Flu season is likely to start earlier and be more widespread this year. The 2009 H1N1 influenza virus that triggered the April 2009 outbreak and caused only mild illness will likely be the major strain. Standard strains of the flu will also be circulating, and there is a chance that the flu (seasonal and 2009 H1N1) could cause more severe illness. Blue Cross Blue Shield is making flu shots available to eligible members with preventive care benefits. (The flu shot is subject to any applicable copayment, deductible or coinsurance.)

H1N1 Prevention, Symptoms and Treatment

Flu season is likely to start earlier and be more widespread this year. The 2009 H1N1
influenza virus that triggered the April 2009 outbreak and caused only mild illness will
likely be the major strain. Standard strains of the flu will also be circulating, and there is
a chance that the flu (seasonal and 2009 H1N1) could cause more severe illness.
Flu symptoms include fever or chills and cough or sore throat. Symptoms may also
include runny nose, body aches, headache, tiredness, diarrhea, or vomiting. It is hard
to tell if someone who is sick has the 2009 H1N1 flu or seasonal flu.
Prevention will play a very key role this year. Prevention includes protecting yourself
and NOT spreading the disease to others. Here’s what you should do:

Prevent:
• A cough or sneeze may be the first symptom of illness. Therefore, every
time you cough or sneeze, cover your mouth and nose with a tissue and throw
used tissues in the trash.
• If you develop flu symptoms, make arrangements to go home as soon as
possible.
• Stay home until at least 24 hours after you no longer have fever (100
degrees Fahrenheit or 38 degrees Celsius) or signs of a fever (chills, feel very
warm, have a flushed appearance, or are sweating). Checking for absence of a
fever should be determined without the use of ibuprofen or acetaminophen.
• Hand washing protects yourself and others, so wash your hands often,
especially after you cough or sneeze, or:
o Before and after preparing food or eating.
o After using the restroom.
o Before and after touching your nose, eyes or mouth.
o After you’ve been in contact with commonly touched surfaces such as
doorknobs and handrails.
• Wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
o Use alcohol-based hand cleaners if soap and water are not available.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth to prevent spreading germs.

Vaccinate:
• Get the vaccine for seasonal flu – usually available in October – to prevent or
decrease the severity of the flu.

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How generic versions of drugs are developed
When new drugs are developed, manufacturers obtain a patent,
which prevents other pharmaceutical companies from producing
the same drug for a certain period of time. When the patent
expires, drug manufacturers can apply to the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) for permission to make a generic version of
the drug, without having to repeat the clinical trials and research
performed by the drug’s original manufacturer.

Why generic drugs are cheaper
Generic drugs are less expensive than brand-name drugs
because manufacturers don’t have to pay the research,
development, marketing and promotion costs that the original
manufacturer did in bringing the new drug to the market place.
The average price for a generic drug is 30 to 80 percent less
than its brand-name equivalent. That means savings for you.

Generic drugs are regulated by the FDA, just like brand-name
drugs. And the FDA requires that the generic version have the
same active ingredients, strength and dosage form (pill, injection
or liquid). Every generic drug must undergo a scientific review of
its ingredients and performance. The FDA also inspects generic
drug manufacturing plants and monitors drug quality.

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It’s important to think about who you go to and where you go for services when you’re trying to manage your health care costs.

1. If you choose an in-network doctor in North Carolina, you’ll be working with a physician who has a contract with BCBSNC and knows what services are covered.  Plus, the provider can perform any prior review and certification for services you need.
2. Location matters.  For example, if you choose to get a colonoscopy in a hospital setting rather than an office setting, this affects what you pay out-of-pocket.  Make sure that your are informed and aware of the costs associated with the locations you plan to go to for certain services.

Important: When seeking care you should always first verify that your health plan covers the services you seek prior to receiving care (except in the case of an emergency).

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It’s more important than ever to be a savvy health care consumer.  You can take charge of your health by knowing where your money goes and committing to live a healthier lifestyle. 

What we all pay out-of-pocket is a small percentage of the overall cost of health care.  BCBSNC continues to look for more ways to make health care less of a burden and more of an advantage. 

You can take your dollar further by enrolling in free and discounted programs:

• Improve your health and save money by joining Member Health Partnerships.  These programs offer special tools and savings to help you lose weight, manage stress, quit tobacco and manage a host of other conditions.
• You might be eligible for discount programs including chiropractic care, vitamins and supplements, vision and Lasik, hearing aids, and weight management.
• Enjoy Blue365 Discounts with savings from selected companies on healthy lifestyle products and services.

Stay in-network:  Visiting in-network health care providers save you out-of-pocket costs.  You can check out the online provider directory to see what doctors participate in our network and what deductible and coinsurance amounts may apply to your visit.

Save money with generic drugs:  Did you know that some drugs can cost 80 percent less than their brand-name counterpart?  Make a habit of asking your physician or pharmacist if a generic option is available.

The information above is brought to you from BCBSNC, A Guide to a Healthier You, 2009.

For more information on health insurance coverage in North Carolina and how to utilize My Member Services, please visit our website at www.nchealthplans.com or call our toll free number 888-765-5400 and speak with one of our qualified agents. Our agency provides coverage for health insurance in North Carolina through Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina (BCBSNC). You may qualify for a 15% healthy lifestyle discount if you are in excellent health. Call us for details.

“When you go to the doctor, make sure you talk about your prescription options and how they affect your wallet.  Generic drugs are safe, affordable options should be at the top of your list when you and your doctor discuss a new prescription.

All you have to do is ask… Before your doctor writes you a prescription or prescribes a medication for you electronically, you can say, “I’m interested in generic medications if they’re available.”

If your doctor says generic is not available, ask, “Is there a generic drug in the same therapeutic class that could work for me?”

Other ways to manage prescription costs….. The BCBSNC Web site can help you find out how much a brand-name prescription drug will cost and let you know if there are less expensive alternatives.  Go online to the BCBSNC website and click on “Find a Drug” then click on “Prescription drug search”.  In the search box, type in the name of the drug you’re looking up and click “Find drug”.  The tool will then show you which tier the drug falls under so that you know your cost up front.  It will also tell you whether there is a generic alternative and will list other treatment options.”

The information above is brought to you from BCBSNC, A Guide to a Healthier You, 2009.

For more information on health insurance coverage in North Carolina and how to utilize My Member Services, please visit our website at www.nchealthplans.com or call our toll free number 888-765-5400 and speak with one of our qualified agents. Our agency provides coverage for health insurance in North Carolina through Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina (BCBSNC). You may qualify for a 15% healthy lifestyle discount if you are in excellent health. Call us for details.

A recent publication from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina titled, A Guide to a Healthier You outlines all of the benefits and features of My Member Services.  This online tool allows members to manage their health insurance policy and opens the door to valuable resources provided by BCBSNC.

“With Member Services, the Web site exclusively for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina members, taking charge of your health plan is easy.  It’s all designed with you in mind. Online. Secure. In real time.  The site is organized into two sections, Your Plan and Better Health. 

Your Plan is designed to give you secure online access to the basics of our health plan.  Click on these links: My Account, My Benefits & Claims, or Doctors, Rx & Hospitals

You Can: View Claims in real time, Get up-to-date information on your benefits, Find a doctor with our comprehensive in-network provider search, Access comprehensive drug information that compare drug costs, outlines tier structures and provides information on generic drugs.

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Breast cancer is a malignant (cancerous) tumor that starts from cells of the breast. The disease occurs mostly in women, but men can get breast cancer as well. The information referenced in this post only pertains to breast cancer in women.   A woman’s breast is made up of glands that make breast milk (lobules), ducts (small tubes that connect lobules to the nipple), fatty and connective tissue, blood vessels, and lymph (pronounced limf) vessels. Most breast cancers begin in the ducts (ductal carcinoma), some begin in the lobules (lobular carcinoma), and the rest in other tissues. 
 
The American Cancer Society breast cancer screening guidelines are for women at average risk for cancer (unless otherwise specified) and without any specific symptoms.  Mammograms are used to uncover early signs of breast cancer.  A mammogram is a special type of X-ray of the breasts. Mammograms can show tumors long before they are big enough for you or your health care provider to feel. Mammograms are quick and easy. You stand in front of an X-ray machine. The person who takes the X-rays places your breast between two plastic plates. The plates press your breast and make it flat. This may be uncomfortable, but it helps get a clear picture. You will have an X-ray of each breast. A mammogram takes only a few seconds and it can help save your life. 
 
The American Cancer Society’s recommendations are for yearly mammograms starting at age 40 and continuing for as long as a woman is in good health.  Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina’s Blue Advantage Plan covers screening mammograms beginning at age 35 along with the doctor’s interpretation of the results.  More frequent or earlier mammograms will be covered as recommended by a doctor when a female member is considered at risk for breast cancer.  A member is at risk if she has a personal history of breast cancer;  has a personal history of biopsy-proven benign breast disease;  has a mother, sister or daughter who has or has had breast cancer;  has not given birth before the age of 30.  
 
Content of this article from American Cancer Society and Medline Plus
As of the date of this article, Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina covers mammograms one of two ways:  They are covered 100% if done for screening/prevention purposes (by themselves with no other service done in conjunction).  However, if done in conjunction with a surgery, they will be subject to your deductible.

For more information on health insurance coverage in North Carolina, please visit our website at www.nchealthplans.com or call our toll free number 888-765-5400 and speak with one of our qualified agents.  Our agency provides coverage for health insurance in North Carolina through Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina (BCBSNC).  You may qualify for a 15% healthy lifestyle discount if you are in excellent health.  Call us for details.

The following article is from The North Carolina Medical Society and was posted on their website http://www.ncmsfoundation.org/.

NCMS Foundation Receives Mult-Million Dollar Grant to Improve Access to Care!

Hundreds of thousands of residents in rural and economically distressed areas of North Carolina would get access to primary medical care, and the uninsured in those areas are expected to receive $50 million worth of medical care, under a joint effort by the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation (BCBSNC Foundation) and the North Carolina Medical Society Foundation (NCMS Foundation).The BCBSNC Foundation today announced a five-year grant to the Community Practitioner Program (CPP) of the NCMS Foundation.

CPP pays up to half the medical education debt of physicians, physician assistants and nurse practitioners who agree to serve at least five years in a community designated as rural, economically distressed or having a shortage of health care professionals.

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There is a new look to oranges at your local produce department!  Cutie is a delectable, hybrid child of a sweet orange crossed with a Chinese Mandarin.  They are the perfect child-friendly size, seedless and easy to peel!  No poking and picking before popping it in your mouth.  Moms and Dads are always searching for a nutritional, wholesome and healthy snack!  Cuties might just be your child’s new favorite on-the-go snack.

Good nutritional habits begin early and by example.  Reward yourself and your child by leading that example and exposing them to healthy choices.  These choices could pay off for your entire family’s health and wallet.  Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina rewards good health as well through their Blue Points reward program and their 15% healthy discount.

For more information on health insurance coverage in North Carolina, please visit our website at www.nchealthplans.com or call our toll free number 888-765-5400 and speak with one of our qualified agents.  Our agency provides coverage for health insurance in North Carolina through Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina (BCBSNC).  You may qualify for a 15% healthy lifestyle discount if you are in excellent health.  Call us for details.

BCBSNC Sheds Light on Medical Costs

Insurer Publishes Typical Costs for Hundreds of Visits, Procedures and Diseases

Chapel Hill, N.C. (Jan. 17, 2008) – Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (BCBSNC) is taking some of the mystery out of health care costs. BCBSNC, the state’s largest health insurer, is publishing online the average prices it pays statewide for physician office visits, diagnostic procedures and screenings, prescription drugs, and disease treatments. The Health Cost Estimator, now available to members at bcbsnc.com, includes one of the most comprehensive listings of total average costs related to diseases and conditions of any health insurance plan. Along with its effort to promote health cost clarity for its members, BCBSNC supports initiatives to increase the quality, safety and effectiveness of health care.

“Our Health Cost Estimator will give our customers a much clearer idea of where their health care dollar goes because the prices we pay translate to the premiums that customers pay.” said BCBSNC President and CEO Bob Greczyn. “Consumers are paying an increasing share of health care costs, but until now they’ve had little way of knowing what medical services actually cost.”

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THE INVINCIBLES

They’re young. They’re just starting out. They’re often paid lower wages. And, in some cases, they can’t imagine themselves as sick or helpless. They’re used to being covered on their parents’ plans, but they’ve reached the age when they’re no longer eligible for dependent coverage.  Whatever the reason, those from 18 to 34 comprise the group that’s most likely not to have health insurance coverage.* As a result, preventive care is neglected, routine checkups are delayed, and needless financial and physical suffering is experienced (more…)

          1. Take care of yourself: Don’t let a nagging problem get worse and end up in the emergency room. Your family doctor or other primary care provider is your best resource for non-emergency medical needs.

          2. Stay in network: Visiting in-network health care providers saves you out-of-pocket costs. Check out the online provider directory at www.bcbsnc.com/memberservices to see which doctors participate in our network and what deductible and coinsurance amounts may apply to your visit.

          3. Save money with generic drugs: Did you know that some generic drugs can cost 80 percent less than their name brand counterpart? Make a habit of asking your pharmacist if a generic option is available.

          4. Free and discounted customer benefits: Improve your health and save money by enrolling in Member Health PartnershipsSM1. These programs offer special tools and savings to help you lose weight, manage stress, quit tobacco and manage a host of other conditions. (more…)