Estimate Health Care Costs BEFORE Your Appointment

Photo of a woman looking at a laptop computer in her kitchen
When you find out that you need a health service, such as an X-ray, lab work, or surgery, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? If it’s, “How much is THAT gonna cost me?” you’re not alone. It’s an important consideration that, until now, hasn’t always been easy to calculate. And the difference between providers can amount to hundreds of dollars....
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Helping Members Get on a Path to Wellness: A Day in the Life of an Independence Nurse Health Coach

Independence nurse Health Coach George Barrett
Independence Blue Cross (Independence) is recognizing nurses who carry on the proud tradition of providing compassionate care, comfort, and security to all of us. As part of the Celebrate Caring campaign, we’re highlighting some of our nurses and how they help enhance the health and well-being of our members and communities — beyond the beside — in their roles at Independence....
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Fighting Back Against Opioid Addiction

The current opioid epidemic in the United States is growing. Each day, thousands of people begin to misuse opioids and many of them will join the millions of Americans already suffering from addiction. In 2017, the number of opioid-related deaths exceeded 47,000 people — more than 130 deaths each day.1 Opioid addiction often starts because of prescription medication abuse,...
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How an Independence Blue Cross Health Coach Can Help You

Health Coach taking a call on a phone headset
I recently interviewed Lisa Lokuta, RN, BSN, a Health Coach in the Independence Blue Cross Case and Condition Management department to get some insight into health coaching. IBX: What is a Health Coach? Lisa: Independence Health Coaches are specially-trained, registered nurses with an average of 8 to 11 years of clinical service. Independence has more than 90 Health Coaches on staff to help our members navigate their health....
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Preventing Health Care Fraud: How to Stop Scammers

An older woman examines a card as she talks on the phone.
We’ve all gotten a phone call like this one: “Congratulations, you won an all-expenses-paid vacation! All we need is some information about you.” You may think you won’t be fooled by this type of too-good-to-be-true offer, but scammers have practice in the art of “phishing,” a technique used to trick you into sharing personal information. In the case of medical identity theft,...
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My Personal Experience with Telemedicine (and Why You Should Give it a Try)

A mother sits on her daughter's bed, examining a thermometer while using the phone.
This past November, I had a sore throat and a cough that I just could not kick. I first went to an urgent care center, but a few days later, my symptoms were still persistent and I needed relief. Since it was 11 p.m. and my primary care physician (PCP) was not available, I decided to give my telemedicine benefit through MDLIVE a shot....
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Health Plans, Networks, and Provider Relationships Work Together for You

A diverse team of medical professionals smiles at the camera
Health plans often reference their provider networks, describing providers as either in-network or out-of-network. Provider networks include a range of professionals, from nurse practitioners to physical and occupational therapists, in addition to both primary care physicians (PCPs) and specialists. When a provider is in a plan’s network, it means that the plan and the provider have a contractual relationship....
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Medication Reviews: Talking to Your Doctor About Your Prescriptions

An older man examines a medication bottle, as woman uses a laptop
If you’re like the average American over 65, you take about three prescriptions each month (prescribed by more than one doctor) in addition to some over-the-counter drugs, vitamins, and supplements. But what do you really know about these medications? Are they safe to take together? Could they cause unwanted side effects? Is it time to stop taking some of them?...
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How Can Seniors Stay Strong? SilverSneakers!

During a recent train ride into work, I experienced the funniest reminder about exercise. For those of you who don’t take the train, let me set the scene… The sun hadn’t come up quite yet, and the weather was cold and dreary. The train car was filled with early morning commuters who were bundled up and,...
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Medicare Part D: What You Need to Know in 2019

Photo of an older couple picking up their medication at the pharmacy.
Medicare Part D is a federal prescription drug coverage program offered by private insurance companies. Prescription drug coverage can be purchased one of two ways: Bundled with medical. Most Medicare Advantage plans cover both Part C (medical) and Part D (drug) plans, eliminating the need to manage more than one insurance plan. These plans are called Medicare Advantage with Prescription Drug (MAPD) plans....
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