For Your Benefit Magazine — Spring 2023

Why did Tykar Williams begin his health journey and join WeightWatchers ®?

Weight loss and pain-free knees have allowed Tykar to fully engage in life.

Find out more on page 7

CONTENTS

3 Message from the Executive Director

4 WHY are you taking your health journey?

4 A Message from Dr. Van H. Dunn, Chief Medical Officer

4 Dr. Dunn’s Shrimp, Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

5 Healthy eating is a great way to start your wellness journey!

5 The WeightWatchers® advantage

6 Everything is on the menu at WW

7 Featured Member: Tykar Williams

8 Supporting Each Other at LI Community Hospital: Joanne Rosso and Salvatore Oliveri

9 Introducing Virta—and a chance to reverse your Type 2 diabetes!

9 New Benefit: Teladoc Primary360

10 Visit the Healthy Living Resource Center 10

CONTENIDOS

15 Carta de la Directora Ejecutiva

16 ¿POR QUÉ eligen su camino saludable?

16 Un mensaje del Dr. Van H. Dunn, director médico ejecutivo

16 Gumbo de mamá con camarones, pollo y salchicha del Dr. Dunn

17 ¡Comer de manera saludable es una excelente forma de comenzar su camino hacia una vida saludable!

17 La ventaja de WeightWatchers®

18 Con WeightWatchers, todo está en el menú

19 Miembro Destacado: Tykar Williams

20 Apoyándonos unos a otros en LI Community Hospital: Joanne Rosso y Salvatore Oliveri

21 ¡Presentación de Virta y una oportunidad para revertir la diabetes tipo 2!

21 Nuevo beneficio: Teladoc Primary360

22 Visite el Centro de Recursos de Vida Saludable

22 ¡Obtenga la aplicación móvil MyAccount!

22 FindHelp lo conecta con recursos comunitarios

23 Encuentre sanación emocional en el próximo taller de bienestar en línea

23 Únase a nuestros NUEVOS seminarios web de cuidado prenatal

24 Mejore su salud financiera

24 ¡Obtenga el cálculo de su pensión!

25 Ayuda de los Fondos de Capacitación y Empleo Usted progresa en su carrera de atención de la salud

26 El FALC celebra el aprendizaje en la 27.ª Feria Anual de Ciencias

The National Benefit Fund believes it is a “grandfathered health plan” under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (the “Affordable Care Act”). A grandfathered health plan can preserve certain basic health coverage that was already in effect when that law was enacted in 2010. Being a grandfathered health plan means that this plan may not include certain consumer protections of the Affordable Care Act that apply to other plans, for example, the requirement for an external review process for claims appeals. However, grandfathered health plans must comply with certain other consumer protections in the Affordable Care Act, for example, the elimination of lifetime limits on benefits. The Wage Class III plan is not a grandfathered health plan. Questions regarding which protections apply and which protections do not apply to a grandfathered health plan can be directed to the Plan Administrator at (646) 473-9200. You may also contact the Employee Benefits Security Administration, U.S. Department of Labor at (866) 444-3272 or www.dol.gov/agencies/ebsa/ about-ebsa/ask-a-question/ask-ebsa. This website has a table summarizing which protections do and do not apply to grandfathered health plans.

El Fondo Nacional de Beneficios considera que es un “plan de salud de derechos adquiridos” en virtud de lo estipulado en la Ley de Medidas de Protección del Paciente y Cuidado de Bajo Costo (la “Ley de Cuidado de Bajo Costo”). Un plan de salud de derechos adquiridos puede preservar cierta cobertura médica básica que ya se encontraba en efecto cuando se aprobó esa ley en 2010. Dicho plan no puede incluir determinadas protecciones al consumidor señaladas en la Ley de Cuidado de Bajo Costo que se aplican a otros planes, por ejemplo, el requisito de un proceso de revisión externa para las apelaciones de las reclamaciones. Sin embargo, los planes de salud de derechos adquiridos deben cumplir con otras protecciones para el consumidor establecidas en la Ley de Cuidado de Bajo Costo, por ejemplo, la eliminación de los límites de por vida de los beneficios. El plan de Salario de Clase III no es un plan de salud de derechos adquiridos. Si tiene preguntas acerca de cuáles protecciones se aplican a un plan de salud de derechos adquiridos y cuáles no, puede comunicarse con el administrador del plan al (646) 473-9200. También puede comunicarse con la Administración para la Seguridad de los Beneficios del Empleado del Departamento de Trabajo de los EE. UU. por teléfono al (866) 444-3272 o visitando el sitio web www.dol.gov/agencies/ ebsa/es/about-ebsa/ask-a-question/hace-una-pregunta. Allí, encontrará una tabla en la que se resumen cuáles protecciones se aplican a los planes de salud de derechos adquiridos y cuáles no.

Message from the Executive Director

Dear 1199SEIU Members,

At the end of last year, I asked you to join me in taking a health journey in 2023. Why? Because good health is the key to unlocking life’s joys. Leading a healthier life gives us the opportunity to live a more fruitful, happier life that we can share with the people we love. Although each person’s journey is different, they all start with taking that first step. I took my first step—along with more than 3,600 of you—by signing up for WeightWatchers®, our new wellness benefit.

Like many of you, I have good days and difficult days. I know it can seem intimidating to stretch yourselves when you already do so much. But taking the time to care for yourself is empowering, and it’s something that is within our control. When we ask ourselves “Why” is living a healthier life important—we can use the answer as motivation to start and stay on our health journey.

I believe life is precious. We only get one life to live. And that is the inspiration behind my “Why.” My “Why” is that I want to make the best of the one life I’ve been given. And for me that means living a long life to be here with my loved ones. Although longevity runs in my family, it is up to me to care for my health and give my body—my temple—the best chance of fulfilling my “Why.”

I would love to take this health journey with all of you, who give of yourselves every day to care for others. So, let’s do it! Together!

In this edition of For Your Benefit, we share healthy eating tips and information about programs that will support you on

your journey. You will hear from three members who joined WeightWatchers and are ready to share their “Whys.” In addition, we explore the idea of “food as medicine” and that what we eat has the power to help us feel better and live longer, fuller lives.

Additionally, for those who are living with Type 2 diabetes, we are pleased to introduce you to Virta, an alternative nutritional program to help reverse the condition of Type 2 diabetes.

So, I hope that you take a moment to read through this edition of For Your Benefit. And, wherever you are in your health journey, join me and many others in taking these steps: answering our “Why,” setting achievable goals, signing up for WeightWatchers and our other Healthy Living programs, and celebrating all of our victories great and small!

In good health,

Donna Rey, EdD Executive Director and CEO 1199SEIU Benefit and Pension Funds

P.S., Our Healthy Living Resource Center is also a good place to find information on all the programs that are available to help get you started on your health journey—so please visit www.1199SEIUBenefits.org/ HealthyLiving regularly to discover all that it has to offer.

P.P.S., Also, we asked WeightWatchers to create our own 1199ers group in the WW app, and they did. If you joined WeightWatchers, I hope you will find me there and share your tips, recipes and achievements.

Although each person’s journey is different, they all start with taking that first step. I took my first step—along with more than 3,600 of you— by signing up for WeightWatchers® , our new wellness benefit.

WHY are you taking your health journey?

Whether you are just starting out, or you have been at it for a while, ask yourself, WHY am I on this journey? What will make you happy and what will it take for you to unlock your life’s joys? Tykar Wiliams was motivated by his children. Being healthy allows him to fully engage in life and spend more time with them. Read more about his and some of your fellow 1199ers’ WHYs in this issue.

What’s your WHY? Let us know and we’ll enter you in a raffle to win some swag! You can share your WHY on our Healthy Living Resource Center.

Visit www.1199SEIUBenefits.org/HealthyLiving to let us know!

A Message from Dr. Van H. Dunn, Chief Medical Officer

We all know that what we eat affects how we feel physically. But did you know that what we eat also impacts our mental and emotional health? In fact, studies have found that a diet consisting of mainly whole, unprocessed foods can help lower the risk of depression, anxiety and even attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Good food makes us feel good. Let’s face it. Eating the foods that we grew up with keeps us connected to who we are, our families and our heritage. We just need to make the foods that we love healthier. And we can. Not only am I a doctor, but I am a cook. I love to prepare meals for my family, especially around the holidays. Over the years, I have learned to introduce healthy swaps for certain ingredients in my traditional Haitian-Creole dishes, like substituting plant-based sausage for pork sausage or changing some of my preparation methods, like baking instead of frying. I have also tried new ingredients, like flaxseed, which can stabilize blood sugar levels, reduce blood pressure, lower cholesterol levels and improve our mood! It has a mild, nutty flavor with a crisp, crunchy consistency and can be added to almost any breakfast or baked good. I use it in smoothies, oatmeal, cereals and on occasion muffins that I like to bake with my daughter.

As your Benefit Fund doctor, I really encourage you to try new ingredients and learn simple, healthy food swaps, like replacing white rice with brown rice, quinoa or even a sweet potato.

You can find more healthy swaps at our Healthy Living Resource Center at www.1199SEIUBenefits.org/ HealthyEating/#smart-bites

Dr. Dunn’s Shrimp, Chicken and Sausage Gumbo fromMom

3 main ingredients plus everyday pantry items and veggies

Serves 6-8 people

Gumbo—5-7 points per serving ½ cup of rice—3 points

Ingredients

½ cup of all-purpose flour

1 pound of plant-based Impossible Italian link sausage, cut in half-inch pieces

1 pound of chicken breasts, cut in 1-inch pieces

1 pound of medium-size shrimp

1 cup of diced onion

½ cup of diced celery

½ cup of diced green peppers

2 tablespoons of minced garlic

1 tablespoon of kosher salt

½ teaspoon of ground black pepper

1 teaspoon of fresh thyme, chopped

1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper

2 bay leaves

1 tablespoon of file powder (spicy herb) or corn starch

6 cups of chicken broth (you can use fat-free)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400ºF.

2. Pour flour into a baking pan and bake for about 20 minutes. You will need to stir the flour every 5 minutes until it is dark brown in color.

3. In large non-stick pan coated with vegetable cooking spray, cook the Impossible sausage until crispy brown.

4. Use same non-stick pan and spray again with cooking spray. Add the chicken and cook, stirring until it begins to brown.

5. Add the onion, garlic, green peppers, and celery to the same pan, cooking until tender.

6. Stir in the browned flour.

7. Add the chicken broth, thyme, cayenne, salt, pepper and bay leaves.

8. Bring to boil, and then lower the heat and simmer until chicken is tender. This usually takes about 30 minutes.

9. Add the sausage and shrimp and continue to cook for about 5 more minutes.

10. Stir in file powder or corn starch in to thicken.

11. Serve over rice. I like wild or brown rice, but you can also use red. The magic is not in the rice but in the flavors of the gumbo—enjoy!

Healthy eating is a great way to start your wellness journey!

You’ve probably heard the expression “You are what you eat.” It’s true! The foods we put in our bodies help us live longer, fuller lives by building and repairing cells, and a well-balanced diet supports our bodies and minds in so many other ways. Healthy eating builds strong bones and muscles, aids digestion, boosts mood and provides the energy we need to to be there for the people we love. It also strengthens the immune system that can protect us from developing medical conditions such as heart disease, Type 2 diabetes and some cancers.

The WeightWatchers advantage

Eating a healthy diet can be a challenge, so to support you on your journey, the Benefit Fund has partnered with WeightWatchers to offer you a discounted—or no-cost— membership. Sign up today for the program that can help you reach your goals with meal planning and tracking tools, more than 12,000 nutritious and tasty recipes, and even a special 1199ers-only social network to help you achieve your goals!

Sign up today

Download the WeightWatchers app and sign up for our Premium program, which includes:

• In-person or virtual workshops with a health coach

• Meal and activity tracking

• On-demand fitness and mindfulness videos

• Access to chat with health coaches 24/7 for unlimited support or to answer questions

• A social network designed just for 1199SEIU members—join the 1199ers group

• Lifetime free membership for those who reach their goal weight

Visit

www.1199SEIUBenefits.org/ww to sign up today.

Tried WW and left? Come back and try again!

Maybe you checked it out and thought it wasn’t for you or you weren’t ready for it yet. That’s okay. The good news is our partnership with WeightWatchers is ongoing, so you can come back and renew your membership when you are ready. It’s there for you when you need it.

WeightWatchers has so much to offer!

Nutrition made easy—Get meal-planning tools and 12,000-plus recipes.

An award-winning app—Tap into tracking tools, on-demand workouts, meditations, five-minute audio coaching sessions and more.

1199ers Group—Connect with fellow members to share tips, celebrate wins, get wellness advice from WW Coach Ang and work toward your goals with others on the same journey.

Still not sure?

Don’t take our word for it. Hear what some of your fellow members have to say about WeightWatchers on pages 7 & 8.

Everything is on the menu at

With WeightWatchers, everything is on the menu. Their Points system helps you develop healthy habits while still making room for the foods you love. Every food and beverage get a point value based on its overall nutritional benefit. Depending on your weight and goals, you get a points budget at the start of each week with daily points along with additional weekly ones to use whenever you want. So, go ahead and order that pizza if you want it. Instead of two slices, maybe eat just one for 9 points, with a large side of grilled vegetables for zero points! You can eat as many zeropoint foods as you want, and there are more than 200 zero-point food options available.

Learn more about the WeightWatchers Points system by watching Coach Ang or Coach Gigi in a Benefit Fund-recorded KickerStarter session at www.1199SEIUBenefits.org/ww-kickstart-orientation-video.

Not ready to join WW yet?

Maybe joining WW is too big a leap for your first step. That’s okay, WW will be here when you are ready for it! In the meantime, you can find our Special Edition of For Your Benefit online that features information and tools you can use to start your health journey at www.1199SEIUBenefits.org/fyb-special-edition

When work is stressful, schedules are packed and pizza delivery seems so appealing, go ahead and order !

Tykar Williams is a physical therapy technician who’s been with Mount Sinai Health System for over 25 years. He noticed over time that he had put on weight. His casual observation turned to concern last summer, when his primary care physician told him he had prediabetes.

Weight loss and pain-free knees have allowed Tykar to fully engage in life.

“I feel more energetic now, so I can spend more time with my kids,” he says. “I can even go to hip-hop concerts as often as I like. It’s great!”

“I wanted to be the best version of myself again and avoid unexpected things sneaking up on me,” Tykar says. Following his doctor’s recommendations, he changed his diet—cutting down on fast food and eating more fruits and salads. Then he started exercising, going to the gym and walking more. It wasn’t long before he began to see results, which he calls lifechanging. “When I started losing weight,” he explains, “I felt less pressure on my knees, like I was turning back the clock. I started to look better and feel better.”

Tykar has lost over 50 pounds and has no intention of looking back. That’s why he joined WeightWatchers through the Benefit Fund’s new partnership. “Having lost that weight, I want to do what I can to keep it off,” he says. He particularly likes the WeightWatchers app, which helps him track his meals using the Points® system. “That system guides me to choose healthy options,” he says. “The meal I’m thinking of may not be worth the points! Plus, it helps me to be more knowledgeable about what I eat.”

Share Your WeightWatchers Journey and Enter a Raffle to Win WW Swag!

Tykar, Joanne and Salvatore are not alone: More than 3,600 1199SEIU members have joined WeightWatchers since our partnership began. If you’re one of them, will you share your WW story to help motivate other members? Email us at WeightWatchers@1199Funds.org and let us know what you like best about your experience so we can share your good news! Of course, to sweeten the pot, we will enter you in a monthly raffle to win a gift certificate to the WeightWatchers shop!

Tykar Williams Physical Therapy Technician

Having lost over 50 pounds, I have no intention of looking back. That’s why I joined WeightWatchers through the Benefit Fund’s new partnership—to keep off the weight.

Supporting Each Other at LI Community Hospital

These two 1199SEIU members are part of a group of coworkers from Long Island Community Hospital who have joined WeightWatchers together.

Joanne Rosso, Unit Secretary

Joanne Russo has been a Unit Secretary at Long Island Community Hospital for over 37 years and is not ready to stop any time soon. When she learned about her Benefit Fund’s partnership with WeightWatchers, Joanne was thrilled. She’s off to a great start, losing eight pounds in eight weeks. “It’s important to me that you can eat regular food with WW,” Joanne says. “You use their Points® system and budget your diet accordingly to what’s going on in your life.”

Joanne wants to continue doing the work she loves—and prepare for a healthy retirement when the time comes. So she’s making her health a priority by joining WeightWatchers and riding her bike for exercise.

She attends workshops about five times a week—either inperson at a nearby WeightWatchers Studio or by Zoom. “I love sharing my experiences with other members—and getting feedback is great, too,” Joanne says. “I always walk away feeling like I learned something. And everybody at work who’s joined is absolutely loving it!”

Joanne loves all the things she can do with the WeightWatchers app, like track her food.

You can scan a barcode to find out the points— how great is that?

Salvatore Oliveri, Radiology Associate

Salvatore Oliveri knows how effective WeightWatchers can be, having used it to lose weight in the past. Since being diagnosed with diabetes, he brought his numbers down by changing what he eats but had trouble developing healthy eating habits and maintaining his weight. “I needed to do something about my

If Joanne shows me something on the WW app I didn’t know about, I’ll try to return the favor. We help each other out and encourage one another that way.

Joining WeightWatchers makes it easier for Salvatore to spend time doing what he loves—treasure hunting—without worrying about his weight. “I’m still looking for that lost million-dollar Picasso,” he says with a laugh.

weight,” Salvatore says. “The WW partnership with the Benefit Fund was a great opportunity, so I jumped on it.” He’s off to a good start, having lost 12 pounds in just about a month.

Salvatore regularly shares tips with his coworker Joanne Rosso. “It’s awesome having other people at work use this benefit,” he says. “If Joanne shows me something on the WW app I didn’t know about, I’ll try to return the favor. We help each other out and encourage one another.”

Introducing Virta— and a chance to reverse your Type 2 diabetes!

We’re excited to introduce you to Virta Health, a new program for members with high A1Cs who want that extra one-on-one support that can lead to a life-changing chance for diabetes reversal—at no cost to you. Virta’s medical care team works closely with you and keeps your doctor informed every step of the way. They offer a tailored individualized plan with additional support from dieticians, health coaches, nurses, social workers and digital health tools.

What’s covered:

• Personalized provider care and health coaching

• Meter, scale and testing supplies

• Daily support via mobile/desktop app

• A nutrition therapy plan backed by clinical research

If you have Type 2 diabetes and want more support, Virta may be the right choice for you.

87% of Virta members have stopped or reduced insulin use

To find out if you are eligible to join Virta, visit www.virtahealth.com/join/1199

Eligibility for diabetes management through Virta is only available for certain members and covered dependents who have major medical coverage through an 1199SEIU Benefit Fund. Among other criteria for participation, members and dependents must be over 18 with a diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes. There are some medical conditions that would exclude patients from participation in Virta. Medicare-eligible retirees are not eligible for participation. Start the application process now to find out if you qualify.

Finding and building a relationship with a Primary Care Physician (PCP) is one of the most important ways you can protect your health and well-being. If you do not have a PCP and need the convenience of seeing one virtually, a Teladoc Primary360 provider can offer you annual exams and preventive care; diagnose and treat health concerns; help manage chronic conditions; fill prescription medications; and refer you to in-network specialists. Choose a provider based on specialty, language, gender and/ or availability, and see this same provider throughout the course of your care. You’ll even get additional support from a Care Team, including registered nurses, medical assistants and care coordinators. Visit www.Teladoc.com or call (800) TELADOC (835-2362) to find your PCP today.

To learn more about building a relationship with your doctor, visit www.1199SEIUBenefits.org/ HealthyRelationships.

Wilma reversed her Type 2 diabetes and is off her insulin

Visit the Healthy Living Resource Center

Living a healthy life allows us to fully engage and be there for our loved ones, friends, co-workers, patients and residents. The Healthy Living Resource Center can support you on the path to wellness. The Resource Center is divided into five sections: Healthy Minds, Healthy Bodies, Healthy Hearts, Healthy Eating and Healthy Relationships with Your Healthcare Providers. Explore each topic for expert advice, helpful stats, resources, classes, event listings and much more.

Visit www.1199SEIUBenefits.org/HealthyLiving for more information.

Get the MyAccount Mobile App!

Accessing your benefits with MyAccount has gotten even easier. Just download our mobile app to your iOS or Android device, and you can sign on to MyAccount directly from your smartphone. Since the Benefit Fund first launched MyAccount, over 190,000 members have created accounts to access their benefits anytime, anywhere.

Use the MyAccount app to:

• Change your address and update other personal information

• Enroll your eligible dependents

• Find out the status of a claim

• Find a Provider

• View Explanation of Benefits (EOB) statements

• Request a new Health Benefits ID card

• Coordinate your spouse’s benefits

• Register for benefits offered by the 1199SEIU Child Care Funds

• Link to your training benefits

• Request a pension estimate

Just use the QR code below from your phone to download the app and check it out today.

Or go to the Apple App Store or Google Play and search for 1199SEIU Benefits.

FindHelp Connects You with Community Resources

FindHelp is an online resource of free or low-cost community-based programs and services near where you and your family live and work. With our Wellness Member Assistance Program, we now offer a customized search engine tailored to provide you with resources for emotional well-being, food security, housing assistance, transit, additional child care, goods and services, and legal assistance.

To get started, visit findhelp.1199SEIUBenefits.org.

Find Emotional Healing at the Next Online Wellness Workshop

Want to find a healthy balance between work and play or activity and rest? Doing so can improve your ability to carry out everyday activities and boost your overall mental health. So, don’t miss our Wellness Department’s next online workshop “The Path to Emotional Healing.” A social worker from the Wellness Member Assistance Program will share a variety of techniques that can help you feel your best on your journey to emotional wellness. There are two sessions to choose from.

Sign up today at www.1199SEIUBenefits.org/wellness-events.

Join Our NEW

Prenatal Webinars

Whether it’s your first child or your third, you’ll learn what to expect as your due date approaches and how to care for yourself and your baby after delivery with our Wellness Department’s new online prenatal workshops.*

Check the schedule below for a list of upcoming classes. All classes take place on Saturdays from 10:00 am to 11:00 am.

To register, visit www.1199SEIUBenefits.org/wellness-events Partners are welcome!

What: “The Path to Emotional Healing” online workshop

When: Saturday, May 20, 10:00 am–10:45 am OR Tuesday, May 23, 6:00 pm–6:45 pm

Where: Online! Register at www.1199SEIUBenefits.org/wellness-events.

*Provided by Worksite Medical Services, P.C., and offered in English only.

You can also email Wellness@1199Funds.org and give us your name and the email address where we can send you an invitation.

NEW Prenatal Webinar Schedule

April 22: Prenatal: Caring for You & Baby

May 6: Motherhood: Self-care and Restoration

June 3: Preconception Care

*Provided by Worksite Medical Services, P.C., and offered in English and Spanish.

Boost Your Financial Health

When you’re in control of your finances, you can relax and spend more time doing the things you enjoy. That’s why we are offering you our “Take Charge of Your Finances” classes—a popular online series designed specifically for 1199SEIU members. When you register, you’ll get access to online presentations led by financial expert Ryan C. Mack. Classes will be held on Wednesdays at 6:00 pm.

Take a look at the spring schedule and sign up today at www.1199SEIUBenefits.org/takecharge.

Take Charge of Your Finances

Spring Schedule (Two classes left!)

May 10: Working Toward Retirement, Part 2

May 24: Growing Your Money

Get Your Pension Estimate!

You should request your pension estimate once a year to get a better idea of what your monthly payments will be, so you can plan for your future and enjoy your retirement. It’s easy to access your estimate by logging in to MyAccount at www.My1199Benefits.org. From the “My Pension” tab, choose “Request & Review Pension Estimate” from the dropdown menu. Then click the “Request Pension Estimate” button, follow the steps shown and you’re finished!

Hot Tip

You can meet with a pension counselor in-person, virtually or by phone to get your questions answered and better understand your pension benefit options.

Meet one of your counselors, Dawn Dozier, online at www.1199SEIUBenefits.org/Virtual-Pension-Counselor

For more information, contact Retiree Services at (646) 473-8666.

Training and Employment Funds Help You Advance Your Healthcare Career

The Training and Employment Funds (TEF) provide you with education to advance your career. Through TEF, you can use your education benefits to increase your earnings and advance into hundreds of high-demand health careers.

Beginning Your Education Journey

TEF programs prepare you to return to school at various levels of education, including high school and college. Classes focus on reading comprehension, essay writing, math and science. Programs are available to you on test testing, digital literacy and other topics to support entry into collegelevel work. TEF also partners with the City University of New York and other college campuses to offer three-credit math and English courses.

Health Careers College Core Curriculum (HC4) Program

The Health Careers College Core Curriculum (HC4) Program is a supported program for adult learners with little or no experience in higher education who are pursuing undergraduate degrees in various allied health fields. The HC4 Program works with college partners to enable you to take “core” prerequisite courses required to complete your degree.

College Degree Programs

TEF makes college affordable and offers an array of options to support your success in healthcare degree programs, including associate, bachelor’s, master’s, PhD and professional degrees. There are also special initiatives for high-demand health careers, such as Licensed Practical Nurse, Registered Nurse, Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), Master of Science in Nursing (including for nurse practitioner and other advanced nursing degrees), respiratory therapy, imaging degrees and more.

For more information, call (844) TEF-1199, email Training@1199Funds.org or visit www.1199SEIUBenefits.org/TEF.

“[Prep Academy] has been a blessing in plain sight. It has been an opportunity to overcome my past setbacks and rise above the challenges of my early educational experiences. In addition to placing me in a class based on my needs and attainment level, what the College Prep program did was to allow me to dig deep within myself to overcome challenges and set golden expectations.The program also provided encouragement, support and inspiration to me and other students like myself, so we can be prepared for whatever goal we are relentlessly chasing.”

Johane Francilus Admissions Clerk

“The HC4 program was a gateway for me with my education. Being an adult learner, I wasn’t sure how I would feel returning to school. HC4 provided a small [classroom] environment which allowed me as a student to shine. Going to school with other people who are in very similar situations also makes the environment more comfortable. The pace is not as fast as going to a traditional college, however, “slow and steady” always wins the race. This is the exact environment that new learners and returning learners benefit from. It really sets you up for success.”

Lori Jimenz-Estrada, Licensed Practical Nurse

FALC Celebrates Learning at 27th Annual Science Fair

The 1199SEIU/Employer Child Care Corporation’s Future of America Learning Center (FALC) celebrated its 27th Annual Science Fair with a full week of children’s project presentations, virtual displays and “in-house” field trips from Monday, March 27, through Friday, March 31. This is the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic began that FALC opened its doors to families and invited guests to visit the center floor to view STREAM (Science, Technology, Relationship, Engineering, Art and Math) exhibits and handson experiments, based on the science fair’s overarching theme “How Do the Elements of Nature Affect Us?”

The fair offers students the opportunity to showcase their scientific learning, experiments and family projects about nature’s elements of earth, air, water, fire and space, as well as answer questions.

This year, young scholars, ages two to five, took a scientific journey of land, air, sea and space to unravel some mysteries of our world. With their teachers as trusted guides, students made authentic connections to sensorial exploration, mindfulness/ spiritual wellness, natural disasters and phenomena, current events, technological advances/inventions, relative professions, and health, safety and security matters. In their classroom learning stations and on-site STREAM lab, students presented their action-based research, sharing knowledge about their experience and process. The fair offers students the opportunity to showcase their scientific learning, experiments and family projects about nature’s elements of earth, air, water, fire and space, as well as answer questions.

FALC continuously strives to serve as a catalyst of change and transformative learning. The annual science fair has long been a staple of program’s curriculum and family engagement activities, focusing on the quality of process and interaction versus the product. This interdisciplinary approach to learning exemplifies FALC’s Plant-A-Dream curriculum, in which children are connected to the real and natural world. Using varied activities and materials based on the theory of multiple intelligences as the entry point, students are encouraged to ask questions, make hypotheses, reflect, explore, observe, collaborate and integrate their curiosity, creativity and learning into their everyday lives.

Mensaje de la Directora Ejecutiva

Estimados miembros de 1199SEIU:

Al final del año pasado, les pedí que se unieran a mí en el camino hacia una vida saludable en 2023. ¿Por qué? Porque una buena salud es la clave para disfrutar los buenos momentos de la vida. Llevar una vida más saludable nos da la oportunidad de vivirla de manera más fructuosa y feliz, y de poder compartirla con las personas que amamos.

Si bien el camino de cada persona es diferente, todos comienzan con dar ese primer paso. Di mi primer paso, junto con más de 3,500 de ustedes, al registrarme para WeightWatchers®, nuestro nuevo beneficio de bienestar.

Al igual que muchos de ustedes, tengo días buenos y días difíciles. Sé que puede parcer intimidante ser más flexible cuando ya hacen demasiado. Pero tomarse el tiempo para cuidarse es empoderador y es algo que está dentro de nuestro control. Cuando nos preguntamos “por qué” tener una vida más saludable es importante, podemos usar la respuesta como motivación para comenzar y seguir en nuestro camino hacia una vida saludable.

Creo que la vida es valiosa. Solo tenemos una para vivir. Y esa es la inspiración detrás de mi “por qué”. Mi “por qué” es que quiero aprovechar al máximo esta vida única que he recibido. Y, para mí, eso significa tener una vida larga para estar junto a mis seres queridos. Si bien vengo de una familia que ha vivido mucho, depende de mí cuidar mi salud y darle a mi cuerpo, mi templo, las mejores posibilidades de cumplir mi “por qué”.

Quisiera compartir con todos ustedes este camino hacia una vida saludable, que dan de sí todos los días para cuidar de los demás. Entonces, ¡hagámoslo! ¡Juntos!

En esta edición de For Your Benefit, compartimos consejos sobre una alimentación saludable e información sobre programas que les brindarán apoyo en su camino. Escucharán a tres miembros

que se unieron a WeightWatchers y que están preparados para compartir sus “por qué”. Además, exploramos la idea de los “alimentos como medicina” y de que lo que comemos tiene el poder de ayudarnos a sentirnos mejor y tener una vida más larga y más plena.

Además, para aquellos que tienen diabetes tipo 2, nos enorgullece presentarles Virta, un programa nutricional alternativo que ayuda a revertir la afección de la diabetes tipo 2.

Por lo tanto, espero que dediquen un momento a leer esta edición de For Your Benefit. Y, sin importar el lugar en el que se encuentren de su camino hacia una vida saludable, únase a mí y a muchos otros para dar estos pasos: responder nuestros “por qué”, definir objetivos alcanzables, registrarse para WeightWatchers y nuestros otros programas para llevar una vida saludable, y celebrar todas nuestras victorias grandes y pequeñas

En buena salud,

Donna Rey, EdD Directora ejecutiva y CEO Fondos de Beneficios y Pensiones de 1199SEIU

P.D. Nuestro Centro de Recursos de Vida Saludable también es un buen lugar para buscar información sobre todos los programas que están disponibles para ayudarles a comenzar su camino hacia una vida saludable; visiten www.1199SEIUBenefits.org/ HealthyLiving periódicamente para descubrir todo lo que tiene para ofrecer.

P.P.D. Además, le pedimos a WeightWatchers que cree nuestro propio grupo de miembros de 1199 en la aplicación WW y lo hicieron. Si se unieron a WeightWatchers, espero que me encuentren allí y compartan sus consejos, recetas y logros.

Si bien el camino de cada persona es diferente, todos comienzan con dar ese primer paso. Di mi primer paso, junto con más de 3,500 de ustedes, al registrarme para WeightWatchers® , nuestro nuevo beneficio de bienestar.

¿POR QUÉ eligen su camino saludable?

Ya sea que estén recién comenzando o que lo hayan recorrido por un tiempo, pregúntense: ¿POR QUÉ elijo este camino? ¿Qué lo hará feliz y qué necesitará para disfrutar de los buenos momentos de la vida? Tykar Wiliams encontró su motivación en sus hijos. Estar saludable le permite comprometerse plenamente con la vida y dedicar más tiempo con ellos. Lean más sobre su POR QUÉ y los POR QUÉ de algunos de sus compañeros miembros de 1199 en esta edición. ¿Cuál es su POR QUÉ? Cuéntennos y podrán participar en una rifa para ganar algún regalo. Pueden compartir su POR QUÉ en nuestro Centro de Recursos de Vida Saludable.

Visiten www.1199SEIUBenefits.org/HealthyLiving para contarnos su POR QUÉ.

Un Mensaje del Dr. Van H. Dunn, Director Médico Ejecutivo

Todos sabemos que lo que comemos afecta la forma en que nos sentimos físicamente. Pero, ¿sabían que lo que comemos también afecta nuestra salud mental y emocional? De hecho, estudios han demostrado que una alimentación que consta principalmente de alimentos enteros y no procesados puede ayudar a reducir el riesgo de depresión, ansiedad e incluso el trastorno por déficit de atención con hiperactividad (TDAH).

Los buenos alimentos nos hacen sentir bien. Hay que admitirlo. Consumir alimentos con los que crecimos nos ayuda a seguir conectados con quiénes somos, nuestras familias y nuestra herencia. Simplemente necesitamos lograr que los alimentos que disfrutamos sean más saludables. Y podemos hacerlo. No solo soy médico, también soy cocinero. Disfruto preparar comidas para mi familia, especialmente en las fiestas. Con los años, aprendí a incorporar cambios saludables para ciertos ingredientes en mis platos de cocina haitiano criolla tradicionales, como sustituir la salchicha de cerdo por salchicha vegana o cambiar algunos de mis métodos de preparación, como hornear en lugar de freír. También he probado nuevos ingredientes, como la linaza, que puede estabilizar los niveles de azúcar en la sangre, reducir la presión arterial, bajar los niveles de colesterol y mejorar nuestro estado de ánimo. Tiene un sabor suave similar a las nueces con una consistencia crujiente y crocante, y puede agregarse a casi cualquier desayuno o producto horneado. La uso en batidos, avena, cereales y, a veces, en muffins que suelo hornear con mi hija.

Como su médico del Fondo de Beneficios, realmente los aliento a probar nuevos ingredientes y conocer cambios simples y saludables de alimentos, como reemplazar arroz blanco por arroz integral, quínoa o incluso un camote.

Pueden encontrar más cambios saludables en nuestro Centro de Recursos de Vida Saludable en www.1199SEIUBenefits.org/HealthyEating/ #smart-bites

Gumbo de mamá

Con Camarones, Pollo y Salchicha del Dr. Dunn

3 ingredientes principales, más artículos cotidianos de la despensa y verduras

Para 6 a 8 personas

Gumbo (5 a 7 puntos por porción), ½ taza de arroz (3 puntos)

Ingredientes

½ taza de harina sin polvo de hornear

1 libra de salchicha italiana Impossible de origen vegetal, cortada en trozos de media pulgada

1 libra de pechugas de pollo, cortadas en trozos de 1 pulgada

1 libra de camarones medianos

1 taza de cebolla en trocitos

½ taza de apio en trocitos

½ taza de pimientos verdes en trocitos

2 cucharadas de ajo molido

1 cucharada de sal kosher

½ cucharadita de pimienta negra molida

1 cucharadita de tomillo fresco, picado

1/4 cucharadita de pimienta de cayena

2 hojas de laurel

1 cucharada de gumbo filé (hierba picante) o almidón de maíz

6 tazas de caldo de pollo (puede usar caldo bajo en grasas)

Instrucciones

1. Precaliente el horno a 400 ºF.

2. Vierta la harina en un molde para hornear y hornee durante aproximadamente 20 minutos. Deberá revolver la harina cada 5 minutos hasta que esté de color marrón oscuro.

3. En una sartén antiadherente con aceite vegetal en aerosol, cocine la salchicha Impossible hasta que esté dorada y crujiente.

4. Use la misma sartén antiadherente y rocíe una vez más con aceite en aerosol. Agregue el pollo y cocine, revolviendo hasta que comience a dorarse.

5. Agregue la cebolla, el ajo, los pimientos verdes y el apio a la misma sartén, y cocine hasta que estén tiernos.

6. Incorpore la harina de color marrón.

7. Agregue el caldo de pollo, el tomillo, la pimienta de cayena, sal, pimienta y hojas de laurel.

8. Hierva y, luego, baje el fuego para cocinar a fuego lento hasta que el pollo esté tierno. Comúnmente se necesitan alrededor de 30 minutos.

9. Agregue la salchicha y los camarones, y siga cocinando durante unos 5 minutos más.

10. Incorpore el gumbo filé o almidón de maíz para espesar.

11. Sirva sobre arroz. A mí me gusta el arroz salvaje o integral, pero también se puede usar arroz rojo. La magia no está en el arroz, sino en los sabores del gumbo: ¡disfrute!

Comer

vida saludable

Probablemente haya escuchado la expresión: “Eres lo que comes”. ¡Es verdad! Los alimentos que ingerimos nos ayudan a tener vidas más largas y plenas mediante la construcción y reparación de células, y una dieta bien equilibrada ayuda a nuestro cuerpo y nuestra mente de muchas otras maneras. Una alimentación saludable desarrolla huesos y músculos fuertes, ayuda a la digestión, mejora el estado de ánimo y proporciona la energía que necesitamos para estar presentes para las personas que amamos. También fortalece el sistema inmunológico que puede protegernos de desarrollar afecciones médicas como enfermedades cardíacas, diabetes tipo 2 y algunos tipos de cáncer.

La ventaja de WeightWatchers

Llevar una dieta saludable puede ser un desafío. Así que, para apoyarlo en su camino, el Fondo de Beneficios se ha asociado con WeightWatchers para ofrecerle una membresía con descuento,o sin costo. Inscríbase hoy en el programa que puede ayudarle a alcanzar sus metas con herramientas de planificación y seguimiento de comidas, más de 12,000 recetas nutritivas y sabrosas, e incluso una red social especial solo para miembros de 1199 para ayudarle a lograr sus objetivos.

Inscríbase hoy

Descargue la aplicación WeightWatchers y regístrese en nuestro programa Premium, que incluye lo siguiente:

• Talleres virtuales y presenciales con un entrenador de salud.

• Seguimiento de comidas y actividades.

• Videos sobre acondicionamiento físico y conciencia plena a pedido.

• Acceso a un chat con entrenadores de salud las 24 horas, los 7 días de la semana para recibir ayuda ilimitada o para que respondan sus preguntas.

• Una red social diseñada exclusivamente para miembros de 1199SEIU; únase al grupo de miembros de 1199.

• Membresía gratuita de por vida para aquellos que alcancen su peso ideal.

Visite

www.1199SEIUBenefits.org/ww para inscribirse hoy mismo.

Tal vez echó un vistazo y pensó que no era para usted o que aún no estaba preparado para ello. Está perfecto. La buena noticia es que nuestra asociación con WeightWatchers continúa, por lo que puede regresar y renovar su membresía cuando esté listo. Estará allí para cuando usted lo necesite.

WeightWatchers tiene mucho para ofrecer

Nutrición simplificada: obtenga herramientas para planificar comidas y más de 12,000 recetas.

Una aplicación galardonada: acceda a herramientas de seguimiento, entrenamientos a pedido, meditaciones, sesiones de entrenamiento de audio de cinco minutos y más.

Grupo para miembros de 1199: conéctese con otros miembros para compartir consejos, celebrar victorias, obtener consejos de bienestar del entrenador Ang de WW, además de trabajar para alcanzar sus objetivos con otras personas en el mismo camino.

¿Aún no está convencido?

Está bien, no tome solo nuestra palabra. Escuche lo que tienen para decir algunos de sus compañeros sobre WeightWatchers en las páginas 19 y 20.

de manera saludable es una excelente forma de comenzar su camino hacia una

¿Se unió a WW y abandonó? ¡Regrese e inténtelo de nuevo!

Con WeightWatchers, todo está en el menú

Cuando el trabajo es estresante, no tiene tiempo para nada y el delivery de pizza parece tentador; ¡adelante, haga un pedido!

Con WeightWatchers, todo está en el menú. El sistema Points® le ayuda a desarrollar hábitos saludables mientras también puede hacer espacio para aquellos alimentos que ama. Cada alimento y bebida obtiene un valor en puntos basado en su beneficio nutricional general. Dependiendo de su peso y sus metas, obtiene un presupuesto de puntos al comienzo de cada semana, con puntos diarios y puntos semanales adicionales para usar cuando lo desee. Así que puede pedir una pizza si quiere. En lugar de dos rebanadas, tal vez podría comer una por nueve puntos, con una guarnición grande de verduras a la parrilla que le costará cero puntos. Puede comer la cantidad de alimentos con cero puntos que usted quiera. Hay más de 200 opciones de este tipo de alimentos disponibles.

Obtenga más información sobre el sistema de puntos de WeightWatchers viendo al entrenador Ang o a la entrenadora Gigi en una sesión de KickerStarter grabada para el Fondo de Beneficios en www.1199SEIUBenefits.org/ww-kickstart-orientation-video.

¿Aún no está listo para unirse a WW?

Quizás unirse a WW es un salto demasiado grande como para que sea su primer paso. Está bien, ¡WW estará aquí esperándolo cuando esté listo! Mientras tanto, puede encontrar nuestra edición especial de For Your Benefit en línea que presenta información y herramientas que puede usar para comenzar su camino hacia una vida saludable en www.1199SEIUBenefits.org/fyb-special-edition

Tykar Williams

Técnico en fisioterapia

Tykar Williams es un técnico en fisioterapia que ha confiado en Mount Sinai Health System durante más de 25 años. Con el tiempo, se dio cuenta de que había subido de peso. Su observación casual se convirtió en una preocupación el verano pasado, cuando su médico de atención primaria le dijo que tenía prediabetes.

Después de haber perdido más de 50 libras, no quiero volver atrás. Es por eso que me uní a WeightWatchers a través de la nueva asociación del Fondo de Beneficios, para mantener mi peso ideal.

“Quería volver a ser la mejor versión de mí mismo y evitar eventos desafortunados”, señala Tykar. Siguiendo las recomendaciones de su médico, cambió su dieta: dejó de comer tanta comida rápida y empezó a comer más frutas y ensaladas. Además, comenzó a ejercitarse, ir al gimnasio y caminar más. No pasó mucho tiempo antes de que comenzara a ver resultados, los cuales le cambiaron la vida. “Cuando comencé a perder peso”, explica, “sentía menos presión en las rodillas, como si estuviera haciendo retroceder el reloj. Empecé a verme mejor y a sentirme mejor”.

Tykar ha perdido más de 50 libras y no quiere volver atrás. Es por eso que se unió a WeightWatchers a través de la nueva asociación del Fondo de Beneficios. “Después de haber perdido ese peso, quiero hacer todo lo posible para no volver a tenerlo”, señala. Específicamente, le gusta mucho la aplicación WeightWatchers, que lo ayuda a hacer un seguimiento de sus comidas a través del sistema Points®. “El sistema me guía para elegir opciones saludables”, indica. “No vale la pena gastar puntos en los alimentos que estoy pensando comer. Además, me ayuda a tomar conciencia de lo que como”.

Comparta su camino hacia una vida saludable de WeightWatchers y participe en una rifa para ganar un regalo de WW.

Tykar, Joanne y Salvatore no están solos: más de 3,500 miembros de 1199SEIU ya se han unido a WeightWatchers desde que comenzó nuestra asociación. Si usted es uno de ellos, ¿compartiría su historia de WW para ayudar a motivar a otros miembros? Envíenos un correo electrónico a WeightWatchers@1199Funds.org y cuéntenos qué es lo que más le gusta de su experiencia, para que podamos compartir sus buenas noticias. Por supuesto, para hacerlo incluso más atractivo, le permitiremos participar en una rifa mensual para ganar un certificado de regalo para la tienda de WeightWatchers.

Perder peso y vivir sin dolor en las rodillas le ha permitido a Tykar disfrutar su vida plenamente. “Ahora me siento con mucha más energía y puedo pasar más tiempo con mis hijos”, afirma. “Incluso puedo ir a conciertos de hip-hop tantas veces como quiera. ¡Es increíble!”.

Apoyándonos unos a otros en LI Community Hospital

Estos dos miembros de 1199SEIU son parte de un grupo de compañeros de trabajo de Long Island Community Hospital que se unieron juntos a WeightWatchers.

Joanne Rosso, Secretaria de la Unidad

Joanne Russo ha sido secretaria de unidad en Long Island Community Hospital durante más de 37 años y no está lista para detenerse pronto. Cuando se enteró de la asociación de su Fondo de Beneficios con WeightWatchers, le encantó la propuesta. Ha tenido un gran comienzo: perdió ocho libras en ocho semanas. “Para mí, es muy importante poder comer alimentos cotidianos con WW,” afirma Joanne. “Puedes usar el sistema Points® y hacer un presupuesto de tu dieta de acuerdo con lo que te sucede en la vida”.

Joanne quiere seguir trabajando de lo que ama y prepararse para tener una jubilación saludable cuando llegue el momento. Por eso es que está priorizando su salud al unirse a WeightWatchers y andar en bicicleta para hacer ejercicio.

Asiste a talleres unas cinco veces a la semana, ya sea en persona en un estudio de WeightWatchers cercano o por Zoom. “Me encanta compartir mis experiencias con otros miembros y recibir sugerencias”, dice Joanne. “Siempre me voy sintiendo que aprendí algo. Además, ¡a todos mis compañeros de trabajo les encanta!”.

A Joanne le encanta todo lo que puede hacer con la aplicación WeightWatchers, como hacer un seguimiento de las comidas.

Puedes escanear un código de barras para averiguar los puntos, ¿no es increíble?

Salvatore Oliveri, Asociado de Radiología

Salvatore Oliveri sabe cuán efectivo puede ser WeightWatchers, ya que lo había usado para perder peso previamente. Desde su diagnóstico de diabetes, redujo sus cifras cambiando lo que come, pero tuvo dificultades para desarrollar hábitos de alimentación saludable y mantener su peso. “Necesitaba hacer algo con mi peso”, señala Salvatore. “La asociación de WW con

Si Joanne me muestra algo en la aplicación WW que yo no conocía, intento devolver el favor. Nos ayudamos y alentamos entre nosotros de esa manera.

Unirse a WeightWatchers hace que sea más fácil para Salvatore pasar tiempo haciendo lo que ama, que es buscar tesoros, sin preocuparse por su peso. “Todavía estoy buscando ese Picasso perdido de un millón de dólares”, nos cuenta riéndose.

el Fondo de Beneficios fue una excelente oportunidad, de modo que no dudé en aprovecharla”. Ha comenzado bien: perdió 12 libras en tan solo un mes aproximadamente.

Salvatore suele compartir consejos con su compañera de trabajo Joanne Russo. “Es impresionante tener otras personas en el trabajo que usen este beneficio”, afirma. “Si Joanne me muestra algo en la aplicación WW que yo no conocía, intento devolver el favor. Nos ayudamos y alentamos entre nosotros”.

Wilma revirtió su diabetes tipo 2 y dejó la insulina

Presentación de Virta y una oportunidad para revertir la diabetes tipo 2

Nos entusiasma presentarle Virta Health, un nuevo beneficio para miembros con niveles altos de A1C que quieren recibir ese apoyo personal adicional que puede llevar a una oportunidad transformadora para revertir la diabetes de forma gratuita para usted. El equipo de atención médica de Virta trabaja estrechamente con usted y mantiene a su médico informado en cada etapa del proceso. Ofrecen un plan individualizado diseñado específicamente y apoyo adicional a través de nutricionistas, entrenadores de salud, personal de enfermería, trabajadores sociales y herramientas de salud digitales.

Cobertura incluida:

• Atención personalizada del proveedor y asesoramiento de salud

• Medidor, balanza y suministros para pruebas

• Apoyo diario a través de la aplicación móvil/de escritorio

• Un plan de terapia de nutrición respaldado por la investigación clínica

El 87%

NUEVO BENEFICIO Primary360

Si tiene diabetes tipo 2 y quiere más apoyo, Virta puede ser la opción adecuada para usted.

Para averiguar si reúne los requisitos para unirse a Virta, visite www.virtahealth.com/join/1199.

La elegibilidad para el control de la diabetes a través de Virta solo está disponible para ciertos miembros y dependientes cubiertos con una cobertura médica mayor a través de un Fondo de Beneficios de 1199SEIU. Entre otros criterios de participación, los miembros y dependientes deben ser mayores de 18 años y haber recibido un diagnóstico de diabetes tipo 2. Hay algunas afecciones médicas que no permiten que los pacientes participen en Virta. Los jubilados elegibles para Medicare no pueden participar. Comience el proceso de solicitud ahora para averiguar si califica.

Encontrar y establecer una relación con un médico primario (Primary Care Physician, PCP, por sus siglas en inglés) es una de las formas más importantes en que puede proteger su salud y bienestar. Si no tiene un PCP y necesita tener la comodidad de consultar a uno virtualmente, un proveedor de Teladoc Primary360 puede ofrecerle exámenes anuales y atención preventiva, diagnosticar y tratar preocupaciones médicas, ayudar a controlar afecciones crónicas, surtir medicamentos recetados y derivarlo a especialistas de la red. Elija un proveedor en función de la especialidad, el idioma, el sexo o a disponibilidad, y consulte a este mismo proveedor durante el transcurso de su atención. Incluso obtendrá apoyo adicional de un equipo de atención conformado por personal de enfermería certificado, asistentes médicos y coordinadores de atención. Visite www.Teladoc.com o llame al (800) TELADOC (835-2362) para encontrar su PCP hoy mismo.

Para obtener más información sobre establecer una relación con su médico, visite www.1199SEIUBenefits.org/ HealthyRelationships.

de los miembros de Virta han dejado de usar insulina o reducido su uso

Visite el Centro de Recursos de Vida Saludable

Tener una vida saludable nos permite participar plenamente y estar presentes para nuestros seres queridos, amigos, compañeros de trabajo, pacientes y residentes. El Centro de Recursos de Vida Saludable puede ayudarle en su camino hacia el bienestar. El Centro de Recursos se divide en cinco secciones: Mentes saludables, Cuerpos saludables, Corazones saludables, Alimentación saludable y Relaciones saludables con sus proveedores de salud. Explore cada tema para obtener consejos de expertos, estadísticas útiles, recursos, clases, listas de eventos y mucho más.

Para obtener más información, visite www.1199SEIUBenefits.org/HealthyLiving

Obtenga la aplicación móvil MyAccount

Acceder a sus beneficios con MyAccount ahora es más sencillo. Simplemente descargue nuestra aplicación móvil en su dispositivo iOS o Android y podrá iniciar sesión en MyAccount directamente desde su teléfono inteligente. Desde que el Fondo de Beneficios lanzó por primera vez MyAccount, más de 190,000 miembros han creado cuentas para acceder a sus beneficios en cualquier momento y en cualquier lugar.

Puede utilizar la aplicación MyAccount para lo siguiente:

• Cambiar su dirección y actualizar otro tipo de información personal.

• Inscribir a sus dependientes elegibles.

• Averiguar el estado de una reclamación.

• Encontrar un proveedor.

• Ver los estados de cuenta de su Explicación de Beneficios (Explanation of Benefits, EOB, por sus siglas en inglés).

• Solicitar una nueva tarjeta de identificación de beneficios de salud.

• Coordinar los beneficios de su cónyuge.

• Inscribirse para obtener los beneficios ofrecidos por los Fondos de Cuidado Infantil de 1199SEIU.

• Obtener un enlace a sus beneficios de capacitación.

• Solicitar un cálculo de su pensión.

Solo utilizar el código QR que se encuentra debajo desde su teléfono para descargar la aplicación y echar un vistazo hoy mismo.

O tiene que visitar la tienda de aplicaciones de Apple o Google Play y buscar 1199SEIU MyAccount.

FindHelp lo conecta con recursos comunitarios

FindHelp es un recurso en línea de programas y servicios comunitarios gratuitos o de bajo costo cerca de donde usted y su familia viven y trabajan. Con nuestro Programa de Bienestar y Asistencia a los Miembros, ahora ofrecemos un motor de búsqueda personalizado diseñado para brindarle recursos sobre bienestar emocional, seguridad alimentaria, asistencia de vivienda, tránsito, cuidado infantil adicional, bienes y servicios, y asistencia legal.

Para comenzar, visite findhelp.1199SEIUBenefits.org.

Proporcionado por Worksite Medical Services, P.C. y únicamente en inglés.

Encuentre Sanación

Emocional en el Próximo Taller de Bienestar en Línea

¿Quiere encontrar un equilibrio saludable entre el trabajo y el juego, o la actividad y el descanso? Si lo hace, puede mejorar su capacidad para llevar a cabo las actividades cotidianas y mejorar su salud mental en general. Así que no se pierda el próximo taller en línea de nuestro Departamento de Bienestar, llamado “Camino a la sanación emocional”. Un trabajador social del Programa de Bienestar y Asistencia a los Miembros compartirá una variedad de técnicas que pueden ayudarle a sentirse mejor en su camino hacia el bienestar emocional. Hay dos sesiones para elegir.

Inscríbanse hoy en www.1199SEIUBenefits.org/wellness-events.

Únase a Nuestros NUEVOS Seminarios

Web de Cuidado Prenatal

Ya sea su primer hijo o el tercero, aprenderá qué esperar a medida que se acerca la fecha de parto y cómo cuidarse a sí misma y a su bebé después del parto con los nuevos talleres prenatales en línea de nuestro Departamento de Bienestar.* Consulte el programa a continuación para conocer las próximas clases.

Todas las clases se llevan a cabo los sábados de 10:00 am a 11:00 am

Para registrarse, visite www.1199SEIUBenefits.org/wellness-events ¡Las parejas son bienvenidas!

Qué: Taller en línea “Camino a la Sanación Emocional”.

Cuándo: El sábado 20 de mayo, de 10:00 am a 10:45 am

O el martes 23 de mayo, de 6:00 pm a 6:45 pm

Dónde: En línea. Para registrarse, visite www.1199SEIUBenefits.org/wellness-events.

*Proporcionado por Worksite Medical Services, P.C. y ofrecido únicamente en inglés.

También puede enviar un correo electrónico a Wellness@1199Funds.org con su nombre y dirección de correo electrónico a la que podamos enviarle la invitación.

Programa del NUEVO seminario web de cuidado prenatal

22 de abril. Cuidado prenatal: cuidar de usted y su bebé 6 de mayo. Maternidad: cuidado personal y recuperación 3 de junio. Atención en la preconcepción

**Proporcionado por Worksite Medical Services, P.C. y ofrecido en inglés y español.

Mejore Su Salud Financiera

Cuando tiene el control de sus finanzas, puede relajarse y pasar más tiempo haciendo las cosas que disfruta. Es por eso que le ofrecemos nuestras clases “Tome el control de sus finanzas”, una serie en línea muy popular diseñada específicamente para miembros de 1199SEIU. Cuando se registre, obtendrá acceso a presentaciones en línea dirigidas por el experto en finanzas Ryan C. Mack. Las clases se dictarán los miércoles a las 6:00 pm.

Eche un vistazo a nuestro programa de primavera e inscríbanse hoy en www.1199SEIUBenefits.org/takecharge.

Tome el control de sus finanzas

Programa de primavera (¡Quedan dos clases!)

10 de mayo: Trabajar para obtener la jubilación, parte 2 24 de mayo: Cómo incrementar sus ingresos

Obtenga el Cálculo de Su Pensión

Debe solicitar el cálculo de su pensión una vez al año para tener una mejor idea de cuáles serán sus pagos mensuales, con el fin de poder planificar a futuro y disfrutar de su jubilación. Puede hacerlo a través de MyAccount en www.My1199Benefits.org. En la pestaña “Mi pensión”, seleccione “Solicitar y revisar cálculo de pensión” en el menú desplegable. A continuación, haga clic en el botón “Solicitar cálculo de pensión”, siga los pasos indicados y listo.

Consejo útil

Puede conversar con un asesor de pensiones en persona, virtualmente o por teléfono para obtener respuestas a sus preguntas y comprender mejor sus opciones de beneficios de pensión.

Conozca a uno de sus asesores, Dawn Dozier, en línea en www.1199SEIUBenefits.org/Virtual-Pension-Counselor Para obtener más información, comuníquese con Servicios para Jubilados al (646) 473-8666.

Ayuda de los Fondos de Capacitación y Empleo Usted progresa en su carrera de atención de la salud

Los Fondos de Capacitación y Empleo (Training and Employment Funds, TEF, por sus siglas en inglés) le proporcionan educación para que progrese en su carrera profesional. A través de los TEF, usted puede usar los beneficios de educación para aumentar sus ingresos y progresar en cientos de carreras de atención de la salud en demanda.

El Comienzo de Su Trayecto Educativo

Los programas de los TEF lo preparan para que vuelva a estudiar en varios niveles educativos, incluidos el nivel secundario y el superior. Las clases se centran en la comprensión lectora, la redacción de ensayos, las matemáticas y las ciencias. Hay programas a su disposición sobre la evaluación de pruebas, la alfabetización digital y otros temas que sirven de apoyo para el acceso a trabajo de nivel superior. Los TEF también están asociados con la City University of New York y otros campus universitarios para ofrecer cursos de matemáticas e inglés de tres créditos.

Programa del Plan de Estudios

Universitario de Carreras del Área de la Salud (HC4)

El Programa del plan de estudios universitario de carreras del área de la salud (Health Careers College Core Curriculum, HC4, por sus siglas en inglés) es un programa respaldado para estudiantes adultos con poca o ninguna experiencia en educación superior que buscan títulos universitarios en diversas áreas relacionadas con la salud. El Programa HC4 trabaja con socios universitarios para permitirle realizar cursos de requisitos previos “básicos” necesarios para obtener su título.

Programas Con Diploma Universitario

“[Prep Academy] fue un regalo del cielo. Ha sido una oportunidad de superar mis obstáculos del pasado y dejar de lado los retos de mis experiencias educativas anteriores. Además de colocarme en una clase con base en mis necesidades y mi nivel de consecución, lo que el programa preuniversitario hizo fue permitirme buscar en lo más profundo de mi ser para superar los retos y fijarme expectativas doradas. El programa también nos dio ánimo, apoyo e inspiración a mí y a otros estudiantes como yo para que podamos estar preparados para cualquier objetivo que estemos persiguiendo incansablemente”.

Para obtener más información, llame al (844) TEF-1199, correo electrónico Training@1199Funds.org o visite www.1199SEIUBenefits.org/TEF.

Los TEF hacen que la universidad sea asequible y ofrece una gran variedad de opciones para respaldar su éxito en los programas de grado del área de la salud, incluidos títulos de asociados, licenciaturas, másteres, doctorados y títulos profesionales. Existen también iniciativas especiales para carreras del área de la salud en demanda, como Enfermero auxiliar diplomado, Enfermero registrado, Licenciatura en ciencias de enfermería (Bachelor of Science in Nursing, BSN, por sus siglas en inglés), Máster en ciencias de enfermería (incluido para enfermero especializado y otros títulos avanzados en enfermería), terapia respiratoria, títulos en diagnóstico por imágenes y más.

“El programa HC4 fue una puerta de entrada a mi educación. Como estudiante adulta, no sabía cómo me sentiría al regresar a la escuela. HC4 me dio un entorno pequeño [en el aula] que me permitió brillar como estudiante. Ir a la escuela con otras personas que están en situaciones muy similares también vuelve más cómodo el ambiente. El ritmo no es tan rápido como ir a una universidad convencional, pero “lento pero seguro” se gana la carrera. Este es el ambiente preciso del que los estudiantes nuevos y los que reingresan se benefician. Te predispone a triunfar”.

Lori Jimenz-Estrada, enfermera auxiliar diplomada

Johane Francilus empleada de admisiones

Beneficios para niños y jóvenes

El FALC Celebra el Aprendizaje en la 27.ª

Feria Anual de Ciencias

El Centro de Aprendizaje del Futuro de los Estados Unidos (Future of America Learning Center, FALC, por sus siglas en inglés)/la Corporación de Cuidado Infantil de Empleadores de 1199SEIU celebró su 27.ª Feria Anual de Ciencias con una semana completa de presentaciones de proyectos, exhibiciones virtuales y excursiones para niños en las escuelas, que se llevó a cabo desde el lunes 27 de marzo hasta el viernes 31 de marzo. Esta es la primera vez desde la pandemia de la COVID-19 que el FALC abre sus puertas a las familias e invita a todos a visitar el piso del centro para ver las exhibiciones y los experimentos prácticos del programa Ciencia, Tecnología, Relaciones, Ingeniería, Arte y Matemáticas (Science, Technology, Relationship, Engineering, Art and Math, STREAM, por sus siglas en inglés), basado en el tema general de la feria de ciencias: “¿Cómo nos afectan los elementos de la naturaleza?”.

La feria ofrece a los estudiantes la oportunidad de mostrar su aprendizaje científico, experimentos y proyectos familiares sobre los elementos de la naturaleza de la tierra, el aire, el agua, el fuego y el espacio, así como también respuestas a sus preguntas.

Este año, los estudiantes de dos a cinco años realizaron un viaje científico por la tierra, el aire, el mar y el espacio para desentrañar algunos misterios de nuestro mundo. Con sus maestros como guías de confianza, los niños entablaron conexiones auténticas con la exploración sensorial, la conciencia plena/el bienestar espiritual, los desastres y fenómenos naturales, los eventos actuales, los avances/inventos tecnológicos, las profesiones relacionadas y los asuntos de salud y seguridad. En sus estaciones de aprendizaje en el aula y en el laboratorio STREAM, los estudiantes presentaron su investigación basada en la acción, compartiendo conocimientos sobre su experiencia y el proceso. La feria ofrece a los estudiantes la oportunidad de mostrar su aprendizaje científico, experimentos y proyectos familiares sobre los elementos de la naturaleza de la tierra, el aire, el agua, el fuego y el espacio, así como también respuestas a sus preguntas.

El FALC se esfuerza continuamente por servir como catalizador del cambio y el aprendizaje transformador. Durante mucho tiempo, la feria de ciencias anual ha sido un elemento básico del plan de estudios del programa y las actividades de participación familiar, centrándose en la calidad del proceso y la interacción frente al producto. Este enfoque interdisciplinario del aprendizaje ejemplifica el plan de estudios Plant-A-Dream (Plantar un sueño) de FALC, en el que los niños están conectados con el mundo real y natural. Usando actividades y materiales variados basados en la teoría de las inteligencias múltiples como punto de partida, se anima a los estudiantes a hacer preguntas, formular hipótesis, reflexionar, explorar, observar, colaborar e integrar su curiosidad, creatividad y aprendizaje en su vida cotidiana.

HIPAA NOTICE

If you would like a copy of the Funds’ Notice of HIPAA Privacy Practices, please visit www.1199SEIUBenefits.org, or request one in writing by writing to the 1199SEIU Benefit Funds Privacy Officer at 498 Seventh Avenue, 9th Floor, New York, NY 10018.

ANNUAL FUNDING NOTICE for the 1199SEIU Health Care Employees Pension Plan

Introduction

This notice includes important information about the funding status of your multiemployer pension plan (the “Plan”). It also includes general information about the benefit payments guaranteed by the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (“PBGC”), a federal insurance agency. All traditional pension plans, called “defined benefit pension plans,” are required by federal law to provide this notice every year, regardless of their funding status. This notice does not mean that the Plan is terminating. It is provided for informational purposes, and you are not required to respond in any way. This notice is for the plan year beginning January 1, 2022, and ending December 31, 2022 (“Plan Year”).

Funded Percentage

The funded percentage of a plan is a measure of how well that plan is funded. This percentage is obtained by dividing the actuarial value of the plan’s assets by its liabilities on the valuation date for the plan year. In general, the higher the percentage, the better-funded the plan. The Plan’s funded percentage for the Plan Year and each of the two preceding plan years is set forth in the chart below, along with a statement of the actuarial value of the Plan’s assets and liabilities for the same period.

of the Plan is to ensure the solvency of the Plan over time and to meet the Plan’s pension obligations as required. To meet this goal, the Plan has established a target allocation among asset classes and acceptable ranges around that target.

Under the Plan’s investment policy, the Plan’s assets were allocated among the following categories of investments, as of the end of the Plan Year. These allocations are percentages of total assets:

Year-end Fair Market Value of Assets

The asset values in the chart above are based on actuarial values measured as of the valuation date. Actuarial values differ from market values in that they do not fluctuate daily based on changes in the stock (or other) markets. Actuarial values smooth out those fluctuations and can allow for more predictable levels of future contributions.

Despite the fluctuations, market values tend to show a clearer picture of a plan’s funded status at a given point in time. The asset values in the chart below are based on market values measured on the last day of the Plan Year. The chart also includes the year-end market value of the Plan’s assets for each of the two preceding plan years.

*The asset values are preliminary and subject to confirmation when the yearly financial audit of the Plan is finalized.

*This asset value is preliminary, and subject to confirmation when the yearly financial audit of the Plan is finalized

Participant Information

The total number of participants in the Plan as of the Plan’s valuation date was 276,508. Of this number, 106,339 were active participants; 83,836 were retired or separated from service and receiving benefits; and 86,333 were retired or separated from service and entitled to future benefits.

Funding and Investment Policies

Every pension plan must have a procedure for establishing a funding policy to carry out the plan objectives. A funding policy relates to the level of assets needed to pay for benefits promised under the plan currently and over the years. The Plan is funded by contributions made by employers pursuant to collective bargaining agreements with 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East and other written agreements.

Once money is contributed to the Plan, the money is invested by Plan fiduciaries. Specific investments are made in accordance with the Plan’s investment policy. Generally speaking, an investment policy is a written statement that provides the fiduciaries, who are responsible for Plan investments, with guidelines or general instructions concerning investment management decisions. The investment policy

For information about the Plan’s investment in common/collective trusts, contact Michael Kaiser, Chief Pension Officer, at (646) 473-9200 (retirees can call (646) 473-8666), or write to: 1199SEIU Benefit and Pension Funds, 498 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10018-0009.

Critical or Endangered Status

Under federal pension law, a plan generally will be considered to be in “endangered” status if, at the beginning of the plan year, the funded percentage of the plan is less than 80 percent or in “critical” status if the percentage is less than 65 percent (other factors may also apply). If a pension plan enters endangered status, the trustees of the plan are required to adopt a funding improvement plan. Similarly, if a pension plan enters critical status, the trustees of the plan are required to adopt a rehabilitation plan. Rehabilitation and funding improvement plans establish steps and benchmarks for pension plans to improve their funding status over a specified period of time.

The Plan was not in endangered or critical status in the Plan Year.

Right to Request a Copy of the Annual Report

A pension plan is required to file with the U.S. Department of Labor an annual report (called the “Form 5500”) containing financial and other information about the plan. Copies of the annual report are available from the U.S. Department of

ANNUAL FUNDING NOTICE for the 1199SEIU Health Care Employees Pension Plan

Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration’s Public Disclosure Room at 200 Constitution Avenue, NW, Room N-1515, Washington, DC 20210, or by calling (202) 693-8673. For 2009 and subsequent plan years, you may obtain an electronic copy of the Plan’s annual report by going to www.efast.dol.gov and using the Form 5500 search function. Or you may obtain a copy of the Plan’s annual report by making a written request to the Plan administrator. The Plan’s annual report for the 2022 Plan Year will not be available until mid-October 2023.

Annual reports do not contain personal information, such as the amount of your accrued benefit. You may contact your Plan administrator if you want information about your accrued benefits. Your Plan administrator is identified below under “Where to Get More Information.”

Summary of Rules Governing Plans in Reorganization and Insolvent Plans

Federal law has a number of special rules that apply to financially troubled multiemployer plans that become insolvent, either as ongoing plans or plans terminated by mass withdrawal. The Plan administrator is required by law to include a summary of these rules in the annual funding notice. A plan is insolvent for a plan year if its available financial resources are not sufficient to pay benefits when due for that plan year. An insolvent plan must reduce benefit payments to the highest level that can be paid from the plan’s available resources. If such resources are not enough to pay benefits at the level specified by law (see “Benefit Payments Guaranteed by the PBGC,” below), the plan must apply to the PBGC for financial assistance. The PBGC will loan the plan the amount necessary to pay benefits at the guaranteed level. Reduced benefits may be restored if the plan’s financial condition improves.

A plan that becomes insolvent must provide prompt notice of its status to participants and beneficiaries, contributing employers, labor unions representing participants and the PBGC. In addition, participants and beneficiaries must receive information regarding whether, and how, their benefits will be reduced or affected, including loss of a lump-sum option. This information will be provided for each year the plan is insolvent.

Benefit Payments Guaranteed by the PBGC

The maximum benefit that the PBGC guarantees is set by law. Only vested benefits are guaranteed. Specifically, the PBGC guarantees a monthly benefit payment equal to 100 percent of the first $11 of the plan’s monthly benefit accrual rate, plus 75 percent of the next $33 of the accrual rate, multiplied by each year of credited service. The PBGC’s maximum guarantee, therefore, is $35.75 per month, multiplied by a participant’s years of credited service.

Example 1: If a participant with 10 years of credited service has an accrued monthly benefit of $500, the accrual rate for purposes of determining the PBGC guarantee would be determined by dividing the monthly benefit by the participant’s years of service ($500/10), which equals $50. The guaranteed amount for a $50 monthly accrual rate is equal to the sum of $11 plus $24.75 (.75 x $33), or $35.75. Thus, the participant’s guaranteed monthly benefit is $357.50 ($35.75 x 10).

Example 2: If the participant in Example 1 had an accrued monthly benefit of $200, the accrual rate for purposes of determining the PBGC guarantee would be $20 (or $200/10). The guaranteed amount for a $20 monthly accrual rate is equal to the sum of $11 plus $6.75 (.75 x $9), or $17.75. Thus, the participant’s guaranteed monthly benefit would be $177.50 ($17.75 x 10).

The PBGC guarantees pension benefits payable at Normal Retirement Age and some early retirement benefits. In calculating a person’s monthly payment, the PBGC will disregard any benefit increases that were made under the plan within 60 months before the earlier of the plan’s termination or insolvency (or benefits that were in effect for less than 60 months at the time of termination or insolvency). Similarly, the PBGC does not guarantee the following: pre-retirement death benefits to a spouse or beneficiary (e.g., a qualified pre-retirement survivor annuity) if the participant dies after the plan terminates; benefits above the normal retirement benefit; disability benefits not in pay status; or non-pension benefits, such as health insurance, life insurance, death benefits, vacation pay or severance pay.

For additional information about the PBGC and the pension insurance program guarantees, go to the Multiemployer page on PBGC’s website at www.PBGC. gov/About/FactSheets/Page/Multi-Facts. Please contact your employer or Plan administrator for specific information about your pension plan or pension benefit, as PBGC does not have that information. See “Where to Get More Information,” below.

Where to Get More Information

For more information about this notice, contact Michael Kaiser, Chief Pension Officer, at (646) 473-9200 (retirees can call (646) 473-8666), or write to: 1199SEIU Benefit and Pension Funds, 498 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10018-0009.

For identification purposes, the official Plan number is 001 and the Plan sponsor’s employer identification number, or “EIN,” is 13-3604862. For more information about the PBGC and benefit guarantees, go to the PBGC website, www.PBGC.gov, or call the PBGC toll-free at (800) 400-7242. TTY/TDD users may call the federal relay service toll-free at (800) 877-8339 and ask to be connected to (800) 400-7242.

ANNUAL FUNDING NOTICE for the 1199SEIU Greater New York Pension Plan Introduction

This notice includes important information about the funding status of your multiemployer pension plan (the “Plan”). It also includes general information about the benefit payments guaranteed by the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (“PBGC”), a federal insurance agency. All traditional pension plans, called “defined benefit pension plans,” are required by federal law to provide this notice every year, regardless of their funding status. This notice does not mean that the Plan is terminating. It is provided for informational purposes, and you are not required to respond in any way. This notice is for the plan year beginning January 1, 2022, and ending December 31, 2022 (“Plan Year”).

Funded Percentage

The funded percentage of a plan is a measure of how well that plan is funded. This percentage is obtained by dividing the actuarial value of the plan’s assets by its liabilities on the valuation date for the plan year. In general, the higher the percentage, the better-funded the plan. The Plan’s funded percentage for the Plan Year and each of the two preceding plan years is set forth in the chart below, along with a statement of the actuarial value of the Plan’s assets and liabilities for the same period.

Year-end Fair Market Value of Assets

The asset values in the chart above are based on actuarial values measured as of the valuation date. Actuarial values differ from market values in that they do not fluctuate daily based on changes in the stock (or other) markets. Actuarial values smooth out those fluctuations and can allow for more predictable levels of future contributions.

Despite the fluctuations, market values tend to show a clearer picture of a plan’s funded status at a given point in time. The asset values in the chart below are based on market values measured on the last day of the Plan Year. The chart also includes the year-end market value of the Plan’s assets for each of the two preceding plan years.

*This asset value is preliminary and subject to confirmation when the yearly financial audit of the Plan is finalized.

Participant Information

The total number of participants in the Plan as of the Plan’s valuation date was 41,742. Of this number, 15,505 were active participants; 13,916 were retired or separated from service and receiving benefits; and 12,321 were retired or separated from service and entitled to future benefits.

ANNUAL FUNDING NOTICE for the 1199SEIU Greater New York Pension Plan

Funding and Investment Policies

Every pension plan must have a procedure for establishing a funding policy to carry out the plan objectives. A funding policy relates to the level of assets needed to pay for benefits promised under the plan currently and over the years. The Plan is funded by contributions made by employers pursuant to collective bargaining agreements with 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East and other written agreements.

Once money is contributed to the Plan, the money is invested by Plan fiduciaries. Specific investments are made in accordance with the Plan’s investment policy. Generally speaking, an investment policy is a written statement that provides the fiduciaries, who are responsible for Plan investments, with guidelines or general instructions concerning investment management decisions. The investment policy of the Plan is to ensure the solvency of the Plan over time and to meet the Plan’s pension obligations as required. To meet this goal, the Plan has established a target allocation among asset classes and acceptable ranges around that target.

Under the Plan’s investment policy, the Plan’s assets were allocated among the following categories of investments, as of the end of the Plan Year. These allocations are percentages of total assets:

funding deficiencies in each subsequent year. In an effort to improve the Plan’s funding situation, the Trustees adopted a rehabilitation plan on May 31, 2009. The rehabilitation period began on January 1, 2012, and is projected to last for 18 years. The rehabilitation plan provides two alternative schedules, the Preferred Schedule and the Default Schedule, that require changes in Plan benefits and contribution rates. Employers that have not adopted either schedule must pay surcharges. Generally, the rate at which an employer contributes to the Plan will determine which Schedule of Benefits applies to its employees. Please refer to the rehabilitation plan for further details and for the meaning of certain capitalized terms not defined below.

1. Preferred Schedule: The Preferred Schedule applies to an employer and its employees when that employer contributes at the applicable rate provided in the Preferred Schedule.

Contribution Rate: The contribution rate for employers adopting the Preferred Schedule was 9.1% of gross payroll, effective September 1, 2014, and increased to 11.7% of gross payroll, effective July 1, 2015. Consistent with a collective bargaining agreement, effective from October 1, 2017, to September 30, 2018 (the “2017 Collective Bargaining Agreement”), employer contributions to the Plan were further increased by $18 million in 2018 in lieu of increasing the rate of contribution. Effective with a new collective bargaining agreement, the contribution rate remained at 11.7% until September 30, 2019, and pursuant to a collective bargaining agreement that was made effective as of October 1, 2018 (the “2018 Collective Bargaining Agreement”), the contribution rate increased to 12.9%, effective October 1, 2019. Pursuant to a collective bargaining agreement effective October 1, 2021, the contribution rate decreased to 11.1%. For employers that were subject to the 2017 Collective Bargaining Agreement or a collective bargaining agreement containing the same terms as the 2018 Collective Bargaining Agreement regarding contributions to the Plan, the Preferred Schedule Contribution Rate was 11.7% for the period from October 1, 2017, through September 30, 2019, and, pursuant to the 2018 Collective Bargaining Agreement, effective October 1, 2019, the rate increased to 12.9%. For employers not subject to the 2018 Collective Bargaining Agreement or a collective bargaining agreement containing the same terms as the 2018 Collective Bargaining Agreement regarding contributions to the Plan, the Preferred Schedule Contribution Rate increased from 11.7% to 12.9%, effective January 1, 2018.

No Change in Benefit Accruals Except for New Plan Participants: For employees that participated in the Plan prior to August 1, 2009, to whom the Preferred Schedule applies, there is generally no change in the basic benefit structure that existed before the Plan entered critical status. For employees that became Plan participants on or after August 1, 2009, the monthly benefit accrual rate (payable as a single-life annuity at Normal Retirement Age) that applies to all pension credits earned on or after January 1, 2010, is $19 per year of credited service, effective January 1, 2010, with a maximum of 27 years of credited service, effective January 1, 2011.

Effective July 1, 2015, for new Plan participants hired as licensed practical nurses (LPNs) or registered nursed (RNs) on or after August 1, 2009, the monthly benefit accrual rate (payable as a single-life annuity at Normal Retirement Age) that applies to all pension credits earned on or after August 1, 2009, is $30. The rate is increased to $37 retroactive to the date of hire for each LPN and RN who acquires 10 pension credits.

Effective January 1, 2022, for employees in covered employment on or after such date, the accrual rate for employees hired on or after August 1, 2009, who are earning $19 per year of service as of that date shall be increased to $30 per year of service retroactive to the date of hire and after accruing 10 years of service credits, shall be increased to $37 per year of service retroactive to the date of hire.

*The asset values are preliminary and subject to confirmation when the yearly financial audit of the Plan is finalized.

For information about the Plan’s investment in common/collective trusts, contact Michael Kaiser, Chief Pension Officer, at (646) 473-9200 (retirees can call (646) 473-8666), or write to: 1199SEIU Benefit and Pension Funds, 498 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10018-0009.

Critical or Endangered Status

Under federal pension law, a plan generally will be considered to be in “endangered” status if, at the beginning of the plan year, the funded percentage of the plan is less than 80 percent or in “critical” status if the percentage is less than 65 percent (other factors may also apply). If a pension plan enters endangered status, the trustees of the plan are required to adopt a funding improvement plan. Similarly, if a pension plan enters critical status, the trustees of the plan are required to adopt a rehabilitation plan. Rehabilitation and funding improvement plans establish steps and benchmarks for pension plans to improve their funding status over a specified period of time.

The Plan was certified by its actuary to be in critical status in 2009. The Plan continued to be in critical status in subsequent years because the Plan had accumulated

2. Default Schedule: The Default Schedule applies to an employer and its employees if an employer contributes at the applicable rate provided in the Default Schedule. The effective date of the Default Schedule for a given employer is referred to as the “Default Schedule Effective Date.”

Contribution Rate: Contributions required under the Default Schedule increased from 9.9% to 10.9%, effective January 1, 2018.

Reduction in Benefit Accruals: The monthly benefit accrual rate that applies to all pension credits of participants that left covered employment before January 1, 2004, is not changed. The monthly benefit accrual rate (payable as a single-life annuity at Normal Retirement Age) that applies to all pension credits earned before the Default Schedule Effective Date, if the participant left covered employment after January 1, 2004, is reduced to the accrual rate that was in effect as of January 1, 2004, (i.e., $35 if your employer was obligated to contribute at the “prevailing rate,” as defined in the Plan document, and $26 if your employer was not). The monthly benefit accrual rate that will be applied to all pension credits earned on or after the Default Schedule Effective Date is $19. The maximum number of pension credits that can be earned under the Default Schedule is 25. In calculating monthly pension payments, the Plan will first count the pension credits to which the highest monthly benefit accrual rate applies. Notwithstanding the foregoing, there will be no accruals for the 2008 and 2009 plan years.

ANNUAL FUNDING NOTICE for the 1199SEIU Greater New York Pension Plan

Reduction and/or Elimination of Adjustable Benefits: The Default Schedule requires the reduction and/or elimination of the following “adjustable benefits”:

• Subsidies provided under the Early Retirement Pension;

• The Disability Pension;

• The 60-month benefit guarantee;

• The $1,000 lump-sum death benefit; and

• Other similar benefits, rights or features under the Plan.

These reductions will only apply to participants whose benefit commencement date is on or after April 30, 2009, and will only take effect on a prospective basis beginning on a participant’s Default Schedule Effective Date.

The normal retirement benefit (i.e., the “Regular Pension,” as defined in the Plan) payable at Normal Retirement Age is not an adjustable benefit and will not be reduced or eliminated.

This is not a complete summary of the benefits or other provisions under the rehabilitation plan. Please refer to the rehabilitation plan for more detailed information. You may obtain a copy of the Plan’s rehabilitation plan, any update to such plan and the actuarial and financial data that demonstrate any action taken by the Plan toward fiscal improvement by contacting the Plan administrator. Contact Michael Kaiser, Chief Pension Officer, at (646) 473-9200 (retirees can call (646) 473-8666), or write to: 1199SEIU Benefit and Pension Funds, 498 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10018-0009.

Because the Plan is in critical status for the Plan Year ending December 31, 2022, separate notice of that status will be provided.

Right to Request a Copy of the Annual Report

A pension plan is required to file with the U.S. Department of Labor an annual report (called the “Form 5500”) containing financial and other information about the plan. Copies of the annual report are available from the U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration’s Public Disclosure Room at 200 Constitution Avenue, NW, Room N-1515, Washington, DC 20210, or by calling (202) 693-8673. For 2009 and subsequent plan years, you may obtain an electronic copy of the Plan’s annual report by going to www.efast.dol.gov and using the Form 5500 search function. Or you may obtain a copy of the Plan’s annual report by making a written request to the Plan administrator. The Plan’s annual report for the 2022 Plan Year will not be available until mid-October 2023.

Annual reports do not contain personal information, such as the amount of your accrued benefit. You may contact your Plan administrator if you want information about your accrued benefits. Your Plan administrator is identified below under “Where to Get More Information.”

Summary of Rules Governing Plans in Reorganization and Insolvent Plans

Federal law has a number of special rules that apply to financially troubled multiemployer plans that become insolvent, either as ongoing plans or plans terminated by mass withdrawal. The Plan administrator is required by law to include a summary of these rules in the annual funding notice. A plan is insolvent for a plan year if its available financial resources are not sufficient to pay benefits when due for that plan year. An insolvent plan must reduce benefit payments to the highest level that can be paid from the plan’s available resources. If such resources are not enough to pay benefits at the level specified by law (see “Benefit Payments Guaranteed by the PBGC,” below), the plan must apply to the PBGC for financial assistance. The PBGC will loan the plan the amount necessary to pay benefits at the guaranteed level. Reduced benefits may be restored if the plan’s financial condition improves.

A plan that becomes insolvent must provide prompt notice of its status to participants and beneficiaries, contributing employers, labor unions representing participants and the PBGC. In addition, participants and beneficiaries must receive information regarding whether, and how, their benefits will be reduced or affected, including loss of a lump-sum option. This information will be provided for each year the plan is insolvent.

Benefit Payments Guaranteed by the PBGC

The maximum benefit that the PBGC guarantees is set by law. Only vested benefits are guaranteed. Specifically, the PBGC guarantees a monthly benefit payment equal to 100 percent of the first $11 of the plan’s monthly benefit accrual rate, plus 75 percent of the next $33 of the accrual rate, multiplied by each year of credited service. The PBGC’s maximum guarantee, therefore, is $35.75 per month, multiplied by a participant’s years of credited service.

Example 1: If a participant with 10 years of credited service has an accrued monthly benefit of $500, the accrual rate for purposes of determining the PBGC guarantee would be determined by dividing the monthly benefit by the participant’s years of service ($500/10), which equals $50. The guaranteed amount for a $50 monthly accrual rate is equal to the sum of $11 plus $24.75 (.75 x $33), or $35.75. Thus, the participant’s guaranteed monthly benefit is $357.50 ($35.75 x 10).

Example 2: If the participant in Example 1 had an accrued monthly benefit of $200, the accrual rate for purposes of determining the PBGC guarantee would be $20 (or $200/10). The guaranteed amount for a $20 monthly accrual rate is equal to the sum of $11 plus $6.75 (.75 x $9), or $17.75. Thus, the participant’s guaranteed monthly benefit would be $177.50 ($17.75 x 10).

The PBGC guarantees pension benefits payable at Normal Retirement Age and some early retirement benefits. In calculating a person’s monthly payment, the PBGC will disregard any benefit increases that were made under the plan within 60 months before the earlier of the plan’s termination or insolvency (or benefits that were in effect for less than 60 months at the time of termination or insolvency). Similarly, the PBGC does not guarantee the following: pre-retirement death benefits to a spouse or beneficiary (e.g., a qualified pre-retirement survivor annuity) if the participant dies after the plan terminates; benefits above the normal retirement benefit; disability benefits not in pay status; or non-pension benefits, such as health insurance, life insurance, death benefits, vacation pay or severance pay.

For additional information about the PBGC and the pension insurance program guarantees, go to the Multiemployer page on PBGC’s website at www.PBGC. gov/About/FactSheets/Page/Multi-Facts. Please contact your employer or Plan administrator for specific information about your pension plan or pension benefit, as PBGC does not have that information. See “Where to Get More Information,” below.

Where to Get More Information

For more information about this notice, contact Michael Kaiser, Chief Pension Officer, at (646) 473-9200 (retirees can call (646) 473-8666), or write to: 1199SEIU Benefit and Pension Funds, 498 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10018-0009.

For identification purposes, the official Plan number is 001 and the Plan sponsor’s employer identification number, or “EIN,” is 13-6601940. For more information about the PBGC and benefit guarantees, go to the PBGC website, www.PBGC.gov, or call the PBGC toll-free at (800) 400-7242. TTY/TDD users may call the federal relay service toll-free at (800) 877-8339 and ask to be connected to (800) 400-7242.

Notice of Critical Status for the 1199SEIU Greater New York Pension Plan

This is to inform you that on March 30, 2023, the Plan actuary certified to the U.S. Department of the Treasury and to the Plan sponsor that the Plan is in critical status for the Plan Year beginning January 1, 2023. Federal law requires that you receive this notice.

Critical Status

The Plan is considered to be in critical status because it has funding problems. More specifically, the Plan’s actuary determined that the Plan has an accumulated funding deficiency for the current Plan Year.

Rehabilitation Plan

Federal law requires pension plans in critical status to adopt a rehabilitation plan aimed at restoring the financial health of the plan. This is the 13th year the Plan has been in critical status. The law permits pension plans to reduce, or even eliminate, benefits called “adjustable benefits” (described below) as part of a rehabilitation plan. On May 31, 2009, the Trustees adopted a rehabilitation plan that includes two schedules, a Preferred Schedule and a Default Schedule. Under the Default Schedule, the Plan reduced or eliminated adjustable benefits.

The Plan is not permitted to pay lump-sum benefits (or any other payment in excess of the monthly amount paid under a single-life annuity) while it is in critical status. If the Trustees of the Plan determine that further benefit reductions are necessary, you will receive a separate notice in the future identifying and explaining the effect of those reductions. Any reduction of adjustable benefits (other than a repeal of a recent benefit increase, as described below) will not reduce the level of a participant’s basic benefit payable at Normal Retirement Age.

Discrimination Is Against the Law

Adjustable Benefits

The adjustable benefits that were reduced or eliminated under the Default Schedule include the following:

• Subsidies provided under the Early Retirement Pension;

• The Disability Pension;

• The 60-month benefit guarantee;

• The $1,000 lump-sum death benefit; and

• Other similar benefits, rights or features under the Plan.

Employer Surcharge

The law requires all contributing employers that do not have collective bargaining agreements incorporating either the Preferred or Default Schedule to pay to the Plan a surcharge to help correct the Plan’s financial situation. The amount of the surcharge is equal to a percentage of the amount an employer is otherwise required to contribute to the Plan under the applicable collective bargaining agreement. With some exceptions, a 5 percent surcharge is applicable in the initial critical year and a 10 percent surcharge is applicable for each succeeding Plan Year thereafter in which the Plan is in critical status. As noted, the surcharge ends for an employer once its collective bargaining agreement incorporates one of the schedules of the rehabilitation plan.

Where to Get More Information

For more information about this notice, or to obtain a copy of the rehabilitation plan, contact Michael Kaiser, Chief Pension Officer, at (646) 473-9200 (retirees can call (646) 473-8666), or write to: 1199SEIU Benefit and Pension Funds, 498 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10018-0009.

The 1199SEIU Benefit Funds comply with applicable federal civil rights laws and do not discriminate against or exclude people on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability or sex. The Funds provide free aids and services to people with disabilities to communicate effectively with us, such as qualified sign language interpreters and written information in other formats (large print, audio, accessible electronic formats). The Funds provide free language services to people whose primary language is not English, such as qualified interpreters and information written in other languages. If you need these services, contact the Compliance Coordinator. If you believe the Funds have failed to provide these services or discriminated in another way on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability or sex, you can file a grievance with:

Compliance Coordinator, 498 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10018; (646) 473-6600 (phone); (646) 473-8959 (fax); PrivacyOfficer@1199Funds.org (email). You can file a grievance in person or by mail, fax or email. If you need help filing a grievance, the Compliance Coordinator can help you.

You can also file a civil rights complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights, electronically through the Office for Civil Rights Complaint Portal, available at https://ocrportal.hhs.gov/ocr/smartscreen/main.jsf, or by mail or phone at: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 200 Independence Avenue SW, Room 509F, HHH Building, Washington, DC 20201; (800) 368-1019 or (800) 537-7697 (TDD). Complaint forms are available at www.hhs.gov/ocr/complaints/index.html.

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