Fall • 2023 Nonprofit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Yakima, WA Permit No. 157 El Paso Health PO Box 971100 El Paso, TX 79997-1100 How to stay out of the ER Emergency rooms (ERs) are becoming more crowded and, as a result, patients are having to wait longer for care. It is important to know that most problems are not emergencies. They can be treated in your doctor’s office or at an after-hours night clinic. Night clinics provide treatment for illnesses and injuries that are not emergencies but need treatment the same day. They also provide quality treatment with less wait time than an ER. It is important to know when to go to the ER, as it could save your life. But when a problem is not serious, it is better to treat your illness at home or see your primary care doctor. Here are some examples: When to go to the ER When to go to a night clinic Chest pain Cough Severe burns Cold or flu Severe bleeding Earache Broken bone(s) Fever Cannot breathe Vomiting Head or neck injury Diarrhea Risk of hurting self or others Constipation What else can you do? Take good care of yourself. Stay healthy by eating a nutritious diet, exercising, treating minor illnesses before they become major, receiving routine medical care, and not smoking.
2 wellness Diabetes and school Does your child have diabetes? Their daily routine should stay the same wherever they may be. At school, most children with diabetes will need to: ■Check their blood sugar levels ■Take insulin or other diabetes medications ■Eat snacks and lunch at a certain time (with plenty of time to finish) ■Watch for and treat high and low blood sugars ■Have easy access to water and time for bathroom breaks ■Participate in physical activities The school nurse or an aide can assist your children with their daily routine care. For more information, please contact El Paso Health at 915-532-3778 or 1-877-532-3778. Texas wants healthy children! That is why they require parents to take their children to the doctor every year after their birthday to get this exam. Texas Health Steps checkups help you and your doctor make sure your children stay healthy. It is for children from birth through age 20 who have Medicaid. These checkups make sure your children are growing right. They also help to make sure their teeth are healthy, and they help find problems early, if there are any. They also tell parents what to expect as their child gets older. Did you know that El Paso Health has special Medicaid services for farmworker children? To help you get these services, please call us at 1-877-532-3778, Ext. 1075. We will help you get the medical services your children need. Our kiddos: It’s our job to protect them Between birth and age 18, kids should receive a variety of vaccines, including: ■Chickenpox ■COVID-19 ■Diphtheria ■Hepatitis A and B ■Hib (Haemophilus influenzae type b) ■HPV (human papillomavirus) ■Influenza (yearly flu shots) ■Measles ■Meningococcal disease ■Mumps ■Pneumococcal disease ■Polio ■Rotavirus ■Rubella ■Tetanus The importance of scheduling a Texas Health Steps exam
3 wellness Anxiety in youth and adolescents Mental health is an important part of a child’s overall health and well-being. It affects how a child thinks, feels, and acts. It also plays a role in how children handle stress, relate to others, and make healthy choices. Mental disorders in children can be described as serious changes in the way a child learns, behaves, or handles their emotions, causing problems getting through the day. Some of the more common mental disorders that can be diagnosed in childhood are attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anxiety, and behavior disorders. Treatment The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that 7.1% of U.S. children ages 3 through 17 years have been diagnosed with anxiety. Anxiety disorders can vary. Symptoms generally include excessive fears and worries, feelings of inner restlessness, and a tendency to be excessively distrustful and cautious. Even in the absence of an actual threat, some teenagers describe feelings of nervousness, restlessness, or extreme stress. If your teenager is willing to talk about their fears and anxieties, listen carefully and respectfully. Help them understand that increased feelings of uneasiness about their body, performance, and peer acceptance are all natural parts of adolescence. By helping them trace their anxiety to specific situations and experiences, you may help them reduce the overwhelming nature of their feelings. It is recommended that adolescents, along with their families, seek help from their primary care doctors and other health-care providers. Sources: American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
ABOUT YOUR HEALTH is published as a community service for the friends and patrons of EL PASO HEALTH, 1145 Westmoreland Drive, El Paso, TX 79925, telephone 1-877-532-3778, website elpasohealth.com. Information in ABOUT YOUR HEALTH comes from a wide range of medical experts. If you have any concerns or questions about specific content that may affect your health, please contact your health-care provider. Models may be used in photos and illustrations. 2023 © Coffey Communications, Inc. All rights reserved. EPHM7212306-EPH-MBR-Fall 2023 Member Newsletter Member Services Department 1-877-532-3778 member news Feeling scammed? Report it now! Have you ever ordered something online? Then when it comes, it’s nothing like you expected? Healthcare can be the same way. Doctors and medical supply companies try to charge us for one thing, then deliver something entirely different. Oftentimes what ends up being delivered is very bad quality or a cheaper model than what was paid for. For example, a medical supply company can try to bill us for a costly electric wheelchair with all sorts of accessories. Then, they only deliver the most basic wheelchair with no electricity or options. If you feel you should have gotten better-quality supplies, please report it! This doesn’t just happen with supplies. This can happen with services too. For example, it is wrong for physical therapists to say they were with a patient for their entire 1-hour visit when they were only with them for 5 minutes. If you expected to meet with a doctor for longer than what they gave you, please report it! When someone does something wrong and they know it, it is fraud. When they don’t follow rules, it is abuse. If you are worried that this is happening, or if you are worried about something else that might be fraud or abuse, there are several ways to let us know. All reports are confidential and can be anonymous. You are not required to include your name, address, or any other identifying information. REPORT TO: ■El Paso Health Fraud Hotline: 1-866-356-8395 ■Texas Office of Inspector General: 1-800-436-6184 or oig.hhs.texas.gov/report -fraud-waste-or-abuse El Paso Health Portal and app available for members Did you know that El Paso Health has a Member Portal and an app available? The Portal and app allow you to: ■View and print a temporary ID or request a new one ■View your eligibility ■Request a PCP change ■Find a provider ■View your wellness information, authorizations, and claims ■Ask our representatives a question You can create a Portal account on our website at www.elpasohealth.com by clicking on the Member Portal login or download the mobile app from the Apple Store or Google Play. Just look for the El Paso Health logo. You can call our Member Services team for help or questions regarding these services at 915-532-3778 or toll free at 1-877-532-3778. Thank you for choosing El Paso Health.
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