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May, 2002
ting Health Insurance Costs
Celebra f
20 Year
so Continue to Climb
are
Great C t ost people are acutely aware that healthcare care is expensive.
with Gr
Ease!
ea
M costs continue to rise. Healthcare consumers
of all types are feeling the pinch in their pock-
etbooks, and employers are finding it increasingly
Primary factors contributing to the escalation of
health insurance premiums
◆ Aging population people are living longer
difficult to maintain their current level of healthcare ◆ Advances in technology
coverage. ◆ New medical procedures carry higher price tags
Where are these increases coming from? Experts ◆ State & Federal benefit laws
point to a number of factors; however, several similar ◆ Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement reductions
trends seem to have surfaced. For instance, in the to providers
past several years, the number of requested elective ◆ Insurance fraud
medical procedures have been on the increase. Media ◆ Increased catastrophic care
coverage and the Internet is allowing patients to be ◆ Malpractice - lawyer fees
more knowledgeable of new medical technology and ◆ Higher drug costs
they are becoming much more demanding of its use. ◆ Over treatment
Technology and medications that enhance lifestyles ◆ Increased utilization
and behaviors are becoming more common. Medical To continue to reduce future costs, healthcare con-
professional and facility charges are increasing at an sumers must take a more active role in their health-
average of 10-15 percent a year. Pharmaceutical costs care decisions. It’s natural to want the latest proce-
have risen between 15-20 percent in each of the last dures and medications that technology can provide.
three years. New drugs (those approved in the past But these innovations come at a price, and ultimately
five years) cost over three times more on average raise the cost of healthcare. How can you make a dif-
than those approved before 1994. Plus, there contin- ference? Several ways are outlined in the 10 Tips for
ues to be a trend to have new drugs placed in brand Cutting Health Care Costs article on page 2 of this
new drug classes (so neither generics or therapeutic newsletter. As consumers of healthcare become more
equivalents are available). aware of the costs of healthcare and better informed
In short, health insurance is expensive because health on how to use health benefits responsibly, they will
likely find out they can continue to receive quality,
yet cost-effective care.
CONSUMER HEALTHCARE DOLLAR
After a decade of relatively modest growth
in healthcare costs, double-digit increases
Prescription Hospital Physician and Nursing/ Other
are occurring across the nation. New
Drug
32¢ Clinical Home Health
16¢ technology, blockbuster drugs, aging Baby
9¢ 33¢ 10¢ Boomers and high utilization among the
population are consuming today’s
healthcare dollar in general. Approximately
seventy-five cents out of every healthcare
18¢
14¢
17¢ dollar is spent on hospital, prescription
11¢ and physician costs.
8¢ 10¢
5¢
Administration
Brand Inpatient Outpatient Specialty Non-Physician 4¢ Medical
Products
Services
3¢ Miscellaneous
5¢
1¢
2¢ Research
Generic
1¢ Construction
Primary Care
10 Tips for Cutting Health Care Costs
In reviewing these recommendations, remember your 6. Use emergency services only for emergencies.
physician should be your primary source of informa- Modern emergency services are invaluable in
tion for any decisions you make regarding medical trauma or life-threatening situations, but are very
services. expensive and inefficient for routine care. Ask
1. Choose a family doctor. Regular contact with a yourself if this is a true emergency. If not, seek
general practitioner is more cost-effective than care through your general practitioner or use
seeking care from several specialists. Urgent Care when available.
2. Use specialists appropriately. Ask your general 7. If it is safe, wait. Sometimes physicians are
practitioner what he or she can and can’t do, and afraid patients will think they are not doing their
rely on them for specialty referral suggestions. best if they don’t take immediate action. Ask if it
Be prepared for your specialist consultation is safe to wait. Avoid hospitalization unless it is
records and tests should be sent in advance. clearly necessary.
3. Use home health care remedies whenever pos- 8. Get preventive care. Immunizations, health
sible. Many conditions like colds, flu, or sprains checks, PAP tests, mammograms, etc., are the
are time-limited and can be managed through most effective ways to avoid a costly illness. Get
appropriate self-care. your flu shot.
4. Control your drug costs. Don’t expect a pre- 9. Stay healthy. Exercise regularly and maintain
scription every time you visit your doctor. If a good nutrition. Ask your general practitioner for
prescription is required, ask your doctor if there help with life-style habits - smoking, drinking,
is a less expensive or a generic alternative to weight gain.
your prescription (medications advertised on TV 10. Learn as much as you can about your medical
and in magazines, although usually effective, are needs. Ask your doctor for information about
often the most expensive). your condition. By doing your own research, you
5. Avoid unnecessary medical tests. Ask your doc- may discover more options and be better pre-
tor what the proposed tests are for, if they are pared to decide with your doctor which course of
necessary, and their cost. treatment is best for you.
Provider Update
PROVIDER UPDATE
Please call VHP’s Customer Relations Department ◆ Jodi Burggraf, MD – Family Practice/ Franciscan
before making appointments to verify that services Skemp - Arcadia
from a particular provider are covered benefits under ◆ Mike Choi, MD – Family Practice/ Franciscan
your policy. Valley Health Plan’s Provider Skemp - Arcadia
Directory is available on our Web site at ◆ Naeem Khan, MD – Family Practice/ New
www.valleyhealth.biz. Use this directory as the Richmond Clinic
most current resource to find a practitioner in ◆ Linda Nygren, MD – Pediatrics/
our network. To request a printed copy of the New Richmond Clinic
provider directory, please call 836-1254 or
◆ Bhaskar Reddy, MD – Behavioral Health/Dunn
1-800-472-5411.
County Health & Human Services
Forming and maintaining provider relationships is an
◆ Ruth Tiffault, MD – Family Practice/ Wabasha
ongoing process at Valley Health Plan. The follow-
Clinic
ing are additions and removals to our provider net-
work: REMOVED FROM VHP PROVIDER NETWORK:
◆ Holly Fisher, OD – Optometry/ Midelfort Clinic
ADDITIONS TO VHP PROVIDER NETWORK:
◆ Spine
– Eau Claire
Works, Ltd. - Bloomer
◆ Patrick Hughes, MD – Cardiology/
◆ Truhlsen Chiropractic - Centuria
Midelfort Clinic - Eau Claire
◆ Adams Chiropractic Center - Chippewa Falls
◆ Srinivasan Purighalla, MD – Neurosurgery/
◆ Hallie Chiropractic, - Chippewa Falls
Midelfort Clinic – Eau Claire
◆ St. Charles Place Family Chiropractic - Eau Claire ◆ Mary Sirek, MSW – Behavioral Health/
◆ Helios Chiropractic Center - Menomonie Midelfort Clinic – Eau Claire
Poison Ivy:
“Leaves of Three? Let It Be!”
pring and summer weather draws you out- parts of the plant
S side to work in the garden, play in the park
and camp in the wilderness, but these activ-
ities also draw you closer to poison ivy.
except the flowers. It is
not the oil that causes the
rash, but your reaction to it.
Poison ivy is an extremely common plant in the Your body perceives it as an invader, and
United States. It may grow as a vine near trees, sends out chemicals to try to repel it. It is this
rocks or buildings, or it may grow as ground defense system that causes the itching and
cover in open fields. Poison ivy has shiny green blisters.
◆ No matter how skin sensitive you are, you
leaves that grow in
groups of three. The cannot get a rash just by looking at the plant.
plant contains a sap that, There must be skin contact.
◆ The rash does not spread on it’s own. There is
when released, causes
the itchy rash we know no oil inside the blisters. Typically, poison ivy
as poison ivy. spreads when the nearly invisible oil gets on
your hands and you touch other parts of your
Poison ivy and its rela-
body.
tives like poison oak and ◆ You can get the oil on your hands by touching
poison sumac cause
the plant or anything else that has oil on it,
many of the most irritat-
such as clothes, shoes, pets, garden tools or
ing rashes of spring and summer. If you’ve
furniture.
encountered poison ivy, you know just how irri- ◆ Children are very prone to poison ivy — more
tating it can be. The rash of poison ivy is a con-
so than adults — because they are likely to run
tact dermatitis, which is an inflammation of the
into the plant in the course of their activities
skin resulting from direct contact with the plant
while they are wearing shorts, swimsuits or
and its oily resin. Although some people say
other lighter clothing.
they are very “allergic” to poison ivy, we all ◆ If you think you or your children have been
have an equal chance of experiencing a contact
exposed, wash the skin immediately (within
dermatitis when exposed to it. Some people do
15 minutes if possible) with water and soap if
seem to experience a very severe reaction to poi-
you have some. Be sure to clean under your
son ivy, probably because of a heavy exposure.
fingernails and to wash any clothes, shoes or
While you are enjoying the great outdoors, con- tools that may have had contact with the poi-
sider the following information in the event you son ivy.
encounter this great itch-maker: ◆ Highly skin sensitive people may react quick-
◆ Poison ivy produces oil that can cause an ly, but most people can avoid a reaction if they
intense itchy rash. The oil is present on all
Continued on pg 4
FRIENDLY REMINDERS
◆ Lost/Stolen Prescriptions – Valley Health Plan coverage, you will need to submit a copy of
does not provide coverage for lost, stolen, for- their current class schedule to VHP before they
gotten or destroyed prescriptions. If you find can be reinstated.
yourself in this situation, we recommend you ◆ Mental Health/AODA Coverage – Your
contact your pharmacist and purchase just Mental Health and AODA coverage has limita-
enough medication to last until your prescrip- tions and may be different than your medical
tion can be refilled under your benefit coverage. office visit coverage. Please check your
◆ Dependent Termination – Student status benefit handbook or call VHP’s Customer
adjustments have been completed for 2002. If Relation’s Department at 715-836-1254 or
your dependent has been terminated from your 1-800-472-5411. ❖
Poison Ivy: “Leaves Of Three? Let It Be!”
Continued from pg 2
get the oil off their skin within two or three ers use aloe vera gel
Poison Ivy Foliage
hours of exposure. Delaying removal might or Calamine lotion.
turn a preventable case or rash into a weeks’ Use whatever
long recovery. People who seem to react soothes the itch.
strongly, might even consider carrying water- Remember to clean
less soaps with them while camping or away any clothes or
from readily accessible soap and water. objects that may
◆ If you seem to be susceptible to poison ivy carry oil.
despite avoidance and careful washing, you Prevention is still the
may want to call your doctor if a rash devel- best medicine. Learn
ops. Since even strong steroid creams can do what the varieties of
little to shorten the time you’ll have the rash, these plants that are common to your area look
don’t depend on a prescription to help out if like, and avoid them. Learn to recognize the
you’ve spent a weekend in the woods walking plant in its various stages of growth. Since there
in poison ivy. While the itching may be are no effective treatments to shorten the recov-
decreased with topical medications, the blis- ery time once the rash has occurred, it is very
ters and skin discoloration may persist for important to avoid areas where the plant may be
weeks. If your condition is severe, you may growing.
need to be seen by your healthcare provider to
This information is not intended to be a substi-
determine if oral steroids or an injection might
tute for professional medical advice. You should
be helpful.
not use this information to diagnose or treat a
Unfortunately with exposure to poison ivy, all health problem or disease without consulting
you can really do is treat the symptoms and wait with a qualified healthcare provider. Please
for the rash to disappear, which may take about consult your healthcare provider with any ques-
two weeks. Some people like hot showers, oth- tions or concerns you may have regarding your
ers like warm baking soda or oatmeal baths, oth- condition. ❖
www.valleyhealth.biz
Letting You Know is a publication of Valley Health Plan, Inc., a joint venture with Midelfort Clinic - Mayo Health System and Cobalt
Corporation. Its purpose is to inform and communicate with Health Plan members. This information is not intended to replace professional
health care. See your healthcare professional for information relevant to your medical history.
Please submit suggestions or ideas to: Newsletter Editor ◆ Valley Health Plan, Inc. ◆ P.O. Box 3128 ◆ Eau Claire, WI 54702-3128
2270 EastRidge Center PRSRT STD
P.O. Box 3128 U.S. POSTAGE
Eau Claire, WI 54702-3128 PAID
PERMIT NO. 1360
EAU CLAIRE, WI
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