Eugene Education Association
2815 Coburg Road • Eugene, OR 97408 • Phone 541-345-0338
STILL NEED A FLU SHOT?
Common influenza causes fever, sore throat, cough, chills, headache and muscle aches. The best time to get your flu shot is in October or November, before the height of the flu season. Vaccination later in the season can also help protect against the flu, so if you have not yet gotten your shot, it’s not too late. ODS plans cover flu shots with no required copayment when members use a network pharmacy.
Call ahead of time to make sure the pharmacy has the vaccine you need. Show your ODS ID card to the pharmacist for billing before receiving a vaccine – otherwise, it may not be covered. The following participating chain pharmacies provide vaccines:
- Albertsons / Sav-on
- Bi-Mart
- Fred Meyer
- Rite Aid
- Safeway
For more information on the flu vaccine billing process, a complete list of network pharmacies, or if you have questions, please call ODS Pharmacy Customer Service at 866-923-0411.
5 REASONS TO ♥ EXERCISE
A recent issue of the University of California, Berkeley Wellness Letter reminds us that exercise, notably aerobic exercise like running and cycling is good for the heart. Some long-term health benefits include:
- A stronger, bigger heart. With exercise, the heart increases in size, just like any other muscle. An athlete’s heart may be one-third larger than a normal heart. Muscle fibers become thicker; the chambers become larger and their walls thicker. (This is different from the type of heart enlargement resulting from disease.)
- Increased cardiac efficiency. As your heart gets bigger and stronger, it’s able to pump more blood with each contraction, and thus more efficiently deliver oxygen to muscles and carry away waste products.
- Lower heart rate. Since a strong heart pumps more blood with each beat, it can beat more slowly to achieve a given output of blood, both during exertion and at rest. Studies have linked lower resting heart rates with better health and longevity.
- Faster recovery from the stress of exertion. Over time, the more intensely you exercise, the quicker your heart will recover from the stress.
- Lower blood pressure. Aerobic exercise and even strength training, performed regularly, can help control blood pressure.
Regular exercise enhances the entire cardiovascular system and reduces the risk of heart disease. What’s not to ♥?
OEBB/ODS WAITING PERIODS
If you enrolled in insurance coverage during open enrollment and you had previously elected to waive coverage, please remember that you will be subject to a one-year waiting period for all services but preventive on both the vision and dental plans. If you added coverage for a dependent at open enrollment who was previously eligible under your plan, he/she will be subject to the same one-year waiting period.
CHECK YOUR PAYSTUB!
The new insurance rates that took effect October 1, 2012 are reflected in your 10/31/12 paystub. Under the Pre-Tax Deductions section, you should see your monthly insurance premium as well as any money you deposit into a Flexible Spending Account. If you deposit money into a Tax Sheltered Annuity, you will also see that amount. In the After-Tax Deductions, you’ll see the premiums for any optional life insurance you have purchased. Please take a few minutes to verify that your deductions and plan elections are correct.
You can access your wage statement at the following link: http://www.atsprintfreedom.com
or by clicking the My Pay Stub link on the Employee Resources page of the 4j website.
Once you have reached the Print Freedom site:
- Enter Eugene4J for the Access ID
- Enter your six-digit Employee Number for the User Name
- Enter your password
If you are a first time user, your default password is the last 4 digits of your Social Security number. (You will be directed to a change password screen to set up your permanent password.) If you are not a first time user, your password is whatever you changed it to at the time of your initial login.
Once you have logged in, select MyPayStub to view your pay stub. Remember that your document password for the Adobe Acrobat screen will always be the last 4 digits of your Social Security number.
If you have any questions, please e-mail mypaystub@4j.lane.edu.
TDAP OR TD – ARE YOU UP TO DATE?
Tdap is a booster immunization (licensed in 2005) that offers protection from three diseases caused by bacteria: diphtheria, tetanus, and whooping cough (pertussis). Td protects against tetanus and diphtheria and has been in use for many years.
Diphtheria is a respiratory disease that can cause breathing problems, paralysis, heart failure, and death. It’s highly contagious and is spread by coughing and sneezing.
Tetanus, or lockjaw, is caused by a bacterium often found in soil. Once it enters the body it releases a toxin that attacks the nervous system, causing muscle spasms and death if left untreated.
Pertussis, also highly contagious, causes coughing spasms so severe that in infants it makes it difficult to eat, drink, or even breathe. It can lead to pneumonia, seizures, brain damage, and death.
Immunity wears off over time, so the current recommendation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is that everyone needs a booster shot for tetanus and diphtheria every 10 years after first being immunized. Adults under age 65 who have never gotten a Tdap should get a dose of Tdap as their next booster dose – the Tdap booster is given only once. Adults 65 and older may get one booster dose of Tdap, particularly if they expect to have close contact with a baby younger than 12 months of age to help protect the baby against pertussis.
Timing and spacing of vaccine doses are two important issues when it comes to immunization. The CDC has an Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) that determines what vaccines are needed and when they should be given. The ACIP schedule is based on scientific research with patient safety the top priority. ODS covers routine immunizations recommended by the ACIP for members of all ages when the immunization is administered by a professional provider. Check with your healthcare provider to see if you are due for either the Tdap or Td booster immunization.
CHOLESTEROL SCREENINGS
The quarterly drop-in cholesterol screenings at the 4J Wellness Clinic are done on a first come, first-served basis from 7:00 – 8:00 a.m. and are a fasting cholesterol finger stick, with the results available in about 5 minutes.
For the rest of the 2012 – 2013 school year, the 7:00 a.m. drop-in cholesterol screenings will be available on:
- Wednesday, January 9, 2013
- Wednesday, April 3, 2013
- Wednesday, July 3, 2013
Please note the change for the January screening – the date was changed after the October newsletter was sent out.
PERSONAL LEAVE RELIEF FUND
The Eugene Education Association manages the Personal Leave Relief Fund (PLRF), the purpose of which is provide financial assistance when a unit member’s family member is experiencing a catastrophic circumstance and the unit member has exhausted all available paid leave.
Once you donate a day to the PLRF, you are not required to donate again unless you access days from the fund. During the fall PLRF enrollment period, 12 members donated for the first time, 8 members donated a second day, 4 members donated a third day, 4 members donated a fourth day, and one member donated a fifth day. Thank you very much PLRF donors!
