good for you events and activities anytime
january 2013
“Like” our Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield Facebook page to get information on events and insurance information.
Get ready for the Blue & You Fitness Challenge!
Rate your doctor with our online review tool. (page 20) Save our mobile Web site to your smartphone by going to our Web site, arkansasbluecross.com.
march 2013
Registration for the Blue & You Fitness Challenge begins in January. The Challenge is held from March through May each year. Go to arkansasbluecross.com, select “Members,” go to “Popular Links” and select “Blue & You Fitness Challenge” to sign up. Form a team and work out together!
The Princess and the Pea Arkansas Blue Cross is hosting a special showing of The Princess and the Pea at the Arkansas Arts Center Children’s Theatre. Round up the family and enjoy a FREE night of the arts. Tickets can be picked up at ArkansasBlue, Arkansas’ first health insurance store, located in the Shackleford Crossings shopping center, while supplies last. Tickets will be available late February. Check our Web site for exact dates.
Health care law effective soon page 8 MPI 1408 12/12
End-of-life decisions page 14
Online tools for you page 20
table of contents
A message from our CEO and President,
PINK POWER! Racers take part in the 2012 Komen Race for the Cure. Page 10
Mark White
out A Year of Decisions
INSIDE 3
Out of the Blue, “A Year of Decisions”
4
A new year, a new you: beating the obesity epidemic
6
Losing weight through SilverSneakers
7
Howard County healthier with Blue & You Foundation’s help
8
Historic health care law effective soon
10
Blue News
12
Sugar may not be so sweet to your body Lose weight the Healthy Weigh!
PAGE
10
&
WINTER 2012
Blue & You is published four times a year by Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield for the company’s members, health care professionals and other persons interested in health care and wellness.
13
Teen drinking and driving is down Eye drops and nasal sprays a potential hazard for children
14
Facing and addressing end-of-life decisions
16
Caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease
18
Happy, Healthy New Year
19
Growing soybean sprouts
20
What is online for you?
22
Member rights and responsibilities Discounts for health clubs, dietitian
Vice President, Communications and Product Development: Karen Raley
23
New and upcoming generics Customer Service telephone numbers
24
Events and activities
Health information from sources outside of Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield do not necessarily represent the official position of the company.
ON THE COVER: Kimberly Gartman, M.D., crosses many bridges in downtown Little Rock to get her exercise in during the day. See more on page 4.
2 Blue & You
WINTER 2012
Editor: Jennifer Sullivan – bnyou-ed@arkbluecross.com Designer: Ryan Kravitz Photographer: Chip Bayer Contributors: Chip Bayer, Gio Bruno, Matthew Creasman, Damona Fisher, Kristy Fleming, Lauren Green, Trey Hankins, Heather Iacobacci-Miller, Kathy Luzietti, Mark Morehead, Kelly Whitehorn and Stephen Wilson
On January 1, 2014, many of the most significant provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) become effective, and many of our customers have concerns. Will my costs increase? Will I have the opportunity to secure coverage at a lower cost because of the availability of federal tax credits? How will this law impact my business? How will I understand and comply with the far-reaching new regulations the law contains? Our customers are asking these and many other questions every day. And the volume and frequency only will intensify as the effective date draws near. Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield has been assisting customers when they need access to affordable health coverage — and the peace of mind that comes with knowing it will be there when they need it — for more than 60 years. And we will continue to do so as our country transitions to a reformed marketplace. We began working to understand the implications of this complex regulation even before it was passed in March 2010, and we will be ready in late 2013 to assist our customers — and all Arkansans — in making the best health plan decision available. Our product development teams are actively designing new health plans to serve members in a market with new rules and new rating laws. We have teams that are engaged with the new online health insurance marketplaces, called health insurance exchanges. This federally operated exchange will allow our members who are eligible to receive federal funds to offset the cost of their premiums access to our health plans. Actuarial consulting services are available to employers who must re-examine both their benefits and
of the
Blue contribution strategies to comply with the new law. And our sales team and agents work with employers every day to make certain that they are in the best position possible when reform is fully implemented. Many Arkansans do not get their health coverage through an employer. They purchase it either directly from a health insurer or through an agent. It is this group who will feel the greatest impact when the law is fully implemented, and they are a primary area of focus as we prepare for reform. By mid-summer 2013, when most of the pending regulations have been issued, we will be fully prepared to help these individuals understand the impact of the law and be ready to assist them in selecting the best option available at the time. To all our customers, both employer groups and individuals, our best advice today is to maintain the coverage you have if you purchased it prior to the passage of the law in March 2010. In many cases, these “grandfathered” policies will be the best option available in the early reform years. And once you lose your grandfathered status, it is gone forever. You’ll be hearing a great deal more from us as the time draws near. And I trust you will continue to find that Arkansas Blue Cross offers the most affordable health plans on the market and provides you and those you love with the security you need. Blue & You WINTER 2012
3
table of contents
A message from our CEO and President,
PINK POWER! Racers take part in the 2012 Komen Race for the Cure. Page 10
Mark White
out A Year of Decisions
INSIDE 3
Out of the Blue, “A Year of Decisions”
4
A new year, a new you: beating the obesity epidemic
6
Losing weight through SilverSneakers
7
Howard County healthier with Blue & You Foundation’s help
8
Historic health care law effective soon
10
Blue News
12
Sugar may not be so sweet to your body Lose weight the Healthy Weigh!
PAGE
10
&
WINTER 2012
Blue & You is published four times a year by Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield for the company’s members, health care professionals and other persons interested in health care and wellness.
13
Teen drinking and driving is down Eye drops and nasal sprays a potential hazard for children
14
Facing and addressing end-of-life decisions
16
Caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease
18
Happy, Healthy New Year
19
Growing soybean sprouts
20
What is online for you?
22
Member rights and responsibilities Discounts for health clubs, dietitian
Vice President, Communications and Product Development: Karen Raley
23
New and upcoming generics Customer Service telephone numbers
24
Events and activities
Health information from sources outside of Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield do not necessarily represent the official position of the company.
ON THE COVER: Kimberly Gartman, M.D., crosses many bridges in downtown Little Rock to get her exercise in during the day. See more on page 4.
2 Blue & You
WINTER 2012
Editor: Jennifer Sullivan – bnyou-ed@arkbluecross.com Designer: Ryan Kravitz Photographer: Chip Bayer Contributors: Chip Bayer, Gio Bruno, Matthew Creasman, Damona Fisher, Kristy Fleming, Lauren Green, Trey Hankins, Heather Iacobacci-Miller, Kathy Luzietti, Mark Morehead, Kelly Whitehorn and Stephen Wilson
On January 1, 2014, many of the most significant provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) become effective, and many of our customers have concerns. Will my costs increase? Will I have the opportunity to secure coverage at a lower cost because of the availability of federal tax credits? How will this law impact my business? How will I understand and comply with the far-reaching new regulations the law contains? Our customers are asking these and many other questions every day. And the volume and frequency only will intensify as the effective date draws near. Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield has been assisting customers when they need access to affordable health coverage — and the peace of mind that comes with knowing it will be there when they need it — for more than 60 years. And we will continue to do so as our country transitions to a reformed marketplace. We began working to understand the implications of this complex regulation even before it was passed in March 2010, and we will be ready in late 2013 to assist our customers — and all Arkansans — in making the best health plan decision available. Our product development teams are actively designing new health plans to serve members in a market with new rules and new rating laws. We have teams that are engaged with the new online health insurance marketplaces, called health insurance exchanges. This federally operated exchange will allow our members who are eligible to receive federal funds to offset the cost of their premiums access to our health plans. Actuarial consulting services are available to employers who must re-examine both their benefits and
of the
Blue contribution strategies to comply with the new law. And our sales team and agents work with employers every day to make certain that they are in the best position possible when reform is fully implemented. Many Arkansans do not get their health coverage through an employer. They purchase it either directly from a health insurer or through an agent. It is this group who will feel the greatest impact when the law is fully implemented, and they are a primary area of focus as we prepare for reform. By mid-summer 2013, when most of the pending regulations have been issued, we will be fully prepared to help these individuals understand the impact of the law and be ready to assist them in selecting the best option available at the time. To all our customers, both employer groups and individuals, our best advice today is to maintain the coverage you have if you purchased it prior to the passage of the law in March 2010. In many cases, these “grandfathered” policies will be the best option available in the early reform years. And once you lose your grandfathered status, it is gone forever. You’ll be hearing a great deal more from us as the time draws near. And I trust you will continue to find that Arkansas Blue Cross offers the most affordable health plans on the market and provides you and those you love with the security you need. Blue & You WINTER 2012
3
beating the obesity epidemic s we ring in 2013, many of us will make the usual New Year’s resolutions, including the almost cliché, “I will lose weight.” You may feel lonely in your battle of the bulge, but don’t — obesity is becoming an epidemic nationwide, especially here in Arkansas. Our lifestyles and approach to health must change, and Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield is here to help.
The Coming Epidemic A report on obesity in the United States, “F as in Fat: How Obesity Threatens America’s Future 2012,” was released recently by the Trust for America’s Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The report cites that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported in 2011 that 30.9 percent of adult Arkansans were obese. The report states that if obesity rates continue on the same path, by 2030, the number of obese Arkansans will almost double to 60.6 percent. These researchers aren’t talking about people just being overweight, which is considered to be a body mass index (BMI) of 25 or higher, they are talking about people with BMIs of 30 and higher, according to the CDC. “There is such a stigma with weight in our country,” said Kimberly Gartman, M.D., regional medical director for Arkansas Blue Cross’ office in
4 Blue & You
WINTER 2012
Currently in the United States: • More than 25 million have type 2 diabetes • 27 million have coronary heart disease • 68 million have hypertension • 50 million have arthritis • 795,000 suffer a stroke each year • More than 190,650 cancer deaths are related to obesity, poor nutrition or physical inactivity According to the report, if trends continue, most of these obesity-related illnesses could double by 2030. In Arkansas, that would mean: • 381,937 new cases of type 2 diabetes • 838,734 new cases of coronary heart disease and stroke • 749,537 new cases of hypertension • 484,296 new cases of arthritis • 116,050 new cases of obesity-related cancer
The Cost
Dr. Gartman takes a break during her work day to enjoy a run across one of the pedestrian bridges in downtown Little Rock.
Pine Bluff, “We don’t like talking about it with our doctors, and to be honest, doctors can be reluctant to talk about it because we don’t want to offend our patients, but the fact is, we need to be talking, and we need to be making real lifestyle changes, not only for ourselves, but equally, if not more importantly, for our children.” Obesity contributes to a large number of health conditions.
of
Obesity
According to the report, medical costs for adult obesity in the United States are estimated roughly to be between $147 billion to nearly $210 billion a year. By 2030, those costs could increase by another $48 billion to $66 billion a year, and the loss of economic productivity could be between $390 billion and $580 billion annually. While the rise in the cost of care in Arkansas is lower than many other states, the report said that by 2030, obesity-related health care costs in the state could climb by 9.6 percent. This would be the seventh lowest increase in the country, but still a burden for the state.
Children and Obesity Not only is adult obesity up, Dr. Gartman said, but this generation of children is predicted — for the first time — to have a life span that is shorter by 10 years than their parents because of obesityrelated health conditions. One in four Arkansas high school students is either overweight or at risk of being overweight. Overweight children have a higher risk of developing diabetes, orthopedic problems and kidney problems; and these students also have problems sleeping. They also may develop high blood pressure, high cholesterol and heart disease as adults. And sadly, kids who are overweight are much likelier to be bullied. “Treating obesity in children is much more effective in preventing obesity-related diseases than treating it in adults,” Dr. Gartman said, “and it’s up to us to help them develop healthy patterns in life.” With her own children, Gartman said, she makes exercise more like play and makes sure the foods in the house promote healthy choices.
A Glimmer
of
Hope
While the report mostly focused on current trends, it also explored what might happen if each state was able to reduce the BMI of residents by just 5 percent by 2030. It found that if they could achieve that goal, every state could help thousands or millions of people avoid obesity-related diseases, while saving billions of dollars in health care costs. If BMIs were lowered by 5 percent in
Dr. Gartman, regional medical director for Arkansas Blue Cross.
Arkansas, the state could save 7.6 percent in health care costs, which would equate to savings of $6 billion by 2030.
How We Can Help “Arkansas Blue Cross is dedicated to helping our members and all Arkansans meet these challenges,” Dr. Gartman said of the challenge of losing weight and staying healthy. “We have a number of ways for our members and others to make a commitment to making those lifestyle changes.” The Healthy Weigh! “The Healthy Weigh! is an excellent weight management program that includes lots of good information,” Dr. Gartman said. “While other health education programs through Arkansas Blue Cross begin automatically once you receive a diagnosis, you have to opt in to The Healthy Weigh! If you are eligible to join The Healthy Weigh! (see eligibility OBESITY, continued on page 21
Blue & You WINTER 2012 5
beating the obesity epidemic s we ring in 2013, many of us will make the usual New Year’s resolutions, including the almost cliché, “I will lose weight.” You may feel lonely in your battle of the bulge, but don’t — obesity is becoming an epidemic nationwide, especially here in Arkansas. Our lifestyles and approach to health must change, and Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield is here to help.
The Coming Epidemic A report on obesity in the United States, “F as in Fat: How Obesity Threatens America’s Future 2012,” was released recently by the Trust for America’s Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The report cites that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported in 2011 that 30.9 percent of adult Arkansans were obese. The report states that if obesity rates continue on the same path, by 2030, the number of obese Arkansans will almost double to 60.6 percent. These researchers aren’t talking about people just being overweight, which is considered to be a body mass index (BMI) of 25 or higher, they are talking about people with BMIs of 30 and higher, according to the CDC. “There is such a stigma with weight in our country,” said Kimberly Gartman, M.D., regional medical director for Arkansas Blue Cross’ office in
4 Blue & You
WINTER 2012
Currently in the United States: • More than 25 million have type 2 diabetes • 27 million have coronary heart disease • 68 million have hypertension • 50 million have arthritis • 795,000 suffer a stroke each year • More than 190,650 cancer deaths are related to obesity, poor nutrition or physical inactivity According to the report, if trends continue, most of these obesity-related illnesses could double by 2030. In Arkansas, that would mean: • 381,937 new cases of type 2 diabetes • 838,734 new cases of coronary heart disease and stroke • 749,537 new cases of hypertension • 484,296 new cases of arthritis • 116,050 new cases of obesity-related cancer
The Cost
Dr. Gartman takes a break during her work day to enjoy a run across one of the pedestrian bridges in downtown Little Rock.
Pine Bluff, “We don’t like talking about it with our doctors, and to be honest, doctors can be reluctant to talk about it because we don’t want to offend our patients, but the fact is, we need to be talking, and we need to be making real lifestyle changes, not only for ourselves, but equally, if not more importantly, for our children.” Obesity contributes to a large number of health conditions.
of
Obesity
According to the report, medical costs for adult obesity in the United States are estimated roughly to be between $147 billion to nearly $210 billion a year. By 2030, those costs could increase by another $48 billion to $66 billion a year, and the loss of economic productivity could be between $390 billion and $580 billion annually. While the rise in the cost of care in Arkansas is lower than many other states, the report said that by 2030, obesity-related health care costs in the state could climb by 9.6 percent. This would be the seventh lowest increase in the country, but still a burden for the state.
Children and Obesity Not only is adult obesity up, Dr. Gartman said, but this generation of children is predicted — for the first time — to have a life span that is shorter by 10 years than their parents because of obesityrelated health conditions. One in four Arkansas high school students is either overweight or at risk of being overweight. Overweight children have a higher risk of developing diabetes, orthopedic problems and kidney problems; and these students also have problems sleeping. They also may develop high blood pressure, high cholesterol and heart disease as adults. And sadly, kids who are overweight are much likelier to be bullied. “Treating obesity in children is much more effective in preventing obesity-related diseases than treating it in adults,” Dr. Gartman said, “and it’s up to us to help them develop healthy patterns in life.” With her own children, Gartman said, she makes exercise more like play and makes sure the foods in the house promote healthy choices.
A Glimmer
of
Hope
While the report mostly focused on current trends, it also explored what might happen if each state was able to reduce the BMI of residents by just 5 percent by 2030. It found that if they could achieve that goal, every state could help thousands or millions of people avoid obesity-related diseases, while saving billions of dollars in health care costs. If BMIs were lowered by 5 percent in
Dr. Gartman, regional medical director for Arkansas Blue Cross.
Arkansas, the state could save 7.6 percent in health care costs, which would equate to savings of $6 billion by 2030.
How We Can Help “Arkansas Blue Cross is dedicated to helping our members and all Arkansans meet these challenges,” Dr. Gartman said of the challenge of losing weight and staying healthy. “We have a number of ways for our members and others to make a commitment to making those lifestyle changes.” The Healthy Weigh! “The Healthy Weigh! is an excellent weight management program that includes lots of good information,” Dr. Gartman said. “While other health education programs through Arkansas Blue Cross begin automatically once you receive a diagnosis, you have to opt in to The Healthy Weigh! If you are eligible to join The Healthy Weigh! (see eligibility OBESITY, continued on page 21
Blue & You WINTER 2012 5
Kay enjoys one of the many SilverSneakers classes at St. Mary’s Wellness Fitness Center.
Losing Weight through SilverSneakers
When Kay Ford moved to Russellville 10 years
ago, she was determined to improve her health. A visit to the doctor revealed plenty of minor health problems that could lead to bigger problems down the road, so with that in mind, she joined St. Mary’s Wellness Fitness Center. “I was coming to water aerobics, and while the warm water was helping my bad knee, it wasn’t helping me drop the weight,” Kay said. Then came the announcement that the center was going to begin offering the SilverSneakers® Fitness Program. “I signed up the first day,” Kay said, adding that while the other classes are wonderful, the SilverSneakers program is designed for seniors, which makes a difference. SilverSneakers is the nation’s leading exercise program designed exclusively for older adults, offering an innovative blend of physical activity, healthy lifestyle and socially oriented programming. SilverSneakers is available to Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield Medi-Pak® and Medi-Pak® Advantage (PFFS) members at no additional cost to them. “I look at it as my job to be here,” Kay said. During a typical visit, Kay will walk about 20 laps, ride an exercise bike for 30 to 40 minutes and then take a class. The result — with the help of SilverSneakers, not only has Kay dropped 35 pounds, but her health has improved dramatically.
6 Blue & You
WINTER 2012
“Exercise has lowered my cholesterol,” she said. “I was close to going on medication, but with consistent exercise and diet changes, it is totally under control without medication. In fact, my blood work is absolutely perfect,” Kay said. Also, her family has a history of diabetes, but she hasn’t had any problems with her blood sugar. Kay gets tested regularly for glaucoma in her eyes, and she said the exercise seems to be keeping the pressure down. She said she can tell if she slows down on her exercise or starts eating too much sugar. “I think this is the greatest program,” Kay said of SilverSneakers. “I love it; it’s like a family down here. I will see someone I haven’t seen in a while, and I’ll visit with them. We all take care of each other.”
SilverSneakers works — it has just been tremendous. Laurel Stabler, the Healthways instructor/ coordinator for the center, said one thing that is so great about SilverSneakers is that seniors can take any class at any time — they have full membership. The SilverSneakers classes at St. Mary’s Wellness Fitness Center include SilverSneakers Yoga, Cardio Circuit, Muscular Strength and Range of Movement and Zumba Gold. “SilverSneakers works — it has just been tremendous,” Kay said. For more information on SilverSneakers, call 1-888-423-4632, or visit silversneakers.com. SilverSneakers® is a registered trademark of Healthways Inc., The SilverSneakers Fitness Program is provided by Healthways, Inc. an independent company that operates separately from Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield.
Like many rural communities in Arkansas, Howard County is home to good Southern cooking, friendly neighbors and a lack of health care information. With the help of the Blue & You Foundation for a Healthier Arkansas, however, the cooking is a bit healthier, the neighbors know each other a bit more and there is a lot more discussion about living healthy. In their application for a grant from the Blue & You Foundation, Community First Wellness shared that a major barrier to having healthy lifestyles in Howard County was the lack of health information in the area and the understanding of that information, also known as health literacy. “Low health literacy has been linked to poor health outcomes, such as higher rates of hospitalization, less frequent use of preventive services and poor health decisions,” said Sarah Powell, rural health specialist for the Arkansas Department of Health. The Howard County Health Improvement Coalition received a grant through the Growing Healthy Communities initiative (funded by the Blue & You Foundation in 2011) that provided tools and resources for the Nashville group to develop a community health strategic plan involving a host of different local agencies, businesses and organizations.
A second Blue & You Foundation grant in 2012 allowed them to take those plans and make them a reality for the people of Nashville and Howard County. Through the Foundation: • Employees at the Tyson, Inc. plant in Nashville participated in a “Be Well, Live Well” worksite wellness class. • Individuals and their families learned about diabetes in the “Diabetes & You” educational program. • Six instructors were trained in CPR so they can train others in the community. • Kids from ages 9 through 12 years old participated in the Food, Fun & Fitness Camp where they learned to exercise, prepare healthy meals and snacks and stay safe. Local teens got a chance to try sports like kayaking and riding a zip line during the Teen Adventure Trips, and gain information on healthy eating. • Healthy cooking demonstrations at the Farmer’s Market, a special class on Mediterranean cooking and another class for people with diabetes, helped more than 150 residents learn tasty ways to healthy eating. • Local community gardens and the Nashville Demonstration Organic Garden were showcased
during home gardening workshops. The workshops have increased the effectiveness and visibility of the demonstration gardens with the planting of vegetable crops, and ornamental trees, butterfly garden beds and handicapaccessible garden beds. • Three Zumba instructors were trained and have brought the Latin dance craze to the city of Nashville with classes after work hours, classes in Spanish and a class for seniors. “This is an impressive example of what people working together can do to make good things happen for their community,” said Patrick O’Sullivan, executive director of the Blue & You Foundation. While many people were reached face-to-face as they participated in the activities, others increased their health literacy indirectly through an online community calendar / resource directory and through announcements in the media about healthy lifestyles. Wherever you go in Howard County, healthy living is making an impact, and the Blue & You Foundation is helping it happen.
Blue & You WINTER 2012
7
Kay enjoys one of the many SilverSneakers classes at St. Mary’s Wellness Fitness Center.
Losing Weight through SilverSneakers
When Kay Ford moved to Russellville 10 years
ago, she was determined to improve her health. A visit to the doctor revealed plenty of minor health problems that could lead to bigger problems down the road, so with that in mind, she joined St. Mary’s Wellness Fitness Center. “I was coming to water aerobics, and while the warm water was helping my bad knee, it wasn’t helping me drop the weight,” Kay said. Then came the announcement that the center was going to begin offering the SilverSneakers® Fitness Program. “I signed up the first day,” Kay said, adding that while the other classes are wonderful, the SilverSneakers program is designed for seniors, which makes a difference. SilverSneakers is the nation’s leading exercise program designed exclusively for older adults, offering an innovative blend of physical activity, healthy lifestyle and socially oriented programming. SilverSneakers is available to Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield Medi-Pak® and Medi-Pak® Advantage (PFFS) members at no additional cost to them. “I look at it as my job to be here,” Kay said. During a typical visit, Kay will walk about 20 laps, ride an exercise bike for 30 to 40 minutes and then take a class. The result — with the help of SilverSneakers, not only has Kay dropped 35 pounds, but her health has improved dramatically.
6 Blue & You
WINTER 2012
“Exercise has lowered my cholesterol,” she said. “I was close to going on medication, but with consistent exercise and diet changes, it is totally under control without medication. In fact, my blood work is absolutely perfect,” Kay said. Also, her family has a history of diabetes, but she hasn’t had any problems with her blood sugar. Kay gets tested regularly for glaucoma in her eyes, and she said the exercise seems to be keeping the pressure down. She said she can tell if she slows down on her exercise or starts eating too much sugar. “I think this is the greatest program,” Kay said of SilverSneakers. “I love it; it’s like a family down here. I will see someone I haven’t seen in a while, and I’ll visit with them. We all take care of each other.”
SilverSneakers works — it has just been tremendous. Laurel Stabler, the Healthways instructor/ coordinator for the center, said one thing that is so great about SilverSneakers is that seniors can take any class at any time — they have full membership. The SilverSneakers classes at St. Mary’s Wellness Fitness Center include SilverSneakers Yoga, Cardio Circuit, Muscular Strength and Range of Movement and Zumba Gold. “SilverSneakers works — it has just been tremendous,” Kay said. For more information on SilverSneakers, call 1-888-423-4632, or visit silversneakers.com. SilverSneakers® is a registered trademark of Healthways Inc., The SilverSneakers Fitness Program is provided by Healthways, Inc. an independent company that operates separately from Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield.
Like many rural communities in Arkansas, Howard County is home to good Southern cooking, friendly neighbors and a lack of health care information. With the help of the Blue & You Foundation for a Healthier Arkansas, however, the cooking is a bit healthier, the neighbors know each other a bit more and there is a lot more discussion about living healthy. In their application for a grant from the Blue & You Foundation, Community First Wellness shared that a major barrier to having healthy lifestyles in Howard County was the lack of health information in the area and the understanding of that information, also known as health literacy. “Low health literacy has been linked to poor health outcomes, such as higher rates of hospitalization, less frequent use of preventive services and poor health decisions,” said Sarah Powell, rural health specialist for the Arkansas Department of Health. The Howard County Health Improvement Coalition received a grant through the Growing Healthy Communities initiative (funded by the Blue & You Foundation in 2011) that provided tools and resources for the Nashville group to develop a community health strategic plan involving a host of different local agencies, businesses and organizations.
A second Blue & You Foundation grant in 2012 allowed them to take those plans and make them a reality for the people of Nashville and Howard County. Through the Foundation: • Employees at the Tyson, Inc. plant in Nashville participated in a “Be Well, Live Well” worksite wellness class. • Individuals and their families learned about diabetes in the “Diabetes & You” educational program. • Six instructors were trained in CPR so they can train others in the community. • Kids from ages 9 through 12 years old participated in the Food, Fun & Fitness Camp where they learned to exercise, prepare healthy meals and snacks and stay safe. Local teens got a chance to try sports like kayaking and riding a zip line during the Teen Adventure Trips, and gain information on healthy eating. • Healthy cooking demonstrations at the Farmer’s Market, a special class on Mediterranean cooking and another class for people with diabetes, helped more than 150 residents learn tasty ways to healthy eating. • Local community gardens and the Nashville Demonstration Organic Garden were showcased
during home gardening workshops. The workshops have increased the effectiveness and visibility of the demonstration gardens with the planting of vegetable crops, and ornamental trees, butterfly garden beds and handicapaccessible garden beds. • Three Zumba instructors were trained and have brought the Latin dance craze to the city of Nashville with classes after work hours, classes in Spanish and a class for seniors. “This is an impressive example of what people working together can do to make good things happen for their community,” said Patrick O’Sullivan, executive director of the Blue & You Foundation. While many people were reached face-to-face as they participated in the activities, others increased their health literacy indirectly through an online community calendar / resource directory and through announcements in the media about healthy lifestyles. Wherever you go in Howard County, healthy living is making an impact, and the Blue & You Foundation is helping it happen.
Blue & You WINTER 2012
7
O
n January 1, 2014, the new Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act becomes fully effective. The law and its impact on U.S. citizens, including members of Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield, is extensive and often hard to understand. At Arkansas Blue Cross, we have teams of experts throughout the company who have been studying the law and modeling the outcomes of each provision since before the bill was passed. And, when the time comes, we will be well prepared to help our members make good decisions in a radically different insurance marketplace. As with any far-reaching piece of legislation, there will be winners and losers. And some of our members will hardly notice the change. Regardless of where you fall on that spectrum, we’ll be ready to help you decide the best course of action.
It Begins in 2013 Americans will begin considering their options in October 2013 when the first “annual election period” begins for those who are under age 65. Medicare-eligible Arkansans are used to considering their health insurance options during this period each year. But for many of our under-65 members, this will be a new experience and one that brings some often complicated decisions. For our Medicare members, nothing much changes. It will be business as usual for those who are 65 and older. Many of our under 65 members will start hearing from us next summer with reminders to come in or call for a health insurance review. By then, we should have received all the regulations necessary to implement the law and help our members make informed choices.
8 Blue & You
WINTER 2012
Who Is Affected The short answer is “almost everyone.” But the degree varies depending on how you get your health insurance, your household income and how long you’ve had your policy. If your insurance is provided by your employer and the company has more than 50 employees, you may not notice many changes. Depending on how your employer finances the health insurance plan and how long it has been in effect, you already may have seen new medical services covered or services covered differently than they have been in the past since these expanded benefits are an important part of the new law. And of course, when more benefits are added, health plan premiums go up to cover the cost. In addition, new taxes will be added to cover some of the cost of new government benefits. These new taxes are estimated to add about 2 percent to the cost of most health plans. But for the employer with 50 or more fulltime employees, the new legislation has tremendous repercussions and carries many new responsibilities. These employers will be required by law to offer “affordable” health insurance coverage to their employees or pay stiff penalties. Our actuarial division provides consulting services to large employers to allow them to develop health benefit strategies most likely to protect both their companies and their employees from significant penalties and increased cost. For employers with fewer than 50 full-time employees and for the employees of these companies, new rules about how premiums must be calculated can significantly change
premium rates for those whose health plans to ensure that our members who are hurt by were not in place before the law was passed (or the law will still have affordable options. We are for those who have made significant changes developing products for the new health insurance to their health plans since that time). Under exchanges so that our members who benefit from these new rating rules, some employers will the law will have an Arkansas Blue Cross health find their premiums increase significantly and plan from which to choose. And, we are diligently others will find their rates drop. In general, working to comply with the thousands of pages those companies who have younger workforces of new regulation the law contains. with less health risk can anticipate paying more An important part of our preparation involves and those with older workers and more health communicating with our valued member, risk may pay less. whether the member Our sales teams and is an employer or a If you have questions about health independent agents members. You will likely care reform, let us know. E-mail us at will provide employers be hearing a lot from us with more information beginning in June. Our later in the year goal is to reach out to when the federal and we will share your questions with our members — either government has our experts. We love to hear from you! directly or through issued all regulations. their employers — to For those who be certain that each understands their options buy health insurance for themselves — either and can make an informed choice. directly from Arkansas Blue Cross or through an What Should I Do Now? agent — big changes are coming. The new law The most important thing you can do now to defines the kinds of health plans you must buy to ensure you have good choices when the time avoid paying a penalty (the “individual mandate”) comes is to keep the plan you have if it was in and establishes how premiums must be calculated. place prior to March 2010. You may remember The law also spells out many medical service President Barak Obama promising, “if you categories that must be covered and imposes like what you have you can keep it.” That taxes and fees to cover the cost of many of the applies to all individual and employer health provisions of the bill. plans that were in place before the law was Many Americans will receive federal tax passed. These health insurance policies are credits (often called subsidies) to offset referred to as “grandfathered plans.” If you the cost of buying health insurance. This keep your grandfathered plan, and the final assistance will be made available to those who rules when issued reveal that you would pay more under the new law, you have the option qualify when they buy insurance through a of maintaining your grandfathered coverage “health insurance exchange.” An exchange is and avoiding the increased cost. But once you simply a Web site that allows people to shop for lose your grandfathered plan, you can never and buy insurance online. get it back. So stay “grandfathered” if that is To determine whether you are eligible for an option. federal assistance (subsidies), you will apply More information will be coming from online on the health insurance exchange, which Arkansas Blue Cross this summer. We will be will launch in October 2013. certain you are notified when it is time to take Getting Ready action. For more than 60 years, Arkansans have trusted Arkansas Blue Cross to provide Arkansas Blue Cross has devoted countless affordable health coverage for themselves and hours to preparing for health insurance their families. You can count on us to provide reform’s full implementation. We are working to the guidance you need during this period of understand the law’s impact on each and every change in health care. member. We are developing new health plans
HCRinfo@arkbluecross.com
Blue & You WINTER 2012
9
O
n January 1, 2014, the new Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act becomes fully effective. The law and its impact on U.S. citizens, including members of Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield, is extensive and often hard to understand. At Arkansas Blue Cross, we have teams of experts throughout the company who have been studying the law and modeling the outcomes of each provision since before the bill was passed. And, when the time comes, we will be well prepared to help our members make good decisions in a radically different insurance marketplace. As with any far-reaching piece of legislation, there will be winners and losers. And some of our members will hardly notice the change. Regardless of where you fall on that spectrum, we’ll be ready to help you decide the best course of action.
It Begins in 2013 Americans will begin considering their options in October 2013 when the first “annual election period” begins for those who are under age 65. Medicare-eligible Arkansans are used to considering their health insurance options during this period each year. But for many of our under-65 members, this will be a new experience and one that brings some often complicated decisions. For our Medicare members, nothing much changes. It will be business as usual for those who are 65 and older. Many of our under 65 members will start hearing from us next summer with reminders to come in or call for a health insurance review. By then, we should have received all the regulations necessary to implement the law and help our members make informed choices.
8 Blue & You
WINTER 2012
Who Is Affected The short answer is “almost everyone.” But the degree varies depending on how you get your health insurance, your household income and how long you’ve had your policy. If your insurance is provided by your employer and the company has more than 50 employees, you may not notice many changes. Depending on how your employer finances the health insurance plan and how long it has been in effect, you already may have seen new medical services covered or services covered differently than they have been in the past since these expanded benefits are an important part of the new law. And of course, when more benefits are added, health plan premiums go up to cover the cost. In addition, new taxes will be added to cover some of the cost of new government benefits. These new taxes are estimated to add about 2 percent to the cost of most health plans. But for the employer with 50 or more fulltime employees, the new legislation has tremendous repercussions and carries many new responsibilities. These employers will be required by law to offer “affordable” health insurance coverage to their employees or pay stiff penalties. Our actuarial division provides consulting services to large employers to allow them to develop health benefit strategies most likely to protect both their companies and their employees from significant penalties and increased cost. For employers with fewer than 50 full-time employees and for the employees of these companies, new rules about how premiums must be calculated can significantly change
premium rates for those whose health plans to ensure that our members who are hurt by were not in place before the law was passed (or the law will still have affordable options. We are for those who have made significant changes developing products for the new health insurance to their health plans since that time). Under exchanges so that our members who benefit from these new rating rules, some employers will the law will have an Arkansas Blue Cross health find their premiums increase significantly and plan from which to choose. And, we are diligently others will find their rates drop. In general, working to comply with the thousands of pages those companies who have younger workforces of new regulation the law contains. with less health risk can anticipate paying more An important part of our preparation involves and those with older workers and more health communicating with our valued member, risk may pay less. whether the member Our sales teams and is an employer or a If you have questions about health independent agents members. You will likely care reform, let us know. E-mail us at will provide employers be hearing a lot from us with more information beginning in June. Our later in the year goal is to reach out to when the federal and we will share your questions with our members — either government has our experts. We love to hear from you! directly or through issued all regulations. their employers — to For those who be certain that each understands their options buy health insurance for themselves — either and can make an informed choice. directly from Arkansas Blue Cross or through an What Should I Do Now? agent — big changes are coming. The new law The most important thing you can do now to defines the kinds of health plans you must buy to ensure you have good choices when the time avoid paying a penalty (the “individual mandate”) comes is to keep the plan you have if it was in and establishes how premiums must be calculated. place prior to March 2010. You may remember The law also spells out many medical service President Barak Obama promising, “if you categories that must be covered and imposes like what you have you can keep it.” That taxes and fees to cover the cost of many of the applies to all individual and employer health provisions of the bill. plans that were in place before the law was Many Americans will receive federal tax passed. These health insurance policies are credits (often called subsidies) to offset referred to as “grandfathered plans.” If you the cost of buying health insurance. This keep your grandfathered plan, and the final assistance will be made available to those who rules when issued reveal that you would pay more under the new law, you have the option qualify when they buy insurance through a of maintaining your grandfathered coverage “health insurance exchange.” An exchange is and avoiding the increased cost. But once you simply a Web site that allows people to shop for lose your grandfathered plan, you can never and buy insurance online. get it back. So stay “grandfathered” if that is To determine whether you are eligible for an option. federal assistance (subsidies), you will apply More information will be coming from online on the health insurance exchange, which Arkansas Blue Cross this summer. We will be will launch in October 2013. certain you are notified when it is time to take Getting Ready action. For more than 60 years, Arkansans have trusted Arkansas Blue Cross to provide Arkansas Blue Cross has devoted countless affordable health coverage for themselves and hours to preparing for health insurance their families. You can count on us to provide reform’s full implementation. We are working to the guidance you need during this period of understand the law’s impact on each and every change in health care. member. We are developing new health plans
HCRinfo@arkbluecross.com
Blue & You WINTER 2012
9
For the Kids
Once again, employees of Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield joined the approximately 4,000 participants of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation’s (JDRF) Walk to Cure Diabetes held September 15 at Murray Park. Employees walked step-by-step with kids who have type 1 diabetes, and their families and friends, to raise money to help find a cure for this disease. Arkansas Blue Cross employees also held an internal fundraiser and raised money for the cause.
Arkansas Blue Cross employees endured a rainy morning to participate in the JDRF walk in September.
BlueCares for Pink
A s thousands of women — and the people who love them — gathered in downtown
Little Rock on October 20 for the 19th annual Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, hundreds of Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield employees were getting ready to walk or volunteer in the early morning hours. The BlueCares Three Miles of Men team decorated the block at Sixth and Gaines streets, set up and manned a water station, and cheered on the race participants. Other Blue team members greeted walkers and runners with a free gift. The employee band also filled the air with tunes to encourage race participants. Arkansas Blue Cross employees volunteer all in an effort to show ... BlueCares. Arkansas Blue Cross is a sponsor of the Komen Race for the Cure each year, providing gifts for the walkers, a water station and live music.
Full Moon Walk
Arkansas Blue Cross’ and Blue Shield’s BlueCares team was in
10 12 Blue & You
full effect as they pitched a tent November 25, for the third annual Big Dam Bridge Full Moon Walk. The Full Moon Walk promotes the opportunity to use the Big Dam Bridge as a safe, fun place for the whole family to get exercise. Arkansas Blue Cross gave away reflector wristbands sporting the message, “Be safe, be seen. BlueCares.” WINTER 2012
P. Allen Smith shares some of his holiday tips at ArkansasBlue.
Happening Holidays with ArkansasBlue
ArkansasBlue, Arkansas’ first health
insurance store, helped families prepare for a healthy holiday season by hosting several activities. ArkansasBlue hosted “Healthy Holidays!” featuring P. Allen Smith and SilverSneakers®, November 10. Allen prepared a healthy apple and carrot salad, a blueberry and pomegranate spritzer and roasted pumpkin seeds and made a pumpkin centerpiece. SilverSneakers® Fitness Program instructors challenged participants to test and improve their strength, flexibility, balance and endurance. To promote families exercising together, Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield hosted family night, November 20, at the Arvest on Ice skating rink in
the River Market. Arkansas Blue Cross gave away more than 500 free tickets to families who visited our retail store, ArkansasBlue, located in the Shackleford Crossings shopping center. And to support healthy minds and spirits, ArkansasBlue provided 380 free tickets to the Arkansas Arts Center Children’s Theatre’s production of “City Mouse, Country Mouse, Christmas House.” If you missed out on these events, don’t worry — more are planned for ArkansasBlue, just visit arkansasbluecross.com periodically for a list of upcoming events, or “like” the Arkansas Blue Cross Facebook page. It’s all part of keeping families active and healthy!
Noah Butler of Little Rock was the grand-prize winner of the “Red, White and ArkansasBlue Challenge,” a summer promotion that encouraged healthy lifestyles for kids and families. The challenge included an activity calendar, stickers, events and prizes. To participate in the challenge, parents picked up the calendar and stickers at ArkansasBlue.
Blue & You WINTER 2012
11 13 11
For the Kids
Once again, employees of Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield joined the approximately 4,000 participants of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation’s (JDRF) Walk to Cure Diabetes held September 15 at Murray Park. Employees walked step-by-step with kids who have type 1 diabetes, and their families and friends, to raise money to help find a cure for this disease. Arkansas Blue Cross employees also held an internal fundraiser and raised money for the cause.
Arkansas Blue Cross employees endured a rainy morning to participate in the JDRF walk in September.
BlueCares for Pink
A s thousands of women — and the people who love them — gathered in downtown
Little Rock on October 20 for the 19th annual Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, hundreds of Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield employees were getting ready to walk or volunteer in the early morning hours. The BlueCares Three Miles of Men team decorated the block at Sixth and Gaines streets, set up and manned a water station, and cheered on the race participants. Other Blue team members greeted walkers and runners with a free gift. The employee band also filled the air with tunes to encourage race participants. Arkansas Blue Cross employees volunteer all in an effort to show ... BlueCares. Arkansas Blue Cross is a sponsor of the Komen Race for the Cure each year, providing gifts for the walkers, a water station and live music.
Full Moon Walk
Arkansas Blue Cross’ and Blue Shield’s BlueCares team was in
10 12 Blue & You
full effect as they pitched a tent November 25, for the third annual Big Dam Bridge Full Moon Walk. The Full Moon Walk promotes the opportunity to use the Big Dam Bridge as a safe, fun place for the whole family to get exercise. Arkansas Blue Cross gave away reflector wristbands sporting the message, “Be safe, be seen. BlueCares.” WINTER 2012
P. Allen Smith shares some of his holiday tips at ArkansasBlue.
Happening Holidays with ArkansasBlue
ArkansasBlue, Arkansas’ first health
insurance store, helped families prepare for a healthy holiday season by hosting several activities. ArkansasBlue hosted “Healthy Holidays!” featuring P. Allen Smith and SilverSneakers®, November 10. Allen prepared a healthy apple and carrot salad, a blueberry and pomegranate spritzer and roasted pumpkin seeds and made a pumpkin centerpiece. SilverSneakers® Fitness Program instructors challenged participants to test and improve their strength, flexibility, balance and endurance. To promote families exercising together, Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield hosted family night, November 20, at the Arvest on Ice skating rink in
the River Market. Arkansas Blue Cross gave away more than 500 free tickets to families who visited our retail store, ArkansasBlue, located in the Shackleford Crossings shopping center. And to support healthy minds and spirits, ArkansasBlue provided 380 free tickets to the Arkansas Arts Center Children’s Theatre’s production of “City Mouse, Country Mouse, Christmas House.” If you missed out on these events, don’t worry — more are planned for ArkansasBlue, just visit arkansasbluecross.com periodically for a list of upcoming events, or “like” the Arkansas Blue Cross Facebook page. It’s all part of keeping families active and healthy!
Noah Butler of Little Rock was the grand-prize winner of the “Red, White and ArkansasBlue Challenge,” a summer promotion that encouraged healthy lifestyles for kids and families. The challenge included an activity calendar, stickers, events and prizes. To participate in the challenge, parents picked up the calendar and stickers at ArkansasBlue.
Blue & You WINTER 2012
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SPECIAL NOTICE:
*Arkansas State and Public School Employees can enroll in a weightloss program administered by the Employee Assistance Program’s vendor. Call 1-877-247-4621 to enroll.
Sugar may not be so sweet to your body According to Dr. Robert Lustig,
**Medi-Pak Medicare supplement insurance policyholders are not eligible for The Healthy Weigh! program.
Lose weight
professor of clinical pediatrics at the University of California, San Francisco, “Sugar in all forms — from the refined stuff in the bowl on your table to honey and high-fructose corn syrup — is a key contributor to many of our dietrelated diseases and conditions, including obesity, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and cancer. However, not everyone is so quick to put all the blame on sugar itself. Dr. David Katz, Yale University Prevention Research Center suggests that it’s the amount that people are consuming that is the bigger issue. A recent estimate suggests, “About 16 percent of the total calories in American diets comes from added sugars.” These added sugars often come from sodas, energy and sports drinks, and refined sugars found in cakes and cookies as well as candy. Most experts will say that moderation is key. So you may not have to give it up entirely, but take steps to cut out as much as you can from your diet: • Skip sodas • Know the names of sugars like high-fructose corn syrup, brown sugar, corn syrup, malt syrup and fructose dextrose • Choose fruit or unsweetened yogurt instead of a cookie Source: nbcnews.com
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WINTER 2012
The Healthy Weigh! Education Program is free for members of Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Health Advantage (except ARBenefits members*), Blue Cross and Blue Shield Service Benefit Plan (Federal Employee Program), Medi-Pak® Advantage (PFFS), Medi-Pak Advantage PPO, and eligible members of BlueAdvantage Administrators of Arkansas.** To enroll, complete the attached enrollment form and return it in the self-addressed, postage-paid envelope included in this magazine. The program starts when you enroll. After enrollment, you will begin to receive information through the mail, which you can read in the privacy of your own home and at your own pace. The program is completely voluntary, and you may leave the program at any time. If you have further questions about the program, call the Health Education Program’s toll-free number at 1-800-686-2609. Simply complete, sign and return the attached enrollment form in the self-addressed, postage-paid envelope to join The Healthy Weigh!
Teen drinking and driving is down, but not enough The number of teens ages 16 and older who drove when they had been drinking alcohol decreased by 54 percent between 1991 and 2011, with only one out of 10 high school teens drinking and driving in 2011, according to a recent study released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The 20-year study also found that: 85 percent of the teens who confirmed drinking and driving also admitted binge drinking (according to these Youth Risk Behavior Surveys, this means consuming five or more drinks in a short time).
Nearly one million high school teens still drink and drive each year (approximately 2.4 million incidents per month reported in 2011). Teen-aged males aged 18 and older were the most likely to drink and drive.
“It’s good for parents to keep in mind that when teens drink, they usually drink to get drunk,” said CDC epidemiologist and report author, Ruth Shults, Ph.D. “We recommend that parents and teens complete a parent-teen driving agreement to set and enforce ‘rules of the road’ for their new drivers,’” said Shults.
16-year-old high school girls were the least likely to drink and drive. Teen drinking and driving is most evident in the upper Midwest and in the Gulf states.
Car accidents are the leading cause of death for teens between 16 and 19 years of age. Sources: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, cdc.gov, healthline.com and westmorelandtimes.com
Eye drops and nasal sprays a potential hazard for children There’s an old saying, “Good things come in
small packages.” Unfortunately, the reverse also can be true. Bad things can come in small — and innocent-looking — packages. A recent warning from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) illustrates this too well. The FDA is warning health care professionals and the public that accidental ingestion by children of overthe-counter eye drops used to relieve redness or nasal decongestant sprays can have serious and life-threatening results. These products contain the active ingredients tetrahydrozoline, oxymetazoline or naphazoline. According to the FDA warning, children who swallow as little as one to two milliliters of these ingredients can suffer serious adverse effects.
Most eye drops and nasal sprays do not come with child-resistant tops, so if these products are left within a child’s reach it will not be difficult for the child to open the bottle. Protecting your children is a simple matter of storing these products out of their reach. A medicine cabinet above the bathroom sink or a high shelf in a storage closet are difficult for children to access and would be suitable places of storage. Between 1985 and 2012 the FDA identified 96 cases in which children from 1 month to 5 years accidentally swallowed products containing these ingredients.
Note: If your child does accidentally swallow a product containing the above ingredients, call the National Capital Poison Center at 1-800-222-1222 and seek emergency medical help immediately. Blue & You WINTER 2012 13
SPECIAL NOTICE:
*Arkansas State and Public School Employees can enroll in a weightloss program administered by the Employee Assistance Program’s vendor. Call 1-877-247-4621 to enroll.
Sugar may not be so sweet to your body According to Dr. Robert Lustig,
**Medi-Pak Medicare supplement insurance policyholders are not eligible for The Healthy Weigh! program.
Lose weight
professor of clinical pediatrics at the University of California, San Francisco, “Sugar in all forms — from the refined stuff in the bowl on your table to honey and high-fructose corn syrup — is a key contributor to many of our dietrelated diseases and conditions, including obesity, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and cancer. However, not everyone is so quick to put all the blame on sugar itself. Dr. David Katz, Yale University Prevention Research Center suggests that it’s the amount that people are consuming that is the bigger issue. A recent estimate suggests, “About 16 percent of the total calories in American diets comes from added sugars.” These added sugars often come from sodas, energy and sports drinks, and refined sugars found in cakes and cookies as well as candy. Most experts will say that moderation is key. So you may not have to give it up entirely, but take steps to cut out as much as you can from your diet: • Skip sodas • Know the names of sugars like high-fructose corn syrup, brown sugar, corn syrup, malt syrup and fructose dextrose • Choose fruit or unsweetened yogurt instead of a cookie Source: nbcnews.com
12 Blue & You
WINTER 2012
The Healthy Weigh! Education Program is free for members of Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Health Advantage (except ARBenefits members*), Blue Cross and Blue Shield Service Benefit Plan (Federal Employee Program), Medi-Pak® Advantage (PFFS), Medi-Pak Advantage PPO, and eligible members of BlueAdvantage Administrators of Arkansas.** To enroll, complete the attached enrollment form and return it in the self-addressed, postage-paid envelope included in this magazine. The program starts when you enroll. After enrollment, you will begin to receive information through the mail, which you can read in the privacy of your own home and at your own pace. The program is completely voluntary, and you may leave the program at any time. If you have further questions about the program, call the Health Education Program’s toll-free number at 1-800-686-2609. Simply complete, sign and return the attached enrollment form in the self-addressed, postage-paid envelope to join The Healthy Weigh!
Teen drinking and driving is down, but not enough The number of teens ages 16 and older who drove when they had been drinking alcohol decreased by 54 percent between 1991 and 2011, with only one out of 10 high school teens drinking and driving in 2011, according to a recent study released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The 20-year study also found that: 85 percent of the teens who confirmed drinking and driving also admitted binge drinking (according to these Youth Risk Behavior Surveys, this means consuming five or more drinks in a short time).
Nearly one million high school teens still drink and drive each year (approximately 2.4 million incidents per month reported in 2011). Teen-aged males aged 18 and older were the most likely to drink and drive.
“It’s good for parents to keep in mind that when teens drink, they usually drink to get drunk,” said CDC epidemiologist and report author, Ruth Shults, Ph.D. “We recommend that parents and teens complete a parent-teen driving agreement to set and enforce ‘rules of the road’ for their new drivers,’” said Shults.
16-year-old high school girls were the least likely to drink and drive. Teen drinking and driving is most evident in the upper Midwest and in the Gulf states.
Car accidents are the leading cause of death for teens between 16 and 19 years of age. Sources: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, cdc.gov, healthline.com and westmorelandtimes.com
Eye drops and nasal sprays a potential hazard for children There’s an old saying, “Good things come in
small packages.” Unfortunately, the reverse also can be true. Bad things can come in small — and innocent-looking — packages. A recent warning from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) illustrates this too well. The FDA is warning health care professionals and the public that accidental ingestion by children of overthe-counter eye drops used to relieve redness or nasal decongestant sprays can have serious and life-threatening results. These products contain the active ingredients tetrahydrozoline, oxymetazoline or naphazoline. According to the FDA warning, children who swallow as little as one to two milliliters of these ingredients can suffer serious adverse effects.
Most eye drops and nasal sprays do not come with child-resistant tops, so if these products are left within a child’s reach it will not be difficult for the child to open the bottle. Protecting your children is a simple matter of storing these products out of their reach. A medicine cabinet above the bathroom sink or a high shelf in a storage closet are difficult for children to access and would be suitable places of storage. Between 1985 and 2012 the FDA identified 96 cases in which children from 1 month to 5 years accidentally swallowed products containing these ingredients.
Note: If your child does accidentally swallow a product containing the above ingredients, call the National Capital Poison Center at 1-800-222-1222 and seek emergency medical help immediately. Blue & You WINTER 2012 13
Facing and addressing end-of-life decisions
by Janie Fenton, senior counsel – Government Programs at Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield
The most unfair thing about life is the way it ends. I mean, life is tough. It takes up a lot of your time. What do you get at the end of it? A death. – George Carlin ew subjects are written about more and planned for less than end-of-life decisions. Authors and humorists joke about death. Poets and musicians wax philosophically about death. Movies, books and plays are written about death. Death haunts us every Halloween and frightens us in every horror film. Yet, as omnipresent as death seems to be in our culture, there is no act more inevitable and less managed than death and dying. According to a recent survey by FindLaw. com, the online legal research Web site, only 36 percent of Americans have a living will or advance directive, while 62 percent say they have none. The remaining 2 percent did not know if they had a living will. Despite Congress’ passage of the Patient Self-Determination Act in 1990, which required that all hospitals receiving Medicare or Medicaid funds provide all entering patients written information about their right to accept or refuse treatment, most of us give little or no thought to how we will approach the inevitable end of our lives. However, as uncomfortable as discussions of death, dying and end-of-life decisions may make us, there are very few things that you can do that are as simple and as helpful for you and your family as executing a living will or advance directive. A living will, also known as an advance directive, allows you to be in charge of your endof-life decisions well before the end of your life. A living will also provides much needed guidance to your loved ones about your wishes concerning the
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WINTER 2012
end of your life. In the absence of a living will or advance directive, family members and loved ones may not know your wishes and, without clear direction from you, may not agree on what routes to take. A living will is a simple document that spells out what treatments you want when/if you become terminally ill or permanently unconscious and also allows you to designate someone to act on your behalf if you are unable to act on your own behalf.
No one gets out of here alive. – Jim Morrison
In Arkansas, living wills and advance directives
are covered in Ark. Code Ann. §20-17-201 et seq. The living will allows the patient who later becomes terminally ill or permanently unconscious to specify his or her wishes about how the end of life will be handled: whether to have extraordinary and life-saving measures or only palliative care; whether to receive nutrition and/ or hydration or not; or whether to specify these decisions in the Living Will or leave them to the attending physician or to his/her health care proxy. On its Web site, Central Arkansas Legal Services provides links to two easy-to-follow, interactive living will forms for Arkansas. The first form directs that your physician withhold or withdraw life-sustaining treatments should you become permanently unconscious. The second form directs that your physician use every means reasonably available to sustain your life.
To access the forms, go to lawhelpinteractive.org, select “find forms,” select “Arkansas,” and then select “Living Will.” You can then select the version of the interactive form you want to complete.
I’m not afraid of death. I just don’t want to be here when it happens. – Woody Allen
In preparing your living will, make sure your wishes are expressed clearly and concisely. Give a great deal of thought and consideration about who you wish to appoint as your health care proxy. Ensure that your living will complies with Arkansas law and that it is signed by you and witnessed by two individuals who are over the age of 18. When your living will is finalized, you may want to prepare several “originals” that have been signed by you and properly witnessed, so that you can keep one original with your other important legal papers and distribute other signed originals to your health care proxy, your next of kin (if you have appointed someone else as your health care proxy) and your primary care doctor.
will. Also, while Arkansas law provides that living wills executed elsewhere (but otherwise compliant with all Arkansas requirements) are valid in Arkansas, not all states are as accepting. Therefore, if you move to another state or spend significant time there, you should consult the laws of that state to determine whether your living will is still valid according to that state’s law.
Remember to review your living will regularly
“It has been said that death is as much a part of life as life itself is. If so, it is time to face the inevitability of our life’s end and answer the difficult questions while we still have a voice in the matter.*”
to determine whether it still accurately expresses your wishes or needs to be amended. If you wish to revoke your living will, you will need to retrieve and destroy all originals and copies of your old living
A brief word about what a living will does NOT do: it does not order a health care professional to act in any way not in accordance with your wishes; it does not allow assisted suicide; it does not allow physician-assisted suicide; it does not allow euthanasia; it does not affect your treatment other than as necessary to ensure that your endof-life wishes are honored to the greatest extent possible until the very end of your life.
Arkansas Blue Cross does not offer legal advice to its members and nothing contained herein is intended to nor should it be interpreted as constituting legal counsel or advice. For specific legal questions or guidance, please consult a lawyer.
* Source: “The Right to Die,” The Chronicle, The Independent Daily at Duke University (October 6, 1998).
Case studies on family conflict Two noteworthy cases about familial conflicts can be found in the Terri Schiavo and Hugh Finn cases, out of Florida and Virginia, respectively.
legislative battles, Michael Schiavo ultimately won the right to remove her feeding tube and Terri Schiavo died on March 31, 2005, 15 years, one month and one week after she initially fell ill.
Ms. Schiavo suffered a massive cardiac arrest and brain damage. As a result, Ms. Schiavo was diagnosed by her physicians as being in a persistent vegetative case. She did not have a living will. After eight years of her living in a persistent vegetative state, her husband, Michael Schiavo, sought a court order allowing him to remove her feeding tube. Her parents objected, contending that their daughter was semi-conscious and would not have wanted the tube removed. The case was litigated for over 15 years and, at one point, the United States Congress, President George W. Bush and Governor Jeb Bush were involved in various aspects. After numerous and extensive court and
Similarly, Hugh Finn suffered massive brain damage following a car accident in Virginia in 1995. Like Schiavo, Finn had no living will. Finn remained in a persistent vegetative state for three years and was nourished during that time by a feeding tube. After sustaining his life by artificial means for more than three years, his wife sought a court order allowing her to order removal of the feeding tube. Finn’s brother objected and, at one point, the Governor of Virginia weighed in on the case. Ultimately, Mrs. Finn won the right to have the tube removed and Hugh Finn passed away nine days later, more than three years following his car accident.
Blue & You WINTER 2012
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Facing and addressing end-of-life decisions
by Janie Fenton, senior counsel – Government Programs at Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield
The most unfair thing about life is the way it ends. I mean, life is tough. It takes up a lot of your time. What do you get at the end of it? A death. – George Carlin ew subjects are written about more and planned for less than end-of-life decisions. Authors and humorists joke about death. Poets and musicians wax philosophically about death. Movies, books and plays are written about death. Death haunts us every Halloween and frightens us in every horror film. Yet, as omnipresent as death seems to be in our culture, there is no act more inevitable and less managed than death and dying. According to a recent survey by FindLaw. com, the online legal research Web site, only 36 percent of Americans have a living will or advance directive, while 62 percent say they have none. The remaining 2 percent did not know if they had a living will. Despite Congress’ passage of the Patient Self-Determination Act in 1990, which required that all hospitals receiving Medicare or Medicaid funds provide all entering patients written information about their right to accept or refuse treatment, most of us give little or no thought to how we will approach the inevitable end of our lives. However, as uncomfortable as discussions of death, dying and end-of-life decisions may make us, there are very few things that you can do that are as simple and as helpful for you and your family as executing a living will or advance directive. A living will, also known as an advance directive, allows you to be in charge of your endof-life decisions well before the end of your life. A living will also provides much needed guidance to your loved ones about your wishes concerning the
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end of your life. In the absence of a living will or advance directive, family members and loved ones may not know your wishes and, without clear direction from you, may not agree on what routes to take. A living will is a simple document that spells out what treatments you want when/if you become terminally ill or permanently unconscious and also allows you to designate someone to act on your behalf if you are unable to act on your own behalf.
No one gets out of here alive. – Jim Morrison
In Arkansas, living wills and advance directives
are covered in Ark. Code Ann. §20-17-201 et seq. The living will allows the patient who later becomes terminally ill or permanently unconscious to specify his or her wishes about how the end of life will be handled: whether to have extraordinary and life-saving measures or only palliative care; whether to receive nutrition and/ or hydration or not; or whether to specify these decisions in the Living Will or leave them to the attending physician or to his/her health care proxy. On its Web site, Central Arkansas Legal Services provides links to two easy-to-follow, interactive living will forms for Arkansas. The first form directs that your physician withhold or withdraw life-sustaining treatments should you become permanently unconscious. The second form directs that your physician use every means reasonably available to sustain your life.
To access the forms, go to lawhelpinteractive.org, select “find forms,” select “Arkansas,” and then select “Living Will.” You can then select the version of the interactive form you want to complete.
I’m not afraid of death. I just don’t want to be here when it happens. – Woody Allen
In preparing your living will, make sure your wishes are expressed clearly and concisely. Give a great deal of thought and consideration about who you wish to appoint as your health care proxy. Ensure that your living will complies with Arkansas law and that it is signed by you and witnessed by two individuals who are over the age of 18. When your living will is finalized, you may want to prepare several “originals” that have been signed by you and properly witnessed, so that you can keep one original with your other important legal papers and distribute other signed originals to your health care proxy, your next of kin (if you have appointed someone else as your health care proxy) and your primary care doctor.
will. Also, while Arkansas law provides that living wills executed elsewhere (but otherwise compliant with all Arkansas requirements) are valid in Arkansas, not all states are as accepting. Therefore, if you move to another state or spend significant time there, you should consult the laws of that state to determine whether your living will is still valid according to that state’s law.
Remember to review your living will regularly
“It has been said that death is as much a part of life as life itself is. If so, it is time to face the inevitability of our life’s end and answer the difficult questions while we still have a voice in the matter.*”
to determine whether it still accurately expresses your wishes or needs to be amended. If you wish to revoke your living will, you will need to retrieve and destroy all originals and copies of your old living
A brief word about what a living will does NOT do: it does not order a health care professional to act in any way not in accordance with your wishes; it does not allow assisted suicide; it does not allow physician-assisted suicide; it does not allow euthanasia; it does not affect your treatment other than as necessary to ensure that your endof-life wishes are honored to the greatest extent possible until the very end of your life.
Arkansas Blue Cross does not offer legal advice to its members and nothing contained herein is intended to nor should it be interpreted as constituting legal counsel or advice. For specific legal questions or guidance, please consult a lawyer.
* Source: “The Right to Die,” The Chronicle, The Independent Daily at Duke University (October 6, 1998).
Case studies on family conflict Two noteworthy cases about familial conflicts can be found in the Terri Schiavo and Hugh Finn cases, out of Florida and Virginia, respectively.
legislative battles, Michael Schiavo ultimately won the right to remove her feeding tube and Terri Schiavo died on March 31, 2005, 15 years, one month and one week after she initially fell ill.
Ms. Schiavo suffered a massive cardiac arrest and brain damage. As a result, Ms. Schiavo was diagnosed by her physicians as being in a persistent vegetative case. She did not have a living will. After eight years of her living in a persistent vegetative state, her husband, Michael Schiavo, sought a court order allowing him to remove her feeding tube. Her parents objected, contending that their daughter was semi-conscious and would not have wanted the tube removed. The case was litigated for over 15 years and, at one point, the United States Congress, President George W. Bush and Governor Jeb Bush were involved in various aspects. After numerous and extensive court and
Similarly, Hugh Finn suffered massive brain damage following a car accident in Virginia in 1995. Like Schiavo, Finn had no living will. Finn remained in a persistent vegetative state for three years and was nourished during that time by a feeding tube. After sustaining his life by artificial means for more than three years, his wife sought a court order allowing her to order removal of the feeding tube. Finn’s brother objected and, at one point, the Governor of Virginia weighed in on the case. Ultimately, Mrs. Finn won the right to have the tube removed and Hugh Finn passed away nine days later, more than three years following his car accident.
Blue & You WINTER 2012
15
with Dr. David
David A. Lipschitz, M.D., Ph.D.
Caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease Beyond the age of 80, half of us will become dependent on others because of physical disabilities or memory loss. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, more than 15 million Americans provide unpaid care for a person with Alzheimer’s or other dementias. And, as the baby boomers age and the number of 80-year-olds double, the burden on families, communities and our nation will be overwhelming. In the past, non-working daughters frequently became full-time caregivers for their parents and in-laws. However, current economic realities require that both spouses work. Thus, taking care of a parent with memory loss is becoming more difficult. The need to be a caregiver has forced more than 65 percent to take time off work, 20 percent to take a leave of absence, and 11 percent to retire. And over 60 percent of caregivers say that the emotional and physical stress of care giving is overwhelming. Compared to non-caregivers, the risk of illness and death is eight times higher, and if the caregiver is a spouse, their life expectancy is often shorter than that of their cognitively impaired loved one.
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WINTER 2012
In the early stages of the disease, memory loss can be nothing more than a minor disability. With some help, the patient is able to manage well in the community, function almost normally – drive, travel and not be a burden on his or her family. But with time, as other elements of intellectual function decline, the patient depends more and more on the one caregiver, becoming agitated when they leave their site. They may become disruptive, refuse to pay attention to personal hygiene, frequently wander and be awake all night while dozing during the day. They are unable to be left alone for one minute. With time they become more childlike and may lose their inhibitions and do things that in years past would be unthinkable. Incontinence can become a problem, hallucinations, delusions and paranoia are common, and the patient may be physically abusive. While the answer to Alzheimer’s disease still remains, doing everything we can to find a cure and eradicate this illness that causes so much suffering, we as a nation are not doing enough to meet the needs of desperate families and their loved ones with memory loss.
Fortunately, communities do have support groups that can provide invaluable help (on occasion even financial) to families. But, much more needs to be done. We must do everything we can to allow working families to keep their loved one at home. This can be accomplished by establishing more adult day health care facilities where a patient can spend the day in a dignified, safe environment where trained personnel are able to promote health, help maintain cognition and avoid the unnecessary use of medications. If a loved one is no longer able to stay at home, he or she may need to go to a facility uniquely designed to meet the needs of patients with memory disorders. Often, people with Alzheimer’s are physically independent but intellectually impaired. Placing them in a regular nursing home where they mix together with patients who are physically compromised but cognitively intact can prove disastrous. Fortunately, there is a nationwide push to develop unique memory disorder centers that are architecturally designed to allow a person with memory loss to wander and feel as independent as possible. Rooms are smaller to encourage socialization and bathrooms uniquely structured to prevent falls and help uncooperative individuals with bathing.
These centers provide care in a way that avoids the need for drugs to prevent agitation, while doing everything possible to exercise the body and the mind by keeping them out of their rooms and active. Staff members are trained to work with patients who may not remember them daily. Often the residents’ overall health improves because they receive nutritious and appropriate food and comply with taking their medication. Simultaneously, removing the burden of caregiving may be invaluable to the family who can remain just as involved in their loved one’s care. To meet the needs of a large population with memory impairments, we must make sure both the loved one suffering from the disease and their family have access to the needed resources and facilities to assure lifelong dignity and the best possible quality of life for everyone touched by this brutal disease.
David A. Lipschitz, M.D., Ph.D., is nationally recognized as a leader in the field of geriatrics. Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield is honored to have him as a contributor to Blue & You magazine.
Blue & You WINTER 2012 17
with Dr. David
David A. Lipschitz, M.D., Ph.D.
Caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease Beyond the age of 80, half of us will become dependent on others because of physical disabilities or memory loss. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, more than 15 million Americans provide unpaid care for a person with Alzheimer’s or other dementias. And, as the baby boomers age and the number of 80-year-olds double, the burden on families, communities and our nation will be overwhelming. In the past, non-working daughters frequently became full-time caregivers for their parents and in-laws. However, current economic realities require that both spouses work. Thus, taking care of a parent with memory loss is becoming more difficult. The need to be a caregiver has forced more than 65 percent to take time off work, 20 percent to take a leave of absence, and 11 percent to retire. And over 60 percent of caregivers say that the emotional and physical stress of care giving is overwhelming. Compared to non-caregivers, the risk of illness and death is eight times higher, and if the caregiver is a spouse, their life expectancy is often shorter than that of their cognitively impaired loved one.
16 Blue & You
WINTER 2012
In the early stages of the disease, memory loss can be nothing more than a minor disability. With some help, the patient is able to manage well in the community, function almost normally – drive, travel and not be a burden on his or her family. But with time, as other elements of intellectual function decline, the patient depends more and more on the one caregiver, becoming agitated when they leave their site. They may become disruptive, refuse to pay attention to personal hygiene, frequently wander and be awake all night while dozing during the day. They are unable to be left alone for one minute. With time they become more childlike and may lose their inhibitions and do things that in years past would be unthinkable. Incontinence can become a problem, hallucinations, delusions and paranoia are common, and the patient may be physically abusive. While the answer to Alzheimer’s disease still remains, doing everything we can to find a cure and eradicate this illness that causes so much suffering, we as a nation are not doing enough to meet the needs of desperate families and their loved ones with memory loss.
Fortunately, communities do have support groups that can provide invaluable help (on occasion even financial) to families. But, much more needs to be done. We must do everything we can to allow working families to keep their loved one at home. This can be accomplished by establishing more adult day health care facilities where a patient can spend the day in a dignified, safe environment where trained personnel are able to promote health, help maintain cognition and avoid the unnecessary use of medications. If a loved one is no longer able to stay at home, he or she may need to go to a facility uniquely designed to meet the needs of patients with memory disorders. Often, people with Alzheimer’s are physically independent but intellectually impaired. Placing them in a regular nursing home where they mix together with patients who are physically compromised but cognitively intact can prove disastrous. Fortunately, there is a nationwide push to develop unique memory disorder centers that are architecturally designed to allow a person with memory loss to wander and feel as independent as possible. Rooms are smaller to encourage socialization and bathrooms uniquely structured to prevent falls and help uncooperative individuals with bathing.
These centers provide care in a way that avoids the need for drugs to prevent agitation, while doing everything possible to exercise the body and the mind by keeping them out of their rooms and active. Staff members are trained to work with patients who may not remember them daily. Often the residents’ overall health improves because they receive nutritious and appropriate food and comply with taking their medication. Simultaneously, removing the burden of caregiving may be invaluable to the family who can remain just as involved in their loved one’s care. To meet the needs of a large population with memory impairments, we must make sure both the loved one suffering from the disease and their family have access to the needed resources and facilities to assure lifelong dignity and the best possible quality of life for everyone touched by this brutal disease.
David A. Lipschitz, M.D., Ph.D., is nationally recognized as a leader in the field of geriatrics. Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield is honored to have him as a contributor to Blue & You magazine.
Blue & You WINTER 2012 17
the
by P. Allen Smith
DOCTOR’S
Happy, Healthy New Year!
As we start the New Year, many Americans
will make resolutions. Advertising is everywhere for gym membership specials, health equipment, gimmicks, smoking cessation products and reminders to do wellness screenings. Unfortunately, only about 15 percent of us who make resolutions will keep or achieve success. We’ve already barreled through the holidays, which is always the busiest time of the year. Halloween began a long-accepted tradition of eating, which continues through New Year’s Eve into breakfast after the party on January 1. Not only is everything that is bad for us readily available during the holidays, it almost becomes a social faux pas not to eat, drink and enjoy. Of the top 10 resolutions Americans make, four consistently involve health:
• • • •
Lose weight and exercise Quit smoking Eat healthier Reduce stress
How long does it take to fall off the resolution wagon? Typically by mid February, 60 percent of gym memberships are unused. People who study this behavior suggest we are unrealistic in setting goals. For example resolving to lose 25 pounds a month is not only unhealthy, it is unsustainable. We need to think of our resolutions as a process. If your goal is to lose weight, instead of focusing on your target heart rate, I would suggest you focus on simply increasing your activity over a period of time. If you do not have time for 30 minutes of walking, do 15.
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WINTER 2012
corner
by Cygnet Schroeder, D.O. Medical Director, Fort Smith
Add gentle strength training to your exercise; it will help you burn more calories. Don’t just focus on the pounds — decreasing inches improves your health as well as your appearance. Only 15 percent of people are successful with quitting smoking. Smokers are at an increased risk for multiple diseases. It also is a process. If you fail, try again. Remember that secondhand smoke causes increased cardiac and cancer deaths in nonsmokers, aggravates asthmatics and increases respiratory infections in children. You are quitting for your family as well as yourself.
These days I feel safe in saying that everyone is familiar
P. Allen Smith is an award-winning designer, gardening and lifestyle expert. Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield is honored to have him as a contributor to Blue & You magazine.
Materials • 2 tablespoons of high quality, untreated soybean seeds • quart-sized mason jar • cheesecloth • water • rubber band
with sprouts. You can find them on sandwiches, salads and in stir-fries. What you might not know is that sprouts are extremely easy to grow. You can grow them right in your kitchen any time of the year. They are a low-calorie, no-fat food with an increased amount of vitamins and minerals.
A healthy treat Soybeans are cholesterol-free and low in saturated fats. They are a great choice of food for those folks watching their cholesterol or if they have heart-health concerns. Soybean sprouts are an excellent source of nutrition, packed with protein and vitamin C. Soybean sprouts are a good source of dietary fiber and isoflavones. Isoflavones are believed to have a number of health benefits, especially in preventing chronic disease. Be creative, and try soybean sprouts in your own recipes. Growing sprouts is about the easiest gardening you’ll ever do. All it takes is light, water, a few seeds, a jar and some cheesecloth.
Directions
Next, we come to eating healthier. This is no small task. Between work, activities, and traveling, finding a meal that doesn’t include French fries while in a drive-through is a challenge. Most experts say controlling portion size is the key to success. It may be unrealistic to eat vegetables with every meal. Try to set something you can achieve. If you must eat fast food, don’t supersize or get the meal deal. Reward your success. Don’t give up your favorite dessert; just eat it less frequently and in a smaller portion.
Select only whole seeds and rinse in lukewarm water. Place the seeds in a sterilized, quart mason jar and add lukewarm water at a ratio of three parts water to one part seeds. Soak the seeds for at least three hours. Many sources recommend that you soak the seeds overnight.
Now we come to stress. Much you cannot change, but you can set achievable goals. Measure your success. If you only lost two pounds this month rather than four, well, you are halfway there. Treat your resolutions as your job. Make them part of your schedule.
Now you are ready to rinse the seeds. Without removing the cheesecloth, add fresh, lukewarm water to the jar, swirl gently and drain. Now remove the cheesecloth and discard any loose hulls. Replace the cheesecloth with a fresh piece, secure with the rubber band and set your jar in a dark place propped at a slight angle.
The great thing about having a New Year is it’s another chance for us to start over and try again! Good luck with your resolutions!
After soaking the seeds, you are ready to drain off the soak water, which is actually quite nutritious. You can use it to make soups, tea or even as a healthy tonic for your plants. To easily drain the water, just secure a little cheesecloth to the mason jar using a rubber band.
You will need to rinse and drain the seeds every morning and evening for several days. Be careful not to break the tender shoots, as this will cause the seeds to spoil. After four or five days you will have mature sprouts, although they will be a little pale. Just set them in indirect light and they will turn green within a few hours as chlorophyll production increases. To remove any lingering hulls, gently wash the sprouts in a large bowl of cold water. Store your sprouts in the refrigerator in a container that allows air circulation.
19
the
by P. Allen Smith
DOCTOR’S
Happy, Healthy New Year!
As we start the New Year, many Americans
will make resolutions. Advertising is everywhere for gym membership specials, health equipment, gimmicks, smoking cessation products and reminders to do wellness screenings. Unfortunately, only about 15 percent of us who make resolutions will keep or achieve success. We’ve already barreled through the holidays, which is always the busiest time of the year. Halloween began a long-accepted tradition of eating, which continues through New Year’s Eve into breakfast after the party on January 1. Not only is everything that is bad for us readily available during the holidays, it almost becomes a social faux pas not to eat, drink and enjoy. Of the top 10 resolutions Americans make, four consistently involve health:
• • • •
Lose weight and exercise Quit smoking Eat healthier Reduce stress
How long does it take to fall off the resolution wagon? Typically by mid February, 60 percent of gym memberships are unused. People who study this behavior suggest we are unrealistic in setting goals. For example resolving to lose 25 pounds a month is not only unhealthy, it is unsustainable. We need to think of our resolutions as a process. If your goal is to lose weight, instead of focusing on your target heart rate, I would suggest you focus on simply increasing your activity over a period of time. If you do not have time for 30 minutes of walking, do 15.
18 Blue & You
WINTER 2012
corner
by Cygnet Schroeder, D.O. Medical Director, Fort Smith
Add gentle strength training to your exercise; it will help you burn more calories. Don’t just focus on the pounds — decreasing inches improves your health as well as your appearance. Only 15 percent of people are successful with quitting smoking. Smokers are at an increased risk for multiple diseases. It also is a process. If you fail, try again. Remember that secondhand smoke causes increased cardiac and cancer deaths in nonsmokers, aggravates asthmatics and increases respiratory infections in children. You are quitting for your family as well as yourself.
These days I feel safe in saying that everyone is familiar
P. Allen Smith is an award-winning designer, gardening and lifestyle expert. Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield is honored to have him as a contributor to Blue & You magazine.
Materials • 2 tablespoons of high quality, untreated soybean seeds • quart-sized mason jar • cheesecloth • water • rubber band
with sprouts. You can find them on sandwiches, salads and in stir-fries. What you might not know is that sprouts are extremely easy to grow. You can grow them right in your kitchen any time of the year. They are a low-calorie, no-fat food with an increased amount of vitamins and minerals.
A healthy treat Soybeans are cholesterol-free and low in saturated fats. They are a great choice of food for those folks watching their cholesterol or if they have heart-health concerns. Soybean sprouts are an excellent source of nutrition, packed with protein and vitamin C. Soybean sprouts are a good source of dietary fiber and isoflavones. Isoflavones are believed to have a number of health benefits, especially in preventing chronic disease. Be creative, and try soybean sprouts in your own recipes. Growing sprouts is about the easiest gardening you’ll ever do. All it takes is light, water, a few seeds, a jar and some cheesecloth.
Directions
Next, we come to eating healthier. This is no small task. Between work, activities, and traveling, finding a meal that doesn’t include French fries while in a drive-through is a challenge. Most experts say controlling portion size is the key to success. It may be unrealistic to eat vegetables with every meal. Try to set something you can achieve. If you must eat fast food, don’t supersize or get the meal deal. Reward your success. Don’t give up your favorite dessert; just eat it less frequently and in a smaller portion.
Select only whole seeds and rinse in lukewarm water. Place the seeds in a sterilized, quart mason jar and add lukewarm water at a ratio of three parts water to one part seeds. Soak the seeds for at least three hours. Many sources recommend that you soak the seeds overnight.
Now we come to stress. Much you cannot change, but you can set achievable goals. Measure your success. If you only lost two pounds this month rather than four, well, you are halfway there. Treat your resolutions as your job. Make them part of your schedule.
Now you are ready to rinse the seeds. Without removing the cheesecloth, add fresh, lukewarm water to the jar, swirl gently and drain. Now remove the cheesecloth and discard any loose hulls. Replace the cheesecloth with a fresh piece, secure with the rubber band and set your jar in a dark place propped at a slight angle.
The great thing about having a New Year is it’s another chance for us to start over and try again! Good luck with your resolutions!
After soaking the seeds, you are ready to drain off the soak water, which is actually quite nutritious. You can use it to make soups, tea or even as a healthy tonic for your plants. To easily drain the water, just secure a little cheesecloth to the mason jar using a rubber band.
You will need to rinse and drain the seeds every morning and evening for several days. Be careful not to break the tender shoots, as this will cause the seeds to spoil. After four or five days you will have mature sprouts, although they will be a little pale. Just set them in indirect light and they will turn green within a few hours as chlorophyll production increases. To remove any lingering hulls, gently wash the sprouts in a large bowl of cold water. Store your sprouts in the refrigerator in a container that allows air circulation.
19
OBESITY, continued from page 5
requirements on page 12), fill out the enrollment form in the middle of Blue & You and send it in.”
W
e’re here to serve you, and one of the many ways we help you is through our online tools and information. If you haven’t visited our Web sites lately or logged into your personalized account, here’s just a sample of what is available to you.
For Members Only (log in) • Personal Health Statements – An easy-to-read statement outlining your recent claims, benefits, costs to you, contact information and more. You already receive these in the mail, but you also can review them online. And, sign up for our “online claims notification,” and we’ll send you an e-mail when your Personal Health Statement is ready for review. • Personal Health Record – Allows both you and your physicians to view your medical history, claims, medications and more. It allows you to enter your personal information too, so please visit your health record today to make sure the information is accurate and up-to-date. • Review your doctor – If you have had a recent doctor visit, be sure to review the experience. All the reviews and comments
20 Blue & You
WINTER 2012
appear (anonymously) on our public site. It can help others decide if your doctor is the right choice for their needs. • Estimate your medical costs – This tool gives members access to estimated costs for common medical procedures at local health care facilities (such as local hospitals). It also gives easy-to-understand descriptions of all of the procedures and definitions. Logging in to our member self-service site also gives you access to claims, benefits, coverage information and more. Log in today!
On Our Web Sites • Customer Service E-Mail – Contact us easily through e-mail. We will personally respond with answers to your questions within 24 hours. • Drug Information – Whether you just want information, want to check
for interactions with other medications, or want to identify a pill, we have a tool to help you. • Rate Quote – We have a simple rate quote tool for those looking for the cost of individual or family plans. It’s easy to use! • Find a Doctor – Use our online doctor search to get an address, directions, phone number, certifications and education, hospital affiliations, and even member reviews on your doctor. That’s just a sampling of the information available to you online. Visit our sites today at arkansasbluecross.com, healthadvantage-hmo.com and blueadvantagearkansas.com. Editor’s Note: Policyholders as well as family members on their plan are eligible to register for our member self-service site. Federal employees and Medi-Pak Rx® and Medi-Pak® Advantage members are not eligible to register at this time.
Blue & You Fitness Challenge The Blue & You Fitness Challenge is an annual three-month physical activity contest designed to encourage healthy activity. The Challenge encourages participants to participate in activity 30 minutes each day, most days of the week. You can find out more on our Web sites. Online Tools “If you need a little support to help you reach your personal fitness and health goals, our online tools may be able to help,” Dr. Gartman said. Eligible members can access HealthConnect Blue through My Blueprint. HealthConnect Blue includes a health risk assessment; a health information library; self-paced programs for getting in shape, quitting smoking, losing weight, eating healthier, and relieving stress; self-management tracking tools; and online health challenges. SilverSneakers “If you are a senior Arkansan, you can’t beat the benefits of the SilverSneakers, program,” said Dr. Gartman. SilverSneakers is the nation’s leading exercise program designed exclusively for older adults offering an innovative blend of physical activity, healthy lifestyle and socially oriented programming. SilverSneakers is available to Arkansas Blue Cross Medi-Pak® and Medi-Pak® Advantage members at no additional cost to the member. Member Discounts “We recognize that our members want to be financially responsible as well as physically fit, so we’re working with fitness centers and other organizations to bring you discounts to help you stay healthy,” Dr. Gartman said. To find all our member discounts, go to the “Members” section of our Web sites. Foundation Grants The Blue & You Foundation for a Healthier Arkansas is part of Arkansas Blue Cross’ heritage of caring and commitment to the better health of Arkansans. Established in 2001 and wholly funded by Arkansas Blue Cross, the Foundation provides grants to support health improvement projects in Arkansas.
Talk to Your Doctor
“Before you start any exercise or weightloss program, you should visit with your doctor,” Dr. Gartman said. “People often don’t want to discuss their weight with their doctors, but it is an important discussion to have.” She said your doctor may want to run tests to make sure you are healthy enough for strenuous activity. Blood work and other tests can determine if you have problems with your blood pressure, cholesterol or blood sugar. “If you don’t have a primary care physician, consider visiting one of the physician clinics participating in the Comprehensive Primary Care (CPC) Initiative,” Dr. Gartman said. “These practices are working toward becoming Patient-Centered Medical Homes (PCMH), which include a more interactive approach to health care.” A PCMH includes electronic medical records, care alerts and a team approach to care. You can find doctors involved in the CPC Initiative online in our “Find a Doctor or Hospital” tool on our Web sites. “The obesity epidemic is a real concern for everyone, but the good news is there is help available and Arkansas Blue Cross is ready to help you. If you have questions, feel free to give us a call. We love to hear from you,” Dr. Gartman said. The full report with state rankings in all categories is available on TFAH’s Web site, healthyamericans.org and RWJF’s Web site, rwjf.org. TFAH and RWJF collaborated on the report, which was supported by a grant from RWJF.
Blue & You WINTER 2012
21
OBESITY, continued from page 5
requirements on page 12), fill out the enrollment form in the middle of Blue & You and send it in.”
W
e’re here to serve you, and one of the many ways we help you is through our online tools and information. If you haven’t visited our Web sites lately or logged into your personalized account, here’s just a sample of what is available to you.
For Members Only (log in) • Personal Health Statements – An easy-to-read statement outlining your recent claims, benefits, costs to you, contact information and more. You already receive these in the mail, but you also can review them online. And, sign up for our “online claims notification,” and we’ll send you an e-mail when your Personal Health Statement is ready for review. • Personal Health Record – Allows both you and your physicians to view your medical history, claims, medications and more. It allows you to enter your personal information too, so please visit your health record today to make sure the information is accurate and up-to-date. • Review your doctor – If you have had a recent doctor visit, be sure to review the experience. All the reviews and comments
20 Blue & You
WINTER 2012
appear (anonymously) on our public site. It can help others decide if your doctor is the right choice for their needs. • Estimate your medical costs – This tool gives members access to estimated costs for common medical procedures at local health care facilities (such as local hospitals). It also gives easy-to-understand descriptions of all of the procedures and definitions. Logging in to our member self-service site also gives you access to claims, benefits, coverage information and more. Log in today!
On Our Web Sites • Customer Service E-Mail – Contact us easily through e-mail. We will personally respond with answers to your questions within 24 hours. • Drug Information – Whether you just want information, want to check
for interactions with other medications, or want to identify a pill, we have a tool to help you. • Rate Quote – We have a simple rate quote tool for those looking for the cost of individual or family plans. It’s easy to use! • Find a Doctor – Use our online doctor search to get an address, directions, phone number, certifications and education, hospital affiliations, and even member reviews on your doctor. That’s just a sampling of the information available to you online. Visit our sites today at arkansasbluecross.com, healthadvantage-hmo.com and blueadvantagearkansas.com. Editor’s Note: Policyholders as well as family members on their plan are eligible to register for our member self-service site. Federal employees and Medi-Pak Rx® and Medi-Pak® Advantage members are not eligible to register at this time.
Blue & You Fitness Challenge The Blue & You Fitness Challenge is an annual three-month physical activity contest designed to encourage healthy activity. The Challenge encourages participants to participate in activity 30 minutes each day, most days of the week. You can find out more on our Web sites. Online Tools “If you need a little support to help you reach your personal fitness and health goals, our online tools may be able to help,” Dr. Gartman said. Eligible members can access HealthConnect Blue through My Blueprint. HealthConnect Blue includes a health risk assessment; a health information library; self-paced programs for getting in shape, quitting smoking, losing weight, eating healthier, and relieving stress; self-management tracking tools; and online health challenges. SilverSneakers “If you are a senior Arkansan, you can’t beat the benefits of the SilverSneakers, program,” said Dr. Gartman. SilverSneakers is the nation’s leading exercise program designed exclusively for older adults offering an innovative blend of physical activity, healthy lifestyle and socially oriented programming. SilverSneakers is available to Arkansas Blue Cross Medi-Pak® and Medi-Pak® Advantage members at no additional cost to the member. Member Discounts “We recognize that our members want to be financially responsible as well as physically fit, so we’re working with fitness centers and other organizations to bring you discounts to help you stay healthy,” Dr. Gartman said. To find all our member discounts, go to the “Members” section of our Web sites. Foundation Grants The Blue & You Foundation for a Healthier Arkansas is part of Arkansas Blue Cross’ heritage of caring and commitment to the better health of Arkansans. Established in 2001 and wholly funded by Arkansas Blue Cross, the Foundation provides grants to support health improvement projects in Arkansas.
Talk to Your Doctor
“Before you start any exercise or weightloss program, you should visit with your doctor,” Dr. Gartman said. “People often don’t want to discuss their weight with their doctors, but it is an important discussion to have.” She said your doctor may want to run tests to make sure you are healthy enough for strenuous activity. Blood work and other tests can determine if you have problems with your blood pressure, cholesterol or blood sugar. “If you don’t have a primary care physician, consider visiting one of the physician clinics participating in the Comprehensive Primary Care (CPC) Initiative,” Dr. Gartman said. “These practices are working toward becoming Patient-Centered Medical Homes (PCMH), which include a more interactive approach to health care.” A PCMH includes electronic medical records, care alerts and a team approach to care. You can find doctors involved in the CPC Initiative online in our “Find a Doctor or Hospital” tool on our Web sites. “The obesity epidemic is a real concern for everyone, but the good news is there is help available and Arkansas Blue Cross is ready to help you. If you have questions, feel free to give us a call. We love to hear from you,” Dr. Gartman said. The full report with state rankings in all categories is available on TFAH’s Web site, healthyamericans.org and RWJF’s Web site, rwjf.org. TFAH and RWJF collaborated on the report, which was supported by a grant from RWJF.
Blue & You WINTER 2012
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Discounts to Mountain Home health clubs Mountain Home Athletic Club and Weststar Fitness Center are offering a 25 percent discount on all membership types — individual, couple and family. Together the clubs offer cardio and strength training equipment, free weights, racquetball, indoor
and outdoor tennis, kids gym, pro shop, personal training, group fitness classes, outdoor pool, sauna, showers and locker rooms (some services are not available at both clubs). To find out more, contact the Mountain Home Athletic Club, 514 Coley Drive, at 1-870-425-4342, Web site, mhaclub.com, or WestStar Fitness Center, 1320 Eastside Center, at 1-870-425-8040.
Member rights and responsibilities Members have a right to: • Information about Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield • An explanation of their benefits • Access to health care providers • Be treated with respect and dignity • Participate in decisions regarding their health care coverage • Confidentiality of information • Change health care providers • Appeal adverse claim decisions Members have a responsibility to: • Become familiar with the terms, requirements and procedures of their health insurance plan • Present their member ID card to health care providers when seeking care • Provide information in connection with their submitted claims, including information about other health care coverage, when requested by Arkansas Blue Cross • Meet all copayments, deductible and coinsurance obligations • Notify Arkansas Blue Cross of any change in eligibility status • Communicate to Arkansas Blue Cross any complaint or grievance immediately.
22 Blue & You
WINTER 2012
Registered Dietitian Discount Ready to lose the weight but don’t know how to start? David Rath is a registered dietitian offering individual counseling for weight loss, general good nutrition and athletic performance. He is located on the third floor of the Lyon Building in Little Rock. He is offering members discounts ranging from 20 to 31 percent on individual sessions and 3 to 6 session packages. The package sessions include body composition assessments, diet analysis and general counseling. David Rath Nutrition, Inc., is located at 401 West Capitol Avenue, Suite 301, in Little Rock. You can learn more by calling 501-975-3662, e-mailing David@RathNutrition.com, or going to his Web site, rathnutrition.com.
New and upcoming
generics
Brands with recently released generics: Brand
Generic
Detrol Actos Actoplus Met Diovan HCT Avapro Avalide Teveten Plavix Boniva Lexapro Seroquel Singulair
tolterodine pioglitazone pioglitazone + metformin valsartan + hydrochlorothiazide
irbesartan irbesartan + hydrochlorothiazide eprosartan clopidogrel ibandronate escitalopram quetiapine montelukast
We Love to Hear From You! May we help? For customer service, please call: Little Rock Number (501)
Toll-free Number
Medi-Pak® members 378-3062 1-800-338-2312 Medi-Pak® Advantage members 1-877-233-7022 Medi-Pak® Rx members 1-866-390-3369 Arkansas Blue Cross members 378-2010 1-800-238-8379 Pharmacy questions 1-800-863-5561 Specialty Rx pharmacy questions 1-866-295-2779 Health Advantage members 378-2363 1-800-843-1329 Pharmacy questions 1-800-863-5567 BlueAdvantage members 378-3600 1-888-872-2531 Pharmacy questions 1-888-293-3748 Federal Employee members 378-2531 1-800-482-6655 Looking for health or dental insurance? We can help! For individuals, families
378-2937
1-800-392-2583
For employer groups*
378-3070
1-800-421-1112
*Arkansas Blue Cross, Health Advantage and BlueAdvantage Administrators of Arkansas
Prefer to speak with someone close to home? Call or visit one of our offices near you:
The following brand-name medications may have a generic soon:
ArkansasBlue — Little Rock 2612 S. Shackleford Rd. — Suite J
501-378-2222
Brand
Generic
Diovan Atacand Atacand HCT Maxalt Tricor
valsartan candesartan candesartan + hydrochlorothiazide rizatriptan fenofibrate
Fayetteville 516 East Millsap Rd. — Suite 103
1-800-817-7726
Fort Smith 3501 Old Greenwood Rd. — Suite 5
1-866-254-9117
Hot Springs 100 Greenwood Ave. — Suite C
1-800-588-5733
Jonesboro 707 East Matthews Ave. 1-800-299-4124 Little Rock 601 Gaines Street 1-800-421-1112 Pine Bluff 1800 West 73rd St. 1-800-236-0369 Texarkana 1710 Arkansas Boulevard
1-800-470-9621
Visit our Web sites for more information: arkansasbluecross.com • healthadvantage-hmo.com blueadvantagearkansas.com • blueandyoufoundationarkansas.org
Blue & You WINTER 2012 23
Discounts to Mountain Home health clubs Mountain Home Athletic Club and Weststar Fitness Center are offering a 25 percent discount on all membership types — individual, couple and family. Together the clubs offer cardio and strength training equipment, free weights, racquetball, indoor
and outdoor tennis, kids gym, pro shop, personal training, group fitness classes, outdoor pool, sauna, showers and locker rooms (some services are not available at both clubs). To find out more, contact the Mountain Home Athletic Club, 514 Coley Drive, at 1-870-425-4342, Web site, mhaclub.com, or WestStar Fitness Center, 1320 Eastside Center, at 1-870-425-8040.
Member rights and responsibilities Members have a right to: • Information about Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield • An explanation of their benefits • Access to health care providers • Be treated with respect and dignity • Participate in decisions regarding their health care coverage • Confidentiality of information • Change health care providers • Appeal adverse claim decisions Members have a responsibility to: • Become familiar with the terms, requirements and procedures of their health insurance plan • Present their member ID card to health care providers when seeking care • Provide information in connection with their submitted claims, including information about other health care coverage, when requested by Arkansas Blue Cross • Meet all copayments, deductible and coinsurance obligations • Notify Arkansas Blue Cross of any change in eligibility status • Communicate to Arkansas Blue Cross any complaint or grievance immediately.
22 Blue & You
WINTER 2012
Registered Dietitian Discount Ready to lose the weight but don’t know how to start? David Rath is a registered dietitian offering individual counseling for weight loss, general good nutrition and athletic performance. He is located on the third floor of the Lyon Building in Little Rock. He is offering members discounts ranging from 20 to 31 percent on individual sessions and 3 to 6 session packages. The package sessions include body composition assessments, diet analysis and general counseling. David Rath Nutrition, Inc., is located at 401 West Capitol Avenue, Suite 301, in Little Rock. You can learn more by calling 501-975-3662, e-mailing David@RathNutrition.com, or going to his Web site, rathnutrition.com.
New and upcoming
generics
Brands with recently released generics: Brand
Generic
Detrol Actos Actoplus Met Diovan HCT Avapro Avalide Teveten Plavix Boniva Lexapro Seroquel Singulair
tolterodine pioglitazone pioglitazone + metformin valsartan + hydrochlorothiazide
irbesartan irbesartan + hydrochlorothiazide eprosartan clopidogrel ibandronate escitalopram quetiapine montelukast
We Love to Hear From You! May we help? For customer service, please call: Little Rock Number (501)
Toll-free Number
Medi-Pak® members 378-3062 1-800-338-2312 Medi-Pak® Advantage members 1-877-233-7022 Medi-Pak® Rx members 1-866-390-3369 Arkansas Blue Cross members 378-2010 1-800-238-8379 Pharmacy questions 1-800-863-5561 Specialty Rx pharmacy questions 1-866-295-2779 Health Advantage members 378-2363 1-800-843-1329 Pharmacy questions 1-800-863-5567 BlueAdvantage members 378-3600 1-888-872-2531 Pharmacy questions 1-888-293-3748 Federal Employee members 378-2531 1-800-482-6655 Looking for health or dental insurance? We can help! For individuals, families
378-2937
1-800-392-2583
For employer groups*
378-3070
1-800-421-1112
*Arkansas Blue Cross, Health Advantage and BlueAdvantage Administrators of Arkansas
Prefer to speak with someone close to home? Call or visit one of our offices near you:
The following brand-name medications may have a generic soon:
ArkansasBlue — Little Rock 2612 S. Shackleford Rd. — Suite J
501-378-2222
Brand
Generic
Diovan Atacand Atacand HCT Maxalt Tricor
valsartan candesartan candesartan + hydrochlorothiazide rizatriptan fenofibrate
Fayetteville 516 East Millsap Rd. — Suite 103
1-800-817-7726
Fort Smith 3501 Old Greenwood Rd. — Suite 5
1-866-254-9117
Hot Springs 100 Greenwood Ave. — Suite C
1-800-588-5733
Jonesboro 707 East Matthews Ave. 1-800-299-4124 Little Rock 601 Gaines Street 1-800-421-1112 Pine Bluff 1800 West 73rd St. 1-800-236-0369 Texarkana 1710 Arkansas Boulevard
1-800-470-9621
Visit our Web sites for more information: arkansasbluecross.com • healthadvantage-hmo.com blueadvantagearkansas.com • blueandyoufoundationarkansas.org
Blue & You WINTER 2012 23
good for you events and activities anytime
january 2013
“Like” our Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield Facebook page to get information on events and insurance information.
Get ready for the Blue & You Fitness Challenge!
Rate your doctor with our online review tool. (page 20) Save our mobile Web site to your smartphone by going to our Web site, arkansasbluecross.com.
march 2013
Registration for the Blue & You Fitness Challenge begins in January. The Challenge is held from March through May each year. Go to arkansasbluecross.com, select “Members,” go to “Popular Links” and select “Blue & You Fitness Challenge” to sign up. Form a team and work out together!
The Princess and the Pea Arkansas Blue Cross is hosting a special showing of The Princess and the Pea at the Arkansas Arts Center Children’s Theatre. Round up the family and enjoy a FREE night of the arts. Tickets can be picked up at ArkansasBlue, Arkansas’ first health insurance store, located in the Shackleford Crossings shopping center, while supplies last. Tickets will be available late February. Check our Web site for exact dates.
Health care law effective soon page 8 MPI 1408 12/12
End-of-life decisions page 14
Online tools for you page 20