DIRECTOR'S REPORT–Thomas H. Young, Director

Happy Holidays!

I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude, as well as that of each and every employee of the NALC Health Benefit Plan, to our Health Benefit Representatives and other Branch officers for your time and patience working with the membership throughout the year.

Our Representatives are a vital part of the Plan. Your contact with our members, hospitals, doctors and federal agencies within your area plays a major role in helping the Plan achieve its goal of providing prompt personalized service. It is extremely important to keep the membership informed of changes and other news regarding the Plan, to help them with their claims questions and also to assist them in understanding the benefits that our Plan provides.

We rely heavily on each and every one of you and we want you to know that the NALC Health Benefit Plan appreciates your dedication and concern. Thank you for the wonderful job that you do each and every day.

As I write this report, the 2002 Open Season is drawing to an end. Now we sit back and await the results with great interest. We will keep you apprised as the Open Season numbers start to roll in and I should be able to give you a complete update in the March or April HBR Report.

We hope that the coming year will bring peace and joy to you and your families. Your loyalty and continued service mean a lot to us here in Ashburn, and we look forward to continuing our special relationship with you in 2003 — happy Holidays!

THE HIPAA PRIVACY RULE

Personal Representative Authorization Form

In complying with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy Rule, it is the Plan’s policy not to disclose anyone’s Protected Health Information (PHI), except for the purpose of treatment, payment, and health care operations (TPO), or as required by law, without the written authorization of the individual. It was with this in mind that the HIPAA Privacy Rule Personal Representative Authorization Form was created.

What is the purpose of the HIPAA Privacy Rule Personal Representative Authorization Form? This form allows the adult individual health plan member to give the NALC Health Benefit Plan permission to disclose your PHI to someone for purposes other than TPO.

Who needs to complete the Form? Each adult family member, including each adult child (age 18 or older, or as determined by state law) must complete a form if you expect to have someone contact the Plan on your behalf. You are not required to name a Personal Representative, but if you do not, we will not release your protected health information to someone that might call or write for you. If you determine that you don’t want to name a Personal Representative, then don’t complete or return the Form.

Who can be a Personal Representative? A personal Representative named in Section C of the Form can be anyone you choose. Typically, on a Self and Family enrollment, a spouse would be the logical choice for a Personal Representative. You can name a parent, a child, or a friend as your Personal Representative. An individual can authorize as many Personal Representatives as they want or need to access their PHI.

Members of the NALC Health Benefit Plan should be encouraged to name their local Health Benefit Representative as their Personal Representative. By making the HBR a Personal Representative, it will allow you to continue to assist our members by contacting the Plan for them to discuss specific issues related to that member’s individual PHI. Without this written authorization, the Plan cannot release any individually identifiable health information to anyone but that individual.

A Personal Representative’s authorization will remain in effect until revoked by the member. This revocation must be sent to the Plan in writing to the attention of the Privacy Official. We will also honor the Personal Representative Authorization form for two (2) years after membership in the NALC Health Benefit Plan ends.

If you want to name a Personal Representative, it is important that the form be filled out accurately and completely. The member identification number must be on the form. The member number is the 9-digit identification number on the NALC Health Benefit Plan Health Insurance and Pharmacy Identification card.

The member signing and dating Section E of the Form must match the individual making the authorization in Section B.

For example, if the form is for our member’s spouse, then the spouse’s name, date of birth and relationship to our member would be entered in Section B, and that same individual would sign and date the Form in Section E.

What if I need additional forms? Additional forms are always available by contacting our Customer Service Department at 1-888-636-NALC(6252). You can also make copies of the form or you can download the form from our website, www.nalc.org/depart/hbp.

HEALTH IN THE NEWS

Food of the Month — PIZZA!

Your favorite food can be a healthful holiday helper.

Since pizza’s early days in the 1950s, its popularity has grown and spread throughout the U.S. We love our pizza. Nothing any health guru can say will keep us from it. And we can make it at home, go to our favorite pizza place, or have it delivered. It’s everywhere.

In some circles pizza is thought of as junk food, but a study by the Georgia-Pacific Health Smart Institute in Atlanta says that description isn’t fair.

Not only can pizza be an acceptable source of good nutrition, but a significant amount of its fat content can be wiped away, assuming you are avoiding the extra cheese and multi-meat options.

Much of pizza’s bad rap, say experts quoted in Men’s Fitness, is due to the amount of fat in the sausage and cheese. But a lite pizza can be achieved by simply patting the surface with a paper towel, a gesture that can remove up to 14 percent of a pie’s total fat.

You have even more control over the nutritional value of your pizza. Consider the stuff you can add to when you place your order, like green peppers that are rich in vitamin C, and mushrooms that are loaded with B vitamins. A few people even add anchovies that are rich in the omega-3 fatty acids that offer heart protection.

But why talk about pizza during the Christmas dinner season? Because it’s a no-fuss, no-stress dinner that everyone enjoys. It’s always available, and it allows whoever is the cook for the day to have some free time to work on other holiday projects.

Happy holidays. Happy pizza to all.

Trans fats to be listed on labels

Before long the Food and Drug Administration will require packaged foods to list grams of trans fats per serving. Trans fats are now called "partially hydrogenated vegetable oil." In the 1990s calling a product fat free was a big plus. Soon, calling a product trans-fat free will be even more important.

Fast food restaurants and makers of baked goods are taking notice. McDonald’s has reduced trans fats by 48 percent in its oil used for french fries. Some cookie makers plan product changes. Pepperidge Farm plans no change in its Goldfish crackers that have one gram of trans fat per serving.

Using a paralyzed hand

A recently approved device enables stroke survivors to move a paralyzed hand. The Handmaster wraps around the lower forearm, wrist, and hand, with surface electrodes designed to activate muscles and stimulate the nervous system. It is made by NESS Ltd.

Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore say it helps in such activities as pouring a glass of water, opening a bottle, and preparing food.

Avoiding kidney stones

About 13 percent of Americans will develop kidney stones at least once during their lives, and 80 percent of them will be men.

After developing the first stone, a person has a 50-50 chance of forming another in the next 5 to 7 years.

Until recently, doctors often recommended that people with calcium stones, the most common type, should follow a low-calcium diet. Now Italian researchers reporting in The New England Journal of Medicine say a low calcium diet may actually raise the odds of having another stone.

The key to reducing risk, say the researchers, is to restrict intake of meat and salt.

Protect yourself from winter health hazards

Emergency room physicians say these are some of the common and not-so-common conditions they will be treating this winter, and how you can avoid a trip to the ER.

Fractures: People fall more often in winter. Wear proper footgear. Try to avoid walking on ice, especially when visibility is poor.

Frostbite: It can permanently damage fingers, toes, noses, and ear lobes. Symptoms include loss of feeling and a white skin color. Seek medical help immediately. If help is not available, warm the affected areas very slowly.

Hypothermia: Symptoms include slurred speech, disorientation, exhaustion, and shivering. Seek medical help immediately. If help is not available, warm the body core/trunk first. Get dry clothing, and wrap the person in warm blankets that cover the head and neck. Don’t give alcohol, drugs, or coffee.

Get smart about holiday buffets, dinners

You really can eat less at holiday parties without feeling deprived. You’ll feel smart instead if you eat something before you go and drink a big glass of water. You will eat less if you aren’t especially hungry.

• When driving to a buffet dinner, think about what you want to eat. You might want to skip the high-fat mini quiches and go for the shrimp. Before picking up your dish, check the array of foods so you know what you want. No need to clean your plate here, just eat what you really want.
• When you have the wine, remember that one gram of alcohol equals seven calories while one gram of protein or carbs has about four. Unless the eggnog is clearly marked "fat free," skip it.
• Cross the chips and dip off your most-wanted list. Instead, dunk pretzels, bagel chips, or vegetables in salsa or honey mustard.
• Christmas dinner: Be wary of mashed potatoes with lots of butter. Ditto for the green-bean bake with all those french fried onions.

THE PHARMACY CORNER

Are Generic Drugs Safe?

The quality standards for approval of drugs sold in the United States are uniform, whether they are for generic or brand-name drugs.

Doug Sporn, Director of the FDA’s Office of Generic Drugs indicates that, "since generic drugs generally sell for less than brand-name drugs, many people falsely believe that generics must be inferior to brand-name products." Generics contain exactly the same active ingredients as their brand-name counterparts and are just as safe and effective.

Below are some of the myths and facts about generic drugs:

Myth: Generics take longer to act in your body compared to brand-name drugs.

Fact: The company seeking to sell a generic drug must show that its drug delivers the same amount of active ingredients in the same time frame as the original product.

Myth: Generics are not as potent as brand-name drugs.

Fact: The FDA requires generics to have the same quality, strength, purity and stability as brand-name drugs.

Myth: Generics are not as safe as brand-name drugs.

Fact: The FDA requires that all drugs be safe and effective and that their benefits outweigh their risks. Since generics use the same active ingredients and are shown to work the same way in the body, they have the same risk/benefit profile as their brand-name counterparts.

Myth: Brand-name drugs are made in modern manufacturing facilities and generics are often made in substandard facilities.

Fact: The FDA won’t permit drugs to be made in substandard facilities. They conduct about 3,500 inspections a year to insure standards are met. Generic firms have facilities comparable to those of brand-name firms. In fact, brand-name firms account for an estimated 50 percent of generic drug production. They frequently make copies of their own or other brand-name drugs but sell them without the brand name.

Myth: Generic drugs are likely to cause more side effects.

Fact: There is no evidence of this. The FDA monitors reports of adverse drug reactions and has found no difference in the rates between generic and brand-name drugs.