By Wendy J. Meyeroff
THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE
With the 2007 enrollment for Part D drug plans coming around, experts agree it is a good time to evaluate your satisfaction with your current drug coverage. Look beyond daily drugs cost to maximize your health care dollars. Among the ideas experts offer:
• Check your plan’s Summary of Benefits.
See which diagnostic tests are available to you, like blood sugar screenings and mammograms. Such screenings can help prevent dangerous health problems, or at least catch them at an earlier phase that is more likely to be more responsive to treatment and less expensive to treat.
• Don’t forget your flu shot.
Medicare and Medicaid Advantage plans like Erickson AdvantageSM cover flu vaccinations and so do most insurance plans. Low-cost shots are also available through clinics and neighborhood pharmacies. Despite these options, only 66 percent of older people generally get their flu vaccines, unlike 97 percent of residents in the Erickson HealthSM system.
An interesting area in which Erickson AdvantageSM members are saving is transportation. “Erickson AdvantageSM provides full coverage for non-emergency transport to health appointments. Some members are saving money on cab fare, others on gasoline and parking fees”. says Ken McGaffin, Erickson AdvantageSM Member Services Representative.
For more ideas, check the Part D drug update at the top of this page. And remember, the Erickson HealthSM system offers residents additional moneysaving health care options. To find out more (and to get your free Guide to Good Health), call the Erickson community nearest you (see the listing on page 2) or visit our website: www.Erickson.com.