LOVE YOUR HEART and It Will Love You Back

A heart attack occurs when the blood flow to the heart is decreased. That happens every 40 seconds in the U.S.—usually to people who don’t even know they have heart disease, the leading cause of death that cuts short more than 800,000 lives every year.

Nearly half of U.S. adults have heart disease. There are three key risk factors:

  • High cholesterol: 38% of us have it. There are no symptoms. Get it checked with a simple blood test at your doctor’s office.
  • High blood pressure: 45% of us have it, but less than 1 in 4 have it under control. There are no symptoms, so check it with a blood pressure cuff and talk to your doctor if it’s higher than 120/80.
  • Tobacco Use: 14% of Americans smoke cigarettes, the leading cause of preventable death. If you smoke, support programs will increase your chance of successfully quitting for good.

These factors also put people at a higher risk for heart disease: diabetes, obesity, unhealthy eating habits, an inactive lifestyle, and excessive alcohol use.

Here’s some good news. You can lower your risk for heart disease, and it’s easier than you might think. Check out the American Heart Association’s Healthy for Good to inspire you to create lasting change with a simple strategy: Eat smart. Move more. Be well.

Your Health Plan also helps you love your heart:

LONG TERM DISABILITY: Your Financial Safety Net

One in four of today's 20-year-olds will become disabled before they retire. Those disabilities are usually for non-work-related injuries and illnesses, such as neck and back pain, muscle and tendon disorders, and cancer.

And as if being sick or injured isn’t bad enough, being disabled can result in a lost paycheck.

Most Americans have just $1,000 to $5,000 in savings, an amount that won’t cover more than a couple of months of household expenses and bills, at most. [Source: The Ascent]

That’s why the Health Trust automatically enrolls all eligible, full-time active and PAT part-time employees for self-pay Long-Term Disability (LTD) benefits. The Plan pays 60% of your pre-disability earnings, up to $6,000/month, if you become disabled because of a covered injury, illness, or pregnancy.

(Did you know? Beginning in August 2020, the benefit maximum increased from $3,500 to $6,000, because the Trust want to ensure all eligible members are adequately covered.)

Watch What is Disability Insurance to learn more about your LTD coverage through The Standard and how it protects your financial security and gives you peace of mind.

MY LIFE EVENTS: Your Online Resource for Life’s Twists and Turns

Certain changes in your family, employment status or other health coverage may allow you to make mid-year changes to your Health Plan benefit selections. For example, you may be able to add new dependents, change your benefit choices, or enroll in benefits. Qualifying life events include:

  • Birth, adoption, or legal guardianship
  • Marriage
  • Domestic partnership
  • Divorce or legal separation
  • Death
  • Change in employment status
  • Change in other health benefit coverage

Act Quickly!

You must make any changes within 31 calendar days from the date of the event. There is one exception. When you gain a child through birth, adoption, or foster care placement, you have 60 days to make changes to your health benefits.

Get more information at sdtrust.com on the My Life Events page.

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