Tune in to Our Health Is the Key Podcast!

We hope you’ve had the chance to listen to our podcast, Health Is the Key, where you’ll get cutting-edge healthy living information from our industry’s experts and leaders! We have an exciting lineup of guests. And this month, award-winning chef, restaurateur, author and activist Marcus Samuelsson is our special guest! Chef Marcus shares favorite holiday memories, his love of farmers’ markets and a few ingredients we should all get to know better. So tune in on Wednesday, November 6 to learn simple things you can do to give your holiday menu a healthy twist. And wherever you get your podcasts, subscribe to Health Is the Key!

The Healthy Living Resource Center Is Your Wellness Toolkit!

The Healthy Living Resource Center has five sections: Healthy Minds, Healthy Bodies, Healthy Hearts, Healthy Eating and Healthy Provider Relationships. Browse each section for expert insights, wellness tools, exercise videos and screening guidelines. Be sure to check back often for updates and new information.

Don’t Fall for Medicare Advantage Plan Pitches

Stay Informed with Aetna Online Health Presentations

Through our partnership with Aetna, you can stay up to date on important health and wellness topics by viewing monthly online presentations. An Aetna registered nurse will present a 30-minute live webinar on the monthly health topic and provide resources. The video will be available on the Aetna website at the start of each month, allowing you to watch whenever it fits your schedule.

Upcoming Topics

November: Balancing hormones and managing diabetes with exercise

December: Becoming an empowered patient; ultimate holiday workout

Protect Your Health by Getting Vaccinated

Explore Age-Friendly Websites

There are several organizations that work to make New York a great place for seniors to live. Here are just a few websites you may find helpful:

• www.NYAM.org/age-friendly-nyc
• www.NYC.gov/aging
• www.TDF.org

Stay Connected with In-person and Online Chapter Meetings

We hope you are enjoying these meetings, using them to connect with friendly faces and get updates on Funds news and information about your retiree benefits. As we continue to keep an eye on health recommendations and guidelines, we have decided to resume holding in-person chapter meetings at several locations in the New York and New Jersey areas. All other chapters will continue to meet online via Zoom. Take a look at the listings below and plan to attend your in-person meeting, or simply join your chapter meeting by clicking the Zoom link and entering the meeting ID and passcode when prompted. You can also join your meeting using the phone number listed below your chapter.

Cooking for Your Health

Let’s get cooking! We’re excited to get in the kitchen to show you how to prepare healthy meals and share tips for better eating. Each class will last one hour at the Zoom links listed below and will include a cooking demonstration. Take a look at the tasty offerings you’ll cook up this month!

Exercise Your Mind and Body

We’ve partnered again with Mind over Matter Fitness to bring you classes for your mental and physical well-being. View the class descriptions and join the classes online via Zoom at the links listed below. For more information, please call (646) 473-8761.

Have You Joined Our Retired Members’ Online Community Yet?

We’re stronger together! So stay connected with our 1199SEIU Retired Members Facebook group.

Support Your Emotional Health with Aetna’s MDLIVE

A healthy mind is just as important as a healthy body. If you are enrolled in the 1199SEIU Aetna Medicare Advantage Plan, you can get online support for your emotional well-being through MDLIVE. You can connect with a licensed therapist or psychiatrist by phone or video chat from the comfort of your home on your schedule. To get started, visit www.MDLIVE.com/AetnaMedicareBH and follow the prompts to create an account. To learn more about MDLIVE, call (888) 865-0729.

Findhelp When You Need It

Life’s needs can be unexpected, but you can always count on getting support at findhelp.1199SEIUBenefits.org, your Benefit Fund’s curated search engine that locates free and low-cost community services and programs to assist you with transportation, emotional well-being, nutritional and food programs, financial and legal assistance, and more.

Although we are pleased to share these resources with you, the services offered are not benefits covered by your Benefit Fund.

Check Out Our YouTube Channel!

Looking for some quick dinner inspiration? Check out one of our healthy, mouth-watering cooking demos! Feeling stressed? We’ve got you. Get some coping strategies from Dr. Karinn Glover or try some deep breathing exercises with Lupe, our 1199 social worker. There are just so many possibilities on our new YouTube channel! Now you can find all of our healthy living videos in one convenient place! So, subscribe today, share with your family and friends and come back often. We regularly add new videos created to educate, entertain and inspire you!

Explore Free Continuing Education Programs

Is there a subject you’ve always wanted to learn more about? You can access free and low-cost educational opportunities, including in-person courses and online classes.

Healthy Home Visits are now being scheduled through Signify Health

If you are enrolled in the 1199SEIU Aetna Medicare Advantage plan, your 2024 Healthy Home Visits will be scheduled through Signify Health. But don’t worry, your benefit isn’t changing! A Healthy Home Visit is a one-hour at-home checkup and is in addition to your annual Medicare wellness visit and annual physical. During this visit, a licensed clinician will review your medications and medical history. They will also check your vital signs, look for safety risks and answer your health questions. This visit does not replace your regular doctor visits or change your health plan. To schedule a Healthy Home Visit, call (855) 746-8709.

HCEPF and GNYPF Retirees: Verify Your Information to Protect Your Pension

The Pension Verification Program for retirees in the Health Care Employees Pension Fund (HCEPF) and the Greater New York Pension Fund (GNYPF) protects your earned pension benefit from forgeries and fraudulent practices. If you received a letter from your Pension Fund and HMS, the firm we’ve hired to conduct the verification program, it is important that you reply as soon as possible. Please follow the steps detailed in the letter to verify your pension benefit information and avoid any disruption in your pension payments.