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King County diabetes awareness activities in April

King County is partnering with the American Diabetes Association and Group Health Cooperative to raise awareness about diabetes, its effects, and how to prevent or treat it. Here’s what’s happening this month:

King County Walks April 6 – 9th

Join your co-workers and get outside for a walk this week to earn a free health calendar. Studies show that walking is one of the best exercises – almost anyone can do it almost anywhere and you don’t need specialized gear. Just 10 minutes of physical activity can have positive health effects. So get together with your co-workers this week and walk.

Earn a free calendar by registering your team to walk by April 9th. You can decide your route and how long you want to walk. But remember that this is a furlough week for most county employees so keep track of your time. There’s no limit on number of employees to form a team.

April 6^th marks the start of Public Health Week. You can be part of a state-wide “This is Public Health” campaign by wearing a sticker during your walk on Monday and taking a photo of your team. E-mail Elaine Cummins or call 206-263-8709 for stickers and info.

April 8^th is the American Heart Association’s Start Walking Day. This day kicks off the Heart Walk campaign for the year and includes a rally at Pike Place Market.

Each day there will be organized walks leaving the Chinook building at noon. You don’t have to sign up for these walks – just show up. But remember to register your team if you want a calendar.

Managers – this can be a great opportunity to encourage physical activity at your worksite. Ideas from last year include: hiding playing cards at 5 locations on your walk – the employee with the best poker hand wins a healthy prize; combining a walk one day with a healthy potluck another day; or posting a healthy bulletin board onsite so employees can share recipes and activity ideas.

For more info, visit our Web site or call 206-263-6085.

We look forward to you joining us for King County Walks week.  See you on the sidewalk.

King County partners with The American Diabetes Association (ADA)

The American Diabetes Association (ADA) is proud to partner with King County and its 14,000 employees to prevent and manage diabetes in the workplace.  This partnership is part of our Winning at Work program which helps employers to detect, prevent and manage diabetes in the workplace. The ADA provides comprehensive tools and resources to help employers achieve success in each of these areas.

In 2009, the ADA is offering employers a limited number of free health screenings as part of our I Decide to Fight Diabetes Days (ID Days) campaign.  A free Winning at Work Passport will be provided to employees attending ID Days including King County’s ID Day on April 2.  The passports include links to free online tools and community events including Diabetes Expo on April 18, Tour de Cure on May 17 and Step Out Walk to Fight Diabetes on October 10.

Diabetes is a serious disease affecting nearly 24 million Americans nationwide.  Almost one-quarter of those affected by diabetes are not aware that they have the disease.  In addition, approximately 963,000 Washingtonians and 57 million American’s have pre-diabetes, which means that their blood glucose (sugar) is higher than normal.  Without intervention, individuals with pre-diabetes are at a much higher risk for developing diabetes.

Diabetes prevalence has more than doubled among King County residents during the past decade, with nearly 6 percent of the population now suffering from the disease.  About 84,000 people in King County have been diagnosed with the often-debilitating illness, 13,400 others are on the borderline, and many more don't know they have it.
The national cost of diabetes in the U.S. in 2007 exceeded $174 billion. This estimate includes $116 billion in excess medical expenditures attributed to diabetes, as well as $58 billion in reduced national productivity. People with diagnosed diabetes, on average, have medical expenditures that are approximately 2.3 times higher than the expenditures would be in the absence of diabetes. Approximately $1 in $10 health care dollars is attributed to diabetes. Indirect costs include increased factors such as absenteeism, reduced productivity, and lost productive capacity due to early mortality.  The American Diabetes Association report "Economic Costs of Diabetes in the U.S. in 2007" describes the methods used to determine the national cost estimates.  The report can be found at the ADA’s web site: www.diabetes.org/cost.

Diabetes is the fastest growing chronic diseases in the U.S. Type 2 diabetes accounts for 90 – 95% of all diagnosed cases of diabetes.  Among the primary risk factors for type 2 diabetes are being overweight, sedentary, over the age of 45 and having a family history of diabetes.  Native Americans, Hispanics, African Americans, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have a higher incidence rate for diabetes.

Although type 2 diabetes is often preventable with lifestyle modifications and medications, many do not realize they are at high risk for the disease. In fact, people with type 2 diabetes can live for years without realizing that they have it, and develop serious complications, such as heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, eye damage and nerve damage that can lead to amputations.  Type 1 diabetes accounts for 5% to 10% of all diagnosed cases of diabetes. Risk factors for type 1 diabetes may be autoimmune, genetic, or environmental. There is no known way to prevent type 1 diabetes.

Diabetes can lead to serious complications, such as blindness, kidney damage, cardiovascular disease, and lower-limb amputations, but people with diabetes can lower the occurrence of these and other diabetes complications by controlling blood glucose, blood pressure, and blood lipids.

Many people with type 2 diabetes can control their blood glucose by following a healthy meal plan and exercise program, losing excess weight, and taking oral medication. Some people with type 2 diabetes may also need insulin to control their blood glucose.

Many people with diabetes also need to take medications to control their cholesterol and blood pressure.  To survive, people with type 1 diabetes must have insulin delivered by injection or a pump.
Self-management education or training is a key step in improving health outcomes and quality of life. It focuses on self-care behaviors, such as healthy eating, being active, and monitoring blood sugar. It is a collaborative process in which diabetes educators help people with or at risk for diabetes gain the knowledge and problem-solving and coping skills needed to successfully self-manage the disease and its related conditions.

Prediabetes is a condition in which individuals have blood glucose levels higher than normal but not high enough to be classified as diabetes. People with prediabetes have an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke.  People with prediabetes have impaired fasting glucose (IFG) or impaired glucose tolerance (IGT). Some people have both IFG and IGT.  IFG is a condition in which the fasting blood sugar level is 100 to 125 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) after an overnight fast. This level is higher than normal but not high enough to be classified as diabetes.  IGT is a condition in which the blood sugar level is 140 to 199 mg/dL after a 2-hour oral glucose tolerance test. This level is higher than normal but not high enough to be classified as diabetes.

Progression to diabetes among those with prediabetes is not inevitable. Studies have shown that people with prediabetes who lose weight and increase their physical activity can prevent or delay diabetes and return their blood glucose levels to normal. In the Diabetes Prevention Program, a large prevention study of people at high risk for diabetes showed that lifestyle intervention reduced developing diabetes by 58% over 3 years.  The reduction was even greater, 71%, among adults aged 60 years or older. Interventions to prevent or delay type 2 diabetes in individuals with prediabetes can be feasible and cost-effective. Research has found that lifestyle interventions are more cost-effective than medications.

King County ’s Health Reform Initiative and diabetes:

Improving lives and saving money

Currently, 1,300 King County employees and their family members are being treated for diabetes and more than 150 are projected to develop diabetes this year. Even more will become pre-diabetic. The good news is that the county’s Healthy Incentives^SM benefit design and the Health Matters program can help prevent diabetes or properly manage the disease.

The physical and financial costs of diabetes can be life altering. People with diabetes face heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, eye damage and nerve damage that can lead to amputations. King County medical claims show that end stage renal failure, which can result from poorly managed diabetes, costs up to $322,000 annually. This has significant implications for patients and the county.

For an individual looking forward to a happy retirement, unmanaged diabetes can be a serious financial drain and also limit the ability to travel, read, be active in the community and play with grandkids.

For the county, the difference between unmanaged diabetes and properly managed diabetes can be millions of dollars each year.

That is why the county provides tools through its benefit design and worksite wellness programs to prevent or manage diabetes.

Diabetes can be prevented through lifestyle changes and the adverse health effects can be minimized through proper management. In the Diabetes Prevention Program, a large prevention study of people at high risk for diabetes showed that lifestyle intervention reduced developing diabetes by 58% over 3 years. The reduction was even greater, 71%, among adults aged 60 years or older.

King County offers many tools to help prevent or manage diabetes. The Healthy Incentives^SM benefit design provides disease management programs for people with diabetes. A medical professional with Aetna helps monitor the treatment someone is getting to make sure it follows what science says produces the best results, for example, getting regular eye and foot exams and regular glucose and cholesterol checks.

The Health Matters program also supports people in making lifestyle changes so they can prevent diabetes or properly manage it. The Gym Discount Program, Weight Watchers at Work and other Eat Smart, Move More programs provide group support or tools for individuals ready to make lifestyle changes.

The county also provides a host of online tools so that employees can be armed with the information they need to manage their care and be a full participants in decisions that impact the cost and quality of the care they receive. See the Logon and Learn article in this issue to learn more.

And this month, the county is bringing a variety of resources to the worksite to help people learn more about treating diabetes.

Logon and Learn about diabetes

Your decisions regarding your health care can effect the quality of care you get and the price you pay. The county has free online tools to help you make the best decisions about diabetes prevention and care.

Here are some online tools that can help you make the best choices for your health:

• The Puget Sound Health Alliance Community Check-Up Report  can tell you what medical science says is the most effective treatment for diabetes and which hospitals and clinics in our region are following these guidelines.
  
  
• MyGroupHealth.com helps you keep track of your blood glucose, cholesterol and blood pressure by automatically graphing your results.
  
  
• Aetna KingCare lets you create a personal health record to track your medical treatment and lab results including blood glucose.
  
  
• Aetna SmartSource^SM  makes it easy to find personalized health information on many conditions. Search on dibetes and results will link you to: doctors in your area that treat diabetes, what the symptoms are, how it is diagnosed and treated and the estimated cost of care for treatment. SmartSource^SM gathers information from the most credible medical web resources to provide you with the answers to questions you want to know.
  

For more information about how to be a savvy health care consumer Logon and Learn.

The Recipe Box: A new tool to help you Eat Smart

The Eat Smart pages of the Health Matters website have recently been redesigned. The update includes a variety of new resources including a tool called the Recipe Box.

The Recipe Box is a place where you can share healthy recipes with your co-workers and to search for healthy recipes submitted by other King County employees.

Not sure if your recipe is “healthy”? Simply enter the ingredients and the number of servings the recipe makes into an online recipe analyzer which will provide a nutrition breakdown and a letter grade.  If your recipe receives a grade of "A" or "B" submit the recipe to the Health Matters team and we will post it!

You could be the first to submit a healthy recipe for some categories. Recipes categories include:

• Breakfast and Breads
• Appetizers and Snacks
• Salads and Dressings
• Main courses
• Side dishes
• Soups and Stews
• Desserts
• Beverages

The Recipe Box is just one of many changes to the Eat Smart web pages. Check out the new information and resources and look for more changes as we update the Move More, Stress Less and Quit Tobacco sections.

Eat Smart by exercising your green thumb

The benefits of growing your own vegetables go beyond eating a healthy meal. In addition to helping you stretch your food budget, gardening provides exercise, can reduce stress.

April is usually the start of the outdoor vegetable gardening season in the Northwest. But many of us feel like we don’t have the time, the space or the knowledge to grow our own food.

If the new White House vegetable garden or the warmer weather have inspired you to give gardening a try, here are some resources to help get you started.

• Attend a gardening class – Check out the Eat Smart Events section of the Health Matters website for a list of local offerings. Many classes are free.
  
  
• Get free advice – Contact experienced volunteers at Seattle Tilth’s Garden hotline or attend a WSU Master Gardener Plant Clinic to get answers to your general gardening questions. Both services are free.
  
  
• Learn from experts – King County’s Yard Talk provides dirt simple tips for natural yard (and garden) care. Learn about composting, techniques to minimize water usage and how to deal with insects.

Happy gardening!

Rev Up for Retirement

In today’s economy, planning ahead for retirement is more important than ever. Rev Up For Retirement is a two-hour seminar with guest speakers from the Retired Public Employees Council of Washington (RPECW) and the Statewide Health Insurance Benefits Advisors (SHIBA).

The course will be divided into two sections; Part 1 will focus on retirement readiness and available resources including RPECW. Part 2 will focus on SHIBA and Getting Ready for Medicare. Whether you are close to retirement or years away, this seminar will provide useful information you may apply to yourself or loved ones, particularly parents eligible for Medicare. Please register for the course by email (kc.orientations@kingcounty.gov) or phone (206-263-3696).

What: Rev Up For Retirement

Where: Eighth floor Conference Center of the King Street Center, 201 S. Jackson Street, Seattle

When: Thursday, April 23^rd, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m

Next step - your individual action plan!

If you took the wellness assessment by March 22nd, you’re eligible to begin an individual action plan to earn the gold out-of-pocket expense level for your 2010 medical expenses.

Haven’t heard from Healthways about your action plan? Then, it’s time for you to call Healthways at 1-877-279-0624 to find out which action plan to begin – whether it’s keeping a low-risk log or taking coaching calls.

When you hear from Healthways, get started as soon as possible. You need to complete your action plan by June 30, 2009 to earn gold. If you cover a spouse or domestic partner under your medical coverage, he or she must also complete an action plan by June 30 to earn gold for your family.

If you learn from Healthways that you have a low risk for future health problems, you can go to the Get Healthy site to begin keeping a 42-day online log of your healthy activities anytime you’re ready to start (look for the logs under "Low-risk individual action plans" on the right side of the page). Paper versions are also available at the Web site. You’ll need to begin your log no later than May 15 to have enough time to complete your log by June 30.

If you learn from Healthways that you have a moderate or high risk for future health problems, you’ll need to complete three calls from a Healthways coach by June 30.

For questions about the Healthy Incentives^SM program or your benefits, please contact Benefits, Payroll and Retirement Operations at 206-684-1556 or kc.benefits@kingcounty.gov.

Making life – and work – easier

King County provides FREE counseling and referral services to help you both at work and at home? Let us work with you in resolving work and personal problems that affect your life. Read more about the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and Making Life Easier (MLE).

Employee Assistance Program:
Our licensed, certified counselors assist you in finding a solution to work-related issues that adversely impact your work performance, conduct, relationships, health, or well-being. This program is free for all county employees, regardless of benefit eligibility or career status. Contact Pam Wyss at (206) 684-2103 or Tony Hansen at (206) 263-4572, or visit our web site.

Making Life Easier Program:
MLE is a free support and referral program that provides tools and resources to help you resolve personal life problems such as:

• Child care and parenting
• Helping aging parents
• Financial issues
• Legal concerns
• Emotional well-being
• Domestic violence or sexual abuse
• Grief or loss
• Addiction and recovery

This program is free for benefit-eligible employees, their dependent family members, and anyone living in the employee’s household. Call the MLE program 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 888-874-7290. Starting on April 1, visit our new web site at www.achievesolutions.net/kcmle

Move More in April

Don’t let April Showers keep you inside.  Spring is the perfect time to dust off your bike and get outside, commit to a new challenge, or walk outside and enjoy the flowers.

Remember that the Centers for Disease Control  recommend 150 minutes a week of moderate-level physical activity and 2 days a week of muscle-strengthening exercises. Check out all the events here.

Walk

Arboretum Walks – April 4^th and 18^th from the Graham Visitors Center at the Washington Park Arboretum. This free, guided walk focuses on season plants, native plants and local ecology. No pre-registration required. Call 206-543-8800 or visit http://depts.washington.edu/wpa/adulttours.htm  .

Old Redmond Historic Walking Tour - April 19^th from 1 – 2:30 p.m. Explore the history of old Redmond buildings – which was a bordello and which was an undertakers – on a guided walking tour. Tours are $8 and meet on the front steps of the Justice White House. For info, call 425-885-2919.

Seattle Architecture Foundation tours – Every Thurs, Fri and Sat. Walking tours begin at 10 a.m. and are about 2 hours long. Topics include design details, art deco, sky scrappers, and urban transformation. $15-$20. Visit www.seattlearchitecture.org  or call 206-667-9184.

Seward Park Guided Nature & Eagle Walk – April 4^th and 18th at 2 p.m. Learn about flora and fauna and take a short hike to see the bald eagle’s nest. $0 - $4, depending on age. April 25^th, tour to the eagles’ nest for free with a guide in celebration of Earth Day. For more info, visit www.sewardpark.audubon.org  or call 206-652-2444.

Tour the Kruckeberg Botanic Garden – April 4^th and 18^th at 1 p.m. Free, no preregistration required. The Shoreline garden includes over 2,000 plant species. Visit www.kruckberg.org or call 206-546-1281.

Run

Bellevue 5K Run/Walk – April 26^th benefiting Kindering programs for youth. Registration is required. Register onsite or in advance on the web site at www.bellevue5k.com.

Redmond Elementary Hawk Walk & 5K Run – April 25^th. This family-friendly walk and run benefits student programs at Redmond Elementary. Awards are given in a variety of age categories for kids and grown-ups. Visit www.hawkwalkandrun.org  or call 425-985-4788 for info.

Shoreline Earth Day 5K and Kids Fun Run – April 19^th from Paramount Park. Every racer receives a tree to take home and plant and a portion of the proceeds support coastal habitat. Entry fee is $10 - $20. Visit www.earthday5K.org.

Bike

Biking Commute Intro – April 9^th and April 21^st at the King County Chinook Building. Seminars are from noon to 1:30 p.m. No registration required – just show up. April 9^th is room 115 and April 21^st is room 123. Seminars are taught by Cascade Bike Club representatives, open to all and free. For more info, call 206-205-5017.

Join other King County co-workers in the May 16^th Tour de Cure benefiting the American Diabetes Association. The King County team, Blood, Sweat & Gears, is recruiting new riders. Register online at http://tour.diabetes.org/site/PageServer?pagename=TC_signup  or click here for more info on the Blood, Sweat & Gears team.

Daffodil Classic – April 19^th. Ride through the Orting valley on a family-friendly short course (1-30 miles), or choose from a 40, 60 or 100 mile loop. Supported with rest stops, maps, support vehicles and strawberry shortcake at the finish line. Registration required. Visit www.twbc.org for info or call 253-815-9061.

Mercer Island and beyond – April 5^th at 9:30 a.m. Hosted by Seattle Bicycle Club. Open to all levels of riders. Visit www.seattlebicycleclub.org  or call 206-232-1967.

Spokespeople monthly ride – April 4^th at 2 p.m. Join other new and reluctant riders for an easy round trip ride, complete with snack stop. Rides start at the Wallingford Playfield. Come 15 minutes early if you want some quick bike advice, minor adjustments or to buy a helmet for $10. www.spokespeople.us  or 206-547-9569

Boat

Free sailing - April 25^th from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Try sailing and kayaking at Sail Sand Point in Magnusun Park. Boats available for rides. Contact 206-525-8782 or visit www.sailsandpoint.org  for info.

Lake Sammamish kayak nature tour – April 5^th at 9 a.m. The 2-hour tour includes info on native birds. $5. Call 206-527-1825 for info.

Dance

Community Contra Dance – April 12th. Dancing from 6 – 8:30 p.m. but come at 5 p.m. for a community potluck. Bring a disk to share, your own plate and utensils. Beginners welcome. www.seattledance.org.

China Harbor in Seattle:

• Various dances: April 5^th – swing, April 19^th – rumba, April 26^th – American tango. Dance lesson at 7 p.m. Dance from 8 – 11 p.m. 21 and over. www.seattledanceinfo.com  or call 425-917-1188.

• Easter Dance – April 12^th at 8 p.m. at China Harbor in Seattle. Two-step lesson at 7 p.m. Call 425-741-8687 for info.

Emerald City Contra Dance – Every Friday night at 7:30 p.m. at the Phinney Neighborhood Center. Beginners dance workshop begins at 7 p.m. Scent free – don’t wear scented products. $4 - $7 per person. Call 206-440-9839 or visit www.seattledance.org/contra/emeraldcity.

Green Lake Folk Dancers – April 3^rd & 10^th at 7:30 p.m. join the lesson for $10. Request dancing follows from 8:30 p.m. to midnight. $5 for request dancing only. Children are welcome. 206-325-7668 or www.ratchenitza.com.

Northwest Dance Network Live Music Dance – April 4^th, 18^th and 25^th at the Leif Erikson Lodge. Dance lesson from 7:30 – 8:30 p.m. and dance from 8:30 p.m. on. $10 - $15. Call 206-781-1238 or visit www.nwdance.net.

Rockin’ at the Barn – Rockin’ Horse Dance Barn in Renton. April 4^th is swing and April 18^th is nightclub two-step. Ages 18 and over. $12. For info, call 425-917-1188.

Sno-King International Folk Dance Club – dances every Saturday night by donation ($5 - $7). Lessons at review start at 7 p.m. and open dance at 8:30 p.m. All dances are at the Cedar Valley Grange in Lynnwood. Visit www.sno-king.org  or call 425-385-2088.

Steppin’ Out – April 11^th at 7:30 p.m. in Bellevue at the Vasa Park Resort and Ballroom. American tango lessons for beginners and beyond. $15. Visit www.seattledanceinfo.com  or call 425-917-1188.

Share your favorite activity or submit a Move More testimonial. E-mail health.matters@kingcounty.gov or call 206-263-6085.

Chinook building stair climbing Health Heroes

On February 9th, the Chinook building’s Healthy Building Committee announced a 6 week stair challenge for tenants of the building. Participants write their name on a boot or shoe, and that icon climbs various peaks the correlate to local mountains – Mt. Si, St. Helens, Rainier . . . Almost 100 people participated in the Challenge. Many peak baggers “sumitted” Rainier. For Bill Lasby and Mike Kaufmann in Public Health’s Environmental Health division, Rainier wasn’t enough. These two super steppers work on the 11th floor. They bagged Everest during their stair climb challenge, and lived to tell about their improved health and workplace camaraderie following the event.

Following is their story as submitted by Bill.

“When we first started, Mike who is 66 had trouble climbing the 10 flight of stairs from the first to the 11th floor. Slowly he became stronger and began to do more stairs on breaks, after lunch, before work etc. Then he began to push me with his efforts.

We set goals to meet the Mt. St. Helens challenge. Then we were trying for Mt. Rainer. Each person in our competition pushed the other person to reach for new goals. Our legs became stronger, and Mike indicated that he had lost 14 pounds in the process of doing the stairs between Feb 10th and March 20. The exciting thing was watching Mike get healthier and stronger and helping his health.

I had been going to the gym and walking each day, but the stairs became a interesting challenge as well. One day I would do 80 and Mike would do 100 flights of stairs. My best day, I completed 146 flights of stairs. We keep pushing each other to new heights, and I would end up doing multiple sets of 16 flights after work to keep up with Mike. In the end, we agreed to finish at Mt. Everest, and completed 1282 flights of stairs each ending in a tie.

The stair climb strengthened both of our healths, spread through our work section as we got more people to participate, and was a very positive thing for both of us. Thanks to the Healthy Building Committee for the idea. We are continuing to do about 20 flights a day since the event ended, and our health and overall physical condition is better for participating as well.”

Congratulations Bill and Mike, and to all the participants in the Chinook stair climb challenge!

Helen Ivory - April update

You wouldn’t believe it! I came down with MRSA (highly contagious skin infection) right after I signed up for the gym. I was off work for 2 weeks and I couldn’t go to the gym because I couldn’t risk spreading it around. I was stuck at home.

It took a couple of days to get past feeling sorry for myself. Then I realized I was ok and could walk and do some modified sit ups. I didn’t want to lose motivation. It was so wonderful getting emails and calls from employees who read about me – people I don’t even know. I didn’t want to let them down.

So now I’m back at work. I’m back to doing the stairs in the Courthouse. I’m back at the gym. But I wash my hands like crazy. I teased with a friend that MRSA’s made me obsessive compulsive.

My routine is to go home after work and change into my workout gear. I go to the gym a few times a week and alternate walking and running on the treadmill for an hour. I’m working on my endurance because I get so tired. It’s hard because I’m motivated and I want to work out faster and harder. After reading last month’s Health Matters, someone told me “It’s not a race. You don’t have to go fast; you just have to stick with it.” So I remember that while I’m on the treadmill.

At some point I’m going to work with a trainer at the gym, but I’m in a routine now that I like. I’m not in any danger of getting bored now, but once my endurance is up, I’m going to want to do new things.

Check back next month for more on Helen’s progress.

Put Weight Watchers^® to Work for you

King County Weight Watchers at Work^® is a weight management program that encourages healthy eating, increased physical activity, and healthy weight loss. To make participation easier and more convenient, one-hour weekly meetings are held at various King County worksites.

Join an existing meeting

Weight Watchers at Work^® is currently offered at several King County worksites. Meetings are generally offered during the lunch hour, but can be offered before or after normal work hours. Participants attend a weekly class for 13 weeks. Check the Health Matters website for locations and times of existing meetings and contact the meeting coordinator.

If you work at White Center Public Health, don’t miss the open house at 12 pm on 4/16/2009 in the large conference room. And look for another open house in May in the Yesler Building.

But you don’t have to wait for a new session to put Weight Watchers^® to work for you. New members are welcome to join any week during the series.

Want to start a new meeting at your worksite?

The first step is to find co-workers who are interested in participating in Weight Watchers at Work^®. There must be at least 15 members to start a new meeting. For group of 20 or more a small discount is offered.

Save on Weight Watchers

If a physician recommends weight loss to treat an existing illness, Weight Watchers At Work^® qualifies as an allowable health reimbursement under the King County Flexible Spending Account guidelines. If you have a Flexible Spending Account, you can use these pre-tax dollars to pay for the program. For more information about the Flexible Spending Account for King County employees, visit the Benefits, Payroll and Retirement Operations website or download this FSA fact sheet from Weight Watchers^®.

Still have questions? Contact Beth Glynn at 206-684-1926.

2010-2012 Health Benefits set

The King County Joint Labor Management Insurance Committee has approved a comprehensive health benefit package for the three-year period beginning January 2010.

The agreement secures a strong set of benefits that promotes quality care and better health without the burden of premium share, while saving $37 million over its term.

Key elements include some increased deductibles and co-insurance for King Care^SM members, a cap on yearly out-of-pocket expenses, lower co-pays for generic drugs, and 100% coverage for prevention screenings. Group Health rates will stay the same as in 2009. A streamlined Healthy Incentives program will continue to offer a substantial discount for taking the annual wellness assessment and following up with an action plan. Read more at the Benefits Web site.

April is quitting time.

Starting April 1, 2009, the price of a pack of cigarettes will go up 62 cents due to a federal tobacco tax increase.  Now more than ever, using tobacco is expensive.  Quitting is free!  King County’s tobacco cessation benefits are comprehensive and give you maximum support when you’re ready to quit. Studies show you’ll be more successful if you have help so check out your free resources.

Law expands child health coverage

The new federal Children's Health Insurance Programs allows you and your eligible dependents to enroll in a group health plan when you or you dependent:

• loses Medicaid coverage
• loses coverage under the Children's Health Insurance Program, or
• becomes eligible for state assistance