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SPECIAL ADVANTAGE EDITION Insights For Better Health Through Better Living Fall 2021 You do You We ll take care of the rest We ve Got the EXTRAS Good Customer Service is Alive and Well 01
HealthTeam Advantage Members Have A Lot To Celebrate Thanks for making the l choice year after year loca When you signed up for a Medicare Advantage plan with HealthTeam Advantage you had high expectations You wanted a great blend of benefits affordability and personal service And our excellent retention rate tells us you re staying healthy and happy As a Triad company we love our local members Our plans deliver exceptional care through providers you know and trust We re easy to talk to and eager to help And we re proud to support the senior community through sponsorships and volunteer programs right here at home So thanks for making the local choice We re glad you keep coming back year after year We ll always be here with the outstanding service you ve come to expect HealthTeam Advantage a product of Care N Care Insurance Company of North Carolina Inc is a PPO and HMO Medicare Advantage plan with a Medicare contract Enrollment 02 YMULTI PLAN_21_133_M in HealthTeam Advantage depends on contract renewal Yourhome team Yourhealth team MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PLANS Call toll free 866 575 5246 TTY 711 HealthTeamAdvantage com
HTA Contributors Y ou ve worked your whole life to get to this chapter the golden years Everyone gets here on their own path but at this point the goal is to embrace and enjoy life hopefully with fewer responsibilities When you get here you want to be able to make the most of it Maybe for you that means traveling gardening mentoring or volunteering or maybe even working Helping you reach your goals for this chapter means being as healthy and active as you can The last thing you want to worry about is health insurance Having a health plan that covers critical needs medical and hospital plus all the extras dental vision etc is important Even more important is getting the personal service you deserve We talk about these topics and more in this Special Advantage Edition of Healthy Wise If you ve been a member for a few years this information isn t new You already know HealthTeam Advantage has great benefits and exceptional customer service We think that s information worth repeating We hope you agree Stay Well Brendan Hodges President HealthTeam Advantage Ashley Velez Director of Operations Member Services Enrollment The personal customer service you deserve Ashley details how your HCC can help Pages 2 3 Joleen Katula Vice President of Operations You have better things to do than worry about insurance Joleen outlines how we ve got you covered Pages 6 9 Connect with us on Facebook Inside Welcome 1 The Local Touch You Deserve 2 3 Caring for You 4 5 Focus on Yourself 6 9 An Ounce of Prevention 10 12 Community Bulletin Board 13 Where to Go When Back Cover Dr Beth Hodges Family practice and palliative care hospice doctor in Asheboro and HTA medical director Dr Hodges explains the difference between annual visits and AWVs and offers insight on preventive care Pages 10 12 1
The Local Touch You Deserve We treat you like a neighbor not a number By Ashley Velez Director of Operations Member Services Enrollment B elieve it or not good customer service is not dead In fact it s alive and well at HealthTeam Advantage all because of our Healthcare Concierge team It s also one of the reasons why more than 90 percent of our members come back year after year We ve all experienced different levels of customer service You ve probably called or emailed your cable company insurance retail stores etc Most likely you called and had to listen to the different options were put on hold or ended up talking to someone who didn t really understand your problem and left you more confused That doesn t happen at HealthTeam Advantage Members have their own personal concierge to contact for fast answers about coverage and benefits Your concierge is a HealthTeam Advantage expert who knows you your plan and 2
I enjoy being a concierge because of the relationships we get to build with our members they become our family Ashley Gurganious your doctors They re available by phone email or even in person And if you call and your concierge is helping another member you have the option of talking with another qualified HCC team member or having your personal concierge call you back Your concierge is local They know the Triad they re your neighbors The HCC team is experienced and goes through extensive training Most HCCs have worked in healthcare or customer service for years They know Medicare and the benefits so they can help you find a provider explain coverage details work through any issues or questions with services or prescriptions help schedule appointments you name it They re here to help you Helping members is our top priority I love that I m able to take the time to really talk with them to listen to their concerns and understand their needs says Jessica Saddler one of our Healthcare Concierges We re not evaluated on how many calls we take we re evaluated on how well we help our members If you d rather ask your questions in person you can do that too Make an appointment to meet with a concierge in our Greensboro office If you follow us on Facebook you ll see another friendly HCC team member Courtney Williams From time to time Courtney shares answers to members frequently asked questions via video segments The HCC team takes time to reach out to our members regularly It could be a call to Helping members is our top priority I love that I m able to take the time to really talk with them to listen to their concerns and understand their needs Jessica Saddler wish you Happy Birthday or maybe just because we re used to hearing from you and we haven t lately Ashley Gurganious another one of our concierges says it best I enjoy being a concierge because of the relationships we get to build with our members they become our family During the pandemic I had members who just needed someone to talk to and I was able to do that It s moments like this that matter With HealthTeam Advantage you get all the benefits you ve earned with the personal service you deserve Contact your Healthcare Concierge Phone 888 965 1965 TTY 711 Email conciergeHTA healthteamadvantage com 3
Caring for You W hether we want to admit it or not convenience is a big deal when it comes to staying healthy We d rather not drive too far to our regular appointments or to pick up our prescriptions And when there s an emergency we want to be close to hospitals and specialists But we also want options You have all that a broad convenient provider network plus telehealth and worldwide emergency coverage with HealthTeam Advantage Healthcare where and when you need it So if you have an emergency while visiting your grandkids in Chicago or taking a vacation in Florida it s covered Check your Evidence of Coverage for all the details on this service Coverage is only part of it We also partner with providers for your care management For example let s say at the last annual checkup you talked to your doctor about quitting smoking They outlined a plan for you recommended some options or gave you a prescription for a medication to help After your visit there may be a follow up letter or phone call with more information about quitting maybe even an invitation to a smoking cessation class This is care management it s providers and your health plan working together to present more options to help you reach your health goals Whether you re a PPO or HMO member you re part of your own care management team And one of the ways you can be proactive in your care is by filling out a Health Risk Assessment form each year It s a short questionnaire that takes about 10 15 minutes to complete AT YOUR FINGERTIPS Visit HealthTeam Advantage online to Search for a provider pharmacy View the Evidence of Coverage Complete your Health Risk Assessment Check the monthly event calendar Signup for the monthly newsletter Prefer to speak with someone Call your Healthcare Concierge at 888 965 1965 TTY 711 4 you can also do it online Your responses help your providers focus on the areas of your healthcare that might need more attention You can also be proactive in your care by being active and socializing Because let s face it staying well is about more than keeping up with your regular doctor visits and treating illnesses and accidents It s also about your overall well being Two of the best things you can do are to stay active and to socialize
Important Reminders for HMO CSNP Members Don t forget to complete your annual Health Risk Assessment We make this process easy 1 Complete online at healthteamadvantage com under Members Member Resources 2 Call your personal Healthcare Concierge They d be happy to complete this with you on the phone Yes it s THAT easy Our Living Plus program along with SilverSneakers fitness benefit can help you do both Living Plus focuses on active living healthy eating and social connections You can find the monthly calendar of events and more wellness resources online at healthteamadvantage com When it comes down to it health insurance is about much more than making sure you re covered if you re sick or have an accident The right health insurance is about caring for all of you all the time Providers by the Numbers 21 Hospitals 116 Skilled Nursing Facilities SNF 106 Home Health Agencies HHA 112 Durable Medical Equipment Suppliers DME 54 Hearing Benefit Providers 112 Dialysis Centers 1 737 Outpatient Mental Health Providers 972 Vision Routine Providers 1 542 Dental Routine Providers 4 549 Primary Care Providers PCP 2 097 North Carolina Pharmacies 28 220 Specialists 64 759 National Pharmacies As of August 2021 5
Focus on Yourself We ll focus on the extras Medicare considers things like dental vision prescriptions custodial care hearing and fitness extras We don t We ve got you covered 6
By Joleen Katula Vice President of Operations A ll the extra benefits Medicare doesn t cover dental vision prescriptions custodial care hearing fitness aren t really extras in our book Just because you re on Medicare doesn t mean you don t need to get regular dental and vision exams It doesn t mean you shouldn t stay active And it doesn t mean you shouldn t have access to the benefits you may need as you get older like prescriptions hearing aids or custodial care If anything these benefits are more important now than ever before Dental health problems are more likely to affect older adults gum disease tooth loss and yes even cavities which in turn affect overall health and quality of life Research shows a link between dental health especially gum disease and chronic conditions like diabetes heart disease and stroke Your preventive dental benefit covers routine exams cleanings and X rays We know dental care is important to our members that s why we expanded our network last year by partnering with Delta Dental At the same time we expanded our vision care network by partnering with VSP vision giving you even Whether you re among the 75 percent of adults who wear glasses or not annual eye exams are important more options for Another eye appointments important extra We Cover This is good because prescriptions nearly 75 percent Whether you the Extras of adults wear take prescription Dental corrective lenses and medication for a Vision routine eye exams short term condition Prescriptions are the norm If such as bronchitis you don t require or a long term Custodial Care corrective lenses condition like high Hearing it s still important blood pressure Fitness to get routine eye they re important exams Lots of eye Our friendly conditions don t formulary list of have any obvious covered drugs symptoms and during an exam covers more preferred generic your eye doctor can detect and generic drugs than other glaucoma diabetes high blood Medicare Advantage plans in pressure cataracts and macular our service area You can also degeneration And if you have a save money by getting a 90 day chronic condition like diabetes prescription from your provider these exams are another way to which cuts down on the number monitor possible changes in of copays Using a mail order your condition Continued on page 8 7
Custodial care is a little extra help to make life easier as you recover Continued from page 7 prescription service can also help and it cuts down on your trips to the pharmacy It s important to take your prescriptions as prescribed to properly treat your condition Medications don t work if you don t take them You can manage your meds easier by using a pillbox getting 90 day refills or by using an auto refill program at the pharmacy One of the extras we cover is truly an extra it s custodial care It s that extra help you may need after a hospital stay We ve expanded the benefit to include custodial care after a qualifying outpatient procedure The great thing about this benefit is you can use it whether you ve been discharged to your home or a nursing home and you can use it even if you have home health care This non medical care performed by licensed professional caregivers includes help with self care tasks like eating dressing and bathing household chores like cooking running errands and laundry or mobility tasks like lifting and carrying items This unique benefit is extra help to make life easier as you recover Hearing benefits are also AT YOUR FINGERTIPS Visit HealthTeam Advantage online to Search for a provider pharmacy Look up your medications Check the monthly Living Plus event calendar Learn more about the extra benefits Sign up for the digital newsletter Extra ways to connect with us Join us on Facebook View our videos on YouTube 8 considered extras Your hearing can gradually fade without your realizing it Maybe you ve noticed it s harder to hear a conversation when you re in a noisy crowded restaurant or if someone is talking to you from another room Maybe you ve started turning the volume up on the TV or radio or maybe you didn t hear the fire engine siren in traffic the other day until it was right behind you While Medicare does cover a diagnostic hearing exam each year it doesn t cover routine hearing assessments or hearing aids Fortunately your HealthTeam Advantage benefit covers TruHearing assessments hearing aids unlimited visits during the first year of purchase a 45 day trial period a threeyear extended warranty and 48 batteries per aid Before you became eligible for Medicare you likely had access to most of these benefits through an employee plan or supplement An important benefit that s typically not covered by employee plans is fitness
Have you taken advantage of your SilverSneakers fitness benefit It literally offers something for everyone If you enjoy going to a facility and working out swimming or taking classes you can If you d rather exercise in the comfort of your home or back yard there are virtual and on demand classes Take the classes with you to the park or on vacation with the mobile app You re in control There are also group activities and classes held outside throughout your local community Our Living Plus wellness program is a complement to the fitness benefit It focuses on active living healthy eating and social connections The program includes education events and classes with topics that cover increasing bone and muscle strength reducing the risk of falls increasing energy and a sense of well being and improving your memory and concentration We ve made it easy to keep track of what s going on with a calendar of events You can find it online in the Member section under Living Plus You can also sign up for the monthly digital newsletter and follow us on Facebook There s no doubt about it the health insurance benefits that cover medical and hospital services are critical It s good to know you re covered if you break an arm catch a cold need therapy or are living with a chronic condition But these extra benefits have one thing in common they help you maintain and improve your quality of life And there s definitely something extra to be said for that Expanded Benefits Custodial care now available after qualifying outpatient procedures Programs and classes are hosted online via Zoom on our Facebook page and when possible in person Our live Facebook events include Cooking Corner with Chef Lynn Wells of Thyme Well Spent in Greensboro and Nutrition Bites with Cone Health registered dietitian Kate Watts We also have senior fitness classes every Tuesday on Facebook If you miss any of the events you can find the videos on the HealthTeam Advantage YouTube channel or on our Facebook page TruHearing unlimited visits first year of purchase 9
STAYING WELL An Ounce of Prevention By Dr Beth Hodges family practice and palliative care hospice physician in Asheboro and a part time medical director for HealthTeam Advantage As a primary care provider who s been doing Medicare covered Annual Wellness Visits AWVs since 2014 I can t tell you how many patients have asked What s an Annual Wellness Visit and why do I need one An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure An AWV is a basic wellness visit that can take as little as 15 20 minutes It includes measurements of height weight and blood pressure a review of any specialists you see screenings for memory loss and depression a review of screenings you may need a fall risk assessment and an immunization review Essentially it s an information gathering appointment 10 The review of screenings may include recommendations for a mammogram for breast cancer a bone density scan for osteoporosis a colonoscopy for colorectal cancer a blood test for prostate specific antigens that may detect prostate cancer a Pap smear to look for irregular cervical cells or blood tests for cholesterol and other markers for cardiovascular disease These screenings are not part of your Annual Medicare Wellness visit and are separate individual appointments Medicare began covering AWVs to see if encouraging providers and patients to participate in more preventative health measures would improve the health of individuals identify and avoid potential problems and subsequently cut the cost of care And it worked Your annual physical is a more extensive exam than an AWV It usually includes bloodwork blood pressure check vital sign check and an actual physical exam Both visits are important and provide the information you and your doctor need to keep you healthy In addition to these appointments most doctors encourage you to get your eyes examined each year even if you don t wear corrective lenses and
10 Questions to Ask at Your Next Checkup have regular dental exams These providers can detect symptoms of other health conditions like diabetes and heart issues Continued on page 12 1 Are all my vital signs normal 2 How does my health compare to my last checkup 3 What are the best ways I can maintain my health or manage my condition 4 Am I at risk for certain illnesses 5 What symptoms may indicate the onset of an illness 6 What specific symptoms may indicate a health emergency 7 What screenings should I have 8 Should I be seeing a specialist for any reason 9 Are there any new therapies or treatments since my last checkup I should know about 10 Do I need any vaccines 11
Continued from page 11 And if you ve noticed you aren t hearing quite as well as you used to it s important to have your hearing checked Hearing loss can affect not only your safety but also your emotional well being memory and mental alertness Remember the old saying An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure That s what your AWV annual physical and other screenings and visits are an ounce of prevention These appointments can help identify and prevent health issues from becoming more serious and help maintain your independence 2 Visits What s the difference Annual Medicare Wellness Visit AWV Height and weight Blood pressure Complete health risk assessment Update lists of providers and prescriptions Schedule preventative services Review for signs of cognitive impairment Hearing and vision screens Dr Beth Hodges Annual routine physical Height and weight Vital sign check Blood pressure BMI measurement Update medical and family history Risk factor assessments Physical exams head and neck abdominal or neurological exam Immunizations for Seniors Remember if you have a chronic medical condition or do a lot of traveling talk to your doctor about any other vaccine recommendations Be proactive make sure to keep your immunizations up to date 12 1 2 3 4 5 Flu Shingles Pneumonia COVID TDAP tetanus diphtheria and acellular pertussis
COMMUNITY Bulletin Board HealthTeam Advantage s goal is to be the leading Medicare Advantage Plan dedicated to exceptional care Our mission is to improve the health and well being of our members and our communities These are the ideals we keep in mind when connecting with and serving our members and local communities We support these local organizations through sponsorships and volunteer efforts Triad JDRF Senior Games senior centers Declan s Dash Meals on Wheels Walk to End Alzheimer s Caregiver Connect resources and more 13
Mask Up to Stay Healthy You can reduce your chance of getting COVID 19 the flu or a cold with these best practices Get a COVID 19 vaccine and flu shot Wear a mask over your nose and mouth Wait six feet between you and another person Wash your hands or use hand sanitizer frequently Where to Go for all Your Healthcare Needs PRIMARY CARE PROVIDER Check ups and preventive care Regular screenings and vaccines General medical and behavioral health questions Questions or concerns about medications Cold and flu symptoms Mild fevers Mild to moderate pain Management of chronic conditions URGENT CARE Not life threatening Sprains and strains Mild allergic reactions Mild to moderate asthma symptoms Moderate pain or discomfort Mild burns Minor cuts or wounds requiring prompt attention Animal or insect bites If it s after hours the weekend or you prefer a virtual visit schedule an MDLive appointment for mild non emergency symptoms like allergies cold flu cough fever nausea diarrhea etc EMERGENCY ROOM Serious life threatening Significant difficulty breathing Broken bones Stroke symptoms Severe pain especially in the chest or stomach Severe burns Uncontrolled bleeding Possible drug overdose or poisoning Thoughts of suicide or self harm If it s an emergency dial 911 If it s not an emergency and you re unsure where to go call the 24 hour Nurse Line at 877 2299614 TTY 800 735 8262 24 hours a day seven days a week A trained registered nurse will help determine where you should seek treatment These lists are not comprehensive Always use your best judgment to determine if a situation requires emergency care HealthTeam Advantage a product of Care N Care Insurance Company of North Carolina Inc is a PPO and HMO Medicare Advantage plan with a Medicare contract Enrollment in HealthTeam Advantage depends on contract renewal YMULTI PLAN_22_06_M 14