Welcome to Freedom Rings!, Freedom Health’s quarterly member newsletter. We hope you enjoy our current issue; you can view our past issues by clicking the issue month and year in the drop down box below
View Freedom Plans in Your Area
Not sure what plan you want? It’s easy, just find your county and browse through the Freedom Plans in available in your area.
View Freedom Plans in Your Area
Not sure what plan you want? It’s easy, just find your county and browse through the Freedom Plans in available in your area.
View Freedom Plans in Your Area
Not sure what plan you want? It’s easy, just find your county and browse through the Freedom Plans in available in your area.
Note: Online articles may be condensed compared to the print version and not all articles from the newsletter will appear online. Check your mail or email for the full version of Freedom Rings
A Word From the Editorial Staff
Dear Freedom Health Members,
The 2008 Enrollment Season is here. If you are considering changing plans or have questions about the Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) that you received, please call us before you sign a new application. Remember, Medicare limits the times you can change Plans, so you MAY NOT be able to return to Freedom if there is a problem with your new plan. You can reach us by calling our Member Services number 1-800-401-2740, from Mon - Fri 8am - 8pm.
We also encourage you to explore the new Freedom Health website at www.freedomhealth.com. In addition to 2008 Plan information and resources, we now offer a links to helpful Medicare resources, enrollment information, a variety of health and wellness articles, an online version of our newsletter, and a variety of Brain Power games (picture puzzles, brain teasers, and quizzes).
Thank you for your support.
Srujani Pagidipati
Vice President
Brain Exercises May Reduce Chance of Alzheimer’s
Just as your body needs exercise to remain healthy, so does your brain. According to various studies, keeping your brain active increases its vitality, builds reserves of brain cells and connections, and may even generate new brain cells. All of this can decrease your chance of developing Alzheimer’s Disease.
You don’t have to turn your life upside down, or make extreme changes to achieve many of these benefits. Exercising your brain simply involves doing activities that hold your attention and create a break from your everyday, routine activities. Start with something small, like a daily walk, and after a while, add another small change. Below are some suggestions:
Try memory exercises
Read or write something new
Work crossword or other puzzles
Play board or card games
Plant a garden
Take a dance class
Learn how to play a musical instrument
Attend lectures and plays
Enroll in courses at your local community college
Volunteer at a museum
And don’t forget, the new Freedom Health website provides a few Brain Power puzzles in our Health and Wellness section. Come visit us at www.freedomhealth.com
An Apple A Day – Fact or Myth?
There is actually a little truth behind the old saying—enough, at least, to add a few apples to your next grocery list. Apples are a good source of dietary fiber and antioxidants (including vitamin C).
Health Benefits:
Fiber from an apple’s skin aids digestion, promotes weight loss, and lowers cholesterol levels, which reduces the risk of heart attack and stroke. Apple peels also contain flavonoids (a type of pigment that give apples their color) which help prevent heart disease, and antioxidants which provide protection from the sun and UV-B rays (especially Braeburn apples). Antioxidants in apples slow the growth of cancer cells, and protect the brain against cell damage, which contributes to age-related memory loss.
Remember, whole apples are generally much better for you than apple juice. Apple juice tends to contains less fiber and less antioxidants than whole apples.
Choosing an Apple
Look for firm fruits with rich coloring. Red and Golden Delicious apples are among the sweetest apples; Braeburn and Fuji apples are slightly tart; and Gravenstein, Pippin and Granny Smith apples are the most tart, but retain their texture best during cooking.
Staying Healthy After Menopause
Menopause is different for every woman. It doesn’t usually happen before you are 40, but it can happen any time from your 30s to your mid 50s or later. This time of change is called perimenopause and usually lasts for 1 year after your last period, A full year without a period is needed before you can say you have been “through menopause.” Postmenopause follows menopause and lasts the rest of your life. Two common health problems can start to happen at menopause: osteoporosis & heart disease.
Osteoporosis.
Day in and day out your body is busy breaking down old bone and replacing it with new healthy bone. Estrogen helps control bone loss. So losing estrogen around the time of menopause causes women to begin to lose more bone than is replaced. In time, bones can become weak and break easily. This condition is called osteoporosis. Talk to your doctor to see if you should have a bone density test to find out if you are at risk for this problem. Your doctor can also suggest ways to prevent or treat osteoporosis.
Heart disease.
After menopause, women are more likely to have heart disease. Changes in estrogen levels may be part of the cause. But, so is getting older. As you age, you may develop other problems, like high blood pressure or weight gain, that put you at greater risk for heart disease. Be sure to have your blood pressure and levels of triglycerides, fasting blood glucose, and LDL, HDL, and total cholesterol checked regularly. Talk to your health care provider to find out what you should do to protect your heart.
Helpful Hints
Staying healthy after menopause may mean making some changes in the way you live. Below are some suggestions, but remember that your health care provider is the best person to speak to regarding your health:
Don’t smoke. If you do use any type of tobacco, stop—it’s never too late to benefit from quitting smoking.
Eat a healthy diet—one low in fat, high in fiber, with plenty of fruits, vegetables, and whole-grain foods, as well as all the important vitamins and minerals.
Make sure you get enough calcium and vitamin D—in your diet or in vitamin and mineral supplements.
Learn what your healthy weight is, and try to stay there.
Do weight-bearing exercise, such as walking, jogging, or dancing at least 3 days each week for healthy bones. But try to be physically active in other ways for your general health.
Other things to remember:
Take medicine to lower your blood pressure if your doctor prescribes it for you.
Use a water-based vaginal lubricant (not petroleum jelly) or a vaginal estrogen cream or tablet to help with vaginal discomfort.
Get regular pelvic and breast exams, Pap tests, and mammograms. You should also be checked for colon and rectal cancer and for skin cancer. Contact your doctor right away if you notice a lump in your breast or a mole that has changed.
Source: National Institute on Aging, part of the National Institute of Health. Bound for your Health: A Collection of Age Pages.
Foot Care 101
Years of wear and tear can be hard on our feet, so can disease, poor circulation, improperly trimmed toenails, and wearing shoes that don’t fit properly.
Take care of your feet by:
putting your feet up when you are sitting or lying down,
stretching if you’ve had to sit for a long while,
walking,
having a gentle foot massage, or
taking a warm foot bath.
Try to avoid:
shoes that don’t fit right,
exposing your feet to cold temperatures,
sitting for long periods of time (especially with your legs crossed), or
smoking.
You should check your feet regularly, or have a member of your family check them, because problems with your feet can be the first sign of more serious medical conditions such as arthritis, diabetes, and nerve and circulatory disorders. Your primary care doctors and podiatrist are qualified to treat most foot problems, but sometimes they might refer you to an orthopedic surgeon or dermatologist.
View Freedom Plans in Your Area
Not sure what plan you want? It’s easy, just find your county and browse through the Freedom Plans in available in your area.
Note: Online articles may be condensed compared to the print version and not all articles from the newsletter will appear online. Check your mail or email for the full version of Freedom Rings.
A Word From the CEO
Freedom Health, Inc. was founded by local doctors to provide high quality care. Our physician - owners not only serve our members, but work with us to design healthcare benefits to meet the diverse medical and social needs of Medicare beneficiaries in local communities.
In 2008 Freedom Health expects to be in the following 17 counties: Broward, Citrus, Collier, Hernando, Hillsborough, Lake, Manatee, Marion, Miami-Dade, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach, Pasco, Pinellas, Sarasota, Seminole, and Sumter. We at Freedom Health are very proud of what we have built and are extremely excited about our future. Please contact us if you have any concerns.
Sincerely,
Devaiah Pagidipati, MD
President and CEO
Understanding Your ID Card
You must present your card to the Freedom Health provider to avoid any of the following:
Paying higher co-pays
Denial of claims payment
Denial of benefits
Being billed for unauthorized services
Delays in processing medicalinformation
The Freedom Health ID Card identifies you as a Plan Member. If you’ve lost your card, you may request a replacement ID card by calling 1-888-796-0946.
Nutrition at a Glance
Sweetbay Supermarkets now rates food based on a nutritional system created by academic health professionals. An item’s score is increased by the presence of vitamins, minerals, fiber and/or whole grains and decreased for trans fats, saturated fats, cholesterol, added sugars, and added sodium.
Medicare Advantage Savings
According to Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, in 2007, Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in MA Plans received a national average $86 of extra benefits per month compared to those in Original Medicare. Floridians beat the national average, receiving $150 of extra benefits per month.
Source: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Medicare Advantage in 2007. April 20, 2007.
Healthcare Advance Directives: Do You Have One
Freedom Health recognizes the right of Members to make health care treatment decisions in accordance with their personal beliefs. This is done with an advance directive.
An “advance directive” is a witnessed oral or written statement made by a competent person that guides healthcare treatments and preferences in the event that he/she is unable to do so. An advance directive can address such issues as with whom a doctor should consult in making treatment decisions or whether to administer life prolonging procedures.
It is your responsibility to provide notification to your physician that an advance directive exists. If you have executed a written advance directive, we recommend that you inform your friends and family of its existence and its location.
An advance directive properly executed in Florida or in another state in compliance with the law of that state is presumed valid. As part of our community outreach program, physician offices are provided with information on health care advance directives which discusses several types of advance directives (i.e., durable power of attorney, living wills, and do not resuscitate orders) and answers common questions regarding advance directives. Please consult with your Primacy Care Provider for more information.
If you have any questions, or would like more information on advance directives and state/federal requirements, please contact the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) at (888) 419-3456.
5 Easy Ways to Save Money
1. Go Generic.
Whether it’s clothes, food, or prescription drugs, generic almost always saves you money. (And if it’s prescription drugs, mail ordering a generic drug generally saves you the most.)
2. Try the free stuff.
Recently Publix announced they will be offering seven prescribed antibiotics for free.
3. Be Shady.
Park in the shade. Gas can and will evaporate right out of your tank. Parking in the sun—summer or winter—will just make it evaporate faster.
4. Procrastinate.
If you shop for items right after the season ends, you can save up to 75% on items you are going to buy in a year anyway. Just make sure you have space at home to store them and don’t forget where they are!
5. Get Rid of that Excess Weight.
No, we’re not talking about diets (though it might not hurt)—if you carting around a lot of extras in your car, you’re wasting gas. That extra 100 pounds in your car could reduce your miles per gallon by up to 2%, or 3 – 6 cents per gallon (The savings depends on amount of extra weight compared to the car's weight, and so affects smaller vehicles more than larger ones.) Also be sure to keep your tires properly inflated.
Planning Your Doctor’s Visit
The average appointment lasts about 15 minutes - it's important to be prepared so you'll get the most from your visit.
Getting the most out of your visit Prepare a list of questions, medications you take, concerns you’d like the doctor to help you with, and a good description of any symptoms. Also mention any procedures you’d like to request, such as testing cholesterol, blood pressure, etc.
During the doctor’s visit
Talk to your doctor about your specific goals and expectations, share the lists you’ve prepared, and let the doctor know about your concerns. This is the right time to bring up other health issues that may not be the main reason for the visit.
Can I ask about alternative drugs or treatment? Yes. If you know that the drug the doctor is prescribing is expensive, you may want to ask for alternatives. The doctor may be able to prescribe a different drug that works just as well and costs you less.
Your instructions
At the end of your visit, make sure you understand the doctor's instructions. If you are not clear about something, ask the doctor to take a minute to go back over what was talked about to make sure you understand.
Side Notes
New Record Holder
Barry Bonds now holds the Major League home run record—hitting his 756th home run in a game against the Washington Nationals on August 7, 2007. Henry “Hank” Aaron formally held the this record since 1974.
Negative Calorie Food
Did you know that some foods burn more calories in digestion than they contain? Some examples are: asparagus, lettuce, broccoli, spinach, cucumber, green cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, apples, lemons, cantaloupes, tangerines, strawberries, and grapefruit.
Presidential Trivia
George Washington was 6ft 2in tall and had size 13 feet.
Wild Fact
The bald eagle has been taken off the threatened species list. The population has risen from 417 nesting pairs in the 1960s to more than 10,000 nesting pairs today.
Population Fact The nation's population officially hit 300 Million at 7:46 am on October 17, 2006. As of August 14, 2007, it reached over 302,604,000.
View Freedom Plans in Your Area
Not sure what plan you want? It’s easy, just find your county and browse through the Freedom Plans in available in your area.
Note: Online articles may be condensed compared to the print version and not all articles from the newsletter will appear online. Check your mail or email for the full version of Freedom Rings
A Word from your Editorial Staff
We welcome all new members to the Freedom Health Medicare Plans and welcome back all old members.
We at Freedom Health believe that an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure. Research clearly demonstrates that providing high quality, evidence-based preventive care is a critical factor in helping people live healthier lives. In addition to providing Freedom Health news and Medicare updates, our quarterly member newsletter gives us an opportunity to inform you about some of the nationally recommended preventive health programs.
We encourage you to see your Primary Care Physician (PCP) within a month of enrolling in any one of the Freedom Health Plans. Also make sure that you visit your PCP at least once a year after that. And remember, if you have not chosen a PCP or would like to change your PCP, please call our Member Services number 1-800-401-2740 Monday through Friday 8.00 AM to 8.00 PM. If you have any questions on behavioral health or mental health please contact our behavioral health partner CompCare at 1-800-458-6139. These numbers are also provided on the back of your Freedom Health ID Card.
NCQA Accredits Freedom Health
The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) recently awarded its accreditation status to Freedom Health. The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), the premier source for information about the quality of the nation’s managed care plans, is an independent, non-profit organization whose mission is to improve the quality of health care. Accreditation is a rigorous and comprehensive evaluation process through which NCQA assesses the quality of the key systems and processes that define a health plan. Accreditation also includes an assessment of the care and service plans deliver in important areas such as diabetes care and ensuring that women receive mammograms as appropriate. Freedom Health is proud to announce that it met and surpassed the standards of excellence in healthcare set by NCQA and was accredited for three years from 12/08/2006 to 12/8/2009.
Accreditation is granted for a period of three years to only those new Health Plans that have in place sound organizational structures and processes to monitor and improve the quality of care and service provided to its members and meet NCQA's rigorous standards for new health plans. NCQA’s new health plan accreditation process evaluates how well a plan that has been in operation less than two years manages its clinical and administrative systems in order to continuously improve health care for its members. NCQA conducts rigorous on- and off-site evaluations by a team of clinicians and managed care experts. A national oversight committee of physicians analyzes the team's findings and determines if the health plan warrants accreditation based on its performance compared to NCQA standards for new health plans. The NCQA standards--developed by a broad coalition representing consumers, employers, community organizations, unions and managed care organizations- are demanding. NCQA purposely sets high standards to encourage new health plans like Freedom Health to continuously enhance their quality.
We thank you for being a member of Freedom Health Medicare Plans and we look forward to serving your medical and health care needs now and in the future.
Freedom Health Receives 2007 Senior Gold Choice Award
As you know, the mission of Freedom Health is to provide unique cost effective health care products to better serve the healthcare consumer. We are happy to let you know that the high quality of care and service that we had been providing you over the past two years has now been recognized as meeting the bench-mark of excellence.
In addition to accreditation by NCQA, Freedom Health was also the recipient of the Senior Choice Gold Award for Excellence in 2007 Medicare Plan Benefits in the Tampa Bay area. This award was given by HealthMetrix Research, an Ohio company that annually compares the real costs of Medicare health insurance plans to consumers (you can view the full details on their website at www.medicarenewswatch.com).
We do not intend to rest on our laurels. Our quest to improve the quality of your care while saving you money is a continuous one. We know and understand the challenges you face trying to take care of your health on limited budgets. Freedom Health is committed to provide you affordable yet high quality medical care, healthcare benefits and prescription drug benefits.
Staying On Top Of Your Diabetes
Taking care of your diabetes means taking charge of your diabetes. Before we begin, take the quiz below :
Do you know your A1c number?
Do you monitor your blood sugar at home?
Do you know your blood pressure?
Are you eating right and maintaining a healthy weight?
Do you check your feet, tops, bottoms and in between the toes?
Do you get an annual flu shot?
Have you had your pneumonia shot?
Do you get your eyes checked by an eye care professional every year?
Do you see your health care provider on a regular basis?
Do you follow your health care provider’s treatment plan?
The answer to all these questions should be “Yes.” The only exception would be if your provider has told you not to take the flu or pneumonia shot because of allergies or another medical reason. You should not only be able to answer yes to these questions but you should know whether or not your “numbers” are on-target, that is, in the healthy range identified by your provider.
You should take an active role in the management of your disease and working diligently to prevent the serious complications associated with diabetes such as blindness, amputations and heart attacks. Here are a few final suggestions:
See your health care provider every three or every six months, depending on how well you control your diabetes.
Know your A1c number and whether you should be working to lower it or if it’s just right; your A1c gives a picture of your blood sugar levels over the past two to three months. Unless there are special circumstances, you want your A1c to be less than 7%.
Know your blood pressure; for most people with diabetes the goal is under 130/80.
Take all your medications as prescribed. Understand how your insulin and other medications intended for blood sugar control work, it will help you to follow your treatment plan. Medications called ACE inhibitors are recommended to reduce the risk of heart attacks, strokes and kidney failure; ask if ACE inhibitors are right for your treatment plan.
See an eye care professional every year for a retinal exam; be sure they know you have diabetes so they’ll look for signs of retinopathy, a complication of diabetes that can cause blindness.
Check your feet every day, looking for sores or signs of irritation. Take your shoes and socks off at every visit with your provider and remind them to check your feet every time. People with diabetes are at risk for neuropathy, or reduced sensation resulting from poor circulation, and left untreated could lead to ulcers and even amputation.
Unless you have allergies or other medical conditions and your provider advises you against it, you should receive an annual flu shot. Find out in advance if your health care provider gives flu shots in the office and plan to get one when they become available, usually around October of each year. A pneumonia shot is recommended once for most people; your provider can tell you if one shot is enough for you.
Are You Getting Your Vaccines?
If you’re not getting the vaccines you need, you just might get something you really don’t want - like a serious infection or long-term health problems.
To find out more about adult vaccines and what vaccines you may need, take the US Department of Health and Human Services Center for Disease Control and Prevention Adult Vaccine Quiz at http://www.cdc.gov/nip/foradults.htm
This 30-second quiz gives you a list of vaccines that could help you the most. Once you take the quiz talk to your healthcare provider about the results. And make sure you get the immunizations you need.
View Freedom Plans in Your Area
Not sure what plan you want? It’s easy, just find your county and browse through the Freedom Plans in available in your area.
Note: Online articles may be condensed compared to the print version and not all articles from the newsletter will appear online. Check your mail or email for the full version of Freedom Rings.
A Word from your CEO
It is my privilege to welcome you to the Freedom Health member newsletter. We at Freedom Health are committed to providing you, our valued members, with the best of health care and I am personally involved in delivering on this commitment. We are innovative developers of medical care management programs that improve the quality of our members' health care and lives, while keeping medical care costs within control. With your support, in the past one year we have grown from a 4-employee organization to a professionally managed, 60 employee corporation. We believe that we have to listen to you and spend time with you if we have to truly understand your health care needs and respond to your needs. The motto of Freedom Health is “We are Proud to Serve You” and I am indeed proud to serve you.
Devaiah Pagidipati, MD
Dr. Devaiah Pagidipati is the CEO and founder-promoter of Freedom Health. He is a Fellow in Anesthesiology from Harvard University and a physician with 30 years experience in nationally reputed hospitals.
Taking Care With Your Medications
Taking an active role in your health care includes being knowledgeable about your medications, those prescribed by a health care professional and those you buy over the counter. We, at Freedom Health, want to work with you to help you get the most benefit from the medications you take. Here are some important tips to promote safe use of medications:
Develop a list of all drugs, vitamins, herbs, and dietary supplements you take and keep it handy in your wallet or purse. If you’re unsure about what information to include in your list, like the exact dosage, have your health care practitioner to help you develop your list. Make sure you up date it regularly and show it to your health care practitioner, especially if you are seeing different doctors for different treatments. Knowing every medication and supplement you are taking will help your health care provider identify potential drug interactions, or if there is a better drug to prescribe for you.
Include on your list all drugs you are allergic to, it will help you to remind your doctor. If you don’t take any medications right now make of list of your drug allergies and carry it with you at all times. Talk to your physician about whether or not you should wear a medical alert bracelet for your allergy.
When prescribed a new drug, write down the instructions on use, including how often and in what amounts to take it. Ask your doctor about potential side effects when taking the drug, including the symptoms, and what to do if you have them. Ask your doctor what the drug should look like, including the color, size, shape, and any imprinted letters or numbers. Find out if you should avoid alcohol or certain foods when taking this drug to avoid any side effects. Finally, ask your pharmacist to make sure that any newly prescribed medication can be safely taken with your current medications.
Always check your prescription before leaving the pharmacy. Drugs often look similar and have similar names. When you have a prescription filled, always make sure the label has your name on it and matches the name on the prescription you dropped off with the pharmacist. Also, if you have a refill on a medication you have taken in the past, make sure that the medication looks the same as usual. If it is a new prescription, make sure the medication looks as the doctor described it to you. If you have any doubts at all, consult your pharmacist before taking the medication home.
Submit your refills before running out of your medication. Make sure you always have at least a one week supply of medication on hand in case of a local emergency where you would be unable to easily get a refill. When traveling, always carry your medication in your purse or carry-on luggage and not in your checked luggage. Check with the airlines about acceptable carry-on medications. Finally, carry a copy of your prescriptions with you when you travel in case you lose the medication or need a refill.
Keep your medications where you will remember them. Organize them, especially if there are some pills you take several times a day, and others only one time a day. You can use a pill box with separate sections for each day to organize their pills. There are even pill boxes available with alarms. You may want to create a calendar or chart showing when to take your medication.
We at Freedom Health hope you find these suggestions helpful. We believe that by being educated and aware, you will get the most out of your medication!
HIPAA and You: Keeping Your Information Private
Freedom Health wants to make sure that your private health information (PHI) is shared only with you or with those whom you have selected as an Authorized Representative. We will only share PHI with the appropriate medical personnel and those Authorized Representatives on the enrollment application. Unless we have your written permission to add or take someone off that list, PHI will not be shared!
When you or someone other than you calls, we will ask the following questions to make sure that your PHI is protected
What is your name?
If the caller is not the member, we will ask, “What is your relationship to the member?” If the person calling is not designated on the enrollment application, we will end the conversation and instruct them to have you write to us to add their name to our Authorized Representative List.
“What is your Medicare number” or “What is your Freedom Health identification number?”
“What is your current address?” or “What is your current phone number?”
Once we know that the person calling is you or an Authorized Representative, we can resolve the reason for the phone call. We hope these steps are not seen as an inconvenience to any Authorized Representative but viewed positively as care taken to protect information the Member has a right to keep personal.
Quality At Freedom
The quality of health care you receive matters to you, and it also matters to Freedom Health. That is why we have designed a quality program that monitors and improves the care received by its members. Freedom Health’s quality program begins with the physicians and providers. Before any physician or provider is approved to see our members, we review their past history of seeing patients. Once a physician or provider is approved, we also review their performance as they continue to provide care to our members. Provider offices are required to meet certain rules for being accessible and safe. Finally, nurses from Freedom Health will review some of the medical records to make sure that providers are really providing quality health care to our members. Freedom Health also creates quality programs to improve the quality of care you receive. The quality programs we develop look at different types of health problems our members are facing. Based on that, we provide members with information on resources available to them, or suggestions on steps they can take to improve their health. We also talk to physicians and providers to make suggestions and to find out what we can do to help them provide quality care to you. Freedom Health’s medical director and some of its managers from different departments review information about the care its members receive, and how we can improve.
Freedom Health also has a special Quality Committee that reviews any problems with care received by our members, and also looks at the improvements made. We also listen to you in order to improve the quality of care you receive. Members can always call Member Services when they have a problem with their care. We look into any concerns you tell us about, and will work with providers to improve the care they are providing to our members. We also would like to hear your ideas on what we can do to improve the care you receive. You can let us know any suggestions by calling Member Services.
For more information on Freedom Health’s Quality Management Program, please visit our website at www.freedomh.com, or call us at 800-401-2740 or our TTY line for speech and hearing impaired at 800-955-8771.
View Freedom Plans in Your Area
Not sure what plan you want? It’s easy, just find your county and browse through the Freedom Plans in available in your area.
Discover the Freedom Advantage
