THANK YOU PHYLLIS TEMPLE!

For the past 10 years, visitors to the 4J Wellness Clinic have been able to receive amazing health care from Phyllis Temple.  It is with sadness that I must inform you of Phyllis’s upcoming departure from our clinic and I know many of you join me in wishing her the very best as she begins the next phase of her professional career.  Phyllis has asked me to share the following letter with you:

To Members of the 4J Community,

It is with regret that I notify you of my departure from the 4J Wellness Clinic and PeaceHealth Medical Group.

I leave to take advantage of a very rare opening at Lane Community College Health Center.  I will be able to contribute to LCC’s growing employee health program (modeled on 4J’s), and take care of students, 80% of whom lack health insurance.  I spent my first 12 years of nursing caring for people without health insurance, in New York City, at Sacred Heart Prenatal Clinic and Lane County Public Health -- and I feel the need to return to those roots.

Joining with you in addressing your health concerns has been a privilege, as well as the greatest honor of my professional life.  I thank you for entrusting me with the opportunity of participating in your health care.  I also thank you for your support of the 4J Wellness Clinic.  You have created the most optimal model of health care provision, and a rewarding workplace for nurse practitioners.
My last day of service at the Wellness Clinic will be October 8, 2009.  If I may be of any assistance to you before that time, please do not hesitate to call.

Sincerely,
Phyllis Temple, FNP

Thank you so much for 10 great years Phyllis and best wishes for success at the Lane Community College Health Center!

FLU SHOT CLINICS

The flu is very much in the news these days, and many of you are asking about flu shot clinics.  Please remember that the seasonal flu vaccine and the H1N1 (Swine) flu vaccine are two separate vaccinations.  A seasonal vaccine is distributed routinely every year, and, there will be three clinics here in 4J for you to get that seasonal vaccination. 

Flu shot eligibility extends to:   
• all active employees (even those who are not insurance eligible due to less than half-time status)
• all insurance eligible dependents of active employees, including those who have waived coverage
• all retirees and their dependents who are currently covered on the 4J insurance
• student teachers and substitutes (licensed and classified)

Flu shot eligibility does not extend to:
• retirees who are no longer on the 4J insurance
• retiree’s dependents who are not on the 4J coverage (even when the retiree is still covered)

In this case, “dependents” refers to spouses and domestic partners, as well as insurance eligible children age 10 or over.  Our particular vaccine is not approved for children under age 10.  All children 10-16 years of age must have a parent or guardian with them to be vaccinated.

Flu shot clinics will be held in the Ed Center Auditorium, from 3 PM – 5:30 PM, on: 
• Tuesday        October 20
• Wednesday   October 28   
• Thursday      November 5

E-mail reminders will be sent prior to each clinic. 

If you are unable to attend one of these clinics, influenza vaccines, which include shots and nasal spray, are covered under OEBB’s preventive care benefit at 100 percent when you visit a contracted provider.  Individual and family deductibles are waived for this preventative service.  You can find a list of contracted providers by visiting http://www.opdp.org/OHPPR/OPDP/IandVPage.shtml - Inactivated_Influenze_Inf_

The vaccine for H1N1 flu is not available at this time and 4J will not be a flu shot provider when/if the vaccine becomes available for the general public.  If you are in one of the priority groups the CDC is recommending receive the first round of H1N1 vaccines, please consult your medical provider.  To learn more about the H1N1 virus, please visit http://www.flu.gov/individualfamily/about/h1n1/index.html

CHECK THOSE CARDS!

If you made changes to your coverage during the recently completed open enrollment period, ODS will be sending out new cards in late September or early October.   Please look those cards over carefully!  Make sure everyone you meant to cover is listed, and make sure you have all the coverages you signed up for.  If you waived dental coverage, you will have an “N” in the dental column.  Otherwise, you should see “Y” under medical, dental, pharmacy and vision for everyone listed on the card.   If you are on medical plan 3, you’ll have “Office Visit:  $10” on your card.  Medical plan 5 should read “Office Visit:  $20” and plans 7 and 8 will both read “Office Visit:  20%.”  If you believe your cards are incorrect, please contact me as soon as possible – I can help you track down the error and get it corrected.

Members who did not make changes will not be sent new cards.  If, for any reason, you would like a new set of cards, please contact ODS medical customer service directly at 1-866-923-0409.  You can also order new cards by logging onto the myODS system:
https://www.odshealthplans.com/myODSWeb/

RATES AND DEDUCTIBLES

Medical, vision, pharmacy and dental plans, are administered on a plan-year basis.  The plan year begins October 1, 2009 and goes through September 30, 2010.  If you have met your deductible for the current plan year it will restart October 1.  Similarly, if you have met your plan year maximum benefits in the current plan year, those will also restart October 1.

While the new insurance rates take effect October 1, we pay our monthly insurance premiums at the end of the month, not the beginning.  Thus, active employees and retirees still receiving a paycheck will see the rate change reflected in the October 31st paychecks.  Retirees who have arranged for payment from a bank account will see the change in rates in the November 5th ACH payment.