Start the New Year Off Right

You can keep your New Year’s Resolution to improve your diet or to start exercising! But, there are other resources available to help you manage your health. Preventive care can catch diseases and illnesses before they start, which means you can avoid expensive medical bills and the hassle of being sick.

Here are a few ways you can have a healthy start to 2020:

• Schedule an annual physical with your primary care provider (PCP). Your PCP will recommend screenings and tests based on your age and gender. Follow through with your PCP’s suggestions, too. Chronic conditions and diseases can often be detected during screenings before you start to feel sick. Catching them early makes a better outcome for you more likely. Early detection also means you and the Fund avoid paying for costly treatments.
• Get your flu shot. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), flu season is about to peak—and it’s already been one of the worst in decades. The shot only takes two weeks to take effect, and flu season won’t end until April. Two full months of protection is definitely better than getting sick!
• Commit to a healthy lifestyle.

Know Where to Go For Care

When you need care, you have a lot of options, so it’s important to know which facility to go to and when. It can also help you and the Fund save on unnecessary medical costs.

Still need help deciding where to go for care? Use the chart below to help you determine what’s right for your situation.*

Primary Care Physician. Visit your PCP for:

• Help managing chronic conditions, like high blood pressure and diabetes
• Rashes and allergies
• Cold and flu symptoms
• Ear aches
• Pink eye
• Urinary Tract Infections

Urgent Care. Visit an Urgent Care center for:

• Rashes with a fever
• Bruises, cuts and other superficial wounds, including minor cuts that need stitches
• Moderate burns
• Minor broken bones and fractures in fingers or toes
• Severe cold and flu symptoms

Emergency Room. Go to the Emergency Room for:

• Difficulty breathing
• Excessive or uncontrollable bleeding
• Severe chest and abdominal pains
• Severe burns and broken bones
• High fever in infants
• Any other type of severe pain

* This list is not comprehensive and you are not required to see recommended providers for each service. Use your best judgment when seeking medical care. If you feel the condition is life-threatening, seek emergency care immediately.