VACCINES SAVE LIVES: August Is National Immunization Awareness Month
Did you know that vaccinations will prevent 419 million illnesses, 26.8 million hospitalizations and 936,000 deaths for kids born from 1994-2018?
Back-to-school is a great time to make sure vaccines are up-to-date. On-time vaccination throughout childhood is essential because it helps provide immunity before children are exposed to potentially life-threatening diseases like diphtheria, measles, meningitis, mumps, pertussis, polio, rubella, tetanus and tuberculosis.
Click here to see the 2020 Recommended Childhood Immunization Schedules. Ask your doctor what’s right for your child.
PS: Adults need vaccines to help stay healthy, just like kids do! See our infographic for a quick review of the shots adults should get.
URGENT OR EMERGENCY: It Pays to Know the Difference
Quick! Where would you go if you accidentally cut yourself and needed stitches? If your first thought is the Emergency Department, think again. In an urgent, but not life-threatening situation, an Urgent Care Center can save you money and time.
- An ER visit costs $1,000+. An Urgent Care visit costs about $100-$200.
- The average ER wait time is 2.4 hours. You can walk-in to an Urgent Care Center and see a provider in 15-45 minutes.
Search for your nearest in-network Urgent Care Center and hospital Emergency Department. Then save both as contacts on your phone, so you’ll know where to go the next time you need care right away.
Call 9-1-1 in a life-threatening emergency. All Health Trust plans cover out-of-network ER care for true emergencies at the in-network rate. If admitted, the patient may be moved to an in-network hospital when medically stable.
Get the details on our Urgent care vs. ER infographic, and always be prepared to take care of the unexpected!
AT YOUR SERVICE: Zenith American Solutions Joins the SD-1 Health Trust Team
Starting September 1, the Trust Administrative Office will be managed by Zenith American Solutions (replacing Northwest Administrators). Zenith will be responsible for answering your questions, and making sure benefits are applied accurately to all members.
Beginning in September, you’ll be able to log in on zenith-american.com with your secure password to:
- See which plans you are enrolled in
- View your enrolled dependents
- Notify the Trust that a dependent is no longer eligible or add a dependent, if you are a Substitute Teacher or Early Retiree member (Active members will continue to update their dependent information with the PPS Benefits Department.)
- Update your contact information with the Trust (email, mailing address and phone) (Active members should also update their contact information with the PPS Benefits Department.)
- Make an appeal for enrollment or eligibility denials
- Appeal benefit denials (generally after making an appeal through the carrier)
COMING SOON: Single Sign On! Once you log in on zenith-american.com, you’ll have access to your individual accounts with each of your carriers, like Kaiser Permanente, Providence and Regence—making it easier than ever to use your benefits!