Ancillary services include:

• lab work such as blood tests, urine analysis, etc. that are provided by independent labs;
• medical equipment such as hospital beds, crutches, wheelchairs, oxygen tanks or respiratory therapy machines that are rented or purchased from a retail store or ordered and shipped to your home; and
• specialty prescriptions such as injectables and infusion therapies, which are provided by a specialty pharmacy.

When your doctor requests these services, make sure they are covered under your health plan. You should also make sure the provider participates in your network.

If you or your doctor is not sure, visit your insurance carrier’s website.  For questions or information concerning your benefit coverage, call the Customer Service number on the back of your ID card.

If your carrier is Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Louisiana, go to www.bcbsla.com and click on Find a Doctor or Drug, then click on Doctor and Hospital Search. To find a doctor or hospital outside of Louisiana, visit www.bcbsla.com and click on Find a Doctor or Drug, then click onNationwide Directory.

You may choose to copy two years worth of your claims data to your WebMD personal health record by clicking “Copy my claims data to my WebMD personal health record.” WebMD will require a separate account registration to match members’ claims to their accounts, which is covered in the opt-in disclaimer upon election. (Any issues pertaining to the account registration for Copy my claims data to my WebMD personal health record should be directed to WebMD by using the Feedback link.)  New claims will be updated automatically, so that your Personal Health Record is kept up to date.

Also, you may now change your Communication Preferences on the  BCBS website, to opt in or opt out of various types of communications methods, which are listed on the Access Your Account member web portal. Click on Account Management, then click My Preferences to choose these service options. Members may choose to receive eNewsletters and other communication via email.

Photo credit: stockmedia.cc – stockarch.com

The program provides optimal flexibility in terms of member health goals, budget and time. You simply need to log on to www.bcbsla.com and Access Your Account. From there, click onBlue 365 Wellness Discounts. Follow the prompts to access the Blue365 site and all of the healthy discounts and sa vings programs available, including diet and weight control programs, athletic wear and gear, hearing and vision care, healthy travel, and much more. This new Healthways Fitness Your Way offer is available under the Healthy Choices/Fitness category.

Healthways Fitness Your Way includes a one-time $25 enrollment fee and $25 monthly fee (plus any applicable sales tax), with a three-month commitment, in which members pay directly for unlimited access to the following:

• The Fitness Network. An unlimited fitness membership that can be used at over 8,000 fitness centers nationwide anytime and anywhere, and over 100 in the state of Louisiana. For example, they can visit a participating Curves in the morning and a participating SNAP Fitness at night.
• The Discounts. Discounts on over 40,000 nationwide health and well-being specialists such as massage therapists, personal trainers, nutrition counselors and over 30 vendors such as Pro Flowers, Red Envelope, Leisure Fitness, etc. offering discounts from 10% to 30% on average.
• The Daily Challenge. Engagement-driven challenges through social networking, gaming and rewards.
• The Online Support. 24/7 access to online tools, trackers and coaching.

To access Blue365 Discounts:

• Members must log in to their account on www.bcbsla.com. Click My Health, then click Blue365 Discounts and finally select Find Blue365 Wellness Discounts.

• The $25 coupon for use at retail stores is available only to new H&R Block clients. H&R Block defines a new client as one who did not use H&R Block office services to prepare the prior year tax return.

• The $25 coupon is available now and expires April 30, 2012.

Aristotle said that  that nature abhors a vaccuum. Rather than focusing on stopping smoking, try replacing it with something else. For example,

One man, who spent years trying to quit, found the only thing that really worked was running.

This man no longer craves cigarettes. He does say he’s now addicted to running, but that’s a much healthier addiction.

One couple calculated how much they spent on cigarettes every month. Then they spent that amount on payments for a new car. Every time they wanted to have a cigarette, they took a few minutes to enjoy that “new car smell” and that encouraged them to refrain from smoking.

There is also a lot of helpful information at the smokefree.gov website, so if your New Year’s resolution was to go smoke-free and you haven’t been successful yet, don’t give up – get creative!

What You Need to Know:
Because Walgreens is no longer a network pharmacy, using them to fill your prescriptions will cost you more out-of-pocket and out-of-network benefits will apply. This means you would have to pay for your medication in full when you pick it up and you would need to file your own claim. Further, we can reimburse you for only what we would have paid a network pharmacy, less any copayments, deductibles or cost sharing you may have according to your health plan.

You will get the highest level of benefits when you fill prescriptions at a network pharmacy. For this reason, we encourage you to manage your prescription costs carefully by using a pharmacy in your network.

Finding Another Pharmacy:
There are many network pharmacies that are eager to serve our Blue Cross and HMO Louisiana members. To find a network pharmacy that works for you, just go to www.Express-Scripts.com. Or, you can log in at www.bcbsla.com and click Manage Medication. If you don’t have an online account yet, registration is easy, just click Register and follow the instructions.

Moving Your Prescription:
Moving your Walgreens prescriptions to another pharmacy is easy. Simply ask your new pharmacy to call the Walgreens you use; or, take your current prescription bottle and your prescription ID card to your new pharmacy. You can also visit www.StartHomeDelivery.com to begin receiving up to a 90-day supply of your maintenance medications (those you take regularly) at home.

If you need help finding a pharmacy or transferring your prescriptions, please visit the Express Scripts website at www.Express-Scripts.com or call them toll free at 877-508-1379.

Be safe.

Almost everyone can exercise safely during cold weather. But there are some health conditions that should keep you indoors. If you have asthma, which causes trouble breathing, you should exercise indoors. Also, if you have heart problems, see your doctor before you exercise in cold weather. Your doctor can review any special precautions.

Dress in layers.

Here is an odd fact. Dressing too warmly is among the biggest mistakes you can make while exercising in cold weather. Exercise generates a lot of heat. In fact, exercise makes you feel like it’s much warmer than it really is. Yet, once your sweat starts to dry, you can get cold.

Do your warm-up.

Before you exercise outdoors, do your stretching inside. After your outdoor workout, you should also do your cool down inside. After your workout is finished, don’t stand around in your damp clothes. You should go inside right away.

Read the rest here!

Maximize your HSA tax savings.

Contributions to your HSA are free from Federal, State* and FICA taxes; so, be sure to contribute the maximum allowable amount each year. The IRS maximum allowable amounts for 2012 are:

• $3,100 for individual coverage
• $6,250 for family coverage

If you are 55 or older, you can contribute an extra $1,000 every year. You can use your Health Savings Account (HSA) to pay for a wide range of eligible medical expenses for yourself, your spouse or tax dependents. Funds used to pay for eligible medical expenses are always tax-free and you can continue to use your HSA funds even if you’re not covered by an HSA-compatible plan.

Examples of Eligible Medical Expenses**

• Chiropractor
• Doctor’s fees
• Dental treatments (including X-rays, braces,
• dentures, illings, oral surgery)
• Dermatologist
• Hearing aids and batteries
• Prescription drugs and medicines
• Telephone or TV equipment to assist the
• hearing or vision impaired
• Therapy or counseling
• Vision care (including eyeglasses,
• contact lenses, LASIK surgery)

For a more complete list of HSA eligible medical expenses, click here.

Who is Express Scripts?

Express Scripts is the pharmacy benefit manager for Blue Cross and HMO Louisiana customers.  Express Scripts’ job is to negotiate contracts nationwide on behalf of health plans like Blue Cross.  They help keep costs down and prescriptions affordable.

Walgreens most recent proposal includes demands that are out of line with industry norms.  If Express Scripts were to accept Walgreens’ current demands, it would mean higher costs of you – either at the pharmacy or in your monthly premiums.

We are confident that Express Scripts is doing everything in their power to find a solution to the Walgreens dispute; however, Walgreens maintains that they will no longer be a network pharmacy, for our members whose pharmacy benefits are administered by Express Scripts,effective Jan. 1, 2012.

We have used every opportunity to work with Express Scripts to aid them in coming to a resolution, but Walgreens must decide to stay and agree to the competitive and reasonable rates Express Scripts has offered.

If You’ve Received a Letter from Walgreens:

We understand that Walgreens has been handing out notices and sending direct mail to BCBS members. Some pharmacists have even stopped our members at the pharmacy to talk about Walgreens’ decision to leave the Express Scripts pharmacy network. Naturally, this has caused some questions and concerns from our members. The information on this page should clear things up for you.

Here’s what you need to know:

• You will continue to have the same high-level pharmacy benefits when filling prescriptions at Walgreens until Dec. 31, 2011. Please note that it will cost you more out-of-pocket and out-of-network benefits will apply if you use Walgreens after they leave the network.
• Using a pharmacy that is not in the network means you will have to pay for your medication in full when you pick it up and you must file your own claim. Further, we can reimburse you only for what we would have paid a network pharmacy, less any copayments, deductibles or cost sharing you may have according to your health plan.
• You will get the highest level of benefits when you fill prescriptions at a network pharmacy. For this reason, we encourage you to manage your prescription costs carefully by using a pharmacy in your network.

It’s Easy to Change Pharmacies. Here’s how:

Based on Walgreens’ warning that they will leave the network at the end of the year, we encourage you to begin looking for a new pharmacy and transferring your prescriptions now to avoid any delays later. There are often several other network pharmacies in your area – many are very close to a Walgreens you have used.

To find a network pharmacy that works for you, just log in at www.bcbsla.com and click Manage Medication. If you don’t have an online account yet, registration is easy, just click Register and follow the instructions.

The next step is simple! Transfer your prescriptions to the new pharmacy by doing just ONE of the following:

• Take your prescription bottle or packaging to your new pharmacy; they will contact your old pharmacy to transfer your prescription, or
• Ask your doctor to call your new pharmacy with your prescription information, or
• Visit www.StartHomeDelivery.com to begin receiving up to a 90-day supply of your maintenance medications (those you take regularly) at home.

If you need help transferring your prescriptions, please visit the Express Scripts website atwww.Express-Scripts.com or call them directly at 1(877)508-1379.

For more information

• Frequently Asked Questions
• Express Scripts web page on Walgreens negotiations
• Express Scripts Customer Service – 1.877.508.1379

*Express Scripts, Inc. (ESI) is an independent company that serves as the pharmacy benefit manager for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana and HMO Louisiana, Inc.

image by stockmedia.cc – stockarch.com

Enjoy your holiday feasts without punishing your body

You’ll arrive at a holiday dinner table wanting to do the right thing. You are just going to take a little bit of food on your plate. But you just cannot stop yourself from piling on the ham or turkey. Or the mashed or sweet potatoes. Or all the tasty pies. You eat and eat and eat.

And you know you’ll end up feeling overstuffed. Why can’t you stop eating? Some of the reasons are because that’s the way the body works. But the good news is that with a little practice, you can control your eating.

The Washington Post reports what happens to your body during holiday meals. As you approach the table, you start with the sights and smells of good food. Your brain tells your stomach to get ready.

When you begin to eat, food goes down your throat and into your stomach. The top part of your stomach stores the food. Then the lower part of your stomach prepares to digest it.

Then your stomach muscle will begin squeezing open and shut about three times a minute. At this point, your stomach is shaped like a fist. It mashes the food further.

Most experts say the average stomach ordinarily holds about one or two cups of food. During the holidays, it may take on twice that amount. Sometimes the stomach will handle even more. As more and more food is eaten, the stomach stretches like a balloon.

And that feeling’s going to stick around awhile. If you fill up with fatty foods, it slows down the digestive process. That fullness may be just the first problem you feel. If the stomach’s too full, its contents may push up against the diaphragm. The diaphragm is the area just below your lungs. If your meal has been especially fatty, you might even taste acid in your mouth. The pressure and burning add up to what we call heartburn. Heartburn has nothing at all to do with your heart.

If you get so full your stomach can’t hold any more, there are only two ways the food can go. The path of least resistance is up.

Walk it off.

So, how can you lose the “stuffed” feeling you get from overeating? You could take a gentle walk to help get things moving. But do not run. If you run, your heart will send blood to your leg muscles. To get rid of the uncomfortable feeling, you need blood to go to your stomach. The blood going to your stomach will help break down your food.

Running on a full stomach can also have another bad effect. It could cause your stomach to start working too hard. Your stomach may try to get rid of all the food at once and cause you to vomit.

Burping can help relieve the pressure built up inside you. Most of that gassiness results from your having swallowed air while eating quickly. When you eat your holiday meal, don’t gulp. Carbonated drinks will not get rid of your gas problem. They simply add more gas that your body needs to release.

Joan Salge Blake is an American Dietetic Association spokeswoman and Boston University dietitian. She says that usually food is digested in about 12 to 24 hours. After holiday meals, it may take longer. That’s because of all the fatty foods you ate.

Fool your stomach.

“You can outsmart your stomach,” Salge Blake said. “That way, you will feel better after your meal.” As we said earlier, fat makes food stay in the stomach longer. So, to reduce discomfort, trim some of the fat from the meal.

Adding lots of low-fat, vegetable-based side dishes will help, she said. Salge Blake also said you should eat foods with lots of fiber. Fiber passes intact through your system. So it will help move food through your system. Salge-Blake also said that liquid leaves the stomach faster than solids. So you could start your meal with a thin, broth-based soup.

Salge Blake has one final bit of help. She said to try not to put all the food on the table at once. Serve courses instead. Start with that broth-based soup. Then serve a vegetable-filled salad with a low-fat dressing. By the time you have eaten the first two courses, she says you’ll feel fuller. So, you are not as hungry and less likely to overeat at one sitting.

Other problems with overeating.

So now we all know that the holidays are a time of overeating. All those good dinners, desserts, and drinks lead to weight gain. But many of us already know that. We can also see the weight gain in the mirror. Or feel the weight gain as the clothes we wear get tighter.

There are other things that happen to our body when we overeat. Things that we cannot see.

National Public Radio reports that the inside of your body changes when you overeat. Doctors and researchers say that overeating causes biological changes in the body. These changes can lead to more food cravings. The changes cause your stomach to send mixed signals about when it’s actually full. As the years go by, those holiday pounds add up.

Dr. Rita Redberg is a cardiologist at the University of California at San Francisco. Each January, she sees many patients lugging around an extra five pounds. Or more.

“We’ll have a very earnest talk in October about weight loss,” Redberg said. “Then the visit in January after the holidays is generally a weight gain. And I see that commonly in my patients,” she said.

Year after year, those few holiday pounds can add up to 15, 20, even 30 pounds. Every year of weight gain makes it more difficult to lose extra weight. People get discouraged when they realize at the end of the year they annually gained weight.

Overeating may change your body clock.

All of us have a biological clock. It is an internal mechanism that tells us when to sleep and when to eat. Scientists studied the biological clocks in mice. They discovered that when mice were overfed, their body clocks changed. The mice started overeating.

Dr. Joe Bass is a Northwestern University endocrinologist and molecular biologist. He has published numerous studies about the body clock and mice. He fed mice a high-fat diet. He discovered they actually woke up during normal sleep time to eat.

Dr. Bass described what the mice did in human terms. He said it would be like waking up every night during holiday season. Then you would eat all the sweets in your refrigerator.

Dr. Bass found the same results in all the mice that became fat. They gained weight from food consumed during what would normally be their sleeping time. This result suggests that people who eat less fat will sleep better. It also suggests they are not likely to engage in nighttime bingeing.

A vicious cycle

Dr. Sasha Stiles is a family physician who specializes in obesity at Tufts Medical Center. Dr. Stiles says overeating “sets your body chemistry sort of into red alert.” She says the processes that normally will try to digest food will go into overdrive. Your body wants to make sure it gets rid of this huge food load.

This means that much of what you eat will be stored as fat.

Excess food can start a harmful cycle. For example, let’s start with the pancreas. The pancreas is an internal organ in your body. When you overeat, the pancreas makes extra insulin to process the extra sugar load. Insulin is a chemical that gets rid of sugars in your body. Then the pancreas removes the sugar from the bloodstream.

The pancreas will not stop producing insulin until the brain tells it to. The brain can sense when blood sugar levels are safe. But by the time the brain stops insulin production, too much sugar has been removed. Low blood sugar can make you feel tired, dizzy, nauseous, and even depressed. Eating more sugar and more carbohydrates often cures this condition.

This feeling of low blood sugar sends many people after more carbohydrates. They grab high-sugar foods to bring their blood sugar back up to normal. Those foods make them feel better, but they also cause weight gain.

Sending mixed messages

This cycle of overeating can lead to a yo-yo effect. The yo-yo effect means your weight keeps going up and down. If you usually overeat, you trigger changes in your stomach. When the stomach signals the brain that it’s full, the stomach starts to malfunction.

Dr. Stiles says that when you overeat time and time again, the signals get tired. “The stomach will not tell your brain that you’re full anymore,” said Stiles. “It may send abnormal signals and you may not even realize you’re full.”

Things get worse if you drink lots of icy beverages with your food. When you drink cold liquids, your stomach will start getting smaller. Also, the liquids will wash the food out of your stomach quicker. So your stomach will be empty sooner, and you will be hungrier sooner. This means you will eat more often.