Victoria Community Member mm_mnl_1119 V4.2019 CommunityHealthChoice.org 713.295.2294 | 1.888.760.2600 COMMUNITY ~ CHOICE THE SUN MEMBER NEWSLETTER
THE SUN MEMBER NEWSLETTER V4.2019 COMMUNITY American Citizenship To be an American citizen means becoming part of one of the most culturally diverse and most exciting countries in the world, a place where you have endless opportunities and the freedom to create a better life for you and your family. DO NOT WAIT TO START LIVING THE AMERICAN DREAM AS A U.S. CITIZEN! To determine if you are eligible to apply for naturalization and get assistance with the process: Find a local, accredited organization on the U.S. Dept of Justice website. OR Hire a private attorney. If you are eligible, you can complete the form N-400 Application for Naturalization online or ask a legal expert to assist you with this process. ■ 2 Benefts of becoming a U.S. citizen. 1 Petition for family members 2 Travel with a U.S. Passport 3 Vote 4 Become eligible for federal jobs 5 Become an elected offcial 6 Obtain citizenship for children born abroad Source: www.uscis.gov
THE SUN MEMBER NEWSLETTER V4.2019 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Community Receives Overall Health Plan for Harris 5-Out-of-5-Star Rating! COMMUNITY IS PROUD OF OUR SCORES! Thank you for being a Community Member! For more information about our ratings, please visit https://www.communityhealthchoice.org/en-us/5-star-rating/ ■ 3
THE SUN MEMBER NEWSLETTER THE SUN MEMBER NEWSLETTER V4.2019 CARE MANAGEMENT Texas needs to ban vaping until more is known about its dangers. Texas needs a vaping break. Specifcally, a break from vaping. It’s time for at least a temporary ban, until doctors and researchers can discover what about vaping is causing illness and death. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has given this new lung condition an offcial name: EVALI, for ‘electronic cigarette or vaping product use associated lung injury.’ The CDC is tracking more than 1,200 cases and has confrmed 26 deaths in 21 states. My kids and their friends started experimenting with vaping in middle school. I remember smelling the sweet cotton-candy-like smell in their rooms. “Mom, it’s just vaping,” my son said. “We’re just vaping.” Back then, vaping was so new there were no scientifc studies showing potential side effects or even if vaping was effective in its original stated intent to stop people from smoking. ■ 4 https://www.houstonchronicle.com/opinion/outlook/ article/Texas-needs-to-ban-vaping-until-moreisknown-14537033.php 4
THE SUN MEMBER NEWSLETTER MEMBER EVENTS How to sign-up for Member events Community Members have all the fun. We have lots of free events for you every year. And it’s easy to join in. Check out the calendar on our website. When you see something you like, sign up with your Member ID and an email address. Here’s how: 1 Go to CommunityHealthChoice.org 2 Click COMMUNITY EVENTS in the black bar at the top of the page 3 Click Medicaid/CHIP 4 Click Select Event 5 Choose an event and click to open it 6 Click REGISTER NOW at the bottom of the page See you at our next Members-only event! ■ 5
THE SUN MEMBER NEWSLETTER MEMBER SERVICES Create a Member Online Account HOW TO DO IT: 1 Go to CommunityHealthChoice.org 2 Click on the “Register Here” link for Members on the Community home page WHAT YOU NEED: 1 An e-mail account 2 A Community Member ID number 3 Your ZIP code WHAT YOU CAN DO: 1 2 3 4 Check your eligibility Update your personal information Change your Primary Care Provider Complete a Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) privacy form to add more guardians to your account 5 Print a temporary ID card 6 And much more! https://www.communityhealthchoice.org/en-us/member-resources/live-chat/ Live Chat SKIP THE WAIT. HAVE A LIVE CHAT WITH US. Just log on to your My Member Account, and Live Chat box pops up automatically. Agents are available 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Why wait? Next time you have a question, try Live Chat. NOBODY LIKES WAITING ON HOLD TO GET ANSWERS. That’s why Community is excited to bring your a new Live Chat feature. It’s available now for Community Members. It’s a quick and easy way to: Ask about your benefts. Find out what’s covered and how to make the most of your benefts. ■ 6 Check on a claim. Find a recent claim information, ask questions, and check the status. Discover more. Ask payment question, change doctors, fnd a doctor, and more.
THE SUN THE SUN MEMBER NEWSLETTER MEMBER NEWSLETTER WELLNESS CORNER Antibiotics for a Cold? Not so fast! When they get a cold, many people rush to their doctor for antibiotics. But what if your doctor says you don’t need them? That would be because antibiotics only treat illnesses caused by bacteria. If you have the fu or something else caused by a virus, antibiotics won’t help. That’s why your doctor might not prescribe an antibiotic. In addition, it can be harmful to take antibiotics when you don’t need them. They may not work when you do need them, because your body has gotten used to them. Your doctor will give you information on how to treat your cold and feel better. Remember: Any medicine can cause harmful side effects. Whether it is an antibiotic or an over-the-counter medicine, follow the instructions. 7
THE SUN MEMBER NEWSLETTER WELLNESS CORNER Fall is the Flu Season Flu season is the time of year when you are most likely to get sick from the fu. In general, fu season can start anytime in late fall, peak in mid-to-late winter, and continue through early spring. What is the fu? Infuenza (fu) is a serious contagious disease that can cause mild to severe illness caused by the infuenza virus. Who is at risk? Children younger than 5 but especially children younger than 2 years old, pregnant women, and adults age 65 years and older are among the population at high risk to get the fu. What are the symptoms of the fu? People who have the fu often feel some or all of the following signs and symptoms: fever/chills or feeling feverish, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, muscle or body aches, vomiting and diarrhea (though this is more common in children than adults), headaches, and fatigue (tiredness). How to prevent the fu? The frst and most important step in preventing fu is to get a fu shot each year. As a Community Member, your child can get a fu shot at no cost. Your child can get the fu shot during a Texas Health Steps Checkup or Well-Child checkup. Ask your child’s doctor about the fu vaccine. In addition to getting the vaccine, do the following: • Stay away from those who are sick • Stay home if you are sick • Cover your cough • Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds ■ 8 • Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth, thus reducing the spreading of germs. Wellness Checkups Texas Health Steps Checkups and Well-Child checkups, also known as wellness checkups, are the best way to help your child stay healthy as they grow. Medicaid Members get Texas Health Steps Checkups from birth through 20 years of age. CHIP Members get Wellness Checkups from birth through 18 years of age. These checkups are at no cost to Medicaid and CHIP Members. When are the checkups due? • Within fve days after being born • Within 60 days after each checkup age listed below: 2 weeks 2 months 4 months 6 months 9 months • Once a year between 3 and 20 years of age, on or after each birthday Call your child’s doctor today to schedule an appointment. Need help? Call Community at 713.295.6789 or toll-free at 1.844.882.7642 or email us at MemberServices@ CommunityHealthChoice.org. 12 months 15 months 18 months 2 years 2½ years
THE SUN MEMBER NEWSLETTER WELLNESS CORNER Health Education During Wellness Checkups HPV Vaccine Awareness HPV, or human papillomavirus, is a common virus that can lead to six types of cancers later in life. You can protect your child from ever developing these cancers by having them get the HPV vaccine between the ages of 11 and 12. Age-appropriate Health Education/Anticipatory Guidance is one of the important components of your child’s wellness checkup. Your child’s doctor will provide health education specifc to your child’s age, which includes information about the benefts of healthy lifestyles and practices that prevent injury and disease. It also gives you a chance to ask questions and discuss any issues or concerns you might have regarding your child’s overall health and development. Please take a list of questions to ask your child’s doctor at their next appointment. • HPV infections are common. • HPV infections are so common that nearly all men and women will get at least one type of HPV at some point in their lives. Nearly 80 million Americans are currently infected with some type of HPV. About 14 million Americans, including teens, become infected each year. • HPV is spread through intimate skin-to-skin contact. You can get HPV by having vaginal, anal or oral sex with someone who has the virus. • Some HPV infections can lead to cancer. https://www.cdc.gov/hpv/parents/ about-hpv.html?CDC_AA_ refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc. gov%2Fhpv%2Fparents%2Fwhatishpv. html ■ 9
WELLNESS CORNER Did you travel this summer for farm work? NEED A RIDE TO THE DOCTOR? If you have travelled to work on a farm or in felds to prepare crops, grow fruits and vegetables, plant trees, raise or care for livestock or prepare dairy products this summer or in the past two years, your children from birth to the day of their 18th birthday are considered children of traveling farmworkers. Your children can receive their wellness checkup before they travel with you to the next farm job. Call you child’s doctor today or Wellness Services at 713.295.6789. CHIP Members: Call Community Member Services for help. Call tollfree 1.888.760.2600 Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Medicaid Members: Call the Medical Transportation Program (MTP) at least 48 hours before your appointment at 1.855.687.4786 Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. 10 THE SUN MEMBER NEWSLETTER
COMMUNITY HEALTH CHOICE 2636 South Loop West, Suite 125 Houston, TX 77054
1 Publizr