Tag: Medicare

Here to Educate, Help, and Guide – Intro to Chronic Care Management with Erica Weese, RN

Here to Educate, Help, and Guide - Intro to Chronic Care Management with Erica Weese, RN

Here at Barbour Community Health Association, we are constantly working to turn to better healthcare—which is why we are so excited to announce one of our newest endeavors: Chronic Care Management. Ever heard of it? We didn’t think so! Luckily, Belington Medical Clinic’s Health Educator, Erica Weese, RN, was able to sit down and explain what Chronic Care Management is and who it can help.

Q: What is Chronic Care Management?
A: Chronic Care Management is a personalized program designed to assist eligible patients manage their ongoing chronic conditions. After the initial start-up visit or phone call, we draft goal-oriented care plans specific to each patient to help them tackle their health goals. These can range from simple goals like remembering to take medication to more complex goals like managing and changing diets. I spend roughly 20 minutes a month with each patient checking in on their goals and making sure they’re staying on track.

Q: Who is Eligible for Chronic Care Management?
A: To begin, we are only working with Medicare patients, specifically those who have at least two chronic conditions that will last their lifetime or at least twelve months. Some chronic conditions on this list can include Diabetes, Chronic Kidney Disease, High Blood Pressure, High Cholesterol, Cancer, and more.

Q: How do patients get started with Chronic Care Management?
A: Patients can be referred by their primary care physician to begin this program. One of the best parts of Chronic Care Management is that it can all be done over the phone. It begins with an initial phone call or visit where the patient and I review their health history and any medications they’re taking.

Q: What are some benefits for people to start Chronic Care Management?
A: There are so many benefits for people to start Chronic Care Management, the biggest being education. A big part of my job is to collaborate with the patients primary care provider and to help aid in the understanding of their health conditions, labs, medications, treatments, etc.

Q: What is the Health Educator’s Role in Chronic Care Management?
A: I’m here to educate, help, and guide. My role is to be the center of the spider web. I’m the liaison between patients and their primary care physician or any other physicians or specialists the patients see. My goal is to help the patient feel more confident in their understanding of their disease processes so that they can be a happier, healthier version of themselves.

If you or a loved one are eligible for this program, don’t hesitate to contact Erica Weese, RN, at Belington Medical Clinic or Holly Holbert, BSN, RN, at Myers Clinic.

What to Expect at Your Medicare Wellness Visit

What to Expect at Your Medicare Wellness Visit

Since 2011, Medicare beneficiaries have been eligible for an annual wellness visit (AWV), a preventive health benefit created by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010. Though this service has been offered for several years now, many may be confused about what the actual visit entails.

We talked with our AWV experts, Amy Chenoweth, LPN from Belington Clinic and Jamie Carpenter, LPN from Myers Clinic, to find out what beneficiaries can expect at an annual wellness visit.

What is a Medicare Annual Wellness Visit?
It is a visit that we make sure your chart is completely updated and make sure your screenings are done. Everything you should be getting like your immunizations, we want to go over your medication list, and go over family history. We are basically updating your whole chart and depending on your health, will be what screening you get.

Who gets a Medicare Wellness Visit? Who is it that has these or should get them?
Anybody that has Medicare coverage for their insurance is eligible for a Medicare Wellness Visit.

Does this visit cost the patient?
It does not, it is a free annual wellness visit for all Medicare covered patients.

But patients should be aware that during their visit, their clinician may recommend tests or perform services like a hands-on exam that are not formally included in the AWV visit, potentially causing beneficiaries to incur out-of-pocket costs.

What is the process like? How does it get started? If I have Medicare do I call you or do I talk to my provider about it?
You can call us at our respective clinics and ask to speak with us. I do have a Medicare list and I try to call all of our patients that have Medicare, especially when they have Part B, because Part A and B is when you are able to get an exam. Then I will update your chart over the phone and after that, you will come in to see the provider. The basic thing is if I have not gotten ahold of you and you decide you want to do that; give me a call and I will get you in.

Was there any special training or certifications that nurses have to go through to perform these visits?
We did have to do the Aledade training and we are both Licensed Practical Nurses, so we are certified to complete the Medicare Wellness Visits. Aledade is an organization that we work with that helps us put all the data together for these visits and helps us make sure we stay in touch with folks.

What specific screenings should I expect during these visits?
I will do my part over the phone, which is basically getting all of your health information and getting everything updated. Then when you come in to see your provider you will get vital signs depending on which Medicare appointment you come to. During the welcome visit, you can actually get an EKG as well at no cost, but it is going to depend on your health because men and women are different. Women may get their mammograms or dexa scans and men of course will need their PSA checked and we want to make sure they are getting their colonoscopy. It will depend on your health and your age.

For more information on your upcoming Annual Wellness Visit, call Barbour Community Health Association at 304-823-2800.

What to Expect from Your Medicare Wellness Visit

WhAt to Expect from Your Medicare Wellness Visit

Medicare fully covers the Medicare Wellness Visit, a yearly appointment to discuss your plan of preventive care for the coming year. Different from a head-to-toe physical, the Medicare Wellness Visit focuses on prevention for

Medicare members. With your health care professional, you will discuss current health and risk factors and develop a personal prevention and wellness plan based on your unique health factors to ensure a healthy future.

What to Take with You

It’s a good idea to gather the following to take with you to your appointment:

  • Gather your medications including prescriptions, non-prescriptions, vitamins, supplements and herbal supplements; either write down the information or bring them along
  • Create a list of your health care providers that you see, including names and contact information
  • If you were provided with a health history form and health risk assessment in advance, make sure to complete the forms and bring them along to your appointment
  • Compile a list of questions and concerns to discuss with your health care professional

What to Expect

Prior to the visit, staff will call you to:

  • Complete a health-risk assessment, which is a questionnaire that documents your current health status, injury risks, risky behaviors, etc.
  • Create a list of your current providers and medications
  • Develop a written 5-10-year screening schedule

At the visit, your doctor will:

  • Check height, weight, blood pressure, and body mass index
  • Screen for cognitive impairment
  • Review risk factors for depression
  • Review functional ability such as screening for hearing impairments and risk of falling

Plan ahead of your annual wellness visit and be prepared to answer questions relating to the lists above. Just like a physical exam, even if you are in excellent health, the Medicare Wellness Visit is important to maintaining your health as it addresses any concerns early on. Schedule your Medicare Wellness Visit today!