Blue & You — Winter 2019

@
&
A publication for the policyholders of the Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield family of companies WINTER 2019
Celebrating
@
3
3
Years!
In sickness
and in health
PAGE 8
Foundation grant
helps save child’s life
PAGE 10

Emerald Park in
North Little Rock
provides some
amazing views
and is closer
than you think.
Learn more
on page 16.
&
WINTER 2019
Table
of
Contents
EDITOR
Chip Bayer
BYEditor@arkbluecross.com
3
4
6
8
10
12
14
15
16
17
19
20
21
22
23
24
A word with Curtis Barnett
Thanks a million, Arkansas!
Antibiotics: to take or not to take?
We survived 4 5 surgeries this year!
Fearless Faces - Stop the bleeding!
Blue & You Foundation awards $2.7 million in grants to improve
health throughout Arkansas
Arkansas Blue Cross offers tips to protect Arkansans from phone scams
Population health – connecting patients, providers and payers
Outside in Arkansas - Emerald Park: A hidden gem in central Arkansas
Time to schedule a Wellness Visit - A healthy way to kick off the new year
Arkansas Works reporting requirement enters phase II
Need coverage now? Introducing Complete & Complete Plus
A “sweet celebration” at Komen
Register for the 2019 Blue & You Fitness Challenge
Boo at the Zoo
Curious George at the Children’s Theatre
More than a decade of support for JDRF
Is it a dental emergency?
Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield to sponsor Charlotte’s Web
Customer service numbers
Fingerprint ID added to My Blueprint mobile app
DESIGNER
Ryan Kravitz
PHOTOGRAPHER
Chip Bayer
CONTRIBUTORS
Jennifer Bridgeman
Katie Eisenhower
Damona Fisher
Kristy Fleming
Suzi Parker
Greg Russell
VICE PRESIDENT of
CORPORATE MARKETING
Eric Paczewitz
ON THE COVER
Several employees of Arkansas
Blue Cross and Blue Shield
gather together to celebrate
the 70 th anniversary of
the company.
2
Blue & You WINTER 2019

a
WORDwith
Curtis Barnett
Our President and Chief Executive Officer
Investing in Arkansas, investing in Arkansans
On December 3, 2018, Arkansas Blue
Cross and Blue Shield celebrated its
70 th anniversary. Our company has
changed quite a bit over the decades,
but one thing hasn’t – our commitment
to Arkansas and its people.
Arkansas isn’t just part of our name.
It’s part of our heritage. Over the
years, we have invested in Arkansas
and Arkansans. We have become one
of Arkansas’ largest employers …
and one of the best. In fact, Arkansas
Blue Cross has been named one of
the Best Places to Work in Arkansas
by Arkansas Business for the sixth
consecutive year, an honor shared by
only three other companies.
Why do we consistently rank as one
of the best employers in Arkansas?
Because we also invest in our 2,900
employees – Arkansans who live
and work throughout the state – in
jobs ranging from claims-processing
and customer service to case
management, information technology
and data analytics.
Arkansas Blue Cross has been in a
position to grow and offer the kind
of jobs Arkansas needs to grow
and develop its workforce and
economy. The jobs we offer keep
young Arkansans from leaving home
in search of better jobs and attract
talented people from throughout the
country and the globe.
Our employees, in return, help keep
Arkansas strong. In 2016, Arkansas
Blue Cross employees paid $9.3
million in state income taxes alone
(not to mention the substantial
revenues they generate through
personal spending, in the form of
sales tax, property taxes, etc.),
strengthening our state by providing
funding for budget items like roads,
schools and vital, community-based
programs and services.
And our impact reaches far beyond
our headquarters in central Arkansas.
We’ve maintained sales and service
centers for more than 20 years in the
Fayetteville, Fort Smith, Hot Springs,
Jonesboro, Pine Bluff and Texarkana
areas. This regional presence delivers
convenience for our members and
groups and responsiveness to the
unique needs of the communities
where our members live, work and play.
We also are a proactive stakeholder,
and we work with our provider
partners to help shape and refine our
state’s healthcare delivery system.
We engage in innovative, Arkansasspecific
solutions to improve care
and to provide Arkansans with the
best possible value for their premium
dollars. We invest in education
for medical professionals, through
scholarships for medical students who
plan to work in rural communities, and
scholarships for nursing students.
Another way we invest in Arkansas
is through our Blue & You Foundation
for a Healthier Arkansas. Established
in 2001 as a way to partner with
communities to improve the health of
Arkansans, the Blue & You Foundation
has awarded more than $33 million to
more than 1,500 health improvement
programs over the past 17 years. We
are proud that we have funded at
least one project in each of Arkansas’
75 counties. In 2019, we will fund
projects that address such critical
health and social issues as overdoses
from opioids, food insecurity and
childhood obesity.
We have been fortunate that
throughout our 70 years, the state of
Arkansas has been a good business
partner, fostering an environment
that encourages us and other health
insurers to make local investments
and strive to provide affordable health
insurance products and services.
Because most healthcare is delivered
locally, we believe it is at the local,
community level where we are
most likely to innovate and find new
approaches to address the many
challenges healthcare faces today. As
we look to the future, we are hopeful and
optimistic that our state will continue to
be a good partner that encourages strong
local investments and promotes policies
that are needed to build a sustainable
and affordable healthcare system that
works for everyone.
Blue & You WINTER 2019 3

Thanks a
million,
Arkansas!
Tonight, there are families in Arkansas
who will sleep a little better. Tomorrow,
their kids will think a little better in
school, fueled by a healthy meal that
was packed and provided to them
through the efforts of neighbors who
care about their health and wellbeing.
Those neighbors include the employees
of Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield.
In 2018, more than 4,000 volunteers
throughout Arkansas joined Arkansas
Blue Cross employees with the goal
of packing at least 700,000 meals to
feed people in need. But this “Fearless
Food Fight” far exceeded that goal;
it provided 1.1 million meals to food
pantries throughout the state —
enough to feed one-third of Arkansas’
3 million residents.
Since December 3, 1948, 70 years ago,
Arkansas Blue Cross has been offering
reliable, affordable health insurance
coverage to Arkansans and providing the
peace of mind that comes with knowing
you and your family have access to
healthcare when you need it most.
But, through the years Arkansas Blue
Cross has been so much more than just
a health insurance company. We also
invest in communities statewide.
Investing in the communities we
serve — particularly in ways that
directly support improving health — is
part of our organization’s foundation
and is woven into the very fabric of
our company’s culture. So, it was
especially appropriate for us to make
community service an integral part of
our 70 th anniversary celebration. What
a way to commemorate this milestone.
What a privilege it has been to be in
the communities of our members, our
friends and neighbors, working elbow
to elbow to fight food insecurity in our
state. The need is real:
• 1 in 5 Arkansans struggle with
hunger. Children, senior adults and
rural residents struggle the most.
• Arkansas ranks first nationally
in the category “very low
food security,” at 8.1 percent.
Households that fall into this United
States Department of Agriculture
(USDA) category have more severe
problems, experiencing deeper
hunger and cutting back or skipping
meals on a more frequent basis.
• Arkansas ranks second nationally
in the number of people facing
food insecurity. According to a
recent report, 19.7 percent of
Arkansans do not know where
their next meal is coming from.
• Arkansas is ranked sixth
nationally in senior hunger. An
estimated 240,000 Arkansans age
60 and older are food insecure.
Getting great healthcare is important
to overall health – but many factors
contribute to overall wellness,
including where you live, the amount of
education you have, your social circles
and your economic stability (all social
determinants). Safety, activity, food and
many other social determinants affect
health, too. Access to nutritious food is
fundamental to good health. And it’s a
serious issue in our state.
“Arkansas Blue Cross already supports
programs that address many of the
social determinants of health,” said
Curtis Barnett, president and chief
executive officer of Arkansas Blue
Cross. “We will continue that support,
but for the next five years, we will
be working particularly closely with
organizations in the state that are
already doing great work focused
on helping people have access to
nutritious food.”
Making sure food is available is the
first step. Finding long-term solutions
will define our next step.
When we started on this journey in the
spring, we reached out to high-need
areas of the state, based on data and
advice we received from the Arkansas
Hunger Relief Alliance. We were looking
for hearts and hands that would heed
the call. And Arkansans answered.
From Bauxite to Batesville, Blytheville
to Fayetteville, from Fouke to Waldron
to Warren ... Arkansans came together
to fight hunger and feed their neighbors
in need.
In the conference rooms of businesses
and on the concourse of Bud Walton
Arena, in fellowship halls of faithbased
organizations and at Future
Farmers of America camps, on tennis
4
Blue & You WINTER 2019

SERVING ARKANSANS FOR
YEARS
courts and on convocation and
convention center floors, people
gathered to fight hunger.
“I can’t say enough about what a
great year it’s been traveling the
state and helping make a difference
in the lives of our neighbors in need,”
said Barnett. “Investing in and giving
back to our communities – serving
Arkansans where they live, learn,
work and play – has been part of our
mission since Day 1.”
“Peace of mind is served up in many
ways,” Barnett added. “Nutritious
food is one way. We know our
work is not done. But if we face
the future together, there’s no
limit to what we can accomplish.
Arkansas is our community. And
as with any community, it takes
everyone working together to make
it better and improve the lives of our
neighbors, members and employees
who call the Natural State home.”
THANK
YOU
to the thousands
of caring Arkansans
who helped us pack
more than 1.1 million
meals in our Fearless
Food Fight events in
communities throughout
the state! Thanks to you,
your friends and neighbors in
need are being fed through
local food pantries. Together,
we greatly surpassed our goal
of providing 700,000 meals to
battle food insecurity and mark
our 70 th anniversary.
THANK YOU
for a wonderful first seven
decades – for trusting us to
provide the peace of mind
that comes with knowing your
family’s healthcare needs are
covered. Since December 3,
1948, we have been dedicated
to that mission. And as a notfor-profit
mutual insurance
company, our commitment
remains to invest in
Arkansas and its people.
THANK YOU
for the opportunity to
continue to serve and
grow with you for the next
70 years ... and beyond.
Blue & You WINTER 2019 5

Antibiotics: to take or not to take?
Sneezing? Congested? Coughing? Ack!
Is it a cold or the flu? Either way, you
may think you need an antibiotic. That,
however, may not be the case.
For the past 70 years, doctors have
prescribed antibiotics to treat numerous
infectious diseases, and these drugs
have saved millions of lives and reduced
illnesses. Between 1945 and 1972, the
average human life expectancy increased by
eight years because antibiotics were used to
fight infections that previously would have
killed patients. Now, antibiotics are the most
commonly prescribed drugs by doctors, with
at least 150 million antibiotic prescriptions
written in the United States each year.
“Antibiotics are certainly a wonder of
modern medicine and have saved many
lives,” Randal Hundley, M.D., a medical
director at Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue
Shield, said. “However, most infections are
not helped by antibiotics. In fact, antibiotics
can cause harm, ranging from allergy or
diarrhea to infection with worse bugs or
even a rupture of the Achilles tendon.”
Superbugs
Many infections have started to resist
antibiotics, making them less effective
and even deadly. Scary!
Each year in the United States,
at least 2 million people become
infected with bacteria that are
resistant to antibiotics. At least
23,000 people die yearly as a direct
result of these infections. Antibiotic
overuse and misuse are the main
reasons behind this resistance.
For example, clostridium difficile (C. diff)
often is caused by overusing antibiotics.
C. diff can kill healthy bacteria in the
stomach and allow harmful bacteria to
grow in its place. This causes colitis, a
serious inflammation of the colon. C. diff
is one of the fastest-growing antibioticresistant
“superbugs.”
Other infections like medication-resistant
staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a
type of staph bacteria that also has
become resistant to many antibiotics.
Other diseases, such as tuberculosis and
gonorrhea, are becoming superbugs, too.
The federal Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention has declared
antibiotic resistance as one of the
most urgent threats to the public’s
health. Once, these superbugs
showed up primarily in healthcare
settings such as hospitals and
nursing homes. Patients with
weakened immune systems are
more susceptible to infections.
Superbugs are no longer isolated to the
sick and elderly. Superbugs now are
appearing in communities, and healthy
people could be at risk.
Antibiotics also can trigger adverse drug
reactions. In fact, 1 in 5 emergency room
visits caused by adverse drug events
involves an antibiotic. In children under
the age of 18, antibiotics are the most
common cause of emergency room visits
related to adverse drug events.
“The biggest concern, though, is that bad
bugs are becoming resistant even to very
strong antibiotics, which means that when
a person gets an infection, we may not
have any effective treatment for them,”
Dr. Hundley said. “The best thing to do is
to use antibiotics only when necessary.”
6
Blue & You WINTER 2019

Do you need an antibiotic?
The answer may be no!
You may not need an antibiotic!
Antibiotics cure bacterial infections but not
viral infections such as colds or flu, bronchitis
runny noses and most sore throats and coughs.
ILLNESS
Cold/runny nose
Bronchitis
Whooping cough
Flu
Strep throat
Sore throat
Fluid in middle ear
Urinary tract infection
USUAL
CAUSE
Virus
Virus / Bacteria
Bacteria
Virus
Bacteria
Virus
Virus
Bacteria
ANTIBIOTIC
NEEDED?
No
Maybe *
Yes
No
Yes
No
No
Yes
*
Bronchitis is an irritation of the bronchi (the airways that branch
off from the trachea into the right and left lungs). Bronchitis can be
both viral and bacterial. The most common pattern is for bronchitis
to start as a viral infection, but bacterial bronchitis can follow a
viral infection of the upper respiratory system. In fact, it is possible
to have both viral and bacterial bronchitis at the same time.
Precautions that
can help block
harmful bacteria
If you’re sick, make sure
your doctor has a clear
understanding of your
symptoms. Always discuss
whether an antibiotic or a
different type of treatment is
appropriate for your illness.
If antibiotics are needed,
take the full course exactly
as directed. Don’t save
the medicine for a future
illness, and don’t share your
medicine with others.
the
FIRST
antibiotic
British scientist Alexander Fleming
discovered penicillin, the first
antibiotic, in 1928.
Between 1940 and 1962, most of the
antibiotic classes used as medicines
today were discovered and introduced
to doctors.
During World War II, penicillin was used heavily
to treat battlefield wound infections and pneumonia.
Wash your hands often
with soap and water or
use an alcohol-based
hand sanitizer.
Maintain a healthy
lifestyle – including proper
diet, exercise and good
hygiene – to help prevent
illness and the overuse or
misuse of medications.
Don’t share personal items
like towels or razors.
Blue & You WINTER 2019 7

W e survived 45
surgeries this year!
Jen Bridgeman
Content and Communicationsa Manager
“In sickness and in health.” When you hear that
Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield
wedding vow, you might envision sniffles or a rare
tragedy. But life doesn’t always go the way you planned. In 2018,
my husband and I endured four surgeries (he says it was 5).
January started with a close call, when my husband’s appendix almost resulted in
emergency surgery. February gave me an excruciating knee injury and repair. April
brought my husband a much-anticipated sinus surgery. And August? He got the pièce
de résistance with a double knee replacement (he counts that as two surgeries)!
Our medical issues were not life-threatening but certainly tested our patience and
sometimes our creativity. As a result, we are much closer, value our health even
more and now are strong advocates for getting prepared for surgeries ahead of time.
What did we learn?
and this is
what we learned
Plan ahead, if you can
Sometimes (like when my hub’s “bad fish” turned
into an angry appendix) you don’t have a chance to
plan for surgeries. But often, you do. Talk to your
doctor or his/her scheduler about the best time for
surgery. The more time you have to prepare, the
better, though you don’t want to jeopardize your
health in the process.
Prepare yourself physically
Some surgeries, like those for knees, go better if
you are able to build strength before the big day.
Ask your doctor if you can go to physical therapy to
learn exercises that can help you support yourself
if you need to shift your weight from a healing leg
or build strength in a weaker arm. Losing weight
before a surgery also may help with your recovery.
Educate yourself
It is important to learn as much as you can about your
condition, the type of surgery you will have and the
possible outcomes, including setbacks. Some surgeons
offer classes for their patients, so they can learn about
their surgeries and ask questions.
Regardless, be sure you ask the staff the following questions:
a. How long will I stay in the hospital / surgical center?
b. How long should my recovery take?
c. Will I need special equipment (durable medical
equipment or DME) to help me when I get home
or immediately following surgery?
d. Can I get that equipment (e.g. crutches, walkers)
adjusted for my height before my surgery?
e. Can someone show me how to use my new equipment
before the surgery?
f. What medications will I need to take after my
surgery? For how long? Are there concerns about
addiction? What are the side effects? What if I’m still
in pain when the medication runs out? Is there an
alternative to pain medication if I have a reaction?
8
Blue & You WINTER 2019

DIY
A
lmost every surgery requires ice packs for recovery, and no matter how
many you have, you never have enough. Did you know you can make your
own gel ice packs for much cheaper than you can buy them in the store?
There are a number of different recipes online, but this is what worked for us.
2 1 2 1
cups
water
cup 90%
rubbing
alcohol
1. Cut open the diaper and pull out the inner absorbent material.
2. Put the material in one freezer bag and pour in the water.
The material will begin to turn into a gel.
3. Pour in the rubbing alcohol and squish the bag to mix it together.
4. Push the air out of the bag and seal it.
freezer
zip-top bags,
1 gallon
new
disposable diaper
(adult or large child)
5. Place the bag with the opening at the bottom of the second bag.
Make several packs at a time and freeze them. The alcohol will keep the water from freezing entirely, which makes it easier
to wrap around a limb. Always put a piece of cloth between your skin and the ice pack.
Prepare yourself mentally
You also should consider how you will mentally
handle your recovery if it will take several weeks
or months. Long, pain-filled days and nights, and
some medications, can lead to depression, and
healing can seem to take forever. Planning to watch
shows you enjoy, reading special books or setting
goals you easily can reach – like sitting outside on
sunny afternoons – can make time go quicker. If
your depressed feelings remain, call your doctor;
communication is key in recovery.
Prepare your home
A set of stairs in your home that are easy now can seem
like a mountain range after surgery, and the distance to
your bathroom suddenly grows by a mile. Before your
surgery, walk through your home and consider your daily
routine. Move necessities within easy reach. Practice
walking with your crutches or walker to be sure you
can safely get to all the places you will need to go.
Shampoo bottles on the shower stall floor, loose rugs in
your bedroom and kitties that demand to be picked up
also can create a danger (although there’s not much you
can do about your needy cat). If other obstacles concern
you, talk with your surgeon’s staff. You may need
additional DME to help you through the toughest times.
Speaking of DME, you might be surprised how many friends
and family members have crutches, walkers and bedside
commodes tucked away in closets. Ask if they have the
DME you need. Your health plan may cover some equipment
(Call us! See page 23), but it never hurts to find out what is
available within your inner circle. If you bring a borrowed
walker or crutches with you to surgery, make sure you are
not charged for additional equipment.
Depending on the type of surgery you have and the layout of
your house, it can be a complicated process returning to your
home and getting back to your room. If needed, ask a strong
friend or family member to be at your home after your surgery.
Your caregiver may not be able to do it alone, and you don’t
want him or her to get injured in the process.
Prepare your loved ones
Having surgery is tough, but caring for someone recovering
from surgery also is hard. Very hard. If you have a surgery that
will require an extended recovery, make sure you have a friend
or family member who will be able to help you through the
toughest moments. And have a frank discussion ahead of time
about the fact that you will not be at your best and that you
may not be the nicest person in the world. Those moments will
pass. It is important to remember that after you heal, you will
be healthier than you were before the surgery. That makes the
entire experience, as hard as it may be, easier for you and your
loved ones as you recover.
Blue & You WINTER 2019 9

FEARLESSFACES
Stop the bleeding!
Child’s rescue by fast-acting officer proves
value of Blue & You Foundation grant for kits
It happened in a flash: A blade. A
father’s rage-fueled lunge. A child’s
shrill scream. A mother fleeing in panic.
In an instant, what appeared to be a
routine police call became a life-anddeath
emergency. Fortunately, a small
packet provided by a health insurance
company was on the scene.
On April 29, 2018, Patrolmen Tyler Wilson
and Blaine Middlecoff of the Jonesboro
Police Department were dispatched to
perform a “civil standby” in a child custody
dispute. (“Civil standby” is police jargon
for those times when officers are called to
be on hand, just in case there’s trouble). In
this instance, a mother was picking up her
2-year-old daughter from the girl’s father.
In most cases, these calls are relatively
uneventful, aside from the occasional
tense exchange of harsh words. For several
minutes, this one appeared no different.
“They went into this really narrow hallway,”
Middlecoff recalled. “So I hung back around
the corner. At that point, it seemed like it
was going to be pretty routine.”
Then, as the mother picked up the child in
the darkened hallway and turned to leave,
the father produced a knife from his pocket,
almost simultaneously lifted it above his
head with the blade pointing downward
and wildly thrust it at the woman’s back.
His frenzied aim, however, was off.
Patrolman Wilson immediately drew
his weapon and went into arrest mode,
shouting commands to the attacker as
the mother fled from the house with her
terrified child. Wilson cuffed the father
without incident.
The shaken mother rushed past Middlecoff,
who had been just around the corner from
the confining corridor. Just as Middlecoff
saw that Wilson had the situation in hand,
he heard a panicked shout from outside
– “The baby got stabbed!” – and soon
realized events had gone terribly awry. He
saw “a heavy, pulsating flow of blood”
coming from the little girl’s right arm.
(Police later determined that the blade had
gone through the toddler’s right forearm
and into the back of her mother’s left arm.)
Immediately, Middlecoff’s mind flashed to
the “go bag” he had prepared and placed
in his patrol car at the beginning of his
shift. The Jonesboro Police Department
was able to equip each patrol car with
first-responder kits and trained officers to
use them, thanks to a grant from Arkansas
Blue Cross and Blue Shield’s Blue & You
Foundation for a Healthier Arkansas.
Middlecoff has the additional benefit of
prior experience with trauma tourniquets
from his time in the military.
“When I saw how she was bleeding, I
knew something had to be done as fast as
possible,” Middlecoff said. “I knew about
the CAT (combat application tourniquet)
type of kits, so I was pretty comfortable
with how to use it.”
As he scrambled to retrieve the kit,
Middlecoff directed the mother to apply
pressure to the wound, using the hood of
his car as a makeshift trauma table. He
tore into the bag and applied a tourniquet
to the upper portion of the injured arm and
pressed gauze to the wound site. As he
was applying the tourniquet and gauze, he
tried to comfort and reassure the distraught
child as best he could and hold pressure
Blaine Middlecoff
until emergency medical services (EMS)
personnel arrived a few minutes later.
“I don’t know if she could even understand
me, but I told her, ‘I know this is going to
hurt, and you’re not going to like it, but it’s
going to be OK,’ and I just kept trying to
talk to her to keep her as calm as I could,”
Middlecoff said. That’s when his attention
was called to the more superficial wound
to the back of the mother’s left upper arm.
Both the mother and child were
transported by ambulance to St. Bernards
Medical Center in Jonesboro. After being
stabilized, the child was whisked into an
air ambulance and flown to Le Bonheur
Children’s Hospital in Memphis, where
10
Blue & You WINTER 2019

“ When I saw how
she was bleeding,
I knew something
had to be done as
fast as possible.
“
– Blaine Middlecoff
patrolman for the
Jonesboro Police Department
Spencer Guinn, M.D.
the brachial artery bleed was surgically
repaired. Miraculously, she was discharged
the next day, with a total of six external
stitches – but very much alive and well.
Doctors later said that, because of the
nature and location of the wound, if the
needed equipment and supplies had not
been on the scene and used as Middlecoff
had been trained, the chances of the
child’s survival likely would have been
slim to none – even with a fast response
time by EMS personnel.
“When it was all over, it began to sink in as
to what just happened,” Middlecoff said.
“When you’re in the middle of it, you really
don’t have time to think about it.”
This incredibly positive outcome to this
terrible act of violence that threatened
the life of an innocent child was set in
motion years before that fateful day. The
city of Jonesboro had applied for grants
from the Blue & You Foundation in the
past and received funds for requests
ranging from adding 12 workout stations
to the Craighead Forest Park Trail to the
acquisition of emergency defibrillators
(which can be used even by nonmedical
bystanders to attempt to shock a heart
attack victim’s heart back into a more
normal rhythm). As the next grantsubmission
deadline neared, Jonesboro
Mayor Harold Perrin and his staff had
something similar in mind – with a
local connection.
Several years ago, former combat
surgeon Spencer Guinn, M.D., inspired
by his experiences during tours in Iraq,
got a group of like-minded Jonesboro
healthcare professionals together and
founded the nonprofit Stop the Bleeding
Foundation. The group trains and equips
first responders to use battle-tested
techniques to intervene in the trauma
cases, when mere minutes can mean
the difference between life and death.
Dr. Guinn, an orthopedic surgeon with
Jonesboro Orthopedics and Sports
Medicine, and his colleagues had been
spreading the word about the importance
of stopping or slowing blood loss as
quickly as possible, and Perrin and his
staff were listening ... and talking.
For years, Perrin has been part of an
informal network of municipal and county
leaders in northeastern Arkansas, and he
was spreading the message.
“Dr. Guinn had been asking me to help get
the word out about the Stop the Bleeding
Foundation and to help him get some
grants,” Perrin explained. “And, of course,
in city government, we are big believers
in grants. I have said many times that you
can’t run a city like Jonesboro on sales tax.
You need to find other sources of revenue
and funding to get the things you really
need. I firmly believe that these types of
public-private partnerships are the future.
We cannot get along without them.”
So the Stop the Bleed Foundation in
Jonesboro applied for a $149,334 to
purchase 600 Stop the Bleeding kits
(which cost about $100 each) and train
600 northeast Arkansas police officers
and firefighters to provide lifesaving
care using the kits.
“Fearless” continued on page18
Blue & You WINTER 2019 11

Blue & You Foundation awards $2.7 million in grants
to improve health throughout Arkansas
The Blue & You Foundation for a
Healthier Arkansas has awarded a
total of $2,733,532 in grants to 42 health
improvement programs that touch
the lives of many Arkansans – from
helping to train nurses ... to supporting
community gardens and food
programs ... to providing help in the
fight against opioid abuse ... or funding
dental services for the needy.
The grants awarded for 2019 are:
“Our grants for 2019 went to programs
throughout the state that address such
issues as nutrition and exercise, food
insecurity, emergency medical services
and medical professional education,”
said Patrick O’Sullivan, executive
director of the Blue & You Foundation.
About the Blue & You Foundation
Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield
established the Blue & You Foundation
in 2001 as a charitable foundation to
promote better health in Arkansas. The
Blue & You Foundation awards grants
annually to nonprofit or governmental
organizations and programs that
positively affect the health of Arkansans.
In its 17 years of operation, the
Blue & You Foundation has awarded
$33 million to 1,566 health-improvement
programs in Arkansas.
• Arkansas Children’s Foundation, Little Rock ($150,000)
The Tackling Asthma and its Social Determinants Program will train
200 school nurses in management of asthma through the Arkansas
School Nurse Academies.
12
• Arkansas Council on Economic Education, Little Rock ($12,350)
The Healthy Meals on a Tight Budget Program will educate 120 teachers
throughout the state (in pre-kindergarten through 12 th grade) to teach
their students about preparing nutritious, low-cost meals (through six
Cooking Matters workshops).
• Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance, Little Rock ($83,808)
The Produce Gleaning and Gardening Expansion Program will work
with three food banks to distribute fresh produce to 104,000 foodinsecure
Arkansans in 24 counties.
• Arkansas Immunization Action Coalition, Little Rock ($37,374)
The Arkansas Immunization Institution for Medical Assistants Program
will provide eight immunization trainings (with continuing education
credit) for approximately 250-350 Arkansas medical assistants.
• Arkansas State University Foundation, Jonesboro ($89,098)
The A-State SimBaby Project will purchase a pediatric simulator to
provide 125 nursing students at the Jonesboro campus with simulation
experience using a manikin (a model of the human body that is used
for teaching anatomy, first-aid, etc.)
• Arkansas State University-Mountain Home ($130,302)
The Enhancing Student Success with Simulation Program will purchase
simulation equipment, including a SimMan 3G and a female manikin.
• Arkansas Zoological Foundation, Little Rock ($143,500)
The Little Rock Zoo will construct a physically and mentally stimulating
playground to encourage families to enjoy the outdoors.
• Augusta First United Methodist Church ($10,000)
The Children’s Sack Lunch Program will provide healthy food for
30 children in the Augusta community during the summer and
on weekends during the school year.
• Baptist Health Foundation, Little Rock ($60,000)
The Healthy Active Arkansas Baby Friendly Project Phase II will
improve maternity care practices in delivery hospitals by adopting
the 10 Steps to Successful Breastfeeding and achieving the Baby-
Friendly Hospital designation.
Blue & You WINTER 2019
• Bost Foundation, Fort Smith ($6,546)
The ArTs at Bost Program will provide art classes and art activities for
95 individuals in Sebastian County who have behavioral health challenges
or developmental disabilities.
• Camp Aldersgate, Little Rock ($32,603)
The Playground Renovation Program will renovate the existing
playground, which serves approximately 400 special-needs children
and youths each year.
• Cherry Valley Food Pantry ($10,000)
The Food for the Hungry Program will provide weekly food to 80-100
food-insecure families in Cherry Valley and Vanndale in Cross County.
• City of Crossett Recreation Department ($100,000)
The Crossett Swim Again Program will repair and improve the
Crossett City Pool.
• City of Pine Bluff ($25,000)
The Community Garden Program will distribute fresh produce
to 50-100 families who are food-insecure.
• City of Pocahontas ($21,200)
The Health and Fitness Project will provide exercise equipment
for the Pocahontas Aquatic Center.
• City of Thornton ($27,772)
The Jaws of Life Program will purchase hydraulic rescue tools to provide
volunteer firefighters with the proper equipment to extract people from
vehicular accidents in a safe manner.
• City of Waldron ($135,000)
The City Park Phase II Program will construct a basketball court, a sand
pit with climbing boulders and dinosaurs and a playground area with
swings and connecting sidewalks for development of a multi-use trail.
• Criminal Justice Institute, Little Rock ($150,000)
The Expanding the Arkansas Naloxone Project will provide naloxone
administration training and 1,390 naloxone kits to 29 Arkansas lawenforcement
agencies.
• Dana’s House, DeWitt ($5,000)
The Education and Learning Center will provide learning equipment,
supplies, tutors and school expenses for 30-40 abused children.
• Danville Area Chamber of Commerce ($7,000)
The Danville Disc Golf Course Program seeks to increase the
health and fitness level of the Danville community.

• El Zócalo Immigrant Resource Center, Little Rock ($10,000)
The Health Literacy for English Language Learner Families Program will
improve access to healthcare and the quality of communication between
participants and healthcare providers in central Arkansas.
• Good Neighbor Food Cupboard, Diamond City ($10,631)
The Freezer Program will purchase a walk-in freezer for use in the food
pantry, serving 250 individuals monthly in this Boone County community.
• Hamburg Fire Department ($99,536)
The SCBA Replacement Program seeks to replace the department’s
noncompliant self-contained breathing apparati (SCBA) by purchasing
13 new SCBAs to protect the city’s 21 firefighters.
• Harvest Texarkana Regional Food Bank ($30,000)
The Mobile Hunger Relief Program will purchase shelf-stable foods and
fresh produce to be distributed (at mobile distribution events) to 14,000
food-insecure individuals.
• Henderson State University Foundation, Arkadelphia ($140,447)
Henderson State University will establish a Health Education Simulation
Center for 32 nursing students. The center will include simulation
equipment and professional-development services.
• Hope-in-Action, Hope ($12,000)
The Perishable Food Storage Program will purchase a walk-in cooler to
keep produce fresh for distribution to 300 monthly food pantry clients.
• Hot Spring County, Malvern ($54,240)
The Firefighter Protective Turnout Suits Program will provide two full
personal protective suits for each of 11 certified rural volunteer fire
departments.
• Ivy Center for Education, Pine Bluff ($2,433)
The Club Scrub Future Medical Professionals Program will hold an
eight-week workshop to interest 25 high school students in becoming
doctors or other health professionals in Jefferson County.
• McGehee Hospital ($145,960)
The Establish a Chronic Care Management Program will hire two nurses
to serve 300 patients who have chronic health conditions.
• Museum of Discovery, Little Rock ($87,750)
The Tinkering to a Healthier Brain Program will create a traveling exhibit
about healthy brain development for 20 network member institutions
throughout Arkansas.
• Philander Smith College, Little Rock ($149,978)
The Allied Health Simulation Lab will train 20 students yearly to become
nursing professionals in the central Arkansas area by developing an
Allied Health Simulation Lab for the accreditation of the nursing program.
• Project HOPE Food Bank, Hot Springs ($25,000)
The Senior Emergency Food Box Program will provide food to
900 senior citizens in the Garland County area.
• Samaritan Community Center, Rogers ($20,000)
The Samaritan Dental Hygiene and Oral Health Education Program
will provide oral hygiene services to uninsured adults and oral health
education opportunities to at-risk adults in northwest Arkansas
• Springdale School District ($150,000)
The Safe Playground Renovation Program will provide play areas at five
elementary schools in Springdale. The play areas will be open to the
community when school is not in session.
• Stop the Bleeding Foundation, Jonesboro ($149,973)
The First Response Lifesaving Kits for North Central Arkansas Trauma
Program will purchase 600 kits and train, certify and equip 600 north
central Arkansas police officers, firefighters and first responders to
provide lifesaving care in the field.
• Trumann Food Pantry ($25,000)
The Community Garden Project will expand the community garden
in Trumann (Poinsett County).
• University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS),
Little Rock ($133,247)
The AR-IMPACT (Improving Multi-disciplinary Pain Care and Treatment)
Program will continue its multidisciplinary video consultation team to
aid 1,700 healthcare providers in identifying and using viable painmanagement
solutions for patients who have issues with opioid use.
• University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (UAPB), Pine Bluff ($109,630)
The Nursing Department and Campus Enhancements Program will
provide enhanced clinical lab and automated external defibrillator (AED)
training for 24 nursing students attending UAPB.
• University of Arkansas Winthrop Rockefeller
Institute, Morrilton ($30,000)
The Rural Health Summit Initiative will retain and recruit primary care
physicians and increase the use of innovative healthcare solutions in
rural areas by convening 120 stakeholders in rural health.
• WelcomeHealth, Fayetteville ($40,913)
The Restorative Dental Care Project will provide dental care for 1,129
low-income adults and children in northwest Arkansas.
• White River Health System, Batesville ($60,520)
The Telemedicine Project will purchase two satellite backpacks for
telemedicine activities in areas that have little or no broadband support.
• Youth Home, Little Rock ($9,721)
The Youth Gardening for Emotional and Mental Health Program will
allow 64 youths to build gardens for their emotional health.
The application deadline for the foundation’s next funding
cycle is July 15, 2019. For more information about the
grant-application process, visit the foundation website
at BlueAndYouFoundationArkansas.org.
Online applications for $1,000 mini-grants to support healthimprovement
programs will open on January 1 and close at
midnight on March 15. Mini-grants are intended for any eligible
organization that has not received any funding from the Blue
& You Foundation for at least two years. Eligible organizations
include nonprofits, state and local governmental agencies, public
schools, churches and nonprofit hospitals. An organization may
receive a mini-grant in 2019 and still be eligible to apply for and
receive a regular grant later in 2019.
Blue & You WINTER 2019 13

Arkansas Blue Cross
offers tips to
protect Arkansans
from phone scams
A rkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield has been made aware
of recent robocalls that falsely claim to be made by “Blue
Cross Blue Shield.” The calls appear to market insurance
products by using the Blue Cross and Blue Shield (BCBS)
brands and coincide with approaching enrollment periods.
As a general rule, licensed Blue Cross and Blue Shield
companies do not refer to themselves publicly as ‘Blue
Cross,’ ‘Blue Shield’ or ‘Blue Cross Blue Shield’ and will
include specific information that identifies its corporate or
trade name in its communications.
To make it even more frustrating, the robocallers’ identity is
masked by “spoofing” technology, which shows a different
telephone number than the actual number from where the
call is placed. That makes it extremely difficult to identify
the source and take action to stop the calls. Additionally,
the “spoofing” technology allows for the same calls to
appear to come from different numbers, which prevents
consumers from effectively blocking them.
“Keeping our members safe from scams is very important
to us,” said Curtis Barnett, president and chief executive
officer of Arkansas Blue Cross. “Arkansas Blue Cross has
specific guidelines for outbound calls. By sharing this
information with our customers, we hope to help them
protect themselves.”
Here are some things Arkansas Blue Cross customer service
representatives will never do, will always do, and advice for
what to do if you are unsure.
We will never:
• Ask for a bank account number*
• Ask for an entire Social Security number
• Ask health information without first verifying
your identity
• Call after 9 p.m. CST
* On rare occasions, customer service representatives
may call customers who have issues with their payments.
These representatives will always verify their identities
by telling the customer the amount they previously paid.
We will always:
• Introduce ourselves and the company we represent
• Identify a customer’s health plan if it is through
an employer. Example: “This is Mary Jones from
Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield calling about
your plan with ABC Company…”
• Mention that the call is being recorded for training
and quality purposes
If you are not 100 percent sure a call is from
Arkansas Blue Cross, you can:
1. Ask for a confirmation number and hang up
2. Call the number listed on the back of their
insurance ID card
3. Provide the confirmation number to the customer
service representative who answers, and he/she will
direct the call to the person who originally called.
More information on overall healthcare fraud and reporting,
particularly the surge in robocalls, can be found here:
bcbs.com/healthcare-fraud.
14
WINTER 2019

Population health –
connecting patients, providers and payers
By Joanna M. Thomas, M.D.
Vice President of Clinical Strategy and Population Health
E
very year, Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield hosts an
educational conference for case managers around the state of
Arkansas. This venue has proven a valuable resource for clinical
staff to gain much-needed continuing education credits, network
and learn what is new and hot in the field of case management.
As 2018 was the 20th year for the conference, we wanted to
provide a high quality learning experience with broad appeal to
not just case managers, but other clinical staff around the state.
Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield’s annual case management conference
For the 2018 case management conference, we wanted to
host an event that championed a knowledge of the role of
population health in connecting all the important stakeholders
in the healthcare system. We were fortunate to secure not just
national thought leaders, but also local experts, from pediatrics to
palliative care and an update on the health status of Arkansans,
which showed that since more Arkansans now have healthcare
there was some good news!
The title of the conference was Population Health – Connecting
Patients, Providers and Payers.
Population health is the study of people and their health,
as influenced by their environment – where they live, eat,
work and play.
It is becoming more important for anyone involved in healthcare
to have a deeper understanding of these factors that influence
health. Where people live, eat and work play a bigger role in
overall health and well-being than had previously been fully
understood. While clinical symptoms and signs of disease, are
still very important, it is fast becoming clear that apart from a
person’s genetic makeup, the geographic location of where they
live may be among the biggest influences on overall health.
There is a common buzz phrase heard these days, “your ZIP code
is as important as your genetic code.” Factors such as, how safe
an area is, what kind of healthy eating options, access to fresh
foods and fitness opportunities – not just access to the gym, but
sidewalks, play areas for children and easy access to preventive
healthcare such as immunizations – play a huge part in the overall
health of a community.
Academic researchers have been investigating these nonclinical
dynamics that contribute to health status for some time. What
causes one group to enjoy good health and be more free of certain
diseases than other groups? Policymakers in both the public and
private sectors have a vested interest in examining the health
of such groups and the factors that influence it – like heredity,
healthcare infrastructure, individual behavior, habits, economic
climate, social environment and physical environment. Each of these
determinants affects individual and population health outcomes.
This event was attended by more than 700 clinical professionals.
It is our hope here at Arkansas Blue Cross that the professionals
who attended the conference left energized by their increased
awareness and understanding of population health – that we
are all in this together, and our common goal is to ensure the
people of Arkansas receive the right care, in the right place, at
the right time.
We believe it represents our best hope for understanding –
and improving – health in Arkansas.
Emcee:
Vic Snyder, MD
Corporate Medical Director for External Affairs
Speakers included:
David B. Nash, M.D., M.B.A.
Founding Dean, Jefferson College of Population Health
Mark S. Thomas, M.D.
Vice President of Population Management & Medical Director
of Palliative Care, Washington Regional Medical Center
Amy Stephenson, M.S.N., MHA, R.N., CCM
Population Health Nurse Director, Arkansas Children’s Care Network
J. Craig Wilson, J.D., M.P.A.
Health Policy Director
Arkansas Center for Health Improvement
Mary McLaughlin Davis, D.N.P., ACNS-BC, NEA-BC, CCM
Senior Director of Care Management, Cleveland Clinic
Blue & You WINTER 2019 15

Everyone knows exercise is a key component to a healthy lifestyle. Exercising outside brings even more benefits. It gives you a change of
scenery that challenges the mind and body, cleaner air and a free dose of vitamin D, courtesy of the sun. Plus, there’s no membership fee. It
may be easier to stick with an outdoor exercise program because it’s so much fun. Fortunately for Arkansans, we live in a state that is so rich
with outdoor opportunities that we are known as “The Natural State.” Outside in Arkansas is a series that highlights some of the best places in
the state to enjoy one of the best gyms in the world — the great outdoors.
WEmerald Park: A hidden gem in central Arkansas
Where can you find stunning views of river bluffs
and scenic overlooks and in one turn, enjoy
the Little Rock skyline? Emerald Park, right in
the middle of the Little Rock/North Little Rock
metropolitan area. It’s perfect for hikers, cyclists
and folks who just like to stretch their legs in the
great outdoors and want a quality daytrip.
This gem of a park occupies 135 acres along the
northern bank of the Arkansas River and is tucked
in
Arkansas
neatly behind the main campus of University of
Arkansas – Pulaski Technical College. The park
features cycling and hiking trailheads and a scenic
point. It’s also pet-friendly and accessible to people
with disabilities.
The Emerald Park Trail, a 5.3-mile out-and-back
trail, follows a bluff line along the North Little Rock
side of the Arkansas River, and offers stunning
views of the Arkansas River Valley (including
Pinnacle Mountain) and Little Rock. The trail is
paved and moderately flat and features parking
lots at both ends. For more adventurous visitors,
the trail also features several unpaved spurs that
provide access to scenic overlooks and the river
below. But, be sure to pay attention to the warning
signs – there are places along the towering bluffs
where it would be quite easy to fall.
So grab your gear and take a quick drive to
Emerald Park. The trail is open year-round and is a
wonderful place for a quick daytrip adventure.
ADDRESS:
Emerald Park // Marge Gardner Lane
North Little Rock, AR 72118
Features
• Scenic point • Cycling trailhead
• Hiking trailhead • Pet friendly
• Access for people with disabilities
16
Blue & You WINTER 2019

Time to
schedule a
Wellness
Visit
A healthy way
to kick off the
new year
We often end the old year wishing we had exercised more and
eaten less. Regrets are no fun, and the new year is the perfect
time to bounce back from any holiday overindulgences.
One of the best things to do? Schedule an annual wellness
checkup with your family doctor, also called a primary care
physician. This visit is vital to your health. It’s a chance for you
and your doctor to get together once a year when you are not
sick. That way, you have more time to talk about your health
concerns and ask about ways to stay healthy.
Going to the doctor, even for a wellness checkup, can be stressful
and, once you’re in the office, you may forget questions you may
want to ask.
Before you go to your appointment, make some notes to review
with your doctor. Here are some tips:
• Write down your existing health problems
• Write down any changes you’ve noticed, including when
the change began and what’s different now
• Make a list of your current prescription medications, including
the doses, how often you take them and who prescribed them
• Bring a list of any over-the-counter medications and
supplements you take, or bring them with you.
Children and teenagers
need wellness visits too!
Wellness Visit
A yearly appointment
with your doctor to create or
update a personalized prevention plan.
This plan may help prevent illness, based
on your current health and risk factors.
You also should review your complete medical and family health
history to see if anything has changed since your last checkup. You
may need to start a certain screening at an earlier age because a
family member was diagnosed recently with a disease or because
of other risk factors.
You may want to ask your doctor a few questions, like:
• Am I due for any vaccinations?
• What is the best exercise for me?
• Are my medications still relevant?
• Is there anything I can change in my life to be healthier?
During your appointment, there can be a lot of information to
absorb, and you may not understand everything. Don’t be afraid
to ask your doctor to repeat things. Take a notebook and jot down
some notes, so you don’t forget the advice after you get home.
This way, you can play an active role in your healthcare!
If you don’t have a doctor, call the customer service number on the
back of your ID card. Our friendly representatives can help you find
the best doctor for your needs (a list of customer service numbers
is located on page 23).
Blue & You WINTER 2019 17

“Fearless” continued from page11
When Patrick O’Sullivan, executive
director of the Blue & You Foundation,
saw the request come across his desk, he
thought it was a natural fit. The Blue &
You Foundation was established in 2001
to promote better health in Arkansas. In
its 17 years, it has awarded grants (in all
of Arkansas’ 75 counties) for more than
1,500 health-improvement programs
administered by nonprofit or governmental
organizations. These awards now total
more than $33 million.
“This request was a great match for our
focus on health, safety and wellness,”
O’Sullivan said. “At its core, this request
was about a type of early intervention that
can have a profoundly positive impact for
people in urgent need. I believe that is the
reason our Board of Directors so readily
recognized its merits and approved it. And
this case is the perfect illustration of what
a great investment it turned out to be.”
Those sentiments are echoed by everyone
involved in the grant and its most highprofile
success story. For Middlecoff,
who was named the Police Officer of the
Year in October by the Exchange Club of
Jonesboro (largely for his role in saving
the child’s life), the incident goes to the
heart of why he became a police officer.
“I have always wanted to help people
and make a difference in their lives,”
Middlecoff said. “And being able to be
there at the right time and use my training
and past experience to be able to help a
child have a life and a future … it was
just a great feeling.”
Perrin recalled how he felt when he first
saw the harrowing incident reported
that night on a local TV station’s 10 p.m.
newscast. “As mayor, to me it is so heartwarming
to have played a small role in
securing something that actually saved a
child’s life,” he said. “It makes me think,
‘How many more saved lives are we
going to have from the Stop the Bleeding
program?’ We have 169 police officers
patrolling 82 square miles, so there’s a lot
of potential there.”
18
Blue & You WINTER 2019
In fact, the city’s service-area footprint
is so large (second largest in the state),
Perrin hopes to outfit every city vehicle
with a Stop the Bleeding kit and train all
city workers on their use. “We have a lot of
area to cover, and we have a lot of people
operating large equipment,” he said. “Who
knows, next time, it could be a sanitation
worker who saves a life.”
Dr. Guinn agrees with that strategy, citing
recent reports to the Stop the Bleeding
Foundation. In one such incident, an
off-duty firefighter happened upon a
motorcycle accident victim and was able to
use the kit to render lifesaving first-aid.
Dr. Guinn adds that the incident involving
the child perfectly captures why he and his
colleagues started the Stop the Bleeding
Foundation – which is on track to provide
900 kits and training this year. “With
certain wounds to an arm or leg, it’s very
possible for a victim to ‘bleed out’ before
EMS can get there,” he explained. “So
when I heard about this case, it affected
me deeply on several levels. As a parent,
just to know that there are people out there
who could save my child in that kind of
situation, is a huge comfort. And then to
think of this child and what she could now
grow up and do and be … and that I
played some small part in getting the
equipment and training to the officer who
saved her life … it’s just beyond anything
I ever dreamed of.”
And Dr. Guinn says Arkansas Blue Cross
can take partial credit for the great
outcome. “That police officer might not
have had that kit in his hands had the
Blue & You Foundation not stepped in to
provide the funding,” he noted. “Without
that element, this could have been a very
different and much sadder outcome.”
Because of the success and effectiveness of the program,
the Blue & You Foundation announced that it will fund a
second-year grant of $149,973 to the Stop the Bleeding
Foundation in 2019 to provide kits and training to an additional
600 first responders in northeast and north central Arkansas.

Arkansas Works reporting requirement enters phase II
More changes are coming to Arkansas Works work-requirement program in 2019.
Beginning in January 2019, the Arkansas Department of Human Services (DHS) will
implement phase II of the work requirement plan, which requires enrollees to work,
volunteer or do job training for 80 hours per month to keep their Arkansas Works plan.
Here’s who is affected in phase II:
• Enrollees ages 19-29 (Phase I was individuals age 30-49)
• Enrollees below 138 percent of federal poverty level
(Phase I only included enrollees below 100 percent of the poverty level)
Not everyone’s work requirement will begin at the same time. Some members will have to
start reporting in January 2019. DHS will send each member a notice explaining when his
or her work requirement begins.
It is important for Arkansas Works members to report their work each month. If they fail
to report their work for any three months in a year, they will lose their Arkansas
Works health insurance coverage for the year.
If you need help reporting your work each month, an Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield
representative can act as your registered reporter. We can report your work activity for
you every month. For more information about using an Arkansas Blue Cross representative
as your registered reporter, please call our customer service team at 1-800-800-4298.
We’re here to help. If you have any questions about your work requirement, please call your
agent or our customer service team at 1-800-800-4298, Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. You
also can visit arkbluecross.com/works or call DHS at 1-855-372-1084 for more information.
Need coverage now?
Introducing Complete & Complete Plus
Do you know someone who needs affordable health coverage from now through the end of the year – and maybe beyond?
But wait, hasn’t the annual Open Enrollment Period passed?! No worries. We have a plan for that. In fact, we have a couple.
Our new limited-duration plans – Complete and Complete Plus
– provide coverage you can buy now, without having to wait
for the next Open Enrollment Period. These plans feature:
• Comprehensive coverage, with a choice of two term lengths:
– 364 days
– 36 months (3 years)
• Predictable copays for primary care doctors, with some
plan options also featuring copays for specialists
• Affordable monthly premiums
• Prescription drug coverage
Complete gets you covered at a great price.
Complete Plus offers the same peace of mind,
but with less out-of-pocket cost.
Complete and Complete Plus are great options for
individuals who need health coverage that fits their
budget and their life’s circumstances. If you’re not eligible
for an employer-sponsored health plan, missed Open
Enrollment or just need a more budget-friendly option
than you can get with more robust coverage options,
Complete and Complete Plus may be worth a look.
Complete and Complete Plus are scheduled to debut in
mid-January. For more information, call 1-800-392-2583.
Note: This coverage is not required to comply with certain federal market requirements for health insurance, principally those contained in the Affordable
Care Act. This coverage also is subject to medical underwriting. Be sure to check your policy carefully to make sure you are aware of any exclusions
or limitations regarding coverage of pre-existing conditions or health benefits (such as hospitalization, emergency services, maternity care, preventive
care, prescription drugs and behavioral health and substance use disorder services). Your policy also might have lifetime and/or annual dollar limits on
health benefits. If this coverage expires or you lose eligibility for this coverage, you might have to wait until an open enrollment period to get other health
insurance coverage.
Blue & You WINTER 2019 19

BlueNEWS
A “Sweet
Celebration”
Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue
Shield employees transformed the corner
of Sixth and Gaines streets in downtown
Little Rock into a “Sweet Celebration” for
the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure
participants on November 3, 2018. The
company’s candy-themed block party
featured a photo booth, free water, lip balm
and a dance party with DJ Hollywood.
Blue & You Fitness Challenge
Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield, the
Arkansas Department of Health and the
Arkansas Department of Human Services
are gearing up to kick off year 16 of the
Blue & You Fitness Challenge. The annual
contest is a free-to-enter, three-month
competition accessible to people in any
part of the country. The competition takes
participants on a virtual health journey –
earning stars and moving across a virtual
map as they log activity. Each new star
has an encouraging message and health
tip for prioritizing health in small but
meaningful ways. Participants should
earn at least 30 stars to complete the
Challenge.
The Fitness Challenge begins March 1
of every year. Businesses use the event
as part of their wellness programs, while
friends and family use the contest as a
chance to stay or get in shape, remain
connected and have fun.
Group registration for the Challenge
ends February 14; the deadline for
individuals is February 28. For more
information, call 1-800-686-2609 or visit
blueandyoufitnesschallenge-ark.com.
How to participate
1. Create a group of at least two people,
age 13+
2. Assign a group administrator, age 18+,
to register your group by mid-February
at blueandyoufitnesschallenge-ark.com
3. Have group members register by March 1
with the admin’s unique group code
Move, log and promote
From March 1-May 31, your team simply
logs exercises on our website. With more
than 30 eligible exercises and an “other”
category, too, your team can earn points for
activity they’re likely already doing. Your score
will be added in real time to the leaderboard –
which you can also print off and display.
Curious George at
Children’s Theatre
20
Boo at the Zoo
Volunteers from Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue
Shield manned a “spooky” tent at Boo at the
Zoo, the annual Halloween celebration held at
the Little Rock Zoo. More than 1,000 visitors
stopped by for healthy snacks, Halloween
treat bags and glow-in-the-dark slime.
Blue & You WINTER 2019
Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield
hosted a special showing of “Curious
George and the Golden Meatball” at the
Arkansas Arts Center’s Children’s Theatre
on September 30. We offered photo ops
with the Man in the Yellow Hat and had a
prize drawing. Tickets were free to families
who stopped by ArkansasBlue stores in
Little Rock, Pine Bluff and Hot Springs.
We host similar events a couple of times
a year. Check Blue & You magazine to
see when other events are coming up.

More than a decade of support
Over the years executives at Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue
Shield have done extraordinary — and often embarrassing
— things to raise money for the Juvenile Diabetes Research
Foundation’s fight to find a cure for type 1 diabetes. They have
performed in lip sync battles, taken their turns in a dunking
booth, competed in stick horse races and even shaved off a
35-year-old mustache, and in the process have raised
more than $100,000 for the cause.
This year, three Arkansas Blue Cross executives, Steve
Spaulding, David Bridges and Philip Sherrill, tried out the latest
dance craze — The Floss. In October, these bosses took the
stage at the JDRF One Walk to “floss” for a cure. Not only does
type 1 diabetes affect Arkansas Blue Cross members, but also
employees and their families. This cause is personal to Arkansas
Blue Cross executives because it, quite literally, hits home. But,
for more than a decade, Arkansas Blue Cross executives and
employees have hit back in the effort to find the cure.
2006
2008
2009
2010
2013
2014
Blue & You WINTER 2019 21

Is it a
Dental Emergency?
Many of us are not certain of what constitutes a dental emergency. Dental
emergencies can range from a dental abscess that could threaten your ability to
swallow and breathe, to a chipped tooth. A dental emergency could require a visit
to the emergency room, a routine visit to your dentist or potentially after-hours
care or consultation. You ultimately must determine the severity of the emergency.
This is why it’s a good idea to have your dentist’s after-hours contact information
available to determine the next steps for minor dental emergencies.
Toothaches Knocked-out Teeth Chipped Teeth
Toothaches can be a warning sign
that a cavity developing in a tooth is
invading the pulp chamber or nerve of
the tooth. Toothaches can range from
minor discomfort to severe pain that
may include swelling. If the discomfort
of a toothache is minor, you can treat
the symptoms until your dentist can
see you. An abscess or infection in your
mouth is more serious. You should set
an appointment with your dentist as
soon as possible.
Swelling occurring in the mouth that is
limiting your ability to breathe easily
or is leading to swelling outside of the
mouth should be treated as a true dental
emergency and evaluated quickly. If you
can’t reach your dentist, you should have
the problem evaluated immediately,
even if it means a trip to the emergency
room. Hospital emergency rooms are not
always able to treat dental problems,
but the problem can be evaluated to
determine if it is life-threatening.
Did you know that a tooth that has
been knocked out sometimes can be
reinserted and saved if it is handled
correctly? Pick up the tooth by the
top (crown) to prevent any additional
contaminants being added to the root.
Then, rinse the tooth gently to remove
any debris. Place a wash cloth or paper
towel in the sink when rinsing the tooth,
so you don’t wash it down the drain.
An adult whose tooth has been knocked
out can try to put the tooth back in the
socket and bite down gently to hold it
in place, but sometimes, you are unable
to place the tooth back in the socket.
Children shouldn’t try to place the tooth
back in the socket because they risk
inhaling or swallowing it. If you can’t
place the tooth in the socket, put the
tooth in a cup of milk and call your
dentist for an emergency appointment.
Milk is preferred to water in helping to
keep the tooth hydrated. Time is critical
because the longer the tooth is out of
the mouth, the lower the success of the
potential re-implantation.
A chipped tooth usually isn’t considered
a dental emergency unless it also is
painful. Be careful when chewing to
avoid further breakdown of the tooth.
You should make an appointment to
have the chipped tooth examined by
your dentist. Cracked or fractured
teeth are more serious and may
include damage inside the tooth. This
type of damage merits an emergency
appointment with your dentist. You
also should clean your mouth by rinsing
with warm water and consider taking
a nonprescription pain reliever, if
necessary. Never apply pain medicine
such as aspirin directly to the site, as it
can burn the gum tissue.
Many dental emergencies may be avoided by seeing your dentist for routine checkups and cleanings to ensure you have a healthy mouth
and identify potential problems before they occur. Regardless of how diligent we are, accidents happen! That’s why it is important to have
your dentist’s after-hours contact information. An emergency visit to your dentist likely is less expensive than a trip to the emergency room,
followed by a trip to your dentist. Be prepared! It may save your smile.
22
Blue & You WINTER 2019

“I don’t want to be perfect.
I only aim to be fearless
and resilient and myself.”
– Charlotte’s Web
Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield
to sponsor Charlotte’s Web
Join Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield for “Charlotte’s Web”
at the Arkansas Arts Center’s Children’s Theatre on Sunday,
March 24 at 4 p.m. Pick up your free tickets while supplies last
at ArkansasBlue stores in Little Rock, Pine Bluff and Hot Springs.
CUSTOMER SERVICE NUMBERS
May we help?
For customer service, please call:
Visit our websites for more information:
• arkbluecross.com
• healthadvantage-hmo.com
• blueadvantagearkansas.com
• blueandyoufoundationarkansas.org
TOLL FREE Number
Medi-Pak ® members 1-800-338-2312
Medi-Pak ® Advantage members 1-877-233-7022
Medi-Pak ® Rx members 1-866-390-3369
Arkansas Blue Cross members 1-800-238-8379
• Pharmacy questions 1-800-863-5561
• Specialty Rx pharmacy questions 1-866-295-2779
Arkansas Blue Cross Metallic members
(Gold, Silver, Bronze, Catastrophic) 1-800-800-4298
• Pharmacy questions 1-800-969-3983
Health Advantage members 1-800-843-1329
• Pharmacy questions 1-800-863-5567
BlueAdvantage members 1-888-872-2531
• Pharmacy questions 1-888-293-3748
Federal Employee members 1-800-482-6655
Arkansas State Employees /
Public School Employees 1-800-482-8416
Looking for health or dental insurance? We can help!
For individuals, families 1-800-392-2583
For employer groups* 1-800-421-1112
*Arkansas Blue Cross, Health Advantage and BlueAdvantage Administrators of Arkansas
Prefer to speak with someone close to home?
Call or visit one of our offices near you:
• Little Rock
2612 S. Shackleford Rd., Suite J 1-501-378-2222
• Fayetteville
516 East Millsap Rd., Suite 103 1-800-299-4109
• Fort Smith
3501 Old Greenwood Rd., Suite 3 1-800-299-4060
• Hot Springs
1635 Higdon Ferry Rd. – Suite J 1-800-588-5733
• Jonesboro
2110 Fair Park Blvd. – Suite I 1-800-299-4124
• Little Rock
601 S. Gaines St. 1-800-421-1112
• Lowell
507 W. Monroe Ave. – Suite B 1-888-872-2539
• Pine Bluff
509 Mallard Loop Dr. 1-800-236-0369
• Texarkana
1710 Arkansas Blvd. 1-800-470-9621
PAY YOUR
B I L L
To pay by phone * ,
please call
1-800-354-9904
*Medicare Advantage and Prescription Drug plan product
members must call Customer Service to discuss available
payment options. Health Advantage conversion plans are not
eligible for online, mobile or pay-by-phone payment options.
Blue & You WINTER 2019 23

Fingerprint ID added to My Blueprint mobile app
If your mobile device supports fingerprint ID, you now can use it to access your health information
inside the My Blueprint Mobile app. Fingerprint ID access is available for both iOS and Android users.
How it works:
1.
After enabling
fingerprint ID on
your device, sign
in to My Blueprint
Mobile and
select “Settings.”
2.
Tap
“Fingerprint
ID” in the
menu.
3.
Choose “Set
Fingerprint
ID,” and
you’re done!
You can use the app to:
Access your electronic member ID card and
email or fax it to dependents or providers
Review the status of claims and claims history
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Note: Fingerprint ID access will remain in place until you change your password or create a new
account. If you change your password, you’ll need to reactivate the setting within the app.
My Blueprint Mobile is available in the App Store ® and Google Play.
Check your deductible
Find care
Estimate your treatment costs
Access health information