Univera Community Health has launched a Health Coaching program to help members take charge of and improve their health. Members in Child Health Plus, PlusMed and Family Health Plus products can speak directly with qualified nurses and other health care professionals 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Health Coaches are professionals such as nurses, respiratory therapists and dietitians. Health Coaches are available to offer support and information to help individuals manage current illnesses with their physicians-as well as provide information about medical tests, procedures and surgeries. They can discuss with members various treatment options that are available and they can even help to prepare members for their next doctor's visit.
Health Coaches can also provide information on common medical situations that people encounter every day. For example, when a child has a fever at 3 a.m., parents can call a Health Coach for advice on over-the-counter medicines. A Health Coach can also help that parent decide if a call to the physician or a visit to the emergency room is necessary.
"The Health Coaching program is designed to provide members with unbiased information and support for all of their health care needs," said Dr. Richard Vienne, medical director for Univera Community Health. "Health Coaches are active in offering preventive care information to members that we hope will help control health care costs."
The Health Coaching program also offers an audio library where members can access more than 300 health care topics. If they have additional questions, members can be connected with a live Health Coach, all in the same phone call. This program also offers easy Internet access to an online encyclopedia of health information.
If a Health Coach determines that the member needs more information, video programs about health conditions and treatment choices can be mailed to the member's home. This service is also available at no charge, and members can keep the videos.
"The type of coaching that they provide has been shown to be especially beneficial to members living with conditions such as heart disease, asthma, diabetes, high blood pressure, osteoarthritis and prostate cancer," Vienne said. "But we believe that all of our members will find this service useful and beneficial to improve their overall health."
If you are not certain that you are eligible to participate in Health Coaching, please call the Customer Service phone number located on your Univera Community Health ID card.
Univera Community Health is a nonprofit company that provides health insurance to the uninsured, is regulated by New York state and is a partnership of Univera Healthcare, the Erie County Medical Center, and Kaleida Health. For more information visit http://www.univeracommunityhealth.org