AlaskaCare Employee News | July 2020
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AlaskaCare Employee News
July 2020 | #93
| Self-Care During Tough Times |
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Protecting the health of you and your loved ones has been an important concern for all of us the last few months during the COVID-19 pandemic. Preventing the spread of this disease through hand-washing and good hygiene, physical distancing, covering your face in public places, and avoiding crowded spaces helps us all do our part to protect everyone’s health. But have you also made time to focus on your well-being and practice self-care? Self-care describes intentional practices to maintain your physical, mental, and emotional health with positive coping strategies to deal with stress. Self-care is always important, but even more so in this stressful and uncertain time, when many of our routines, social interactions and other parts of everyday life have been disrupted. It is normal for all of us—adults, children, and babies—to feel increased stress and anxiety right now. Recognizing this in ourselves and our loved ones is important and giving ourselves the time (and permission) for self-care helps everyone stay healthy and resilient. So, what does self-care mean? How do I start? Self-care simply means taking time for activities that help you feel good, reduce stress, and keep you healthy. Some ways to care for yourself:
Self-care does not have to mean alone time. Connect with friends, family, and other people you care about, even if it is virtually or long-distance. Take a walk with a neighbor, cook a meal with your kids or grand kids, play a board game or watch a movie as a family. Whatever makes you happy and helps you deal with the stress—make time for self-care! Contact the AlaskaCare Employee Assistance Program at (855) 417-2493 or visit AlaskaCare.gov for more information. |
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Getting to Know Your Benefits:
Telemedicine for behavioral health is a benefit available for AlaskaCare Employee Health Plan Members and it allows patients and providers to connect via video or phone when they are unable to be in the same place at the same time. Telemedicine behavioral health visits help meet patients’ needs for convenient, affordable and readily accessible behavioral health services. Telemedicine can benefit patients in a number of ways, such as:
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Stem Cell Therapy: Get the Facts
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What Is It? Because this is a new treatment, however, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is concerned that some patients seeking a cure are vulnerable to risky, untested stem cell treatments that are illegal and potentially harmful. The FDA is increasing its oversight and enforcement to protect people from dishonest and unscrupulous stem cell clinics, while continuing to encourage innovation so the medical industry can properly evaluate and harness the potential of stem cell products. To do your part to stay safe, make sure that any stem cell treatment you are considering is either FDA-approved, or being studied under an Investigational New Drug Application (IND), which is a clinical investigation plan submitted and allowed to proceed by the FDA. FDA Regulation With limited exceptions, investigational products must also go through a thorough FDA review process as investigators prepare to determine the safety and effectiveness of products in well-controlled human studies, called clinical trials. The FDA has reviewed many stem cell products for use in these studies. The AlaskaCare Health Plan follows FDA guidelines and covers FDA approved services. For information about your benefits, contact the Aetna Concierge at (855) 718-1768. For more information about stem cell therapy, visit the FDA's website. |
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As an employee of the State of Alaska, your input is valued and important. Below, please see a list of ways to contact us with your feedback. Also, a full list of AlaskaCare health plan and partner contact information can be found on our website. AlaskaCare – Plan Administrator
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Please Welcome the Following Providers
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Using network providers can provide substantial benefits to members through the elimination of what is known as balance billing. The AlaskaCare plans limit payment of covered services to the recognized charge for the service provided. An out-of-network provider may bill you for the difference, or the balance, between the recognized charge and the actual charge. This is often referred to as balance billing and solely the member’s responsibility to pay. Network providers have agreed to accept, as payment in full, the negotiated charge. Therefore, you are not subject to balance billing when you use a network provider. Using network providers can also generate substantial savings to members by limiting charges to negotiated provider discounts. For assistance finding an in-network provider call the Aetna Concierge at (855) 784-8646 or search on-line using the Aetna DocFind tool. For more information about the benefits of network usage, please visit our website. |
