Take Advantage of Your Annual Wellness Visit and Receive a Personalized Care PlanAn Annual Wellness Visit is much more than a average office visit with your Primary Care Physician (PCP). It is a comprehensive evaluation of your health and wellness needs. As a member of Inter Valley Health Plan, you are entitled to receive this no-cost medical examination. This comprehensive Wellness Visit takes approximately 45-50 minutes and includes:

review of your health history review of your essential body functions review of your current medication and any supplements you are taking assessment of your current health and well-being review of your health care directives discussion of your personal health goals preventive screenings in some cases

After your Wellness Visit, you will receive a personalized plan to help you meet your health and wellness goals.

The Annual Wellness Visit is performed by your PCP — or at your medical group’s wellness center. If your Wellness Visit is performed at a well ness center, results are shared with your PCP, to help coordinate needed care.

We encourage you to take charge of your health and make sure you get your Annual Wellness Visit. There’s no cost to you and it’s only done once a year. Don’t wait, call your doctor’s office and ask to make an appointment for your Annual Wellness Visit. If you want help scheduling the appointment, call our Member Care Team. See back cover for contact information.

10 Tips to Manage Allergies in the Great OutdoorsBecause all the extra rain this year resulted in super-blooms — being outdoors is even more challenging for anyone with pollen, mold and other outdoor-related allergies. Here are some tips to manage your allergies outdoors:

1 Avoid the outdoors between 5 am and 10 am — when daily pollen counts are highest. Check your area for pollen counts. (www.pollen.com)

2 Watch the weather: stay indoors on hot, dry, windy days when pollen counts are highest (www.weather.com)

3 Wear a mask to mow the grass and when gardening. Cut grass, flowers and weeds all give off pollen and other allergens.

Continued on next page

Volume 24, # 3, 2019

INSIDE:YOUR FEEDBACK IS IMPORTANT TO USASK YOUR PHARMACY CARE TEAMASK YOUR MEMBER CARE TEAMMESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

Inter Valley Member John Pruitt Jr“Inter Valley Health Plan has provided me with excellent services. What makes Inter Valley superior — beyond the Plan’s benefits is their employees. I have had the incredible experience of working with Gus Arias, Medicare Specialist, Ray Marquez, Member Care Specialist and Larry Baca, Sales and Marketing Director. On a scale of 1 to 10, 10 rating as excellent, I rate all three over a “10” based on their superior performance as they addressed my various health care needs.”

Service To Seniors (HMO) member since 2011

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Your Feedback is Very Important to Us.

Inter Valley Covers Vision Therapy “After a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) I needed vision therapy — a Medicare benefit that covers brain-injury related vision issues (caused by a concussion, stroke, etc.). Brain-injury related vision issues are more than correcting for 20/20 vision. And,

unlike their Medicare HMO competitors — I found that Inter Valley has a network doctor trained in vision therapy. Vision therapy helps the brain and eyes to re-

learn to work together — bringing vision back into sharp focus (convergence). Tinted lenses, prisms and/or vision therapy are vital to people who have suffered a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). Left untreated, the brain has to

work extra hard to compensate for both eyes to track together — which leads to mental and physical exhaustion. This type of exhaustion causes irritability, depression, anxiety, balance and vestibular issues, knowing where you are in space (proprioception). I called the Inter Valley Member Care Team to help me get the therapy

I needed. They listen to the needs of their members and work hard to get the services quickly. Need help? Call the Member Services number.”

Celeste Palmer, Service To Seniors (HMO) Founder, Bridging the Gap connecting TBI Survivors Member since 2010

10 Tips to Manage Allergies continued

5 Don’t rake leaves or work with hay or mulch if you’re allergic to mold.

6 Don’t let indoor/outdoor pets in your bedroom and bathe them often.

7 When you come back inside, remove shoes at the door, take a shower, wash your hair, and change your clothes. That’ll get rid of pollen and mold spores that collected in your clothes and hair.

8 Keep the ”outdoors” outside: keep windows closed and set the air conditioner to use recirculated air.

9 Protect yourself from insect stings: wear closed-toe shoes, long pants and sleeves. Avoid using scented deodorants, perfumes, shampoos, or hair products.

10 If prescribed an epinephrine injector kit for severe allergies — carry it with you at all times.

Your feedback to Inter Valley Health Plan’s surveys help to improve the quality of care and services. Throughout the year, members are randomly selected to participate in our surveys via mail. Participation is voluntary, however we strongly encourage your participation.

You may receive a Medicare Health Outcomes Survey, between April 1 and June 10, 2019, with questions about your health and well-being. Only a small number of members receive a survey and that is why every survey returned is so important. If you have received a survey but misplaced it — please call us and we can help get you another survey.

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Message from the President

Dear Member

This June Inter Valley Health Plan celebrates 40 years of service to our local communities. We thank you for your membership and want to assure you that our commitment remains the same today as on our first day: to improve the health and wellness of our members.

We want you to know that no problem or concern is too small for us to assist you. Whether you need help with a referral or scheduling a doctor visit, our Member Care Team is here to help, and we are just a phone call away.

As we approach the summer months, remember as a member you have coverage for emergency and urgent care issues anywhere in the United States. Please give us a call and we can assist you if you experience a health issue while you travel.

As always, keeping our members healthy has been our mission for 40 years and will remain our focus for years to come.

Michael NelsonPresident/CEOInter Valley Health Plan

What is the Part D Coverage Gap (Donut Hole)?In 2019 the Part D coverage gap begins

once your total drug cost reach $3820.00. This amount includes both what you pay for your Part D medications and what

Inter Valley Health Plan pays. In 2019, once you enter the coverage gap, you pay 25% of the cost for covered brand-name drugs and 37% of the cost for covered generic drugs — until you reach the end of the coverage gap or the new year arrives. Please note that most members don’t reach the Coverage Gap because their drug costs aren’t high enough.

How can you avoid reaching the Coverage Gap? Here are a few tips:

Consider replacing a costly brand name drug with a less expensive generic alternative.

In the first few months of the year, ask your doctor if there are any brand drug samples available.

Contact the Pharmacy Care Team for more resources — we can help.The Pharmacy Care Team routinely makes outbound calls to members who are nearing or in the Coverage Gap. We want to help you by finding lower drug cost alternatives, researching for drug Manufacturer Assistance Programs and reviewing income limits to see if you may qualify for the Extra-Help from Medicare, also known as Low-Income Subsidy (LIS) on your Part D prescriptions.

Taking your medication as prescribed is very important. Call us first, we are here to help.

You can reach the Pharmacy Care Team at 800-523-3142 or TTY/TDD 711.

How can I be sure my Personal Care Physician (PCP) and my Specialists

are all communicating with each other?

We love to hear from our members! If you have questions, we’re here to help. Need assistance with coordinating your care — call us first. Coordinated Care means your doctor and all your health care providers have the same medical information about your treatment plan. When your care is coordinated you can avoid:

Getting the same medical service more than once (when getting the same service again isn’t needed)

Medical treatment errors.

Call your Member Care Team at 800-251-8191 or TTY/TDD 711.

Ask Your

Member

Care Team

Ask Your

Pharmacy

Care Team

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Inter Valley Health Plan is a not-for-profit HMO with a Medicare contract. Enrollment in Inter Valley Health Plan depends on contract renewal. Inter Valley Health Plan complies with applicable federal civil right laws and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability or sex. ATTENTION: this information and language assistance services are available to you free of charge. Call 1-800-251-8191 or TTY/TDD 711. ATENCIÓN: si habla español, tiene a su disposición servicios gratuitos de asistencia lingüística. Llame al 1- 800-251-8191 (TTY/TDD 711). 鬧雷：흔벎퀭賈痰런體櫓匡，퀭옵 鹿출費獲돤語喇賭燎륩務。請鈴電 Call 1-800-251-8191 (TTY/TDD 711). This information is not a complete description of benefits. Contact the Plan for more information.

300 South Park Ave PO Box 6002

Pomona CA 91769-6002

Health/Wellness or Prevention Information

Address service requested

Presorted Standard

US Postage PAIDOntario CA

Permit No. 556

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Need Help? You can reach us by phone, email or drop in to our office. We want to make it easy for you to reach us. We can help you.

CALL: MEMBER CARE TEAM: 800-251-8191 or TTY/TDD 711 PHARMACY CARE TEAM: 800-523-3142 or TTY/TDD 711 Monday through Friday, 8 am to 8 pm from APRIL 1 through SEPTEMBER 30 AND Seven days a week, 8 am – 8 pm from OCTOBER 1 through MARCH 31 If you call on a weekend or holiday, you may need to leave a message, we will return your call within one business day.

VISIT: Inter Valley main office at 300 South Park Avenue, Suite 300, Pomona, CA, Monday through Friday, 8 am to 5 pm. To locate one of our Medicare Information & Vitality Centers near you, visit us at ivhp.com

EMAIL: info@ivhp.com

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