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November 2021
October was National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and SoonerCare covers mammograms for our members. All women should talk to their doctor about how to self-examine for lumps in their breasts, and about when to start getting mammograms. To see when and how often the American Cancer Society recommends women get mammograms, click here.
If you have any questions about SoonerCare covering mammograms, call the SoonerCare helpline at 800-987-7767.
October was Depression Awareness Month. Nearly one in four adults and one in eight teens in Oklahoma live with depression. Depression is much more than feeling sad, and it looks different for each person. People living with depression may experience changes in:
- Sleep
- Appetite
- Concentration
- Energy
- Interest in activities
- Movement
- Pain levels
- Anxiety
- Frustration
The most serious sign of depression is having suicidal thoughts. Anyone who is thinking about suicide needs immediate help. The Suicide Prevention Lifeline (800-273-TALK or 800-273-8255) provides help 24/7. It’s free and confidential.
The National Suicide Prevention Spanish Language Lifeline (800-628-9454) provides tele-interpreters for people speaking Spanish and more than 150 languages.
Depression, even severe depression, can be treated. Your doctor might suggest medication, therapy or both. If you are considering starting an antidepressant, or are already taking one, these are some questions you might want to ask your doctor:
- How do I know if I have depression?
- Is my depression better treated with medication, therapy or both?
- How will I know if my treatment is working?
- What side effects should I expect?
- What prescriptions and over-the-counter medications should I avoid with my medication?
- How often should I see my doctor about my depression?
- What if I think I’m pregnant?
Once you start taking an antidepressant, it’s important to talk to your doctor before stopping the medication. Stopping too soon can cause negative side effects. SoonerCare makes it easy for you to keep taking your medication by having several antidepressants on the 90-day maintenance drug list.
If you have questions about antidepressant medication coverage, please call the pharmacy help desk at 405-522-6205, option 4, or toll-free at 800-522-0114, option 4.
Looking for more information? Here are some helpful links to get you started:
Keep your mouth squeaky clean and healthy during National Dental Hygiene Month. Cigarette smoking, smokeless tobacco and other forms of tobacco cause oral cancer, gum disease and other oral health problems. Getting routine checkups and talking to your dentist about quitting tobacco are important steps to keep your mouth healthy.
SoonerCare covers all FDA approved medications to help you quit tobacco. These do not count against the six-prescription limit per month. Learn more here.
Achieving good oral health is rarely a quick fix and may take multiple visits to your dentist over a period of time. If you and your dentist decide you need dentures, your dentist will treat any other oral health issues first, such as removing a diseased tooth causing pain or treating gum disease. Once your dentist determines your mouth is healthy enough, they will place you with dentures
New dentures may feel awkward for a few weeks until you become accustomed to them. An immediate denture is only intended to be placed during the healing phase and may not fit as well as your permanent complete denture.
Follow-up appointments with the dentist are generally needed after a denture is inserted so the fit can be checked and adjusted. If any problems persist, particularly irritation or soreness, consult your dentist.
Is your address updated with SoonerCare? Has your income changed? Do you have a new place of employment? If any information in your SoonerCare account needs to be updated, please log in and update it as soon as possible.
We encourage all members to upload documents to the member portal. This option allows our agents to update your information in a more timely manner than if you were to mail documents in.
We also encourage you to choose electronic notifications instead of receiving OHCA letters by mail. This will ensure you are getting your notifications more quickly and are able to upload or send in your documents sooner.
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Members who were part of SoonerCare expansion may now log in to their SoonerCare account and select a primary care physician. A PCP will help identify and treat common medical conditions, provide preventive care, refer you to a specialist when needed, and help you meet your health goals.
If you would like to select your PCP on your mobile phone, hover your phone camera over the QR code to the left. This will take you to www.mySoonerCare.org where you can login and choose your PCP.
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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.
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.
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