SoonerCare Member Memo - June 2021

SoonerCare Member Memo

June 2021


SoonerCare Expansion

If you or someone you know has previously not qualified for SoonerCare, you may qualify under our new expanion population. To find information such as the new income guidelines, visit https://oklahoma.gov/ohca/about/medicaid-expansion/expansion.html.

To apply for SoonerCare, visit www.MySoonerCare.org.


Diabetes Self-Management Education and Support

If you have diabetes, OHCA has a new way to help you! You can get free training called "diabetes self-management education and support (DSMES)". When you start DSMES, you can get 10 hours of free training during the first year. After that, you can get two hours each year. Some of the training is one-on-one, and some is in groups.

During the training, you will learn how to better manage your diabetes, get more active and eat better. After DSMES training, most people live healthier lives. They have less hospital visits and a lower risk of kidney, nerve and eye damage.

To get started, ask your provider to contact a covered DSMES program. It is also a good idea to ask your provider about getting a 90-day supply of your daily diabetes drugs. You might also be eligible for a continuous glucose monitor. SoonerCare has many tools to help you live better with diabetes. If you want to learn more about DSMES, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is a great place to start.


Mission Academy for Adolescents in Addiction Recovery

Mission Academy High School is an independent, accredited school designed to support adolescents in recovery from drug and alcohol addiction. A person in recovery, especially at this critical young age, needs continual support from peers and professionals to maintain sobriety.

Returning to former schools and familiar social circles often results in the reintroduction of substances and relapse. This is the only school of its kind in Oklahoma and serves students from every school district in the OKC metro.


Mission Peer Group

Mission Peer Group, or "Alternative Peer Group," is substance abuse outpatient treatment for adolescents and their families. As a comprehensive treatment program, it includes:


1. Clinical counseling on the individual, group and family level


2. Sober social events in the evenings and weekends, giving kids a chance to be kids and learn how to have fun in sobriety


3. Recovery coaches or mentors who are young people in long-term recovery that encourage sobriety in a positive, relatable way


4. Teaching recovery skills to the entire family, so it is not just the teen who enters recovery, but the entire family.

 

For more information about Mission Academy and Mission Peer Group, visit https://teenrecoverysolutions.org/ or call 405-843-9100. For additional helpful resources, visit https://oklahoma.gov/ohca/individuals/resources.html.


Teeth-Friendly Summer Foods and Drinks

Nature’s Toothbrushes
Pack your plate daily with apples, pears and veggies such as carrots, celery and raw broccoli. They're like natural toothbrushes, scrubbing off build-up and stimulating saliva to wash away what’s left.

Add Cheese, Please
MOOve over sugar! Dairy products like milk, yogurt and cheese are low in sugar and rich in calcium and phosphorous, which strengthen and protect enamel. Research also suggests eating more dairy may lower your chances for developing gum disease.

Ice, friend or foe?
Chewing on hard foods such as ice can leave your teeth vulnerable to a dental emergency such as a broken tooth and can even damage enamel. If you must use ice, opt for crushed, to hopefully avoid the temptation of chewing on larger chunks of ice. 


SoonerCare Health Risk Assessment

SoonerCare wants to help you and your family stay as healthy as possible. By answering some brief questions, you can help us learn about your needs and connect you with services to support your health goals. 

If you enroll through mysoonercare.org, please log in to your mysoonercare.org account today and complete our health risk assessment. The assessment link is found near the bottom of the “my benefits” page and will take only a few minutes to complete for everyone in your family. Thank you for taking this important step to help us improve the health of Oklahomans.  


We've Got Your Back

Dive Into Summer by Becoming Tobacco Free!

Quit by using your SoonerCare benefit!  As a SoonerCare member, SoonerCare covers all FDA approved medications to help you quit tobacco. These do not count against the six-prescription limit per month.

Talk to your SoonerCare provider about which options are best for you:

-Nicotine Patch

-Nicotine Gum

-Nicotine Lozenges

-Nicotine Inhaler

-Nicotine Nasal Spray

-Bupropion SR (Zyban/Wellbutrin)

-Varenicline (Chantix)

FREE Counseling and patches, gum, or lozenges are available through the Oklahoma Tobacco Helpline


Helpful COVID-19 Vaccine Resources

Statewide Links:

  • Vaccinate.ok.gov: Oklahoma State Department of Health vaccine registration portal.

Oklahoma State Department of Health:

Pharmacies and Urgent Care Clinics

Tribal Citizens:

Check with your tribe, Indian Health Service and local tribes to see if you are eligible to receive a vaccine through them.


Get in Touch

Follow Us on Social Media

The SoonerCare and Insure Oklahoma Facebook and Twitter pages are no longer active. Follow Oklahoma Health Care Authority on Facebook and Twitter for updates, new policies, health tips, helpful resources and more! You can find OHCA's profiles by clicking the links below.

 

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Oklahoma Health Care Authority


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@ok_hca


About OHCA

 

Our vision is for Oklahomans to be healthy and to have access to quality health care services regardless of their ability to pay.

 

OHCA Core Principles:

Passion for Our Purpose

Empowerment and Accountability

Trust and Transparency

Solution-oriented

Servant Leadership

 

The Oklahoma Health Care Authority does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age or disability in employment or the provision of services.

Please submit any questions, comments or content suggestions to Aaron Askew (aaron.askew@okhca.org) from OHCA's strategic communications office: 405-522-7403.

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