Benefit News
2nd Issue 2014 - June
In This Issue:
Get the NEW Optima Health Mobile App P. 1
Why is a PCP Important and Why is One Needed? P. 2
Have You Ever Wondered …? P. 2
Secure, Convenient, and Cost Effective - MDLIVE P. 3
Health APP-roved P. 4
Pharmacy Changes P. 4
Get Active! P. 5
Emergency Travel Assistance Program P. 6
Tips for Your Taste Buds: Watermelon and Tomato Salad P. 7
Get Social with Optima Health P. 8
Get the NEW Optima Health Mobile App for On-the-Go
Access
At Optima Health we want our members to be able to safely and
securely access important health information when you need it – at
home, at the doctor, and even on the road. MyOptima, the new Optima
Health mobile app, goes with you wherever you take your smartphone
(and c’mon – we take our phones everywhere).
Important Information for
our Readers
Benefit News examines issues
affecting the majority of our
membership. However, it is important
to note that there may be occasional
differences in health plan designs
among the customers we serve.
If you have any questions about
the information in this issue, please
contact Member Services at the
number located on the back of your
member ID card.
A tap of the screen and you can find doctors and urgent care centers,
and shop for health plans. Members can also securely view benefit
information, member ID cards, claims information, and their user profile.
You must be registered on optimahealth.com prior to using the app’s
secure features.
MyOptima can be downloaded from the App
Store or Google Play for use on an iPhone
and Android™.
Additional information is available on
optimahealth.com.
Android is a trademark of Google, Inc.
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What is a Primary Care Physician and Why is
One Needed?
When it comes to managing your health and taking care
of yourself, many people do not know where to begin
or what steps to take. There are so many different
types of doctors, specialists, hospitals, and care centers
that it is easy to get overwhelmed. For some, trying
to coordinate care between them all can be like trying
to figure out Abbott and Costello’s famous “Who’s on
First?” routine.
Have You Ever Wondered …?
… why do we need earwax?
Earwax is actually necessary for good ear health. While
many people think earwax is gross, it is actually a very
important part of your ear’s defense system.
When you enroll in an Optima Health HMO or POS plan,
you will be asked to select a Primary Care Physician
(PCP) for yourself and each of your dependents. While
not required for members on a PPO plan, we encourage
all members to maintain a relationship with a PCP.
Your PCP is your main point of contact and can
coordinate your healthcare needs. He or she serves as
your first stop to determine an illness or condition, offer
methods of care, write prescriptions, and recommend
specialists or facilities, if additional diagnoses and follow
up is needed.
Think of a PCP as a river, and the specialists, hospitals,
and other healthcare providers as the streams and
tributaries that feed into that river. When you seek care
from in-network doctors and facilities, a designated PCP
can review your treatment history to be better able to
make informed decisions regarding your overall care.
The relationship you have with your PCP should be one
that makes you feel comfortable and secure. If you are
new to the Optima Health community, you can often
continue your relationship with your current physician, or
select a new one from our extensive list of participating
providers. If you have children, you may choose a
participating pediatrician as their PCP. You may change
your PCP at any time. To review a list of participating
providers, please go to optimahealth.com, sign in to
MyOptima, and select your desired option from the left
menu.
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Cerumen, or earwax, protects the delicate inner ear
from bacteria, fungus, dirt, and even insects. Healthy in
normal amounts, it serves as a self-cleaning agent with
protective, lubricating, and antibacterial properties. Your
jaw movement – chewing, talking, etc. – help transport
old earwax and dead cells from the ear canal to the ear
opening where it usually dries, flakes, and falls out.
Without earwax, you would typically have dry, itchy ears.
Earwax is not formed in the deep part of the ear canal
near the eardrum, but in the outer one-third of the ear
canal. It is important to not put things in your ears,
like cotton-tipped applicators or bobby pins, because
they can push the wax deeper into your ears causing a
blockage against the eardrum. Always consult a doctor
if have any concerns or problems with your ears.
For additional information, please see the full article
offered by the American Academy of Otolaryngology at
http://www.ent.org.
Benefit News
June 2014
Secure, Convenient, and Cost Effective – Virtual Appointments with MDLIVE
Optima Health members have access to virtual appointments via MDLIVE1.
What does that mean for you?
MDLIVE provides Optima Health members with real-time, interactive, and
on-demand access to board-certified doctors by phone or online video, when
available. The member typically pays the cost of a normal Primary Care
Physician (PCP) office visit, or $39 per visit for members in plans without PCP
Copayments. Board-certified physicians licensed in Virginia, including some Sentara Medical Group physicians,
are available 24 hours a day to diagnose general conditions or illnesses, recommend treatment, and prescribe
medications when appropriate. Whether a member is calling from home, on travel, or even from the convenience of
the office, MDLIVE is standing by to answer.
Pre-register now, so your account is ready to use the next time you need a doctor for minor healthcare issues.
To register, go online to mdlive.com/optima or call 1-866-648-3638. It takes about 15 minutes to register, per
person. The registration process will ask a series of routine questions – health history, current medical conditions,
medications, surgeries, etc. If you have a Sentara MyChart account, or other electronic medical record, the
information contained there could assist you with the registration process.
Appointments with MDLIVE physicians can help you
when your PCP is not available or in place of an afterhours urgent care center or emergency department.
You can get help with general health items like
allergies, flu, joint aches, sore throats, and a lot more.
MDLIVE also has pediatricians on-call, so a parent or
guardian can help a minor dependent seek care as
well.
When an appointment is needed, login to mdlive.com/
optima and request an appointment with a specific
physician in the MDLIVE network or with the Doctor
on Call. You will need to provide a little information
about why you are seeking care, and will then get a
screen telling you that your appointment is scheduled.
If you select to have an appointment via phone call,
the doctor will call you back shortly. It is a quick and convenient service!
Additional information is available on mdlive.com/optima.
Most Optima Health plans include access to MDLIVE. Please refer to your Plan documents if you have any questions about the service or
your cost share requirement.
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Disclaimers: MDLIVE does not replace the primary care physician. MDLIVE operates subject to state regulation and may not be available in
certain states. MDLIVE does not guarantee that a prescription will be written. MDLIVE does not prescribe DEA controlled substances, nontherapeutic drugs and certain other drugs which may be harmful because of their potential for abuse. MDLIVE physicians reserve the right to
deny care for potential misuse of services. For complete terms of use, visit mdlive.com/pages/terms.html.
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Health APP-roved
Did you know that your smartphone or tablet can help you get and stay healthy? It’s true, and as your partner in
healthcare we want to be sure we are providing a variety of tools to help you. Who knows, it might be APP-ealing to
you, you might APP-reciate knowing about it, and others can APP-laud your healthy efforts!
Daily Workouts FREE - currently available for iOS and Android
The Daily Workouts FREE APP provides great 5- to 30-minute daily workout
routines for men and women that step you through some of the best exercises
you can do in the comfort of your own home or wherever you are. Exercises
are categorized by Ab, Arm, Butt, Cardio, Leg, or Full-body. The exercises are
developed and demonstrated by a certified personal trainer and target all major
muscles. Your exercise routine also includes a video and timer, allowing you to
easily follow along and understand each exercise.
Daily Workouts FREE App Features
•
Workout anywhere and anytime
• Quick 5- to 10-minute targeted workouts or 10- to 30-minute full body workouts
• 50 exercises
• Workouts are randomly created and different each day
• On-screen, easy-to-follow instructions and videos with timer
• No Internet required to do the workouts
NOTE: Optima Health offers information about health and fitness apps available. We do not endorse the content or
profit from any apps purchased. This app should not replace the advice of your doctor.
July 2014 Pharmacy Changes
For members with pharmacy benefits administered by Optima Health,
the pharmacy changes effective July 1, 2014 are now available online
at optimahealth.com/members on the Benefit News page.
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Benefit News
June 2014
Get Active!
This article usually gives you tips and ideas about HOW
to be active. This time, however, we thought we would
offer up some reasons WHY you should be active.
Physical activity has many health benefits – for
everybody! It helps you maintain a healthy weight and
can make it easier to do daily tasks, such as climbing
stairs and shopping. Physically active adults lower their
risk for depression and reduced cognitive function as
they get older. (Cognitive function includes thinking,
learning, and judgment skills.) Similarly, physically
active children and teens may have fewer symptoms of
depression than their less active peers.
Physical activity can also lower your risk for many
diseases, such as coronary heart disease (CHD),
diabetes, and cancer. Many studies have also shown
that physical activity has benefits for your heart and
lungs.
Physical Activity Strengthens Your Heart and
Improves Lung Function
Regular moderate- and vigorous-intensity physical
activity strengthens your heart muscle and improves
your heart’s ability to pump blood to your lungs and
throughout your body. As a result, more blood flows
to your muscles and oxygen levels in your blood rise.
Capillaries, your body’s tiny blood vessels, also widen,
which allows them to deliver more oxygen to your body
and carry away waste products.
Physical Activity Reduces Coronary Heart Disease
Risk Factors
Regular moderate- and vigorous-intensity aerobic activity
can lower your risk for CHD. CHD is a condition in which
plaque builds up inside your coronary arteries – the
arteries that supply your heart with oxygen-rich blood.
Plaque narrows the arteries and reduces blood flow to
your heart. Eventually, plaque can rupture (break open)
which causes a blood clot to form. If the clot becomes
large enough, it can mostly or completely block blood
flow through a coronary artery – which can cause a heart
attack.
Certain traits, conditions, or habits may raise your risk
for CHD – physical activity can help control some of
these risks because it:
• Can lower blood pressure and triglyceride levels.
(Triglycerides are a type of fat in the blood.)
• Can raise your HDL (or good) cholesterol levels.
• Helps your body manage blood sugar and insulin
levels – lowering your risk for type 2 diabetes.
• Reduces levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) in your
body. CRP is a sign of inflammation, and high
levels of CRP may suggest an increased risk for
CHD.
• Helps reduce obesity when combined with a
reduced-calorie diet. Physical activity can also
help you maintain a healthy weight.
Studies suggest that inactivity is a major risk factor
for CHD, just like high blood pressure, high blood
cholesterol, and smoking.
Physical Activity Reduces Heart Attack Risk
For people who have CHD, regular aerobic activity
helps the heart work better and may reduce the risk
of a second heart attack in people who already have
had heart attacks. Vigorous aerobic activity may not
be safe for people who have CHD. Always ask your
doctor what types of activity are safe for you.
Source: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/phys/
benefits.html
This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Your
should always consult your doctor before starting or becoming
more physically active.
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Benefit News
June 2014
Tips for Your Taste Buds: Watermelon and Tomato Salad
This side dish is a perfect mixture of tangy and sweet.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: none
Ingredients:
• 2 large tomatoes, rinsed and cut into 6 slices each
• 2 Tbsp white balsamic vinegar (or substitute apple cider
vinegar)
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp fresh basil, rinsed, dried, and chopped (or 1 tsp dried)
• 4 Cups diced watermelon, with seeds removed (about half a
small melon, rinsed)
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp ground black pepper
Directions:
1. Arrange three tomato slices on each of four salad plates.
2. Combine vinegar, oil, and basil in a bowl, and mix well.
3. Add watermelon and gently toss to coat evenly.
4. Spoon watermelon over the tomatoes.
5. Top with salt and pepper, and serve.
Nutritional Information:
Servings per Recipe: 4
Serving Size: 3 tomato slices and 1 C watermelon
Amount per Serving
Calories: 96
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Carbohydrates: 16 g
Protein: 2 g
Total Fat: 4 g
Sodium: 127 mg
Total Fiber: 2 g
Recipe used with permission from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services cookbook, NIH publication No 10-7531, December 2010.
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Benefit News
June 2014
Get Social With Optima Health
Optima Health has stepped into the social media arena. We
are now actively immersed in social media outlets, including
LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter.
Are you engaged? As you may already know, social media
is a way for busnesses to build a community of engagement.
Optima Health will continue to employ a variety of social
media strategies to engage all of our stakeholders.
We invite you to connect with us…
facebook.com/optimahealth
twitter.com/optimahealth
youtube.com/optimahealthplans
linkedin.com/company/optima-health