PREDIABETES: Heed the Warning! Are You at Risk?

Type 2 diabetes is such a common condition (37 million U.S. adults have it), you might think it is harmless … but it is a serious, life-threatening condition. Diabetes is the seventh-leading cause of death in the U.S. and the number one cause of kidney failure, lower-limb amputations, and adult blindness.

The good news is that if you know that you have prediabetes, you have a warning to take action and prevent the progression to type 2 diabetes.

Talk to your doctor and get tested if you are at risk for prediabetes. Risk factors include:

  • Being overweight
  • Age 45 years or older
  • A parent, brother, or sister with type 2 diabetes
  • Physically active less than 3 times a week
  • Gestational diabetes (diabetes during pregnancy) or given birth to a baby who weighed over nine pounds
  • African American, Hispanic or Latino, Native American, or Alaskan Native descent (some Pacific Islanders and Asian American people are also at higher risk)

If you have prediabetes, you can prevent or delay type 2 diabetes with lifestyle changes, such as losing weight if you’re overweight, eating a healthy diet, and getting regular physical activity.

Your Health Plan can help you reverse prediabetes or learn to manage your condition if you are already diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Click below for more information.

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STRESS LESS: Get Your Mind in Shape for the Season

For many of us, just thinking about the holidays increases our stress levels. Soon we will have family dynamics to manage, events to plan, gifts to buy, decorating to do, parties to attend, and budgets to keep. Yikes!

Take it all in stride and strengthen your resilience with intentional habits like these:

  • Connect with people. Make a practice of getting together with those you enjoy spending time with. Building friendships now means you have people in your corner when life gets tough.
  • Recharge your batteries. Make time for the activities and hobbies you enjoy. Find ways to relax, whether that’s taking the dog for a walk, playing with your kids, or doing a crossword puzzle.
  • Take care of your body. Stress is just as much physical as it is emotional. Make small healthy choices every day. Skip the fast-food drive through and make dinner at home. Do sit-ups during commercials on TV. And do your best to get 6-8 hours of sleep every night.

Stress Overload? If just getting through the day is a struggle, a behavioral health provider can help you find practical ways to deal with the challenges you face, anytime of the year.

  • Your Health Plan covers any qualified behavioral health provider, such as a psychiatrist, psychologist, or licensed therapist. You can meet in-person or talk online or by phone. Find an in-network provider on your medical plan’s website.
  • The PPS Employee Assistance Program (EAP) gives you up to six free counseling sessions per situation, per year. You can talk to a counselor in-person, by phone, or through secure email. Call 1-866-750-1327 (24/7) to get started. The EAP is available to all benefit-eligible employees and anyone living in their household.

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OPEN HERE: Click “Menu” for full website access

Whenever you have a question about your benefits, make your first stop the SD-1 Health Trust website (sdtrust.com). That’s where you have easy access to your benefit information, right from the home page.

But did you know when you click on “Menu” (at the top right corner of the home page), you’ll open up so much more? Here’s where you’ll find:

  • Benefit coverage details
  • Enrollment information
  • Life events that qualify for benefit changes
  • Blog: articles, videos, and infographics
  • Your rights, forms and much more

Not sure where to find what you’re looking for? Click the search icon (also at the top right corner of the home page), type a topic, then click enter.

One more tip: Click the talk bubble (it’s at the top right corner of the home page, too!) to see contact information for Health Plan carriers, the Trust Administrative Office, PPS Benefits Office and Participating Bargaining Groups.

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