Eleven Lovin' Ideas for American Heart Month
Celebrate your heart this month with one or more of these heart-lovin' ideas!

  1. Take a walk on the wild side – or ease on down the road – whichever’s best for you! Stepping up your activity a little more each day helps strengthen your ticker.
  2. Get fresh – fruits and veggies, that is. Or choose canned and frozen varieties without added salt, sauces or sugary syrups.
  3. Be nutty. Fix your next sandwich on 100% whole-grain bread – it helps lower your risk for stroke and heart disease. Or grab a handful of unsalted nuts, a delicious alternative to potato chips.
  4. Spice it up – with pepper rather than salt. Garlic and herbs like basil, rosemary and dill are delicious choices, too.
  5. Turf AND surf. Salmon and tuna, chock full of omega-3 fatty acids that reduce arterial inflammation, are tasty alternatives to steaks and burgers.
  6. Bake your own sweet breads and muffins. Use applesauce in place of oils, measure for measure, and your tastebuds will sing! DIY bonus: no mysterious food additives.
  7. Maintain control by cooking at home! Pressed for time? Make a big batch of chili, soup or pasta sauce on Sunday and enjoy tasty leftovers all week.
  8. Split a romantic restaurant meal with a partner. Ask for sauces and dressings on the side and use only what you really need.
  9. Climb the family tree and learn your medical history. Tell your doctor if a close relative has (or had) heart trouble – then modify habits as needed to lower heart disease risk.
  10. Offload some baggage. Even just a 5-10% loss of body weight can lower your risk of heart disease.
  11. Kiss tobacco goodbye with a little (free) help from Heritage. The Freedom from Smoking Plus program is free if you’re a regular, full-time employee, even if you’re not enrolled in one of our health plans. Your spouse and dependent kids (18-26) may freely participate if they are enrolled. With this program, you will:

  • Choose a quit day and make a plan to get ready
  • Build strategies for managing stress, avoiding weight gain and staying active
  • Learn how medications* can increase your chance of quitting for good
  • Get real-time support at the Lung HelpLine and 24/7 access to online resources

Quitting’s never easy but the first step is: send your request to HR Shared Services or call 800-303-0408. They’ll set you up with a unique access link to the Freedom from Smoking Plus Program.

*If you’re covered by a Company health plan, you can also get free help quitting tobacco from your family doctor, provided you limit your appointment to this specific topic. Or visit an Employee Wellness Center for coaching. Several quit-smoking drugs, like Chantix and Bupropion, are also free when prescribed by a doctor.

Click here for more information from Anthem on kicking the habit.
Save More Bucks! America Saves Week, February 21-25
If you participate in our 401(k) retirement savings plan, you can increase or decrease your contribution, or opt out entirely, any time. But there are so many good reasons for saving more:

  • It’s (practically) painless. Your contributions are automatically deducted from your pay.
  • You get free money with the generous Company match. For each dollar you contribute up to 6% of your eligible pay, the Company matches with a $1.17 contribution.
  • You enjoy two tax breaks. First, the money you contribute to your 401(k) doesn’t count toward your gross income, and that lowers your taxable income for the year. Second, any earnings grow inside of the plan and you’re not taxed on the money until you withdraw it. Your savings grow faster this way!
  • Alternatively, you may choose to save your money on an after-tax, or "Roth," basis, which means you pay tax today so when you withdraw it during retirement, you don't need to pay tax on it.

If you can, why not save more? Contact Empower Retirement online anytime – or at 1-844-465-4455 between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m. Eastern time weekdays or 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Saturdays. 
Wellness Incentive (aka "Wellness Bucks") Update
As a participant in our Company health plans, you and your covered spouse or domestic partner have been able to earn up to $200 in Wellness Bucks just for having your yearly checkup and (if ordered) blood-work. After careful evaluation, the Company has decided to modify this benefit. We hope to launch a new, expanded incentive in the April-May timeframe. Watch for details later this month.

In the meantime:

  • Get your yearly checkup anyway! If you’ve done so already, or will have before the new incentive is available, you will be eligible for the 2022 incentive on a retroactive basis.  
  • But… the 2021 Wellness Form should not be used to report yearly checkup or submit an incentive claim.
  • Rather, wait for detailed information and new step-by-step instructions for claiming your incentive. That information will be available in the April-May timeframe. 
Anthem to Cover OTC COVID-19 Test Kits: The federal government recently announced its intention to increase access to COVID-19 testing. As of January 15, 2022, you can get reimbursed by your health plan for the costs of over-the-counter diagnostic COVID-19 tests until the end of the Coronavirus Public Health Emergency. Diagnostic tests are performed if you are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms or have been recently exposed. Click here for step-by-step instructions on filing a claim, and here for detailed information from Anthem.