inseason IT S NOT TOO LATE TO FIGHT THE FLU

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1 WINTER 2011 New name, same plan We re now UnitedHealthcare Community Plan. Only our name has changed. You will still have the same health benefits, personal support and customer service you re used to. Visit our new website at health or wellness or prevention information inseason IT S NOT TOO LATE TO FIGHT THE FLU 6PREVENTION Nine out of ten people who die from the flu are age 65 or older. The best way to prevent the flu is with a flu shot. It s not too late to get one. This year, there is a stronger new flu shot made for people aged 65 and older. Ask your doctor if this shot is right for you. Take care of yourself during flu season with good nutrition, exercise and rest. This can help keep you strong enough to fight the flu. You can also avoid getting or spreading the flu virus with these tips: g Stay away from people who have the flu. g Wash your hands often. g Cough or sneeze into your elbow. g Don t touch your eyes, nose or mouth. PRSRT STD U.S. Postage PAID United Health Group UnitedHealthcare Community Plan 1001 Brinton Rd. Pittsburgh, PA GOING VIRAL If you get the flu, ask your doctor about antiviral drugs. They can make the flu milder or shorter. They may also prevent complications. Adults over 65 years old or who have chronic conditions can especially benefit from antiviral drugs. Source: U.S. Department of Health & Human Services: Flu.gov ( gov/individualfamily/seniors/index.html) accessed 9/20/10 AMC-017-PA-CARE Y0066_101202_113046

2 6Safety 6chronic conditions 8Every year, more than 100 people in the U.S. die from unintentional CO poisoning. PA-CARE say no to CO Carbon monoxide (CO) is an invisible killer. It is a colorless, odorless gas that is produced from burning fuel. CO is produced year-round. But because windows are closed and heaters are on, the risk for CO poisoning is higher in the winter. Because you cannot see or smell CO, the first sign it is in your home is often when you start to feel sick. The first symptoms include headache, fatigue or dizziness that gets better when you leave the house. You may feel nauseous or have trouble breathing. If you suspect CO poisoning, go outside immediately. Then, call 911 from a cell phone or neighbor s home. To prevent CO poisoning, keep all cooking and heating appliances in good working order. Plus, NEVER: g leave a car running in a garage or other enclosed space, even with the door open. g run a generator inside your home or garage. g burn charcoal inside, including in a tent or vehicle. g use a gas range, oven or dryer for heating indoors. BE ALARMED CO alarms are required by law in many areas. They can save your life. Put them in the hallway near every sleeping area in your home. Test them and replace the batteries often. Source: U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission: Protect Your Family From Carbon Monoxide Poisoning ( html) accessed 9/21/10 2 HEALTH TALK take a deep breath UNDERSTAND YOUR ASTHMA MEDICATION There are many different medications for asthma. Your doctor will prescribe the right ones for you. You should have a written asthma action plan to help you know what to take and when. 6Emergency care need quick? care KNOW YOUR OPTIONS FOR THE RIGHT CARE IN THE RIGHT PLACE When you are sick or hurt, you might not want to wait to get medical care. Choosing the right place to go can help you be seen faster.

3 LONG-TERM MEDICATIONS g Some drugs you take every day, even when you are feeling well. These long-term medications keep asthma under control. They can be oral or inhaled. Most help by reducing swelling and opening airways. You might also take allergy medicine. When you first start taking long-term medications, it will be a few weeks until you start to feel better. Not everyone with asthma needs long-term medications. JOIN US UnitedHealthcare has disease management programs. These programs help people with asthma, diabetes and other conditions manage their health. You can get advice from a nurse and reminders about your care. To join a disease management program, call (TTY 711). Source: U.S. National Library of Medicine: Asthma control drugs (www. nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/patientinstructions/ htm) updated 2/26/10 and Asthma quick-relief drugs ( ency/patientinstructions/ htm) updated 4/26/10 1. WHEN CAN YOUR PRIMARY CARE PROVIDER TREAT YOU? For most illnesses or injuries, your primary care office should be the first place you call when you need care. You might even get an appointment for later that day. You may be given advice for self-care, or your doctor could call in a prescription to your drugstore. You can even call when the office is closed. There will be a message telling you how to reach a doctor after hours. 2. WHEN SHOULD YOU GO TO URGENT CARE? If your doctor cannot see you fast enough, go to an urgent care center. RESCUE MEDICATIONS g Most people with asthma have inhaled rescue medications. You take them only when you are having symptoms. You carry them with you all the time. Rescue medications can stop an asthma attack in minutes. They work for a few hours. They relax the muscles in your airway. You might also take steroid pills for a few days or weeks at a time if you are having trouble managing symptoms. Urgent care centers take walk-in patients for many kinds of illnesses or injuries. They can perform some kinds of medical tests on site. Many urgent care centers are open at night and on weekends. 3. WHEN SHOULD YOU GO TO A HOSPITAL EMERGENCY ROOM? Emergency rooms are for major medical emergencies only. Go there only when you think your illness or injury could result in death or disability if not treated right away. If you go to the emergency room with a minor problem, you may have to wait a long time while they treat serious cases first. HELLO, NURSE! UnitedHealthcare has a 24/7 NurseLine. You can talk to a nurse, day or night, to get advice on your medical problems. The nurse can also help you decide if you can wait to see your primary care provider or if you should seek immediate care. Call NurseLine 24/7 at (TTY 711). 6healthcare consumer it s your choice GIVING CONSENT TO MEDICAL TREATMENT You have the right to make your own medical decisions. Your provider will explain your treatment choices to you in a way that you can understand. You also have the right to say no to treatment. You may be asked to sign a form saying yes to treatment you want. This is called informed consent. But what if you are too sick to give consent? An advance directive will make sure providers know what kind of treatment you want. There are two kinds of advance directives. g A LIVING WILL is a paper that explains what kind of treatment you want. It goes into effect only if you are very sick or hurt and cannot make your own decisions about life support. For example, it says whether or not you would want a machine to help you breathe. g A DURABLE POWER OF ATTORNEY is a paper that lets someone else make decisions for you. You can choose a family member or trusted friend. This person can speak for you any time you become temporarily or permanently unable to make medical decisions. You can also have a durable power of attorney for mental health care. WRITE IT DOWN Ask your doctor or hospital for a form to help you create an advance directive. Forms are also available at Give copies of the form to your providers and someone you trust and keep one for yourself. WINTER PA-CARE

4 6about your plan 6PREVENTION 82 out of 5 people over age 65 have never had a pneumococcal vaccination. lock and key We take your privacy seriously. We are very careful with your health information. We also guard your financial information. We have policies in place to protect this information. These policies explain: g how we may use this information. g when we may share this information with others. g what rights you have to your information. IT S NO SECRET You may read our privacy policy online at munityplan.com. You may also call member services at (TTY 711) to ask us to mail you a copy. If we make changes to the policy, we will mail you a notice. yourbest shot YOU CAN PREVENT TWO COMMON DISEASES Immunizations are not just for children. Adults need them, too. If you are over 60, talk to your doctor about the following vaccines. Shingles Pneumococcal disease PA-CARE who we are UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage Plans are offered by UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company and its affiliated companies, a Medicare Advantage organization with a Medicare contract. 4 HEALTH TALK WHAT IS IT? WHO IS IT FOR? Shingles is caused by the herpes zoster virus. This is the same virus that causes chickenpox. It causes a rash that can lead to painful nerve problems. The vaccine is recommended for adults aged 60 and older. Even people who have had shingles or the chickenpox in the past should get the shot. People with weakened immune systems should not get the vaccine. Pneumococcal disease is caused by the Streptococcus pneumoniae bacterium. It can result in severe infections like some kinds of pneumonia (a lung infection) and meningitis (a brain infection). The vaccine is recommended for all adults aged 65 and older. Younger adults who smoke or have asthma should also get the shot. It s also important for people with certain health problems. Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Herpes Zoster Vaccine Q&A ( last modified 5/27/09; Pneumococcal Disease In-Short ( pneumo/in-short-both.htm) last modified 4/23/10; Pneumonia ( nchs/fastats/pneumonia.htm) last updated 2/4/10

5 If someone you know has medicaid and medicare parts a & B, they may qualify for even more medicare benefits At no extra cost! you may be able to get the benefits UnitedHealthcare dual Complete (HMO SNP) offers: $0 Health Products up to $360 in credits every year to order items from our catalog like aspirin, vitamins, bandages, blood pressure monitors and more $0 Plan Premium in addition to your Medicare Part B premium $0 Dental Services no copay for dentures, partials, fillings, extractions, crowns and more $0 Vision Services no copay for one routine eye exam every year and one pair of eyeglasses or contacts every two years ($150 limit for eyewear every two years) $0 Hearing Services no copay for one routine hearing exam every year and one individual hearing aid every two years ($750 limit for hearing aids every two years) And much more! The federal government has approved UnitedHealthcare Dual Complete (HMO SNP) as a Special Needs Plan for people with Medicare (Parts A and B) and Medicaid. UnitedHealthcare Dual Complete (HMO SNP) is offered by UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company and its affiliated companies, Medicare Advantage organizations with a Medicare contract. The benefit information provided herein is a brief summary, but not a comprehensive description of available benefits. Additional information about benefits is available to assist you in making a decision about your coverage. This is an advertisement; for more information, contact the plan. Y0066_100506_ AMC-017-PA-CARE-INSERT Give your loved ones the gift of health. Tell them to call us toll-free today at: (TTY 711) 8 a.m. 8 p.m. local time, 7 days a week. Don t let your loved ones miss out on some great EXTRA BENEFITS that can help keep them healthy at NO EXTRA COST! Show them you care. Dé a sus seres queridos el regalo de la salud. Dígalges que nos llamen sin cargo hoy al: (TTY 711), de 8 a.m. a 8 p.m., hora local, los siete días de la semana. No permite sus seres queridos a perder de algunos excelentes BENEFICIOS ADICIONALES que pueden ayudarles a mantenerse sanos SIN COSTO ADICIONAL! Muéstreles que se preocupa por ellos.

6 PA-CARE-INSERT Y0066_100506_162212S winter/invierno 2011 El gobierno federal ha aprobado UnitedHealthcare Dual Complete (HMO SNP) como un Plan de necesidades especiales para personas con Medicare (Partes A y B). UnitedHealthcare Dual Complete (HMO SNP) es ofrecido por UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company y sus empresas afiliadas, organizaciones de Medicare Advantage con un contrato de Medicare. La información de beneficios que se proporciona en este documento es un resumen breve y no una descripción completa de los beneficios disponibles. Tenemos disponible información adicional sobre los beneficios para ayudarle a tomar una decisión de su cobertura. Éste es un documento publicitario; para obtener más información, comuníquese con el plan. Y mucho más! Si alguien que usted conoce tiene las Partes A y B de Medicaid y Medicare, esa persona puede calificar para obtener aún más demedicare beneficios sin costo adicional! puede ser elegible para obtener los beneficios que ofrece El plan de UnitedHealthcare Dual Complete (HMO Snp) $0 Servicios auditivos no se aplica copago para un examen auditivo de rutina al año y un audífono individual cada dos años (límite de $750 para audífonos cada dos años) $0 Servicios oftalmológicos no se aplica copago para un examen oftalmológico de rutina al año y un par de anteojos o lentes de contacto cada dos años (límite de $150 para artículos ópticos cada dos años) $0 Servicios dental no se aplica copago para dentaduras postizas, dentaduras parciales, empastes, extracciones, coronas, etc. $0 Prima del plan además de su prima de la Parte B de Medicare $0 Productos médicos hasta $360 en créditos cada año para solicitar productos de nuestro catálogo, como aspirina, vitaminas, vendajes, monitores de presión arterial, etc. did you know Unitedhealthcare has a medicare plan, too? tell your family and friends! sabía que UnitedHealthcare también tiene un plan de Medicare? INFORME A SU FAMILIA Y AMIGOS!