IF YOU HAVE A COLD OR THE FLU. . . . . . ANTIBIOTICS AREN’T FOR YOU! Feeling sick? Is it a cold, the flu or an infection caused by bacteria? Think you need an antibiotic? Remember:
Antibiotic resistance is a worldwide health problem. To help avoid getting sick remember to:
Questions about use of antibiotics? Talk to your doctor.
Expecting? Our Care-ADVANTAGE® Baby on Board Program May be for You
ADVANTAGE offers our Baby on Board program at no cost to our pregnant mothers. Women who see their doctors early in their pregnancies and continue to do so throughout their pregnancies have healthier babies. The Baby on Board program staff will send you a health assessment to complete about your pregnancy. This will help us decide how we can support you throughout your pregnancy. Members who enroll receive:
If you are having problems during your pregnancy, a case management nurse may call you more often. He or she will help you get any additional help or services you might need to ensure you have a happy, healthy baby!
To enroll, please call 1-866-646-0288, or e-mail us at careadvantage@advantageplan.com
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The Case Management Society of America defines case management as "a collaborative process which assesses plans, implements, coordinates, monitors and evaluates options and services to meet an individual's health needs through communication and available resources to promote quality cost-effective outcomes."
Members requiring Case Management are usually sicker, have recently been hospitalized, or are experiencing multiple medical issues at one time. A Case Manager is assigned to contact the member to assist them in completing an assessment. Together the Case Manager and the member develop a care plan to meet the member's current health concerns and improve their current state of health. The collaborative effort includes the Primary Care Physician. The Case Manager monitors and coordinates services and resources as needed to promote quality cost effective outcomes with the members.
If you feel you need a case manager:
What You Need to Know to Quit
You'll have the best chance to stop smoking if you do the following:
The Indiana Tobacco Quitline is a free phone-based counseling service that helps Indiana smokers quit. Indiana Tobacco Quitline Website
How should I get ready to stop smoking?
Set a stop date 2 to 4 weeks from now so you'll have time to get ready. Write down your personal reasons for stopping. Be specific. Keep your list with you so you can look at it when you feel the urge to smoke.
To help understand your smoking habit, keep a diary of when and why you smoke. Using information from this diary, you and your doctor can make a plan to deal with the things that make you want to smoke.
Just before your stop date, get rid of all of your cigarettes, matches, lighters and ashtrays.
How can I get support and encouragement?
Tell your family and friends what kind of help you need. Also, ask your family doctor to help you develop a plan to stop smoking. He or she can give you information on telephone hotlines, such as 1-800-QUIT-NOW (784-8669), or self-help materials that can be very helpful. Your doctor can also recommend a stop-smoking program. These programs are often held at local hospitals or health centers.
What about stress and my urges to smoke?
You may have a habit of using cigarettes to relax during stressful times. Luckily, there are good ways to manage stress without smoking. Relax by taking a hot bath, going for a walk, or breathing slowly and deeply. Think of changes in your daily routine that will help you resist the urge to smoke.
Will I gain weight when I stop smoking?
Most people gain a few pounds after they stop smoking. Remember that any weight gain is a minor health risk compared to the risks of smoking. Dieting while you're trying to stop smoking will cause unnecessary stress. Instead, limit your weight gain by having healthy, low-fat snacks on hand and being physically active.
What about nicotine replacement products or medicine? Nicotine replacement works by lessening your body's craving for nicotine and reducing withdrawal symptoms. This lets you focus on the changes you need to make in your habits and environment. Once you feel more confident as a nonsmoker, dealing with your nicotine addiction is easier. ADVANTAGE now covers smoking cessation drugs. These medications will be covered for a single once lifetime maximum per member of no more than one hundred twenty (120) days of therapy of any single or combination of the listed products.
These medicines do not contain nicotine, but help you resist your urges to smoke. Talk to your doctor about which of these products is likely to give you the best chance of success. For any of these products to work, you must carefully follow the directions on the package.
Today, two thirds of all adults in the US are overweight or obese which increases the risk of chronic diseases like Type 2 diabetes, hypertension, coronary heart disease, stroke, osteoarthritis, sleep apnea and certain cancers. Weight loss, eating a balanced diet or healthy foods, and exercise are all-important topics to most Americans. The warning signs and dangers of being overweight or obese are forever increasing, yet it continues to be a major contributor to chronic illness and depression.
ADVANTAGE provides our members with educational materials and web resources to identifying the growing risk of being overweight or obese. All our members are encouraged to work directly with their Primary Care Physician for additional resources available to them.
