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A Blend of Tips So You Can Be Your Best
CONNECTING YOU to
HEALTH CARE
Care from start to finish What you think matters Helpful benefits Stay connected
Welcome Back! We’re glad you’re here. In case you missed out on the last issue, here’s what you need to know.
The Mix is our newsletter for Health Alliance Connect members. It comes out four times a year.
We want you to be your best, so we have a lot to share. Keep reading for: Tips on getting the most out of your Health Alliance Connect plan
Other helpful services and tools you can use
Local events you can take part in
Mix in Health
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Health Alliance Connect helps make sure you get the care you need from start to finish. That means you’ll have a primary care physician (main doctor, also called PCP) who focuses on all your health needs. You’ll also get community services, rides to appointments and other support to help you meet your goals. Plus, all your health records stay in one place.
Have a Question? Question? Call Us. Us. Have a Question? Have a Call • Hours: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
• 1-877-633-2526, Monday through • Hours: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. Friday, to 8 p.m. • ICP-Medicaid: 1-877-933-8480 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. TTY: 711 • ICP-Medicaid: 1-877-933-8480 • MMAI-Medicaid and Medicare (Duals): 1-866-951-0264 • HealthAllianceConnect.org • MMAI-Medicaid and Medicare (Duals): 1-866-951-0264 • Both: TTY users call 711 or 1-800-526-0844 (Illinois Relay). • Both: TTY users call 711 or 1-800-526-0844 (Illinois Relay).
We’re Mixing it up. You Can Help Us.
Health Alliance Connect is looking for members and caregivers to join our advisory board. If you want to share your ideas and opinions, email connect@healthalliance.org or give us a call. We want to hear what you think.
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Insurance and health care can be confusing. We want to help make it easy. Our advisory board is how we find out what questions members like you have.
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Connecting You to Care When you join Health Alliance Connect, you don’t just get health insurance. You also get a team of people who care about you and your health. Care coordinators are a big part of that team. They make sure the people on your care team are talking to each other, so everyone stays in the loop about your care.
$
PCP
Claims/ Coverage In-Home Caregiver
Care Coordinator
Member
Other Support Services Specialists
Care coordinators help you set goals and figure out how to reach them. They also answer your questions and help you get the care you need.
“I really enjoy getting out and working with our members in their homes and communities, where they are most comfortable. That lets me get to know them on a deeper level instead of always just talking on the phone.”
Nick Quealy-Gainer 3
Care coordinator with Health Alliance Connect since September 2014
Pharmacy
Have a Question? Question? Call Us. Us. Have a Question? Have a Call • Hours: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
• 1-877-633-2526, Monday through • Hours: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. Friday, to 8 p.m. • ICP-Medicaid: 1-877-933-8480 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. TTY: 711 • ICP-Medicaid: 1-877-933-8480 • MMAI-Medicaid and Medicare (Duals): 1-866-951-0264 • HealthAllianceConnect.org • MMAI-Medicaid and Medicare (Duals): 1-866-951-0264 • Both: TTY users call 711 or 1-800-526-0844 (Illinois Relay). • Both: TTY users call 711 or 1-800-526-0844 (Illinois Relay).
“We help members call their doctors to set up visits, go over their coverage with them, set up rides and talk about treatment options. It’s our personal mission to help make the lives of our members easier.”
Sarah Harbin Senior case manager with Health Alliance Connect since June 2013
“The care coordinators are here to help you on your journey to better health. We understand health care can be confusing, and it’s our job to answer your questions, so you don’t get lost in the shuffle. We also want to know what’s important to you, so we can connect you to the services you need.”
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Know Where to Go for Care Your main doctor plays a key role on your care team and knows a lot about your health. When you need care and it’s not an emergency or urgent problem, call your doctor first. You might be used to going to the emergency room for most of your health care, but now that you’re on a Connect plan, seeing your own doctor helps you in the long run. He or she knows your health history and can help figure out how this problem fits in with other issues you have. Emergency rooms and urgent-care centers don’t know the full picture of your health, so they just treat the problem you’re having now.
What is an emergency? • Serious accident • Eye damage • Heavy bleeding • Bad cuts or burns • Broken bone
You might have to wait to see your doctor. But if you call as soon as you know you
• Trouble breathing or chest pain • Blacked out
need care, you can usually get the next
• No heartbeat or pulse
open appointment.
• Overdose • Sexual assault
If you have trouble getting an appointment with your doctor, call Member Services at 1-877-633-2526. TTY users call 711.
• Fever of 100.4 degrees or higher in babies younger than 3 months When do I need urgent care? • Bad coughing • Vomiting, diarrhea or
If you’re not sure if you need to get care now or set up a visit with your doctor,
dehydration • Pink eye • Rashes
call the Anytime Nurse Line at
• Muscle sprains or strains
1-855-802-4612 for help. But in an
• Fever of 102 degrees or higher in people older than 3 months
emergency, always go to the closest
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hospital right away or call 911.
Have a Question? Question? Call Us. Us. Have a Question? Have a Call • Hours: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
• 1-877-633-2526, Monday through • Hours: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. Friday, to 8 p.m. • ICP-Medicaid: 1-877-933-8480 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. TTY: 711 • ICP-Medicaid: 1-877-933-8480 • MMAI-Medicaid and Medicare (Duals): 1-866-951-0264 • HealthAllianceConnect.org • MMAI-Medicaid and Medicare (Duals): 1-866-951-0264 • Both: TTY users call 711 or 1-800-526-0844 (Illinois Relay). • Both: TTY users call 711 or 1-800-526-0844 (Illinois Relay).
Healthy Can Start at Home We care about you and want you to see your doctor at least once a year. If you can’t make it to the doctor’s office, we may see you as a good fit for a home visit with a Health Alliance Connect provider, and we may call you to set up a visit.
During a home visit, one of our healthcare providers can: Check
Complete
your blood
a health check
pressure, oxygen levels, the feeling in your feet and more
Talk with you about ways to prevent or treat
o ab d ns an tio diet ,
our in y o k t ing pa l a Answe o t troll t s r y n a Go over w t co meds, que u sle s doctor abo ep
diseases
u m t yo ore ur
The visit won’t affect your coverage and doesn’t replace care or advice from your doctor. It’s just another way we help you stay healthy.
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301 S. Vine St. Urbana, IL 61801
2015 EV ENT
CALENDAR For more community events, visit our website, HealthAllianceConnect.org.
Celebrating Generations Expo Embassy Suites Conference Center 100 Conference Center Dr. | East Peoria, IL May 20 | 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Strawberry Jam Meadowbrook Park | 2808 S. Race St. Urbana, IL | June 20 | 4 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Mattoon Bagelfest Peterson Park | Mattoon, IL | July 14–18
Keep us in the Loop! Just like your friends and family, we need to know if you move or get a new phone number. That way we can keep in touch and send you important info about your plan. You can also connect with us on social media. We’ll keep you in the loop on news and events, plus give you healthy living tips and info. Facebook.com/HealthAlliance Twitter: @Health_Alliance
Give a Gold Star Have you had a great experience with somebody at Health Alliance Connect? If so, you can give that person a Gold Star as a special way to say thanks. We’ll share your story with that person and his or her manager and peers. You can thank someone today at HealthAlliance.org/GoldStar.
Pinterest.com/HealthAlliance
Please call 1-877-633-2526 and tell us what changed (TTY users call 711). Or send an email with your name, member number, address and phone number to connect@healthalliance.org. caid-themixFHPmay-0315