December 2014 Exclusively for Health Advocate Members

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Reduce Holiday Stress!Tips to rest, relax, and enjoy the holidays >>

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Have a Happy, Healthy HolidayWith Support from Health Advocate Winter holidays like Christmas, Chanukah, and New Year’s are times to celebrate with family and friends. But among the hustle and bustle of preparing for parties and getting gifts, it’s easy to neglect our health and forget to take basic safety measures. In fact, emergency room visits typically spike during the holidays, for illnesses like the flu and injuries like falls and burns. In this issue we’ll address common holiday health problems, give you tips on how to avoid them, and how your Personal Health Advocate can help you should any issues arise.

Reduce holiday stress

Avoid common injuries and foodborne illness

Get an appointment scheduled quickly

3 Easy Ways to Reduce Holiday StressThe holiday season can be a stressful time with year-end deadlines at work, last-minute gift shopping, family visits, and party planning. This year, resist the temptation to fill up your calendar and to-do list, and take some time for yourself to rest, relax, and enjoy the holidays. To ease some of the holiday stress, one of our Personal Health Advocates specializing in behavioral health suggests the following:

• Limit your obligations. Doing things out of obligation can drain your energy and take away your sense of enjoyment. Make family-favorite activities your priority and focus less on trying to do everything.

• Delegate and plan ahead. Taking on everything by yourself can increase your stress level. Don’t be afraid to lighten your load by asking for help.

• Enjoy yourself. Take some time to be merry! Enjoy time spent with loved ones, savor the traditional dishes you eat together, and appreciate the sights, sounds, tastes and feelings of the holidays.

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Health Advocate can be accessed 24/7. Normal business hours are Monday-Friday, between 8 am and 9 pm, Eastern Time. Staff is available for assistance after hours and on weekends.

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• Help with a wide range of healthcare and insurance-related issues

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• Saves you time, money and worry

How we can help:

• Find the right providers; secure second opinions

• Explain conditions; research latest treatments

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...and more

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Eligible employees, their spouses, dependent children, parents and parents-in-law are all eligible to use the program.

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Stay Out of the ER this Holiday SeasonHolidays are meant to be spent with family and friends, not in the waiting room of an emergency room. Here are some tips for avoiding common holiday medical emergencies:

Traveling. Don’t drink and drive, and don’t let someone else drink and drive. Wear a seat belt every time you drive or ride in a motor vehicle. Always buckle your child in the car using a child safety seat, booster seat, or seat belt according to his/her height, weight, and age.

Decorations. Be sure if you have small children or pets to keep decorations like hanging lights or glass ware out of their reach—even some seasonal plants like poinsettias and mistletoe can be toxic if ingested.

Chest Pain. Don’t ignore signs of chest pain. More heart attacks occur in the winter across the country. Sudden drops in temperature and decreased daylight can hurt cardiovascular health—especially if you already have high cholesterol, hypertension or other risk factors.

Children. Make sure your child is wearing proper protective equipment like helmets and gloves if they are doing any winter sports or activities. If they are going out to play in the snow, make sure they wear multiple layers and insulated, waterproof coats and pants.

Fire Safety. It’s not always the deep-fried turkeys that pose a danger during the holidays. Dry Christmas trees and decorative candles are a big fire hazard. Be sure to keep trees well watered and away from heat sources like air vents and fire places.

If you or a family member has a serious injury, seek medical attention immediately. Remember, your Personal Health Advocate is always here to help you with your medical and insurance-related issues like locating an in-network hospital or urgent care center, scheduling appointments, or getting an insurance claim issue resolved.

Did You Know?In November and December 2012, more than 15,000 people were treated in hospital and emergency rooms due to injuries related to holiday decorating alone.

Source: U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission

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Reduce the risk of foodborne illnessParties, potlucks, and other celebrations can be some of the most enjoyable moments of the holiday season. If you are preparing food, reduce your risk of foodborne illness by following these safe food handling procedures from foodsafety.gov:

• Clean: Anyone preparing food should use soap and water to wash their hands, clean kitchen surfaces like countertops, and clean any utensils to be used.

• Separate: Use different cutting boards to ensure that raw meats stay separated from other foods you’re preparing.

• Cook: Use a food thermometer to make sure you’re cooking foods to the proper temperature.

• Chill: Quickly chill raw and prepared foods.

For more tips on healthy diet decision making, avoiding illness, and other important health information go to your member website and check out the health information center! HealthAdvocate.com/members

Real Stories, Real ResultsMark and his son were hanging lights on their roof when he slipped off his ladder and landed on his shoulder. He didn’t think anything of it, until the next morning when he couldn’t lift his arm over his head getting dressed. Mark’s doctor was unable to see him for a few days, but recommended he go get X-rays in the meantime. Not knowing where to start, Mark called his Personal Health Advocate for help. Mark’s Personal Health Advocate was able to locate a local out-patient center in his network that could take X-rays for him, scheduled the appointment, and even transferred his X-ray results back to Mark’s doctor for him.

Call anytime you have a healthcare or insurance related issue! A Personal Health Advocate is standing by to support you and answer your questions.

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Question of the month What are some of your favorite healthy holiday tips — a nutritious meal, a favorite winter sport or activity? Send us your answers via Facebook or Twitter, and get featured in next month’s issue!

We asked our friends to share some health and wellness tips on Twitter, here’s what some of them had to say!

“Working out w/ a buddy will help you better achieve your exercise goals. Ask a friend to join you for a workout!” — @dmcdonald9

“Eating all left-overs before making any new meals is one sure way of avoiding the need to “clear out the fridge”. — @kmohror

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©2014 Health Advocate, Inc. HA-CM-1401001-12NL-DEC