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WELCOME TO NEWS FROM BLUE,SM CREATED TO HELP YOU BETTER MANAGE YOUR HEALTH PLAN BY KEEPING YOU UP-TO-DATE ON THE LATEST INFORMATION FROM WELLMARK BLUE CROSS AND BLUE SHIELD. NEWS FROM BLUE WILL BE E-MAILED TO YOU MONTHLY, AND ARCHIVED ON WWW.WELLMARK.COM.
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Whole Health Dimensionssm Resource Center
The Whole Health Dimensions Resource Center is your online hub for healthy workplace information! You can access the Resource Center by visiting the Employers section of www.wellmark.com. There, you will find resources and information to help create employee health and wellness programs or enhance existing wellness initiatives.
- Why Wellness offers tips and ideas for starting a workplace wellness program.
- Use the monthly Wellness Station topics to promote healthy lifestyle choices.
- You’ll also find easy-to-implement worksite wellness activities and communication materials you can offer to employees at little or no cost to you.
You can download resources as-is or use them to jumpstart your own ideas. In addition, the Whole Health Dimensions Resource Center links to a variety of other health and wellness Web sites. Check out monthly health observances, find additional material from reputable health organizations, and view materials on worksite wellness. |
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Access free promotional materials for Whole Health Dimensions programs and services through the Resource Center, or go directly to the Employer Toolkit on www.wellmark.com!
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ERC Wellness Station Provides Free Worksite Wellness Materials
Are you interested in promoting health and wellness at your worksite, but don’t know where to begin?
Check out the Wellness Station each month on the Whole Health Dimensions Employer Resource Center. Take advantage of these pre-packaged kits to help educate your employees on health and wellness topics. Each kit includes posters, flyers, newsletter articles, and fact sheets you can download and print on your own.
New Wellness Station kits include:
- Build the Foundation – focuses on the importance of building good relationships with health care providers as an important part of receiving effective and reliable health care.
- Get Your Heart Pumping – encourages employees to use the Health & Wellness Tools available on www.wellmark.com.
- Food for Thought – provides information on healthy eating and understanding Nutrition Fact labels.
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Check the Wellness Station monthly for the latest kit. We will also announce this information in future editions of NEWS FROM BLUE. Each kit mirrors the monthly theme in the 2008 Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield wall calendar (M-2013), available free to employers.
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Introducing Blue365sm - Discounts for Healthy Living
Encourage your employees to check out our newest member benefit: Blue365 - a national Blue Cross Blue Shield Association program for information, discounts, and savings from selected vendors on products and services for healthy lifestyles. Here is some of what Blue365 has to offer:
- Health and Wellness – Referrals and savings on elective procedures such as laser vision correction surgery. Discounts on weight-loss programs and access to a tailored, self-directed walking program.
- Family Care – Get support and information for parents or dependents in need of caregiver services, as well as a comprehensive guide to long-term care insurance.
- Financial Well-Being – Access to leading financial firms and experts to help plan for future medical costs while maintaining a healthy financial future.
- Travel – Health care away from home is made easier with access to a broad network of physicians and hospitals from all over the world. Receive destination-specific travel tips, vaccination and immunization information, and assistance with passport issues and inquiries.
Health discounts offered by participating vendors include:
- Curves – 60% off on initial service fee; 15% monthly dues lifetime discount.
- LA Weight Loss Centers – 35% on 52-week, full-service counseling (guaranteed 10% better than market).
- Seniorlink- Get 17% off 3 months of access fees or 25% off 12 months of access fees.
New services and discounts will be added throughout the year. In the next few months, vendors including Golds Gym, Canyon Ranch, E-Diets, and Nurtisystem will be available.
Employees must be registered members of www.wellmark.com to access Blue365. All they have to do is:
- Log on to their private member page
- Select Blue365 Member Discounts
- Read and agree to the Blue365 Consent Form
- The Blue365 Web site will appear, where members can access information, discounts, and services
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Blue365 is one of the many benefits to being a registered Wellmark member. Encourage employees to register at www.wellmark.com today!
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Online Claims Tool to Include Medical Information
This spring, Wellmark will enhance the Claims Status Inquiry (CSI) tool on www.wellmark.com so your employees’ can access their claims medical information. In addition, their covered dependents will be able to register for access to the CSI tool, as well as the View Eligibility & Benefits and Ask and Track a Question tools.
If registered, an employee and their covered spouse will be able to view diagnosis codes, procedure codes, and descriptions (billed by their health care provider) for his or her own claims only, in keeping with HIPAA’s privacy rules. Employees will not have access to medical codes for dependent children, regardless of age, nor can spouses view each other’s medical information. Employees will continue to have online access to general claims information, such as financial details, for all family members covered in their contract.
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Look for more information about our enhanced online member tools and services in future editions of NEWS FROM BLUE.
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Online Provider Directories are More Than Just Phone Books
When employees are looking for information on participating Blue Plan providers in their community or elsewhere, they need look no further than www.wellmark.com!
National BlueCard® Provider Directory Enhanced
The National Doctor and Hospital Finder (BlueCard®) was recently enhanced by the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association to include the following:
- Basic provider demographic information (locations, contact information, specialty).
- More provider information such as hospital affiliation, board certification, medical training, extended hours, wheelchair accessibility, languages spoken, recognition for participation in national quality and safety initiatives, and much more.
- Search capability that allows side by side comparisons of up to three providers.
- Cost information for common medical procedures by ZIP code.
Other enhancements to the national directory will be introduced later in 2008, including the ability to search for quality data on specific procedures by hospital, and information on inpatient/patient experience. For more information on what’s available on the site, go to:
- www.wellmark.com
- Under Quick Links, select Find a Doctor or Hospital
- From the left navigation bar, select National Doctor and Hospital Finder and then What’s New
Additional Provider, Cost and Quality Information Available Online
Also on www.wellmark.com, employees can access information specifically about Wellmark providers in Iowa and South Dakota, such as basic demographic information, hospital quality information, and which providers are participating in our Collaboration on Qualitysm (CoQ) programs. Starting in second quarter 2008, clinicians participating in the CoQ Incent and Reward Best Practices primary care clinician program will be posted online. In addition, cost information for common procedures will be made available. |
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Health care quality and cost information can also be found on www.wellmark.com. Go to Quick Links and select Find a Doctor or Hospital. Check Health Care Quality and Cost in the left navigation bar for links to a variety of cost and quality tools, information, and external links. |
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$4 Generic Prescriptions Now Available at Hy-Vee
Hy-Vee, one of the Midwest’s largest grocers, has joined national discount chains Wal-Mart and Target in selling generic prescriptions for just $4. A complete list of the 400 discounted generic drugs available at Hy-Vee can be found at www.hy-veepharmacy.com.
Remind your employees’ to show their Wellmark ID cards when they are paying less for their generic prescription than their copayment ($10, for example, is the average copayment for Tier 1 generic drugs). The pharmacy will submit the claim electronically on their behalf, and the $4 they pay will apply to their deductible and out-of-pocket maximum, if applicable. By showing their Wellmark ID card, employees will still receive the special $4 promotional price, and the added advantage of having all of their health care needs, including pharmacy, managed in their entirety.
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The Decisions Count® “Ask About Generics” fact sheet (M-2378) and “Can Generics Really Save You Money?” (M-23109) can educate employees why generics are a good way to save on their health care costs. Both are available on the Employer Toolkit at www.wellmark.com.
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Take a Walk with Wellmark on National Walk@Lunch DaySM
On Wednesday, April 30, thousands of Americans across the nation will take a 30-minute walk during their lunch break as part of National Walk@Lunch Day, a fun workplace walking initiative, supported by Blue Plans around the country. National Walk@Lunch Day is an extension of Walking Works®, a Blue company program created to help consumers live healthier lives and reduce unnecessary medical costs.
One employer who is already planning for this year’s event is Buena Vista County, located in Northwest Iowa. Last year, their wellness committee organized a successful National Walk@Lunch Day event with a group walk, free t-shirts, and a sack lunch for walkers after they finished their route. Leigh Madsen, an employee with Buena Vista County said, “Everyone that walked had such a good time. It gave us time to visit with co-workers from different departments that we normally do not have a chance to see.”
In April’s edition of NEWS FROM BLUE, learn more about WalkingWorks and how you can implement the program into your workplace.
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Several worksite marketing tools are available at no charge to promote National Walk@Lunch Day for participating groups. They are located in the Employers section at www.wellmark.com.
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