Dear colleagues,
We are writing to you today to share January’s BeneBytes.
Thyroid Health Awareness Month
Most people with thyroid disease don’t even know they have it. More than one in eight Americans will develop a thyroid condition during their lifetime, but up to 60 percent are unaware of it. That’s because the symptoms — fatigue, depression, sleep disturbances and weight loss or gain, among others — could just as well be signs of other medical conditions and life stages. That’s what makes Thyroid Awareness Month, which falls in January each year, so important. If both people and doctors think of thyroid problems more often, cases can be diagnosed earlier, and the disease can be managed sooner.
Thyroid Disease is a medical condition that keeps your thyroid from producing the right number of hormones needed by your body’s systems to function. This small, butterfly-shaped gland at the lower front of your neck affects how well every cell, tissue and organ in your body works.
If you have concerns about Thyroid issues, you can discuss this with your primary care physician (PCP) during your annual check-up.
Resources:
- https://www.thyroid.org/january-thyroid-awareness/
- https://medicareguide.com/thyroid-awareness-january-and-beyond-285923
Preventive Care Services – Annual Check-Up Every 12 months
Preventive care is routine health care that is aimed at keeping you healthy by detecting illness at an early stage when treatment is likely to work best. Rice’s medical plans include in-network preventive care maintenance covered at 100 percent.
- What does it include?
- Well-person visits
- Vaccinations
- Screening
- Tests
- Interventions
- Before your visit
- Designate a Primary Care Physician (PCP) with Aetna if you have not done so and are in the Aetna Memorial Hermann ACO or Aetna Select HMO
- The Aetna Concierge Team can help you find a doctor by calling 1 800 905 7670
- You can also search Aetna’s online tool - Find a doctor
- Prepare any questions you have for your PCP
- Take your health insurance and identification card with you
- Know your family health history
- Take a list of medications you are currently taking
- Ask your doctor about important age-based screenings that may be right for you, such as mammograms and colonoscopies
- Designate a Primary Care Physician (PCP) with Aetna if you have not done so and are in the Aetna Memorial Hermann ACO or Aetna Select HMO
How to Maximize your Retirement Savings
Make 2023 the year you save more towards retirement by taking the guesswork out with Fidelity’s Maximize My Contributions tool.
- Enroll through netbenefits.com/Rice
- Use this step-by-step guide to assist with enrollment - user guide
- Fidelity will update your contribution amounts based on annual IRS limits
- Employees 50 and under - $22,500 annually
- Employees 50 and over - $30,000 annually
- The changes will reflect within two to four paychecks and adjust with any compensation changes
- You are able to modify your elections at any time of year
Please note that your paycheck may be significantly reduced if you choose to maximize for the calendar year. If you need assistance deciding if maximizing is right for you, Fidelity can help you through this process. You can call a Fidelity planner at 1-800-642-7131 or schedule an appointment here.
Respectfully,
The Rice Benefits Team