Effective May 1, 2011

There will be an annual maximum benefit of $600 per eligible participant. In order to participate in the S.T.O.P. program, your Body Mass Index (BMI) must be assessed at 25 or higher by a physician.

There will be a $20 co-pay for each weight loss medication.

Those participants who are currently enrolled in the S.T.O.P. program will be grandfathered into the program. The $600 annual maximum will begin accumulating on or after May 1, 2011.

Vitamin B-12 and any fat burner injection administered by a S.T.O.P. provider will be covered.

The Trust strongly advises all program participants notify their primary care physician(s) of their participation in the S.T.O.P. program. Prior to implementing any cardiovascular or dietary weight loss program, it is advised that you notify your primary care physician and/or OB Gynecologist.

If you are a consistent reader of Health Traxx, have visited the Trust website recently or were present at the 2010 Health Festival then you are likely well aware that the Trust and CCEA Community Foundation have launched a medical weight management program for our participants and their dependents.The Trust and its partners see the effects that obesity has on our participants on a daily basis, and we are determined to assist them in enjoying a higher quality of life. It was this goal that originally gave rise to the idea for our newest program. Our hopes are to empower individuals who wish to lose weight by assisting them in achieving and maintaining their loss safely and effectively under physician supervision and direction. The Safely Taking Off Pounds Medical Weight Management Program (S.T.O.P.) has been specifically designed with our participants in mind. A selection of providers utilizing different methodologies, tools and resources have been chosen in order to allow our participants to approach weight loss in a manner optimal to their goals and needs. This program is open to all participants and/or their eligible dependents enrolled in a Diamond, Platinum or Retiree plan.

So how exactly does one get started in the S.T.O.P. Program? Any eligible participant who wishes to enroll in the program will begin by simply selecting the MY S.T.O.P. (MANAGE/ENROLL) S.T.O.P. Program link here or from the top naviagtion bar. From there, it is just a matter of providing some information, selecting a provider and scheduling your first appointment.

Beginning the S.T.O.P. program is easy but requires a few minutes of your time to complete the following:

• Read the included FAQ.
• Review the structure of the program and the available providers and their unique programs.
• Analyze the time and financial commitment required for your selected provider's program. (All components of individual programs may not be covered by your benefits plan)
• Complete the online enrollment process.
• Schedule your first appointment.

The beauty of S.T.O.P., in the hearts and minds of those responsible for the development of the program, can be found in the lack of rigidity of the weight loss methodologies offered to our participants.

The Trust realized early on that successfully implementing a medical weight management program required an understanding of the numerous physiological and/or psychological components that lead to someone being overweight or obese. Helping the greatest number of people possible to achieve their healthy weight loss goals required an understanding that no singular approach would or could work for all.

In January, the S.T.O.P. Program launched with five providers across the valley, thus offering numerous locations as well as a wide array of weight loss programs and methodologies, allowing each participant to select the approach that best fits their personal needs and goals.