Put food safety on the menu this summerLynn Van Matre, Illinois LifeTimes Editor Few things grab consumers’ attention like a food-borne illness outbreak, especially when the culinary culprit is something most people eat regularly. That was the case last year when tainted eggs were linked with widespread outbreaks of salmonella and some packaged salad greens were found to harbor E. coli bacteria. But most food-borne illness doesn’t make headlines. The Centers for Disease Control estimate 48 million Americans contract food poisoning each year. Most bouts are not serious, but 128,000 people are hospitalized, and 3,000 people die annually from such illnesses, the CDC reports. People at special risk can include those with weakened immune systems due to age or chronic diseases. Preventing food-borne illness is at the heart of the Food Safety Modernization Act which became law in January. The legislation, sponsored by U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Illinois), marks the first major overhaul of the U.S. food safety system since passage of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act of 1938. The new law expands the powers of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to:■ Allow the FDA to swiftly order mandatory recalls of unsafe food products if a company does not do

so voluntarily.■ Require establishment of science-based minimum standards for safe production and harvesting of

fruits and vegetables. ■ Enhance monitoring systems that gather data on food-borne illnesses. ■ Call for more frequent inspections of food production facilities.■ Implement additional safety measures pertaining to imported foods.■ Develop voluntary food allergy and food hypersensitivity management guidelines for schools and

early childhood education. The new law also calls for the development of a more consumer-friendly recall search engine on the FDA website at www.fda.gov. The easier-to-use search engine was implemented in April.

The bill “lays the foundation for a prevention-based, 21st century food safety system that makes everyone

in the global food chain responsible for safety,” according to FDA Commissioner

Margaret A. Hamburg, M.D. continued

on p4

Staying WELL

‘LifeTimes’ awarded Silver Trumpet

Bookshelf ‘The Longevity Project’

Skin care firm tries new marketing wrinkles

Play our Mystery Game!

New BCBSIL mobile phone offerings

Crossword puzzle

Managing your health Is having a drink good for you?

Kevin Turner and Ty Herndon team up against ALS

Childproofing your home

Health briefs News and research

Blue MedicareRx (PDP)SM

Get prescriptions by mail and save Pack a ‘travel health kit’

Medicare’s ‘Most Wanted’

Service in the Neighborhood

2

13

5

8

LifeTimesYo u r G u i d e t o H e a l t h , We l l n e s s & F i t n e s s

®

May-June 2011Vol. XXV1 • No. 3

Contents:

14

3

7

15

6

12

11

bcbsil.com2

As a Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois (BCBSIL) member with Medicare Supplement and/or Part D prescription drug coverage, you’ve been receiving a bimonthly, printed “LifeTimes” and various time-sensitive emails throughout the year. We are excited to announce that beginning in the third quarter this year, in addition to your paper “LifeTimes,” a new electronic monthly newsletter will be sent to all our BCBSIL members. This eNewsletter incorporates the majority of special emails you’ve been receiving and includes news and time-sensitive information you may need to act on, thus keeping you up-to-date even more than before. You will notice that the new eNewsletter is also called “LifeTimes” (just like this publication!). There’s no action needed on your part if you’re already registered in our member website Blue Access for MembersSM (BAM). You’ll get the monthly electronic “LifeTimes” automatically, and free of charge. If you’re not registered in BAM, you can enroll at bcbsil.com.

Coming soon – an electronic newsletter for all BCBSIL members

“LifeTimes” won a 2nd-place, distinguished achievement award in the Publicity Club of Chicago’s 2011 “Golden Trumpet Awards” competition—picking up a coveted “Silver Trumpet” in the Newsletters or Magazines category. The annual contest for the communications industry draws hundreds of entries from throughout the Midwest. Judging is based on entries’ “objectives, techniques, creativity, results and return on investment.” Judges come from the PCC, the Public Relations Society of America and the International Association of Business Communicators. Published by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois for 26 years, “LifeTimes” has proven a valuable way of staying close to you on a regular basis. Reader involvement and feedback are steady and strong. In summer 2010, the newsletter’s outreach expanded to include Medicare and Part D customers in Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico. Circulation in the four states is 460,000. “LifeTimes” also won a “Silver Trumpet” in the Newsletters or Magazines category in 2010. The only higher honor is a “Golden Trumpet.”

‘LifeTimes’ honored again by Publicity Club of Chicago

LifeTimes®

“LifeTimes” is published bimonthly by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois, 300 East Randolph St., Chicago, IL 60601. Views expressed by our writers are their own and do not necessarily reflect views of LifeTimes or Health Care Service Corporation. Copyright ©2010. All rights reserved.

Executive Editor . . . . . . . . . . Thomas E. LaueIllinois Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . Lynn Van MatreMedical Editor . . . . . . Stephanie VomvourasLegal Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Teresa VamosDesigner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mary Rose Turek

Change of Address...If you want to change your “LifeTimes” address for any reason (a permanent move, addition to or deletion from the mailing list, member’s death, address correction), please send your request to “LifeTimes,” Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois, 300 E. Randolph St., Chicago, IL 60601 or e-mail us at LifeTimesDepartment@bcbsil.com. Be certain to include your old and new addresses and ID number. Please allow at least six weeks for your address change to be made.

When reading LifeTimes...Information presented in “LifeTimes” does not constitute endorsement of products or businesses and is not intended to substitute for professional medical advice. Consult your physician about any health concerns.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois, a Division of Health Care Service Corporation, a Mutual Legal Reserve Company, an Independent Licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association

® Registered Service Mark of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, an Association of Independent Blue Cross and Blue Shield Plans.

Printed by Blue Island Newspaper PrintingSM Service Mark of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, an Association of Independent Blue Cross and Blue Shield Plans

Blue MedicareRx (PDP) is a stand-alone prescription drug plan with a Medicare contract offered by HCSC Insurance Services Company, an Independent Licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association under contract S5715 with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

A stand-alone prescription drug plan with a Medicare contract.

2010 and 2011 GOLdEn TRUMPET COnTEST aWaRd WInnER

May-June 2011 LifeTimes 3

Lynn Van Matre, Illinois LifeTimes Editor

Psychological testing was in its infancy in 1921 when Stanford University professor Lewis Terman embarked on what would become a landmark study of more than 1,500 grade-schoolers in San Francisco. Terman, a pioneering educational psychologist, had developed the Stanford-Binet intelligence test five years earlier. He wanted to explore the sources of intellectual leadership and early potential; children selected for the study were considered to be among the best and brightest. Over the next three decades Terman tracked study participants’ social, psychological and physical development as the youngsters grew to adulthood and pursued varied lifestyles and careers. One, Jess Oppenheimer, went on to create the “I Love Lucy” TV series with Lucille Ball. (Though data in the Terman archives remains confidential, some participants identified themselves during their lifetimes.) Many men became successful professionals, but others were chronically unemployed. Career opportunities for women were more limited, and many females in the study became housewives. However, half worked outside the home at one time or another. Among them was Shelley Smith Mydans, a Life magazine reporter captured by the Japanese while covering World War II. She spent two years in a prison camp. After Terman died in 1956, the study was carried on by others. Psychologists Howard Friedman and Leslie Martin became involved in 1990, collecting and analyzing data using far more sophisticated statistical models than those available to Terman. But with some in the group no longer living and remaining members hovering near 80, Friedman and Martin switched the focus to the relationship between subjects’ life paths and how long they lived.

Not necessarily so Along the way, they write in this engrossing and reader-friendly account of their findings, they discovered many common claims about health and longevity are not borne out by scientific data. Among the beliefs they challenge: ■ Instead of gardening and walking, you

should opt for more vigorous exercise. Physical activities you enjoy are more beneficial than high-impact exercise, say Friedman and Martin.

■ Worrying is bad for your health. Worriers in the study, especially the men, actually lived longer.

■ Kids who get a head start in school have higher levels of achievement and health. Friedman and Martin find children pushed into schooling too early are less likely to succeed academically and are at higher risk for mortality in later years.

What actually promotes longevity? The authors cite “conscientiousness” as the trait that contributes most to a long life. “The young adults who were thrifty, persistent, detail-oriented and responsible lived the longest,” they write. Not only are conscientious people less likely to engage in risky behavior, they note, “having a conscientious personality leads you into healthier situations and relationships.” Much common wisdom about health and longevity, the authors note, comes from biased sources—including self-interested researchers with financial stakes in projects. But eliminating biases completely can be difficult. For example, Terman was interested in intelligence, so the study group skewed toward gifted children. And while he deserves credit for including girls at a time when women faced widespread discrimination, he made little effort to seek out African-Americans and other minorities. However, the

authors argue that while Terman was “by no means a liberal-minded scholar,” he focused on facts and generally did not let preconceptions affect his findings. According to Friedman and Martin, policy-makers and the public tend to make two major errors when considering health and longevity. The first is overestimating the importance of heredity. “Sure, tendencies toward certain diseases run in families, and some diseases have clear genetic causes,” they write. But, they add, “Your own life path matters more.” The second mistake? Believing that people pay much attention to lists of health recommendations handed down by doctors, government agencies or anyone else.

Roads to wellness “The Terman participants who led long lives were never handed such a list,” the authors write. “Yet they found their ways to healthy pathways. When a society’s approach to health is dominated by threats and diseases, it pushes us to focus on things gone wrong inside the individual’s body—that is, on the infections, blockages, genetic aberrations, and hormonal and chemical imbalances. Our doctors then try to repair the problem. As we have repeatedly noted, for an acutely ill person, or for someone in deteriorating health, this approach can often work wonders—therein are the miracles of modern medicine. However, this approach is only part of the story, and the roads to long life are ignored at our peril.” Instead, Friedman and Martin suggest, a society with more conscientious and goal-oriented citizens, well-integrated into their communities, “is likely to be a society of health and long life.”

“The Longevity Project: Surprising Discoveries for Health and Long Life from the Landmark Eight-Decade Study,” by Howard S. Friedman,

Ph.D., and Leslie R. Martin, Ph.D. (Hudson Street Press, $25.95 hardcover)

Looking for the keys to a long, healthy life

Book SHELF

bcbsil.com4

Food safety continued from p1

Home-grown savvy Responsibility for food safety extends into everyone’s kitchen, too. The CDC estimates 80 percent of cases of food-borne illness are due to unspecified causes—including careless storage and handling of food at home. The FDA maintains an extensive website on food safety (including recalls) at www.fda.gov/Food and recommends four basic rules:

■ Clean: Wash hands and surfaces often, including cutting boards (which should be replaced when they become scratched and worn). Wash kitchen rags frequently in soap and hot water or use paper towels on counters and other surfaces. Wash raw produce under running water before cooking or eating.

■ Separate: Keep raw meat, poultry and seafood away from other groceries in your shopping cart and refrigerator. Consider using a separate cutting board when preparing these items and wash board in hot, soapy water after use. Use a fresh plate for cooked meat and seafood.

■ Cook at proper temperatures: Beef, veal and lamb roasts and steaks should be cooked to an internal temperature of at least 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Cook poultry to at least 165 degrees F. (Use a food thermometer to check.) Leftovers should be reheated to 165 degrees; bring leftover soup and sauces to a boil.

■ Chill: Refrigerate or freeze leftovers within two hours. Check periodically with an appliance thermometer to make sure refrigerator temperature is 40 degrees F. or colder. Keep freezer compartment at 0 degrees F. Thaw foods in refrigerator rather than at room temperature. When using a microwave to thaw, cook food as soon as it’s no longer frozen.

It’s in the bag If you tote groceries home in reusable cloth or woven plastic bags, consider washing them regularly. A recent small study found large quantities of bacteria, including E. coli, in reusable bags carried by shoppers at grocery stores in California and Arizona. Virtually all shoppers interviewed said they never washed the bags. The study, done by researchers from the University of Arizona and Loma Linda (Cal.) University, involved 84 reusable bags. Half the shoppers said they used the bags more than once a week, and most said they used the bags only for groceries. “Large numbers of bacteria were found in almost all bags, and coliform bacteria was found in half,” write study authors Charles P. Gerba, David Williams and Ryan G. Sinclair. Washing bags by hand or machine reduces bacteria by 99.9 percent, they say.

Blue Access for Members Login bcbsil.com

Medicare Supplement Customer Service 1-800-624-1723 Medicare Supplement Sales 1-800-646-3000 bcbsil.com/over65

Blue MedicareRx Customer Service and Sales 1-888-285-2249 For the hearing- or speech- impaired: 1-888-285-2252 bcbsil.com/partd/2011

Be Smart. Be Well. besmartbewell.com

ALZHEIMER’S ASSOCIATION 1-800-272-3900 • www.alz.org

AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY 1-800-227-2345 • www.cancer.org

AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION 1-800-242-8721 • www.americanheart.org

Numbers & websites TO KNOW

MEDICARE CLAIMS www.medicare.gov Parts A&B • 1-800-633-4227 TDD • 1-877-486-2048

MEDICARE/MEDICAID FRAUD HOTLINE 1-800-543-0867 bcbsil.com/sid/reporting

1-800-447-8477 www.oig.hhs.gov

MENTAL HEALTH AMERICA (FORMERLY NATIONAL MENTAL HEALTH ASSOCIATION) 1-800-969-6642 • www.nmha.org

POISON CENTER 1-800-222-1222 • www.poison.org TTY/TDD • 1-312-906-6185

SENIOR HEALTH INSURANCE PROGRAM COUNSELING 1-800-548-9034

SOCIAL SECURITY 1-800-772-1213 • www.ssa.gov TTY • 1-800-325-0778

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS 1-800-827-1000 • www.va.gov

AMERICAN LUNG ASSOCIATION 1-800-548-8252 • www.lungusa.org

AMERICAN PARKINSON’S DISEASE ASSOCIATION 1-800-223-2732 www.apdaparkinson.org

AREA AGENCIES ON AGING Senior HelpLine • 1-800-252-8966 TTY • 1-888-206-1327 www.state.il.us/aging

ATTORNEY GENERAL Chicago • 1-800-243-5377 Springfield • 1-800-252-2518 www.illinoisattorneygeneral.gov

BREAST CANCER NETWORK OF STRENGTH (FORMERLY Y-ME) 1-800-221-2141 www.networkofstrength.org

ELDER ABUSE (Report to State) 1-866-800-1409 TTY • 1-888-206-1327

INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE TAXPAYER SERVICE 1-800-829-1040 • www.irs.gov

May-June 2011 LifeTimes 5

Lynn Van Matre, Illinois LifeTimes Editor

At 83, Perry Blatt has no plans to retire anytime soon from AR-EX, the Chicago-based hypoallergenic skin care products company he bought years ago. “I enjoy coming in five days a week and working at things I’ve done all my life,” says Blatt, who launched his career after serving with the U.S. military in Germany during World War II. “I’ve been in business since I was 22, and I’ve never lost that entrepreneurial spirit.” But whenever Blatt finally does decide to step down as president of AR-EX, he plans to send a thank-you note to all his longtime customers. “I’ve already got the letter written,” says Blatt, who shares a special bond with AR-EX users. “A lot of them are older,” he explains. “Our products are loved by people who have sensitive skin and are aging. A lot of them have been using AR-EX for years—maybe a doctor told them about us when they were 12, and now they’re a grandma, and their daughter and granddaughter use our products. One woman told me she’s used our products for 72 years.” Never heard of AR-EX? Founded in 1935 by chemist Julius Kahn, the company was among the first in the U.S. to manufacture hypoallergenic skin care products, says Blatt. But it built its following largely through old-fashioned word of mouth and recommendations from family doctors.

Tried, true formulas Blatt admits he “knew nothing about health care products” when he bought AR-EX in

1988 from a friend who also owned a chain of drugstores and wanted to spin off the skin care line. At the time, Blatt had just sold what he describes as the “second-largest shower curtain manufacturing business in the U.S.” and was looking for new opportunities. He liked the line’s formulas, which use ingredients like beeswax, glycerine and mineral oil, and saw no reason to change them. “The formulas change only when chemical manufacturers discontinue a certain ingredient and I have to have chemists come in and substitute something else,” he says. Blatt also saw no reason to update what some might consider outmoded marketing methods. Though on rare occasions he has advertised in mainstream women’s magazines, he prefers direct mail. And while the line’s unscented lotions, creams and cosmetics can be found in a handful of drugstores, including a downtown Chicago Walgreen’s on Michigan Avenue, mail orders account for 70 percent of sales. At one time, the products could be found in more drugstores, Blatt says. But over the years, small mom and pop stores that bought from him were squeezed out. Meanwhile, many older family doctors that had recommended AR-EX retired. “What kept me excited was that I had all these customers writing me notes about how much they liked the products,” he says. “I like dealing with customers; half of them call me Perry. So I built the business on consumers and word of mouth. We’ve received orders from all over —even from China.” In a nod to changing times, in recent years the products have been available online (www.ar-ex.com). However, many customers still order by phone. The line’s biggest seller is Chap Cream ($17 for a 9-ounce jar), followed by facial soap and roll-on deodorant. All are manufactured in the Chicago area and shipped from the company warehouse in Highland Park, Ill.

All in the family Blatt, a widower, plans to keep the business in the family. His stepson, Richard Bernstein, joined the company on a part-time basis 18 months ago as marketing manager

and is looking for ways to expand. “Richard has some exciting ideas involving social media,” Blatt says. “I’m learning the business from Perry, and he’s learning things from me, like using social media,” says Bernstein, who also holds down a fulltime job in business development. “It’s a really nice relationship. We have great mutual respect. Perry’s an 83-year-old guy who still wants to learn stuff—he’s an insatiable reader, very bright, and he took a course years ago to learn to use a computer. “This is an exciting opportunity,” Bernstein adds. “It’s like a marketing case study. The business has been around since 1935 and we have a great customer base; people have used the products for decades. But I would like to see if we can get some new customers, regardless of age. Maybe we could even start a new line of products for people under 40.” Recently Bernstein began experimenting with ads on Google, “just to dip our toe in the water.” He’s looking into putting up an AR-EX page on Facebook and posting videos on YouTube. He also doesn’t rule out updating the line’s packaging. “But I’m talking about baby steps,” adds Bernstein, who says the company has no intention of abandoning its more mature customers or dropping their favorite products. Blatt agrees. “When you reach a certain age and you have skin care products that work, you don’t want to lose them,” he says.

Skin care company considers a few new wrinkles in marketing efforts

Perry Blatt Richard Bernstein

photo

bcbsil.com6

The ways we can communicate instantly keep on coming, and now, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois announces mobile offerings bringing both convenience and secure access to your mobile phone. With Blue Access for MembersSM (BAM), you have enjoyed access to real time claims status, ID cards and coverage details. Now, you can get this information while on the go! From your mobile phone Web browser, you can:■ Log in to the secure member site (BAM) to view coverage

details, access ID cards, check claims status and view health and wellness information

■ View Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois contact information A free GPS-enabled Provider Finder® Android and iPhone application (app) is also available. To download the app, visit the Android Market or iPhone App Store and search for BCBSIL. To start using mobile offerings today, go to bcbsil.com from your mobile phone Web browser. For more information regarding BCBSIL’s mobile capabilities, go to bcbsil.com/mobile. Please note that at this time, these new features are available to Medicare Supplement customers but not those with Part D prescription drug policies.

Keeping up with you and your mobile phone

Exe

rcis

e Y

our

Bra

inBe a sleuth!

Thanks to everyone who played our March-April Mystery Game. The basketball was “hidden” among

the coffee beans pictured on Page 12. Beverly Simerly of Belvidere, Ill., submitted the winning entry, selected in a random drawing. She will receive a Timex pedometer. Congratulations! Now there’s another reason to play the Mystery Game. In addition to a pedometer, the winner will receive a plush Blue Bear, the Blue Cross and Blue Shield mascot! So as you read this issue, look for the ice cream cone (shown in the magnifying glass). When you spot the cone on another page, write the page number on a postcard or in a letter. Be sure to include your name and postal mailing address. Mail to:

“LifeTimes” Mystery Game Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois 300 E. Randolph St., 26th Floor Chicago, IL 60601-5099

Or e-mail your name, postal mailing address and the page number to: LifeTimesDepartment@bcbsil.com. One entry per person. Winner will be drawn from correct entries received by June 15. Winner’s name will appear in July-August “LifeTimes.” Blue Cross and Blue Shield employees are not eligible. Happy hunting!

Win a pedometer!

1 Acid fruit 2 Balm ingredient 3 Christie’s “Death on

the ___” 4 Wood, e.g. 5 Mountain song 6 Calculus calculation 7 Crown 8 Eagle claw 9 Impede 10 Abu Dhabi is in it 11 Broadway musical 12 Palm starch 14 Sir is one 20 Volleyball player to

set up the spike

21 Non-verbally expressed

24 Bypass 25 Empty areas 26 Duel weapons 27 Calm 28 Blister 30 “The ___ of

Wakefield” 31 Build 32 1986 Janet Jackson

song 34 Turkish chief 35 Advance 38 Allude

39 Intact 44 Mid-eastern cloak 46 View of a landscape 48 Rinds 49 Reprimand 50 Hair fixer 51 Nabisco cookie 52 Alliance acronym 53 Id partners 54 Rejected proposal 55 Unsubstantial 56 Tear down 57 Hightailed

1 Performed a melody

5 Puppy bark 8 Autocrats of old 13 Stew dish 14 Sped 15 Away from the

shore 16 Drum sound 17 Sneaking suspicion 18 Telling a whopper 19 Much larger than

a cherry 22 Basic unit of life

23 Blackbird 24 Slender 27 Schooling basics 29 Square 33 Not working 34 European fish 36 Composer

Gershwin 37 Antarctic

vegetables? 40 Stew starter 41 Kind of center 42 Create a statute 43 Job

45 Elf 46 Stylish 47 “Tarzan” extra 49 Atlantic fish 50 Boardroom fruits? 58 Emulate Cicero 59 Continue 60 Kind of tide 61 Heavy, musically 62 Eye amorously 63 Celtic language 64 Benefits 65 Green stuff 66 Like Easter eggs

solution on p10

Across

Down

May-June 2011 LifeTimes 7

YOUR HEALTHManagingDrink to your health? For nearly a century, some researchers have been saying that drinking alcohol—in moderation—can have health benefits. In recent years, you’ve probably read or heard about the supposedly healthy effects of a Mediterranean diet, which includes red wine. But is there really anything to the claims that having a drink or two can be good for you? At best, the honest answer is “maybe.” Some research points to longer lives and healthier hearts among those who drink moderate amounts of alcohol. (Note: It’s important to understand just what “moderation” means. In general, it’s a daily limit of two drinks for men and one for women. A one-drink serving of a 12-ounce beer, an 8-ounce malt liquor, a 5-ounce glass of wine, or a 1.5-ounce shot of 80-proof liquor qualify.) However, other research shows every bottle also comes with plenty of risks.

Bottoms up? One study found that healthy men—those with a good body mass index who exercise daily, eat well and don’t smoke—who also drink moderately lower their risk for a heart attack even further. Boston researchers based that conclusion on a 16-year study of nearly 9,000 health professionals, according to the Archives of Internal Medicine. Additional research suggests other benefits for people who imbibe moderately:■ Moderate drinkers are significantly less likely to die during a 20-year period than teetotalers or heavy drinkers, according to a University of Texas study of more than 1,800 people ages 55 to 65.■ Moderate drinkers of normal weight who exercise, eat well and don’t smoke have a 40 percent lower chance of developing type 2 diabetes than abstainers, a Dutch study found. But is the lower heart disease risk that moderate drinkers enjoy caused by their alcohol intake? Not necessarily, researchers concluded after studying the health habits of nearly 150,000 French adults. Researchers suggest these adults’ moderate alcohol consumption basically just reflected their better social status and health, including low rates of depression, stress, and risk for heart and circulatory disease. Still, researchers conceded in the European Journal of Clinical

Nutrition, “Our results cannot eliminate the cardioprotective effect of alcohol.”

Downside of drinking The negative effects of alcohol are well-proven—especially when “moderation” goes out the window. Nearly 80,000 deaths a year are blamed on excessive alcohol use in the U.S. That makes alcohol the nation’s number three lifestyle-related killer behind smoking and a combination of poor diet and physical inactivity. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, alcohol’s short-term effects can include unintentional injuries (such as traffic crashes, falls, drownings, burns, and gunshots), violence, risky sexual behaviors, and alcohol poisoning. Long-term excessive alcohol use can cause psychiatric and social problems, liver diseases, inflamed stomach or pancreas, and nervous system disorders such as dementia, stroke and neuropathy. Cancers of the mouth, throat, voice box, esophagus, liver, colon, and breast have been linked to alcohol. And instead of helping your heart, drinking too much alcohol for too long can actually cause heart problems, including heart attacks and high blood pressure. In some instances, even small amounts of alcohol can be bad. For example, a 2009 study in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute reported that women who drink low to moderate amounts of alcohol increase their risk for certain cancers, particularly in the breast. And breast cancer survivors who have just three or more alcoholic drinks a week increase the odds of a recurrence, according to a 2010 study in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. That’s especially true if they’re past menopause, overweight or obese. Alcohol also can interact negatively with certain prescription or over-the-counter medications, so ask your doctor or pharmacist before drinking alcohol. It is never safe for pregnant women to consume alcohol.

Nonalcoholic options The supposed benefits of moderate drinking can also be achieved through nonalcoholic alternatives. For example, the American Heart Association says, drinking alcohol can lead to a small increase in good (HDL) cholesterol. But regular physical activity also raises HDL. Researchers speculate antioxidents in some alcoholic drinks may aid your heart, but you can also find them in red grape juice. A substance in red wine called resveratrol may keep blood platelets from sticking together and clogging blood vessels, but so can certain medications.

Maybe, maybe not

The bottom line: No major health agency or organization recommends that you start drinking, or that you regularly drink alcoholic beverages on a moderate basis, to improve your health. If you do drink, the

National Institutes of Health advises, do so wisely:

■ Don’t drink on an empty stomach. Snack before and while drinking alcohol.

■ If you have a drink with dinner, sip it with your food.

■ At any time, drink slowly to avoid becoming intoxicated.

■ Check with your physician or pharmacist before drinking if you are on medication, including over-the-counter drugs, because of possible dangers in combining alcohol and drugs.

■ Above all, drink only in moderation. And never drink and drive.

bcbsil.com8

Lisa Byrd and Tom Laue

It’s a growing concern among football players everywhere: Will glory years on the gridiron cause disabling conditions that make their bodies almost useless? The conditions have long names – amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or ALS, chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and chronic traumatic encephalomyopathy. CTEM is very similar to ALS, also called Lou Gehrig’s disease. Recent research suggests all these diseases are tied to blows to the head. ALS is what former pro football player Kevin Turner has. He describes his recently diagnosed condition in a simpler way. “The muscles aren’t talking to the nerves. There’s a communication problem. So cells die off, and the muscles atrophy.” Turner first noticed a problem while strumming his guitar; fingers on his left hand suddenly wouldn’t respond. He chalked it up to arthritis. Then growing weakness in the hand prompted neck surgery he thought would solve the problem. It didn’t, and soon his right hand weakened, too. (A neck injury ended his eight-year pro career with the New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles.) Still stumped, Turner kept searching for answers until a doctor delivered the stunning news in May 2010. He has ALS. “If I knew

when I started playing professional football or even in college at Alabama that at age 40 I would be diagnosed with ALS, I wouldn’t do it. No way. But how do you know? When you’re going from college to pro, your body is a pretty finely tuned machine. It’s hard to imagine your body failing or betraying you.”

Physical struggles Turner hopes his condition will be limited to his upper body. It sometimes happens. But even then, ordinary activities are maddening. “The other day I had trouble sticking my credit card into a machine,” he says. “I had to ask for help. And it’s hard to imagine the day would come when it takes 40 minutes just to get your pants on.” Turner has trouble with zippers and improvised a device from his daughter’s ponytail holder to help him handle the job. He now realizes a similar device – and many others – are available to ease the burdens of those who no longer have the dexterity for seemingly simple tasks. Even throwing a football or tying his shoes is difficult for Turner because he can no longer grasp things firmly. Now, he sees a speech therapist to learn exercises to prolong his ability to speak and swallow. Turner views the head as the most important body part athletes must protect, and contends current preventions and cautions fall short of what is really needed to protect the neck and head effectively. “With a knee injury, I had surgery and spent nine months rehabbing. There was never any doubt, though, exactly what was wrong,” says Turner. “But in 1997, I had a concussion. I was knocked out. When I came to, I asked if we were in Green Bay or Philly. I couldn’t figure out where we were. “Fortunately, someone got a doctor. I probably sat out two or three plays, then went the rest of the game,” Turner says. “But now, we have to treat the head as the most important part of the body. We’ve got to change the football culture. It’s not just getting your bell rung. It’s the most important organ telling you something’s not right. We know now that blows to the head can lead to

very serious long-term consequences.” Asked what his future holds, Turner is frank in acknowledging he’s not sure, other than continuing to fight for his life. He’s giving it all he’s got. When not working his full-time job or in therapy, he meets with NFL committees, doctors, therapists, support groups and others with similar diseases.

The Kevin Turner Foundation Formed soon after his ALS diagnosis, the Kevin Turner Foundation raises funds and focuses on bringing attention to ALS and the need for a cure; raises awareness about the seriousness of brain trauma in

athletes at every level of competition and its possible connection to ALS, and financially supports efforts to study, treat, prevent

and, ultimately, cure the disease. Find it at www.kevinturnerfoundation.org. Recently, Turner teamed up with country singing star Ty Herndon – also from Alabama – and they agreed proceeds from download sales of Herndon’s “Journey On” music video would go to the Kevin Turner Foundation. (See page 10.) Herndon says the title track single was based largely on his own struggles with drugs and alcohol. Then he saw how hard people like Turner struggle with ALS and thought his song was a natural fit for the foundation’s work. In 2007, the Sports Legacy Institute (www.sportslegacy.org) was created. Its slogan is “Solving the Concussion Crisis.” The group works not only with football players but also with other at-risk people like members of the military. The Sports Legacy Institute (SLI) focuses primarily on CTE, a condition caused by repetitive and sub-concussive brain injuries. Turner, living now in Birmingham, Ala., works with SLI on occasion. “In February we had a clinic with SLI,” says Turner. “It involved doctors and athletes trying to educate people. I spoke a little and said, ‘You have no idea how much it helps knowing this diagnosis explains some of the things that have happened to me. “The last 10 years of my life, it was something every day. I got addicted to pain

NFL veteran Kevin Turner tackles ALS with a vengeance

Kevin Turner Philadelphia Eagles

“It’s hard to imagine your body failing or betraying you.”’‘

May-June 2011 LifeTimes 9

Football blows to brain too much to bear?Tom Laue, Executive Editor

The biggest spotlight moment for the Chicago Bears came when they won their one and only Super Bowl more than a quarter century ago in January 1986 after posting a 15-1 regular season record in 1985. To this day, members of the Mike Ditka-coached club gather to cherish memories. But lately, reunions have been clouded by growing concern over just how much permanent and sometimes disabling damage football does to the brain. The issue came into sharp focus for fans everywhere when a member of that Super Bowl team, ferocious safety Dave Duerson, shot himself to death Feb. 17, 2011. He left this note: “Please, see that my brain is given to the NFL’s brain bank.” Duerson was 50. Duerson’s suicide came amid widespread publicity about several efforts to determine scientifically if repeated blows to the head can lead to debilitating chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). The disease has been found in the brains and spines of former pro players who gave their organs to Boston University for study. CTE is also the main focus of the Sports Legacy Institute (SLI) whose mission is “solving the concussion crisis.”

Jim McMahon sometimes ‘dazed’ Among CTE symptoms: depression, slurred speech, trouble walking and diminished use of hands and feet. Shortly after Duerson’s death, Jim McMahon (quarterback of the Bears championship team who had at least five concussions in his 15-year pro career), told Reuters he “can still remember winning a Super Bowl pretty clearly.” But the 51-year-old McMahon told an SLI meeting this year, “All of a sudden, you’re walking around in a daze sometimes.” He said teammates ask each other how they’re feeling and if they forget things. He says it used to be routine to go back into games after a “ding” following violent head collisions. But now, he believes going back in can boil down to “putting your life into your own hands.”

Is modern helmet a weapon? Ditka was as brutal as they come on the football field and has avoided any apparent physical problems due to his play. But he does think the evolution of face masks with their elaborate structure to protect chins, noses and jaws may, ironically, be part of the problem with concussions and head injuries. “I don’t want to say the modern helmet is a weapon,” Ditka told the Springfield State Journal-Register. “But the helmet becomes a security blanket. You have no fear of striking with the head.” Ditka thinks football would be safer without face masks because players would go back to shoulder blocking and tackling. For all the latest information on traumatic brain injury and how you can protect yourself and loved ones, go to besmartbewell.com. This is the Blue Cross and Blue Shield source of information on a variety of health concerns featuring real people who have been there and who offer advice based on their actual experiences.

NFL veteran Kevin Turner tackles ALS with a vengeancekillers. I had never been in a fistfight, but I got into an argument with a security guard and the police came. It was so embarrassing.” What about kids and sports? “I have two boys who love football and a daughter who loves cheerleading. Either could lead to head injuries. So there’s a part of me that wants to keep them from those activities as a responsible father,” says Turner. “But I also find it hard to say no. “Football is so ingrained in our culture, and it’s a good game to find out a lot of things about yourself. I know that sounds like a cliché, but I really believe it. And not everyone develops problems. There are people who have been concussed 10 times, 20 times, and there’s nothing wrong with them. Still, the more I hang around my doctors, I see it as a year-to-year decision. Luckily, my oldest son also loves basketball,” he says, grinning. Turner has stopped working out. “The doctors don’t tell me not to, but from my experience, it seems like the more I use something, the faster it goes. When I started using my right hand more, it seemed to start going faster.” He does, however, try to stay active. “I walk a ton and am always out doing something, though there are some days I don’t want to get out of bed. I don’t know if it’s I’m tired or a little case of depression, or maybe now I have the excuse to do it.” And yet, Turner has so much to do, he only oversleeps once in awhile. “I met a University of Texas doctor working with 7th and 8th graders,” says Turner. “His work is so important. There was a young kid in Washington state who got hit, thought he was OK and kept playing. His dad said, ‘He’s not right.’ But he stayed in and toward the end of the game, he walked off because he couldn’t see and collapsed. “So I just want to raise awareness. There’s a genuine need to shine a strong spotlight on ALS and related conditions.”

Kevin Turner C. Watkins/AristoMedia

photo

bcbsil.com10

Lisa Byrd and Lynn Van Matre

Ty Herndon is no stranger to life’s struggles. The country singer, who’s sold millions of records, battled drug and alcohol addictions and went through divorce and bankruptcy before making a strong comeback that brought him a Grammy Award nomination for his 2010 album, “Journey On.” Herndon admits he’s had his share of difficulties. But he says he had no idea of the monumental struggles faced by people battling ALS—until he met Kevin Turner, the former pro football player diagnosed with the disease last year. Their meeting would result in Herndon featuring Turner in his poignant and inspirational “Journey On” music video to raise awareness of ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. “I was not aware of ALS or of any of my family members or friends who had it,” says Herndon, who is donating proceeds from the video to the Kevin Turner Foundation. “But God involves you in things sometimes even when you walk in with your eyes closed.” Alabama connection Herndon’s high-profile involvement in the fight against ALS began last year, when a friend invited him to attend a benefit for Turner in the former Crimson Tide star fullback’s home town of Prattville, Ala. “I’m from Alabama, too,” says Herndon, who was born in Mississippi but grew up in

Butler, Ala., and now calls Nashville home. “And my friend knows I’m a big football fan, so she invited me down.” When Herndon met Turner, the two connected immediately. “The first words out of Kevin’s mouth were, ‘We’re gonna kick this disease in the butt,’” Herndon says. “After I learned more about ALS, I thought, ‘This awful disease has to have a spotlight of some kind shined on it.’” Herndon and Turner soon agreed the title track single from “Journey On” would make the perfect signature song for the Kevin Turner Foundation. The song, which Herndon co-wrote, calls for perseverance in the face of problems. Like other songs on the album, it was inspired by Herndon’s own struggles and includes a strong contemporary Christian influence. (The album’s Grammy nomination came in the Best Southern, Country or Bluegrass Gospel Album category.) Keeping the faith “My personal battle was with drugs and alcohol,” Herndon says. “I’ve been in recovery for almost nine years now. The songs on the album were written from a place of healing in my own journey, kicking some butt in my own disease. “So many people helped me, and there was a great spiritual connection,” he adds. “So the overall tone of the album is about love and faith

and healing. When you go through things and come out OK, you want to praise God and help other people.” When Herndon began planning the music video for the album’s title track, Turner came to mind. “I thought, ‘Let’s do something that really matters here.’ So I called up Kevin and said, ‘Hey, you wanna be a video babe?’” the singer says with a laugh. Filmed at a football stadium in Nashville, the “Journey On” video opens with Turner talking matter-of-factly about the medical challenges he faces and shows his struggles to accomplish simple daily tasks. It also includes footage of him in action on the football field and joyfully playing with his children. “I love Kevin’s sense of humor, and I think we were able to make an amazing video that focuses on his accomplishments,” Herndon says. “In certain parts of the video it’s obvious he has the disease, but it also shows this man fighting for his life and fighting for his children. “It’s a celebration of his life. He’s becoming a hero and a champion in raising awareness of ALS, and it makes me glad to be a part of that.” To learn more about “Journey On” and view or download the video, visit www.tyherndon.net or www.kevinturnerfoundation.org.

Country star Ty Herndon teams with Kevin Turner to fight ALS

Crossword Puzzle Solution from p6

Kevin Turner and Ty HerndonC. Watkins/AristoMedia photo

May-June 2011 LifeTimes 11

Cindy Richards

When Julie Gray’s grandchild came to visit for the first time, she got a little frantic trying to make sure the little one would be safe. “I practically worked myself into an anxiety attack,” says the Wayne, Ill., grandmother of two. If you haven’t had crawling or toddling tykes around in a while, the thought of having them visit a house filled with breakable knickknacks, dangerous chemicals and sharp-edged furniture can be a little nerve-wracking. But childproofing a home isn’t difficult and doesn’t have to be expensive. The key to success is looking at things from a toddler’s point of view, says Stacey Weiland, M.D., the mom of three and a contributor to MommyMDGuides.com. She means that literally. “One of the best tips that I can give for babyproofing a house is to get down on the baby’s level. Actually, on all fours,” she advises. “You crawl around and see what the baby sees, and what the baby can reach. It can actually be quite eye-opening.”

Think small For example, you might find yourself crawling around, over and through a jumble of electrical cords that never looked dangerous before. Or you might look up at those half-filled book shelves and suddenly see them as an inviting place to practice climbing. Or you might notice for the first time just how big that flat screen TV is—and how heavy it would feel if it were to fall on you. But crawling around on all fours isn’t the only way to see danger. There are plenty of potential problems at higher elevations. Kitchens can be particularly dangerous for little ones, according to Julie Vallese. She’s the consumer safety expert at Dorel Juvenile Group, which makes and sells infant car seats, strollers, high chairs and other products for children. For example, ammonia and dish soap under the sink can poison an inquisitive child. Food or liquids in a pot boiling on the stove can burn her if she pulls the pot down on

herself. Plastic bags can present suffocation dangers. Even a dishtowel hanging from the oven door handle can be a hazard in the hands of a toddler who yanks on it and pulls the oven door down on her head. Think you’re safe because your grandkids are still babes in arms? Think again, Vallese says. Even a baby can get in trouble by reaching out for the knife drawer while you’re carrying him. Her best advice for making the kitchen a kid-safe place: Spend as little time there as possible. It’s fine to give them pots and wooden spoons to play with, but set the stage in the family room.

Outside the kitchen, the biggest dangers are things that can fall on the child, especially those heavy flat screen TVs, Vallese says. Be sure TVs and free-standing bookshelves are securely anchored to the walls. Put away lamps, coat racks and statues for the duration of the visit so little hands can’t reach up and pull them down. And don’t forget the bedroom, where toddlers who like to climb can be drawn to the dresser. The drawers make a great staircase if you pull them out just right.

Keep meds out of reach Your personal property needs to be kept safely out of reach as well. If you carry medicine in your purse, don’t leave it hanging on the doorknob. Hide your purse in an out-of-reach cabinet while the kids are visiting, says Courtney Ilarraza of www.babybodyguards.com, a babyproofing company in New York City. It’s also important to check the equipment you’ll be using for the baby during the visit. If the grandkids don’t arrive with their own car seat, stroller, high chair and crib, it’s tempting to search garage sales or ask to borrow the necessary equipment. But the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission warns that old, outdated equipment can be dangerous. For example, the plastic in car seats can degrade

over time and many cribs and strollers have been recalled over the years. Check the Consumer Product Safety Commission website before buying any baby products. It can all sound a bit daunting, and it’s easy to see why Gray was bordering on an anxiety attack as she prepared for that first visit. However, everything went just fine. Based on advice she got from more experienced grandparents—and instructions from her daughter—Grandma “Mimi” successfully kidproofed her home before that first visit. She shut the cats in the basement because the kids are allergic. She plugged up the electric outlets, locked the cabinets and cushioned the table edges. She installed gates at the top and bottom of the stairs, put away her medicines and kept a close eye on her grandkids. Subsequent visits from the grandchildren, who are 4 and 5 now, have been much less stressful. What’s the worst thing that ever happened during a visit? One of the kids got scratched by a cat that escaped from the basement.

Entertaining young visitors? Here’s how to childproof your home

“Get down on the baby’s level. Actually, on all fours.”’‘

bcbsil.com12

Health BRIEFS

Lynn Van Matre, Illinois LifeTimes Editor

Eggs get nutrition update If you’ve been avoiding eggs because of cholesterol content, here’s food for thought: The average amount of cholesterol in a large egg has decreased by 14 percent in recent years. Meanwhile, the same size egg’s vitamin D content has increased. That’s the word from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which recently reviewed eggs’ nutrient quotient for the first time since 2002. The USDA’s Agricultural Research Service carried out carefully controlled nutrient analyses of random samples of regular large shell eggs from 12 locations across the country. Updated nutrient data for a large egg puts cholesterol content at 185 mg, down 14 percent from 2002 findings, and vitamin D content at 41 IU, up 64 percent. The amount of protein stayed steady at 6 grams. Nutrition researchers are working on a report about possible reasons for the changes, which some speculate could be due to improvements in poultry feed. The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that healthy adults consume less than 300 mg of cholesterol each day.

Online health networks under the microscope

Shingles? Again? According to most medical experts, once you’ve had an outbreak of shingles, you’re usually protected against future attacks. Your first bout with the itchy, painful rash caused by the herpes zoster virus should be your last. This is true for most people. But a new study published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings finds repeat episodes of shingles may be more common than previously thought. A research team examined medical records from 1996-2001 for nearly 1,700 people age 22 and older who were diagnosed with shingles during this period. Researchers then followed the subjects for an average of eight years to see if they suffered another shingles episode. They found more than 5 percent of subjects had suffered one or more recurrences. Some people had been treated for as many as three. “We were very surprised by the results,” says lead study author Barbara Yawn, M.D., director of research at Olmsted Medical Center in Rochester, Minn. Yawn adds that previously, it was thought recurrences were limited to patients with compromised immune systems. However, researchers did not find this to be true. And contrary to researchers’ expectations, older people were no more likely than younger ones to have a repeat episode. Another surprising finding: People who suffered the worst cases of shingles were more likely to have recurrences. “We had thought

suffering a worse case would possibly give patients more resistance to a second occurrence, but our data shows the exact opposite,” Yawn says. According to Mayo Clinic medical experts, the shingles vaccine may help patients avoid a repeat episode. The study “offers another piece of information for patients and doctors discussing the likelihood of recurrence and considering a prevention strategy,” Yawn says.

Do you participate in an online social network for people dealing with a particular illness or health issue? In recent years, health-focused Internet communities have become increasingly popular sources of information and support. But in what’s described as one of the first formal studies of these sites, researchers find disturbing variations in the quality and reliability of information—as well as the safety and privacy afforded participants. The study, first reported online in the Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, was funded by the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health. Carried out by researchers in the Children’s Hospital Boston Informatics Program, it involved in-depth evaluations of 10 social networking websites

geared to diabetics. Researchers say they focused on diabetes networks because they were among the first health-related sites to emerge and continue to be highly active. Only half of the sites evaluated in the study provided information consistent with diabetes science and clinical practice, researchers say. Some sites did little to safeguard participants’ personal health information. Others featured ads that were not clearly labeled, and some sites even promoted unfounded diabetes “cures.” Finally, the majority of sites studied did not encourage participants to discuss their treatment regimen with a healthcare provider. According to researchers Elissa Weitzman, ScD, MSc, and Kenneth Mandl, M.D., MPH, the popularity of such sites reflects unmet needs on the part of the public for health information and patient support. “Social networking activity

is clearly replacing or adding value missing in the standard healthcare system,” Mandl says. To avoid possible pitfalls, researchers recommend following the safety tips below when visiting social networking sites devoted to health issues: ■ Look for sites where basic information about the illness is consistent with that provided by your doctor. Be cautious of sites that advertise miracle “cures.” ■ If you register at a site, be sure to read and understand the site’s privacy policy. ■ Try to use sites where you control who sees personal health information you disclose. ■ Look for websites where advertisements are clearly labeled and potential conflicts of interest are clearly disclosed. ■ Always remember that going online is never a replacement for visiting your doctor.

May-June 2011 LifeTimes 13

Convenience, savings, service – right at your front door. It’s what you get by transferring prescriptions to PrimeMail®*, the mail service pharmacy benefit available through the Blue MedicareRx prescription drug plan. You’ll enjoy:

1 Easy transfer of eligible maintenance prescriptions, 2 free delivery to your home in privacy packaging, 3 potential savings up to 33 percent on 90-day prescriptions, 4 refill reminders and 5 access to a pharmacist, 24/7.

Getting started is easy Transferring your maintenance prescriptions to PrimeMail mail is easy. Medications can be ordered by phone, online or via the mail. No more driving to the pharmacy or waiting for prescriptions to be filled.

Call the easy-to-use PrimeMail automated phone system at:

888.277.5475 (TTY Users 711)24 hours a day, seven days a week

Ask for a PrimeMail order form and follow the simple instructions.

Go to: www.MyPrimeMail.comFill out the online form, following the simple instructions.

Important Note: Be sure you have enough medication on hand to last until your prescription arrives in the mail. It may take eight to 14 business days after PrimeMail gets approval from your doctor or pharmacist.

Blue MedicareRx (PDP)SM

NEWS

From the desk of:Richard G. Reynolds, MS, Pharm.D

Medicare Pharmacy Programs Manager

Rx for Your Health

Summer traveling tip: Pack a ‘travel health kit’ Here’s how to make summer vacations or quick getaways as relaxing as possible when traveling with prescription medications. Start by asking: Where are you going and will you have easy access to health items and supplies? (Imagine it’s the middle of the night and you’re in an unfamiliar place.) Make sure you have plenty of your prescription medications while away from home. Also update your medication list with all of your medications, including prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) products. Include contact information for your medical providers and local pharmacy. In an emergency, the local pharmacist or doctor needs to know what drugs you take and how to get in touch with your physician and pharmacy back home. In addition, talk with your pharmacist about traveling with your medications, particularly those that require special storage considerations (for example, refrigeration for insulin). As you make your list of prescription medications for travel, consider OTC items like those listed below.

Over-the-counter medicines1 Anti-diarrheal medication, 2 antihistamine and/or decongestant, 3 anti-motion sickness medication, 4 medicine for pain or fever (such as acetaminophen, aspirin or ibuprofen), 5 mild laxative, 6 cough suppressant/expectorant, 7 antacid and 8 antifungal and antibacterial ointments or creams.

Other important health-related items you may add to your travel health kit: insect repellent; sunscreen; antibacterial hand wipes; lubricating eye drops; basic first-aid items (bandages, gauze, ace bandage, antiseptic), and a digital thermometer.

Finally, bring your Blue Cross health and prescription drug ID cards and copies of claims forms.

If you take prescription medications, you’ll need to plan more than your itinerary when you travel across the country or abroad. Here’s how to prepare for safe travel by plane, train or car and at your destination:

■ Schedule a travel consultation with your doctor six weeks before you leave. Ask how to manage chronic conditions, and update your vaccinations. Your doctor can advise you on when to take prescription drugs if you’ll cross multiple time zones. To help, bring your itinerary showing departure and arrival times, travel duration, and time zone differences. Without adjustments, you could take too much or too little of a medication.

■ Bring enough medications to last throughout your trip. Order refills of drugs that will run short in time to get them. If your return is delayed, have an extra week of necessary medications.

■ Keep all medications handy – either with you or in carry-on luggage. Label them by name, the doctor’s name, and yours (matching

your ticket or passport).

■ If you need syringes, carry your syringe prescription and a doctor’s letter noting why you need them. Liquid medications over 3.4 ounces are allowed on planes, but they must be declared with airline security. Have documentation for their use.

■ Carry a list of all relevant medical information, including names of your drugs, as well as phone numbers and addresses of your doctor and pharmacy.

When you’ve done all you can do to prepare for your prescription medication needs, it’s time to relax and enjoy your trip.

Here are two online sites you may find helpful:

■ When Should I Take My Meds? (www.whenshoulditakemymeds.com) – to create a personalized medication schedule.

■ International Association for Medical Assistance to Travelers (www.iamat.org)

Traveling with medical conditions? Be sure to plan ahead

Smart Rx tip: Get prescriptions by mail and save

* PrimeMail is a mail-service pharmacy owned and operated by Prime Therapeutics LLC, an independent company providing pharmacy benefit management services.

Call

Web

bcbsil.com14

Blue Cross LENDS A HAND

Tom Laue, Executive Editor

Remember when every post office sported photos of the FBI’s “10 Most Wanted” in hopes citizens would turn them in? The idea is back. But now, Medicare and Medicaid officials seek your help on the Internet to try to find fugitives who cost taxpayers and the two health systems about $60 billion every year through fake claims. “The public has a stake in the fight against (Medicare and Medicaid) fraud, waste and abuse,” says Daniel R. Levinson. He heads the office of inspector general (OIG) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), of which Medicare and Medicaid are a part. “With our ‘Most Wanted Fugitives List,’ we’re asking the public’s help in catching the worst offenders.” All told, the OIG seeks 170 fugitives on health care fraud charges. The “most wanted” Medicare/Medicaid offenders list is at www.oig.hhs.gov/fugitives. It has photos and profiles of each fugitive featured, as well as an online “fugitive tip” form for use in reporting information related to fugitives – in Spanish and English – 24 hours a day. The site is updated when a fugitive is captured.

New way to fight crime Gerald T. Roy is OIG’s deputy inspector general for investigations. He says anything to bring Medicare and Medicaid scammers to justice is worth a try. Noting that bank robbers who make off with just a few thousand dollars get a lot of newspaper, radio, TV and Internet coverage, Roy says, “Our fugitives often steal far more from federal health care programs. “Then they flee from consequences of their crimes with little attention paid. They must be held accountable,” Roy says.

“We hope our website will encourage the public to help us apprehend them.” They all live somewhere, and it just might be close to you. People currently on OIG’s 10 most wanted list are accused of costing taxpayers some $124 million via fraud. For example, three fugitives on the site are Carlos, Luis and Jose Benitez. The brothers ran Miami, Fla., HIV infusion clinics and are accused of submitting

$110 million in fraudulent Medicare claims. OIG says the Benitez brothers’ “services” were medically unnecessary – or never administered at all. In Los Angeles, Leonard Nwafor was convicted of charging Medicare

more than $1 million for motorized scooters – including a sale to a blind man who testified he couldn’t

see to operate the scooter. Nwafor fled before sentencing.

Traditional anti-fraud efforts Meanwhile, HHS announced in January it recovered $4 billion in improper 2010 claims, the majority under the Medicare program. It’s the highest yearly total ever. The fraudulent billings were submitted by drug companies, hospitals, doctors, nursing homes and other care providers. The result is attributed to stepped-up efforts to catch Medicare and Medicaid crooks, one way to help drive down climbing health care costs. HHS officials say they hope to do even better in 2011 because the screening process for new Medicare providers and suppliers will be more strenuous. Some 19,000 applicants ask to do business with the federal government each month. But new rules will bar any that have a history of defrauding Medicare or state governments. Medicare is the federal program to provide health care to those 65 years and older. Medicaid is a federal-state program to provide health care to the poor.

Medicare, Medicaid crooks with faces you just might know

For the first time, Blue Cross and Blue Shield Plans in Illinois, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas tell the online story of our commitment to communities where we live and work. You can find our 2010 Social Responsibility Report at hcsccorporatesocialresponsibility.com. This easy-to-use format lets us bring together the tremendous community outreach of the Health Care Service Corporation (HCSC) and its four Blue Plans while reaching more people than ever before. HCSC is the country’s largest customer-owned health insurer. HCSC employees and external audiences will see how our company changes communities via health and wellness initiatives – particularly nutrition education; physical activity programs; disease prevention and management, and support of safe environments. Our commitment to social responsibility includes not only corporate giving, local community relations and volunteer efforts. It also supports diversity and inclusion, ethics and compliance, wellness, and environmental sustainability initiatives – all featured in the report. These activities reflect our core values, driving us to make a positive impact on our employees, customers, communities, business associates and the environment. In 2010, HCSC and our four Plans again showed why we are a “company that cares” by (1) providing 140,000 immunizations, mainly to uninsured and medically underserved children through our Care Van programs; (2) employees volunteering 20,000-plus hours to many causes dedicated to improving health and wellness; and (3) both employees and the company jointly providing millions of dollars to various organizations to support efforts addressing health care access and affordability.

Now online: Blue Cross and Blue Shield’s 2010 community outreach report

May-June 2011 LifeTimes 15

Educational Seminars & Community Events

June and July 2011 Events in Illinois

Northern Illinois Mary

Hallock

West & East Central Illinois

Joni Castleman

Metro Illinois Diane

Adduci Tamatha Smith

Meet with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois “Service in the Neighborhood Specialists” to learn about Medicare and Insurance Options. For more seminar information call 1-800-382-4548 or go to bcbsil.com/65plus/ for a complete listing.

Face to Face...

Marketing Seminars

June 1 & July 20: 6 p.m. Turning 65 - Get the Facts

about MedicareRockford Public Library6685 E. State St., RockfordRSVP - Rockford Public

Library (815) 965-7606 option 5

June 2: 10 a.m. - T65Marquette Bank5700 W. 159th St., Oak

ForestRSVP - Carol Wagge

708-342-8404

June 7: 10 a.m. - T65Kankakee Community

College100 College Dr., KankakeeRSVP - KCC 815-802-8200

June 7: 8 a.m. - 1 p.m.Healthy Living ExpoBelvidere North High School9393 Beloit Rd., Belvidere

June 9 & July 12: 10:30 a.m.Managing Your Health

Insurance Choices and Costs in Tough Financial Times

DeKalb Unemployment Office

1701 E. Lincoln Hwy., DeKalb

For program questions, please call Mary Hallock at 815-639-7192

June 9: 9:30 a.m. - T65Prairie State Community

College4821 Southwick Dr.,

Matteson

June 14: 10 a.m. - T65Darien Park District7301 Fairview Ave.,

DarienRSVP - Darien Park

District 630-968-6400

June 21: 1 p.m. July 28: 6 p.m.Turning 65 - Get the Facts

about MedicareKishwaukee College21193 Malta Rd.,

Malta Preregistration required

815-825-2086

June 22 & July 27: 9 a.m. - 11 a.m.Medicare Help DeskProctor Hospital5409 N. Knoxville,

Peoria

June 22: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m.Active Senior ExpoWhite Eagle Banquets6845 N. Milwaukee,

Niles

June 24 & July 22: 10 a.m.Managing Your Health

Insurance Choices and Costs in Tough Financial Times

Workforce Connection303 N. Main, Rockford

June 29: 1 p.m.Understanding Medicare

A & B and Medicare Supplements

Rock Valley College3350 N. Bell School Rd.,

RockfordPreregistration required

- Rock Valley College Center for Learning and Retirement 815-921-3931

July 12: 11 a.m. - T65July 12: 1:30 p.m. - BootcampLakeland College

Workforce Development305 Richmond Ave E.,

MattoonRSVP - Mary Rogers

217-234-5434

July 23: 9 a.m. - noonBelvidere YMCA Family

Fun Fair220 W. Locust St.,

Belvidere

June 1: 9 a.m. - Med Supp 1 p.m. - BootcampBlue Cross Blue Shield1100 Broadway St., Mattoon

June 7: 3:30 p.m. - Med SuppPanera Bread2775 Showplace Dr., Naperville

June 7: 10 a.m. - Med SuppBlue Cross Blue Shield3290 Main St., Danville

June 7: 1 p.m. - Med Supp Vermillion Advantage28 W. North St., Danville

June 8 & July 13: 2 p.m. & 6 p.m. - Med Supp 3:30 p.m. - Bootcamp Rockford Public Library6685 E. State St., Rockford

June 8: 10 a.m. - Med Supp 1 p.m. - Bootcamp2 p.m. - HSABlue Cross Blue Shield1400 N. 30th, Quincy

June 14: 10 a.m. - Med SuppPanera Bread • 1211 Half Day

Rd., Bannockburn

June 15 & July 21: 2 p.m. & 6 p.m. - Med Supp3:30 p.m. - BootcampBelvidere Public Library320 N. State St., Belvidere

June 16: 5:30 p.m. - Med SuppPanera Bread100 W. Higgins Rd.,

South Barrington

June 22 & July 27: 10 a.m. - Med Supp1 p.m. - Bootcamp LaSalle Public Library305 Marquette St., LaSalleFor program questions,

please call Mary Hallock at 815-639-7192

June 23: 5:30 p.m. - Med SuppPanera Bread 25 Rice Lake Square, Wheaton

June 29: 10 a.m. - Med Supp1 p.m. - Bootcamp2 p.m. - HSABlue Cross Blue Shield5001 Meadowland Pkwy.,

Marion

Space at our seminars is limited. To secure your reservation, please RSVP to 800-382-4548, unless another telephone number is listed.

Turning 65 & Over 65 - Choosing the Medicare Supplement Plan that’s Right for You (Med Supp)Turning 65 & Over 65 - Get the Facts about Medicare A & B and Medicare Supplements (T65)

Turning 65 - Get the Facts about Medicare and Social Security (T65 / SS) Under 65 - What is an HSA Anyway? Health Savings Account (HSA) • Under 65 - Health Insurance Bootcamp (Bootcamp)

Turning 65? Over 65? Under 65?These are Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois (BCBSIL)

product-specific seminars. Discussions include information on types of plans available, how the plans work and what to

look for in a plan at various stages of life. You are invited to attend a free marketing seminar.

BCBSIL enrollment applications will be available at all seminars.

Health or wellness or prevention information

Kevin Turner, Ty Herndon team up against ALS See story on Page 8.

LifeTimes300 East Randolph StreetChicago, Illinois 60601

PRSRT STDU.S. POSTAGE

PAIDChicago, IL

Permit No. 581

31515.0511

LifeTimes®

Customer Service:Medicare Supplement: 1-800-654-9390Blue MedicareRx (PDP)SM:

1-888-285-2249 • TTY 1-888-285-22528 a.m.- 8 p.m. local time, Monday-Friday. Voicemail is available on weekends and holidays during this time.

Blue Access for Members provides you with secure online access to health and wellness content.

■ Check the status of a claim ■ Read articles on popular health topics ■ Take a health risk assessment to help identify health risks and develop a plan for improvement ■ Research specific conditions and treatment costs ■ Find contracting physicians and hospitals near you ■ Print a temporary ID card

1. Visit bcbsil.com 2. Click the ‘Already a Member?’ tab3. Click ‘Register Now’4. Enter your member ID numbers5. Create a user ID and password to get

instant, secure access

Register for Blue Access for MembersSM

Put your health in good hands. Your own.

Get Access. It’s Easy!

At this time, Blue Access for Members is available for Medicare Supplement insurance members.

Now available on mobile