LIFESTYLES HEALTHCHOICE NEWSLETTER
NOVEMBER 2013
Attend an
Open Enrollment Session

ORMC –11/14/13 at
MPR A&C, Cafeteria,
8am-4pm

SSEM– 11/5/13 at
Classroom 103, 8am3pm

APMC– 11/6/13 at WPH
Classroom 1&2, 8am4pm

DPH– 11/7/13 at Atrium
Conference Room A&B,
8:30am-3pm

CBO– 11/11/13 at Conference Room A,
8:30am-10:30am

Pineloch/Patient Billing
– 11/11/13 at Patient
Accounting Break
Room, 12:30pm3:30pm


ORMC Enrollment Assistance only– 11/13/13 at
Cafeteria, 8am-4pm
APMC– Enrollment Assistance only– 11/14/13
at WPH Cafeteria, 8am4pm
Open Enrollment for 2014: Team Members Can
Enroll or Make Benefit Changes
Benefits open enrollment at Orlando Health begins on Monday, November
4th and continues through midnight on Monday, November 18th. Open enrollment is the annual opportunity for team members to enroll or make
changes to their benefit selections for 2014. Open Enrollment Guides were
mailed to the home addresses of benefit-eligible team members, if you did
not receive a packet you can contact the HR Solutions Center at
321.841.8623 or view the 2014 Open Enrollment Guide and Focus on Benefits booklet on SWIFT.
Team members can visit orlandohealth.com or SWIFT to review current benefit elections, make changes and access information about plan vendors. If
team members do not make any changes to their benefits during open enrollment, then the benefits that are in effect for this year will remain the same
for 2014 with the exception of the flexible spending accounts. Team members who are enrolled in the dependent day care flexible spending or health
care flexible spending accounts must re-enroll and make a new election for
2014. All changes made during open enrollment become effective January
1, 2014. No changes can be made after Monday, November 18th. The only
other benefit changes that are permitted throughout the year are family status changes, such as marriage, divorce, birth or adoption, which make team
members eligible to make changes.
Preventive Health and Health Management Letters
Healthchoice is committed to supporting health and wellness initiatives for
their members.
Healthchoice sends reminders and invitation letters each month to members promoting preventive health screenings, annual wellness visits and
participation in the Take Charge of Your Health– Health Management programs offered free of charge for members and their dependents.
Letters are generated using a software system that identifies recipients
using diagnostic and procedure claim codes. Claim codes are processed
two months after the initial service date.
The goal is to educate members of the importance of preventive health
practices and increase awareness of programs offered to our members
who wish to better manage their own health.
Members who have more questions regarding the letters or would like to
opt out of the mailing may contact Healthchoice at 407-481-7155.
November is COPD Awareness Month
Did you know that COPD or Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary disease is the third leading cause of death
in the United States. The disease kills more than 120,000 Americans each year and can also cause serious, long-term disability. More than 12 million people are diagnosed with COPD each year and an additional 12 million are likely to have the disease and not know it.
What puts you at increased risk for COPD? They four key risk factors are:
1) Having shortness of breath, chronic cough or trouble performing simple daily tasks like climbing
stairs or grocery shopping.
2) Are over the age of 40 and currently smoke or used to smoke.
3) Have worked or lived around chemicals or fumes
4) Have certain genetic conditions.
What can you do to help manage your risk factors? Talk to your doctor about your symptoms, quit
smoking, get a breathing test, and avoid pollutants or fumes that irritate your lungs. If you have been
diagnosed with COPD there are ways to manage your disease including taking your medications as
directed, avoiding pollutants or fumes, getting annual flu and pneumonia shots as directed by your doctor, and quit smoking.
How can HealthChoice help you? If you have been diagnosed with COPD we offer a free, telephonic
general education program that you may enroll in. We also can provide a list of pulmonary specialists to
assist in the treatment of this disease. For more information, contact Healthchoice at 407-481-7155 or
visit our website at www.healthchoiceorlando.org.
Treating and Preventing Common Elbow Problems
Your elbow is one of the body’s hardest working joints. Because you use it so much every day, it can become injured. A painful elbow can affect hand and arm movement. Elbow problems can be corrected if
treatment is started early.
Here are some common types of elbow problems:
Bumping it can cause swelling
Leaning on it can irritate your nerves
Using it too much or the wrong way can strain or even tear muscles and tendons
Fractures from falls
Here are some tips on how to prevent injury:
Do stretching exercises for the elbow, wrist and fingers
Alternate hands so both elbows share the work
Stand on a raised surface that puts your shoulder above the objects you reach for or grasp
Try to keep your wrists in a neutral position
Wear an elbow pad on the job to protect your elbow from banging or pressure
Maintain a healthy lifestyle since a healthy body resists injury and recovers faster
If you have elbow pain or swelling and think it may be work-related, you will need to file an Injury Report on
SWIFT, then contact Occupational Health to have the injury evaluated. Their phone number is 321-8415212. Your treatment may include rest, medication, exercises or changing the way you use your elbow.