Blog Post
Live Well, Work Well - February 2024
Zywave, Inc • Feb 21, 2024
Health and Wellness tips brought to you by MFC Benefits, LLC
Learn more about how to boost your heart health, why you should cut back on salt, and cleaning your water bottle.
3 WAYS TO BOOST YOUR HEART HEALTH
Heart disease continues to be the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that heart disease causes 1 in every 5 deaths. Heart disease refers to several different types of heart conditions. Coronary artery disease—caused by plaque buildup in the walls of the heart’s arteries—is the most common. Other forms of heart disease include heart attack, heart failure, arrhythmia and congenital heart defects.
One American dies every 33 seconds from heart disease, according to the CDC.
The symptoms of heart disease can vary, and some people may not even know they have a heart condition until they have a heart attack. Red flags include shortness of breath, chest discomfort, difficulty with speech, heart palpitations and sudden loss of responsiveness.
Exercise your way to a healthier heart
Certain uncontrollable factors increase your risk of heart disease, including age, sex and family history. However, other factors that increase your risk for heart disease—such as stress, inactivity, obesity, diabetes, smoking and a poor diet—are controllable.
A healthy diet and lifestyle are the best ways to fight heart disease, so consider incorporating these three types of exercise into your routine to improve your heart health:
1. Aerobic exercise improves circulation and can help your cardiac output. Get at least 30 minutes a day of heart-pumping moderate activity—like brisk walking, dancing or cycling—at least five days a week.
2. Resistance training with weights, bands or body weight at least two nonconsecutive days per week can help create leaner muscle mass. When paired with aerobic activity, you can raise your good cholesterol levels and lower bad cholesterol levels.
3. Flexibility workouts (e.g., stretching and balance) are critical for musculoskeletal health. It’s important to stay flexible and free from joint pain so you can maintain your regular aerobic and resistance workouts.
Keep in mind that the overall pattern of your life choices can determine your heart health. Contact a health care professional to find out your risk for heart disease or for more information.
CUTTING BACK ON SALT
Monitoring your daily sodium intake can have major health benefits— including reducing your risk of a heart attack and lowering your blood pressure. Sodium is hiding in many foods, so step one is to avoid adding salt while cooking. However, more than 70% of the sodium we eat comes from packaged and restaurant foods. Consider these ways to decrease your salt intake:
• Limit meals out or order low-sodium food options that are steamed, baked, grilled, poached or roasted.
• Choose low-sodium or “no salt added” varieties of deli meats, canned soups, pasta sauce, beans and vegetables.
• Go easy on the condiments, or select a reduced sodium version. Ketchup, barbecue sauce, mustard, hot sauce, soy sauce and salad dressing are generally loaded with sodium.
If you have any questions about your diet, talk to your doctor.
Sodium Guidelines
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends adults limit their sodium intake to less than 2,300 milligrams per day - that's about 1 teaspoon of table salt.
WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CLEANED YOUR WATER BOTTLE?
Your reusable water bottle may carry some dirty secrets: bacteria, buildup and mold. If you don’t properly clean your reusable water bottle—and its cap, straw or other parts—at the end of each day, you’re putting yourself at risk of getting sick. Ideally, if you use your water bottle regularly, you should wash it daily and give it a deep cleaning once a week. Try these cleaning tips:
• Put it in the dishwasher . If your reusable bottle is dishwasher safe, disassemble it and run the dishwasher at its hottest wash and dry setting to kill any bacteria.
• Wash with soap and water . You can effectively wash your bottle by hand with hot water and liquid dish soap.
• Use vinegar. This is a good option if you haven’t washed your bottle in a while and there’s a slimy film or odor in your bottle. Fill the bottle halfway with equal parts distilled white vinegar and water. With the cap on, shake it quickly and let it sit overnight. The next day, rinse the bottle and let it dry.
3 WAYS TO BOOST YOUR HEART HEALTH
Heart disease continues to be the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that heart disease causes 1 in every 5 deaths. Heart disease refers to several different types of heart conditions. Coronary artery disease—caused by plaque buildup in the walls of the heart’s arteries—is the most common. Other forms of heart disease include heart attack, heart failure, arrhythmia and congenital heart defects.
One American dies every 33 seconds from heart disease, according to the CDC.
The symptoms of heart disease can vary, and some people may not even know they have a heart condition until they have a heart attack. Red flags include shortness of breath, chest discomfort, difficulty with speech, heart palpitations and sudden loss of responsiveness.
Exercise your way to a healthier heart
Certain uncontrollable factors increase your risk of heart disease, including age, sex and family history. However, other factors that increase your risk for heart disease—such as stress, inactivity, obesity, diabetes, smoking and a poor diet—are controllable.
A healthy diet and lifestyle are the best ways to fight heart disease, so consider incorporating these three types of exercise into your routine to improve your heart health:
1. Aerobic exercise improves circulation and can help your cardiac output. Get at least 30 minutes a day of heart-pumping moderate activity—like brisk walking, dancing or cycling—at least five days a week.
2. Resistance training with weights, bands or body weight at least two nonconsecutive days per week can help create leaner muscle mass. When paired with aerobic activity, you can raise your good cholesterol levels and lower bad cholesterol levels.
3. Flexibility workouts (e.g., stretching and balance) are critical for musculoskeletal health. It’s important to stay flexible and free from joint pain so you can maintain your regular aerobic and resistance workouts.
Keep in mind that the overall pattern of your life choices can determine your heart health. Contact a health care professional to find out your risk for heart disease or for more information.
CUTTING BACK ON SALT
Monitoring your daily sodium intake can have major health benefits— including reducing your risk of a heart attack and lowering your blood pressure. Sodium is hiding in many foods, so step one is to avoid adding salt while cooking. However, more than 70% of the sodium we eat comes from packaged and restaurant foods. Consider these ways to decrease your salt intake:
• Limit meals out or order low-sodium food options that are steamed, baked, grilled, poached or roasted.
• Choose low-sodium or “no salt added” varieties of deli meats, canned soups, pasta sauce, beans and vegetables.
• Go easy on the condiments, or select a reduced sodium version. Ketchup, barbecue sauce, mustard, hot sauce, soy sauce and salad dressing are generally loaded with sodium.
If you have any questions about your diet, talk to your doctor.
Sodium Guidelines
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends adults limit their sodium intake to less than 2,300 milligrams per day - that's about 1 teaspoon of table salt.
WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CLEANED YOUR WATER BOTTLE?
Your reusable water bottle may carry some dirty secrets: bacteria, buildup and mold. If you don’t properly clean your reusable water bottle—and its cap, straw or other parts—at the end of each day, you’re putting yourself at risk of getting sick. Ideally, if you use your water bottle regularly, you should wash it daily and give it a deep cleaning once a week. Try these cleaning tips:
• Put it in the dishwasher . If your reusable bottle is dishwasher safe, disassemble it and run the dishwasher at its hottest wash and dry setting to kill any bacteria.
• Wash with soap and water . You can effectively wash your bottle by hand with hot water and liquid dish soap.
• Use vinegar. This is a good option if you haven’t washed your bottle in a while and there’s a slimy film or odor in your bottle. Fill the bottle halfway with equal parts distilled white vinegar and water. With the cap on, shake it quickly and let it sit overnight. The next day, rinse the bottle and let it dry.
Download the PDF copy here.
Learn more about the Prescription Drug Report due date and the Court Ruling on Free Preventive Care. PRESCRIPTION DRUG REPORT IS DUE BY JUNE 1, 2024 Group health plans must annually submit detailed information on prescription drug and health care spending to the federal government. This reporting is referred to as the "prescription drug data collection," or the "RxDC report." The next RxDC report is due by Saturday, June 1, 2024, covering data for 2023. Employers should confirm they are taking steps to comply with this reporting deadline, such as providing information to third-party vendors on a timely basis. The RxDC report is comprised of several files, including those that require specific plan-level information, such as plan year beginning and end dates and enrollment and premium data. It also includes files that require detailed information about medical and pharmacy benefits. RxDC reports must be submitted through an online portal maintained by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). CMS'RxDC website includes updated reporting instructions and other reporting resources. Employers commonly use third parties, such as issuers, third-party administrators (TPAs) and pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), to submit RxDC reports on behalf of their health plans. Employers using third parties to submit RxDC reports must ensure that this reporting responsibility is reflected in a written agreement with the third party. Employers may work with multiple third parties to complete the RxDC report for their health plans. For example, a self-insured employer may use both its TPA and PBM to submit different portions of the RxDC report. A health plan's submission is considered complete if CMS receives all required files, regardless of who submits them. COURT RULING EXPECTED SOON ON FREE PREVENTIVE CARE The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is expected to issue a decision within the next few months regarding the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act's (ACA) preventive care mandate. The ACA requires non-grandfathered health plans and health insurance issuers to cover a set of recommended preventive services without imposing cost-sharing requirements, such as deductibles. In March 2023, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas struck down a key component of the ACA's preventive care mandate. More specifically, the court ruled that the preventive care coverage requirements based on an A or B rating y the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force on or after March 23, 2010, violate the U.S. Constitution. The Biden administration appealed the District Court's decision to the 5th Circuit. A ruling by the 5th Circuit is expected soon, likely followed by an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. It is uncertain whether the 5th Circuit will reverse or uphold the District Court's ruling. However, for now, non-grandfathered health plans and issuers must continue to cover, without cost sharing, the full range of preventive car services required by the ACA. If the 5th Circuit rules that a key component of the ACA's preventive care mandate is unconstitutional, employers will want to consult with their issuers or TPAs to assess the impact on their health coverage. Provided to you by MFC Benefits, LLC © 2024 Zywave, Inc. All rights reserved Download the PDF copy here. Link: http://chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://content.zywave.com/file/b6f7a224-b3a3-4409-a8f2-953f0994d66a/Benefits%20Buzz%20Newsletter%20January%202024.docx Link: http://chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://content.zywave.com/file/b6f7a224-b3a3-4409-a8f2-953f0994d66a/Benefits%20Buzz%20Newsletter%20January%202024.docx
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