If You Get the Flu...
Expect an onslaught of symptoms: fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue.
See a doctor right away, to get prescription antiviral drugs, which can lessen the severity and duration of your illness. But hurry, you need to start taking them within two days of getting sick.
The flu generally lasts 1-2 weeks, with the worst symptoms subsiding in a few days. These strategies can help you recover faster and feel better:
- Stay home and avoid contact with other people, at least while you have a fever.
- Sleep as much as possible. Rest gives your body energy to fight the flu virus.
- Drink lots of fluids, such as water, juice, herbal tea and clear soups.
- Use a humidifier or cool mist vaporizer, to make breathing easier.
- Don’t smoke (and avoid second-hand smoke), which makes symptoms worse and longer lasting.
- Gargle with warm salt water (also try throat sprays/lozenges) to relieve a sore throat.
- Don’t drink alcohol. It dehydrates, reduces immunity and may interact with medications.
- Try over-the-counter pain relievers, decongestants and saline nasal sprays to help relieve symptoms.
See a doctor if your temperature is 103 F (39.4 C) or higher, or if you have difficulty breathing, unusual symptoms or if the cold or flu persists for more than 10 days.
Remember you have the option to have a virtual doctor visit, via online video chats, phone calls or secure e-mails. Seeing the doctor has never been so easy!
The Opioid Crisis: Fighting Back
Every day, more than 115 people in the United States die from an opioid overdose. Even if your doctor prescribes opioids for a short time, you could be at risk for becoming addicted. It’s that serious.
CVS Caremark is taking steps, in keeping with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, to help you use opioid medication safely. Here’s how:
- Setting a coverage limit for up to seven days if you are new to therapy.
- Limiting opioid medication amounts for new or ongoing therapy covered by your plan.
- Ensuring the use of short-acting opioids before using long-acting ones.
- Offering patient education and counseling from CVS Caremark pharmacists.
Prescription opioids effectively manage short-term pain after surgery or injury. But they may not work as well to manage chronic, long-term pain. Taking opioids for a long period can lead to addiction, overdose and death.
Talk with your doctor about other treatments to manage chronic pain, such as alternative care (acupuncture, massage therapy or chiropractic care), physical therapy and meditation techniques.
- Kaiser Permanente: Complementary and alternative care
- Providence: Alternative care
- Regence: Alternative medicine
Please do your part to use opioid medication safely. Use exactly as prescribed. Never share your prescription medication with others. Store medication securely. Follow up regularly with your doctor.
How Do YOU Choose a Doctor?
If you choose a doctor because the office is near your worksite, or because it accepts your insurance, or because you can get an appointment right away … you are probably paying more than you need to.
However, when you start by searching for a doctor in your network, you’ll save money AND be able to quickly find a provider who is conveniently located and accepting new patients.
Watch this short video to learn how to keep more money in your pocket by choosing an in-network provider.
It pays to take a few minutes to search for a doctor on your carrier’s website. Be sure to register and log in, so you only search your plan’s network of providers. You can click to your carrier’s website from sdtrust.com under My Health Benefits.
BTW: This applies to doctors, dentists, vision providers, pharmacies … even urgent care clinics, hospitals, imaging facilities … and any kind of health care service you receive.
Get to Know Zenith American Solutions (ZAS)
The Trust Administrative Office is managed by Zenith American Solutions. Their role is to ensure that benefits are applied fairly to all members, in keeping with the Plan Documents.
Contact ZAS when you want to:
- See which plans you are enrolled in
- View your enrolled dependents
- Notify the Trust that a dependent is no longer eligible
- Update your contact information (email, mailing address and phone), so that you continue to stay informed of important Trust information
- Make an appeal for enrollment or eligibility denials
- Appeal benefit denials (generally after making an appeal through the carrier)
Most tasks can be done online. Register and log in to your account to view your personal information or to securely message Zenith American Solutions.