UPMC for Life Dual (HMO SNP) Plan and UPMC Community HealthChoices Plan Caring for Life Newsletter

CARING FOR LIFE • Issue One • 2022 5 Stop by your local UPMC Health Plan Connect Center anytime for personal assistance with your UPMC for Life coverage and benefits or join us at any of the upcoming health and wellness events listed below. Visit upmchp.us/community-events for complete event details. Staying in Touch is now in person, in your community Our in-person Staying in Touch events take place monthly at a Connect Center near you. Get information on your plan benefits, learn about health and wellness tips from experts, receive free preventive screenings, and enjoy light refreshments and coffee. Join us to connect, chat, and get your questions answered. Digital Connections Get hands-on training to learn how to use the free digital health care tools available to you. We’ll provide an overview of the UPMC Health Plan app, My Health OnLine, UPMC AnywhereCare, MyUPMC, and RxWell. We’ll also help you set up a customized digital experience based on your needs! Reservations are required. To learn how to RSVP, visit upmchp.us/community-events. Check Your Fit First Fridays Join us for our Check Your Fit First Fridays events taking place monthly at a Connect Center near you. Health educators will answer health-related questions and distribute literature. Plus, free preventive screenings will be available for members. Virtual events Staying in Touch Can’t make it to an in-person event? Don’t worry! Join us for one of our virtual Staying in Touch events instead. You can get information on your plan benefits and learn about health and wellness topics from experts without leaving home. Join by phone or online! Thursday, May 5 • Thursday, June 2 • Thursday, July 7 Two easy ways to participate on the day of the virtual event: Call 1-855-962-1209 (no PIN required). Go to upmchealthplan.com/intouch. All virtual Staying in Touch events will start at noon. If you can’t make it to the live event, you can watch any of our past events at upmchealthplan.com/intouch. Powerful Tools for Caregivers Join our online series of Powerful Tools for Caregivers classes from home. Two experienced class leaders will walk you through interactive lessons, discussions, and brainstorming sessions that will help you build the skills you need to thrive as a caregiver. Classes are held once a week for six weeks. To participate, you will need a valid email address and a computer with a camera and microphone. See the upcoming class schedule at upmchp.us/ community-events. To sign up for an online caregiver class, call the phone number on your member ID card. Space for each class is limited! Please make sure you can commit to attending all six sessions. Online Cell phone / Call UPMC Health Plan Connect Center events You might think eating healthy means eating plain, uninteresting, unsatisfying food. You also might think managing your weight means hours sweating at the gym and swearing off your favorite dishes. None of these thoughts is true! You can reach a healthy weight and stay there by eating right and being physically active. To stay at a healthy weight, you need to balance the number of calories you eat with the number of calories you burn during physical activity. ALL physical activity helps burn calories, so look for opportunities to add extra movement into your day. You could take the stairs instead of an escalator, park farther away from the store, or even just exercise your arms while watching TV. It all adds up! To work on your nutrition, you can make a few simple changes to your diet that won’t bust your budget or add hours of cooking to your day: • Add and subtract —Cut down on less nutritious foods (like white bread, rice, processed meats, and soft drinks) and replace them with fresh fruit and vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins like fish and skinless chicken. • Smart substitutes —If you find yourself reaching for a bag of chips or a pint of ice cream, replace them with healthier, but still satisfying, options. Choose baked or black bean chips for your crunchy cravings. Try frozen yogurt for your sweet tooth. • Show your skills —Many nutritious foods can be tasty if you learn to prepare them in the right ways. Roasting vegetables, broiling fish, and adding herbs and spices to brown rice can turn a healthy dish into a new favorite. Check out choosemyplate.gov for ideas on building healthy meals. Changing how you choose and prepare foods and increasing physical activity can lead to a major improvement in your health—and your waistline. Good nutrition and weight management go hand in hand!