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HealthChoice is excited to announce more types of services
were added to the HealthChoice Select program effective July 1, 2016. Following
are just a few of the newest procedure and service types:
- Cardiovascular
- Back
- Major joint replacement
- Maternity services including prenatal care, delivery and inpatient hospital care
- Diagnostic imaging
HealthChoice
covers the Select surgeries and procedures at 100 percent of the bundled allowable
fees. Members and dependents enrolled in the HealthChoice High, High
Alternative, Basic, Basic Alternative, and FOCUS Plans who use a Select
facility will have no costs for services received on the date the
surgery or procedure is performed. High Deductible Health Plan members must
first meet their deductible before the plan pays any benefits, other than for
preventive services.
For a list of procedures and services covered under the program and a
list of participating facilities, visit the HealthChoice Select
Search on the HealthChoice
website. If you have questions, call HealthChoice Member Services at
405-717-8780 or toll-free 800-752-9475. TDD users call 405-949-2281 or
toll-free 866-447-0436.
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Option Period is
just around the corner, and if you are enrolled in the HealthChoice High or
Basic Plan and wish to remain enrolled for 2017, you will need to complete the
online “HealthChoice Tobacco-Free Attestation for Plan Year 2017.” The attestation will be available on the HealthChoice website beginning Aug. 1, 2016.
For current
employees, the deadline to complete the attestation is Nov. 14, 2016. For
retired, vested and non-vested former employees, COBRA members, and surviving
dependents, the deadline is Dec. 7, 2016.
The attestation
is waived for the first year of enrollment in the High or Basic plan but is
required each year thereafter. If you are in the process of quitting tobacco,
you must be tobacco-free for 90 days prior to the deadline to attest to being
tobacco-free.
If you
cannot complete the attestation because you or your covered adult dependents
are not tobacco-free, you can still qualify for the High or Basic Plan if you
complete one of the following alternatives:
- Enroll in the
quit tobacco program through the Oklahoma Tobacco Helpline and complete three
coaching calls by the deadline.
- Provide a letter from your doctor by the
deadline indicating it is not medically advisable for you or your covered
dependents to quit tobacco.
If you do not
complete the attestation or alternative, effective Jan. 1, 2017, you will
automatically be enrolled in the HealthChoice High Alternative or Basic
Alternative Plan. As a reward for not using tobacco, the annual deductible in
the High or Basic plan is $250 less than the Alternative plans.
Note: The attestation does not apply to the High
Deductible Health Plan or Medicare supplement plans. However, if you are a
Medicare supplement plan member and have covered dependents ages 18 and older
who are enrolled in the High or Basic Plan, then you must attest if they are
tobacco-free, or they must complete one of the alternatives listed above.
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Quitting is the Goal
HealthChoice is committed to promoting
tobacco cessation for the health of our members and communities. Both smoking
and secondhand smoke cause cancer, heart disease and breathing problems; while
smokeless tobacco causes cancer of the mouth, esophagus and pancreas, as well
as oral decay. Smoking also causes diabetes, pulmonary and vascular diseases,
blindness, cataracts, ectopic pregnancy and erectile dysfunction. Children
suffer from respiratory illnesses and ear infections caused by secondhand
smoke, which has also been linked to sudden infant death syndrome.
Tobacco use is Oklahoma’s leading cause of
preventable death, killing about 7,500 adults each year, including more than
700 deaths attributed to secondhand smoke. The number of smoking-related deaths
is greater than deaths related to alcohol, auto accidents, murder, suicide,
AIDS and illegal drugs combined. Each year, smoking-related illness and loss of
productivity cost the state over $3.7 billion.
QUIT Program
HealthChoice members and dependents ages 13
and older can receive five phone coaching sessions and up to 12 weeks of
over-the-counter cessation products (patches, gum or lozenges) free through the
Oklahoma Tobacco Helpline. Call toll-free 1-800-QUIT-NOW
(1-800-784-8669). TTY users call toll-free 877-777-6534. The toll-free number for out-of-state members is 1-866-QUIT-4-LIFE (1-866-784-8454).
Preventive Services and Enhanced Tobacco Cessation Benefits
For members ages 18 and older, HealthChoice
provides one free annual tobacco cessation or tobacco-related disease
counseling visit with a network provider, plus two 90-day courses per plan year
of the prescription tobacco cessation products listed below at no cost when
purchased at a network pharmacy:
- Buproban 150mg SA Tabs
- Nicotrol 10mg Cartridge
- Bupropion HCL SR 150mg Tabs
- Nicotrol NS 20mg/m Nasal Spray
- Chantix 0.5mg and 1mg Tabs
Be a quitter and protect
your health and the health of those around you. Call the Oklahoma Tobacco
Helpline today.
Sources: StopsWithMe.com, Oklahoma State Department of Health, Cancer.org
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The
Oklahoma State Board of Health regulates the state’s immunization requirements
for children who attend child care facilities, preschool, K-12 schools, and for students who attend postsecondary schools.
Additionally, the board determines the rules for obtaining vaccine exemptions.
Although
Oklahoma law allows exemptions for medical, religious or personal reasons,
unvaccinated children are at greater risk of catching and spreading diseases
and may be removed from school for the duration of any disease outbreak.
Vaccination is one of the most important ways we can protect children from
preventable diseases. The higher the number of people in a given area
vaccinated against the disease, the less likely the disease will spread.
Access Oklahoma’s guide to immunization requirements for the
2016-17 school year to reviews the vaccines required for children
entering child care facilities, preschool and grades K-12.
Some
vaccines for school children are highly recommended by the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, but are not required by Oklahoma law. The Oklahoma
State Department of Health recommends the following vaccines:
- One dose of the meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MCV4) for students ages 11-12, and a booster shot at age 16.
- Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine series for students starting at ages 11-12 years old.
- Seasonal flu shot annually for all school children.
For
postsecondary educational institutions, including public and private colleges
and universities, and technical schools, students should check with their
institution for information on vaccine requirements. For all postsecondary
schools in Oklahoma, as well as in most other states, the meningococcal vaccine
is required for all new students who will reside in campus housing and is
strongly recommended for those currently living on campus.
Make sure
your child is current on their routine immunizations. It is very important they
receive all doses as scheduled. Talk to your child’s doctor about catch-up
vaccines if they miss a shot.
Sources: CDC.gov, Oklahoma
State Department of Health
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It is a preventable tragedy, yet, each year
in the United States, nearly 40 children die from heatstroke after becoming
trapped inside hot cars. More than 50 percent of these deaths were caused when
parents or caregivers forgot there was a child in the back seat, and about 30 percent
were caused when children got trapped in a vehicle on their own.
You think it could never happen to you.
However, even the best parents and caregivers can unknowingly leave a sleeping
baby in a hot car or leave a car unattended and unlocked, providing an
opportunity for a child to become trapped inside.
The most common contributing factor in these
hot-car deaths is a change in daily routine. Our brains cannot always keep up
with the daily demands of our busy lives; preoccupation, stress and lack of
sleep affect our working memory. For example, a parent who normally takes the
child to school or day care cannot drive that day. So, the other busy parent,
workday in mind, forgets to stop at the day care, ultimately leaving the child
strapped in their car seat until it’s too late.
Despite the efforts of child safety advocates
and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Americans keep leaving
young children in hot vehicles. Sixteen of these deaths have already occurred
this year. It’s shocking to think over half of vehicular heatstroke deaths are
due to a child being accidentally left behind. However, almost 18 percent are
knowingly left in a vehicle.
Studies show, on a clear, sunny day, even in mild or
relatively cool temperatures, a car’s windows trap direct sunlight and heat its
interior like an oven. The temperature inside the car spikes upward in the
first 10 minutes and nearly reaches the maximum temperature in about 20
minutes. On days when outside temperatures range from 72-96 degrees, the
interior temperature of a car can heat up by about 40 degrees within an hour.
Cracking a window does not help; and shade only alleviates the heat somewhat,
but not enough.
On a 70-degree day, a car’s interior temperature can
reach around 115 degrees. When parked in the shade on an 80-degree day, a car’s
interior can still reach 100 degrees. Even with the windows partially down, the
temperature inside a parked car can reach 125 degrees in 20 minutes in over
90-degree weather. The interior temperature of a car can easily reach levels
hotter than the Sahara Desert in summer when parked in direct sunlight on high
heat days. Of course, the hotter the outside temperature, the quicker the
temperature inside a car rises, and dark-color cars and interiors are also
contributing factors.
Heatstroke can occur
when the temperature is as low as 57 degrees. Sadly, young children are most
susceptible.
According to the American Academy of
Pediatrics, infants and children under 5 years old are at greatest risk of
heatstroke. A child’s body temperature rises three to five times faster than an
adult’s, so their internal cooling system (sweating) can become overwhelmed and
fail. When body temperatures reach 104 degrees, vital organs can begin to shut
down. Permanent injury, including blindness and hearing loss, as well as severe
brain damage can occur. At 107 degrees, death occurs.
You can purchase technology developed for
this specific issue. Car seat alarms linked to weight or harness clips can
alert you if you leave a child unattended in a vehicle. Though these devices
can be lifesavers, you should not rely solely on technology.
Proactive responsibility and vigilance are
critical in preventing these tragedies. Following are several prevention tips
from child safety advocates:
- Never
leave a child alone in a vehicle (even to run a short errand).
- Keep
vehicles locked at all times; keep keys and remote openers out of children’s reach.
- Talk
to older children about the dangers of hot cars.
- Look
before you lock to ensure all passengers are out.
- Place
the child’s diaper bag, stuffed animal or shoe in your front seat.
- Place
your cellphone or purse or briefcase in back with the child.
- Talk
or sing to the child to avoid self-absorbed thought.
- Request
that the day care notify you if your child doesn’t show.
- Make
a habit to confirm who brings your child from your car into your home each time.
If your child is missing, check the car, including the trunk. If
you see a child alone and in distress in any vehicle, get the child out, call
911 and rapidly cool the child.
Protect your most precious cargo
and prevent unimaginable loss or injury.
Sources:
KidsandCars.org, NHTSA.gov, AAP.org
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