Welcome to our Asthma Program We re here to help you be your healthiest through information, education and support for your asthma. We ll work with you by: Partnering with your health care team to make sure you get the best care Reminding you when it s time to get the care you need to stay healthy Providing online asthma education Offering a nurse case manager who can help you: -- Manage your symptoms so you can avoid extra doctor or emergency room visits -- Make good choices for diet and exercise that work for you -- Understand your benefits -- Find special services you may need To learn more about the program or to talk to a nurse case manager, call Customer Service at the number on the back of your Priority Health membership card or email customer.service@priorityhealth.com. You can also visit priorityhealth.com and search keyword: asthma. This is a free program for Priority Health members with asthma. You re automatically enrolled, but you can opt out at any time by contacting Customer Service. You re getting this information because: We paid for a claim related to asthma Your doctor or hospital referred you You called a nurse case manager for help with your asthma
Managing your asthma Asthma is a disease that inflames and narrows the airways in your lungs. No one is sure what causes it. When you have asthma, your airways react to things called triggers and become swollen and narrowed making it hard for you to breathe. There isn t a cure, but it can be treated and controlled. What are the symptoms of asthma? MILD A cough Chest tightness Shortness of breath Wheezing (a whistling noise, especially when breathing out) Low energy MODERATE Coughing, especially at night Getting tired or out of breath easily Wheezing Chest tightness Fast breathing when at rest KICK THE HABIT. Smoking and second-hand smoke raise your risk for an asthma attack. If you smoke, work with your health care team to develop a plan to help you quit. SEVERE Call 911 if you have any of these symptoms and they re not relieved right away by taking your quick-relief medicine as prescribed: Severe difficulty breathing Being too short of breath to speak a full sentence or walk across a room Lips, finger tips or nails turning blue Feeling like you re about to pass out Peak flow less than 50% of your personal best 2 ASTHMA PROGRAM
What can trigger an asthma attack? Triggers irritate your lungs and lead to asthma attacks (also called asthma flare-ups). They include: Tobacco smoke Allergens (like pollen) A cold or the flu Certain weather Exercise Some food and medication ingredients Emotions like laughing, crying or feeling stressed Avoiding triggers Find your triggers below and learn what you can do to reduce their effects on your asthma. Ask your health care team what else you can do to avoid your unique triggers. Dust mites Use allergy-proof or vinyl mattress and pillow covers. Vacuum 2 to 3 times a week and change bedding weekly. Pollen Stay inside and use air-conditioning when pollen levels are high. ASTHMA PROGRAM 3
Smoke Don t smoke and don t let people smoke in your car or home. Avoid fireplaces and woodstoves and move away from smoky outdoor grills. Don t burn incense indoors. Pets Keep pets out of the bedroom and wash them often. Mold Remove sources of mold, such as plants, carpets, humidifiers and aquariums, especially from bedrooms. Clean up mold quickly with dish soap. Use a dehumidifier in damp areas. Food Know what foods are triggers. Check ingredient lists carefully. Exercise When your asthma is well controlled, you should not be limited in physical activity. Talk to your health care team to make a plan that allows you to play and exercise. TAKE ACTION. Make sure you talk to your friends, family, coworkers, teachers and coaches to let them know how asthma affects you or your child(ren) and what they can do to help. Strong odors Use scent-free products and avoid cleaning with bleach or ammonia. Run your exhaust fan while cooking. Don t use mothballs or cedar chips when you store clothes. Avoid perfumes, air fresheners, potpourri, and other scented products. Poor air quality Smog, aerosol sprays and fine powders can irritate your lungs. Try to stay indoors on smoggy days and set your car s air conditioning to re-circulate the air so less pollution gets in. Use pump spray bottles instead of aerosol cans. And if you re dusting, sweeping or sanding, wear a mask. 4 ASTHMA PROGRAM
How is asthma treated? Asthma is most commonly treated with two types of medicine. Ask your health care team what s right for you. 1. Long-term control (LTC) medicines. These drugs help you prevent asthma attacks because they reduce swelling and work to keep your airways open. They should be a part of your long-term asthma control plan. You ll have better control of your asthma if you use a long-term control drug instead of relying on quick-relief drugs. 2. Quick-relief medicines. You can use these drugs when you first begin to feel the symptoms of an asthma attack: a cough, wheeze or shortness of breath. Quick-relief drugs relax the muscles in your airways, making it easier to breathe, but they don t keep symptoms from coming back. They give you quick, temporary relief during an asthma attack. Signs your asthma could be better controlled Do you have nighttime symptoms more than twice a month? Do you need quick-relief medicine more than two times a week? (not related to activity) Do you need more than two canisters of quick-relief medication a year? If you answered yes to any of these questions, your asthma may not be as well controlled as it could be. Talk to your health care team about ways you can improve control and manage symptoms. They can help you develop a personal asthma action plan so you know what to do if you have an asthma attack. There s an asthma action plan template on the next page to get you started. GET YOUR FLU AND PNEUMONIA VACCINE. The flu is extra risky for people with chronic health problems, so you should talk to your health care team about having a flu shot during the fall of every year. If you haven t had a pneumonia vaccine, talk to them about this, too. ASTHMA PROGRAM 5
Asthma Action Plan For: Doctor: Date: Doctor s Phone Number Hospital/Emergency Department Phone Number Take these long-term control medicines each day (include an anti-inflammatory). Medicine How much to take When to take it Doing Well No cough, wheeze, chest tightness, or shortness of breath during the day or night Can do usual activities GREEN ZONE And, if a peak flow meter is used, Peak flow: more than (80 percent or more of my best peak flow) My best peak flow is: 2 or 4 puffs 5 minutes before exercise Before exercise Add: quick-relief medicine and keep taking your GREEN ZONE medicine. First Asthma Is Getting Worse 2 or 4 puffs, every 20 minutes for up to 1 hour Nebulizer, once (short-acting beta 2 -agonist) If your symptoms (and peak flow, if used) return to GREEN ZONE after 1 hour of above treatment: Continue monitoring to be sure you stay in the green zone. -Or- If your symptoms (and peak flow, if used) do not return to GREEN ZONE after 1 hour of above treatment: Take: 2 or 4 puffs or Nebulizer (short-acting beta 2 -agonist) Add: mg per day For (3 10) days (oral steroid) Call the doctor before/ within hours after taking the oral steroid. Second Cough, wheeze, chest tightness, or shortness of breath, or Waking at night due to asthma, or Can do some, but not all, usual activities YELLOW ZONE -Or- Peak flow: to (50 to 79 percent of my best peak flow) Take this medicine: Medical Alert! 4 or 6 puffs or Nebulizer (short-acting beta 2 -agonist) mg (oral steroid) Very short of breath, or Quick-relief medicines have not helped, or Cannot do usual activities, or Symptoms are same or get worse after 24 hours in Yellow Zone RED ZONE Then call your doctor NOW. Go to the hospital or call an ambulance if: You are still in the red zone after 15 minutes AND You have not reached your doctor. -Or- Peak flow: less than (50 percent of my best peak flow) Trouble walking and talking due to shortness of breath Take 4 or 6 puffs of your quick-relief medicine AND DANGER SIGNS Lips or fingernails are blue Go to the hospital or call for an ambulance NOW! (phone) 6 ASTHMA PROGRAM
Your benefits from Priority Health Every plan is different. To find out what checkups, tests, medicines and medical equipment are covered to manage your asthma, you can: Review your plan documents online at priorityhealth.com, search keyword: coverage documents Contact Customer Service at the phone number listed on the back of your membership card Contact us Customer Service Employer-sponsored plans and MyPriority Please call the number on the back of your membership card. Medicare members Call Customer Service toll-free at 888.389.6648, 7 days a week, 8:00 a.m. 8:00 p.m. TTY users should call 711. Medicaid members Call Customer Service toll-free at 888.975.8102 (TTY users should call 711). We re available Monday through Thursday 7:30 a.m. 7 p.m., Friday 9 a.m. 5 p.m. and Saturday 8:30 a.m. noon (Eastern Time). Behavioral Health 800.673.8043 ASTHMA PROGRAM 7
Clinical content is based on content from Krames Staywell. 2013-2015 Krames StayWell. All rights reserved. This information is not intended as a substitute for professional medical care. Always follow your healthcare professional s instructions. Priority Health has HMO-POS and PPO plans with a Medicare contract. Enrollment in Priority Health Medicare depends on contract renewal. NCMS_4000_4035_DDJ 07022015 N3003-01 Approved MCH 06252015 2015 Priority Health PH010 8657E 07/15