Love bytes July 2012

Love being on the go

We’ve been busily beavering away to bring you two new exciting options for taking care of your health on the run!

Peoplecare mobile online services Around 75% of our members now deal with us electronically, so now we’ve made it even easier to help yourself to your membership whenever it suits you. When you access our website from your mobile phone or tablet and login to our Online Member Services, you’ll automatically be directed to our new mobile site where you can easily see your membership details.

You can also: check and make changes to your cover

search for a healthcare provider near you

make an Extras claim

order a new membership card

find out what your benefit will be for a particular service

get your tax statement and more!

see your claims history make a payment

So whip out your phone or tablet and check it out at peoplecare.com.au/mobile. We’d love to know what you think!

Pocket Peoplecarer We’re also excited about our brand new first aid iPhone app, which will give you access to handy first aid info and suggestions for things to take with you when you’re out and about.

You can also: plan an activity

get weather info

create a checklist of what to bring along

access emergency services info

share it with a friend by email, Facebook and Twitter You can download our free Pocket Peoplecarer app from the iTunes App Store or our website at peoplecare.com.au/PocketPeoplecarer.

FREECALL: 1800 808 690 • Wollongong: (02) 4224 4333 • Fax: 1300 673 405 • Email: [email protected] • Web: peoplecare.com.au Lysaght Peoplecare Limited. A registered private health insurer. ABN: 95 087 648 753

Love keeping you healthier We’ve got some great new health programs for Peoplecare members with hospital cover. And the best news is that they’re all included free with your hospital cover. As always, these programs are all optional and it’s completely up to you if you use them or not. If you’d like to find out more about any of these programs, just give us a buzz on 1800 808 690 or [email protected] Or jump onto our website at peoplecare.com.au/myhealth for more info.

My Health Online Our new My Health Online web portal gives you access to a whole range of health and wellbeing tools.

You can also: store e-health info about yourself share it with your doctor keep a calendar of healthcare appointments access a health library and much more!

My Health Risk Assessment You can also fill in My Health Risk Assessment while you’re there! This health assessment is a questionnaire which asks you for your health info across a whole range of areas. It only takes between 10 and 20 minutes to complete and then you’ll have your personalised health report stored in the My Health Online web portal. Your health report will give you info about your health risks and

what you can do to improve your health. You can update the info whenever you like and importantly, this info is completely confidential. All the info is stored with our partners at MediKeeper, which means that our Peoplecarer staff don’t even have access to your health info and it won’t affect your health insurance premiums at all. If your Health Risk Assessment shows that you have some health risks that might be addressed

with our health programs, our health professionals may contact you to offer one of the free programs explained on this page. It’s completely up to you if you choose to enroll or not. To start your free My Health Risk Assessment, just login to your membership at peoplecare.com.au and click on My Health Online on the left hand side menu.

My Hospital @ Home

Strive for Health

Peoplecare’s My Hospital at Home program makes it easy to get out of hospital earlier and receive personal care in your home. In some cases, you can even avoid a hospital stay altogether if the healthcare services you need can be provided at home. If you and your doctor think recovering at home is right for you, we work with you to develop a plan to make sure you get the best possible care. This might include personal in-home nursing care, health aids and equipment to help you get around, help with meals and showering plus 24 hour phone access to healthcare professionals after you’ve left hospital.

We’ve developed our Strive for Health program to help members with chronic conditions manage their own health with the help of expert telephone or face to face health support at home. The program gives members access to a health coach (who is a registered nurse or allied health professional) who gives support, education and advice about their health condition, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. If you have a health condition and would like to find out if the program’s right for you, just get in touch on 1800 808 690 or send us an email at

[email protected]

Health Management Benefits Remember, if you have Gold, Silver or Bronze extras cover, you can use your health management benefit to keep you healthy. Unfortunately, since our last newsletter, the government has told all health funds that we’re no longer allowed to pay benefits for first aid courses or first aid kits. The good news is that there is still a bunch of things you can claim for!

Health Education

Health Screening

Health Programs

What we’ll pay for

• Quit Smoking courses • Weight management programs • Health Education services (like Diabetes or Asthma management courses)

• Blood pressure tests • Cholesterol checks • Mammograms • Hearing tests • MRIs not covered by Medicare • Removal of sun spots • Bone Density testing • Photodynamic Therapy • Mole mapping • Retinal photography • Diagnostic testing not covered by Medicare • Bowel Cancer test kits

• Some types of fitness equipment and some fitness programs (if needed to manage a health condition – see below). • If this is you, get in touch & we can look at it for you.

What we won’t pay for

• Laser therapy for quit smoking or weight loss • Food, supplements or info associated with weight loss programs • First Aid kits & courses

• Medical exams for superannuation, insurance, govt. departments or employment • Preparation kits for gastroscopies / colonoscopies

• We’re not allowed to pay benefits for services that are primarily for sports, recreation or entertainment, like gym memberships, sports shoes and sports equipment.

Health Info Of course, our website also has some great health info that you can help yourself to whenever the mood hits you! You can choose from healthy recipes, health fact sheets and first aid fact sheets, by going to peoplecare.com.au/myhealth

Love our people Meet Tory ...

Tory, our service guru, loves cycling, playing squash and helping his team achieve the best results for members. 

Meet Alana ...

Alana, one of our Peoplecarers, loves the summer sunshine, groovin’ to Powderfinger on her iPod, Balinese holidays and getting great results for our members.

Meet Raelene ...

Raelene, one of our IT specialists, loves chilling out with friends, a nice bottle of bubbly, hot summer days and working with a great group of supportive people.

Elisa

Meet Elisa ...

Elisa, one of our new member experts, loves running up grueling sandhills for fun, banana bread, walking Louis (her pooch) and finding easy answers for health insurance questions.

Meet Lorenzo ...

Lorenzo, our assistant bean-counter, loves watching The Office, getting creative in the kitchen, enjoying a nice glass of Shiraz and making sure it all balances in the end.

o z n Lore

Meet our Marketing Team ...

Emma, Stef and Anita, our Marketing & Comms gurus love writing about health cover in plain English, taking care of our websites and the exciting world of social media.

Love a break We all love holidays! If you’re thinking about travelling overseas ... One of the most important things you need to consider is travel insurance, as your health fund membership doesn’t cover overseas medical services. You may also want to consider travel insurance when travelling within Australia to protect your pre-paid travel arrangements against cancellation, getting sick or having an accident. Either way, QBE and Peoplecare have a travel insurance policy to suit your needs at discounted prices. To take out a policy, give us a call on 1800 808 700 or visit our website at peoplecare.com.au

Love spreading the word Look after your family & mates! Our members love Peoplecare so much that hundreds of our new members are their friends or family who joined because they know we have fantastic deals and personal service.

valued at $500 or more!* The winner can choose between a $500 Coles Group & Myer Gift Card, or the latest Apple iPad with Wi-Fi (RRP $579).

So, feel free to spread the word to your mates & rellos. After all, we’re all in this together.

Joining’s easy through our website: peoplecare.com.au or by phone on 1800 808 700. Just tell them to give us your name when they join so you can both get your thank you gifts!

To say thanks, if they join we’ll send you both a free $50 Coles Group & Myer Gift Card and put you both into the draw to WIN 1 of 2 prizes

The boring but necessary fine print. Terms & Conditions: *Peoplecare.com.au/members/lovespreading-the-word NSW Permit No. LTPS/12/00136 ACT Permit No TP 11/05315.1

Health files

August 2010

Love a healthy bite Looking for new dessert ideas? Try this scrummy apple & pear crumble.

Apple & pear crumble Preparation

Ingredients

Preparation time: 10 minutes

3 large cooking apples

Serves: 4

3 pears 3 tablespoons water 2 tablespoons reduced-fat margarine 1/4 cup self raising flour 2 tablespoons brown sugar 1 tablespoon coconut 2 tablespoons rolled oats

Love a healthy bite

Method 1. Set oven at 190oC. 2. Core apples and chop pears. Place in a pie dish with water. 3. Rub margarine into flour until mixture is crumbly. Mix in brown sugar, coconut and rolled oats. Sprinkle over apples and pears. 4. Bake until fruit is soft and top is golden. Cooking time varies with the depth of fruit and crumble. 5. Serve with low-fat custard. 6. To cook in the microwave: Microwave at step 2 on high for 8 minutes and then at step 4 on high 6 minutes. Source: Modified from the original recipe by Jackie Dryden, Bellarine Secondary College. Published in the Geelong Advertiser ‘Fifteen Minutes of Food’ series. Recipe publication date: 11/13/2007 01:00:14 PM

For more healthy recipes check out the health section of our website peoplecare.com.au

Health files It’s always tough when you’re looking after a sick child, and it can be hard to know when to get medical attention and when to treat the child at home. We hope you’ll find this handy reference chart useful.

Emergency numbers Ambulance / Police / Fire Poisons Information

000 131 126

My Doctor Family Contact

This chart is a guide only. Always see your doctor if you’re worried.

Bronchitis

Whooping Cough

Mumps

Symptoms

Symptoms

Symptoms

• • •

• •

• • •

Dry cough Slight fever Chest Pain

Short dry cough Increasing in severity

Fever Sore throat Swelling of throat/glands

Treatment See the doctor

Treatment See the doctor

Treatment See the doctor

Croup

Meningitis

Ear Infection

Symptoms

Symptoms

Symptoms

• • •

• • • • •

• • • •

Runny nose & fever Barking cough Raspy/high pitched breathing

Sweating Headache Stiff/sore neck Eyes sensitive to light Looks really sick

Pulling at an ear Mild fever Irritability Partial hearing loss

Treatment Mild- Paracetamol & comfort If the croup does not settle with comforting, or child deteriorates, seek medical attention.

Treatment Urgent hospitalisation See the doctor NOW

Treatment Children’s Paracetamol See the doctor - antibiotics

Chicken Pox

Measles

Tonsillitis

Symptoms

Symptoms

Symptoms

•

• • • • •

• • • •

• • •

Group of small raised spots Skin eruptions anywhere Blisters form scabs Mild fever for 2 days

Treatment Cold compress Discourage scratching See the doctor

Running nose Harsh, hacking cough Sensitive eyes to light White spots in mouth Red spreading rash

Treatment Cold compress for eyes Children’s Paracetamol See the doctor NOW

Sore throat Fever Headache and earache

Treatment See the doctor

FREECALL: 1800 808 690 • Wollongong: (02) 4224 4333 • Fax: 1300 673 405 • Email: [email protected] • Web: peoplecare.com.au

Call 1800 808 690

Lysaght Peoplecare Limited. A registered private health insurer. ABN: 95 087 648 753

Email info @ peoplecare.com.au