www.anthem.com/kymedicaid

Member Services: 1-855-690-7784 (TTY 711)

24/7 NurseLine: 1-866-864-2544 (TTY 711)

HealthMy2018Winter

HKY-NL-0009-17

becoming pregnant ...

If you are pregnantor thinking of

Congratulations! This is a special and exciting time for you! We care

about you and your baby and are here to work together to give your baby a

healthy start in life. Below are some facts about pregnancy and resources

to help you stay strong and healthy.

Prenatal smoking

Pregnancy is a great time to quit smoking! What happens when you

smoke while you’re pregnant? When you smoke, your baby does too. The

effects of smoking on your unborn baby could include low birth weight

or preterm delivery. After birth, smoking could cause your baby to have

learning disabilities, problems growing or increased risk for asthma, colds

or ear infections. We know you care about your baby’s health.

We also know quitting

is a huge challenge.

But we believe in you!

If you’ve tried to quit before, don’t worry. For many people, it takes

a few tries. Reminding yourself often of why you’re quitting is a

big part of staying on track. Below is a list of reasons to quit.

Check the box beside the ones you think could help you quit,

and maybe even add a few reasons of your own:

�T I will improve the health and future of my baby.

�T I will have more energy to get through my pregnancy.

�T I will reduce my risk of future health problems, like heart

disease and cancer.

�T I will save money.

�T _______________________________________________

�T _______________________________________________

You’re not alone in this. Kentucky offers a free tobacco cessation service to help you quit smoking.

When you’re ready to quit, just call the Kentucky Quitline at 1-800-QUIT NOW (1-800-784-8669) from 8 a.m. to 1 a.m. ET Monday through Sunday. Or log on to www.QuitNowKentucky.org for resources to help you quit for good.

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Medicine use before and during pregnancy If you’re pregnant — or thinking about becoming

pregnant — talk with your doctor about any medications

you’re taking. Some medicines may cause your baby

to have drug withdrawal symptoms after birth. This is

known as neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS). This

can happen even if you’re taking them exactly as your

provider prescribed. By talking together, you and your

doctor can decide what is best for you and your baby.

Medicines that have a high risk of causing

withdrawal in newborns include all opioids,

such as:

Prescription narcotic pain medicine like Vicodin

(hydrocodone) or Percocet (oxycodone)

It is important to

not stop taking your

medicine without

What is neonatal abstinence syndrome? Neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) happens when babies

who were exposed to medicine or drugs in the womb have

withdrawal symptoms after they are born.

Babies with NAS may:

�} Be born too early or too small. �} Have trouble eating and sleeping. �} Experience vomiting, diarrhea and high fever. �} Be irritable. �} Have poor growth, dehydration and seizures.

These symptoms can last a long time. Some babies may need to be

treated in the hospital for several weeks after birth. Babies with

severe withdrawal symptoms may need to be taken care of in neonatal

intensive care units (NICU). They also may need to take medications in

the hospital and, possibly, when they go home.

consulting your provider.

}�Methadone

Buprenorphine

Other kinds of medicine, especially those prescribed

for anxiety and sleep, can also cause withdrawal.

After reading this information, which medications

would you consider discussing with your doctor?

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Taking medications for behavioral health (BH) or serious mental illness (SMI) Your prescribed medications can help you get well. Here are some things to

keep in mind with your medication regimen:

�} Take all medications as prescribed by your doctor �} Do not combine your medication with alcohol or any other drugs without your doctor’s OK �} Keep an open line of communication with your doctor on how the medication is working

Use the table below to keep track of your medications.

Medication #1 Medication #2 Medication #3

Name of

medication

Reason for taking

Amount to take

Times per day

In addition to keeping up on regular visits with your mental health doctor, your medical doctor will also need

to see you for follow-up visits. These visits monitor your physical health during the treatment.

What types of things do you do to help stay calm during a stressful time?

If one of your answers was smoking, here are a few facts to consider. Nearly half of all cigarettes consumed

in the U.S. are consumed by adult smokers who struggle with a mental health issue.

No one fully understands the difficulties you face every day, but we do understand the struggle is real. The

temptation to smoke is real. But we care about your quality of life. Consider quitting today.

Tips for getting health care when you’re out of town

If you need emergency services when you’re out of town, go to

the nearest emergency room (ER) or dial 9-1-1. If getting health

care services while outside of the United States, they won’t be

covered by Anthem Medicaid.

As an Anthem Medicaid member, it’s your responsibility to

provide your Anthem Medicaid identification card.

An out-of-state provider may bill you if they don’t accept

out-of-state Medicaid.

Always contact the provider as soon as possible when you

receive a bill. If you can’t resolve the matter, please contact us.

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We are here to help. Whether you need help finding a doctor or

making appointments, have questions about

medications or substance use, or are looking

for treatment and recovery services, we are

here to help.

Call Member Services at 1-855-690-7784

(TTY 711) to learn more.

We also offer Peer Support Specialists and

Substance Use in Pregnancy Case Managers

who can help you get and stay healthy.

Living well

with diabetes What do you do

when you receive

a bill for services?

Contact your provider

and provide your

ID card.

How does living with diabetes affect your life

and the way you do the things you love? Living

with diabetes is a learning process and change

is not easy. But you have within you the ability to

live life to the fullest, even with diabetes.

What can you do?

The following is a list of ways to keep your diabetes

in check. Which ones are you already doing? Which

ones could you improve?

Completing routine tests and services

recommended by your primary care

physician (PCP)

Taking medication as directed

Checking blood sugar levels

Eating three balanced meals a day, as

well as planned, healthy snacks

Becoming active

For more information on controlling your diabetes, go to www.cdc.gov/diabetes/managing.

What can you do if you need

new glasses or contacts?

It’s important to see your eye doctor every year for

an eye exam. We want to help by giving you a free

pair of glasses, or credit toward contacts.

Call Member Services for more information.

Now that I’m in treatment for a substance use disorder, what’s next? Congratulations on taking this

important step!

Your treatment and recovery are very important — for you

and your baby. Talk with your doctor about ways to have a

healthy pregnancy and the best treatment plan for you. It’s

very important to stay in treatment. Getting and staying sober

will help you stay in control of your life and take good care

of yourself and your baby. There are comfort techniques that

can be used to help babies in withdrawal. Being prepared in

case your baby does experience withdrawal can make things

more comfortable for both of you.

If you are not pregnant and do not plan to become pregnant,

talk to your doctor about the best birth control for you.

Birth control works and is one of the best ways to prevent

pregnancy. It’ll help you stay on track with your recovery.

A baby could make your recovery harder. It’ll be more difficult

to focus on yourself, your needs and your health. Recovery is

your most important job right now.

When is your child due for their next wellness checkup? A wellness checkup is a visit to the doctor when your

child isn’t sick. It lets the doctor check to see if your

child is growing and developing well. It gives you the

chance to talk to your child’s doctor about ways to

help keep your child healthy and safe.

To help keep your child healthy, take them

for a wellness checkup at ages:

�} 0-1 month �} 2 months �} 4 months �} 6 months �} 9 months �} 12-15 months

�} 15-18 months �} 2 years (24 months) �} 2 ½ years (30 months) �} Once every year from

age 3-21

At these appointments, your child’s doctor will

discuss immunizations, or shots, with you. Most of

the shots your child needs are done by the time

they reach the age of 3. But that doesn’t mean it

isn’t important to take them for a yearly visit.

You know your child

best, but your doctor is

your partner in giving them the best. And hey,

they might even have

tips for getting your child

to eat those vegetables!

Member Services: 1-855-690-7784 (TTY 711)Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Eastern time

24/7 NurseLine: 1-866-864-2544 (TTY 711)

KY-Q1 2018 NL-PC-0318 E CMAP HKY-NL-0009-17

The information in this newsletter is meant to educate. It is not meant as medical advice. Please check with your doctor for any advice about your health. Your health plan may not cover some types of care. Check your member handbook for details about what benefits your health plan covers and what it does not cover.

With the exception of www.anthem.com/kymedicaid, the websites referred to in this newsletter are websites of independent entities and are not affiliated with Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Medicaid.

Copies of any type of member information are made available (at no cost) upon request for translation, Braille, large print or audio format. Just call Member Services. We can answer any questions about your plan. If you have hearing or speech loss, call the TTY line at 711.

We can translate this at no cost. Call the Member Services number on your member ID card. © 2018

Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Medicaid is the trade name of Anthem Kentucky Managed Care Plan, Inc., independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. ANTHEM is a registered trademark of Anthem Insurance Companies, Inc.

P.O. Box 62509Virginia Beach, VA 23466-2509

Your voice is important.We want to hear what you think!As a member, you’re the best person to tell us what you need and help us improve how we deliver information. Anthem Medicaid has a Quality Member Access Committee (QMAC). Being a committee member means you help us develop new programs or change old ones to better serve all of our members. These committee meetings are quarterly and we would love to see you there. We can help with transportation if you need it.

Call 1-855-690-7784 (TTY 711) today for more information or to become a member of the committee.