Your Community Health Options plan offers access to the benefits that help you reduce out-of-pocket costs while ensuring you and your family can meet your health needs. Learn how you can save here.
Some people become so overwhelmed with their health insurance that they often don’t take advantage of the benefits they pay for. Of course, insurance is there for emergencies, but did you know you can use it to lower your out-of-pocket healthcare costs, often for everyday services?
You’d be surprised at how many benefits go unused. And if you’re in an employer-sponsored plan, you’re leaving money on the table. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, health benefits can amount to up to 10% of your total compensation.
Don’t let your plan go to waste: Be sure to know your benefits by reading through your Member guide and Summary of Benefits found within your Member portal at healthoptions.org. Even if you checked at the beginning of the year, it’s never a bad idea to look again so you don’t miss out on health and wellness benefits.
Importantly, Community Health Options plans offer access to benefits that help you reduce out-of-pocket costs while helping you meet your health needs. Here are some ways you can save:
Need an office visit? Find a local in-network urgent care here. If you don’t have an urgent care near you, a primary care walk-in clinic is usually less expensive than an ER visit.
Read your Schedule of Benefits and Summary of Benefits and Coverage in your Member Portal for more information. Still have questions? Call our Maine-based Member Services team at (855) 624-6463 between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m., Monday to Friday.
*Not available on catastrophic plans
If you’ve been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, you likely already know the risks that come with high blood sugar levels—heart or kidney disease, blindness, nerve damage or stroke. Low levels can pose problems, too, like blurred vision, nightmares, headaches, confusion or lightheadedness.
Diabetes has become a national epidemic—there are at least 37 million people diagnosed with the disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In Maine, more than 113,000 people—or about 10% of the state’s adults—have been diagnosed with diabetes, with an estimated 32,000 who likely have diabetes, but don’t know it.
It takes more than an occasional A1c blood test, a measure of average blood sugar over three months, to effectively manage Type 2 diabetes and prevent the serious complications that can go with it. Even so, there’s a good chance that for many with diabetes, daily glucose monitoring can be hit or miss. Let’s face it: It can be a hassle to keep track with frequent finger sticks.
Daily monitoring empowers you to take control of your diabetes, whether measuring a few times a day with a glucose meter or using a continuous glucose monitoring system (CGM) that tracks patterns 24/7. Daily monitoring can also provide real-time information and reveal patterns, like whether sugar spikes after a meal or drops to dangerous levels overnight. It can also show you how your body responds in real time to specific food, exercise or the medications you take.
