Time for Your Annual Exam

Why not start off the new year by scheduling your annual physical with your primary care physician. Each calendar year United Healthcare covers your preventive care visit free of charge, as long as you stay in-system and/or in-network.

Choose In-System and Save
Think carefully when choosing your healthcare providers and the facilities you visit. Your physician may be an in-system doc, but his new office on the South Shore is not! Another fact to keep in mind when choosing in-system providers: larger medical groups may have a mixed group of providers, some may be in-system, some not. Build your own network of in-system providers by searching the North Shore-LIJ In-System Provider Network at ciipa.nslijweb.com. Savings begin with low copays, no deductibles and no coinsurance.

Your Wellness Visit
Now that you have chosen your primary care physician, your annual wellness visit is a terrific opportunity to share any noticeable health changes that may have occurred since your last visit: a change in your sleeping habits, unusually weight gain or loss, erratic highs and lows in your mood, can be just some of the symptoms you may ignore on a day-to-day basis. Develop a relationship with your primary care physician, their guidance in your preventive care routine is an important element of your quality of life.

What Occurs at Your Annual Physical
Besides your confidential conversation with your doctor, you can also expect the doctor, nurse, nurse practitioner, or physician assistant to check your:

• Vital signs: blood pressure, heart rate, respiration rate, temperature
• Heart and lungs
• Head and neck: throat, tonsils, teeth and gums, ears, nose sinuses, eyes, lymph nodes thyroid, and carotid arteries
• Abdominal: liver and bowel 
• Neurological: nerves, muscles, general balance and strength
• Dermatological: skin check for unusual moles or rashes
• Extremities: physical and sensory changes in joints
• Lifestyle

Depending on your physician's findings, as well as your stage in life, your doctor may prescribe a screening for further detection of a condition, or a medication to maintain a condition.

Wellness Pledge 
If you are participating in the Annual Wellness Pledge Program,  a visit to your primary care physician every year, is not only free of charge, it also credits you $260 in 2016 paycheck credits. Read more about the Wellness Pledge Program by searching this Blog.

Decreased Copay for In-System Urgent Care

Many minor injuries and illnesses may not warrant a trip to the local ER, yet may require some sort of clinical attention. No need to panic and spend the $150 copay for an ER visit in 2015, more and more in-system urgent care centers will be popping up within our communities at a reduced copay (in 2015) of just $30. In addition to our already established in-system centers in:

• Bethpage: 4300 Hempstead Turnpike, 11714
• Rego Park: 95-25 Queens Blvd., 11374

North Shore LIJ has partnered with Access Clinical Partners to create even more centers, saving you time and money on those many bumps and bruises, sneezes and belly aches.

North Shore-LIJ Partners to Create GoHealth -
In-System Urgent Care

• Opening November 21 GoHealth: 102-29 Queens Blvd, Forest Hills 
• Opening later in December, GoHealth: 5165 Merrick Road, Massapequa

These facilities will be open, M-F, 8 am to 8 pm and weekends, 9 am to 5 pm.
Many more in-system urgent care centers are due to open in 2015. Read more.

In-Network Urgent Care
If you are not close to any of the in-system centers that are currently open, check in with one of the many in-network/United Healthcare urgent care centers within our communities. The copay for these visits remain at $40 in 2015.

When to Seek Emergency Care
Not sure what you should do? Review United Healthcare's considerations on your level of emergency care.

There's Still Time to Do Wellness Pledges

Did you know over 8,000 benefit participants did not file a healthcare claim in 2013? That means 8,000 of our employees/dependents were not proactive with their health in 2013! So while there is still a few good months before winter hits us what better way to celebrate than to Pledge to Be Well. 

If you are planning on enrolling in the 2015 medical plan with North Shore-LIJ, and have not had the chance to review or act on the 2015 Wellness Pledge Program in exchange for your paycheck credits in 2015, the time to act is NOW -  the deadline for the pledge program has been extended through the end of the year.

Deadline Dates

• October 31 is the deadline to remember if you want those paychecks starting with the first pay cycle in 2015.
• Pledge compliance in November/December will still get you paycheck credits in 2015 but they will be delayed by 4 to 8 weeks. These credits will not be retroactive, so do your best to complete all four pledges by October 31.

Who is Eligible?

Full-time and eligible part-time non-union employees and Lenox Hill nurses who are enrolling or re-enrolling in the 2015 medical plan through North Shore-LIJ.

Here's the quickest way to complete your pledges:

One:  Submit Your Mandatory Online Health Assessment 
Complete the online Health Assessment (HA) on myuhc.com (which is a mandatory pledge). Visit HealthPort for detailed instructions.

Two: Watch the Wellness Video on iLearn
Take 2 to 3 minutes to watch this informative video about your preventive care on North Shore-LIJ's Learning Management System's iLearn (refer to this blog post for more on the video). If the Wellness Video Pledge is not loaded on your module and you know you have not viewed it, contact hrit@nshs.edu for help.

Three: Schedule a Dental Exam
If you are up to date on your dental hygiene you should be scheduling your second dental exam/cleaning for the calendar year. If so, note you have complied as of the first, since the dates of eligibility are January 1 through December 31. If you have not had any dental exam in 2014 and have no dentist, search Cigna Providers.

Four: Schedule An Eye Exam
Schedule an exam even if you have no problems with your vision. Vision issues can arise as we age. Search Davis Vision for a location near you. Keep in mind you need to be currently enrolled in the Vision Plan for your visit to be recorded.

What Else?
Another valuable Pledge is the HA for your Covered Spouse - just keep in mind your spouse can only participate if he or she is currently enrolled in the health system's medical plan with United. Visit myuhc.com. 

Visit HealthPort or tool around this Blog, to learn more about the other pledge choices available to you.

Here's to a happy healthy you - all year long!

Home Sweet Home

Isn't nice to live in an area where you have access to quality healthcare? As the health system grows so does the number of in-system providers/services.
In Area Designation 
With a Clinical Integration Independent Practice Association (IPA for short) of over 9,000 + doctors/healthcare providers (up a few thousand since 2012) the health system is truly spreading its wings. In-system providers are now present on eastern Long Island. Coram, Port Jefferson, Selden and even Wading River are just a few of the newly designated "in area" residences for 2014. These areas were declared within the primary service area due to the amount of providers within a 2 to 10 mile radius of that zip code. In-system providers include primary care physicians, obstetrician/gynecologists, pediatricians, and specialists. Need a doctor? Now you can find a North Shore-LIJ In-System Provider within 10 miles of your home sweet home.