Contact your Health Care Concierge

Call your UPMC for Life Specialty Plan Health Care Concierge at 1-800-606-8648. TTY users should call 1-800-361-2629. We are available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

A mammogram is important

For women in the United States, breast cancer is the most common non-skin cancer and the second-leading cause of cancer deaths. However, when found early, breast cancer can often be treated successfully.

A mammogram is the best way to detect breast cancer early, when it is easier to treat. UPMC for Life Specialty Plan covered services include a routine screening mammogram every 12 months for women age 40 and older.

Mammograms are usually done in a certified general radiology center or in a clinic set up for mammography. During the mammogram, each breast is compressed between two plates, and an x-ray image is made. Breast compression evens out the breast thickness so that all of the tissue can be seen and small abnormalities won't be hidden. It also allows a lower x-ray dose to be used and holds the breast still. The technologist stands behind a glass shield during the x-ray. You may be asked to change positions slightly between images. After the x-ray, the technologist makes sure the images are of high enough quality for the radiologist to read.

It is recommended that all women over the age of 40 have a mammogram every year.

There are more than 100 mammography facilities in the UPMC for Life Specialty Plan network. To find a mammography center, call your Health Care Concierge. If you have special needs, call the Comprehensive Healthcare Center for Women with Physical Disabilities at 412-647-4747.

Your "shot" to stop the flu

The weather may still be warm, but it is not too early to get a flu shot. If you have ever had the flu, then you know just how bad it can make you feel. Body aches, fever, chills ... no one wants to get the flu. The very best way to prevent the flu is to get a special shot — called a vaccine.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), everyone who is six months old or older should get a flu vaccine this season.

Visit your doctor to get your free flu shot. Or get your flu shot at a designated location in your community.

If you pay out of pocket for your flu shot, UPMC for Life Specialty Plan will reimburse you if you fill out a Flu Shot Reimbursement Form. You can get a reimbursement form by visiting www.upmchealthplan.com. Simply go to Commonly Used Forms under the Members heading on our homepage. You may also call your Health Care Concierge.

Note: Not all people should receive this vaccine. Talk to your doctor to find out if this vaccine is right for you.

Giving you the health care cost and quality information you want

It's important for you to know the quality and cost of your health care. UPMC for Life Specialty Plan encourages you to take advantage of the variety of online resources we have available to help you make the best decision about where to receive your health care. Visit www.upmchealthplan.com/snp to find out information about quality and cost.

Annual Notice of Changes arrives in September

Each fall, UPMC for Life Specialty Plan sends you an Annual Notice of Changes packet as required by Medicare guidelines. These materials identify changes in your medical and prescription drug cover- age for the coming year. Review these materials for important changes in your medical and prescription drug coverage. All changes become effective at the beginning of the next calendar year.

Inside your 2012 Annual Notice of Changes packet, you will receive:

• Updates to benefits, including premiums, deductibles, and coverage limits
• Evidence of Coverage
• A formulary (drug list)

Please note that this document is only a brief summary and not a comprehensive description of your benefits.

Our Quality Improvement Program works for you!

The quality of your health care is important. Our Quality Improvement Program helps us improve the quality of your care, service, and safety. A committee of network doctors and health care professionals oversees the program. The committee members are dedicated to improving quality of care and service to members and promoting hospital safety.

Our Quality Improvement Program has had many successes. More members received the recommended care for women's health, heart health, diabetes, respiratory health, and colorectal cancer screenings.

UPMC for Life Specialty Plan received a high overall member satisfaction rating, as well as strong ratings indicating that members believe they are receiving the care they need. Members were also satisfied with their ability to get information about prescription drug coverage and cost. They also reported being satisfied with their doctors' communication skills.

If you would like a paper copy of the website information, or if you would like more information about our Quality Improvement Program, please contact your Health Care Concierge.

Eye exams are important

CATARACT SCREENING — More than half of all Americans will either have a cataract or have undergone cataract surgery by the time they are 80 years old. The risk of developing cataracts increases as you get older. If you are age 60 or older, you should have a complete dilated eye exam at least once every two years. Cataracts can be detected and treated before they begin to impair vision. The early symptoms of a cataract may be improved with new eyeglasses, brighter lighting, anti-glare sunglasses, or magnifying lenses.

GLAUCOMA SCREENING — Everyone is at risk for glaucoma, but it is much more common among older people. Glaucoma causes pressure to build inside the eye and can damage the optic nerve. You are six times more likely to get glaucoma if you are over age 60. Glaucoma is the second-most common cause of blindness in the U.S. Older adults, because they are at higher risk for developing glaucoma, should get a complete eye exam, including eye dilation, every one or two years.

DIABETIC RETINAL EYE EXAM — Diabetes can hurt your eyes in several ways. The retina (the lining at the back of the eye) can be damaged over time, and this dam- age can cause blindness. High blood sugar and high blood pressure can damage the tiny blood vessels in the retina. Annual eye exams can detect damage done to the retina before there is a loss of sight. If you have diabetes, you should have a diabetic retinal eye exam once a year to allow for early identification of damage to your retina.

Moving? Let us know.

If you have recently moved or are planning to move, please let UPMC for Life Specialty Plan know! Call your Health Care Concierge.

Take control of your health

As we age, our preventive care needs change. Preventive care today includes more than it did in the past. The care and advice you get from health professionals could yield major benefits in the form of physical, mental, and social well-being. Work with your doctor and other members of your health-care team to develop a wellness plan that meets your unique needs. Before any doctor's visit, create a list of questions you'd like to ask. They can be about preventive screenings you'd like to have, medications, and things that are hurting or bothering you. If you don't ask your doctor, he or she will not know you have a concern or question.

Take this list with you when you see your doctor. Here are some examples of questions you could ask:

1. How can I reduce my risk of falling?
2. How can I manage my bladder control when laughing or coughing?
3. Do I need an osteoporosis test to check for weak (brittle) bones?
4. How much exercise/physical activity should I be getting?
5. Do I need a flu and pneumonia vaccine?
6. What preventive or screening tests should I have?

Provider directory on the Web

You should get your medical services from the doctors, hospitals, and health care providers in the UPMC for Life Specialty Plan network, unless there is an emergency or an urgent need for care while you are outside the service area. The next time you need to find out if a doctor, hospital, or other medical provider is in the UPMC for Life Specialty Plan network, try using a computer.

You can quickly and easily search our large network of doctors, hospitals, and other health care providers online.

You can search for a doctor by name, office location(s), specialty, the hospital or medical group the doctor is connected with, gender, languages spoken, and whether the doctor is accepting new patients. If you are searching for a hospital, you will find the address, phone number, and services offered — for example, on-site lab or dialysis services.

You can call your UPMC for Life Specialty Plan Health Care Concierge for help finding a doctor or hospital or to request a printed Provider Directory.

Save the date for Drug Take back Day October 29 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

More than seven million Americans currently abuse prescription drugs, according to the 2009 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration's National Survey on Drug Use and Health.

Each day, approximately, 2,500 teens use prescription drugs to get high for the first time according to the Partnership for a Drug Free America. Studies show that most of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including the home medicine cabinet.

In an effort to address this problem, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), in conjunction with state and local law enforcement agencies throughout the United States, recently conducted two National Prescription Drug Take Back Days. These efforts were a huge success in removing potentially dangerous prescription drugs, particularly controlled substances, from our nation's medicine cabinets.

DEA has scheduled another National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, which will take place on Saturday, October 29, 2011, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Multiple drop-off locations will be available throughout western Pennsylvania. For more information, visit www.zerowastepgh.com or call the Pennsylvania Resources Council at 412-488-7452 for specific locations.

Enjoy the Sights — and the Savings — at the Heinz History Center this Fall!

Limited-time offer: 40% off annual memberships for UPMC Health Plan members, families, and friends through December 21!

As chilly weather returns to Pittsburgh, you'll find delightful indoor exercise for your body and mind at the Senator John Heinz History Center, 1212 Smallman Street in Pittsburgh's Strip District.

Six floors of original artifacts and interactive exhibits highlight our region's past 250 years. A new exhibit, Stars & Stripes: An American Story, features the people behind our nation's flag. Take the stairs between floors to view SmartSteps, a fit and fun exhibit in the stairwells created by UPMC Health Plan and the History Center. Climb to all six floors and receive a genuine Heinz pickle pin!

Now through December 21, UPMC Health Plan members and their families and friends can save 40% on Heinz History Center individual and family memberships. Memberships include admission to all Smithsonian museums, including the History Center; subscriptions to Smithsonian and Western Pennsylvania History magazines; and museum shop discounts. Call 412-454-6436.