Blue Care Connections??? | Arthritis Information

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Blue Care Connection has been sending me lots of letters and calling me to help me b/c of RA.  The letters say it is through my insurance, and that they can provide lots of extra support, etc.  For free.

 
I haven't taken the time to bother.  Anyone participate in this program?
 
Regards,
Nori

I have been getting something similiar, not sure if it is the same company or not.

I have been tossing them Blue Cross/Blue Shield?  We used their support program for a while after the husband had his heart attack.  They helped us get the necessary information about cardiac issues, medications, etc.  We don't have Blue Cross any more, so I don't know if their program is still helpful.  Never tried an insurance company program for RA support.  Humana sent me some information (including an invitation to participate in their program) a couple years ago that was underwhelming at best.  We've not participated in any program since the Blue Cross cardiac stuff about 9 years ago.

When I worked for BCBS, they had something called Blue Care Connections where you could call and speak with a nurse about anything that ailed you. It was basically created so people who don't like to go to the doctor's office for care could still get medical advice. It's also great for members who have a high deductible to meet, especially with our economy right now. I think they're still doing it? Are your fliers from BCBS?

Ah ha! Found it! :) (FYI: TX, IL, NM and OK merged. I was working for TX. When I left the company there was talk of merging with FL. Man, I would have loved to been on that IT team!)
Blue Care Connection®

Blue Care Connection® provides personalized attention, support, online resources and health advocacy to help you find the right resources, optimize your health care benefits and manage medical conditions.

Utilization and Case Management – These programs are supported by health care professionals, including doctors and nurses who can help you understand your benefits and identify health care resources.

Mental Health and Chemical Dependency – Behavioral health professionals help you find doctors for mental health and chemical dependency management and certify inpatient or partial hospitalization.

Care Advisor – A registered nurse can assist you with questions about chronic conditions and coordinate care, providing you with a single point of contact.

Personal Health Resources – Numerous online tools help you manage your overall health care. You can create a personal health record to keep track of personal health information. You have access to online health content to research health topics.

Healthy Expectations – This program helps pregnant members and their babies get off to a healthy start by providing educational materials and support including pregnancy risk assessment and monitoring.

 
http://www.bcbsil.com/member/cpo/bluecare_connection.htm
 
ETA: I used Healthy Expectations myself. After I completed the program, I was given a check for 0. It wasn't anything hard either, you just filled out a couple of forms regarding your pregnancy and made a handful of phone calls to your assigned nurse during and after the pregnancy. I wonder if they still do that?
CO_Mel2009-11-29 17:49:13I haven't tried any of that......but I have to wonder how it would be in my best interests to use a service owned by the insurance company........their mission is to cut costs, so I don't feel really warm and fuzzy that they would be my advocate.

Insurance companies are just like any other company, you try to find ways to keep costs down.  One way of doing that is to provide resources/support to people when they need it.   Some people find these programs annoying, especially if they are doing everything they are supposed to, but if people aren't following through on things, it can be the extra support needed to keep on track.    Our company moved from a private vendor to a BCBS program and it's based on opportunity vs disease - so they only contact people that they feel there is room for impact, basing enrollment on various metrics - adherence to meds, eye exam frequency, emergency room claims, etc. 

You can always sign up and if you decide it's not for you, ask to opt out.   the programs can  be very helpful for people who are newly diagnosed or who are dealing with multiple medical issues.  For me I discovered that after 20+ years with RA I knew more about it than did the nurse making the call...the conversations got pretty repetitive so I stopped participating
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