Below is a bulletin with information for your employees. Please post the employee bulletin in an area where your employees can see it easily.

See the attached 2013 Health Observances Calendar for significant health related events throughout the year.

See the attached document for a table of IRS indexed figures for 2013 in comparison to 2012 figures.

We are pleased to share with you that Express Scripts and Walgreens have finally reached an agreement for Walgreens to participate as an in-network retail pharmacy and as a result our members will be able to use their pharmacy benefit at Walgreens stores beginning September 15, 2012.

Blue Shield of California has secured new agreements with University of California providers that include reasonable rates. Please read on for specifics.

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) requires employers to report the aggregate cost of employer-sponsored group health coverage on employees’ Forms W-2. The purpose of the reporting requirement is to inform employees about the cost of their health coverage. The reporting does not cause employees’ health coverage to become taxable to them.

A number of legal challenges to the health care reform law have been filed in federal court since the law was passed in March 2010. Nearly all of the challenges have been based on constitutional grounds. So far, four U.S. Courts of Appeals - the 4th, 6th, 11th and D.C. Circuits - have ruled on challenges to the health care reform law. Two of the courts have upheld the law, one has not and one has ruled that the plaintiff did not have standing to bring a challenge.

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) requires employers to report the aggregate cost of employersponsored group health plan coverage on their employees’ Forms W-2. The purpose of the reporting requirement is to provide information to employees regarding how much their health coverage costs.

Opening November 2011 - The Blue Shield Store, where members can come for face-to-face service and support. The new San Francisco-based Blue Shield Store is a pilot program aimed at providing members a personal approach to their health plan. Members can come in and talk with a Blue Shield associate when they need answers about their coverage.

Blue Shield is pleased to announce that they have a new two-year agreement with Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula Community Hospital (or CHOMP), effective January 1, 2011, which makes access to quality care more affordable for members of both Blue Shield of California and Blue Shield of California Life & Health Insurance Company (Blue Shield Life) plans. The new agreement adds many CHOMP based physicians who are now Blue Shield innetwork providers for specialties such as radiology, radiation oncology, pathology, psychiatry, and emergency medicine.

The Department of HHS issued two rules addressing the preventative care requirements in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). Health Insurance plans must cover birth control as preventive care for women without cost sharing. This requirement is part of the PPACA legislation passed March 23, 2010. The guidelines will provide coverage for women’s preventive care under the health care law. These coverage guidelines are, in effect, as of August 1, 2011, although compliance is not required until the renewal date of the plan following August 1, 2012.

On June 28, 2012, the last day of its current term, the U.S. Supreme Court announced its decision on the constitutionality of the health care reform law. The Court upheld the entire law, holding that Congress acted within its constitutional authority when enacting the individual mandate. This means that the health care reform law will continue to be implemented as planned and provisions that are already effective will continue.

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) requires employers to report the aggregate cost of employersponsored group health plan coverage on their employees’ Forms W-2. The purpose of the reporting requirement is to provide information to employees regarding how much their health coverage costs.

The Internal Revenue Service today issued the 2013 optional standard mileage rates used to calculate the deductible costs of operating an automobile for business, charitable, medical or moving purposes.

Effective immediately, employers are required to provide a reasonable space and time for nursing mothers for one year after their child’s birth. This space must be an enclosed location, other than a restroom, and protected from intrusion of the public and coworkers.

Everyone makes food choices in different ways. For some, it is more than simply out of hunger or craving; their food choices are a way of life.

Preventive care, including regular doctor visits, is important for everyone. The following screenings are recommended for men to maintain good health and catch health problems early.

The brain’s capacity is enormous, yet many scientists suggest that we only use a small percentage of our brain. What are you doing to maximize your brain's potential?

Though the common cold and seasonal influenza share several symptoms, there are points of differentiation that will help you identify which you may have and seek proper treatment. It is important to tell the difference, as the flu can result in more serious health complications, while the cold likely will not.

Maintaining good posture is a simple yet effective way to keep the structures in the back and spine in good working order. In fact, good posture and back support are essential in reducing back and neck pain. Even sitting at a desk all day can wreak havoc on the back and neck, and result in painful strains.