February 2015Exclusively for Health Advocate Members

Your one-stop source for complete support

EAP Webinar page 5 >>

| Page 2

Be Smart with Your Heart We’re here to help

EmpoweredHealthBenefits in BriefEmpoweredHealth is an all-in-one benefit paid for by your employer or plan sponsor that gives you access to your employee benefits through one, toll-free number. Simply call to be connected to a Personal Health Advocate, Wellness Coach, Licensed Professional Counselor, or other expert who can get you the help you need.

Understand Your Benefits

Resolve Billing Issues

Make Healthy Changes

Support for Personal/Work Issues

Assist with Eldercare

Reduce Medical Expenses

Control Chronic Conditions

… and more!

855.424.640024/7 Support

Web: HealthAdvocate.com/members

Get Started Today!

Email: answers@HealthAdvocate.com

Who is eligible?

The EmpoweredHealth benefit is available to you, your spouse, dependent children, parents and parents-in-law.*

*Some restrictions may apply.

View the EmpoweredHealth Video! Log on to HealthAdvocate.com/members

Throughout the month of February we use the heart as a symbol for love, but it raises an important question—how much love are we showing our hearts? According to the CDC, cardiovascular disease—including heart disease, stroke, and high blood pressure—is the number 1 killer of women and men in the United States.

In recognition of American Heart Month, this issue will teach you important steps to take for better heart health, as well as all the ways Health Advocate can help. No matter what your issue, with Health Advocate, you only need a single toll-free number to get the right expert to address your needs.

Here’s what’s inside…

• Avoid Overspending on Your Healthcare Become a smarter healthcare shopper

• Know Before You Go With Health Cost Estimator+™

• Wellness Coaching: Improve your diet with heart-healthy tips

• Overwhelmed with Stress? Your heart could be paying the price

• Take Control of High Blood Pressure A Nurse Coach can guide you

• Take Control of Your Health Depend on us

| Page 3

Overspending on Healthcare? Avoid these common mistakes

Just Call

Healthcare HelpCall your Personal Health Advocate!Your Personal Health Advocate is an expert in navigating the healthcare system. Just call and we’ll get you the answers you need!

We can help:• Find the right doctors

• Schedule appointments

• Handle claims issues

• Secure second opinions

• Get medical cost estimates

We’ll stay with you until your issue is resolved.

| Page 3

Here’s what can drive up your medical expenses:

Using out-of-network providers. Providers outside of your network have not agreed to any set rate with your insurer, and may charge more.

Unexpected charges on your bill. Common reasons for an unexpected bill for service or hospitalization include:

• Incorrect treatment coding

• Typo of your insurance ID number

• Double billing for the wrong number of hospital days

Unnecessary ER trips. Are you going to the ER because your asthma, diabetes or another condition is flaring up? If so, it’s time to talk to your doctor about your treatment plan to help you get better control.

Health Advocacy in ActionYour Personal Health Advocate can help take care of all these issues and more. Just call!

Get Help Shopping for Healthcare

You wouldn’t purchase a car before asking the price, would you? Of course not, so why would you treat your healthcare any different? Health Cost Estimator+ allows you to compare prices for medical procedures, as well as doctor reviews, hospital safety scores, and more—available free on your member website, smartphone or tablet, or by calling a Personal Health Advocate.

Online: HealthAdvocate.com/members

Mobile: Download the free Health Advocate app

Just Call: 855.424.6400

Search Shop around for dozens of medical procedures and services.

Compare Review provider costs, quality scores and out-of-pocket estimates.

Ask Call a Personal Health Advocate anytime for one-on-one support.

With Health Cost Estimator+

855.424.6400HealthAdvocate.com/members

24/7 Support

| Page 4

Ask a Wellness Coach: What’s in a “heart-healthy” diet?

Health and WellnessSign up for Wellness Coaching

Do you want to get healthy? Maybe you want to lose weight, eat better, or quit tobacco? Just call to speak to a Wellness Coach. Then, by phone, email or secure web messaging your Coach will help you reach your health goals—and stay with you every step of the way!

We’ll help you:

• Set goals and create action steps

• Stay on track with motivation

• Use tips and helpful resources like healthy recipes and workout routines to meet your goals

Go online for added support!

Your confidential Wellness Website is packed with fun interactive tools:

• Take your Personal Health Profile

• Sign up for a Wellness Workshop

• Track healthy activities

• Join a Wellness campaign

Sign up for Wellness Coaching today!

855.424.6400HealthAdvocate.com/members

24/7 Support

Whether you’re aiming to boost your overall nutrition or adopt a heart-healthy diet, there are a few simple switches you can make that can have a big impact!

Try these ideas:

Eat plenty of fiber. Fiber has been proven to help lower cholesterol (a key component to keeping a healthy heart). Have a bowl of oatmeal in the morning, make your lunchtime sandwich on whole-wheat bread, and swap white rice for brown rice at dinnertime.

Wellness Workshop: Beginner Nutrition

Visit your Wellness website to take the Beginner Nutrition workshop, which can help you make the healthy diet changes you need to protect your heart.

Log on to your Wellness WebsiteTake Your Personal Health Profile

Your Personal Health Profile gives you a snapshot of your current health status, risks for disease (if any), and specific steps you can take to improve your health. Log in anytime, and answer the survey questions—it’ll only take 15-20 minutes. You can also get help eating better, losing weight and more!

Eat healthy fats. In particular, you want to eat fats that contain omega-3 fatty acids. They have many potential health benefits, including reducing blood pressure. Sources of omega-3 fatty acids include fatty fish like salmon, walnuts, and ground flax seeds. Other sources include canola oil, spinach, Brussels sprouts, and salad greens.

Fruits and vegetables are your friends. They contain plenty of fiber, plus important nutrients. They’re also low-calorie, so include them with every meal and incorporate them into your snacks, too! Try an apple with almond butter, or sliced raw veggies with hummus.

Your Wellness Coach can help you improve your nutrition too. Call today for personalized, one-on- one guidance!

| Page 5

Balancing Personal, Work, and Life IssuesCall your Licensed Professional Counselor

Your EAP+Work/Life program gives you access to a Licensed Professional Counselor 24/7. Turn to us for confidential, short-term assistance with…

• Stress/depression/anxiety

• Marital/family/parenting issues

• Work conflicts

• Anger/grief/loss

• Substance abuse

• Legal and financial issues

You can also search a huge database of resources at: HealthAdvocate.com/members

Plus, if you need it, we can provide referrals for long-term help. In a crisis, emergency help is available 24/7.

Ease Your Stress! Turn to us

855.424.6400HealthAdvocate.com/members

24/7 Support

If you are struggling with personal, family or work issues and don’t know how to overcome them, they can start to affect more than your mental health—but your physical health can suffer, too! Whatever your problem, don’t let it fester!

Your Licensed Professional Counselor can help you explore options, learn coping skills for setbacks and help you find the resources you need. Call anytime.

Feeling stressed? Your heart could be paying the price!

Mental stress does more than diminish your sense of well-being; it also can increase your risk of heart disease.

Chronic stress can…

Raise blood cholesterol and blood pressure, resulting in hardening of the arteries.

Prompt unhealthy habits like smoking, overeating and excessive drinking—additional factors that can increase your risk.

To counteract stress…

Exercise. Aim for 30 minutes of moderately intense activity, such as brisk walking, most days of the week.

Build-up your support system. Supportive people can reduce your stress and help you take better care of yourself.

Seek help for depression or anxiety. Turn to your EAP+Work/Life program.

Free Monthly Webinar! Monday, February 16

“Improve Family Communications”

Identify family systems that affect family roles, boundaries and communication patterns.

Register Today! Click Here

| Page 6

Control Your Blood Pressure A Nurse Coach can help you

Sign up for the Chronic Care Support Program Reach a better level of health

Living with a chronic condition can be a challenge. Your own Registered Nurse Coach can work with you to help you better manage your condition and improve your overall health.

We can help you with:• Asthma

• Depression

• Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)

• Diabetes

• Congestive Heart Failure (CHF)

• Hypertension

• Coronary Artery Disease (CAD)

• Metabolic Syndrome/High Cholesterol

We’ll work as your partner to help…• Manage your symptoms

• Prevent complications

• Develop lifestyle changes for better health

• Make the most of your doctor visits

We’ll also send you reminders about important tests or check-ups plus educational materials.

Enroll Today! Start working with a Nurse Coach

855.424.6400HealthAdvocate.com/members

24/7 Support

According to the CDC, one in three U.S. adults has high blood pressure (hypertension), a condition that can easily get out of control and set you up for heart disease. This is where a Health Advocate Chronic Care Nurse Coach can help.

Here is one member’s story:

A Nurse Coach can help you, too!

Does high blood pressure run in your family? You may have questions about your own risks. We can help! If you or a loved one suffers from a chronic condition your Nurse will help you better manage it and reach a better level of health.

Mark’s doctor told him he needed to start taking better control of his high blood pressure, if he wanted to avoid serious health problems down the road. But he was having trouble sticking to parts of his doctor’s recommended treatment plan. He turned to a Nurse Coach for help.

The Nurse explained that controlling my blood pressure required constant monitoring, and even helped me find places in my area where I could get it checked for free!

The second big change the Nurse suggested to Mark was to change his diet. Limiting fat, sodium, alcohol, and exercising regularly are important ways to reduce your risk of high blood pressure.

Switching out salt in my diet wasn’t easy, but my nurse turned me on to a whole new menu of delicious, healthy food I didn’t even know I liked!

After a few weeks, Mark’s doctor reported that his blood pressure was consistently staying in a healthier range thanks to his new healthy lifestyle.

| Page 7

Q&AHelp with a difficult diagnosis

855.424.6400HealthAdvocate.com/members

24/7 Support

I was recently diagnosed with a heart disease-related condition. Before I go ahead with the treatment recommended, I want to talk to another doctor. Can you help?

Yes. It is especially important to get a second opinion when facing a serious illness, surgery or complex interventions to help you make the best decisions. Another doctor may suggest a less invasive procedure, for example. A Personal Health Advocate can help you by researching the latest treatment options, locating doctors who specialize in the condition, scheduling the consultation, transferring medical records, and more. If needed, we can help you secure a third opinion.

Just Call

Overdue for a checkup?

Look for Healthy Reminders

Keeping up-to-date with your doctor on a regular

basis is all part of staying healthy! As an important

feature of your Health Advocate benefit, we

will send you Personalized Health Reminders

about important check-ups, screenings and

recommended tests—customized specifically

to you!

Depend on us to help you take control of

your health!

Tweet us @HealthAdvocate and let us know!

Has Health Advocate helped you or a family member get the care you need?

Here’s what one member had to say:

“Thank you @HealthAdvocate, my hero today. Made dealing with my insurance company look like a cake walk.” —@2007srobinson

©2015 Health Advocate, Inc. HA-EHM-1501004-2.1 NL FEBRUARY

24/7 Support

HealthAdvocate.com/members

855.424.6400

Help is Just a Phone Call Away

Download our NEW SmartPhone App

Your Member Website Expert Help 24/7Your life is busy… and now you have a convenient way to get quick answers and improve your health around the clock. Log on any time. HealthAdvocate.com/members

• Learn details about your benefits, watch a member video

• Find out your current health status and what steps you need to take to improve

• Join special Wellness Campaigns like: Commit to Quit; Maintain, Don’t Gain; and Got Fitness

• Look up dozens of health articles

• Compare medical prices with your Health Cost Estimator+

• Register for webinars

• Check out your Personal Health Dashboard

Health Advocate is not affiliated with any insurance or third party provider. Health Advocate complies with all government privacy standards. Health Advocate does not replace health insurance coverage, provide medical care or recommend treatment.

Plus, access Health Cost Estimator+™

Personal Health Dashboard Health Information at Your FingertipsWhat’s your doctor’s phone number? Is your blood pressure going down or up? To be in control of your health, it’s important to have this information easily available, whenever you need it.

Simply log on to your Personal Health Dashboard to view:

• Provider contact numbers

• Recommended health screenings

• Personal health trackers to follow your blood pressure, and other health markers

Look for Spotlights!

The Dashboard spotlights alert you to important preventive care and other actions you may need to take to stay healthy. For example, they may remind you that you are overdue for an important test, screening or immunization.

Ready to take action? Go to:

• HealthAdvocate.com/members• Register or Login• Click the “Health Dashboard” icon