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Fitness Get In The Habit Of Health Health Care Costs Continue fo Rise It’s no secret medical costs have been rising steadily, along with fuel, clothes, groceries and just about everything else. What isn’t so clear is who is paying for these increased ex penses. Clinton Mills group insurance, through Provident Life and Casualty is provided to eligible associates. Depen dent coverage is provided, also. As costs keep going up, Clinton Mills will keep looking for ways to hold down expenses while still providing excellent health care coverage. But there are also steps that you and your family can take to keep the lid on the medical expenses. • Learn the danger signs of illness and see your doctor early for medical attention. Ask your doctor questions about your treatment and any medi cines prescribed. Prices vary on prescription drugs so ask your doctor to prescribe generic drugs instead of a brand name, whenever possible. • If a hospital is recommended, ask your doctor which tests can be done more economically ahead of time on an outpatient basis. • Try to keep your hospital stay to a minimum. Know your discharge date and check out early enough to avoid be ing charged for an additional day. • If you decide to have surgery, ask about outpatient care surgery and treatment. Many minor surgical pro cedures can be safely performed without hospitalization. • Before going to the hospital, talk with your insurance claims coordinator about benefits and insurance claims processing. This can be very helpful and he can answer any questions you may have about claims processing. • Don’t forget to add dependents when they are eligible and to drop dependents when they are ineligible. You could be paying extra premium when an ineligible dependent is not dropped from coverage. • Filing all claims with insurance claims coordinator as soon as possible and giving all information requested will result in better insurance service. Keep Personnel Records Current In order to keep personnel records and benefits accurate, it is important that you notify your personnel director should any of the following information change or need correction: *Your Name *Your Address *Your Social Security Number *Your Marital Status "Your Number of Dependents *Your Beneficiary Designation(s) — insurance, pension plan, savings, etc. *Your Payroll Deductions — in surance, Credit Association, contribu tions to United Way. ♦Keep insurance records current, be ing sure to include newborns, mar riages, etc. Help your personnel director to en sure that your records always reflect up-to-date, accurate information about you and that you receive all of the benefits to which you are entitled. Changes in your lifestyle can help make your body and mind a lot healthier. Following are some sugges tions you can follow to help you stay well. What you eat and drink play an im portant role in your overall health. Eat a variety of foods each day from these food groups: • fruit/vegetables • meat/protein • bread/cereal • dairy Cut down on sugar by limiting soft drinks and all kinds of “sweets.” Choose low-fat dairy products and eat more fish and poultry (without the skin). Increase your fiber by choosing more whole-grain cereals and breads, dried beans, lentils and fruits and vegetables (with the skin). Stay physically fit through regular exercise. However, PLEASE MAKE SURE TO CONSULT YOUR DOCTOR BEFORE STARTING ANY EXER CISE PROGRAM. Regular exercise Campaign One out of three people in Laurens County used a United Way Agency last year. Your Contribution Supports: • Battered women • Abused children • Rehabilitation for ex-offenders • Mental health patients • Speech & hearing problems • Stranded travelers • Autistic Children • Rape victims • Cancer patients • The handicapped • Cerebral palsy programs can help you look good ana teei your best. Choose exercises to improve your strength, endurance and flexibility. Set a goal to exercise for at least 20 minutes three or more times per week. Begin slowly...and gradually increase how often and how hard you exercise. Just as important—stay emotionally healthy. Good mental health is essen tial to wellness. Some tips for good emotional help include the following: • Express your feelings instead of keeping them bottled up inside. • Set realistic goals. • Don’t expect the impossible, and try not to do too much at one time. • Keep a good sense of humor. Laughter can be the best medicine when everything seems to be going wrong. • Think positively. You’ll get more enjoyment out of life. Get in the HABIT of good health by following these important tips every day of your life! Goal $450, • Meals for Senior Citizens • Family counseling • Homemaker Services for Senior Citizens • Occupational therapy • Food for the hungry • Programs for retarded adults and children • Education on Aids • Shelter for the homeless • Suicide prevention • Emergency home for abused and neglected children • First aid and CPR training • Recreation programs for youth Summary Annual Report The Clinton Mills, Inc. Group Insurance Plan This is a summary of the annual report for the Clinton Mills, Inc. Group In surance Plan, EIN 57-0836044, for January 1, 1989, to December 31, 1989. The annual report has been filed with the Internal Revenue Service, as required under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA). Insurance Information For the period covered by this report, life and health claims were paid by Pro vident Life & Accident Insurance Company. The total amount paid to Provident which was required to fund the Plan was $4,770,709. Your Rights to Additional Information You have the right to receive a copy of the full annual report, or any part thereof, on request. Included in the annual report is insurance information provided by Provident. To obtain a copy of the full annual report, or any part thereof, write to the office of Pauline S. McLendon, who is the plan administrator. The charge to cover copy ing costs will be $1.50 for the full annual report, or $.25 per page for any part thereof. You also have the legally protected right to examine the annual report at Clin ton Mills, Inc., 600 Academy Street, Clinton, SC 29325, and at the U. S. Depart ment of Labor in Washington, DC, or to obtain a copy from the U. S. Department of Labor upon payment of copying costs. Requests to the Department should be addressed to Public Disclosure Room, N4677, Pension and Welfare Benefit Pro grams, U. S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue, N. W, Washington, DC 20216. For assistance in obtaining a copy of available information, contact someone in the personnel office in your area. Pauline S. McLendon Financial Administrator Clinton Mills Drawer 1215 Clinton, SC 29325 page 6 - Cloth Maker Claims Procedures Improved In an effort to contain our health care administrative costs, it has been necessary that we improve our pro cedure for handling Prescription Drugs and Doctor’s Office Visit Claims. PROVIDENT makes a charge to us for each health insurance claim pro cessed, regardless of the amount of the benefit payment and even if there is no benefit payment. In some instances the cost of an Explanation of Benefit State ment (EOB) equals or exceeds the amount of a small claim. Employees should observe the fol lowing procedures for filing claims: 1. Claims should not be submitted for Prescription Drugs or Doctor’s Office Visits until the $200 deductible has been satisfied. If a claim(s) are received and the $200 deductible has not been satisfied they will be returned to you, the insured. 2. Once the $200 deductible has been satisfied, additional claims can be sub mitted, but only when they exceed $50. Claims not meeting this requirement will be returned to you. 3. Claims that do not exceed $50 can be filed at the end of each calendar quarter (March, June, September, December). 4. If your spouse is employed with another company and his/her group plan pays as primary on him/her or pays primary on a covered dependent child, you will be required to submit a copy of the primary carrier’s Explana tion of Benefits (EOB) along with the claim in order for PROVIDENT to coordinate your benefits with his/her benefits. As customary, the following types of expenses should be filed immediately by you or the provider of the service. 1. Claims for treatment of a non- occupational injury. 2. Claims for out-patient diagnostic laboratory and x-ray examinations (DXL). 3. Claims for pre-admission testing (PAT). 4. Claims for second surgical opinion. 5. Claims for surgery performed on an out-patient basis. 6. Claims for any medical expenses for which you have authorized payment directly to the hospital or doctor. If you have any questions or desire any additional information regarding the subject, please feel free to call Mr. Truman Owens in the Personnel Office. 091.00 • Classes for the Blind including Braille • Disaster help • Camping for underprivileged • Mental health education • Senior citizens’ activities • Parenting classes • Community services planning • Juvenile delinquency prevention • Transportation for medical needs • Assistance for Blind persons • Volunteer placement • Character building for youth (See GOAL, page 7)