In conjunction with our Senior Living Guide, check out this personal story we heard from a Highmark member!
Highmark members like David Graham of Elizabeth, Pa. who subscribe to Highmark’s FreedomBlue plan, a Medicare Advantage Preferred Provider Organization (PPO), also can access a full range of care management programs to help them navigate the health care system and provide assistance with care decisions. From condition management programs to a 24-hour nurse line, Highmark works to help Medicare Advantage members get the right care the right way. That help often includes free assistance from a dedicated caseworker, who is available to answer questions, direct members to resources, provide support and help them manage their health care for maximum benefit.
David says that his caseworker transformed his health outlook, giving him the confidence to take charge his health. “We talked frequently and she completely changed my attitude,” Graham says. “I would eat compulsively and then joke about it, but she made it clear that my health was no joke. When was ready to just give up, she convinced me to make the long-term commitment that changed my life.”
“Sometimes she called in the evening to check up on me,” he says. “She didn’t stop at 5 p.m. and she cared about a person at the other end of the line who she never met. I decided that, if she cared that much about me, I was going to help myself.”
The help and encouragement convinced David to take control of his lifestyle. He stopped binge eating and switched to a healthier diet with the guidance of a nutritionist. He also enrolled in the Dean Ornish Program for Reversing Heart Disease, a unique and proven cardiac rehabilitation program available to Highmark members. And he took advantage of other benefits available to of Highmark’s Medicare Advantage plan members, like the SilverSneakers Fitness program. SilverSneakers focuses on improving and increasing participants’ strength, endurance and mobility through classes tailored to participants’ fitness goals and physical capabilities.
David’s medical care and commitment to change are paying off. He lost more than 100 pounds in only three years and his target weight of 200 pounds is in sight. He exercises, and replaced regular binges on foods like pepperoni with healthier choices and more moderate portions.
