New Mexico Health Connections | my connection | Fall 2018

2 { MY CONNECTION } Have diabetes? Protect your vision with a simple test Even if you have good control of your blood glucose (blood sugar), diabetes can cause vision problems. Diabetic retinopathy is the most common eye disease among people with diabetes and a leading cause of blindness for American adults. Once a year, you should have a retinal screening. This can be done by either a dilated eye exam or a retinal photo exam. The retinal photo exam is a painless test that looks for signs of disease in the retina , the sensitive tissue at the back of the eye that receives images and sends signals to the brain about what is seen. When you get a retinal photo exam: •   The technician takes pictures of each eye with a medical camera. You do not need to have your eyes dilated. •   You will see a flash of light for less than a second when each picture is taken. •   The test does not diagnose any eye disease. It can only show whether eye disease might be present. So it is also important for you to have a face-to-face exam with your eye doctor every year. •   The test is a covered benefit under your health plan. A yearly retinal screening should be part of your overall diabetes care plan. If it isn’t, talk to your primary care provider or specialist providers about getting one. Every year, NMHC asks for your thoughts on satisfaction with our provider network, our service to you, and the health plan in general. This year, almost 24 percent of those who received a survey responded. Some of the questions asked on the survey related to getting care quickly and when needed, as well as knowing how well your provider is coordinating your care and communicating with you. Also, we asked how our customer service team and the administration of the health plan are working for you. Here are some 2018 survey results on these topics. Survey respondents answered “usually” and “always” to these questions: •   Members can get care quickly: 78 percent of the time—improved from last year. •   Members can get needed care: 77 percent of the time—similar to last year. •   Members feel their doctor communicates with them well: 89 percent of the time—similar to last year. Customer satisfaction is our top priority •   Members feel customer service was responsive and provided needed information: 79 percent—improved from last year. Your satisfaction with NMHC as it relates to cost of care and cost of medications was rated higher than the national average. We continually strive to be the best possible health plan in New Mexico. If you responded to the survey, thank you. Your feedback will help us continue to improve. Taking care of yourself We routinely measure how our members are taking care of themselves. In 2018, we learned that our members can do better in some areas. •   81 percent of our adolescent members did not receive an immunization to protect them against cancers caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV) by the age of 13. •   50 percent of individuals between the ages of 18 and 65 did not get their annual flu shot. •   63 percent of adults with hypertension have blood pressure that is not adequately controlled or not checked often enough. •   37 percent of females between the ages of 50 and 75 did not get their breast cancer screening in the last two years. Take control of your health and find out what care and treatment you need to keep on the right track. We’ve published a set of preventive guidelines to help you. Find them at mynmhc.org/nmhc-id0632-0218_preventive_ hc_svcs_flier_final.pdf . M any people love the holidays and can’t wait for them to get here. But not everyone eagerly awaits the merry season— in fact, plenty of people wish they could just ignore the holidays altogether. Do you feel that way? If so, you may have a good reason for your dampened spirits. For instance, you might be missing a loved one, going through a divorce or struggling to pay the bills, let alone buy gifts. What to do when you don’t feel jolly If you’re less than excited about the holidays, these tips from Mental Health America and the National Alliance on Mental Illness may help: 1. Scale back expectations. The pressure to be happy can make stress seem even worse. But you don’t have to attend the parties, deck the halls or send holiday cards. 2. Stay connected. Don’t feel up to celebrating? You don’t have to. But you shouldn’t be alone if you would like some company. If you can’t be with family or close friends, try getting together with co-workers or neighbors. Or volunteer at a homeless shelter that serves holiday meals. 3. Set a budget and stick to it. Strolling through your neighborhood looking at holiday lights is free entertainment. If you can’t afford to buy presents for everyone, consider making some gifts—perhaps a delicious dessert or a collection of soup ingredients in a jar. 4. Don’t abandon healthy habits. Exercise can help lift your spirits. Try to get plenty of sleep too. And don’t drink alcohol to cope. If you feel like doing that, tell your doctor. 5. Remember a loved one in your own way. Are you missing a loved one who is no longer with you? Honoring their memory may help. For example, you might carry on a tradition that your loved one started or make a charitable donation in that person’s name. 6ways to beat the holiday blues 6. Cut the quarrels. Are you dreading attending a holiday dinner or gathering because of family arguments? This year if a quarrel starts, give yourself permission to simply leave the room until everyone cools off. Our website has many resources for behavioral health. Visit mynmhc.org/behavioral-mental-health.aspx . { F I N D T H E H E L P Y O U N E E D } { M E M B E R N E W S }