Advantage. The. Stay Safe When Taking Your Meds! M a r t i n s P o i n t G e n e r at i o n s A d v a n ta g e. What s Inside?

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1 The Advantage F A NEWSLETTER FOR MEMBERS OF A L L 2017 M a r t i n s P o i n t G e n e r at i o n s A d v a n ta g e Stay Safe When Taking Your Meds! Dear Neighbors, This edition of The Advantage is dedicated to a topic that is near and dear to my heart as a pharmacist: how to best use medications and prescription drugs. Medicines help us live longer and healthier lives; but, taking them the wrong way or mixing certain drugs can cause unexpected problems. As a partner in your health care, Martin s Point Generations Advantage makes every effort to keep our members informed about safe medication use. There are also things you can do to make sure you are taking your prescriptions safely: Keep a list of all of your prescriptions. If you see a different doctor or go to urgent care or the emergency room, bring the list and share this important information. Know the names of your medicines and what health condition they are treating. Know what your pills should look like what shape, color, and size they are. If a refill looks wrong, speak up and let your pharmacist know. Try not to miss a dose, and make sure you refill your prescriptions on time. Review your list of medications with your doctor each year and make sure they are all still necessary. Ask questions! If you don t understand something, ask your doctor. Talk to your pharmacist when you pick up a refill. What s Inside? Stay Safe When Taking Your Meds! Your Pharmacist Can Help Generations Advantage Contact Information Vaccine Costs: Did You Know? Ask the Pharmacists Medication Reminder Apps Four Fast Facts: Medication Therapy Management Understanding the Part D Donut Hole Now you can receive your Medication Explanation of Benefits (EOB) online! I hope the information in this newsletter helps you avoid medication risks and enjoy all the health benefits your medications can provide! Best in health, Rebekah Dube, PharmD Vice President, Senior Products Martin s Point Health Care Y0044_2018_136 Accepted: 9/25/17

2 Your Pharmacist Can Help Your local pharmacist is a great resource for information about your prescriptions and over-thecounter drugs. When you have a prescription filled: Tell the pharmacist if you have trouble swallowing pills. There may be liquid medicine available. Do not chew, break, or crush pills without asking if the drug will still work. Make sure you can read and understand the name of the medicine, the directions for taking it, and any warning stickers on the bottle. Ask for larger type if it s hard to read. Check that you can open the container. If not, ask for bottles that are easier to open. Ask if your medicine needs special storage, like in the refrigerator or in a dry place. Check the label on your medicine before leaving the pharmacy. It should include your name and your doctor s directions. If not, don t take it and tell the pharmacist. Try to fill all of your prescriptions at one pharmacy so your records are in one place. This will help the pharmacist see if a new drug might cause a problem with something else you are already taking. If you re not able to use just one pharmacy, show the pharmacist at each pharmacy your list of medicines and over-the-counter drugs when you drop off your prescription. Adapted from National Institute on Aging s Medicines: Use Them Safely brochure Generations Advantage Contact Information Member Services (for current members) (TTY: 711) We are available 8 am 8 pm, seven days a week from October 1 to February 14; and Monday through Friday the rest of the year. Interested in becoming a member? Please call (TTY: 711) Generations Advantage Website MartinsPoint.org/Medicare 2 Medicare evaluates plans based on a 5-star rating system. Star ratings are calculated each year and may change from one year to the next. For 2017, all Generations Advantage plans earned 4.5 out of 5 Stars for Overall Plan Rating from CMS. Visit Medicare.gov for more information. Martin s Point Generations Advantage is a health plan with a Medicare contract offering HMO, HMO- POS, HMO SNP, and PPO products. Enrollment in a Martin s Point Generations Advantage plan depends on contract renewal. Material presented in this newsletter is not intended to replace your health care provider s medical advice. If any information in The Advantage newsletter conflicts with provisions of your health plan s Evidence of Coverage (your contract), the provisions of your contract prevail. Martin s Point Health Care complies with applicable Federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex. ATTENTION: Si vous parlez français, des services d aide linguistique vous sont proposés gratuitement. Appelez le (ATS :711). ATENCIÓN: si habla español, tiene a su disposición servicios gratuitos de asistencia lingüística. Llame al (TTY: 711).

3 Vaccine Costs: Did You Know? Did you know that the cost of a vaccination can vary depending on where you receive it? It can be confusing to know the best place to go, since some vaccines are covered by Medicare Part B, while others are covered under Medicare prescription drug coverage (Part D). Below is a chart showing the different amounts you would pay at a doctor s office and a network pharmacy for certain vaccines on plans with Medicare prescription drug coverage (Part D). You should always check with Member Services before you receive a vaccination at the doctor s office, or if you have questions about reimbursement. New Hampshire Members: Please note that, under NH state law, you can receive TDAP and Tetanus vaccines at a doctor s office ONLY, not at a pharmacy. Value (HMO) Plan Members: Part D coverage is not included in your plan. Please call Member Services to learn about your vaccine costs. Vaccine Flu (influenza) Pneumonia Name/Type Quadrivalent Trivalent Intradermal Nasal Pneumovax Prevnar 13 Shingles** Zostavax TDAP** Adacel Boostrix Your Cost at Doctor s Office* You pay $0 for the vaccine. You pay $0 for the vaccine. You pay full cost and submit to plan for reimbursement. Your final cost for the vaccine will be more than a pharmacy copayment. You pay full cost and submit to plan for reimbursement. Your final cost for the vaccine will be more than a pharmacy copayment. Your Cost at Network Pharmacy You pay $0 for the vaccine when you go to a pharmacy in the Vaccine Pharmacy Network. You pay $0 for the vaccine You pay a Tier 3 copayment. You pay a Tier 3 copayment. IMPORTANT NOTE: BEFORE YOU GET ANY TETANUS VACCINE, YOUR DOCTOR OR PHARMACIST MUST CALL CVS CAREMARK FOR AUTHORIZATION. Tetanus (preventive, NOT treatment of wound) Tetanus (treatment of wound) You pay full cost and submit to plan, but you will not receive 100% reimbursement. Your final cost for the vaccine will be more than a pharmacy copayment. You pay 20% of the cost of the vaccine. Cost-sharing Tier will depend on brand being billed. Not available at a pharmacy. *You will also pay an office visit copayment when you get your vaccine from your doctor, if your plan charges one. **If you are in the Part D Coverage Gap (the donut hole ), you will pay the full amount of your Part D Shingles and TDAP vaccines. 3

4 Ask the Pharmacists Here are some answers to questions members have recently asked our health plan pharmacists: Q: What does it mean to take medicines on an empty stomach? A: Taking medicines on an empty stomach means that you should take your prescription two hours before eating or two hours after eating. In either case, your stomach will be empty enough for the prescription to work. Q: What is the difference between generic drugs and brand-name drugs? A: Generic drugs are required to have the same active ingredients, strength, and dosage form as brand-name drugs. They are not required to have the same inactive ingredients. Generic drugs must work the same way in the body as brand-name drugs. The sites where generic drugs are made, packaged, and tested must pass the same quality standards as those of brand-name drugs. In fact, many generic drugs are made in the same facilities as brand-name drugs. You should take a generic drug the same way you would take a brand-name drug. Q: Where should I get my prescriptions filled? A: If your plan includes Medicare prescription drug coverage (Part D), you can get your prescriptions filled at any network pharmacy. To find a list of network pharmacies, go to our website and select Prescriptions & Pharmacies. Or call Member Services for a list. We also have some network pharmacies including Hannaford Pharmacies that offer cost savings on Tier 1, Tier 2, Tier 3, and Tier 4 drugs. These are called our pharmacies with preferred cost sharing. Q. My friend was recently sent home from a hospital stay with several new medications. She s confused if she should keep taking her old medications or stop taking them. What should she do? A: She should call her Primary Care Provider (PCP) and get in for a visit as quickly as possible. When she s making the appointment she should tell them she needs to review her medication list with her doctor. It s very important to see your PCP within a few days no longer than a week of being sent home from a hospital, even if it was a planned stay. When she goes in for the appointment, your friend should bring all of her pill bottles, or, if that s not possible, a detailed list of her prescriptions (including name of the drug, how much the dose is, and how frequently she uses it). Her doctor will be able to tell her which prescriptions she should stay on. We also offer a blank Medication Tracker form on our website ( org/medicare) under Member Resources. It s part of the Preventive Care Checklist. Q. Where can I get the flu shot? A: You can get your flu shot at a pharmacy in our Vaccine Pharmacy Network or at your doctor s office. For more information, go to our website MartinsPoint.org/Flu or call Member Services. 4

5 Cryptogram Keys to Safe Prescription Use Can you break the code? In this puzzle, each letter in the clue represents a different letter in the answer. The eight phrases are tips for safely using prescription drugs. Here are three clues to get you started: P=K, M=N, Z=A 1. A K N Z H P B L F I W L X G L I J F V H G R L M H 2. K A A N P V V K Z O R H G L U N V W R X Z G R L M H 3. N N U L O O L D R M H G I F X G R L M H 4. A N F H V G S V I R T S G Z N L F M G 5. A K N N G Z P V N V W R X R M V L M G R N V 6. I V K L I G K I L Y O V N H 7. K N X S V X P Y V U L I V H G L K K R M T 8. N ' A N W L M ' G H S Z I V K I V H X I R K G R L M H Key N K A A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z For answers, please see page 6. 5

6 Medication Reminder Apps Have you ever been so busy that you forgot to take a dose of one of your prescriptions? Did you know that your smart phone or tablet can help? Yes, there s an app for that! He noted several other top performers as well. He found apps that help auto-complete the name of your medication (so you don t have to type the whole name), display photos of pills, and allow for easy time entry. In March, noted technology writer David Pogue reviewed 47 pillreminder apps for Yahoo! Finance. His top recommendations were Medisafe Medication Reminder and Care4 Today, which are available for both Android and Apple devices. And they re free! Check out your app store today to learn more! To read the full article, see news/david-pogue-tested-47-pill-reminderapps-to-find-the-best html Four Fast Facts: Medication Therapy Management 1 What is Medication Therapy Management (MTM)? 3 What does the pharmacist do during an MTM meeting? Medication Therapy Management (MTM) is a meeting that you can have with your pharmacist to review all of your prescription and over-thecounter medications. You can have this meeting over the phone or in person. 2 Who qualifies for MTM? MTM is available to members who: are on a plan that includes Medicare prescription drug coverage (Part D) have certain health conditions take a number of medications spend a certain amount on their drugs During an MTM meeting, your pharmacist will answer your questions about your medications. They will also assist you with the correct dosage and timing of your medications and make sure your current drug therapy is appropriate, safe, and cost effective for you. 4 How can an MTM meeting help me? You ll understand your medications better and you may save money on your medications. You ll also have a complete list of your medications to share with all of your health care providers. 6 Puzzle Answers 1. Ask your doctor questions 2. Keep a list of medications 3. Follow instructions 4. Use the right amount 5. Take medicine on time 6. Report problems 7. Check before stopping 8. Don t share prescriptions

7 Understanding the Part D Donut Hole There are three phases of Part D prescription drug coverage where you, your health plan, and drug manufacturers share the costs of your prescriptions differently. In Phase 2 the Coverage Gap or donut hole you pay a higher share of the cost. You may not enter this phase, depending on how much you spend on prescription drugs each year. PHASE 1: Initial Coverage YOU PAY PLAN PAYS Each time you fill a prescription for a drug that is covered on our formulary (drug list), you pay a COPAYMENT or COINSURANCE. The plan pays the balance. If Total $$ You Pay +Total $$ Plan Pays Then $3,700 you move into PHASE 2: Coverage Gap YOU PAY OTHERS PAY In this phase, you pay a LARGER share of the cost of your drugs. Instead of paying a COPAYMENT, you pay a PERCENTAGE of the cost. You will pay 40% of the cost of brand name drugs (plus a portion of the dispensing fee) and 51% of the price for generic drugs. If Total $$ You Paid in Phase 1 Total $$ You Paid in Phase 2 + Total $$ Paid By Drug Manufacturers $4,950 PHASE 3: Catastrophic Coverage The DONUT HOLE Then you move into YOU PAY PLAN PAYS In this phase, you pay a SMALLER share of costs. Your cost for each prescription is the GREATER of: $3.30 for Generics $8.25 for Brand Name or This phase continues until the end of the year. On January 1, the process begins again and you start back in the Initial Coverage phase. 5% of Total Cost Member cost shares in the Coverage Gap may vary by plan. In the Coverage Gap, the drug manufacturer pays 50% of the total cost of your brand-name medications. 7

8 The Advantage F A NEWSLETTER FOR MEMBERS OF A L L 2017 M a r t i n s P o i n t G e n e r at i o n s A d v a n ta g e Health and Wellness or Prevention Information Martin s Point Generations Advantage PO Box 9746 Portland, Maine NONPROFIT ORG US POSTAGE PAID PERMIT #186 PORTLAND, ME Now You Can Receive Your Medication Explanation of Benefits (EOB) Online! As a Martin s Point Generations Advantage member, you can now choose to receive your monthly Medication EOB online instead of by mail. Your paperless Medication EOB provides the same information in the same format as the printed one you receive today, only it s faster and more convenient. Save time, stay organized, and reduce clutter Online Medication EOB information is safe and secure Choose to opt in or opt out at any time To get started, visit MartinsPoint.org/MyAccount to sign up. There you can access the password-protected online prescription management center available to Martin s Point Generations Advantage members 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Register to manage your prescriptions, monitor outof-pocket spending, and get information about your medications. You will continue to receive other Martin s Point Generations Advantage plan information in the mail, including your Medical EOB Statements, Annual Notice of Changes (ANOC) and Evidence of Coverage (EOC).