EYES ARE A WINDOW TO THE SOUL … and Your Overall Health
Even if you don’t wear glasses, an annual comprehensive eye exam is important to your overall health. That’s because an eye exam can detect early signs of disease which are elsewhere in the body, for example:
- Aneurysm
- Brain tumor
- Cancers of blood, tissue, or skin
- Diabetes
- Heart disease
- High blood pressure
- High cholesterol
- Multiple sclerosis
- Stroke
- Thyroid disease
- Vitamin A deficiency
Your vision provider will also look for early signs of eye diseases, such as glaucoma, macular degeneration, and diabetic retinopathy, which often have no symptoms in their early stages. Regular eye exams can help detect these conditions before they cause irreversible damage to your vision.
Overall, an annual eye exam is a proactive step you can take to safeguard your vision and ensure the long-term health of your eyes. It's a small investment of time that can have significant benefits for your general well-being.
Your benefits cover an annual comprehensive eye exam at a low (or no) cost to you when you use an in-network provider. Learn more about your vision coverage at sdtrust.com. Then celebrate #SaveYourVisionMonth by scheduling a comprehensive eye exam today.
Resources:
- Kaiser Permanente: Experience Total Eyecare Brochure
- VSP: Don’t Skip Your Annual Eye Exam!
CARRY NARCAN. Save a Life
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is up to 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine. It is often pressed into pills made to look like legitimate prescription opioids; however, these counterfeit pills often contain lethal doses of fentanyl. The result is that, currently, over 150 people in the U.S. die every day from fentanyl poisoning.
Narcan (or generic brand, Naloxone) is a life-saving medication that can reverse opioid poisoning—from fentanyl, heroin, and prescription opioid medications—when given in time.
It is easy to use, and small enough to carry in a backpack or purse. It’s also a good item to keep in a first aid kit at home, in your car, or where you work.
With Narcan (generic Naloxone), you could save the life of someone experiencing opioid poisoning. Watch for these danger signs:
- Small, constricted “pinpoint pupils”
- Falling asleep or losing consciousness
- Slow, weak, or no breathing
- Choking or gurgling sounds
- Limp body
- Cold and/or clammy skin
- Discolored skin (especially in lips and nails)
Narcan (and generic brand Naloxone), is now available over the counter and is covered through your prescription drug benefits:
- Kaiser Permanente: You pay a $5 copay when purchased at a Kaiser Permanente network pharmacy.
- Express Scripts (Providence Medical Plan): You pay $0 for up to two per year when obtained at an Express Scripts network pharmacy; then you pay the regular copay for more.
Resources:
- Kaiser Permanente: Naloxone Rescue Kits
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: How to Use Narcan (Naloxone) Nasal Spray
LIFE HAPPENS. Make Benefit Changes When It Does
Outside of the annual enrollment period in the fall, you may make benefit changes only when you have a qualifying event.
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 Health Plan, or enroll in a Health Plan.
Qualifying events include:
- Birth, adoption, or legal guardianship
- Marriage
- Domestic partnership
- Divorce or legal separation
- Death
- Change in employment status
- Change in other coverage
It’s critical to meet the deadline. For most events, you must make changes within 31 calendar days of the date of the event. If you acquire a new dependent child through birth, adoption, or foster care placement, you must make changes within 60 days of the date of the event.
Resources You Can Use
- SD-1 Trust Infographic: When Your Life Changes, Change Your Benefits
- Online Checklists on sdtrust.com: Life Events