New Mexico Health Connections | my connection | Spring 2020

SPRING FORWARD Four changes to make this spring. 2 P.O. Box 30707 Albuquerque, NM 87190 Standard U.S. Postage PAID Walla Walla, WA Permit No. 44 WHY YOU NEED A PCP We can help you find the right match! 3 Numbers you need to know CUSTOMER SERVICE: 866-668-9002, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. •   Benefits. •   ID cards. •   Billing and payments. •   Claims questions, status and reconsiderations. •   Member login help. •   General information. OPTUMRX, OUR PHARMACY BENEFIT MANAGER: 855-577-6550 OPTUMRX’S SPECIALTY PHARMACY: 866-618-6741 Message from Marlene Marlene C. Baca, CEO of New Mexico Health Connections SERVICE IMPROVEMENTS ARE ON THE WAY A t NMHC, our goal is to make health insurance easy and simple. We have missed that mark the past few months: Our customer service hold times have been very long at times, and the member portals have not always worked ideally. I know that this has caused frustration making payments and other inquiries. We sincerely apologize and strive to do better throughout 2020 and beyond. Here’s how we’re working to improve your experience over the coming weeks: • In our customer service center, we recently hired six new service representatives and are adding three more shortly, which should reduce call hold times. • In April you will be able to make monthly premium payments through an automated phone system—no more waiting on hold to make a payment. We’ll send an update when this feature is live. • For those who have set up automatic payments for their monthly premium, we will email you when your payment has been made. This will start in March. You will be able to review your invoices on your member portal (coming soon). • We will continue taking service requests through email for nonimmediate questions at customer.service@mynmhc.org . We will call back within 24 hours (usually the same day). We want to emphasize that our customer service representatives are trained and empowered to help resolve your issues in one call, without transferring you to multiple departments. I want to thank you for your patience while we work on balancing our staffing needs to accommodate the personalized level of service our members deserve. I f you haven’t done so lately, you may want to ask your doctor to give your blood pressure another look. The reason? The American Heart Association (AHA) recently changed its definition of high blood pressure—a condition that boosts the risks of some serious diseases. Many people who didn’t have high blood pressure under the old definition may have it now. Could you be one of them? Getting your blood pressure checked is the only way to find out. See the chart for the new AHA blood pressure definitions. Remember, a blood pressure reading is given as two numbers: a systolic (upper) number and a diastolic (lower) number. High blood pressure increases your chances of having things like a heart attack or stroke, kidney disease, or vision loss because it damages blood vessels, among other things. So it’s im- portant to keep your blood pressure in a healthy range. How do you do that? By making healthy choices—including eating a nutritious diet and exercising—and taking medications as needed. But first, find out where you stand by having your blood pressure checked. Your healthcare provider can help you stay well. Find one at mynmhc.org/find-a-provider.aspx . Keep it fresh Store asparagus like a bouquet to keep it fresh in the fridge. Cut an inch off the bottom of the stalks, stand them upright in an inch or two of water, and cover with a plastic bag. Source: Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Blood pressure: Is yours now too high? Systolic/diastolic HIGH 130 TO 139 OR 80 TO 89 ELEVATED 120 TO 129 AND LESS THAN 80 NORMAL LESS THAN 120 AND LESS THAN 80