Ageless - AUTUMN 2022

FEEL GOOD STAY ACTIVE WE’LL HELP
AUTUMN 2022
Ageless
Open Enrollment
for 2023 Coverage
pg. 2
The Case for Case
Management
pg. 4
Taking on High
Blood Pressure
pg. 7

Open Enrollment
for 2023 coverage
Choosing a health plan is an important decision, and
Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield’s experts are here to
help. If you need individual or family health coverage, the
Open Enrollment Period (OEP) begins November 1, 2022
and continues until January 15, 2023. You must enroll by
December 15 for coverage to begin
on January 1.
If you already have health coverage
with us, now is the time for you to
review your information and decide if
you want to keep your current health
plan the way it is or make changes.
Updating your coverage
Enroll by December 15
for coverage
to begin on January 1
November 1 , 2022
to
January 15, 2023
2 Ageless AUTUMN 2022
Watch your mail for your annual
benefit update letter, which will
explain your options in detail. If you
want to discuss a new health plan:
• Call 800-392-2583 to talk
with one of our health
insurance experts.
• Visit an ArkansasBlue
welcome center. To find
a location near you, visit
arkbluecross.com / locations.
During open enrollment, most
welcome center locations
will even be open on Saturdays.
• Visit arkbluecross.com
to shop for a new plan.
• Call your local agent.
Whether you keep your current
health plan or change to a new
one, Arkansas Blue Cross is
happy to help your family get
the coverage you need.

Always have your
member ID card
11:44
Have you ever stood at a receptionist’s desk or pharmacy
counter frantically rifling through your wallet in search of
your member ID card while the long line of people behind you
grows increasingly impatient? It’s happened to the best of us.
Fortunately, the Blueprint Portal mobile app can make such
unpleasant scenarios a thing of the past. Now you can have
instant access to your digital member ID card (and the cards
of your dependents) right on your smartphone.
When you download the app, you get access to your health
plan and features like on-demand virtual healthcare,
wellness programs, health records, real-time claims
information, estimated treatment costs and policy
information. You’ll also have your member ID card.
You can access your ID card in the app the day your
coverage is effective. So, if you’re currently a member,
you can download it today. Once you have the Blueprint
Portal app you can email or fax your digital ID cards to
doctors, family members, or anyone else who needs it.
You also can order replacement IDs.
MENU
Medical ID Card
Jane
Flip Card
Email Fax Mail
PCP/PHONE#
JOHN A SMITH
(501) 555-1234
Copay: $20/$35
Coins: 20%
RX Copay: $12/35/55/100%
Open Access POS
Home ID Card Claims Find Care
Use the QR codes to the right to visit the App Store or
Google Play to download the Blueprint Portal app and
carry your member ID card everywhere you go.
PCP/PHONE#
JOHN A SMITH
(501) 555-1234
Copay: $20/$35
Coins: 20%
RX Copay: $12/35/55/100%
Open Access POS
Ageless AUTUMN 2022 3

The Case for Case Management
The healthcare system can be confusing and
complex. Dealing with a new diagnosis of a
chronic illness, facing surgery, or multiple
conditions can be overwhelming. That’s where
Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield case
managers can help.
A case manager is your advocate, on your side,
to help you. Case managers can work with
Benefits of having
a case manager:
your doctors to help develop a plan. They can
also find doctors and clinics and help make
appointments. They can ask questions you
might not know to ask or are afraid to.
Case managers are registered nurses and
certified case managers, which means they
have the experience and knowledge needed
to help you.
Have better communication with your doctors
and other providers.
Get the proper healthcare. Help you see the
right providers at the right time in the right place,
guiding you through the healthcare system.
Make better decisions by understanding your
condition and your benefits. Get the information
you need to make decisions about your
treatment options and insurance coverage.
Stay healthy through preventive care. Your
case manager can share ways for you to stay
healthy and avoid illness when possible. They
can also connect you with a social worker to
help find local resources if you need help with
transportation, food, housing, utilities and more.
4 Ageless AUTUMN 2022

Is case management
available for you?
Medicare Advantage
PFFS
Most of our members have case management
available if needed. There is a good chance
you qualify if you have:
Medicare
HMO
Medicare
PPO
For Case Management programs and information, call 800-285-6682.
A Passionate Advocate
“She needed an advocate and
guidance,” said Ashley Stormes,
an Arkansas Blue Cross and
Blue Shield social worker, about
a recent member case that
came to her attention. Sheila’s
needs were brought to Stormes
by Ann Furlow, a Registered
Nurse case manager for Blue
Cross and Blue Shield.
“This patient came to my
attention after calling customer
service needing resources,”
said Furlow. “Sheila had been
case-managed in the past by
one of my co-workers, so she
was aware of the assistance
the case management program
could provide.”
Sheila had been recently
diagnosed with stage three
rectal cancer and needed to
receive six weeks of daily
chemotherapy and radiation
treatments at the University of
Arkansas Medical Sciences’
Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer
Institute. The problem? Living
two hours away from UAMS,
Sheila could not drive or get
transportation to Little
Rock. She also dealt
with multiple mental
health issues that made
making the necessary
arrangements for the
needed care impossible.
This is where Arkansas
Blue Cross stepped in.
Stormes set on an
extensive search for a
place for the member to stay
while going back and forth from
UAMS for cancer treatments.
One of the hurdles Stormes
had to clear was keeping the
temporary housing affordable.
“After many calls and what
felt like daily changes, I found
an apartment complex called
The Goodness Village of
Little Rock,” said Stormes.
“They offer very clean and
assessable apartments for
people and families going
through medical struggles.
It’s located close to UAMS.
The cost is very, very minimal
compared to other options.
As a case manager, we
can impact change and
hopefully improve the
outcome of the member’s
healthcare experience.
– Ashley Stormes
Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield social worker
And, in this case, the rate was
able to be covered by UAMS.”
The story has a happy ending.
Sheila got her chemotherapy
and radiation treatments and,
according to Stormes,
is currently “stable.”
“The most satisfying thing
about being a case manager
is meeting so many different
members and their care
teams,” said Furlow. “I love
that as a case manager,
along with my team of social
workers, we can impact change
and hopefully improve the
outcome of the member’s
healthcare experience.”
Ageless AUTUMN 2022 5

WAYS to
SHOO the FLU
We spent so much emotional and mental bandwidth
dealing with COVID and its variants that it shouldn’t
be any surprise we wouldn’t have much will left to
fight off the flu.
Despite what we might wish, a new flu season is ahead.
The best way to avoid the flu and its possible serious
complications? As usual, the answer is to get your
seasonal flu vaccine.
Who should get the flu shot?
There are a variety of types of flu vaccines, making
it easy for most people over the age of 6 months
to receive a flu shot. Standard-dose inactivated flu
vaccines are approved for people as young as 6
months of age. High-dose inactivated vaccines are
approved for people 65 years and older. Even people
with egg allergy can get a flu shot.
The flu shot isn’t the only line of defense against this contagious
respiratory virus. Here are ways to lessen your odds of getting the flu.
Avoid close contact
Keep your distance
from others if they
or you are sick.
Sick? Stay at home
If you have the flu,
don’t be a hero. Stay
at home and put off
errands that would
expose you to others.
Practice other good health habits
Clean and disinfect frequently touched
surfaces at home, work, or school –
especially when someone is ill. Get
plenty of sleep, be physically active,
manage your stress, rink plenty of
fluids, and eat nutritious food.
Avoid touching your eyes /nose /mouth
Germs can spread when a person
touches something that is contaminated
with germs and then touches his
or her eyes, nose, or mouth.
6 Ageless AUTUMN 2022
Cover your mouth /nose
Your mother was right.
Cover your mouth and
nose when you cough
or sneeze. This way
microscopic droplets that
carry influenza have less
chance of infecting others.
Clean your hands
Washing your hands often will
help protect you from germs. If
soap and water are not available,
use an alcohol-based hand rub.
Sources: CDC

Taking On
High Blood
Pressure
Until you have high blood pressure, those
numbers given out after the squeezy arm
cuff is taken off don’t mean a thing.
140 over 85. Is that OK?
When you have high blood pressure, you understand
that the higher number is the Systolic and the lower
number is the Diastolic. You also understand that
140 over 85 is not where you want your blood pressure.
The general rule is to get the Systolic number under 120-
and the Diastolic number under 80. Medicine is usually
prescribed to treat high blood pressure. However, there
are things that can be done outside the doctor’s office
to bring your blood pressure numbers down.
Lose Weight
Exercise regularly
Adjust your diet
Limit the alcohol
Even 10 pounds
can make a
difference.
30 minutes a day most
days of the week is
recommended.
Add in whole grains,
fruits, vegetables and
low-fat dairy products.
High blood pressure risk goes up
with more than one drink a day for men
and women older than 65 and for more
than two a day for men under 65.
Cut back
on the salt
Quit smoking
Get enough sleep
Reduce your stress
Use herbs or
spices instead.
Each cigarette
increases blood
pressure for many
minutes after you finish.
Fewer than six hours of
sleep for weeks or months
at time can contribute to an
increase in blood pressure.
Easier said than done but finding
ways to keep stressful situations
to a minimum can get your blood
pressure where it needs to be.
Ageless AUTUMN 2022 7

Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield
P.O. Box 2181
Little Rock, AR 72203-2181
Please note: This newsletter is for health education purposes only. We do not offer medical advice or
services. Always consult your treating physician(s) for any medical advice or services you may need.
Ageless
A
publication for Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield
Medicare Advantage members.
00005.04.01-1022 HEALTH AND WELLNESS OR PREVENTION INFORMATION
Blue is your plan!
We’re here to help when you need us.
Nurse care (Nurse24)........................................................800-318-2384
Fitness (SilverSneakers)...................................................888-423-4632
Hearing aids (TruHearing).................................................833-750-5898
Surgery (Welvie)...............................................................866-433-1343
Document medical wishes (Welvie)................................877-434-6168
Telehealth (MDLive)..........................................................877-540-2082
Dental (LSV)......................................................................888-223-4999