Member NewsVNSNY CHOICE Medicare Member Newsletter Spring 2018

The Best Option for MillieMillie has some health challenges and sees her Primary Care Provider (PCP) regularly to stay on top of her health. Her family felt that she might need some extra attention from her PCP and traveling to and from the doctor had become hard.

Her Care Manager recommended she use the CHOICE Visiting Home MD service that is part of her Medicare benefits. They were thrilled with the idea and now Millie happily looks forward to the provider’s visits, and her

family makes sure they participate. It’s great that Millie has the choice of a visiting MD or her PCP’s office.

Home is Where the Heart (and the Doctor) is With VNSNY CHOICE Medicare’s Visiting Home MD service, you can get care from board-certified physicians or nurse practitioners in the comfort of your home. It’s a benefit that’s part of the care management process to help keep you safe and healthy in your own home.

Visiting Home MD – The Best of Both Worlds When you need medical care, but can’t leave your home or would prefer not to, here are some reasons to consider using a Visiting Home MD service:• Make a call to schedule a visiting

MD when you feel sick and possiblyhave your problem resolved athome, avoiding a trip to the ER

• Get help after a hospital stay toresume normal activities andanswer your questions/concernsabout medications

• Avoid stairs, ice, snow andextreme temperatures – hotor cold

• Avoid crowded, germ-filledoffice waiting rooms

Interested in trying a Visiting Home MD service? Contact Member Services for more information.

IN THIS ISSUE

2Diabetes Self-Care — How

Are You Feeling Today?

News for You

3Member’s Corner

Four Simple Ways to Keep Your Bathroom Safe

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Diabetes Self-Care — How Are You Feeling Today? It’s a fact. With diabetes, your blood sugar readings can aff ect how you feel.

Did You Know?When your blood sugar is in the normal range (80 –130 mg/dL), you may have more energy and be in a better mood. Your thinking may be clearer and your emotions more stable.

When your blood sugar is too high (over 140 mg/dL), you may experience:• Thirst and the need to urinate frequently• Unexplained weight loss• Cuts and bruises that won’t heal

When your blood sugar is too low (below 70 mg/dL), you may experience sudden:• Trouble thinking clearly or concentrating• Shaking, dizziness, sweating• Hunger and headache

To correct low blood sugar you should eat/drink 15-30 grams of sugary food or drink. Two choices are: 5 gum drops or ½ cup of juice.

Check your blood sugar in 30 minutes and if it’s still low, eat another serving of a high sugar food.

Correcting high blood sugar depends on whether you’re on medication and/or insulin. You should follow your Care Plan, call your doctor or Member Services to speak with your Care Manager for help.

News for You! Important Survey Now until early June, you may be asked to complete the ‘Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) Medicare Satisfaction Survey.’ It’s completely anonymous and measures your satisfaction with the services you receive from VNSNY CHOICE Medicare. SPH Analytics, on behalf of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), will be calling or sending the survey. Please take this opportunity to let us know how we’re doing!

We want to hear from you! Join us for our next Member Advisory Committee meeting. It’s an opportunity for you to speak up and let us know how we’re doing. We’ll help you arrange transportation and let you know the date of the next meeting. Please call Member Services at 1-866-783-1444 (TTY: 711) for details.

New Medicare Cards are coming Starting April 2018 through April 2019, you will be mailed a new Medicare card that replaces the one you have. New York residents will get theirs starting in June. New cards won’t have your

Social Security number, but will have a new Medicare number. The change keeps your information secure. It will not change your

coverage or benefi ts and does not replace your VNSNY CHOICE Medicare member ID card. You’ll get more information from Medicare when your new card is mailed. Make sure that your mailing address is up-to-date with Social Security. If you have any questions, we’re here to help. Please call Member Services at 1-866-783-1444 (TTY: 711).

BEWARE of anyone who contacts you about your new Medicare card. We will never ask you to give us personal or private information to get your new Medicare number and card.

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Member’s Corner

This is a new section that we hope you’ll like. We’ll present a real CHOICE Member story that is meaningful to you. And we’d love to hear from you! To submit your story, please contact your Care Manager directly or call 1-866-783-1444 (TTY: 711).

With slippery fl oors, hard surfaces and tight spaces, bathrooms can be dangerous. For example, Sharon, a fairly healthy and active 60-something CHOICE Member, misstepped and fell on her slippery bathroom fl oor. Fortunately, she only hurt her wrist, but it could’ve been much worse.

Sharon’s CHOICE Care Managerfollowed up with her to see how she was doing and suggested some simple things she could do to avoid another fall. Sharon is grateful for the advice. See the checklist to the right for some ways to keep your bathroom safe.

Four Simple Ways to Keep Your Bathroom SafeOne-third of seniors age 65 and older slip and fall each year — 80% of those falls are in the bathroom.

1. Clear a pathKeep hallways and entryways clear of shoes, laundry baskets and other clutter.

2. Slip-proof the fl oorInstall non-slip mats and decals on the tub orshower fl oor and be sure the bathmat or any area rugs have a rubberized back to keep themfrom sliding.

3. Install grab barsGrab bars will make it easier to get in and out of showers, tubs and even off of the toilet. Tip: Do not use towel bars to steady yourself! They are not designed to support bodyweight.

4. Put toiletries within easy reachWhen you’re in the shower or tub, you should be able to reach items like shampoos and soaps easily without having to stretch or bend.Installing a shower caddy at arm’s height can help make it easier to reach these items.

VNSNY CHOICE Health Plans complies with Federal civil rights laws. VNSNY CHOICE Health Plans does not exclude people or treat them diff erently because of race, religion, color, national origin, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression.

ATENCION: si habla español, tiene a su disposicion servicios gratuitos de asistencia linguistica. Llame al 1-866-783-1444 (TTY: 711).

注意：如果您使用繁體中文，您可以免費獲得語言 援 助服務。請致電 1-866-783-1444（TTY: 711）。

VNSNY CHOICE Medicare is an HMO plan with a Medicare contract. Enrollment in VNSNY CHOICE depends on contract renewal.

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