Wise&WellSU M M E R 2019 | wpshealth.com

BONES AND JOINT HEALTH

The Best Foods For You

OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY

The Fundamentals

NO NETWORKNO PROBLEM

4SeriousVisionSymptoms

Preventing Hearing and Vision Loss

THE GOOD NEWS IS, with early detection and the help of a health care expert, seniors can overcome, or at least slow the advancement of, many vision and hearing challenges.

Wise & WellRyan Kanable, Managing Editor

Wise & Well is published by WPS Health Insurance. This material is not intended as medical advice. Talk with your doctor about this or any other subjects pertinent to your health. See your summary of benefits for covered services. Green Bay Packers and Milwaukee Brewers partnerships are paid endorsements.

©2019 Wisconsin Physicians Service Insurance Corporation. All rights reserved.

Early Detection Key to Preventing Vision Loss and Hearing Loss with Age

2 | Wise & Well

Vision and hearing discount programs are a few of the many valuable benefits included in worry-free, hassle-free WPS Medicare supplement insurance plans. For no additional premiums or membership fees, customers can save on select eye care and eyewear, hearing screenings, hearing aids, and more.

Vision Care ProgramVision changes throughout our lifetime. Beyond

normal vision changes related to age, your risk for eye diseases also goes up after age 60

and, if left untreated, can forever dam-age your vision, according to the Amer-ican Optometric Association. These

conditions can include age-related macular degeneration, cataracts,

diabetic retinopathy, dry eye, or glaucoma.

Since many eye health problems don’t cause

symptoms early on, they can be difficult to spot. That’s why regular eye exams are so important for maintaining good eye health and vision as you age.

Age-related hearing loss is often gradual, so people may not realize they’ve lost some ability to hear. Even if the signs and symptoms seem clear to others, it takes the average person with hearing loss five to seven years before they seek help, according to Hear In America.

Hearing loss can make a major impact on all areas of life, making it hard to chat with family and friends and missing phone calls, doorbells, or even smoke alarms. One of the best things you can do when it comes to your hearing health is talk to a health care provider to learn more and seek treatment options, if needed.

The Hear In America discount program is another benefit available to WPS Medicare supplement insur-ance customers.* Customers can get:

• Free hearing screening• A three-year warranty on new hearing aids• Free office services (including retests, cleanings,

and adjustments) for three years• A 45-day trial period for hearing aids• Discounts on manufacturer’s suggested retail

price (MSRP) for hearing aids from nine major manufacturers

Have benefit questions?

If you have questions or simply want

more information about the benefits

and added programs available to

you through your WPS Medicare

supplement insurance, call the

Customer Service phone number

listed on your WPS customer ID

card. Our representatives can talk

you through it all!

This is an advertisement for insurance. Neither Wisconsin Physicians Service Insurance Corporation nor its agents are connected with the federal Medicare program.

WI_HIB03_1902 ©2019 All rights reserved. JO11151 33932-100-1902

wpshealth.com | 3

*Vision and hearing programs are not part of the insurance policy and are offered at no additional charge for membership. Enrollment in these programs is subject to contract renewal.

All WPS Medicare supplement insurance plan customers can access the EyeMed Vision Care discount program and pay no additional premiums or membership fees.*

EyeMed offers savings on eye care and eyewear at thousands of provider locations nationwide. The net-work includes many familiar retailers, such as Aurora Vision Centers, LensCrafters, Pearle Vision, Shopko Eyecare Center, Target Optical, and Wisconsin Vision, among others. As a WPS customer, all you have to do is show your ID card at a participating provider to receive a discount.

Discounted services include eye exams, eyeglasses, conventional contact lenses, and even laser vision correction. For details on customer benefits, visit wpsmedicaresolutions.com and click the Brochure Download button. You can also search for partici-pating providers in your area using EyeMed’s online Provider Locator at enrollwitheyemed.com/access.

Hearing ProgramRoughly one in three people in the United States between the ages of 65 and 74 has hearing loss, and nearly half of those older than 75 have difficulty hear-ing, according to The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.

4 | Wise & Well

The World Health Organization estimates 1.3 billion people are living with a vision impairment. About 80% of these cases are considered avoidable. Get to know common vision problems that shouldn’t be ignored.

Are you seeing flashing lights or floaters?Flashing lights are streaks of light that appear in your peripheral vision. Floaters are often described as gray, squiggly figures that show up in your peripheral vision and move across your field of vision. Experiencing one or both of these symptoms could mean a detached retina.

Do you feel sharp, sudden pains in your eyeball? When healthy, you shouldn’t experience any type of pain in your eyeball. It could be a sign of something serious like a scratched cornea, glaucoma, or even cancer of the eye. Are you seeing double or have blurred vision? People often think blurred vision is a sign of needing glasses, but that’s not always the case. Experiencing blurred or double vision in one or both eyes means your eyes aren’t working together correctly. It could be a sign of a stroke, retina disease, or age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

Do you have red, teary eyes? Red eyes can be mistaken for fatigue or a sign of the common cold. But they also could be the result of severe irritation from contact lenses, or uveitis, a more serious inflammation of the eye barrier.

If you are experiencing eye pain or a problem that is impacting your vision such as the ones listed above, see your eye doctor right away.

Sources: World Health Organization; Vision Express; Everyday Health; Today.

VISION SYMPTOMS

DON’T IGNORE THESE SERIOUS

No Network? No Problem!

Connect with Us! Get instant access to health, wellness, and health insurance coverage tips.

facebook.com/wpshealth @wpshealth wpshealthblog.com

wpshealth.com | 5

This is an advertisement for insurance. Neither Wisconsin Physicians Service Insurance Corporation nor its agents are connected with the federal Medicare program.WI_HIB01_1905 ©2019 All rights reserved. JO11151 33934-100-1905

Sources: Kaiser Family Foundation.

A funny thing happens when you turn 65 years old. The

way your health insurance coverage works changes dramatically.

The differences are many, but one thing you’ll enjoy as you make

the transition to Original Medicare is that you no longer have to

worry about in-network or out-of-network health care providers.

In 2017, 57% of Wisconsinites got their health insurance through

their employers. That means that most people know about net-

works. Your employer’s group health plan offered a network of

health care providers you had to use. The doctors and other health

care practitioners you visited had to belong to the network in order

for you to get benefits paid under your group health plan. And if

you went outside the network, you paid more for your health care.

Over the years, you’ve probably gotten used to this arrangement.

However, when you enroll in Medicare Part A and Part B, the famil-

iar network concept you’ve lived with your entire working life goes

away. Instead, you are allowed to see ANY health care provider

ANYWHERE in the United States who accepts Medicare.

Let that sink in.

Any doctor who accepts Medicare. That’s huge! It gives you many

more options for your health care. Pretty neat, right?

This new flexibility in your health care means you can travel

across the country, far from the former boundaries of your

old employer’s network, and still see a doctor under your

Medicare coverage. You can spend the winter where it’s

warmer and still have local coverage. You can visit family out

of state and still get regular checkups. The freedom

is fantastic!

But don’t just take our word for it. You can find out for yourself!

Learn more about how Medicare works. All you have to do is call

WPS Customer Support or visit wpshealth.com. We’re here

to help you understand how it works and what your options are

when choosing your Medicare coverage.

Source: Kaiser Family Foundation.

Did You Know?There’s a new Facebook group for seniors designed to be

an open forum where you can learn more about WPS Health

Insurance’s Medicare-related products to ensure you make fully

informed decisions. Other posts on this page share health tips for

seniors, general Medicare information,, answers to questions,

and more.

Visit facebook.com/groups/WPScares today and check it out!

Occupational Therapy FundamentalsMany people confuse occupational therapy with physical therapy. Although there are similarities and they sometimes overlap, the difference is in their approach.

Physical therapy (PT) focuses on a person’s ability to move the body. The goal is to reduce or reverse the effects of an injury. Occupational therapy (OT) focuses on helping a person perform his or her activities of daily living, or ADL.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, about half of occupational therapists work in hospitals or OT offices. Many work in schools, nursing homes, and home health services.Examples of an OT’s role include:

» Helping children with disabilities with school and with socialization

» Helping people recover from injuries

» Helping older adults live independently

An occupational therapist first evaluates the client to determine abilities and needs. Then the OT will work with the patient to help reach goals. Follow-ups ensure those goals are being met.

To find out more about occupational therapy, visit The American Occupational Therapy Association’s website at aota.org.

Sources: St. Catherine University Occupational Therapy Assistant Program; Bureau of Labor Statistics; The American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc.

6 | Wise & Well

Make a new friend through our WPS Pen Pal programDo your weeks seem long, with little to break up the days?

DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!

Sign up for the WPS Pen Pal program and you can chat it up with a WPS employee. It’s always nice to make new friends, and we’d like to get to know you better!

Take the first step right now and send us a letter expressing your interest. From there, we’ll connect you with a WPS employee who will correspond with you. You can get to know each other at your own pace.

WRITE TO:

» WPS Health Insurance Attn: MMS—Pen Pal 1717 W. Broadway P.O. Box 8190 Madison, WI 53708-8190

What are you waiting for? Pick up your pen and get involved. We hope to hear from you soon!

wpshealth.com | 7

NAME: Tim La Sage

ROLE AT WPS: Military Affairs Manager

HOMETOWN: Sussex, Wis.

TIME SERVED: 1993–2015

BRANCH OF SERVICE: U.S. Marine Corps

RANK: First Sergeant

WHY DID YOU JOIN THE MILITARY?

My father was on a mountain climbing team and I

found myself growing up in the outdoors. Mission

planning was normal for the climbing trips as well

as hunting seasons. The military/infantry seemed

like nothing was changing in how I grew up.

FUN FACT: Tim is the vice president of the

Wisconsin Purple Heart Riders motorcycle club.

At WPS Health Solutions, helping veterans has always been a part of our mission. WPS was founded in 1946 in part to help World War II veterans returning to Wisconsin get the affordable health care they needed. We remain committed to those who serve our country. At WPS, hiring veterans is a priority. As of last count, we had 125 on our team. We wanted to share some of their stories with you.

Headline here es suntiis eici tem!PRSRT STDU.S. Postage

PAIDWPS Health Insurance

WPS Health InsuranceP.O. Box 8190 Madison, WI 53713-8190

©2019 Wisconsin Physicians Service Insurance Corporation. All rights reserved. JO11206 25691-100-1903

Proud partner of the Milwaukee Brewers

The Best Foods for Your Bones and JointsYou reach peak bone mass by your thirties, which is why it’s important to fuel your body with nutrients that strengthen your bones and joints after that. According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, to stay healthy and lower your risk of osteoporosis, you should make sure your diet includes foods that are rich in calcium and vitamin D, such as:

• Dark leafy greens

• Magnesium- and potassium-filled sweet potatoes

• Grapefruit filled with vitamin C

• Fresh or dried figs

• Salmon or other fish that boast omega-3 fatty acids

• Dairy, soybean, almond, or coconut milk

• Vegetarian protein, such as tofu

• Calcium-fortified orange juice

• Dried plums

For more good-for-your-bones foods and other healthy eating tips, visit our online Wellness page at wpshealth.com and search on “healthy eating.” Talk with your doctor about your diet and any medications you may be taking before making changes, as some foods can interact with certain drugs.

Sources: National Osteoporosis Foundation; WebMD.

Health insurance partner of the Green Bay Packers

Wise&WellSU M M E R 2019 | wpshealth.com

> Page 2: Preventing Hearing and Vision Loss

> Page 4: 4 Serious Vision Symptoms

> Page 5: No Network, No Problem

> Page 6: The Fundamentals of Occupational Therapy

> Page 7: Sign up for the WPS Pen Pal Program