Page 17 - Work Force March 2017

Are you prepared for a dental emergency?
The CSEA Employee Benefit Fund is proud to provide dental benefits to thousands of hardworking CSEA members across New York state.
Our goal is to provide valuable benefits that save our members money and keep them healthy. Prevention is key, but emergencies do happen. Are you prepared?
Thousands of dental emergencies, from injuries to a painful, abscessed tooth, take place every day. Would you know what to do if your child broke a tooth or had a tooth knocked out while playing outdoors? What if you had a bad toothache in the middle of the night and couldn’t get to the dentist until the next day?
Knowing what to do can lessen
the pain and save a tooth that might otherwise be lost. In addition to calling your dentist as soon as possible, the American Dental Association (ADA)
has provided some tips if you can’t see your dentist right away.
Toothache: Rinse the mouth with warm water to clean it out. Gently use dental floss or an interdental cleaner to remove any food or other debris that may be
caught between the
teeth. Never put aspirin
or any other painkiller
against the gums near
the aching tooth. This
could burn gum tissue. If
the toothache persists, try
to see the dentist. Don’t
rely on painkillers. They
may temporarily relieve pain, but your dentist should evaluate the toothache.
Knocked-out (avulsed) tooth: Try to find the tooth! This may not be as easy as you think if the injury took place on a playground, basketball court or while skateboarding, so try
to stay calm. Hold the tooth by the crown and rinse the root in water if the tooth is dirty. Don’t scrub it or remove any attached tissue fragments. If it’s possible, gently insert and
hold the tooth in its socket while you head to the dentist. If that’s not
possible, put the tooth in a cup of milk and bring it to the dentist. Time is
critical for successful reimplantation, so try to get to your dentist immediately.
Broken tooth: Rinse your mouth with warm
water to clean the area. Use cold compresses on the outside of the cheek to help reduce the swelling.
Tongue or lip bites or wounds:
Clean the area gently with a clean cloth and apply cold compresses to reduce any swelling. If the bleeding
can’t be controlled, go to a hospital emergency room or clinic. You may able to reduce bleeding from the tongue by pulling it forward and using gauze to put pressure on the wound.
Objects caught between teeth:
Try to gently remove the object
with dental floss. Never use a sharp instrument to remove any object that is stuck between your teeth. If you can’t dislodge the object with floss, contact your dentist.
Possible broken jaw: Apply cold compresses to control swelling. Get to the hospital emergency room immediately.
To learn more about CSEA EBF’s dental programs and which ones are available to you, visit cseaebf.com.
BlueCard Worldwide has changed its name to Blue Cross Blue Shield Global Core
Empire Plan claims deadlines for calendar year 2016
CVS Caremark
P.O. Box 6590
Lee’s Summit, MO 64064-6590 For prescriptions filled at non- participating pharmacies or at participating pharmacies without using your New York Government Employee Benefit Card.
Enrollees can call the Empire Plan at 1-877-7NYSHIP (1-877-769-7447) with questions or to obtain claim forms. As a reminder, when using
the Empire Plan’s toll-free telephone number, please pay extra attention to the choices offered by the automated system.
Network providers/pharmacies
will submit claims directly to the appropriate insurance carrier on
your behalf when provided with all necessary information. If you have a non-network claim submission, make sure you complete the requested subscriber information on the claim form, include the original billing or receipt (if requested), and don’t forget to sign the claim form.
The Empire Plan program for hospital care outside the United States has changed its name from BlueCard Worldwide to Blue Cross Blue Shield Global Core.
Beyond the name change and rebranding of the website, there have not been any changes to the program.
To contact the
program, enrollees may
call Blue Cross Blue Shield
Global Core 1-800-810-BLUE (1-800-810-2583). If calling
from outside the continental United States, the enrollee can make a collect call to 1-804-673-1177.
Enrollees may also visit the
Update to Free Identity Protection Services fAor Empire Plan Enrollees
website at bcbsglobalcore.com. To use the site, you will need to register/create an account before
you can search for a provider. If you had an existing account
on the previous website (bluecardworldwide.com), your account information
will be the same for the new site. In addition, if enrollees have the old site
bookmarked, the old URL will automatically redirect
to the new one.
Please note that the 2016 version of the On the Road publication has been updated to include the
new program name and website information.
E
April 30, 2017, 120 days after the
nthem BlueCross Blue Shield, the expiring, they may re-enroll in these parent company of The Empire services free of charge if they are a
end of the calendar year, to submit medical expenses which were incurred during the 2016 plan year to:
United HealthCare Service Corp. P.O. Box 1600
Kingston, NY 12402-1600
For the Empire Plan Basic Medical Program, the Home Care Advocacy Program (HCAP) and for non-network physical therapy or chiropractic services.
Empire Blue Cross and Blue Shield NYS Service Center
P.O. Box 1407 — Church Street Station
New York, NY 10008-1407
For Empire Plan and non-network Inpatient or Outpatient hospital services.
Beacon Health Options
P.O. Box 1800
Latham, NY 12110
For non-network mental health and substance abuse services.
mpire Plan enrollees have until
Plan Hospital Program administrator, offers free identity protection services to all current Empire Plan enrollees through AllClear ID. If enrollees received an email from AllClear ID stating that their identity protection coverage has expired or is
March 2017
current Empire Plan enrollee or have Empire Plan coverage secondary to Medicare. For more information, go to anthemcares.allclearid.com or call 1-855-227-9830 Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. Central Time.
The Work Force 17