• • • •
Colonoscopy (every 10 years)—visual exam of the colon with a small scope Fecal occult blood testing (once a year)—exam of a stool sample, looking for traces of blood FIT-DNA testing (every three years)—exam of a stool sample, checking for blood and DNA evidence of colorectal cancer or precancerous cells Sigmoidoscopy (every five years)—visual exam of the lower one-third of the colon
This yearly preventive visit is covered at 100 percent (in-network).
Annual wellness visit:
Screening Options
Go to HealthAlliance.org/VirtualVisits to connect with a boardcertified doctor or counselor 24/7. The cost is the same as a primary care provider office visit copay.
You have different options with different screening timelines. Talk to your doctor about what’s best for your situation.
Virtual visits:
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends regular screenings from when you’re 50 to 75 years old.
Earn a $50 gift card by completing certain health activities on our checklist, which you can download from HealthAllianceMedicare.org/Perks.
Colorectal cancer screening is an important step you can take to help reduce your chances of getting cancer in your colon or rectum. This type of cancer typically develops from precancerous growths in these organs, so screening is key.
Wellness Rewards:
Take Advantage of These Perks
Getting Screened Could Save Your Life THE HEALTH ALLIANCE STAR
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VOLUME 13
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FEBRUARY 2019
FOLD LINE DO NOT PRINT HEALTH ALLIANCE MEDICARE 3310 Fields South Drive Champaign, IL 61822
Health and wellness or prevention information
The Health Alliance Star VOLUME 13
FEBRUARY 2019
MIDWEST
Osteoporosis and Lowering your Fall Risk Osteoporosis makes bones fragile and more likely to fracture. If you’ve already had a fracture or think you’re at risk, talk to your doctor about a bone density test to find out if you have osteoporosis. You can also talk to your doctor about the best ways to help lower your risk and prevent fractures. Falling could lead to broken bones or other serious injuries, so you should always let your doctor know if you experience a fall, even if it’s minor. This will help your doctor find potential reasons for your fall and will help them diagnose and treat you. Talk to your doctor about steps you can take to help lower your fall risk. Exercises, like lifting weights and standing on one foot, can help you improve your balance and strength. Eating healthy, drinking enough water and taking your meds as directed can also help prevent dizzy spells.
Another option is to take advantage of the virtual visit coverage included with your plan. You can talk to a board-certified doctor or counselor 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by phone or secure video through HealthAlliance.org/VirtualVisits. You can be seen for more than 50 common conditions, including allergies, flu, rashes, behavioral health issues and more. The cost is the same as a primary care provider office visit copay. For routine care, it’s good to know how far in advance your doctor’s office prefers you to make appointments so you can get an appointment at a convenient time for you.
In an emergency, always go to the closest hospital or call 911.
Tips for Getting Care Quickly
If you need care unexpectedly but it’s not an emergency, call your doctor to see if you can get an appointment the same or next day. If not, there might be another provider in the office you can see instead. In most cases, it’s best to call your doctor first before going to an urgent care center because you’ll generally pay less out-of-pocket for a doctor’s office visit.
Talk to your doctor about each of these topics at your next visit. • Improving your physical and mental health • Monitoring your physical activity
• Osteoporosis and lowering your fall risk • Improving bladder control
It’s important to know how your Medicare Advantage plan works in the following areas. • Annual flu vaccine
• Getting needed care and appointments quickly • Customer service
• Healthcare quality
• Rating of health plan • Care coordination
• Rating of drug plan
• Getting needed prescription drugs
DISCRIMINATION IS AGAINST THE LAW Health Alliance complies with applicable Federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability or sex. Health Alliance does not exclude people or treat them differently because of race, color, national origin, age, disability or sex. Health Alliance: • Provides free aids and services to people with disabilities to communicate effectively with us, such as: o Qualified sign language interpreters o Written information in other formats (large print audio, accessible electronic formats, other formats) • Provides free language services to people whose primary language is not English, such as: o Qualified interpreters o Information written in other languages If you need these services, contact customer service. If you believe that Health Alliance has failed to provide these services or discriminated in another way on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex, you can file a grievance with: Health Alliance Medicare, Member Services, 3310 Fields South Drive, Champaign, IL 61822 or 316 Fifth Street, Wenatchee, WA 98801, telephone for members in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa and Ohio: 1-800-965-4022; telephone for members in Washington: 1-877-750-3350 TTY: 711, fax: 217-902-9705, MemberServices@healthalliance.org. You can file a grievance in person or by mail, fax or email. If you need help filing a grievance, Member Services is available to help you. You can also file a civil rights complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights, electronically through the Office for Civil Rights Complaint Portal, available at https://ocrportal.hhs.gov/ocr/portal/lobby.jsf, or by mail or phone at: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 200 Independence Avenue SW, Room 509F, HHH Building, Washington, DC 20201, 1-800-368-1019, TTY: 1-800-537-7697. Complaint forms are available at http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/office/file/index.html. ATENCIÓN: Si habla Español, servicios de asistencia lingüística, de forma gratuita, están disponibles para usted. IA, IL, IN, OH: Llame 1-800-965-4022, WA Llame: 1-877-750-3350 (TTY: 711). 注意：如果你講中文，語言協助服務，免費的，都可以給你。IA, IL, IN, OH: 呼叫 1-800-965-4022, WA: 呼叫 1-877-750-3350(TTY: 711)。 UWAGA: Jeśli mówić Polskie, usługi pomocy języka, bezpłatnie, są dostępne dla Ciebie. IA, IL, IN, OH: Zadzwoń 1-800-965-4022, WA: Zadzwoń 1-877-750-3350 (TTY: 711). Chú ý: Nếu bạn nói Tiếng Việt, các dịch vụ hỗ trợ ngôn ngữ, miễn phí, có sẵn cho bạn. IA, IL, IN, OH: Gọi 1-800-965-4022, WA: Gọi 1-877-750-3350 (TTY: 711). 주의 : 당신이한국어, 무료 언어 지원 서비스를 말하는 경우 사용할 수 있습니다. 1-800-965-4022 IA, IL, IN, OH: 전화 WA: 1-877-750-3350 전화 (TTY: 711). ВНИМАНИЕ: Если вы говорите русский, вставки услуги языковой помощи, бесплатно, доступны для вас. IA, IL, IN, OH: Вызов 1-800-965-4022, WA: Вызов 1-877-750-3350 (TTY: 711). Pansin: Kung magsalita ka Tagalog, mga serbisyo ng tulong sa wika, nang walang bayad, ay magagamit sa iyo. IA, IL, IN, OH: Tumawag 1-800-965-4022, WA: Tumawag 1-877-750-3350 (TTY: 711). : ﻭﻻﻳﺔ ﻭﺍﺷﻨﻄﻦ،1-800-965-4022 ﺍﺗﺼﻞ ﺑﺎﻟﺮﻗﻢ: ﺃﻭﻫﺎﻳﻮ، ﺇﻧﺪﻳﺎﻧﺎ، ﺇﻳﻠﻴﻨﻮﻱ.ً ﻓﺈﻥ ﺧﺪﻣﺎﺕ ﺍﻟﻤﺴﺎﻋﺪﺓ ﺍﻟﻠﻐﻮﻳﺔ ﻣﺘﻮﻓﺮﺓ ﻟﻚ ﻣﺠﺎﻧﺎ، ﺇﺫﺍ ﻛﻨﺖ ﺗﺘﻜﻠﻢ ﺍﻟﻌﺮﺑﻴﺔ:ﺍﻧﺘﺒﺎﻩ (711 )ﺇﺫﺍ ﻛﻨﺖ ﺗﻌﺎﻧﻲ ﻣﻦ ﺍﻟﺼﻤﻢ ﺃﻭ ﺻﻌﻮﺑﺔ ﻓﻲ ﺍﻟﺴﻤﻊ ﻓﺎﺗﺼﻞ ﻋﻠﻰ ﺍﻟﺮﻗﻢ1-877-750-3350 :ﺍﺗﺼﻞ ﺑﺎﻟﺮﻗﻢ Aufmerksamkeit: Wenn Sie Deutsch sprechen, Sprachassistenzdienste sind kostenlos, zur Verfügung. IA, IL, IN, OH: Anruf 1-800-965-4022, WA: Anruf 1-877-750-3350 (TTY: 711). ATTENTION: Si vous parlez français, les services d'assistance linguistique, gratuitement, sont à votre disposition. IA, IL, IN, OH: Appelez 1-800-965-4022, WA: Appelez 1-877-750-3350 (TTY: 711). ધ્યા: તમે વયત તો �ુજરયતી, ભયષય સહય્ સેવયઓ, મફત, તમયરય મયટ� ઉપલબ્ છે . IA, IL, IN, OH: કૉલ 1-800-965-4022, WA: કૉલ 1-877-750-3350 (TTY: 711). 注意：あなたは、日本語 、無料で言語支援サービスを、話す場合は、あなたに利用可能です。 1-800-965-4022 IA, IL, IN, OH: コール 1-877-750-3350 WA: コール（TTY: 711)。 LET OP: Als je spreekt pennsylvania nederlandse, taalkundige bijstand diensten, gratis voor u beschikbaar zijn. IA, IL, IN, OH: Bel 1-800-965-4022, WA: Bel 1-877-750-3350 (TTY: 711). УВАГА: Якщо ви говорите український, вставки послуги мовної допомоги, безкоштовно, доступні для вас. IA, IL, IN, OH: Виклик 1-800-965-4022, WA: Виклик 1-877-750-3350 (TTY: 711). ATTENZIONE: Se si parla italiano, servizi di assistenza linguistica, a titolo gratuito, sono a vostra disposizione. IA, IL, IN, OH: Chiamare 1-800-965-4022, WA: Chiamare 1-877-750-3350 (TTY: 711). cmp-nondiscrim15MED-0318
Study Shows Medicare Advantage Members Have Fewer ER Visits, Hospital Stays You probably know many of the perks you get with your Medicare Advantage plan—the Be Fit fitness reimbursement, Wellness Rewards program, virtual visits, preventive care and many more. But you may not know how much your health might be benefitting from your Medicare Advantage plan. A recent study by Avalere Health showed many positives for Medicare Advantage when compared to fee-for-service Medicare plans. Medicare Advantage members tend to use more preventive services, like screenings and wellness visits, than their fee-for-service counterparts do. But Medicare Advantage members have lower rates of emergency room visits (33 percent lower) and inpatient hospital stays (23 percent lower) and spend less money in both of those areas.
Plus, Medicare Advantage members with clinically complex diabetes have much lower rates of complications (52 percent lower), especially serious complications (73 percent lower) than members on fee-forservice plans. As you may already know from your experience, Medicare Advantage focuses on helping you stay healthy and finding problems before they become worse. Take advantage of your preventive benefits and wellness perks, and let us help you be your healthiest.
Health Alliance Medicare is a Medicare Advantage Organization with a Medicare contract. Enrollment in Health Alliance Medicare depends on contract renewal. This information is not a complete description of benefits. Contact the plan for more information. Limitations, co-payments and restrictions may apply. Benefits, premiums and/or copayments/coinsurance may change on January 1 of each year. For accommodations of persons with special needs at meetings call 1-800-965-4022, TTY 711.
Health Alliance Connections: It’s Time to Connect We look forward to seeing our Champaign-area Medicare members at our upcoming events at Health Alliance Connections, 3301 Fields South Drive, Suite 105 in Champaign. These free events can help you learn new skills and information to stay on top of your health.
Toll-free 1-800-965-4022, TTY 711 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. weekdays HealthAllianceMedicare.org
Some events are listed below. Visit HealthAlliance.org/HAConnections or call 1-877-933-0015 to RSVP and for details on all planned events at Health Alliance Connections.
Healthy Eating Presentation
The Power of Plants
Cooking Demo: Heart Healthy Recipes
Geriatrics: What You Need to Know
February 27, 3–3:30 p.m.
February 27, 3:45–4:30 p.m.
March 5, 11 a.m.–12 p.m. March 12, 11–11:45 a.m.
Mark Your Calendar ABCs of Medicare
Time of Your Life
Quad City Family Caregiver Conference
Be Content Senior Expo
February 28, 5:30–6:30 p.m. Brookdale Senior Living | Urbana, IL
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March 23, 8 a.m.–12 p.m. St. Ambrose University | Davenport, IA
April 30, 11 a.m.–12 p.m. Lifespan Center | Charleston, IL May 7, 9 a.m.–2 p.m. Parke Regency Hotel & Conference Center | Bloomington, IL