mm_mnl_0419 Beaumont Members Kalena and Khloe V2.2019 CommunityHealthChoice.org 713.295.2294 | 1.888.760.2600 COMMUNITY 1 CHOICE THE SUN MEMBER NEWSLETTER
COMMUNITY 2 MEMBERS, DO NOT BE AFRAID TO RE-APPLY FOR OR USE YOUR HEALTHCARE BENEFITS. There is a lot of incomplete or wrong information out there about possible changes to immigration law. It is natural to be worried, and things can change, but here is what you need to know now. What is your status? If you are a green card holder (permanent resident), your legal status is protected. You are not in danger of deportation if you apply for and use your healthcare benefits and other public assistance. To keep your green card status, do these things: • Tell the truth on all benefits applications • Do not leave the country for more than six months in one trip If you have had your green card for more than five years, apply for citizenship! If you apply soon, you may be able to vote in 2020. If you are undocumented and are thinking about applying for a green card, get legal help. Who can help? BakerRipley can help! BakerRipley has several locations around Houston that can help you apply for citizenship, advise you on your legal status, help you file your taxes, and more for free. Visit https://www.bakerripley.org/services to find a location near you or call the BakerRipley Immigration & Citizenship Program at 713.273.3702 for more information on how to get legal help. CommunityHealthChoice.org
CARE MANAGEMENT 3 SEASONAL ALLERGIES (HAY FEVER) About Seasonal Allergies "Achoo!" It's your son's third sneezing fit of the morning, and as you hand him another tissue you wonder if these cold-like symptoms — the sneezing, congestion, and runny nose — have something to do with the recent weather change. If he gets similar symptoms at the same time every year, you're likely right: seasonal allergies are at work. Seasonal allergies, sometimes called "hay fever" or seasonal allergic rhinitis, are allergy symptoms that happen during certain times of the year, usually when outdoor molds release their spores, and trees, grasses, and weeds release tiny pollen particles into the air to fertilize other plants. The immune systems of people who are allergic to mold spores or pollen treat these particles (called allergens) as invaders and release chemicals, including histamine, into the bloodstream to defend against them. It's the release of these chemicals that causes allergy symptoms. People can be allergic to one or more types of pollen or mold. The type someone is allergic to determines when symptoms happen. For example, in the mid-Atlantic states, tree pollination is February through May, grass pollen runs from May through June, and weed pollen is from August through October — so kids with these allergies are likely to have increased symptoms at those times. Mold spores tend to peak midsummer through the fall, depending on location. Even kids who have never had seasonal allergies in years past can develop them. Seasonal allergies can start at almost any age, though they usually develop by the time someone is 10 years old and reach their peak in the early twenties, with symptoms often disappearing later in adulthood. https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/seasonal-allergies. html?WT.ac=en-p-allergies-center-b CommunityHealthChoice.org
MEMBER EVENTS 4 Community is always planning great events, big and small, for our Members in the Houston and Beaumont areas! Do you have an event suggestion? Email it to CommunityAffairs@CommunityHealthChoice.org. mm_mnl_1018 KICK OFF SUMMER WITH COMMUNITY! Saturday, May 11, 2019 Summer is almost here, and Community is kicking off the season by inviting our Members to Typhoon Texas. CommunityHealthChoice.org
MEMBER SERVICES CREATE A MEMBER ONLINE ACCOUNT How to do it… 5 Go to CommunityHealthChoice.org Click on the “Register Here” link for Members on the Community home page What you need… An e-mail account A Community Member ID number Your ZIP code CREATE AN ONLINE ACCOUNT Set up automatic payments and manage your account information. What you can do… 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 Print a temporary ID card Much more! mm_mnl_0718 MEMBER LOG IN Username l '-------------_,, O Remember Me Password [~ ___ ___,) Log In Forgot ~our username or P-assword? CommunityHealthChoice.org
WELLNESS 6 WELLNESS CHECKUPS Texas Health Steps Checkups and Well-Child checkups, also known as wellness checkups, help keep your children healthy by finding problems early when they are small and can be easier to treat. These checkups are at no cost to Medicaid and CHIP Members. • 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. The chart below explains when parents should take their children for wellness checkups. Birth to 1 Year • Babies need checkups when they are 5 days old and 2 weeks old. Then at 2, 4, 6, and 9 months old. • Doctors make sure babies are healthy and growing as they should. • Dental checkups start at the age of 6 months. The dentist or doctor might put fluoride on your child’s teeth during a dental or medical checkup. 1 to 4 Years • Children need medical checkups at 12, 15, and 18 months old and at 2, 2½, 3, and 4 years old. • Your child needs dental checkups every 6 months unless the dentist needs to see your child more often. 5 to 10 Years • Children need medical checkups at 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 years old. • Children need dental checkups every 6 months. • Dentists can put special coatings on children’s teeth (called “sealants”) that help to prevent tooth decay. 11 Years and Older • Teens and young adults need medical checkups every year. • During checkups, doctors talk to teens about eating habits, physical activity, injury prevention, and how to have a healthy lifestyle. • Teens and young adults continue to need dental checkups every 6 months. Call your child’s doctor today to schedule an appointment. Need help? Call Wellness Services at 713.295.6789 or tollfree at 1.844.882.7642 or email us at MemberServices@CommunityHealthChoice.org. CommunityHealthChoice.org
WELLNESS 7 EARLY CHILDHOOD INTERVENTION ECI is a statewide program for families with children, birth to three, with disabilities and developmental delays. If you are worried about how your baby is growing and learning, ECI can help you. ECI supports families to help their children reach their potential through developmental services. You can find an ECI program near you by calling the Texas Health and Human Services Commission toll-free at 1.877.787.8999 (TDD 7-1-1) or visit Early Childhood Intervention Services here. Please remember to tell your child’s doctor about the ECI care your child receives so that your child’s doctor may ensure continued care. CommunityHealthChoice.org
WELLNESS 8 CHILDREN OF TRAVELING FARMWORKERS If you have travelled to work on a farm or in the fields to prepare crops, grow fruits and vegetables, plant trees, raise or care for livestock, or prepare dairy products in the past two years, then your children enrolled in the STAR program, birth through age 17, 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. mm_mnl_0718 NEED A RIDE TO THE DOCTOR? CHIP Members: Call Community Member Services for help. Call toll-free at 1.888.760.2600., Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Medicaid Members: Call Medical Transportation Program (MTP). Call at least 48 hours before your appointment at 1.855.687.4786, Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. VISIT OUR WELLNESS CORNER FOR EVEN MORE HELPFUL INFORMATION! CommunityHealthChoice.org > Member Resources > Wellness Corner mm_mnl_0418
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