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Implementation Bulletin March 27 2020.pdf
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Local 591 EAP / Member Assistance Credit IAM EAP, LAP March Special Edition 2020 Coping with Stress During Infectious Disease Outbreaks (from SAMSHSA.gov) What You Should Know When you hear, read, or watch news about an outbreak of an infectious disease such as Ebola, you may feel anxious and show signs of stress—even when the outbreak affects people far from where you live and you are at low or no risk of getting sick. These signs of stress are normal and may be more likely or pronounced in people with loved ones in parts of the world affected by the outbreak. In the wake of an infectious disease outbreak, monitor your own physical and mental health. Know the signs of stress in yourself and your loved ones. Know how to relieve stress and know when to get help. Know the Signs of Stress What follows are behavioral, physical, emotional, and cognitive responses that are all common signs of anxiety and stress. You may notice some of them after you learn about an infectious disease outbreak. YOUR BEHAVIOR:
Know How to Relieve Stress You can manage and alleviate your stress by taking time to take care of yourself. KEEP THINGS IN PERSPECTIVE: Set limits on how much time you spend reading or watching news about the outbreak. You will want to stay up to date on news of the outbreak, particularly if you have loved ones in places where many people have gotten sick. But make sure to take time away from the news to focus on things in your life that are going well and that you can control. GET THE FACTS: Find people and resources you can depend on for accurate health information. Learn from them about the outbreak and how you can protect yourself against illness, if you are at risk. You may turn to your family doctor, a state or local health department, U.S. government agencies, or an international organization. Find reliable links to good sources of information about infectious disease outbreaks. Sources for Credible Outbreak- Related Health Information Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 1600 Clifton Road Atlanta, GA 30329-4027 1-800- CDC-INFO (1-800-232-4636) https://www .cdc.gov World Health Organization Regional Office for the Americas of the World Health Organization 525 23rd Street, NW Washington, DC 20037 202-974-3000 http://www .who.int/en Take Good Care of Yourself to Be Able to Take Care of Others KEEP YOURSELF HEALTHY:
USE PRACTICAL WAYS TO RELAX:
March Monthly Observances : Benefits and you Using Your Spending Accounts You have three options to use the balance in your Spending Accounts: 1. Smart-Choice Accounts Card If you are currently enrolled in a Flexible Spending Account (FSA) or Health Savings Account (HSA), you will use the Smart-Choice Accounts debit card to access both FSA/HSA funds and your HRA. If you are not currently enrolled in an FSA or HSA, you will receive a new Smart-Choice Accounts debit card in the mail to access earned well- being rewards. You must activate the card in order to use it to pay for eligible Medical, Dental, Prescription, and Vision expenses. Always be sure to save your receipts, as all Spending Accounts may require you to submit documentation. 2. Automatic Reimbursement If you select the automatic reimbursement method, your HRA and FSAs will automatically reimburse you (via check or direct deposit) whenever you have a claim for eligible Medical, Dental, Prescription, or Vision expenses under the Plan. Note that automatic reimbursement cannot be used for the HSA. 3. Submit Manual Claims You may submit eligible Medical, Dental, Prescription, and Vision claims for reimbursement online, by mail, or by fax. Visit the American Airlines Benefits Service Center Smart-Choice Accounts site or call Smart-Choice Accounts at 888-860-6178 for instructions and claim submission information. Health Care Flexible Spending Account (HCFSA) How the Health Care Flexible Spending Account (HCFSA) Works The HCFSA allows you to set aside money on a pre-tax basis to pay for eligible health care expenses. Paying for these expenses pre-tax helps reduce your taxes. : Local 591 EAP / Member Assistance Representatives Ken Morse- (815) 483-8585 - k.morse@local591.com National EAP and Benefits–Member Assistance Program Coordinator Hector Posa- (815) 323-9648 ORD MLS EAP-Member Assistance Peer Mark Smejkal- (847)757-1954- ORD EAP-Member Assistance Peer Tony Lepore- (940) 536-8817- t.lepore@local591.com National Benefits and EAP-Member Assistance Coordinator Danny Wilson-(631) 334-0933- d.wilson@local591.com Northeast Region Member Assistance Program EAP and Benefits Coordinator Rawle Skeet- (954) 559-7505- r.skeete@local591.com Southeast Region Member Assistance Program EAP and Benefits Coordinator Phil Revollo- (954) 665-7383 MIA EAP-Member Assistance Peer Sean Bruno- (310) 594-2025-s.bruno@local591.com West Region Member Assistance Program EAP and Benefits Coordinator Edwin Joseph- (310) 709-4755- jord352000@yahoo.com West Region Member Assistance Program EAP and Benefits peer Coordinator John Hadaway- (817) 637-8075- J.hadaway@local591.com Southwest Region Member Assistance Program (Terminal) EAP and Benefits Coordinator David San Miguel- (817) 875-5808- D.sanmiguel@local591.com Southwest Region Member Assistance Program (Hangar) EAP and Benefits Coordinator David Emerline- (469) 408-8197- EEMERLINEE07@YAHOO.COM Southwest Region Member Assistance Program (MLS) EAP and Benefits Peer Coordinator
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Local 591 EAP / Member Assistance Credit IAM EAP, LAP March 2020 Benzodiazepines might be a 'hidden element' of the US' overdose epidemic By Jen Christensen, CNN (excerpts)
Doctors have been increasingly prescribing benzodiazepines, also known as "benzos," in recent years. Looking at data from 2014 to 2016, new research found this class of central nervous system depressants was prescribed at about 65.9 million office-based doctor visits. That's a rate of 27 annual visits per 100 adults. It's not just opioids: What doctors want you to know about benzos Benzodiazepines such as alprazolam, diazepam and lorazepam can be helpful when taken on a short-term basis. Doctors often prescribe them to relieve acute anxiety, agitation or to help someone sleep. Taken over the long term, they can become addictive. In older adults, the drugs have been shown to increase the risk of falls, cloud judgment and impair memory. There is an increased risk of hospitalization and death for people who take benzos, particularly if they are taken with an opioid. Women sought these prescriptions more than men and the number of visits increased with age. Nearly half of benzo prescription visits were to a primary care provider. What stood out to Dr. Joanna Starrels was the number of elderly patients who were prescribed these drugs. "The most alarming finding in this study are the numbers about the elderly. This is the population that faces the most danger from the drugs," said Starrels, an associate professor in the department of medicine at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. "The elderly face an elevated risk of falls, confusion, cognitive impairment, in addition to overdose. These risks increase even more when elderly patients are co-prescribed benzodiazepines with opioids. This is the reason why societies like the American Geriatrics Society caution against them." Some analysts believe that while the over-prescription of opioids has gotten a lot of attention, the prescription of benzodiazepines has been overlooked and needs more attention, and more needs to be done to raise awareness among doctors about the potential problems associated with prescribing these drugs. Keith Humphreys, a psychologist at Stanford University, has studied the over-prescription of benzodiazepines. He called them "the "Rodney Dangerfield" of drugs -- benzodiazepines don't get the attention they deserve. "Maybe it's because a lot of people who are addicted to benzodiazepines are older, fewer are violent and it's not an addiction that will get noticed as much as people who are addicted to alcohol or meth or heroin, that have all kinds of impact on people around them, or maybe people think that since they come from a doctor they can't be all that bad," said Humphreys, who is not affiliated with the new study. But, benzodiazepines can be harmful, because doctors aren’t as aware of the effects of this drug classification. About 30% of what is labeled opioid overdose is actually opioid-benzodiazepine overdose, per National Institute on Drug abuse data. Humphreys, who also works at the Veterans Health Administration, said the system the agency uses helps prevent over-prescriptions of the drugs. If a Florida patient trips and falls in California, for example, a VA doctor can check "They could be prescribing these in good faith and don't realize the overlapping prescriptions," Humphreys said.
Seeking Treatment for Benzodiazepine Addiction DO NOT ATTEMPT to quit taking Benzodiazepine’s without the aid of a Doctor or appropriate medical professional. Withdrawal from benzodiazepines can have serious side effects such as seizures, insomnia, tremors, and hallucinations, and can even be fatal. In rare instances, seizures have even been reported with less than 15 days of benzodiazepine use at a therapeutic dose (meaning not using more than prescribed). Benzodiazepine substance abuse treatment typically starts in inpatient or outpatient
March Monthly Observances NATIONAL CAFFEINE AWARENESS MONTH https://nationaltoday.com/national-caffeine-awareness-month/ MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS AWARENESS MONTHhttps://www.everydayhealth.com/multiple-sclerosis/awareness-month/ NATIONAL COLORECTAL CANCER AWARENESS MONTHhttps://www.ccalliance.org/about/awareness-month : Benefits and you There has been questions about spending account. We will take the next few months defining each one in more detail, but this month let’s see an overview. All Spending Accounts may require you to submit substantiation for claims you have made. This should be in the form of a paid, itemized receipt from the provider. Credit card receipts are not accepted as proof of payment or substantiation. Explanation of Benefits (EOB) are accepted as proof of payment or substantiation, as long as you supply the complete EOB, including the footnotes. Please supply the required documentation when requested to avoid the claims being reversed. The Spending Accounts apply as follows:
: p Local 591 EAP / Member Assistance Representatives Ken Morse- (815) 483-8585 - k.morse@local591.com National EAP and Benefits–Member Assistance Program Coordinator Hector Posa- (815) 323-9648 ORD MLS EAP-Member Assistance Peer Mark Smejkal- (847)757-1954- ORD EAP-Member Assistance Peer Tony Lepore- (940) 536-8817- t.lepore@local591.com National Benefits and EAP-Member Assistance Coordinator Danny Wilson-(631) 334-0933- d.wilson@local591.com Northeast Region Member Assistance Program EAP and Benefits Coordinator Rawle Skeet- (954) 559-7505- r.skeete@local591.com Southeast Region Member Assistance Program EAP and Benefits Coordinator Phil Revollo- (954) 665-7383 MIA EAP-Member Assistance Peer Sean Bruno- (310) 594-2025-s.bruno@local591.com West Region Member Assistance Program EAP and Benefits Coordinator Edwin Joseph- (310) 709-4755- jord352000@yahoo.com West Region Member Assistance Program EAP and Benefits peer Coordinator John Hadaway- (817) 637-8075- J.hadaway@local591.com Southwest Region Member Assistance Program (Terminal) EAP and Benefits Coordinator David San Miguel- (817) 875-5808- D.sanmiguel@local591.com Southwest Region Member Assistance Program (Hangar) EAP and Benefits Coordinator David Emerline- (469) 408-8197- EEMERLINEE07@YAHOO.COM Southwest Region Member Assistance Program (MLS) EAP and Benefits Peer Coordinator
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2/24/20 To the Membership; : I have received a disturbing amount of calls from members who opted for a medical plan, High cost, Standard or Core and when they go to the doctor they find they are not in the plan they chose. I am asking every member to please go into JETNET or check their insurance card and make sure it is correct, I am also asking that every member find the copy they took when completing their enrollment and have this very important copy in hand, any questions please feel free to call. : Fraternally, : Tony Lepore National Benefits and EAP-Member Assistance Coordinator (940) 536-8817 t.lepore@local591.com : : Coronavirus Update:L Dr Mark Zablotsky brought this video to our attention, which features Dr Peter Lin explaining how the coronavirus spreads and what we must do to protect ourselves. Coronaviruses can cause mild to moderate upper respiratory illnesses like the common cold. Occasionally, they can cause lower respiratory tract illnesses like pneumonia or bronchitis –but this is more common with people who have underlying health conditions that have weakened their immune system. : : : : :
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: You may have heard Illinois is set to become the 11th state to legalize recreational marijuana. According to Illinoispolicy.org, “consumers aged 21 and older will be able to buy marijuana products from licensed sellers in Illinois – with or without a medical marijuana card.” This will start January 1, 2020. However, having marijuana or THC in your system as an employee of an airlines falls under the Department of Transportation's Zero Tolerance Drug and Alcohol Testing Policy https://www.transportation.gov/odapc/medical-marijuana-notice. Safety?sensitive transportation employees are pilots, school bus drivers, truck drivers, train engineers, subway operators, aircraft maintenance personnel, transit fire?armed security personnel, ship captains, and pipeline emergency response personnel, among others. Fleet service clerks are also considered safety?sensitive employees who have to follow the rules and regulations of the Department of Transportation. Even though Marijuana may be legal in your state, Marijuana use is still prohibited for all those that fall under the safety –sensitive category of the DOT. The main psychoactive (mind-altering) chemical in marijuana is THC, which is what they're looking for in a DOT drug test. A key issue involving marijuana is not legalization but workplace safety. You’re just not at 100% when under the influence of something that has mild psychedelic properties. Cambridge Dictionary defines psychedelic as: 'causing unusually strong experiences of color , sound , smell , taste , and touch , and other mental effects such as feelings of deep understanding or hallucination (imagining things that do not exist). Sounds like a pretty bad idea to be high or have THC in your system at work with airplanes, numerous vehicles and potentially dangerous equipment. If you have used marijuana, THC can remain in your system for up to 30 days and in some rare cases even longer. CBD oil is a chemical compound present in marijuana but more abundant in hemp -- cannabis plants that have little THC. Lately there's been a lot of talk of the benefits of using CBD oil for pain, insomnia, anxiety, and other health problems. There hasn’t been a study yet on whether or not that's true. CBD products are largely unregulated and for that reason the exact ingredients and levels of those ingredients may vary. Will it show up on a drug test? Maybe, maybe not. I wouldn't chance it. With prolonged use of CBD the small traces of THC may add up. Marijuana can interfere with safe and acceptable performance in the workplace. The best way to avoid all the complicated issues that come with testing positive for any drug usage is to come forward before anything happens. It doesn’t help to disclose your drug usage after an accident or before a drug test. For assistance please contact your EAP coordinators Ken Morse 815 483-8585 or Mark Smejkal 847 757-1954. You can also contact Emily Henry at American Airlines outsourced EAP service Optum at 773-686-4179 or call the EAP number on the back of your Bluecross/Blueshield card which is 1-800-363-7190. We're all trying to make it through the day in one piece. With a healthy and safe work environment it makes it possible to do so. Fraternally yours, The TWU ORD 591 EAP Coordinators Sources: Illinoispolicy.org https://www.transportation.gov/odapc/medical-marijuana-notice https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/psychedelic https://www.consumerreports.org/cbd/can-you-take-cbd-and-pass-a-drug-test/ TO: AA Local Presidents & Benefits Coordinators
FROM: Union Benefit Planners
As you know, the company created an extremely challenging situation when they discontinued TWU Voluntary Benefits payroll deduction. Due to payroll’s best estimate on processing time, we were given a suggested two payroll cycle window before Jetnet (for 1/1/20) would execute the payroll deduction change.
Unfortunately, in some cases, the deduction occurred more quickly than payroll had expected, causing an early payment to take place.
There are two options members can choose, if an early payment transpired. The first is to do nothing and allow your account to be one payment ahead. By doing this, it would give you a “one payment buffer” in the event there is a lapse of future payment . The second option is to manually skip a payment. To do this, you would go through the direct deposit process again, first by reducing the amount of deduction from the early payment to zero and then once that paycheck is processed, you will go back in and reinstate the direct deposit withdrawal amount again, to ensure future premium payments are once again deducted.
We thank you in advance for your patience as we work are working through this transition.
:: All
on an unprecedented chain of events, American Airlines payroll has done done something unbelievable, they were early, people are now being double charged for their TWU voluntary benefits, it is already in work on how we are going to repair this.
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Merry Christmas and happy new year to all
Anthony Lepore.
Local 591 National Benefits Coordinator
EAP/MAP Coordinator
940-536-8817
: TWU VOL BENEFITS DIRECT DEPOSITE TRANSITION UPDATE : To the membership: As we navigate through the tedious process of direct deposit due to the company removal of the TWU VOL BENEFIT line, we would ask for your patience as we try to find the best solutions going forward. Please do not put any personal banking information into the “Routing” or “Account” spaces. Individual routing and account numbers will be provided for each member so no personal accounts will have to be used. And as a reminder, LTD benefits are NOT being affected by this direct deposit process. Please contact your EAP/Benefits rep for assistance. Fraternally, Tony Lepore National Benefits and EAP-Member Assistance Coordinator (940) 536-8817 : : Local 591 EAP / Member Assistance Representatives Ken Morse- (815) 483-8585 - k.morse@local591.com National EAP and Benefits–Member Assistance Program Coordinator Hector Posa- (815) 323-9648 ORD MLS EAP-Member Assistance Peer Mark Smejkal- (847)757-1954- ORD EAP-Member Assistance Peer Tony Lepore- (940) 536-8817- t.lepore@local591.com National Benefits and EAP-Member Assistance Coordinator Danny Wilson-(631) 334-0933- d.wilson@local591.com Northeast Region Member Assistance Program EAP and Benefits Coordinator Rawle Skeet- (954) 559-7505- r.skeete@local591.com Southeast Region Member Assistance Program EAP and Benefits Coordinator Phil Revollo- (954) 665-7383 MIA EAP-Member Assistance Peer Sean Bruno- (310) 594-2025-s.bruno@local591.com West Region Member Assistance Program EAP and Benefits Coordinator Edwin Joseph- (310) 709-4755- jord352000@yahoo.com West Region Member Assistance Program EAP and Benefits peer Coordinator John Hadaway- (817) 637-8075- J.hadaway@local591.com Southwest Region Member Assistance Program (Terminal) EAP and Benefits Coordinator David San Miguel- (817) 875-5808- D.sanmiguel@local591.com Southwest Region Member Assistance Program (Hangar) EAP and Benefits Coordinator David Emerline- (469) 408-8197- EEMERLINEE07@YAHOO.COM Southwest Region Member Assistance Program (MLS) EAP and Benefits Peer Coordinator : : Technical Difficulties with the Direct Deposit Transition :
Due to technical difficulties, the direct deposit transition is on hold. Please check back periodically for updates. We will send out an email when the site has been restored. Please accept our apologies for this inconvenience. : This will be put on our TWU Benefits website and be emailed out to everyone that has updated their account with their email address on our TWU Benefits website. : Please forward to your membership so members are not missed along, with our updated DIRECT DEOPIST FLOW CHART. : Thanks! Shawnya Canfield Office Manager LTD/STD Coordinator Transport Workers Union of America Local 513 759 N. Kimball Ave Southlake TX, 76092 Main Line 817-481-5533 Direct Line 817-756-1452 Fax 817-329-0270 : : : Quick Direct Deposit Transition Instructions Please use these instructions to maintain your TWU- Sponsored Benefits : : Ken Morse- (815) 483-8585 - k.morse@local591.com National EAP and Benefits–Member Assistance Program Coordinator Hector Posa- (815) 323-9648 ORD MLS EAP-Member Assistance Peer Mark Smejkal- (847)757-1954- ORD EAP-Member Assistance Peer Tony Lepore- (940) 536-8817- t.lepore@local591.com National Benefits and EAP-Member Assistance Coordinator Danny Wilson-(631) 334-0933- d.wilson@local591.com Northeast Region Member Assistance Program EAP and Benefits Coordinator Rawle Skeet- (954) 559-7505- r.skeete@local591.com Southeast Region Member Assistance Program EAP and Benefits Coordinator Phil Revollo- (954) 665-7383 MIA EAP-Member Assistance Peer Sean Bruno- (310) 594-2025-s.bruno@local591.com West Region Member Assistance Program EAP and Benefits Coordinator Edwin Joseph- (310) 709-4755- jord352000@yahoo.com West Region Member Assistance Program EAP and Benefits peer Coordinator John Hadaway- (817) 637-8075- J.hadaway@local591.com Southwest Region Member Assistance Program (Terminal) EAP and Benefits Coordinator David San Miguel- (817) 875-5808- D.sanmiguel@local591.com Southwest Region Member Assistance Program (Hangar) EAP and Benefits Coordinator David Emerline- (469) 408-8197- EEMERLINEE07@YAHOO.COM Southwest Region Member Assistance Program (MLS) EAP and Benefits Peer Coordinator :TWU TWU Vol Benefits Link https://www.twuaaunionbenefits.com/index.cfm :
STD Enrollment Form tttTWt: EAP News Letter
March 30, 2018, To the Membership, The EAP/MAP Team would like to take this time to inform our membership about the opioid epidemic and give some supporting documentation. With the US DOT updated drug testing regulations in full swing, Please take time to review this information and any problems please contact your EAP/MAP Team at your convenience.
Insurance Links & Forms Company Met Life Short TermDisability Claim form Continental American Insurance-Critical Illness Claim Form Lincoin Critical Illness Insurance Plan-Coverage Summary Union Benefits Planners- Standard Disability Plan-Request For Surrender Absense and Return to Center Policy Retiree Personal Data Change Form The Local 591 EAP / Member Assistance Program is committed to assisting members and their families, with all their needs including but not limited to: Drugs, Alcohol, Depression, Bi-Polar Disorder and Marriage & Family needs. When necessary we have qualified professional we can refer you to who will address your needs accordingly. We can also assist you with benefit questions; including your AA, STD, LTD, FMLA and IOD or other benefits needs.
Page Last Updated: Mar 27, 2020 (08:42:00)
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EAP March Special 2020 News Letter.pdf
TOS 2001-02 Coronavirus.pdf
TWU STD BHS.PDF
January 2019 proto.docx
2018 TWU Annual Conference - True-up Match scenarios - FINAL.xlsx
TWU-ATD Payroll Authorization Form 2018.doc
