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Category: Education
Start 2021 with a smile!
Do you know how often you should visit the dentist or how long you should brush your teeth? It’s easy to remember with the 2-2-2 rule! Brush and floss 2 times a day for 2 minutes and visit the dentist 2 times a year. This rule applies to kids and adults alike.
Most people know that good oral and dental hygiene can help prevent bad breath, tooth decay and gum disease – and can help you keep your teeth as you get older. But, a healthy mouth can also ward off medical disorders. An unhealthy mouth, especially if you have gum disease, may increase your risk of serious health problems such as heart attack, stroke, poorly controlled diabetes and preterm labor.
Plan history has shown that at least 40% of members enrolled in the dental plan aren’t visiting a provider even once a year. Imagine the time and pain of costly dental and/or medical issues that could have been caught early on or prevented altogether.
Don’t have a regular dentist to get your cleanings every six months? You can find dentists in the searchable provider feature on the Blue Cross of Idaho Member Portal.
Haven’t set up your Blue Cross of Idaho member portal account? Have your Member ID handy and visit members.bcidaho.com.
Have questions about other covered services? You can review the dental contract on the OGI website: https://ogi.idaho.gov/dental/ or call the customer service number on the back of your Blue Cross of Idaho member ID card.
Cavities are preventable. Model good oral healthcare habits for your whole family.
Protect your identity in 2020
In today’s high-tech world, it’s critical to keep a vigilant watch on your personal and financial data. The State of Idaho and Blue Cross of Idaho are helping to assist members with that effort.
Blue Cross of Idaho has partnered with Experian IdentityWorks to offer members enrolled in the State of Idaho’s health plan and their families identity protection services at NO COST to the member.
It’s important to protect what’s most valuable to you, especially your health, family and home. This is an added layer of protection.
Members enrolled in the health plan should visit the Blue Cross of Idaho member portal and look for the Experian logo at the bottom of the homepage once you are logged in.
Haven’t set up your Blue Cross of Idaho member portal account? Have your Member ID handy and visit members.bcidaho.com. In addition to finding the link to enroll in the IdentityWorks services, the member portal also allows you to view plan information, explanation of benefits (EOB) documents, search for network providers and so much more.
Questions? Contact the Office of Group Insurance in person, by telephone or email.
The First Wealth is Health
Ralph Waldo Emerson is attributed with saying “The First Wealth is Health.”
While no one would choose to have a chronic health condition, they do happen for a number of reasons. The State’s health plan has programs in place to help employees and their families manage and even improve their chronic conditions which also helps them manage their costs for healthcare related expenses.
Take advantage of the Living well with high blood pressure [PDF] self-guided workshop.
Members also have access to the Blue Cross Disease Management Program whose goal is to empower members and/or caregivers, in concert with their physicians and other care providers, to effectively manage disease and prevent complications through adherence to medication regimens, regular monitoring of applicable labs/vital signs, a healthy diet, exercise, and other lifestyle choices. The program offers support to members and dependents who are managing an acute or complex illness or are at risk for or have a chronic condition such as:
- diabetes,
- asthma,
- chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD),
- coronary artery disease, or
- heart failure.
Type 2 diabetes makes up the majority of all diagnosed cases of diabetes. The good news is that you can take simple steps to lower your risks with a healthy diet, regular exercise, not smoking and keeping your blood pressure in check.
Haven’t set up your Blue Cross of Idaho member portal account? Have your Member ID handy and visit members.bcidaho.com.
Now is the time to understand your benefits
The best time to understand your benefits is right now when you have the time to set up 
appropriate logins, find a provider, and know where you have filed vital information. The wrong time to try and understand your benefits is in the midst of a healthcare crisis when you don’t know where to go, who to call, or what your out-of-pocket cost will be.
Here are a few things to consider and get you started to better understand how to access the benefits that your monthly premiums provide. Your wallet and your health will thank you!!
New Member ID Cards – All members will be receiving another set of member ID cards that will now include the 24/7 NurseLine phone number and information about the ChoiceDocs program for the PPO participants. If you haven’t set up your account on the Blue Cross member portal, have your ID card handy and visit: www.members.bcidaho.com.
ChoiceDocs – ChoiceDocs is a new program within the PPO network that allows you to access providers and specialists at a lower cost; $0 copay for a primary care visit and $20 for a specialist visit. If your current provider or specialist isn’t in the ChoiceDocs network, you will continue to pay a $20 copay for a primary care visit and now pay $40 for a specialist visit. Not all providers or hospital systems are in the ChoiceDocs network. This program does not apply to the Traditional or High Deductible plans.
Provider Search – Use the provider search tool on the Blue Cross of Idaho member portal to find a new provider in your area or to see if your current provider is part of the new PPO ChoiceDocs program. Search by PPO in-network and sort by Tier.
BCI Mobile App – Download the NEW BCI mobile app on your Android or Apple device for access to resources and information about your medical and dental benefits, member ID cards, programs and more.
Telehealth – In a few short months both MDLive services and telehealth virtual visits administered by other providers have become a routine way for members to receive healthcare. Telehealth will continue the entire plan year as a covered service because so many providers have developed the capability of delivering care in this manner.
OGI Website – the OGI website, www.ogi.idaho.gov, is a great resource for information about all aspects of the health plan, premiums rates, plan contracts, Life & Disability, Flexible Spending, and so much more. We update and add to the content on the website frequently.
MDLive is Ready to Help
Worry, stress, and anxiety are expected, given the current conditions surrounding the coronavirus. Everyone handles these and their emotions and responses differently.
MDLive is ready to listen and support you and your family during this challenging time. Their board-certified psychiatrists and licensed therapists can help you process the information as it develops, create strategies to manage your concerns, identify healthy activities, and put together a plan tailored to your unique situation and needs.
Now, more than ever, is a great time to focus on what you can control and your overall well-being. Schedule a private, confidential visit and keep both mentally and physically healthy with MDLive.
If you are enrolled in the State’s medical plan all MDLive copays and coinsurance have been waived for the month of June regardless of which health plan you are enrolled.
MDLIVE Welcome [PDF]
For more information from MDLive about services related to coronavirus, visit: https://www.mdlive.com/coronavirus/
Questions? Contact the Office of Group Insurance in person, by telephone or email.
Living Well in 2020, Nicotine Free
How are those New Year’s resolutions going? Do you or your spouse need more support to make that final push to be completely tobacco free in 2020?
New this plan year, nicotine cessation aids are covered at 100% under the preventive provisions of the State’s health plan. Details about this benefit can be found in each plan document posted on the Medical page.
Health Benefits of Quitting
Lowered risk of lung cancer and many other types of cancer.
Reduced risk for disease and early death. While the health benefits are greater for people who stop at earlier ages, there are benefits at any age. You are never too old to quit.
Reduced risk of heart disease, stroke and peripheral vascular disease (narrowing of the blood vessels in outside your heart).
Members enrolled in the State’s health plan can also access a 12-week tobacco cessation workshop in the WellConnected section of the Blue Cross of Idaho member portal, https://members.bcidaho.com. Or call the customer service number on the back of your member ID card for more information about programs and quit aids.
Haven’t set up your Blue Cross of Idaho member portal account? Have your Member ID card handy and visit members.bcidaho.com.
Mental Health – Your 4th Annual Checkup
You should go to the doctor, dentist and optometrist every year for checkups, but what about a checkup for your mind?
Everyone deals with tough times, but even happy events like a new job, a marriage, or a new baby can add stress. That is when taking an hour for a session, or two, or three, with a counselor, might help you navigate new or persistent challenges in your life and increase your overall well-being.
The state’s group insurance program provides an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) to all benefit eligible employees regardless of their enrollment in any other program. The provision for this benefit is detailed in each of the medical plan contracts posted on the Medical page.
There are several ways to access the GuidanceResources(R) information and programs.
Visit the Counseling page of the OGI website for program and contact information
Download the Guidance Resources mobile app
Questions? Contact the Office of Group Insurance in person, by telephone or email.
Planning for the Cost of Healthcare
Our health is our most precious asset, and it is both empowering and reassuring to have authority over our healthcare decisions. As costs have increased some, but not all, patients are becoming more conscious consumers of healthcare.
Think about the last time you purchased a car, a cellphone or a television. How much research did you do before you actually made the purchase? It was probably more research than you did the last time your doctor recommended an MRI or knee replacement. A key difference is that far more tools are available to compare the price and quality of electronics and vehicles, but the healthcare industry is coming along.
Price transparency in healthcare enables patients to shop for the most effective, lowest-cost health care available. It also gives patients helpful information to have engaging conversations with their Primary Care Physician (PCP) and specialists about the types of procedures/services they are recommending and the site of care for those services.
[Click the Knee Replacement graphic to the right for Cost Advisor FAQ]
Members enrolled in the State’s health plan can access the Cost Advisor program on the Blue Cross of Idaho member portal, https://members.bcidaho.com, to estimate out-of-pocket costs for upcoming procedures and services. The attached FAQ document provides good information about how to access this program.
Haven’t set up your Blue Cross of Idaho member portal account? Have your Member ID handy and visit members.bcidaho.com.
Disease Management and Diabetes Awareness Month
Myth: Eating healthy can be expensive. Fact: Being unhealthy can be expensive.
While no one would choose to have a chronic health condition, they do happen for a number of reasons. The State’s health plan has programs in place to help members manage and even improve their chronic conditions which also helps them manage their costs for healthcare related expenses.
New this year, members can take advantage of the Living Well with High Blood Pressure [PDF] self-guided workshop.
Members also have access to the Blue Cross Disease Management Program whose goal is to empower members and/or caregivers, in concert with their physicians and other care providers, to effectively manage disease and prevent complications through adherence to medication regimens, regular monitoring of applicable labs/vital signs, a healthy diet, exercise, and other lifestyle choices. The program offers support to members and dependents who are managing an acute or complex illness or are at risk for or have a chronic condition such as:
- diabetes,
- asthma,
- chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD),
- coronary artery disease, or
- heart failure.
Type 2 diabetes makes up 90-95% of all diagnosed cases of diabetes. The good news is that you can take simple steps to lower your risks with a healthy diet, regular exercise, not smoking and keeping your blood pressure in check. #BestInHealth #DiabetesAwareness
Haven’t set up your Blue Cross of Idaho member portal account? Have your Member ID handy and visit members.bcidaho.com.
Taking Care of ‘You’
Life is busy. Work is busy. Kids are busy. But none of that seems to matter when you are sick.
Here are a couple of things you can do to take care of yourself, your family and your pocketbook.
Flu season is here and Flu Vaccines are covered at 100% on all plans. This is also a great time to check with your Primary Care Provider (PCP) about other immunizations that you or family members may be due to receive. A list of immunizations that are covered at no cost to you are included in each plan contract posted on the Medical page of the OGI website.
e High Deductible plan) when using an in-network provider? Check out the Vision page of the OGI website for information or the Pediatric Vision Care Benefits page included in each plan contract posted on the Medical page.
Breast Cancer Awareness Knowledge is Power
There are more than 3.3 million breast cancer survivors alive in the U.S. today. Let’s keep the numbers growing by arming ourselves with knowledge about breast cancer. Talk to your doctor to learn about risks and early detection. #BestInHealth #BreastCancerAwareness
Make sure you have your current email address attached to your Blue Cross of Idaho member portal account to receive communications about your account, benefit highlights and wellness challenges. Login to members.bcidaho.com – Select “My Account” – select “Account Maintenance” – enter the new email address in the “Change Email Address” section – select “Change Email”
Need to establish a relationship with Primary Care Provider (PCP)? Check out the provider search feature on the Blue Cross of Idaho member portal for lists and locations of in-network providers.
Questions? Contact the Office of Group Insurance in person, by telephone or email.