Health Messenger Fall 2005

The flu season is fast approaching in the United States. It typically runs from December through March. Flu is caused by a virus that infects the respiratory tract (nose, throat and lungs). Unlike the common cold, which is also a respiratory infection, the flu can cause severe and potentially life-threatening complications.

The flu virus is primarily spread from person to person in the droplets from coughs and sneezes, but the virus can also live on surfaces such as doorknobs, telephone receivers, etc. The period of time after exposure until symptoms surface is two to four days. The time period when the infected person is contagious depends on your age. Adults are usually contagious from one day before becoming sick to three to seven days after symptoms begin. Some children may be contagious for longer than a week. -

The most common symptoms include fever, body/muscle aches, sore throat, extreme fatigue, runny or stuffy nose, dry cough and headache.

Because flu viruses change from year to year, you can get the flu more than one time in the your life. A vaccine made to prevent one year's flu virus may not protect against the next year's virus. Additionally, even if the strain of virus remains the same, immunity to the flu virus decreases over time and can potentially be too low to provide adequate protection after just one year.

The best way to prevent or lessen the effects of the flu is by getting a flu shot. You should check with your physician to determine if you are a candidate for a flu shot. Whether you are a candidate for flu vaccine or not, it is a very good idea to take precautions that will help prevent or at least minimize the severity of the flu.

The following is a list of those measures.

	Frequent hand washing - Use warm soapy water. Do not use “bar” soap if possible. If you cannot wash frequently, use the antimicrobial hand-cleansing solution that does not require water. You can keep it in your work area, in your car or anywhere that washing is not available.
	Avoid crowds - This is a busy time of the year, but whenever possible, try to avoid crowds-especially if you are run down or not feeling up to par.
	Get plenty of rest - Be good to yourself. Take time out of your busy to rest and relax and try to get a full night's sleep.
	Maintain a proper diet - Don't depend on snacks to carry you through. Eat a well-balanced diet.
	Think of others - Remember to cover your nose and mouth when sneezing or coughing.

IF YOU HAVE MEDICARE OR WILL BECOME
ELIGIBLE FOR MEDICARE IN THE NEXT 12 MONTHS,
PLEASE READ THIS IMPORTANT NOTICE ABOUT YOUR PRESCRIPTION DRUG COVERAGE!

Please read this notice carefully and keep it where you can find it. This notice has information about your current prescription drug coverage under FirstCarolinaCare (FCC) and new prescription drug coverage available January 1, 2006 for people with Medicare. It also tells you where to find more information to help you make decisions about your prescription drug coverage.

Starting January 1, 2006, new Medicare prescription drug coverage will be available to everyone with Medicare.

Because your FCC prescription drug coverage is on average at least as good as standard Medicare prescription drug coverage, you can keep your FCC coverage and not pay extra Medicare premiums if you later decide to enroll in Medicare coverage.

Read this notice carefully - it explains the options you have under Medicare prescription drug coverage, and can help you decide whether or not you want to enroll in Medicare prescription drug coverage.

Starting January 1, 2006, prescription drug coverage will be available to everyone with Medicare through Medicare prescription drug plans. Please note that FCC is not offering a Medicare prescription
drug plan at this time.

The enrollment period for Medicare prescription drug plans is from November 15, 2005 through May 15, 2006. However, because you have existing prescription drug coverage through FCC, you can choose to join a Medicare prescription drug plan later without penalty. Each year after this initial year, you will have the opportunity to enroll in a Medicare prescription drug plan between November 15th through December 31st.

You should also know that if you drop or lose your coverage with FCC and don’t enroll in Medicare prescription drug coverage within 63 days after your current coverage ends, you may pay more to enroll in Medicare prescription drug coverage later. If after May 15, 2006, you go 63 days or longer without prescription drug coverage that’s at least as good as Medicare’s prescription drug coverage;
your monthly premium will go up at least 1% per month for every
month after May 15, 2006 that you did not have that coverage.

For example, if you go nineteen months without coverage, your premium will always be at least 19% higher than what most other people pay.You’ll have to pay this higher premium as long as you have Medicare coverage. In addition, you may have to wait until next November to enroll.

For more information about this notice or your current prescription drug coverage contact the FCC office at 910-715-8100 .

For more information about your options under Medicare prescription drug coverage… Information about Medicare plans that offer prescription drug coverage will be available starting October 2005 in the “Medicare & You 2006” handbook. You’ll get a copy of the handbook in the mail from Medicare. You may also be contacted directly by Medicare prescription drug plans. You can also get more information about Medicare prescription drug plans from these places:

-	Visit www.medicare.gov for personalized help,
-	Call your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (see your copy of the Medicare & You handbook for their telephone number)
-	Call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227).TTY users should call 1-877-486-2048.

For people with limited income and resources, extra help paying for a Medicare prescription drug plan is available. Information about this extra help is available from the Social Security Administration (SSA). For more information about this extra help, visit SSA online at www.socialsecurity.gov, or call them at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778).

Remember: Keep this notice. If you enroll after May 15,2006 in one of the new plans approved by Medicare that offer prescription drug coverage, you may need to give a copy of this notice when you join to show that you are not required to pay a higher premium amount. You may receive this notice at other times in the future such as before the next period you can enroll in Medicare prescription drug coverage, and if this coverage changes. You also may request a copy from FCC.

FCC believes that routine care and screenings are an important part of your benefits. We strongly encourage all of our members to take advantage of the preventive and maintenance benefits offered in your medical health benefit plan chosen by your employer.

The following is a summary of the preventive/health maintenance benefits offered by FCC. In order for these benefits to be covered, they must be provided by an FCC participating provider :

	Well-child care visits,
	Yearly vision screening for children ages 1-17 in a primary care provider’s office,
	Yearly dilated eye examination for diabetic members,
	Newborn hearing screening ordered by an attending Physician for the presence of permanent hearing loss,
	Periodic hearing screening examinations for children through age 17,
	Periodic health assessment for adults,
	Child and adult immunizations according to accepted medical practice,
	Examinations and laboratory tests for the early detection of cervical cancer in accordance with the most recently published American Cancer Society guidelines or guidelines adopted by the North Carolina Advisory Committee on Cancer Coordination and Control.

	Mammograms – when a Provider recommends it for anyone at increased risk for breast cancer, or one baseline mammogram at ages 35 through 39; every other year at ages 40 through 49; and every year at age 50 or older,
	Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) tests when a Provider recommends it,
	Bone Mass Measurement, if at least 23 months have elapsed since the last measurement was performed, or more frequently if medically necessary,
	Diabetes outpatient self-management and educational services,
	Colorectal cancer examinations and laboratory tests for cancer, in accordance with the American Cancer Society guidelines, for any nonsymptomatic covered individual who is at least 50 years of age, or less than 50 years of age and at high risk for colorectal cancer.
	Surveillance tests for women age 25 and older at risk for ovarian cancer.

As an additional resource, FCC has a 24 Hour, 7 day a week, Nurse HelpLine that members may call with questions about their confidential personal health information or general health information on various health related topics. Members can access the Nurse HelpLine by calling toll free 1-800-336-2121.