Volume
05-01
May 2001
| DIRECTOR'S REPORT–Thomas H. Young, Director |
Recently I read an article by a Health Benefit Representative who has held that position for some time. A portion of that article touched on mail order prescriptions for those on Medicare.
One of the questions he raised concerned the difference in premiums for Medicare retirees and those who are active letter carriers. A basic reason for this difference is that active letter carriers have a national agreement with the Postal Service which requires the employer to pay a greater portion of the health plan premium than the U.S. Government pays for retirees.
To give you an example of the difference, we first start with the total premium amount for family coverage for the year 2001. That total is $7,533.24. For this exercise, the active letter carrier’s portion for the year would be $1,522.82 while a retired letter carrier’s share would be $2,441.88. Roughly, because of collective bargaining, the USPS pays almost 80% of the NALC Health Benefit Plan premium while the retiree’s "employer" (the U.S. Government) pays approximately 68% of this same premium.
While these numbers are specifically for the members of the NALC Health Benefit Plan, a similar breakdown applies to any of the federal plans an active or retired carrier might have.
To effect any change in the retirees’ portion of their premium would require an Act of Congress, literally. As for active letter carriers, the issue of premium burden is about to be joined as the NALC commences bargaining with the Postal Service.
The above issues, as well as all others that govern the Health Benefit Plan, cannot be changed by merely "flipping a switch."
We are currently in the process of preparing a submission to the Office of Personnel Management for the 2002 benefit year, and much has to be taken into consideration. Extremely important to our presentation are the actuarial analyses of the Plan. These would include, but would not be limited to, past history of claims, current claims history and the projection of what the Plan can expect for claim experience for the rest of 2001.
We factor in the demographics of the Plan’s membership and the rising cost of medical care in order to create a foundation that is part fact and part "guesstimate" as to how the benefits and premiums should look a year from now. These are but part of the challenges as we look toward the year 2002.
Speaking of challenges, clearly working men and women must be very alert as the Bush Administration enters its second hundred days in office. Do not miss any chance to contact your representatives when the calls come forth. Above all, keep COLCPE as part of every presentation you make to the branch and make it part of swing room conversation.
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| HEALTH IN THE NEWS |
Green peas, also known as English or garden peas, are at the peak of sweetness in May and June. Not only are they delicious, but they contain some surprising health benefits.
Bite for bite, peas have twice the folate of raw spinach and more fiber than cooked broccoli. Doctors have long known that getting more dietary fiber is one of the best ways to lower cholesterol, and with it the risk for heart disease.
In the intestine, the fiber in peas binds with bile from the liver and traps it in the stool. By removing bile, which is very high in cholesterol, the body automatically brings cholesterol levels down.
Here’s an important but little-known fact: The chlorophyllin in peas has a special molecular shape that allows it to grab cancer-causing chemicals in the body. Nutrition experts at the University of Toronto say the chlorophyllin attaches to the carcinogens and helps prevent them from being absorbed. They recommend eating peas and other bright, green vegetables as often as possible.
Studies in Denmark show that the fiber in peas can result in a reduction of total triglyceride levels if eaten regularly for just two weeks.
Peas fresh from the garden have more nutrients than others. Canned peas lose some nutrients, but frozen are almost as good as fresh.
Though the pods of some peas are edible, the peas themselves contain most of the fiber, folate, niacin, phosphorus, riboflavin, thiamin, vitamin C and vitamin A.
Osteoporosis literally means "porous bones." It is a disease characterized by low bone mass and structural deterioration of bone tissue leading to bone fragility and an increased risk of fractures.
"I’m young, I don’t have to think about osteoporosis." Wrong — building and maintaining strong bones is a job that takes a lifetime. If you enter middle age with weakened bones, you are at a big disadvantage.
"It’s a woman’s condition. I’m a man, so I don’t have to worry." No — after age 65, men and women lose bone at the same rate, say doctors at the Mayo Clinic. One-third of men over age 75 have advanced osteoporosis. Men have a 26 percent higher death rate within a year of a hip fracture than women do.
"I never liked milk, so it’s too late now to prevent osteoporosis." No — at any age, you can do something to prevent or treat this condition.
Research now shows a strong link between smoking and risk for colorectal cancer. Reports in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute show that an estimated 12 percent of deaths from colorectal cancer in 1997 were the direct result of long term cigarette smoking. Male smokers showed a 32 percent higher risk than non-smokers. Women showed a 41 percent increased risk. Study participants were tracked for 14 years. Information was collected from 312,332 men and 469,019 women.
About a million Americans will be diagnosed with skin cancer this year. The reason, too many of us spend too much time in the sun.
Skin cancer is easy to prevent, just limit your exposure to the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays. Here are some points to bear in mind:
The President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports has a great idea. They think the month of May is a perfect time to have fun and get fit at the same time. It’s Physical Fitness and Sports Month.
Play softball or tennis, hit the golf ball or walk in the park. No matter what your preference may be, now is the time to get started. The emphasis is on "get started," because once you do, you’ll see how good it feels to be active again. Pressed for time? Think about this:
Dry your ears with a hair dryer or towel after swimming or bathing.
Put several drops of a 50/50 mixture of water and vinegar or water and rubbing alcohol in the ear canal to aid drying after a swim.
| THE PHARMACY CORNER |
For those of you who are connected to the World Wide Web, Caremark has made a few changes to their website for our members. Effective immediately, you will be able to access the "Ask a Pharmacist" feature. This feature will allow you to ask one of the Caremark pharmacists a question about medications and receive a confidential response. The answer to your question will be waiting for you the next time you log onto the website. It’s completely safe and confidential.
Also, because of this enhancement, your customer service questions, such as when your order was filled, is the drug a brand or generic, or what credit amount you have on file will be part of this secure messaging.
These features are a powerful and confidential customer service tool for our members, so be sure to pass this along at your branch meetings and through your branch publications.
Many of us may be poisoning our livers by unknowingly taking toxic doses of acetaminophen (generally known by its most popular brand name of Tylenol). Along with warnings issued about taking this popular over-the-counter medication with three or more alcoholic drinks, the government is now considering issuing warnings about taking too much of this over-the-counter drug for too long a period or mixing a number of over-the-counter drugs that contain acetaminophen (such as cold and flu medications). People tend to be very lax in their consumption of acetaminophen because it is an over-the-counter medication.
Studies indicate that acetaminophen overdoses are a greater cause of liver failure than some prescription drugs that have been banned for liver poisoning such as the diabetes drug Rezulin.
Although millions of Americans safely take acetaminophen every day, over-dosage can occur. It is recommended that we limit our daily acetaminophen intake to the amount in four extra-strength pills or two grams total from all the medicines you take that may contain acetaminophen (both prescription and over-the-counter). Overdoses can be treated easily if doctors know the culprit in time, but initial symptoms are flu-like and doctors may not recognize them as liver failure.
A case in point was a young man who took the prescription drug Tylenol-3 for a wrist injury for a period of ten days and then switched to the over-the-counter acetaminophen for another week. Suddenly fever and vomiting began and the hospital initially gave him more acetaminophen thinking it was flu. The young man died from liver failure within a week.
| THINK SAFETY |
We place great emphasis on workplace safety, but the National Safety Council reports that over half of all worker injuries occur off the job. On-the-job safety is just half of the problem.
In summer, there are some very specific safety concerns. As you move into the season, keep these precautions in mind:
If you are camping or hiking in the woods and think you have touched poison ivy or poison oak, you have time to avoid the consequences.
Wipe a moist towlette on your exposed skin within half an hour of contact and you should be OK.
The resin responsible for the itchy rash begins binding to your skin after 10 minutes, but for about a half-hour after exposure, the resin can be washed off completely by the mild detergent in the towlettes.