Amerigroup Community Care MakeHealth Happen Quarter 1, 2013 Screenings that Save Lives Things to know: Learning you are healthy can help bring peace of mind Screenings may help find growths before they become cancer Colon cancer is easier to beat and treat when caught early Are you age 50 or older? Is there a history of colon cancer in your family? If the answer is yes to either question, talk to your doctor about screening for colorectal cancer. He or she can tell you what tests to have done and how often you ll need them. Tests used to screen for colorectal cancer: n Fecal Occult Blood Test (FOBT) Checks for blood in your stool, which may be a sign of colorectal cancer n Flexible Sigmoidoscopy Checks for polyps or cancer inside the rectum and lower part of your colon n Colonoscopy Checks for polyps or cancer inside the rectum and entire colon Each year, we mail you a survey to ask how we are doing and what we can do better. We want to know if you are happy with your health care providers and the care you receive. Your answers help us see where we need to do better. We use your survey responses to set goals and work with our providers to meet them. We value your thoughts and hope you will take time to answer this year s survey. It should be coming to your home soon. Inside this issue: A Healthy Weight for Your Child Member Services TennCare 1-800-600-4441 CHOICES 1-866-840-4991 TTY 1-800-855-2880 TTY Español 1-800-855-2884 Amerigroup On Call 1-866-864-2544 1-866-864-2545 (Español)
Recognizing Signs of Depression We all feel down from time to time, especially when we re faced with a loss or change. But what should you do if you continue to feel blue? Test your knowledge of depression with these questions: 1. Which of the following are signs of depression? A. Little interest or pleasure in doing things B. Trouble focusing on things, such as reading the newspaper or watching television C. Thoughts that you would be better off dead or of hurting yourself in some way D. Poor appetite or overeating E. All of the above Answer: All of the above. To see more signs of depression or take an online depression screener, go online to www.mentalhealthamerica.net/llw/depression_screen.cfm. 2. Which of these tips can help you if you are depressed? A. Spending time with others B. Eating well and getting physically active C. Staying positive D. Getting professional help if you need it E. All of the above Answer: All of the above. Other tips for helping you feel stronger and more hopeful include: n Helping others n Getting enough sleep n Doing things that bring you joy and satisfaction n Taking care of your spiritual side n Dealing better with hard times 3. Where can you go to find help or support when you are feeling down? A. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255) B. Friends or family C. Your primary care provider or other health care provider D. A religious or spiritual leader E. All of the above Answer: All of the above. For more information about where to find support, go online to www.mentalhealthamerica.net/go/find_therapy. Amerigroup also has behavioral health specialists who can assist you. To reach a behavioral health specialist at Amerigroup, please call 1-800-600-4441 (TennCare) and 1-866-840-4991 (CHOICES) and select option #9 when prompted.
TennCare CHOICES in Long-Term Care, or CHOICES for short, is TennCare s program for long-term care services. Long-term care services include care in a nursing home. Long-term care also includes care in your own home or in the community. These are called Homeand Community-Based Services or HCBS. This type of care may keep you from having to go to a nursing home for as long as possible. If you think you need long-term care services, you can call Amerigroup at 1-866-840-4991. CHOICES 3: A New Option in Long-Term Care The TennCare CHOICES in Long-Term Care program lets you choose between receiving care in a nursing home or getting nursing home level of care in your own home. So what about those who don t qualify for nursing home care now but are at risk for needing it in the future? That s where CHOICES Group 3 can help. People in CHOICES Group 3 receive Home- and Community-Based Services, or HCBS, to prevent or delay the need for nursing home care. To learn more about this program or to speak with a care coordinator, please call 1-866-840-4991 (TTY 1-800-855-2880). Here are the kinds of home care covered in CHOICES Group 3: n Personal care visits n Attendant care n Home-delivered meals (up to one meal per day) n Personal Emergency Response System n Adult day care (up to 2,080 hours per calendar year) n In-home respite care (up to 216 hours per calendar year) n In-patient respite care (up to nine days per calendar year) n Assistive technology (up to $900 per calendar year) n Minor home modifications (up to $6,000 per project; $10,000 per calendar year; and $20,000 per lifetime) n Pest control (up to nine units per calendar year)
Safe Use of Prescription and Herbal Medicines Do you take prescription medications? Are you using herbal medicines or dietary supplements too? If so, you could be at risk for a serious drug interaction. Some combinations may also prevent your medicines from working as well as they should. Use the following chart to list your prescribed medications and any herbal or dietary supplements you are using. Share this list with your doctor at your next appointment: Rx Prescription Medication Dosage How Often? Herbal or Dietary Supplement Dosage How Often? You don t have to wait until your next doctor s visit. Learn more about the medicines you re taking now. Go online to MedlinePlus at www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ druginformation.html and follow the link to All herbs and supplements. If you do see signs of a problem, remember to: Call your health care provider as soon as possible Let your doctor be the judge Get your doctor s consent before you stop taking any prescribed medication
A Healthy Weight for Your Child Are you concerned about your child s weight? If so, you re not alone. Childhood obesity has become a major health problem in the United States. The following steps may help you help your child grow into a healthy adult. Step 1: Know your child s Body Mass Index (BMI). BMI is a measurement of the percentage of fat on a person s body. It can help determine that person s risk for developing certain health problems. Each year at your child s wellness checkup, ask your health care provider to check your child s BMI. You can also use an online BMI calculator for children and teens by visiting the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/dnpabmi. Is your child in the overweight or obese range? If so, how would your child s BMI change if he or she weighed 5 or 10 pounds less? Recalculate using a lower weight to help your child set a weight-loss goal. Step 2: Take control of what you can. As a parent, you can take steps to help your child reach and maintain a healthy weight. Look at the tips below and start by making one change at a time. Choose the healthy habit you want to start first: n Providing plenty of vegetables, fruits and whole grains n Including low-fat or non-fat milk or dairy products n Choosing lean meats, poultry, fish, lentils and beans for protein n Serving age-appropriate portions n Limiting consumption of sugar, saturated fat and sugar-sweetened beverages n Planning healthy meals ahead of time and knowing what your child eats at school n Removing calorie-rich treats by not buying them at the store n Reducing the time you allow them to watch TV or play video games n Participating in activities with your children such as taking a brisk walk, playing tag, jumping rope, swimming, playing soccer or dancing Would your child benefit from a weight management program? If so, Amerigroup has care managers who can help. Please call 1-888-830-4300 to learn more.
TENNderCARE at a Glance TENNderCARE is a program that provides free checkups for eligible children younger than 21 years of age. Every child and teen needs regular health checkups, even if they seem healthy. TENNderCARE also pays for all medically necessary care to treat problems found at the checkup. What happens at a wellness checkup? n Health history n Physical exam n Lab tests (as needed) n Immunizations n Vision/hearing screening n Developmental/behavioral screening (as needed) n Advice on how to help keep your child healthy It s easy for your child to get a wellness checkup. Just call your child s doctor and schedule a visit today. If you need help with a ride, you can call 1-866-680-0633. More About Do you need help with this information? Is it because you have a health, mental health or learning problem, or a disability? Or do you need help in another language? If so, you have a right to get help; and we can help you. Call Amerigroup Community Care at 1-800-600-4441 (TennCare) or 1-866-840-4991 (CHOICES) for more information. Do you have a mental illness and need help with this information? The TennCare Advocacy Program can help you. Call them for free at 1-800-758-1638 (TTY 1-877-779-3103). If you have a hearing or speech problem, you can call us on a TTY/TDD machine. Our TTY/TDD number is 1-800-855-2880. Habla español y necesita ayuda con esta carta? Llámenos gratis al 1-800-600-4441 (TennCare) o 1-866-840-4991 (CHOICES). We do not allow unfair treatment in TennCare. No one is treated in a different way because of race, color, birthplace, religion, language, sex, age or disability. Do you think you ve been treated unfairly? Do you have more questions or need more help? If you think you ve been treated unfairly, call the Family Assistance Service Center for free at 1-866-311-4287. In Nashville, call 743-2000. Need help in another language? You can call Amerigroup Community Care for assistance in any language at 1-800-600-4441 (TennCare), 1-866-840-4991 (CHOICES) or the numbers in the next column. Interpretation and translation services are free to TennCare members.
Amerigroup Foreign Language Lines Call if you need help and need to speak with someone in one of these languages: (Arabic) 1-800-758-1638 (Bosnian) 1-800-758-1638 (Kurdish-Badinani) 1-800-758-1638 (Kurdish-Sorani) 1-800-758-1638 (Somali) 1-800-758-1638 (Spanish) 1-800-758-1638 (Vietnamese) 1-800-758-1638 To report fraud or abuse to the Office of Inspector General (OIG), you can call toll free 1-800-433-3982 or go online to http://www.tn.gov/tenncare/fraud.shtml. To report provider fraud or patient abuse to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU), call toll free 1-800-433-5454. If you don t have a way to get to your health care visits, you may be able to get a ride. You can get help with a ride: Only for your TennCare services and Only if you don t have any other way to get there If you are a child under the age of 21, you can have someone ride with you. If you need help with a ride, you can call 1-866-680-0633. Amerigroup Community Care has a Quality Management/Quality Improvement (QM/QI) program that guides our processes, including how we look at patient safety. We listen to your comments and look at claims data to help us know where we need to do better. If you would like information about our performance, our efforts to improve patient safety or any other information about our QM program, please write us at: Amerigroup Community Care 22 Century Blvd., Suite 310 Nashville, TN 37214 If you want to know more about a doctor or hospital, such as professional qualifications, please call Amerigroup Member Services at 1-800-600-4441 (TennCare) or 1-866-840-4991 (CHOICES) (TTY 1-800-855-2880). You have a right to file a complaint about Amerigroup or your care. If your complaint is about either physical health care or behavioral health care, you can call Amerigroup at 1-800-600-4441 (TennCare) or 1-866-840-4991 (CHOICES). Or write to us at: Amerigroup Community Care 22 Century Blvd., Suite 310 Nashville, TN 37214 Amerigroup is a culturally diverse company. We welcome all eligible individuals into our health care programs, regardless of health status. If you have questions or concerns, please call 1-800-600-4441 (TennCare) or 1-866-840-4991 (CHOICES) (TTY 1-800-855-2880) and ask for extension 34925. Or visit www.myamerigroup.com.
www.myamerigroup.com/tn P.O. Box 62509 Virginia Beach, VA 23466-2509 www.myamerigroup.com/tn Make Health Happen is published by Amerigroup to give information. It is not a way to give personal medical advice. Get medical advice directly from your physician. 2013. All rights reserved. Printed in the USA. My PCP Connection Do you have a Primary Care Provider (PCP) you know and trust? Your answer is important, because your PCP is the health care professional who will oversee all of your health care. TN HP-C-0851-12 11.12 If you do not want to see the PCP listed on your Amerigroup ID card, please call Member Services at 1-800-600-4441 (TTY 1-800-855-2880) or go online to www.myamerigroup.com/tn. Once you log in, you can change your PCP by clicking in the box on the left side of the screen. You can also: n Access Health A to Z, a library of health information n View Amerigroup member newsletters n Learn about other Amerigroup programs and resources If you have found a PCP that you want, be sure he or she is listed on your Amerigroup ID card. Otherwise, Amerigroup will not pay for the services you receive from this provider. Member ID