Wellness Newsletter

Date	Session Title	Presenter
February 22	“Smile, Your Teeth Are on Candid Camera!”	Dr. Tagle
March 29	“Take Care of Your Family: Plan Your Finances; Plan a Will”	Legal Access/Deer Oaks
April 19	“Vitamins, Minerals and Other Alternatives to Prescription Medications”	Lily Majors, Majors Health Foods
May 17	“Exhausted and Cranky? Feel Tired, Even When You Wake Up? Maybe It’s Sleep Apnea!”	Rio Grande Valley Sleep Centers

Date	Session Title	Presenter
February 1	“Preventing Bullying and Aggression”	Antolin Garza, Counselor
March 1	“Recognizing Signs and Symptoms of Drug Use”	Linda Myers and Frank Williams, MAST Interventionists
April 5	“Sleep Disorders”	Rio Grande Valley Sleep Centers
May 3	“Living With Arthritis” (?) Peaceful Conflict Resolution	TBA

Benefits Corner by Andy Silva Home

Frequently Asked Health/Dental Plan Questions

The Employee Benefits Office fields countless of calls each week from employees with questions about the District health and dental plan. For a list of the most recent Frequently Asked Questions that may be of assistance to you, log on to the Employee Benefits website.

Cafeteria Plan Flexible Spending Accounts (Medical Expense and Dependent Care Reimbursement)

Participants in the Flexible Spending Accounts for the 2005 plan year must submit claims to WageWorks (formerly HCAP Strategies) no later than March 31, 2006 for eligible expenses incurred January 1, 2005 through December 31, 2005 to be considered. For a list of eligible expenses, claim form or other related information log on to www.wageworks.com or contact the Employee Benefits Office. In accordance with the plan guidelines, any balance in the account after March 31, 2006 will be forfeited.

Participants that enrolled for the 2006 Cafeteria Plan year should expect a Welcome packet in the mail from WageWorks.

Unum Long Term Disability

A Certificate of Coverage booklet is being delivered through intra-district mail to participants in the group long term disability plan underwritten by Unum Life Insurance. The certificate is being made available at this late a date due to printing and distribution delays. Certificates are not available yet for employees that made changes to their existing plan during the October 2005 enrollment period for a January 1, 2006 effective date. Employees in this category will receive the certificate at a later date.

AHL-Allstate Group Voluntary Cancer Plan

A reminder to participants in the high individual or high family plan that there is a cancer screening benefit of $100 per covered person per calendar year for participants in this plan. Eligible screenings include colonoscopy, pap smear, mammography, PSA and others. The benefit is payable regardless of the test result. For a complete list of the eligible tests, refer to your policy document or benefit summary available on the Employee Benefits web site. Claim forms are available on-line and from the Employee Benefits Office. This $100 screening benefit is not available to participants in the basic individual or basic family plan. The local AHL-Allstate representative is Pedro Morales. For questions about your policy or claim you may contact Mr. Morales’ office at 630-4343.

Performance Drug List

A revised performance drug list from Script Care has just been published. The Script Care Performance Drug List is a guide to generic and brand-name medications that are available at the lower co-payment and may provide cost-savings to you and the District’s self funded health plan. Make sure your physician reviews the list for the most clinically appropriate and cost effective medication. For additional information, contact ScriptCare at 1-800-880-9988 or log on to www.scriptcare.com.

Visit the MISD Employee Benefits Department web site for up-to-date benefit forms and information.

Contact the Employee Benefits Office at 618-6007 for additional information.

Mr. Andres Silva is the Director of Employee Benefits/Risk Management

Child Passenger Safety Week

Through education, training, enforcement, outreach and legislation, NHTSA seeks to ensure that all children ages 0-16 are properly restrained in the correct restraint system for their age and size every time they travel in a motor vehicle. While great progress has been achieved in recent years in preventing child occupant deaths and injuries, and increasing the correct use of child safety seats, booster seats and safety belts – thanks in no small measure to the tireless dedication of NHTSA and its many partners in the child passenger safety community – more work needs to be done to protect child occupants who remain at heightened risk.

Child Passenger Safety Week is February 12-18, 2006. Visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) web site and learn how you can help make children safer on America's highways.

McAllen ISD and the City of McAllen through their Working On Wellness program are sponsoring water aerobics at Nikki Rowe High School.

Place: Nikki Rowe High School Pool
Dates: September 2004 until further notice
Times: Monday - Friday

6:30 - 7:30 p.m.
7:30 - 8:30 p.m.
7:00 - 8:30 p.m. Lap Swimming

Fee: $1.00 or $8.00/10 visit pass
(WAIVED FOR FULLTIME MISD EMPLOYEES ONLY)

Classes closed during the Thanksgiving and Christmas Holidays.

If you have any questions, please contact, Linda Hughes, 688-3333.