MyHealth. Beating the flu the basics. How active is the flu in your state or city? Did you know you can prepare now to stay healthy during flu season?

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1 MyHealth 2016 Beating the flu the basics Did you know you can prepare now to stay healthy during flu season? Help keep the flu away with these basic tips: Get your flu shot each year. Wash hands often. Avoid those who have the flu. Eat well. Drink more water. Get enough sleep. You can get your flu shot and more information from: Your primary care provider (PCP). Any pharmacy that will accept your ForwardHealth ID card. Your local health department. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), everyone 6 months of age and older should receive the flu vaccine each year. How active is the flu in your state or city? Visit cdc.gov/flu/weekly/ fluactivitysurv.htm or scan this image with your smartphone. Member Services and 24/7 NurseLine: (TTY 711) HWI-NL

2 Breast cancer: Know the facts Did you know that finding breast cancer early saves lives? Even with no family history of breast cancer, you can still get it. Mammograms can help find breast cancer early so it can get treated right away. Women 50 or older should get a mammogram every two years. And it s a good idea for women in their 40s to check with their doctors about how often they should get a mammogram. Ask your doctor how often you should get a mammogram. The answer will depend on your individual risk factors, age, health and family history. Helpful tips Examine your breasts every month. Get a clinical breast exam by your doctor at least once a year. Talk to your doctor about when to start having a yearly mammogram. Talk to your mother, daughters and friends about breast health. On the day of your mammogram: Don t wear deodorant. It can interfere with the screening. Wear two pieces of clothing a top and bottom. That way you can easily remove your top for the X-ray. For more information or help making an appointment, call Member Services at (TTY 711).

3 Wellness checkups are for the whole family From birth through adulthood, wellness checkups can help you stay healthy even when you re not sick. How often you see the doctor depends on your age and whether you have a health condition. What vaccines or checkups does your family need? Put a check beside the age of each member in your household. Then put a check beside each service your loved one has received. n Birth to 3 years of age: Well-child checkups (11 visits) to monitor growth and development Vaccines (immunizations) to help protect against diseases like rotavirus, measles, mumps, chickenpox, pneumonia, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, influenza, polio, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis and rubella Lead screenings to test for lead exposure at 12 and 24 months n Ages 3 to 10 years: Well-child checkups (once a year) Booster shots (extra doses of vaccines) to increase protection or catch up on vaccines that may have been missed n Ages years Well-child checkups (once a year) Booster shots and vaccines to protect against human papillomavirus (HPV), meningitis and the flu n Ages years Adolescent wellness checkups (once a year) Booster shots (extra doses of vaccines) to increase protection or catch up on vaccines that may have been missed Discussion about teen health topics and their changing bodies n 18 years of age and older: Wellness checkups (once a year) Screenings for high blood pressure, diabetes, cholesterol, body mass index (BMI), colon cancer, breast cancer (for women), cervical cancer (for women), osteoporosis (for women age 65 or older) prostate cancer (for men) and abdominal aortic aneurysm (for men age 65 or older) What boxes weren t checked? Call the doctor today to make an appointment for a wellness checkup. You can take this checklist with you to discuss with your doctor. To see a list of recommended services, screenings and vaccines by age and gender, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website at cdc.gov/prevention.

4 Diabetes care from head to toe Did you know diabetes can affect your body from head to toe? Over time, diabetes can hurt your eyes, heart, blood vessels, kidneys, nerves and feet if your blood sugar isn t under control. Seeing your health care provider for regular checkups and screenings is a good way to help you stay healthy. So what can you do to take even better care of yourself? 1. Eyes: See an eye doctor once a year for a dilated retinal eye exam. It s the best way to help protect your sight. 2. Heart: Have your blood pressure checked at each health care visit and your cholesterol checked at least once a year. 3. Kidneys: Get an HbA1c test every six months. It ll help show how well you re controlling your blood sugar. 4. Feet: Have your feet checked at every health care visit. And remember to see a podiatrist (foot doctor) for a foot exam at least once a year. What else can you do? Medication is another way to help control diabetes. Talk to your doctor about what type of medication may be right for you. If your doctor prescribes medication for your diabetes, be sure to take it as directed. Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield has a diabetes case management program. You can work over the phone with a nurse case manager who can help you set goals and create a care plan. To find out more details or speak with a nurse case manager, call (TTY 711).

5 Making decisions on care and services Sometimes we need to make decisions about how we cover care and services. This is called Utilization Management (UM). Our UM process is based on the standards of the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA). All UM decisions are based on medical needs and current benefits only. We do this for the best possible health outcomes for our members. We also don t tell or encourage providers to underuse services. And we don t create barriers to getting health care. Providers do not get any reward for limiting or denying care. And when we decide to hire, promote or fire providers or staff, we don t base it on that they might or we think they might deny or would be likely to deny benefits. To learn more about UM or a case, call us toll free from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays, except holidays, at If you call at any other time, you can leave a private message. Our staff will return your call on the next business day during the hours above. Or you can ask that someone call you back at a different time. Any staff member who calls you about a UM issue will give you his or her name and title and the name of the company. If you would like to talk to someone in a language other than English, ask for an interpreter in your language. If you have a hearing or speech loss, call the TTY line at 711. Our Notice of Privacy Practices This type of notice explains how medical information about you may be used and disclosed by Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield. It also tells you how to access this information. The notice follows the privacy regulations set by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). If you would like a copy of our Notice of Privacy Practices, please call Member Services at the phone number listed on your ID card or go online to

6 If you, or someone you re helping, has questions about Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, you have the right to get help and information in your language at no cost. To talk to an interpreter, call (TTY 711). ENGLISH

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8 P.O. Box Virginia Beach, VA The information in this newsletter is meant to educate. It is not meant as medical advice. Please check with your doctor for any advice about your health. Your health plan may not cover some types of care. Check your member handbook for details about what benefits your health plan covers and what it does not cover. With the exception of the websites referred to in this newsletter are websites of independent entities and not affiliated with Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield. Copies of any type of member information are made available (at no cost) upon request for translation, Braille, large print or audio format. Just call Member Services at We can answer any of your questions about your plan. If you have a hearing or speech loss, call the TTY line at 711. My Health is published by Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield to give information. It is not a way to give personal medical advice. Get medical advice directly from your physician All rights reserved. Printed in the USA. In Eastern Wisconsin, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield is the trade name of Compcare Health Services Insurance Corporation, an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. ANTHEM is a registered trademark of Anthem Insurance Companies, Inc. The Blue Cross and Blue Shield names and symbols are registered marks of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. WI-Q NL-PC-0916 CMAP HWI-NL