Thứ Năm, 28 tháng 12, 2017

News on Youtube Dec 28 2017

Does this supplement have HARMFUL carbs maybe even the most DANGEROUS carbs? It's

on the shelves right now and you might even be using it! I'll show you how I

came to this conclusion based on my own research involving some of the most

catabolic people we've ever had on the planet -I offer that without exaggeration.

So we'll break it all down -you're going to be the local expert. You might be able

to help somebody that you know is using this product! So we've got a lot to get to,

let's jump right in! [INTRODUCTION: Science Application Experience] I'm David Barr [CSCS, NSCACPT, TSAC-F, CISSN, RSCC] and if you're looking to get bigger faster

stronger, get leaner, go longer, hit that Subscribe, and then the little bell so

you don't miss any important updates. And I'm going to 1-UP it, because if you

think that objective evidence is a better way to gather information than

"special feelings", [Objective Evidence + Reason vs. Emotion] then be sure to help advance the conversation and Share this

video. So what are we talking about? To really understand the details, you need

to be the local expert. [YOU = Local Expert] This is going to take a minute, so hang in there -there's

learning and it's worth it. So if you've ever had blood sugar taken

aka "fasting serum glucose" that's really just taking [or measuring] the amount of sugar in your blood.

"Blood sugar", "glucose", "dextrose"; it's all the same thing, okay? [Glucose = Dextrose, "Blood Sugar" = Serum Glucose] And all

carbohydrates that we consume are broken down to this blood sugar, ultimately

stored as glycogen in muscle. But [now] we're all on the same page when we talk about

glucose or blood glucose. Okay we'll talk about glucose specifically

right now, because it doesn't have to be digested, it can just be absorbed. [NOTE:All graphs, equations, etc. are simplified for educational purposes] So

we'll make things a little simpler [by starting with glucose ingestion]. You may have even done this, when taking

finger pricks to see what your blood glucose levels are, and if you did this

when your fasted, they're going to be relatively low. Once you consume say 50

grams of glucose, you're going to notice over time that your blood

glucose levels start to go up. Why? Because it's being absorbed from your gut, going

into your blood. [x-axis (y=0) shows Healthy Fasting Glucose level] Now it keeps going up for a while, and then it starts come down. Why

is that? Well it's because it's [the blood glucose] being absorbed, or

taken up into muscle. It's being transported into your muscle, mostly. All

cells need glucose, but our muscle is the biggest sink, especially if you lift. [Blood Sugar, Standard Curve] So

this is a standard curve that we see. Now if we were to take in fewer than 50

grams [of glucose] we would see a very similar curve, but it would be a lot lower. [25 grams Glucose versus 50 grams Glucose] Why? because

we're not consuming as many carbs -we're not consuming as much of glucose. Now

what if we consumed one hundred grams of carbs? Twice our initial dose. Well, you're

going to see a much higher rise, and slightly longer duration in that curve. [100 grams Glucose versus 50 grams Glucose]

Why? Because the area reflects the amount of carbohydrates that we consume,

especially when we're just talking glucose right now, okay? So we have the

lower dose, 25 grams that's going to be a smaller rise in glucose, the bump isn't

going to be as high. 50 grams is more, it's going to be higher, right? [100 grams Glucose versus 50 grams Glucose versus 25 grams Glucose, Area Under the Curve] So you see

how this progresses -the more we consume, the higher it is. Now what if we were to

consume say 50 grams of a slow absorbing carbohydrate, like a waxy maize starch?

[50 grams Slow versus 50 grams Glucose] Then we would see a much longer curve, but it's not going to go up quite as

high. Why? Because it's more of a trickle effect. It's more of a SLOW absorption

into the blood, but then that area is going to be roughly the same. That "Area

Under [the] Curve", showing that yeah it's about 50 grams of carbohydrate. Well if

we consumed a "magical faster than glucose" carbohydrate? 50 grams. Well you're

going to have a higher spike [in blood sugar], but it's going to come down much more quickly. [50 grams Fast versus 50 grams Glucose]

Again, the net area is going to be about roughly the same, because it's going to

be 50 grams [of carbohydrates ingested], so again that net area is going to reflect the total amount. Now

this is where it gets interesting, because of it

this is where it comes back to the research on catabolic patients,

irrespective of their growth hormone use, they were using a lot of substances to

keep them as healthy as possible, and keep them alive. And what we saw was that

they had something called insulin resistance. [Insulin Resistance may be transient, or a prelude to the disease called Type 2 Diabetes] Now a curve showing

insulin resistance -and people have this type of test you might know it is an OGTT,

[Oral Glucose Tolerance Test] a really important test, especially for people who are suspected having type 2

diabetes -very very important for them to get this type of test, and the curve

would look like this. They would have an initial rise in that blood glucose let's

go back to 50 grams of glucose that they're consuming, [Insulin Resistant versus Healthy] they would have that

initial rise in blood glucose, but it stays up. And it stays up, and it stays

elevated for longer. Why is that? Well they have problems getting the sugar

into their cells, especially into their muscle cells. [Blood glucose level = Glucose entering the blood (from the gut) - glucose leaving blood (into muscle)] Okay? So remember that the

curve is not only just based on the amount that's coming INTO the blood,

it's also about how much is LEAVING the blood. And that's the trick! That's a flaw

was something called the Glycemic Index. I'll cover that in another video in the

future, but right now no the people within type-2 diabetes or insulin

resistance, aren't taking up the glucose as well as healthy people like you or I. [Insulin resistance = SAME Glucose entering blood (from gut) - LESS Glucose Leaving Blood (into muscle)]

So what we're seeing ultimately is that this curve, this glucose curve, even

though they're taking in the same amount of glucose that you and I are, they're

having an extended curve. It looks much higher it actually looks like they're

consuming much more carbohydrate, because they can't get it into their cells. They

can get into the blood, but they can't get it OUT of the blood very easily. So

this is where there's a problem with the supplement. Now this supplement actually

claims us on their label. I don't know if they still do actually, when I had this

ingredient, this supplement, they actually showed this curve, this blood

glucose curve, and what they showed was they had a slightly faster rise in blood

glucose compared to glucose -the SAME AMOUNT of glucose. Okay? [50 grams of the carbohydrate supplement versus 50 grams Glucose] They had a slightly

faster rise and then a longer release -a longer curve. Now if they are consuming

the same amount of carbohydrate as the glucose, what does this curve look like?

If they're consuming the same quantity of carbs, what does this curve look like?

What did we just see? [Remember: Glucose can only work if it gets INTO your cells] Well it looks like the type two diabetic curve. It looks like the

insulin resistance curve. So this is where we get into the possibility that

these carbs in this supplement are not only potentially harmful carbs, [This apparent Insulin Resistance may be transient or potentially more serious] but maybe

even the most dangerous carbs, if they are somehow inducing insulin resistance.

[Either way, this effect may imp[air your performance and or body composition] Now their claim is that they have different types of carbs, with slower

release and faster release, so you combine them and then you get this "magic

curve", but we wouldn't see that, right? Remember going back to the total Area

Under that Curve? [This is what we would expect to see with a Fast + Slow carbohydrate blend]That's going to reflect the amount of carbohydrate consumed. So

we're not seeing that with this carb. They're showing us that they are somehow

inducing insulin resistance, because if the carbohydrate had fast and slow

release and it was the same amount, and wasn't inducing insulin resistance, [25 grams Fast carbohydrate PLUS 25 grams Slow, carbohydrate blend] the

curve would be lower, right? Just like we saw with the different speeds of

absorption like that waxy maize starch, the net Area Under the Curve reflects [CONTRAST: Company claim versus what we SHOULD roughly see]

the amount of carbohydrate consumed, except for in disease states, okay? And

this is again where we see this type of curve, is in the most catabolic people

that I've ever seen, [NOTE the rough Area Under the Curve for the Supplement versus our theoretical blend] as well as people with type 2 diabetes and insulin

resistance. So is this carbohydrate causing insulin resistance? And if so, we

need to know! The company needs to explain this! Now the problem with this,

this is a potentially litigious situation because I'm the first person

to report on this, and I don't want to get sued, [I found this while working for a carbohydrate supplement company] so I can't actually mention the

name of the company. So I encourage you do your due diligence. If you are looking

at carbohydrate product, look at their curve. [I no longer work for that company and have NO conflict of interest] If you see this curve that's

higher than the same amount of glucose, call the company, see what's going on, [I am just not smart enough to make money off of supplements]

have them explain it. Now someone suggested to me maybe the company wasn't

as "high fidelity" in terms of their research, maybe they thought this would

be a good marketing idea to show this. So maybe it's not a real curve.

To me that would actually be the best situation because if not, again, they are

causing insulin resistance, at least they appear to be. So again, we don't want

these potentially harmful carbs or even the most dangerous carbs in our body, so

do your due diligence make sure you know what you're putting in your body. Hold

companies accountable for what they're doing and the claims they make. Now when

reviewing an ingredient or supplement, I usually have a three-point checklist

that you can use to decide whether or not you want to use a product. In this case

I'm not going to do that. I mean, not only is it potentially harmful, as indicated

by the company themselves, there's no peer-reviewed published

research on it, OF COURSE. [No "Proof on PubMed"] I mean if there were, it would probably be showing that

it's potentially harmful. So this is not one of those things I'm going to review,

in that way. It's just one of those things -find out what's going on, find out

why we can't get the carbohydrates that we ingest ["into our muscle"] when we consume

the supplement. Now let's be clear, if you're pissed off about this, and you

probably should be, you have every right to contact the company and let them know

how you feel. You're not powerless. In fact, you hold all the power. I've done

this before -reported on potentially dangerous ingredient and the company changed

their formulation. But it wasn't just because of me, it was because of the

RESPONSE. [Glycocyamine aka Creatoxin] The consumer has the power. Let the company know how you feel. It's only

by your action that things are going to change, so consider this to be your call

to action: let the company know! So if you found this information helpful, Share it

with someone, they just might owe you a protein shake. I'm David Barr and until

next time Raise The Barr

For more infomation >> Are You Using These HARMFUL Carbs, the Most DANGEROUS Carbs: Public WARNING - Duration: 9:57.

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Il mercato del Public Speaking - Duration: 4:02.

For more infomation >> Il mercato del Public Speaking - Duration: 4:02.

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(Spanish Version) SRPD Seeks the Public's Assistance: Stabbing at Lola's Market #17-16826 - Duration: 1:54.

For more infomation >> (Spanish Version) SRPD Seeks the Public's Assistance: Stabbing at Lola's Market #17-16826 - Duration: 1:54.

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public review in India - Duration: 6:21.

SUBSCRIBE

SUBSCRIBE

SUBSCRIBE

SUBSCRIBE

For more infomation >> public review in India - Duration: 6:21.

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WORKING OUT IN PUBLIC - Duration: 6:01.

Did you fall?

No. Do you wanna try it with me?

I was just doing a forward roll

"Do you see that?

Come on man gotta get some pushups in

"Nah i would have a heart attack"

For more infomation >> WORKING OUT IN PUBLIC - Duration: 6:01.

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SRPD Seeks the Public's Assistance: Stabbing at Lola's Market #17-16826 - Duration: 1:36.

Hello, my name is Hector DeLeon.

I'm a detective with Santa Rosa Police Department.

The Santa Rosa Police is seeking the public's help in identifying and locating the suspect

of a stabbing.

The stabbing occurred on December 21st at the Lola's on Dutton Ave. in Santa Rosa at

approximately 6:30pm.

At that time, a 61 year old male was sitting alone, having dinner when he was approached

by the suspect that you see here and the suspect stabbed the victim in the neck.

He then fled the area and has not been identified yet.

The suspect was described as a Hispanic male adult in his 30's to 40's, approximately 5'6"

tall, and approximately 160 to 180 lbs.

He had close-cut, black hair and was wearing a distinct, puffy, dark green jacket.

Also, witnesses describe the suspect having a tattoo similar to the one you see here.

It's described as being a tattoo of the "Grim Reaper" or commonly known as the "Santa Muerte"

in Spanish.

If you have any information, please contact the Santa Rosa Police Department, Violent

Crimes Team at 543-3590.

If you have any information leading to the arrest and conviction of the suspect the Sonoma

County Alliance is offering a $2,500 reward for that information.

And that number again, if you have any information is 543-3590.

Thank you for your assistance.

For more infomation >> SRPD Seeks the Public's Assistance: Stabbing at Lola's Market #17-16826 - Duration: 1:36.

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Kim Jong-un gives sister BIG promotion as she makes rare public appearance in North Korea - Duration: 3:07.

Kim Jong-un gives sister BIG promotion as she makes rare public appearance in North Korea

Kim Yo-jong was pictured in the front row of an all-male lineup of senior party officials, clapping as her brother addressed the room. She sat next to Choe Ryonghae, her brother's right-hand man and party vice-chairman.

Kim Yo-jong was also sat near Kim Pyonghae and O Su-yong, the the cruel regimes Worker's Party secretaries.

In a country known for its staged optics, the seating arrangement is believed to suggest that she has been promoted within the ranks of the hermit kingdom.

The news comes after Kim Yo-jong was promoted in October to North Korea's politburo - the nation's most powerful decision making body.

At the time, Michael Madden, a North Korea expert at Johns Hopkins University's 38 North website, said: "It shows that her portfolio and writ is far more substantive than previously believed and it is a further consolidation by the Kim family's power."  .

Kim Yo-jong is responsible for developing her brother's cult of personality, and according to defector Thay Yong-ho, organises all public events.

She was born on September 26, 1987, and is the second child of North Korea's late leader Kim Jong-il and his mistress Ko Yong-hui. By 2007 she had been named a junior cadre in the communist Workers' Party of Korea.

After her father's stroke in 2008, she became an active force in establishing Kim Jong-un's succession campaign. She was a regular member of her father's entourage before his death in December 2011.

At his funeral she was seen leading a group of senior leaders and stood between two party elders at the ceremony.

When Kim Jong-un underwent medical treatment in October 2014, it is believed that Kim Yo-jong filled in as leader. In January, the US Treasury blacklisted Kim Yo-jong along with other North Korean officials over "severe human rights abuses".

For more infomation >> Kim Jong-un gives sister BIG promotion as she makes rare public appearance in North Korea - Duration: 3:07.

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Did Meghan Markle Steal Kate Middleton's Style For Her First Public Outing With The Queen? - Duration: 2:53.

For more infomation >> Did Meghan Markle Steal Kate Middleton's Style For Her First Public Outing With The Queen? - Duration: 2:53.

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Holly Hagan SLAMS Stephen Bear's public declaration of love to Charlotte Crosby - Duration: 2:37.

Holly Hagan SLAMS Stephen Bear's public declaration of love to Charlotte Crosby

Geordie Shore's Holly Hagan certainly wasn't buying Bear's public apology to her former co-star Charlotte. On Friday night Bear, 28, took to Instagram to beg for the forgiveness of his former girlfriend, 27, with a very public apology.

He wrote: "Dear Charlotte, I really messed up, if I could rewind the clock back maybe I wouldn't have done the things I did and say.

"Life's about making mistakes. I've just been really sad recently and need to get it off my chest.

"I know being with me isn't easy and I will probably send you insane in the end and I really do care and still love you. It might be too late, but all I can do is try.

"The New Year's coming up and I would love to spend the rest of my life with you. I've done my best and put it out there.

"I don't show my feelings often so it will be a very long time before you see me open up again.

I would WhatsApp you, but you've changed your number [sic], would be nice [for you] to slide in my DM though if you see this." However it seemed Bear's attempt wasn't successful as he later posted a snap on his Instagram story which simply stated: "It was a no." And now keen to have her bestie's back, Holly has further dug the boot in by sharing her thoughts on the gushing post.

Holly, 25, commented: "Stephen, you know what you've put this girl through, you forced your way back into her life last time and if I'm honest, I admired your persistence which is why I thought you'd have grown up and been on your knees begging for that girl's forgiveness every day.

"Instead, I watched you take her back to the very place she was when she was hurt the first time but now it's twice as hard because she didn't even wanna let you back in – she was doing great.

"I cannot let you do it a third time, if you have any love for that girl whatsoever you'll let her go." Ouch! Looks like Bear won't be expecting a Christmas card off Holly or Charlotte!.

For more infomation >> Holly Hagan SLAMS Stephen Bear's public declaration of love to Charlotte Crosby - Duration: 2:37.

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PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT! - Duration: 9:15.

What the fuck man?

For more infomation >> PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT! - Duration: 9:15.

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Public School Retirees 2018 Hearing - TruHearing - Duration: 16:28.

- [Ryan] Hello, my name is Ryan Baum

and I'm with a company called TruHearing.

And I'm here to talk to you about a new benefit

that's brand new effective January 1, 2018.

It's your new routine hearing care benefit.

It's brought to you

through an arrangement between Blue Cross Blue Shield

of Michigan and TruHearing.

We're an independent company

and we provide hearing services, that's our primary focus.

And in this case it's gonna be available to all Medicare

and non-Medicare MPSERS members.

TruHearing does not provide Blue Cross branded

products or services.

And it's important to know, and we're gonna talk

a lot more about the economics behind this new benefit.

But it's important to know that your copay

associated with the new benefit is not included

in the maximum out of pocket.

So let's talk a little bit about your

updated hearing benefit for 2018.

It's brought to you through an arrangement

with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan.

Your routine hearing benefits will now be

exclusively available through a nationwide network

of TruHearing providers.

It's good news that we have providers in all 50 states,

and no matter where you're living or where you're staying

or where you're vacationing,

your experience and your benefit will be exactly the same.

We have over 12 years of experience providing

hearing care solutions to health plans like

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and their groups

such as the Office of Retirement Services

and MPSERS members.

We are now the largest hearing aid partner

for health plans and one of the largest

hearing aid dispensers in the United States

with over 5,600 provider locations nationwide.

So continuing on with more information about your

updated hearing benefit for 2018.

Routine hearing exams are only covered

when you call TruHearing at 1-855-205-6305

and follow the instructions you're given.

You have coverage for hearing aids for both ears

every 36 months, that has not changed.

Your routine hearing cost share for 2018

is $45 for your initial hearing exam

performed by a TruHearing provider.

Again you access that hearing exam by calling us at

the 1-855-205-6305 toll free number.

You'll have a $499 copayment per hearing aid

if you choose the Flyte 770 Advanced

hearing aid technology.

And you'll have a $799 copayment per hearing aid

should you choose the Flyte 990 Premiums.

So you're probably wondering what's a Flyte hearing aid?

So let's talk about that a little bit

and hearing aids in general.

Hearing aids are typically categorized into

one of three buckets.

Either your basic, your advanced, or your premium.

Now your new benefit includes Flyte Advanced

and Flyte Premium hearing aids.

So if you were to compare that to maybe a

Ford Fusion or a Volvo, an excellent or a superior.

Both tremendous products.

The Flyte technology is manufactured by ReSound,

one of the six, tier one manufacturers in the world.

And one of TruHearing's number one partners.

So in other words,

although there are many hearing aid manufacturers

in the world, there are only six that you'd ever

really want to have

make your hearing aid, if you're concerned about quality.

ReSound is one of those six and they manufacture our

Flyte hearing aids that we're talking about today.

Now both the Flyte 770 and the Flyte 990

have advanced digital features.

They have iPhone and Android connectivity

all in a full range of styles and colors,

meaning all of the style and colors that you see

in this graphic.

The Flyte 770 Advanced has 14 channels and four programs

and the Flyte 990 Premium has 17 channels

and four programs.

So Flyte technology will take care of over 99%

of those people with hearing loss.

In fact the Flyte 990 includes a tinnitus masker

and super power options for those need it.

Let's look at the value you'll be receiving

with this hearing aid as compared to retail.

So let's take a look at the chart you see

on the screen in front of you.

Your cost per aid is $499 for a Flyte Advanced

as compared to over $1,800 retail price

for the exact same branded product.

Your cost per aid is $799 for Flyte Premiums

as compared to a retail cost that's nearly $3,000

for the exact same branded product.

You can finally get very high quality hearing aids

at affordable price.

You're finally able to use your benefit

to get very high quality hearing aids

at an affordable price.

To get that high quality and affordable price though

please remember you must go through TruHearing

to get your appointment.

And we will discuss how to do that further

in just a little bit as we continue with the presentation.

But this benefit is exclusively

available through TruHearing.

And the most important thing to remember is that

in order to access your benefit you must call

that toll free number that we talked about

a little bit earlier.

Okay, now we're gonna take a look at your current cost share

meaning the benefit you are in now, 2017,

versus your new cost share.

In this example we're comparing apples to apples.

Same advanced technology hearing aids.

If you were to purchase a pair of LiNX27 aids

at $2,550 each, or $5,100 for the pair

the Blue Cross approved amount would be $2,542.

So that means your first expense under today's benefit

would be 10% of the Blue Cross approved amount,

your coinsurance which is $254.

Next you have to pay your deductible

if it was not already met.

So assuming it was not already met

that's another $800 out of your pocket.

Then comes the balance of the provider's bill.

The balance between the provider's charge of $5,100

and the Blue Cross approved amount of $2,542.

In this example that's another $2,558.

But we all know that today's provider

can charge whatever the market will bear.

So if your provider charges you more for these aids,

then you pay more.

In this example, adding up your coinsurance deductible

and cost difference means you pay $3,612.

If we compare this to the new cost share

where you pay $499 per aid, copayment

for the Flyte Advanced aids, or $998 for the pair,

you're saving $2,614.

The difference here for the same technology

is that you save $2,614.

Beyond the obvious cost savings in this example

the fixed cost share for you does two things.

Number one, it allows you to know your

out of pocket cost up front.

And it prevents you from having to pay

the cost difference between what provider charges,

you might be sent, and the

Blue Cross Blue Shield approved amount.

Let's talk a little bit about what you can expect

to experience as a member when you call TruHearing.

So remember the very first thing that you want to do

if you want to access your hearing aid benefit

is to call the 1-855-205-6305 toll free number.

When you call in you're gonna speak

with a TruHearing hearing consultant

who will verify your eligibility,

explain the benefit to you,

schedule an exam with a local provider,

one that's closest to you.

They may give you several choices

and then you choose the one either that you've

been working with in the past,

or one that's most conveniently located to your home.

We'll then go ahead and send you

an appointment confirmation.

And as your appointment approaches,

we'll provide you an appointment reminder just beforehand.

Now this phone number, that 1-855-205-6305

can also be found in your Blue Cross Blue Shield

of Michigan Benefit Guide and on the member flyer,

which we have available for you.

Continuing with your member experience,

once that appointment has been set up for you

and you go into your provider's office,

the first thing that's gonna happen

once they check you in is that you're gonna

receive an audiogram.

What that means I they're effectively gonna

test your hearing to see if you actually

need a hearing aid.

Your provider will ask you questions about your work life,

about your social life,

so that they can better understand what your

hearing needs may be.

You and your provider will discuss options,

such as the kind of technology you might need,

the style you prefer, the color you prefer

and what price point best suits your budget.

Your provider will order the hearing aids

that you collectively choose.

And you'll set up a follow up appointment

for your fitting.

Remember, at that time you'll be responsible

for the $45 exam copay,

and for the total cost of the hearing aids

at this time, meaning your copayment amount,

which is your cost share.

Financing is also available,

so feel free to talk to your provider

at the time of your visit should you need

any additional information about extended financing.

Once your hearing aids arrive, you'll come back in

for a fitting appointment with the provider.

The provider will work with you and program your aids

according to findings on the audiogram,

that hearing test that the provider gave you

when you came in for your exam.

Then, they're gonna work with you on

fitting your hearing aids to your comfort

and your optimal functionality.

Based on the responses you gave to

the questions they asked you about your lifestyle

and your needs.

Then they're gonna go ahead and train you

on all aspects of use and care.

So you can learn how to adjust

your hearing aids when necessary,

clean them and maintain them the way they should be

to maximize their shelf life,

changing the batteries as needed.

How do you store them properly?

And the installation and functionality

of your GN Hearing Tuner app if that's required.

That is specifically for those who are using

Android smartphones with your hearing aid technology.

You should schedule any necessary follow up visits

directly with the provider,

once your hearing aids have been dispensed to you.

And your provider can give you more information on that

during the day of the visit.

When you work with TruHearing

you also get the following inclusions.

Three follow up visits with the provider.

The first visit is when your hearing aid is dispensed

and you're trained on all those items

we just talked about.

But after that initial visit where you have

the dispensing of your hearing aid

and you're now a hearing aid wearer,

you get two additional visits on top of that

over the course of the first year.

Included with your hearing aid is also

a three year warranty for loss and damage.

Let's say for example,

in your first month of wearing a hearing aid

you aren't yet used to be the hearing aid user

and you jump into your swimming pool

wearing your hearing aids.

Or our most common claim is that the dog ate it.

Dog's just love the taste and the smell of our ears

and dogs very often eat our hearing aids.

So that would be an example of something

that's covered under the warranty for loss and damage.

And you're covered over the three year period.

There will be a small charge associated with

each of those transactions, should you need to

activate the warranty for loss or damage.

The same is true for our 45 day trial period.

If after 44 days you are not interested

in being a hearing aid wearer or your don't like

your hearing aid, you have the ability to bring it back

and there will be a small restocking fee

that will also be applied.

However the balance of your copayment, your cost share

will be refunded to you after the fees

have been applied.

Additionally you will get 48 free batteries

per hearing aid, now depending on what kind of

hearing aid user you are, how faithfully you

change your batteries,

and the model of hearing aid that you choose,

those batteries should last you nearly a year.

Eight batteries from the provider are given to you

on the day of your fitting,

and 40 batteries are mailed to you,

per hearing aid, of course

in the mail following your 45 day trial period.

As I've mentioned previously

Flyte hearing aids do have

smartphone interface capability.

If you are a smartphone user,

then that can enhance your user experience

with your Flyte hearing aids by connecting

your hearing aids via Bluetooth to your smartphone.

That supports your phone conversations,

it enhances your

listening to music if you want to,

and basically just all that Bluetooth can offer

can be streamed right through your hearing aid

and really enhance your experience.

However, if you're not a smartphone user

or you don't have a cellphone with Bluetooth,

there's no reason to worry.

Smartphones are not required for the Flyte line up

of hearing aids.

But they have Bluetooth capabilities

for those who are interested.

It's important to note that the installation

of the GN Hearing Tuner app is required

to be able to control settings on a compatible smartphone.

So if you're interested in using your Flyte hearing aid

in unison with your smartphone,

talk to your provider at the time

of fitting and programming.

So the Office Retirement Services

in the state of Michigan has put a lot of thought

and consideration into bringing you this new,

very high quality, low cost

hearing aid benefit.

The reason for this is because they care about

your overall health.

And research has shown, and especially over

the past few years where it's gotten much more attention,

research has shown that treating your hearing loss

has a direct correlation to better overall health.

Some of the examples of this are improved balance.

People with untreated hearing loss

are three times more likely to experience a fall.

Better mental health.

People with untreated hearing loss are twice

as likely to suffer depressions.

Better memory and mental acuity.

Untreated hearing loss is three times more likely

to cause early onset dementia.

And better interpersonal relationships.

Think about it, folks, you all know somebody who

is suffering hearing loss and resisting

the idea of getting a hearing aid.

May of them may ask you to repeat yourself,

once, twice, three times and then

they say they hear you, but they don't always.

And what happens is people who aren't treating

their hearing loss will engage less

and fade away from social settings,

thus leading to some of the symptoms

that we've talked about.

The Office of Retirement Services know how important

treating hearing loss is.

So please take advantage of the new benefit

that they have built for you.

So remember, as I've said several times

throughout the presentation,

you start by calling TruHearing at 1-855-205-6305.

Hearing health care is important to your retirement system.

And this valuable benefit will go a long way

in offering you many of the enhancements we've discussed.

Flyte hearing aids come in two technology levels,

along with many style options and colors.

They are very high quality and are Bluetooth enabled

for even more comfort and convenience.

And just in a review, copayments

for your initial exam are $45.

Your advanced hearing aid Flyte technology options

are $499 per aid and for your premium technology

Flyte options are $799 per hearing aid.

So call TruHearing at 1-855-205-6305

and start saving today.

Thank you.

For more infomation >> Public School Retirees 2018 Hearing - TruHearing - Duration: 16:28.

-------------------------------------------

Public School Retirees 2018 Dental Plan - Delta Dental - Duration: 34:01.

- [Lisa] Hello and welcome.

My name is Lisa Eggert and I'm the Account Manager

for the MPSERS Retirement System.

Today we have some goals for this presentation.

Our goals are to provide you information

on the plan changes for 2018.

Provide you cost share information

on covered dental services.

Highlight the type of providers

that offer you the best value.

Illustrate some payment examples.

Show you how to get information about your plan,

and demonstrate the online tools.

Starting off, the changes effective January 1, 2018.

The retirement system is introducing

a $50 deductible per person.

This is an annual deductible, and it only applies

when the services are provided by dentists

that are not in the PPO network,

which means it will be applied

when you go to a Delta Dental Premier provider,

or a nonparticipating provider.

This deductible only applies to basic and major services.

As we look at the benefit on the next slide here,

you'll see how that ties into the benefit structure.

As you can see on this slide, for your coinsurance

there are two columns here

the Delta Dental PPO dentist,

and the Dental Dental Premier, or nonparticipating dentist.

And the first type of service,

you have diagnostic and preventative services.

This covers your two cleanings and exams per calendar year.

As a reminder, this is two cleanings and exams per calendar

year, so anywhere from January 1 to December 31st,

you can have two cleanings and exams.

They do not need to be a certain amount of time apart.

If you have your two...

If you have a cleaning in January and again in March,

that's your two for the year,

it gives you flexibility in scheduling those exams.

As you can see, when you go to a PPO provider,

you have a higher level of benefit,

so you have 5% coinsurance when you go to a PPO provider,

versus a 10% coinsurance when you go

to a Delta Dental Premier or nonparticipating provider.

Also, covered under this categories are X-rays.

And X-rays are covered at 5%,

or you have 5% coinsurance

when you go to a Delta Dental PPO provider.

And when you go to a Delta Dental Premier

or a nonparticipating provider,

you have a 25% coinsurance.

In the second category of service, the basic services,

you can see here that these are referred

to as restorative services.

The restorative services cover things like fillings,

crowns, periodontal services, periodontal or anything

that have to do with gum disease.

Endodontic services, which have to deal with root canals,

oral surgery, relines and repairs.

All of those are considered restorative services.

As you can see when you go to a PPO provider,

your fillings have a 20% coinsurance,

so you have a higher level of benefit

by going to a PPO provider.

When you go to a Premier or nonparticipating provider,

you have a 25% coinsurance.

All of the other services that are covered under this

for the PPO that I've mentioned earlier

are covered at a 25% coinsurance.

You can see from this grid that the deductible

is applied for the basic services in the column

when you see a Delta Dental Premier

or nonparticipating provider.

The last type of service here are the major services.

These would be considered prosthodontic services

and implants.

Prosthodontic services are anything that have to do

with fake teeth.

Bridges, dentures, partials, implants

all fall into this category.

As you can see that there's a 50% benefit coinsurance level

on this benefit for going to a PPO provider

and for Delta Dental Premier or nonparticipating provider.

You will see on the column for the Delta Dental Premier

or nonparticipating provider a 50% coverage

or coinsurance and also the deductible

is applied for the major services.

So as a recap, the deductible is applied when you go

to a Delta Dental Premier or nonparticipating provider

at the basic service and major service level.

Otherwise, when you go to a a Delta Dental PPO

or have preventative services, there is no deductible.

Just a couple of notes on this slide.

I often get asked about how much a service gets...

How much a service cost.

It depends on the area, the type of provider you go to,

those types of things.

The best to find out how much that service is gonna cost

is to have a pre-estimate done.

This pre-estimate would be submitted to Delta Dental

by your provider.

When it is submitted to Delta Dental,

we look at a variety of things.

Essentially, your dental provider will send us the claim

prior to it being completed with all of the codes

of service that are gonna be provided.

We look at the contract that you're covered under

which is the MPSERS contract.

We look at your time limitations,

there are certain services, like bridges, dentures,

crowns, implants that all have a five year time limitation.

So, for example, if I have a crown done on tooth number 10,

I can't have another crown done on tooth number 10

until five years have passed.

And then lastly, we look at your annual maximum available.

We look to see how much annual maximum you have left

for that benefit year,

and determine how that's gonna pay out.

Having this pretreatment done,

when this pretreatment is done, we will send to you

what looks like an explanation of benefits,

but it will indicate that it's a pretreatment of estimate,

so that you know how much is gonna be covered,

and whether or not that service is covered

prior to that service being done.

Your provider is also receiving this communication

or this information, so that you're able to ask any

questions of your provider

before that service is being done.

All of the services that are listen on this page

are subject to your maximums.

So your annual maximum is $1,100.

This is a per calendar year maximum.

It's per person, so you, your spouse and any dependents

that you have under your plan each have their own $1,100.

Every time the plan makes a payment,

it's deducted from this $1,100.

So, for example, if you go to a provider and have a service

done, after that service or after that claim has processed,

you receive an explanation of benefits.

That explanation of benefits has information that says

plan pays a certain amount,

patient pays a certain amount.

It's the plan pay amount that is deducted from the $1,100.

Once the plan has paid a total of $1,100 on your behalf

over the year, all payments that the plan makes will stop,

you can continue to have treatment,

but you're gonna pay a 100% out-of-pocket

for that treatment.

If you max...

what we refer to as max out of your plan

and you've reached that $1,100 during the year,

no additional monies will be paid,

but every January 1, everybody starts over

with a brand new maximum,

regardless of the amount that you've used the prior year.

So each January 1, everybody starts

with the new $1,100 annual max.

This plan also has an orthodontic benefits.

And the orthodontic benefits are for dependents

up to the age of 19.

So for those of you who still have dependents

that are under the age of 19,

there is an orthodontic benefit.

It's a 50% coinsurance level

for Delta Dental PPO and Delta Dental Premier

and nonparticipating providers.

The orthodontic benefit is subject to a lifetime

maximum amount, which means that each dependent

that's covered under you plan that's under the age of 19,

has access to a $1,200 lifetime maximum

over the course of treatment for their orthodontic benefits.

And then lastly, the deductible.

This is new this year.

It applies to basic and major services provided

by dentists that are not in the PPO network,

which means the Delta Dental Premier providers

and nonparticipating providers.

This is a $50 per person deductible

and it's an annual deductible.

So once you've paid your $50 in that plan year,

you're done for that year in paying your deductible.

Another note that I wanted to list here

was with regards to your carve out...

Carve out Coordination od Benefits.

For those of you who have more than one coverage,

either you, yourself have two dental plans

that you're covered under,

or you and your spouse both have coverage of...

a dental coverage from your own employers,

the retirement system uses what's called carve out

Coordination of Benefits.

This does limit how the plan plays when it pays secondary.

There is more information on the Extranet site,

there's a flier for Coordination of Benefits

that you can check out, so that you can understand

how this carve out Coordination of Benefit works.

So we've talked about your changes for next year,

we've talked about the benefits that you have.

Really, the driving factor in how the claims process

is the provider that you choose.

So if you take all of the providers that are available,

you can put them into three categories.

They're either Delta Dental PPO,

Delta Dental Premier or nonparticipating.

You have the freedom to choose any of these dentists,

but the plan is designed to offer the maximum benefit

and the lowest out-of-pocket

when you use a Delta Dental PPO provider.

That's because, under this program,

all claims are reimbursed at the PPO approved fee.

When you go to a Delta Dental Premier provider,

or nonparticipating provider, you'll likely pay more.

Let's take a look at each of these

different types of providers.

As I mentioned previously, the Delta Dental PPO providers

have agreed to accept Delta Dental's PPO approved

amount at payment in full.

You only are gonna pay for your coinsurance portion of that.

Because the providers participate with our PPO network,

there is no balance billing.

They cannot charge you the difference between their...

our PPO approved fee and their normal fee for services,

they write that off.

In addition, they pay directly.

You're responsible for your coinsurance on the front end,

they bill Delta and we pay them directly.

The providers also agree to accept

Dental Dental's processing policies.

And these processing policies are rules and edits

that we have within our system that limited program abuses.

So, for example, they can't unbundle services

to make their claim more expensive.

They can't charge certain services within certain

periods of time, which...

Because they're essential the same service.

An example of this would be a filling.

If I have a filling done on tooth number eight,

and that filling fails within 24 months,

that provider has to redo that filling at no cost.

There's no cost to the retirement system,

and there's no cost to the member.

So when the claim comes in processes, it will say

plan pays zero, patient pays zero.

That's just an example of our processing policy

because we would expect those fillings to last

more than 24 months.

When you go to a PPO provider,

you also have the highest level of benefit.

As we saw on the screen that had the benefits listed,

there is a higher level of benefit or a lower amount

of out-of-pocket when you go to a PPO provider.

And lastly, when you go to a PPO provider, there is no

deductible for any of the services under the dental plan.

The second type of provider

is the Delta Dental Premier provider.

And this providers participate with Delta Dental,

but they do not accept the lower PPO approved amount

that each of these claims are paid at.

So the provider is allowed to charge the difference

between that PPO approved fee

and the Delta Dental Premier approved amount

that they have agreed to accept.

That's why you pay an additional amount

when you go a Delta Dental Premier provider.

Delta Dental Premier providers cannot bill you

the difference between the Delta Dental Premier approved fee

and the amount that they normally receive for services.

That would be considered balance billing,

and they are not able to balance bill you,

or they're not allowed to balance bill you

when they participate with our Delta Dental Premier network.

The providers are also paid directly here.

So you're responsible for your coinsurance portion

on the front end and then the providers bill us

and we pay them directly.

They also agree to accept the processing policies,

the same processing policies that we have

for the Delta Dental PPO network,

they've agreed to accept those, as well.

And then lastly, the deductible does apply to the basic

and the major services.

One note that I would add here has to do with the

explanation of benefits.

When you go and have a service done at a dental office

and they submit that claim for service,

we process that claim and send out to you

an explanation of benefits.

It's very important that you take a look at these statements

this explanation of benefits will show you the services

that were done, it will show you the amount that plan

is paying, and it will show you the amount that you pay.

It's very important to look at that number...

That dollar amount that you owe and make sure

that that's the amount that you're paying the provider.

If the provider is coming back to you and telling you

that you own an additional amount on something

that they didn't bill or we didn't cover,

all you need to do is call Delta Dental

and let us know that your provider is telling you

that you owe more than what the explanation of benefits is.

The amount that's on the explanation of benefits

is the amount that you should be paying for those services.

So if you have that situation, please call Delta Dental

and let them know and know we will reach out to the dental

office to work that billing situation out.

I often get asked what the difference is between

the Delta Dental PPO and the Delta Dental Premier networks.

I often get asked,

"Well, the Premier is a better network, right?

Because it sounds better, Premier is ultimately better."

The answer to that question is no.

These providers are credentialed

and licensed in the same manner.

They have to have the credentials to be able

to practice in the dental.

Delta Dental Premier is actually our original network name

that was established years ago, when we first started.

Over time and as insurance changed,

our competitors started to add these PPO networks

and PPO stands for preferred provider organization.

It's a term that's used in insurance,

and you'll see it in the medical world and dental world.

It just means a...

a group of providers that have offered additional discounts.

With that, we added a PPO network,

so that we could compete with our competitors.

So the difference that we have is we have two networks.

We have the PPO network and the Premier network.

And those work together to provide you

with access to network providers.

As I mentioned earlier, they are not different

in terms of the services that they can offer.

It ultimately comes down to the provider deciding

what level of discount

the PPO, that they're willing to offer,

the PPO providers offer a deeper discount on their fees

than the Premier.

Both offer discounts, but the PPO discounts are deeper.

So ultimately, it's the provider's choice

which network they participate with.

The last type of provide that we've talked about

is nonparticipating.

And nonparticipating are exactly that.

They don't participate with Delta Dental,

which means they don't have to listen

to anything that we say.

At the end of the day, when you go to a nonparticipating

provider, you will pay the full cost of services.

Whatever they charge for that, you'll ultimately

pay that amount.

They can balance bill you.

Under this nonparticipating, the deductible also does apply

to the basic and major services.

Another note that I wanted to add here

was that you may have to submit the claims.

Oftentimes, these nonparticipating providers

will submit the claim for you as a courtesy to you,

but when you go to a nonparticipating provider,

they usually have you pay for the full amount upfront

when you have those services done.

If they don't submit the claim for you

and you don't submit it, we don't get anything

and we can't reimburse you, so it's really important

for you to ask who's gonna submit the claim,

whether the office will submit it on your behalf

or if you need to.

The only way that we can reimburse you

is if we actually receive the claim.

So you to note, so that you can make sure

that you're getting your reimbursement when you go

to a nonparticipating provider.

When you go to a participating provider, the PPO

and the Delta Dental Premier, it's in their contract

to submit the claim, so you don't have to worry

about that with the other types of providers.

This next slide, it's just a comparison.

We've talked about...

You can see with the bullet points,

we've talked about those different bullet points

and the differences between those networks.

What I wanted to point out in this slide

is the...

The amount amount of... The number of locations

and the number of unique dentists that we have.

As I've mentioned, Delta Dental's one of the few providers

that has two contracted networks,

both the PPO and the Delta Dental Premier.

As you can see from this graphic,

there is some overlap between these.

I often get asked, or people will come up to me and ask,

"Well, when I was online

or if I was looking in a book, I noticed that a provider

was both Delta Dental PPO and Delta Dental Premier,

what does that mean?"

When a provider...

A provider can participate in both of the networks.

And when they participate in both of them,

all that's important to you

is that they're a Delta Dental PPO provider.

When that claim comes in to process,

we recognize that they have status

or participating status in the Delta Dental PPO network

and we pay that claim accordingly.

So we give you the higher level,

or you receive the higher level of discount

on that service, you get the higher level of benefit.

You don't need to ask the provider office to do anything,

and you don't need to contact us to tell us that they're PPO

we'll automatically see that they're PPO

and pay that accordingly.

Delta Dental has a variety of programs

that we offer to our clients,

and so in some cases, it makes sense for the providers

to be participating in both.

But when you see that they're in both,

it's good news for you because that means they participate

in PPO and you get that higher level of benefit.

So we've taken a look at the changes,

we've taken a look at the benefit,

and we've taken a look at the provider types.

So let's put all of this together now

and take a look at the payment example.

So we've got a couple of payment examples for you.

And this first one is a major service,

so it's in the major service category, it's a crown,

and this is with a deductible.

So you can see here, the first line there, the green line

is the Delta Dental PPO network, that PPO provider.

They charge $950 for this crown.

However, because they participate with Delta Dental,

they've agreed to accept 675 as the PPO approved fee,

which means they cannot balance bill you the difference

between the 675

and 950.

Because this is a PPO provider, there is a zero deductible.

The coinsurance on this service is 25%,

so 25% of 675 is 168.75.

And because this is a PPO provider,

there's no additional cost.

This provider has agreed to accept 675 is paid in full

for this crown.

So your out-of-pocket here is 168.75.

The next row, when you go to a Delta Dental Premier dentist,

they also charge $950,

but they've agreed to accept $898,

you can see that as the approved amount is 898,

that's the Premier approved amount.

However, if you remember earlier, I said

that all of the claims, regardless the provider

that you go to, are reimbursed at the PPO approved fee,

which means that 675 is what is being reimbursed

on this claim.

So because this is Delta Dental Premier provider,

there's a $50 deductible.

The coinsurance, the way that the deductible works

with the coinsurance, it's 25% is the coinsurance

of 625.

And 625 is 675, which is the approved amount

minus the $50 deductible, gets you to 625.

So your coinsurance here is 156.25.

Plus you have an additional cost of $223.

The $223 is the difference between 898,

which is the Premier approved fee and 675,

which is the PPO approved fee.

So your out-of-pocket with the deductible coinsurance

and additional cost is $429.25.

When you go to a nonparticipating provider,

their charge is 950.

And remember what I said earlier,

that when you go to a nonparticipating provider,

you're ultimately responsible for their full charge.

So their approved fee there is 950,

that's how much they'll receive at the end of the day.

However, 675 is still the amount that's being paid

on this claim because the retirement system says

we're gonna pay the same amount on all the claims,

regardless of the type of provider you go to.

So there is a $50 deductible here.

Your coinsurance with the deductible is the approved amount,

which is 675 minus the $50 deductible,

so that's 625, times a 25%

coinsurance, so you have 156.25 is your coinsurance portion,

and your additional cost for this provider is 275,

which is the difference between $950, which is the full

charge for this nonparticipating provider and 675,

which is the PPO approved fee,

so you pay an additional 275.

So when you add up the deductible, coinsurance

and additional cost for the nonparticipating provider,

your out-of-pocket is $481.25.

As you can see on this slide,

there was a 25% coinsurance for all of these providers,

but the type of provider you chose determined

the out-of-pocket that you paid.

When you go to a PPO provider,

you're gonna save the most money,

get the highest level of benefit,

and then the least out-of-pocket that you can receive,

you maximize your dental dollar by going to a PPO provider.

So let's take a look at another payment example.

This one is a diagnostic and preventive service,

so this would be without a deductible.

So if you look at the green line there

with the Delta Dental PPO dentist,

they charge $90 for this cleaning.

The approved amount is $55.

There is no deductible on this,

so for a diagnostic preventative service

for PPO provider, it's a 5% coinsurance,

so 5% of 55 is 2.75.

There's no additional cost because the provider has agreed

to accept $55 as payment in full,

so you're gonna pay $2.75 out-of-pocket.

With the Delta Dental Premier provider,

they also, which is the next row,

they also charge $90.

They've agreed to accept $77,

that's their Premier approved fee.

However, all of the claims are being reimbursed at the PPO

approved fee, which is $55, so there's still no deductible

because it's a preventative service.

The coinsurance for a Premier and nonparticipating provider

is 10%, so it's 10% of $55,

which is $5.50 plus an additional cost of $22.

$22 is the difference between the Delta Dental Premier

approved fee, which is $77 and the PPO approved fee,

which is $55, so that's an additional $22,

so you pay out-of-pocket $27.50.

And the last line there, nonparticipating dentists,

they also charge $90,

and at the end of a day, you'll pay $90,

or this dental office will receive $90 for that service.

There is still no deductible

because it's a preventative service.

It's a 10% coinsurance, so 10% of $55, which is 5.50.

And there's an additional cost of $35.

35 is the difference between $90, which is the full fee

for this nonparticipating provider,

and $55, which is the PPO approved fee,

which is the amount that's being reimbursed on this claim.

So you pay an additional $35, so your total out-of-pocket

is $40.50.

In this example, you do have a higher level of benefit

when you go to a PPO provider.

But again, as you can see, the type of provider

that you choose determines the out-of-pocket

that you're going to have on each of these claims.

So now that we've talked about providers,

you may be wondering, "What type of provider am I going to?

Or how do I find a PPO provider?"

First off, what type of provider you're going to.

If you've recently gone to a dentist,

then you have an explanation of benefits.

It will tell you on the explanation of benefits

what type of provider...

What network you're...

Or which type of provider you're going to,

whether it's a PPO provider,

Delta Dental Premier provider, or nonparticipating provider.

So you can take a look there.

You can always call customer service too and ask

whether or not your provider.

The other way is to look online.

Going online is the best way to look into the network

to see who's available, whether your provider

is participating or where the participating providers are

because this is constantly changing.

We're always adding people to the network,

there are people retiring.

Or coming off of the network, so looking online

is the best way to look.

In addition, when you look online,

you can put in an address and it will do a radius search

around that address.

So when you're online and you choose find a dentist,

it will take you to this page that says Finding a Provider.

The very first thing you need to do is choose the network.

And the network that you're gonna choose is the PPO,

if you're looking for a PPO provider.

If you don't care and you wanna look

for a Delta Dental Premier provider,

you're welcome to do that, too.

But to save the most money,

choose the Delta Dental PPO option.

Under the location, you can put in your address.

That will give you the best search,

because it will tell you the providers that are

closest to your location.

You can put any address in the US here and it will give

you participating providers that are nearby.

Anywhere you are in the US, you can have services done

all you need to remember is that the claims need to be

send back to Delta Dental of Michigan for processing.

You have coverage even outside of the country,

everything outside out of the country will be considered

nonparticipating and you would have to pay that cost

of that claim upfront,

but on your return, you could send in the claim to Delta

and get reimbursement on that claim.

So you have coverage no matter where you are.

So put your address in.

Further down on the screen,

you'll see that you can

tell how far you're willing to travel.

Whether you're willing to go five miles,

it might depend, if you live in a more rural area,

you may need to go farther out

to find participating providers.

You can tell it how many results you want it to stop at,

it defaults to 50, but if you wanted to have more results,

you could do that.

In some of the areas have a higher populated

with dentists, you'll be able to find lots of dentists

within a very small radius of your location.

You'll notice there, you can put in the dentist's last name

so if you are looking for a specific dentist,

you can put that in there.

The other thing is you can always leave that blank

if you just wanna do a search

for a specific type of provider.

Under specialty, it defaults to any.

But if you're looking for a specific type of provider,

whether it's a general dentist, or periodontist,

oral surgery, endodontist,

I would suggest to change that specialty

to that type of specialty,

so it'll further filter your results that you're getting.

So, for example, if your provider says,

"I wanna send to a specialist for this root canal,"

and gives you a name, you could look on this...

You could go online here and look and see

if they are participating in our network.

Your provider's not required to send you to

a PPO provider, so you may wanna check what type

of participating status you're being referred to,

if you're being referred by your general dentist.

And then lastly, there's a couple more things

that you can select here for doing your search,

language or gender.

Extended hours.

You can leave all those as they are,

and then search for a dentist.

The best way to do this, I would say,

is to pull this listing up

and print it out and then just start asking

around the people that you know that you live by,

ask them who they go to, who they like,

who do they recommend and try to get a word of mouth

recommend that way, as well,

kind of tying what you're hearing

from your friends and neighbors and what you see,

who is participating in the plan.

For those of you who do not like to go online

or who do not want to...

Don't own a computer or don't like using computers,

you can always call us at Delta Dental,

call our customer service number

and ask the customer service representative

to send you a listing and they'd be happy to do that.

So if you wanna do it by going online, perfect,

you can do that,

but for those of you who don't,

you always have an option to call customer service

and they will help you with this process, as well.

Moving on here.

We do have a Consumer Toolkit, I don't know...

We've had this out for a while, so I don't know,

many of you probably are already using this.

This is something that allows you to access

to your personal information.

So because it's your personal information,

you have to validate who you are

and set up a user name and password

the very first time that you go on to this toolkit.

It allows you to see your information,

who's eligible under your...

Your subscriber information.

It allows you to confirm the address that we have.

It allows you to see the benefits,

the benefit overview that's covered under this plan.

It allows you to check how much annual maximum

you've used to date.

It will tell you how much you've used,

how much you have remaining.

All of your electronic,

or all of your explanation of benefits are available

for viewing and printing.

So if you want to tell us to stop sending you paper...

If you want us to stop sending you paper explanation

of benefits, all you need to do is provide us an email

address and sing up for electronic EOBs.

With the electronic EOB, once the claim has processed,

we will send you an email

that indicates the claim has processed and is available

for viewing on this Consumer Toolkit.

You can also have access to oral health information

on this toolkit, so this is really a great tool

that allows you to have access everything

about your dental plan, your specific dental plan

at your fingertips.

The next tool that we have is the Extranet site,

and this site has been developed with the retirement system

at the link listed here.

This gives you access to specific plan information

about the retirement system dental plan.

For example, this presentation is available

on the Extranet site.

The overview flier, the one-page document

that you may have received at a seminar,

that's available on this Extranet site.

The plan booklet that has more details about the plan,

exclusions and limitations, how to file an appeal,

definitions, who's eligible,

all of that information is in the plan booklet,

and that's also available on the Extranet site.

We try to put tools and tips

and additional tools that are available for you

on this Extranet site.

We've also placed links for the Consumer Toolkit

for the dentist directory search on this site,

so it's really...

You don't need to sign into this site,

you can go directly to it and access the documentation

because it's general information about your plan.

Another tool that we have is our smartphone apps.

So if you have an Apple phone or an Android phone,

you can go to those respective stores and download this app.

This app does allow you to verify your eligibility

and benefits.

So because it allows you to do that,

you do have to create a user name and password

for this, because it's your specific information.

You can also find a dentist using the app.

You can view your ID card,

and it does have a toothbrush timer on the app, as well.

It may be no surprise to you that your oral health

and your overall health are connected.

There are over 120 diseases that have signs and symptoms

that show up in your mouth.

By keeping your regular visits with your dental provider,

your provider may actually notice something that's happening

before you or your healthcare provider know

that something is wrong.

So it's very important to continue to brush and floss.

If you notice any changes or abnormalities in your mouth,

talk to your dentist about that,

make sure that you're keeping up on your oral health,

beucase it does, sa I mentioned earlier,

affect your overall health.

And then lastly, contacting Delta Dental.

Delta Dental, the 800 number is listed there.

We have advisors that are available

from 8:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Our call center is in Farmington Hills, Michigan.

We also have an automated system,

this is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

And that automated system can provide you

access to benefits, claims, eligibility information,

and give you names of participating providers.

And then lastly, that Extranet site,

that is where all of the plan documentation is listed,

if you wanna go online and access any of that information.

Thank you for your time and attention today,

and I hope this has helped you

understand your dental plan better.

Thank you, have a great day.

For more infomation >> Public School Retirees 2018 Dental Plan - Delta Dental - Duration: 34:01.

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Public School Retirees 2018 Vision Plan - EyeMed - Duration: 11:39.

- [Narrator] Hello, my name is Joani Fontaine with

EyeMed Vision Care.

Let's chat about your new vision benefits.

What's changing about your benefits,

why vision health is important,

how to use your benefits and find a provider,

what tools are available to help make benefits

easy to understand.

Your vision benefits, a comprehensive eye exam,

can spot early signs of health conditions like diabetes,

high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

Why is it important for you to visit

your primary care doctor?

If your eye doctor detects any eye disease

or serious condition, they can work with your primary

care doctor to ensure you receive appropriate

and timely treatment.

These claims will be filed with your medical plan.

The eye exam is a $10 eye exam, which covers the following:

the dilation as necessary, patient history

and observation, clinical diagnostic testing

and refractive status, as well as color vision testing,

depth perception and an overall assessment, diagnosis

and treatment plan.

Let's talk about your benefits at a glance.

The plan covers a comprehensive eye exam, as mentioned,

with a $10 copay, plus it also covers the frame allowance

once every 24 months at $120,

a $25 copay meant for single vision

or lined multifocal lenses

once every 24 months, or should you receive contacts,

the plan would cover a $25 copay then

$120 contact lens allowance once every 24 months.

And this of course reflects the board approved $10 increase

to the lens copay beginning January 1, 2018.

A couple of reminders as it relates to your benefits,

and that is the frequency of the plan.

For MPSERS, your frequency is based on date of service

and what this means is if you should receive an eye exam

today, then you would be eligible again 24 months

from today's date of service.

Also, services received under the retirement system's

previous carrier, BlueVision, will be loaded into

the EyeMed system.

Another important item to remember is that the plan

covers corrective eyewear once every 24 months.

You may use your benefits to receive glasses

or contact lenses once every 24 months.

The key indicator here is or once every 24 months.

Let's cover some of the highlights associated with the plan.

The first item to talk about is the retinal imaging discount

and the retinal imaging discount will cap at a member cost

at $39 at in-network providers, so in essence,

should the cost of the retinal imaging discount cost $50,

the member would pay no more than $39,

and the retinal imaging is essentially a mapping

of how your eyes are changing over the year,

giving your eye doctor a good indicator of how your

eyes are essentially changing from one year to the next,

so it's a good mapping per se.

Another highlight associated with the plan is

a contact lens fitting associated with contact lenses.

So each and every member should need to receive a contact

lens fitting in addition to the actual eye exam.

As an EyeMed member, your standard contact lens fit

and follow-up will not exceed $55.

If a member should need a premium contact lens fitting,

the cost is 10% off of retail.

With EyeMed, the most common lens add-ons

are provided to members at a fixed cost

and some of these examples are tint at $15,

UV coating also at $15, polycarbonate, $40

and standard anti-reflective coating at $45.

There are additional savings associated

for the EyeMed member and they are a 40% off of entire

pair discount, so in essence, this will entitle the member

to an additional 40% off of an entire pair of glasses

once the member has exhausted the benefit.

15% off of LASIK, which would be the LASIK surgery.

This is considered a discount and not a benefit.

20% off of any remaining frame balance,

so as an example, the MPSERS frame allowance is $120.

If a member purchases a frame at $130, then the member would

receive a 20% discount off of the additional $10.

The member would also receive a 15% off of any balance

over the conventional contact lens allowances

and also 20% off of any non-covered items.

And finally, the member is entitled to a Sun Perks discount

in 2018 only.

The member is also entitled to a discount

through Sunglass Hut in 2018 only.

This offer is $20 off any amount or $50 off $200

Sun Perks certificate to use towards non-prescription

sunglasses at Sunglass Hut.

Let's talk about finding a provider and using your benefits.

MPSERS is on the EyeMed ACCESS network,

so should you refer to the EyeMed website or any

paper documents, you want to be sure you look for

anything that relates to the ACCESS network.

The ACCESS network is EyeMed's largest network

with over 98,000 providers and over 28,000 locations.

We have thousands of independent providers

as well as retail providers within our ACCESS network.

They also include LensCrafters, Pearle Vision,

Sears Optical, JCPenney Optical and Target Optical.

EyeMed also offers online, in-network options

through Contacts Direct and glasses.com.

So I'd like to share with you some information

on how to find an eye provider.

There are four ways to find a provider near you.

The first one is the Enhanced Provider Search

on eyemed.com.

Second, you may download and use the EyeMed Members App,

which is available in the App Store or Google Play.

And third, you can check the listing of the closest

eye providers from your Welcome Kit,

which we will discuss further in a few minutes,

or finally you may call our Customer Care Center

for additional information.

Let's talk about how to use your benefits

by going in-network or by going out-of-network.

First, by going in-network, you'll simply want to locate

a provider and schedule your appointment.

Once you do this, you will identify yourself as an EyeMed

member once you arrive at the provider's office.

You'll pay any applicable copays at the time of service.

The provider will handle all of the

necessary paperwork for you.

In essence, you have no paperwork to complete

by going in-network.

The network provider will file the claim for you.

It's as easy as that.

You will receive your Explanation of Benefits in the mail

or view through eyemed.com as a registered member.

By going out-of-network, you would simply download

the out-of-network claim form from eyemed.com.

You will receive and pay for services up front and in full

at the provider of your choice.

You will then complete the out-of-network claim form

and submit an itemized receipt and at that point,

EyeMed will mail you a check for reimbursement.

There are some helpful member tools

that we think you'll like.

First, the EyeMed Welcome Packet.

This is an ID card packet which will arrive

at your home in December.

It consists of two perforated ID cards

in the subscriber's name with the group plan number on it.

It will include additional information as it relates

to your benefits and it will also include eight providers,

four retail and four independent

closest to your own zip code.

It will also include a buck slip describing

the LASIK discount.

The next member tool is the eyemed.com website.

Due to HIPAA regulations, members will not be able to view

dependents over the age of 18.

There will be even more information available

at your fingertips.

First, look for special offers on eyemed.com,

which offer substantial discounts over and above

what the MPSERS plan allows for.

We also have online, in-network options through

contactsdirect.com, glasses.com

and lenscrafterscontacts.com.

This will automatically adjudicate the claim

in-network for you online.

And lastly, we have a special site devoted to wellness,

eyesiteonwellness.com, which offers a plethora of

information as it relates to wellness.

So let's talk a little bit more about the EyeMed

Members App, which is a very cool app.

It is again available for Apple and Android devices.

Once you are a registered member,

you have the ability to locate a provider,

view your ID card, view benefits including eligibility,

as well as view special offers I spoke about

just a minute ago, and contact EyeMed

for any additional questions.

There is also space within the EyeMed app

to store your prescription and allow for

contact lens reminder refills.

And finally, here's some information as it relates

to our Customer Care Support.

For enrollment questions, call 866-248-2028.

We have live customer service representatives available

362 days a year.

We're open Monday through Saturday, 7:30 am to 11 pm

Eastern Standard Time and Sunday

from 11 am to 8 pm Eastern Standard Time.

Thanks for watching.

For more infomation >> Public School Retirees 2018 Vision Plan - EyeMed - Duration: 11:39.

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Holly Hagan SLAMS Stephen Bear's public declaration of love to Charlotte Crosby - Duration: 2:37.

Holly Hagan SLAMS Stephen Bear's public declaration of love to Charlotte Crosby

Geordie Shore's Holly Hagan certainly wasn't buying Bear's public apology to her former co-star Charlotte. On Friday night Bear, 28, took to Instagram to beg for the forgiveness of his former girlfriend, 27, with a very public apology.

He wrote: "Dear Charlotte, I really messed up, if I could rewind the clock back maybe I wouldn't have done the things I did and say.

"Life's about making mistakes. I've just been really sad recently and need to get it off my chest.

"I know being with me isn't easy and I will probably send you insane in the end and I really do care and still love you. It might be too late, but all I can do is try.

"The New Year's coming up and I would love to spend the rest of my life with you. I've done my best and put it out there.

"I don't show my feelings often so it will be a very long time before you see me open up again.

I would WhatsApp you, but you've changed your number [sic], would be nice [for you] to slide in my DM though if you see this." However it seemed Bear's attempt wasn't successful as he later posted a snap on his Instagram story which simply stated: "It was a no." And now keen to have her bestie's back, Holly has further dug the boot in by sharing her thoughts on the gushing post.

Holly, 25, commented: "Stephen, you know what you've put this girl through, you forced your way back into her life last time and if I'm honest, I admired your persistence which is why I thought you'd have grown up and been on your knees begging for that girl's forgiveness every day.

"Instead, I watched you take her back to the very place she was when she was hurt the first time but now it's twice as hard because she didn't even wanna let you back in – she was doing great.

"I cannot let you do it a third time, if you have any love for that girl whatsoever you'll let her go." Ouch! Looks like Bear won't be expecting a Christmas card off Holly or Charlotte!.

For more infomation >> Holly Hagan SLAMS Stephen Bear's public declaration of love to Charlotte Crosby - Duration: 2:37.

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Library of Congress will no longer archive all public tweets, citing longer character limits - Duration: 3:36.

Library of Congress will no longer archive all public tweets, citing longer character limits

The Library of Congress announced today that it will no longer add every public tweet to its archives, an ambitious project it launched seven years ago.

It cited the much larger volume of tweets generated now, as well as Twitter's decision to double the character limit from 140 to 280. Instead, starting on Jan.

1, the Library will be more selective about what tweets to preserve, a decision it explained in a white paper.

"Generally, the tweets collected and archived will be thematic and event-based, including events such as elections, and themes of ongoing national interest, e.g. public policy," the Library wrote.

(In other words, all of President Donald Trump's tweets will most likely be preserved, but probably not your breakfast pics).

In 2010, the Library began saving all public tweets "for the same reason it collects other materials—to acquire and preserve a record of knowledge and creativity for Congress and the American people," its announcement said.

This included the backlog of all public tweets since Twitter launched in 2006, which the company donated. The volume and longer length of tweets now means collecting every single public one is no longer practical.

Furthermore, the Library only archives text and the fact that many tweets now contain images, videos or links means a text-only collection is no longer as valuable.

"The Library generally does not collect comprehensively," it explained. "Given the unknown direction of social media when the gift was first planned, the Library made an exception for public tweets.

With social media now established, the Library is bringing its collecting practice more in line with its collection policies.".

Other projects the Library has embarked on in order to ensure that the experiences and memories of ordinary people are part of the historical record include the American Folklife Center, which runs the Veterans History Project and collects dialect recordings, among other initiatives.

Featured Image: Bryce Durbin/TechCrunch.

For more infomation >> Library of Congress will no longer archive all public tweets, citing longer character limits - Duration: 3:36.

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City of Abbeville asking for public's help in fighting crime - Duration: 2:09.

For more infomation >> City of Abbeville asking for public's help in fighting crime - Duration: 2:09.

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Public School Retirees 2018 Healthcare Plan - BCBSM - Duration: 21:32.

- [Genevieve] Hello, my name is Genevieve Johnson,

and I'm a Sales Administrator

with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan.

I'm here today, to talk with you, about your Medical Plan.

This presentation is geared for

Medicare and non-Medicare Members.

Our presentation today will cover:

key terms and your costs for 2018;

2018 updates to your medical plan;

how to get the most value from your medical plan;

online tools at your fingertips,

and health and wellness information.

Now let's talk about the key terms

that are associated with what you pay

for covered services, and cost share updates for 2018.

Coinsurance is a fixed percentage of the costs

you share with your retirement system.

The percentage you pay is based

on the Blue Cross approved amount.

For most covered services, you pay 10% coinsurance,

when you use in-network providers.

Your retirement system health plan

covers the remaining 90% of the cost, for these services.

Your retirement system limits the amount you pay

each year in coinsurance, to 10% coinsurance.

We keep track of the 10% coinsurance you pay.

You start paying a 10% coinsurance for most covered services

from an in-network provider, at the beginning of the year.

Once you reach the coinsurance maximum,

you stop paying the 10% coinsurance

for the rest of the year.

The good news is, just like last year,

your coinsurance maximum in 2018 is $900.

A copayment, or copay, is a flat dollar amount

that you pay, when you receive certain health care services.

Your retirement system plan has a copay

on two medical care services, emergency room visits

and urgent care visits.

You pay a $100 copay for emergency room visits,

unless you're admitted into the hospital,

within 72 hours of the emergency room visit.

In that case, the $100 copay is waived.

You pay a $65 copay for urgent care visits.

If you're on Medicare, you just pay these copays

for these services, nothing else.

If you're not on Medicare, you initially pay

your coinsurance and deductible, for these services.

Then, once you reach your annual

coinsurance maximum and deductible, you pay the copay

for emergency room and urgent care services,

for the remainder of the calendar year.

In addition to your coinsurance and copay,

you have an annual deductible

that you're responsible for paying,

before your retirement system begins to pay

for covered services.

Until you reach your annual deductible,

you pay 100% of your covered medical expenses.

Your 2018 deductible is $1,000.

However, you can lower your deductible,

by participating in the LivingWell program,

that I will talk about in a little bit.

Medicare members are automatically enrolled,

in the LivingWell program,

and have an $800 deductible in 2018, same as 2017.

Non-Medicare members that fully participate in LivingWell,

can lower their deductible to $800, same as 2017.

Let's take a closer look, at exactly how

your Medicare cost share works.

If you are on Medicare, or if you're not yet on Medicare,

but fully participating in the LivingWell program,

and you had a service with an in-network provider,

and Blue Cross approves $6,000,

your 10% coinsurance would be $600.

10% of $6,000 is $600.

By subtracting your $600 coinsurance,

and $800 deductible,

from the $6,000 approved amount,

your retirement system would pay $4,600.

You would pay $600 plus $800, which equals $1,400.

It's important to know, that your coinsurance

is taken before your deductible.

Now I'm going to direct my comments to Medicare members.

If you're on Medicare, there's a limit

to the amount you pay out of your pocket,

during the calendar year.

With the exception of copays, for routine hearing care,

your coinsurance, copays, and your deductible amounts

are included in an annual out-of-pocket maximum.

Your annual out-of-pocket maximum in 2018 is $1,700.

Once you reach your annual out-of-pocket maximum,

except for routine hearing care copays,

your retirement system begins to pay 100%

of covered medical services, for the remainder of the year.

And now I'm going to direct my comments

to non-Medicare members.

If you are not on Medicare, you can limit

the amount you pay each year, by using PPO network providers

and fully participating in LivingWell,

the program that I'll explain in detail

in a few more minutes.

Once you reach your annual coinsurance maximum,

which is $900 in 2018, and your deductible,

which is $800 in 2018, if you fully participate

in the LivingWell program, the only costs

you'll have to pay for covered services

for the remainder of the calendar year,

are your copays and any additional costs

for using providers outside the PPO network.

So here's the snapshot for your 2018 costs.

The coinsurance maximum of $900,

plus the $800 deductible for Medicare members,

and for non-Medicare members who fully participate

in the LivingWell program, equals $1,700.

Now, as I've said already, keep in mind,

that the $1,700 does not include

copays for routine hearing care, for any members,

Medicare and non-Medicare.

And for non-Medicare members, it does not include copays

for emergency and urgent care visits,

higher deductibles for not participating

in the LivingWell program, and any additional costs,

for using providers outside the PPO network.

We want you to understand, how your cost share works,

because you will receive

an Explanation of Benefits statement in the mail,

or receive an email notification,

following the month you received medical services.

Your Explanation of Benefits will show you

what services your provider billed Blue Cross,

how much your retirement system plan covered,

how much you owe through coinsurance, copay or deductible,

services not covered by your retirement system plan.

It's always wise, to compare bills from your provider,

to your Explanation of Benefits, to make sure

your out-of-pocket costs are correct.

Here's an example of what

your Medicare Explanation of Benefits will look like.

Number One identifies who this Explanation of Benefits

statement is for, explains what is covered

in the report, and customer service information,

if you have questions about something on your statement.

Number Two shows the balances to date, for deductibles

and Three, out-of-pocket costs

for your current benefit period.

If you are not on Medicare, here's an example

of what your statement will look like.

Number One identifies who this

Explanation of Benefits statement is for.

Number Two summarizes claims by doctor, hospital,

or other healthcare provider,

the amount submitted to Blue Cross for the claim,

what you saved by being a Blue Cross member,

what Blue Cross paid,

amount any other insurance paid, what you pay.

You may have already paid, or may still owe this amount.

You should never be asked to be paid more than this amount.

Number Three shows the balances to date,

for deductibles and out-of-pocket maximum

for your current benefit period.

And Number Four, shows customer service information,

if you have questions about something on your statement.

Now that we're all familiar with the key terms

associated with your share of the costs

of your medical care,

let's take a look at what's new in 2018.

At this point, I'm going to again direct my comments

to Medicare members.

If you're on Medicare, routine physical exams,

and standard routine laboratory tests,

done in conjunction with physicals, have not been covered.

Well, we have some very good news for you.

Beginning January 1, 2018, an annual routine physical exam,

as well as standard routine labs, done in conjunction

with a physical exam, will be covered at 100%

of the Blue Cross approved amount.

That's a great benefit enhancement!

Also, starting January 1, 2018,

your emergency room visit copay will be updated,

from $75 per visit, to $100 per visit.

And you will now have a $65 copay,

as opposed to coinsurance on urgent care visits.

Perhaps the best news for many members,

is the enhancement to the routine hearing care benefit.

Your routine hearing care benefits

will be exclusively available through a nationwide network,

of TruHearing providers, starting January 1, 2018.

There will be flat dollar copays,

as opposed to your paying a coinsurance and deductible.

And here's the most important thing.

You'll no longer be charged the difference

between the Blue Cross approved amount,

and the provider's charge for the routine hearing care.

I won't go into that benefit update any further,

because there's a separate presentation,

about your routine hearing care benefits,

that you'll want to hear.

And now I want to direct my comments

to non-Medicare members.

You already have coverage

for an annual routine physical exam.

Starting January 1, 2018, you will now also have coverage

for standard routine laboratory tests,

done in conjunction with your annual physical.

Just like your physical, these labs will be paid at 100%,

when performed by a PPO network provider.

Also, starting January 1, 2018,

your emergency room visit copay will be updated

from $75 per visit, to $100 per visit.

And you will now have a $65 copay, on urgent care visits.

Copays for emergency room and urgent care visits begin

after you have reached your coinsurance maximum,

and paid your annual deductible, and then continue

until the end of the calendar year.

Finally, just like members on Medicare,

perhaps the best news for many of you,

is the enhancement to the routine hearing care benefit.

I urge you to hear that presentation.

You have a rich plan, that offers choice.

Now let's talk about how you can get

the most value from your medical plan,

and help keep your costs down.

If you don't already have a personal physician,

consider choosing one to help you manage and coordinate

all of your healthcare needs, as the first step

in getting the most value from your plan.

This physician will get to know your medical history

and lifestyle, so that he or she will be

in the best position, to perform your regular checkups,

refer you to specialists, or coordinate

any necessary hospital care.

They monitor the big picture of your health,

while specialists manage more focused needs.

To find a provider in the PPO network,

including a PCMH doctor, visit bcbsm.com

and use the Find a Doctor tool.

If you don't have access to a computer,

call us, and we'll help you find a provider.

I will show the phone number at the end

of my presentation, but it's also easily located

on your membership card.

The doctor-patient relationship, and the advantages

that go along with it, are at the core

of the Patient-Centered Medical Home concept,

that's part of the LivingWell program.

A Patient-Centered Medical Home, is a care team

led by a primary care physician,

that focuses on your health goals,

and works with you, to help you manage your care.

Your team is made up of anyone you need,

based on your health goals.

Together, your Patient-Centered Medical Home team

provides you with personalized care plans,

to help you reach your goals.

Other features of the Patient-Centered Medical Home

practices include: extended office hours;

a centralized location for personal medical records;

help coordinating visits to specialists;

training and education,

to help you manage chronic conditions;

and help accessing health and community resources.

I've mentioned the LivingWell program a number of times,

and now we're going to talk about it in greater detail.

Because it's another way to get

the most value from your plan.

LivingWell is a program for retirees

and covered family members, that provides tools

to help you lead a healthier lifestyle,

while rewarding you, for making healthy choices.

As I mentioned before, non-Medicare members

can lower their annual deductible, by up to $200,

when they complete the steps to enroll in the program.

If you're on Medicare, you are automatically enrolled

in the retirement system's LivingWell program,

which gives you the lowest deductible, $800.

To enroll in the 2018 LivingWell program,

you must completes steps one through three

by December 31st, 2017.

The steps include

completing a LivingWell health questionnaire,

selecting a primary care doctor,

and visiting your primary care doctor,

for an annual routine physical exam.

Completing those three steps,

will lower your 2018 deductible, from $1,000 to $850,

a savings of $150.

But the program is about more than cost savings.

Step One, a health questionnaire, is a list of questions

that can help you and your doctor

build a plan for your LivingWell.

The LivingWell questionnaire

was mailed to members in September.

Step Two, is selecting a primary care doctor,

and we've already talked about the advantages

of having one doctor help you coordinate all of your care.

Keep in mind, that a primary care physician

is not a specialist.

They include, for example, general practice doctors,

family practice doctors, and internists.

Step Three, is seeing your primary care physician,

and having a routine physical.

A physical you received anytime during 2017,

will count towards this step.

Something to keep in mind, when you schedule your physical,

is that your doctor may want to get additional tests,

that are not covered, like a screening EKG.

Ask your doctor in advance, what tests they want to perform

with your physical, and call us,

if you're not sure if they are covered,

so you're not surprised when you get a bill

from your providers, that you must pay on your own.

Finally, non-Medicare members can save even more money,

by completing the bonus step.

You can lower your annual deductible by an additional $50,

for a total of $200 off the original $1,000 deductible,

if you choose a primary care physician

that's a Patient-Centered Medical Home doctor.

Even though Medicare members already will have

the lowest LivingWell deductible, $800,

we encourage you to complete the health questionnaire,

to give you a snapshot of your overall health.

We've already talked about

how you can locate network providers,

but there's much more information available

at your fingertips.

As a Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan member,

you have access to a powerful tool,

that allows you to see a real-time snapshot

of what you've paid towards out-of-pocket costs,

and your claims history, anytime, anywhere,

through the BCBSM Member Site, or BCBSM mobile app.

Going paperless allows you to know about your claims

and medical plan changes sooner.

Benefits of going paperless are:

faster notices of benefit changes;

view and track claims of Explanation of Benefits;

save space and reduce clutter;

safe and secure location for your medical information.

All you have to do is create an account and login,

to view all of the latest information.

To register, visit bcbsm.com/mpsers,

then press the LOGIN tab, located at the upper-right side

of the page, and then login as a member.

If you have not yet registered as a member,

press Register Now,

which is located at the bottom of the Login box.

Once you register and login, you'll be directed

to a personalized page, for your specific plan,

where you will be able to see the medical claims

Blue Cross has received and processed,

as well as your out-of-pocket costs to date.

In addition to the BCBSM Member Site and mobile app,

you can also visit bcbsm.com/mpsers, to learn more

about what's covered under your medical plan,

and how much you have to pay for covered services.

Click Medical Plans, at the top of the page,

then click Medicare PPO, or non-Medicare PPO,

to view your current coverage documents,

including your Summary of Benefits,

your retirement system plan Benefit Guide,

and your Monthly Insurance rates.

Your 2018 coverage information will be posted

to bcbsm.com/mpsers in December.

Before I wrap up my presentation, I want to remind you

that a great advantage of having Blue Cross

administer your plan, is the wide variety of programs

and resources you have access to,

through Blue Cross Health and Wellness program.

Blue Cross Health and Wellness resources

gives you access to a broad range

of health and wellness information and tools.

The best part, is that it's available

at your fingertips 24 hours a day, 7 days a week,

when you login to your member account at bcbsm.com/mpsers.

Some of these tool include a symptom checker:

use this tool to help determine what to do

about your symptoms.

Recipes: find more than 400 tasty, healthy recipes.

WebMD Interactives: providing calculators, quizzes,

slide shows, and other health information

that you may need.

And a Medical Encyclopedia: this complete

health encyclopedia includes a database of health topics,

medical tests and procedures.

In addition to the online tools you receive,

through Blue Cross Health and Wellness,

you have access to programs like

the Complex Chronic Condition Management program.

This program allows you to get personal help,

to better manage chronic conditions,

such as diabetes, heart failure,

chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder,

coronary artery disease and asthma.

If you're eligible for Complex Chronic Condition Management,

a team of registered nurses, social workers,

and registered dietitians, work with you

to help you manage your condition,

through a unique combination of coordinated care,

education, and support with treatment plans.

A nurse case manager will work closely with you

through the program to help you:

develop self management skills,

such as monitoring your condition,

and learning how to address routine changes,

as well as more serious complications;

adhering to treatment plans; engaging in healthy behaviors

with support programs, to encourage lifestyle changes;

and learning how to communicate clearly and effectively,

with all of your healthcare providers.

If you're unsure about a medical issue or treatment plan,

you can call Blue Cross Health and Wellness

24-Hour Nurse Hotline, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Registered nurses are always available,

to help you determine your next steps,

whether to call your doctor, or head to the emergency room.

But you don't have to wait for an emergency,

to call the Nurse Line.

If you have a common cold, flu-like symptoms,

or a chronic condition, such as asthma or diabetes,

one of our dedicated nurses can talk with you,

about your treatment options,

and tell you what you can do at home,

to start feeling better soon.

You'll get fast, reliable information you can count on,

while avoiding long waits at the emergency room,

or unnecessary trips to your doctor's office.

Here's the phone number I mentioned earlier,

that I would provide you.

It's also on the back of your Blue Cross Membership Card.

You can reach Blue Cross Customer Service

at 1-800-422-9146,

Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Eastern standard time.

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