October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

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1 P.O. Box 1800 Rancho Cucamonga, CA Questions? Call IEHP Member Services IEHP (4347) IEHP (4347) for TTY users 8am 5pm Monday-Friday IEHP complies with applicable Federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex. ATTENTION: If you speak a language other than English, language assistance services, free of charge, are available to you. Call (TTY: ). IEHP cumple con las leyes Federales aplicables de derechos civiles y no discrimina por motivos de raza, color, nacionalidad, edad, discapacidad o género. ATENCIÓN: Si habla español u otro idioma diferente al inglés, le ofrecemos los servicios gratuitos de un intérprete de idiomas. Llame al o al (TTY). IEHP 遵守適用的聯邦民權法律規定, 不因種族 膚色 民族血統 年齡 殘障或性別而歧視任何人 注意 : 如果您使用繁體中文, 您可以免費獲得語言援助服務 請致電 (TTY: ) 2017 Inland Empire Health Plan. All Rights Reserved. MK Volume 61 Fall 2017 Destination Health October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month Check out the IEHP website Stay Connected. Follow us!

2 Volume 61 Fall 2017 Destination Health Get the Flu Shot, Not the Flu Do you want to spend the holidays celebrating with friends and family, or in bed fighting the flu? Protect yourself and your children this holiday season. Get the flu shot NOW and stay on the path to your Destination: Health. All people over 6 months old should get the flu shot each year. It s FREE for IEHP Members when getting the shot from an IEHP Provider or an IEHP network pharmacy. See page 2 to learn where to get the flu shot. Ask your Doctor about other vaccines that you may need too. Continued on Page 2... October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month IN THIS ISSUE Myths & Facts about the Flu Shot Page 3 Fall into Fitness with IEHP Page 4 Tips to Help Quit Smoking Page 5 Ways to Prevent Diabetes Page 7

3 Continued from Page 1... Where to get the flu shot: Adults can get the flu shot at your Doctor's office (call first) or at a pharmacy in the IEHP network. Some include Walgreens, CVS, Rite-Aid, and certain independent pharmacies. Please call your Doctor or pharmacy to ask about getting the flu shot! Children can get the flu shot from their IEHP Doctor. Remember! Ask your Doctor if there are other shots you need. Ask the Doctor Q A Why do I see a Nurse Practitioner or Physician Assistant at my Doctor visit? Sometimes you may see a Nurse Practitioner or Physician Assistant instead of your Doctor. That s because many practices are moving toward a team approach. Doctors, Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants work together to give you better access to care. 2 At IEHP, there are more than 800 Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants. They work in 1,222 Doctors offices in our network. Plus, 155 of those offices have more than one location. Nurse Practitioners or Physicians Assistants can do full physicals, prescribe medicine and order labwork. They can also do procedures like stitching up cuts or removing moles for biopsy.

4 Flu Shot: Myths & Facts Can you get the flu from the flu shot? No. The flu shot is made from a virus that is not active so it does not cause infection. It helps boost the immune system to fight against the flu virus. It takes about two weeks for the flu shot to start protecting your body. What about people who got a flu shot and still got sick? If they got sick after getting the flu shot, then their illlness most likely was caused by a flu virus strain that was not protected by the flu shot. Simply put, the flu shot reduces the risk of catching the virus that (research shows) will be most common in the flu season ahead. Why don t I just deal with the flu instead of getting the shot? The flu can be serious, especially for young children, older adults, and those with chronic conditions like asthma, diabetes or heart disease. Even healthy kids and adults can get complications from the flu. Getting the flu shot is a safer choice. What to do if you catch the flu Rest in bed. Drink fluids. And treat fever with overthe-counter pain/fever medicine. If symptoms don't improve or you are higher risk, * call your Doctor. When you can t see your Doctor or the office is closed, you have options after-hours: 1 2 Call the 24-Hour Nurse Advice Line: (TTY) Go to an IEHP Urgent Care clinic Find one at Symptoms of the flu Knowing signs of the flu early on can help you get the right treatment and ward off complications. Check for these signs: Fever (100 degrees or higher) that starts abruptly Headache, muscle aches, chills, and fatigue Sick to stomach, vomiting and/or have diarrhea * Higher-risk are those with weakened immune systems, children less than 5 years or adults over age 65, pregnant women, and those with multiple medical issues. Source: Note: Members should see their Doctor within 1 2 days of flu onset if they have severe symptoms to ask about anti-viral treatment. Or if you are high-risk, ask your Doctor. 3

5 Fall into Fitness! The fall is a great time get on the path to your Destination: Health. Plus, you can start to build good habits for the coming winter months and holidays. The American Heart Association suggests at least 30 minutes of exercise per day, five days per week. If you re not used to exercising, start small with simple activities: Take a walk around your neighborhood. Play with your children or pets when you re home. Walk to your co-worker s desk instead of using the phone. Use stairs instead of an elevator. Change it up! When you re ready to do more, remember to keep it fun! Do something you enjoy walk with friends, dance, go to the gym. Listen to your favorite tunes while you work out. IEHP COMMUNITY RESOURCE CENTERS CRC-RIVERSIDE 3590 Tyler Street, Suite 101 Riverside, CA (across from Galleria mall at Tyler) CRC-SAN BERNARDINO 805 West 2nd Street, Suite C San Bernardino, CA (at the Marshalls Plaza) HOURS: Monday to Friday: 9am 6pm Saturday: 10am 2pm Sunday: closed For our schedule of free health and fitness classes (both locations): visit or call Check out FREE Fitness Programs at the IEHP Community Resource Centers. We have locations in Riverside and San Bernardino. These programs range from Tai Chi and Yoga to Zumba and Aerobic Latin Dance. 4

6 Everyday ways to reach your Destination Health Care Corner This is the first in a special series of articles that explores Smoking Cessation and that will be published in our Member newsletters. Or, see Quit Smoking on our Facebook page. Quitting Smoking: What s in It for You Do you know what quitting smoking does for you? And how fast? Take a look Within 20 minutes of quitting, your blood pressure and heart rate begin to drop toward a normal level. After only two weeks, your blood circulation and heart function will improve. Your lungs may also begin to clear so you can breathe easier. In one year, your risk of heart disease is already cut in half! And the longer you stay quit, the less your chances for stroke, cancer, and other smoker diseases. That can mean many good years added to your life! Save $3,000 by quitting smoking! Want to take a dream vacation? Put a down-payment on a car? Save for college? If you smoke one pack per day, quitting could save you over $3,000 a year! Plus, if your Doctor prescribes stop smoking medicine for you, IEHP will pay for up to two (2) tries to quit per year! Improve your chances of quitting for good There are 3 more ways to help you quit: 1 Call NO-BUTTS today 2 Visit 3 Call the California Smokers Helpline for FREE quit smoking services. You ll work one-on-one with a counselor to set up a quit plan that s just right for you. There are also special services for pregnant smokers, teens, tobacco chewers, and vapers (e-cigs). Download the new app for your iphone: Search "No Butts" on the Apple App Store. (Android version to come.) 5

7 Formulary Medi-Cal 2017 How to Get Needed Medicine Check our list of covered medicines called a formulary. You ll find our latest list of medicines at where you search for the exact name of a medicine prescribed to you. It s updated frequently, so you can check for any changes often. IEHP will cover medically necessary medicines on the list if: Your Doctor or other prescriber says you need the specific medicine to get better or stay healthy (Prior Authorization may be needed). You fill the prescription at an IEHP network pharmacy. Be sure to check that the medicine your Doctor prescribed is on our approved medicine list. FDA-approved medicines that are generic will be used in most cases. This is the case even when a brand-name medicine is available if IEHP agrees that generic meets standards and is as effective as brand. Questions on how to take your medicines? Talk to your Doctor or Pharmacist. 6 NEW! Pharmacy Texting Program IEHP Members: If you need a medicine that is not on our approved medicine list, then you will need a Prior Authorization from your Doctor, and it will need approval. Starting this fall, you can get a text to find out if the medicine prescribed for you has been authorized. You don't have to call to check on the status. If the authorization is approved, you can go to the pharmacy to pick up your medicine. Make sure IEHP or your social worker has your current cell phone number.

8 Ways to Prevent Diabetes Did you know that most people with diabetes don't realize they have it? Type 2 diabetes, for example, often goes undiagnosed for years. In Type 2 diabetes, people can t use insulin the right way. Those with Type 1 diabetes have a hard time making insulin. Both types greatly increase a person s risk for a range of severe health problems, like blindness, kidney failure, heart disease, stroke, or loss of a foot or leg. Some risk factors: Being overweight or obese Family history of diabetes Not enough exercise Diabetes during pregnancy Very high blood pressure 4 ways to help prevent or delay Type 2 diabetes: Healthy Diet (like DASH ): Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension Move More (get minutes of moderate activity most days) Stop Smoking Lose Weight Talk to your Doctor about screenings and a Self-Care Plan. Overweight or obese Members ages 40 to 70 should be screened for diabetes. Call IEHP Member Services for more information (see back cover). For tips on how eat right, visit: 7