Healthy Benefits, Healthy You-October 18, 2022

SCHEDULE A MAMMOGRAM: This Is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Could you be living with undetected breast cancer right now?

Breast cancer is the second most common cancer among women in the U.S., causing 42,000 deaths each year. Regular mammograms can significantly increase survival rates by catching potential issues as early as possible, increasing the chances of successful treatment.

• Women who are 50 to 74 years old and are at average risk for breast cancer should get a mammogram every two years.
• Women who are 40 to 49 years old should talk to their doctor about when to begin screening.

Your Health Plan covers 100% of preventive screenings within these guidelines.

You don’t have to wonder if you have breast cancer. This month, schedule a mammogram for yourself…and encourage the women you care about to schedule theirs.

• Cigna: Breast Cancer Screening
• Kaiser Permanente: Everything you need to know about mammograms

TAKE A LOOK: Your Vision Plan Protects Your Health

Friends, 40% of us have a bad habit of putting off eye exams every year. Getting a routine vision checkup once a year is important—even if you don’t need corrective eyewear—to make sure your vision has not changed and to check your eye health.

A comprehensive eye exam also allows the doctor to inspect the lens, retina, and optic nerve, which can reveal many other health conditions, sometimes before other symptoms become evident. For example, an eye doctor can see evidence of these conditions in your eyes:

• High blood pressure
• Heart disease
• Diabetes type 2
• Thyroid disorder
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Parkinson’s disease
• Cancer
• Multiple sclerosis

Your benefits cover an annual eye exam at a low (or no) cost to you when you use an in-network provider. Get the details on your coverage at sdtrust.com. Then schedule your next eye exam.

• VSP (Cigna participants): How Often Should You Go To the Eye Doctor?
• Kaiser Permanente: Vision Screening and Eye Exams

OPEN ENROLLMENT FAQs: Got Questions? We Have Answers

Open Enrollment for Active Employees and Early Retirees continues through Friday, October 28, 2022. Click here to enroll right now.

Here are the top questions we get asked:

• Do I need to enroll this year? YES, if you want to change your current benefit selections, have a Flexible Spending Account (FSA) in 2023 (Active employees) or if you aren’t currently enrolled but want benefits in 2023 (January 1 – December 31).
• Do I need to enroll if I want to keep my current selections? NO, your current benefit choices will roll over to the 2023 Plan Year (except FSAs). However, Open Enrollment is a great time to review and update your eligible dependents.
• What are my current benefit selections?
  • Active employees: Log in to selfservice.pps.net with your PPS username and password. Or you can contact the PPS Benefits Department by email at benefits@pps.net or by phone at 503-916-6464.
  • Early Retirees: Log in to Zenith American’s Participant Edge. Check your current enrollment, eligibility, and enrolled dependents, and send/receive secure messages with the Trust Administrative Office. Or you can contact the Trust Administrative Office by phone at 833-255-4123 (toll free) or 503-486-2107.
• Where can I review the benefit options? Your Open Enrollment Packet (mailed to you in early October and posted on sdtrust.com) provides everything you need to compare your options.
• How do I know which dependents are already enrolled?
  • Active employees: Log in to selfservice.pps.net with your PPS username and password. Or you can contact the PPS Benefits Department by email at benefits@pps.net or by phone at 503-916-6464.
  • Early Retirees: Log in to Zenith American’s Participant Edge. Check your current enrollment, eligibility, and enrolled dependents, and send/receive secure messages with the Trust Administrative Office. Or you can contact the Trust Administrative Office by phone at 833-255-4123 (toll free) or 503-486-2107.
• Which dependents are eligible to enroll? Click here: Eligible Dependents
• What if I don’t enroll or update my benefit selections by the deadline? When will I have another opportunity? If you don’t enroll or update your benefits by the deadline, you won’t have another opportunity to do so until the next Open Enrollment period (fall 2023) unless you have a qualifying life event.

If you have any benefits questions, including how the Trust Plans coordinate with other coverage, please call the Trust Administrative Office before you enroll.