registered nurses who can answer many of your health questions and advise you about self-care steps. This service can be especially helpful when you’re not sure whether or not you need to see a doctor right away. The nurse line is free to all Washington Teamsters Welfare Trust members and covered dependents. The Trust pays the full cost of this valuable service. Your calls are always held in the strictest confidence.
Call the nurse line any time you have a medical question or you’re not sure what to do about a health care symptom or diagnosis.
The 24-hour health line is not a substitute for regular, scheduled care from your physician or other health care provider.
NEW WEIGHT LOSS PROGRAMS TAILORED TO YOU
| Last year, the Trust offered a pilot weight loss program through Sound Health Solutions (SHS) to the first 50 people who signed up. The pilot was so successful, we’re extending this benefit to all covered Trust members and their adult dependents who meet the participation criteria. Even better, the Trust will pay most of the cost of your program.
Three Program Options There are three programs you can choose from, depending on your needs: a clinic-based program, an online program, and a third option that combines the online option with a limited number of clinic visits. The |
right option for you depends on where you live, time constraints, access to a computer, costs and your personal preferences.
All three options offer you a medically managed weight loss program through Sound Health Solutions (SHS), a Bellevue-based company. SHS helps participants achieve and maintain an improved state of health for the rest of their lives by combining the following key components: Physician monitoring Nutrition education Fitness training Behavioral therapy. Here’s an overview of howthe three options work and what they cost: |
Weight Loss Program Options |
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Option 1: Clinic based |
Option 2: Online |
Option 3: Online plus limited clinic visits |
| How it works | ||
Intensive 24-week program:
Also includes:
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52-week online program, starting with an intensive health risk assessment questionnaire that you fill out. You may need to have a physical first to answer some of the questions — for example, you will be asked your cholesterol level. Your program is personalized for you based on your answers. Also includes:
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Combines the features of the online program with visits to the SHS clinic at key times. You come to the SHS facility at the beginning of your program. Visit the facility at key times during your program for monitoring and measurements, to meet with your personal trainer and dietician, and check in with your doctor. You’ll also be invited to come to the SHS facility to participate in behavioral support groups. Also includes: access to the online program. |
| Cost | ||
You pay 20% of the program cost, or $990. The Trust pays the other 80%, or $3,960. |
You pay $19.95 per month. The Trust pays an annual subscription fee to offer the program to members. |
You pay $200 plus $19.95 per month. The Trust pays $800. |
| How to sign up | ||
Call the clinic you want to use and schedule an appointment for a free consultation. Redmond 425-747-6000 |
1. Go to www.esoundhealth.com
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Criteria for Participation
The medically-managed weight loss programs described here are intended for people who are truly struggling with obesity or who are overweight with certain health risks. To qualify to participate in these SHS programs, you must:
- Be at least 18 years old
- Be eligible for a Trust-sponsored medical plan (other than a Group Health
- Cooperative plan), and
- Meet the medical definition of obesity as measured by Body Mass Index (BMI). You must have a BMI of 30 or over, or a BMI of at least 27 with two or more of these risk factors:
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The online only program (Option 2) is available to those with a BMI of 25 or over.
Find your BMI on the following chart:
If you have questions about the programs call SHS at 425-747-6000 or visit the SHS website at www.4shs.com.
Q. Where are the SHS facilities located?
A. There are two locations, in Redmond and downtown Seattle (Pioneer Square):
| Redmond 15446 Bel-Red Rd., Suite B-15 Redmond, WA 98052 425-747-6000 |
Seattle 501 1st Avenue South Seattle, WA 98104 206-749-5222 |
Go to the Sound Health Solutions website at www.4shs.com for a map to these locations.
Q. How flexible are the schedules and hours of operation at the SHS facilities? Do I have to schedule appointments, or can I drop in?
A. The clinics are open from 6:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. on weekdays and from 7:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Saturdays. You’ll schedule all of your appointments when you begin your program; if you need to adjust your schedule later, you can work with the clinic’s Scheduling Coordinator. You can drop in during clinic hours while enrolled in the 24 weeks of your program to use the exercise equipment.
Q. Can I test drive the program?
A. If you’re interested in the clinic-based option, you can take a “test drive” — one complimentary visit with one of the SHS physicians — before you sign up by calling the clinic at 425-747-6000 to make an appointment. For a preview of the online program, take a site tour at www.esoundhealth.com.
The Healthy Baby Program —Not Just for Your First Pregnancy Each pregnancy is different, about and there may be just as many risks with a second or third pregnancy — sometimes more, if you’re older or your health has changed. Even if you went through the Healthy Baby program before, it’s a good idea to enroll again with each pregnancy. |
PREGNANT? PLANNING? REMEMBER THE HEALTHY BABY PROGRAM
Here’s a reminder of another important tool you already have: the Healthy Baby program — a voluntary program for expectant mothers and their families. It offers information and resources to make sure you and your baby are as healthy as possible. When you enroll in this program, you’ll talk to a maternity nurse about your pregnancy history, discuss risk assessment, receive nutritional support, and get follow-up calls. There’s no cost to you — it’s included with your medical coverage through the Trust.
If you’re interested in participating in the program (members and spouses only), call 877-887-1020 toll-free (the same number as the Nurseline) to enroll. There’s a $100 incentive if you enroll during the first 60 days of the confirmation of your pregnancy and complete the program through your delivery. But even if you don’t qualify for this financial incentive, there’s an even greater one — the health of you and your baby.