I’m a New HAP Member … Now What?
~January 26, 2017 by Shawn Boeneman
When I started working for HAP last year, I not only had to learn about working for a new company – I also had to learn about my new HAP health plan. One of the key things I’ve learned about being a HAP member is that my HAP card isn’t just about being covered when I get sick. There’s so much more that HAP offers.
My family has no major health care needs at this time, but there are still plenty of things we can take advantage of as members. If you’re a HAP newcomer like me, here are a few things you should check out and tips to help you get started:
Select a primary care physician
Your primary care physician, or PCP, provides your basic health care needs. He or she also helps to arrange your care if you need to see a specialist. If you have kids on your plan, your whole family may have the same PCP. Or, you can select a pediatrician as your children’s PCP. And if you have a spouse on your plan, both of you can have the same PCP. You can also choose different PCPs as long as you both select HAP doctors that accept your plan.
If you’re keeping the same PCP you had before you joined HAP, make sure your doctor knows about your new health coverage.
Use our helpful tool to search for a doctor
If you need to find a PCP or specialist, log in to hap.org, click the “Find a Doctor/Facility” tab then “Search for a Doctor or Facility” for a customized search based on your health plan. There are so many plans out there – many with unique networks of doctors and specialists. Logging in lets you know which doctors, specialists and facilities take your plan so you can be sure you’re seeing the right person for care.
Get to know your personal service coordinator
We’re committed to providing you with the best possible customer experience. That’s why you have a HAP personal service coordinator, or PSC. This is your go-to person for questions about your benefits. There’s no need to speak to a new person each time you call HAP – just call your PSC.
You should have received a business card from your PSC in your new member kit. Keep this card handy on your fridge or in your wallet. If you can’t find your PSC’s business card, call HAP Customer Service at the number on your ID card and ask to speak to your PSC.
Enjoy discounts on health products and services – just for being a HAP member
Members are eligible for valuable discounts and extras. These discounts come from numerous companies and venues that offer health- and wellness-related products and services. Check out the HAP Member Discounts list of partners to find a great deal near you.
Check out Balanced Living magazine
As a member of the HAP family, you’ll get Balanced Living magazine, which is full of inspiring stories and tips to help you make healthy choices and live a balanced life. It’ll come to your mailbox four times a year. The stories are always available online (where you’re reading this post). My favorite Balanced Living topics are our members’ success stories. Send a description of your health success story to balancedliving@hap.org and your triumph could end up as a featured story.
Sign up for, and come to, a free, member-exclusive event
Throughout the year, we host programs ranging from healthy cooking demos to health care talks – all just for members. Visit hap.org/events to find an event near you.
Estimate your treatment costs before your visit with the Health Care Cost Estimator
Have no idea how much you would have to pay for a medical service? We can help. Log in at hap.org and click “Health Care Cost Estimator” to use the tool*. It’ll help you get estimated prices on doctor visits and procedures up front. The estimates are based on your personal benefit plan, and you can even compare costs for the same service from different health care providers.
If you have a high deductible health plan – a plan where you pay all costs until you meet your deductible (sometimes called a consumer-driven health plan or a plan paired with a health savings account) – the Health Care Cost Estimator can help you make decisions about your health care, which could make a big difference in your out-of-pocket costs.
Use our Restore programs to manage chronic conditions
Members living with diabetes, asthma, heart disease or COPD may need resources to help keep their condition under control. That’s where HAP’s Restore programs come in. HAP Restore provides condition-specific materials, classes and programs designed to give you the knowledge and the tools you need to live a healthy life.
Access your plan information online 24/7
You can access your plan materials, benefit information and claims history any time by logging in at hap.org. Your member account offers many resources to help you and your dependents get the most out of your HAP benefits. Remember, due to federal confidentiality laws, HAP doesn’t allow access to some claims information for dependents 13 years of age or older. Your spouse must also have his or her own login.
Take your digital path to wellness
Take full advantage of your access to iStrive® for Better Health, our digital wellness manager (powered by WebMD Health Services). You’ll start with an interactive health assessment to help you set health goals. And you can track your progress toward meeting those goals and search for information on a wide variety of topics ranging from asthma to Zika virus.
To access iStrive, log in at hap.org and select “iStrive” from the “My Health and Wellness” tab.
Whether you’re a HAP rookie or veteran, be sure take full advantage of everything your HAP membership offers.
*Our Health Care Cost Estimator tool is not available to HAP Medicare plan members at this time.
Proud of our past
Prepared for the future
Year |
Milestone |
---|---|
1956 | Organized labor’s concerns regarding the need for higher quality standards of medical care and affordable health insurance led UAW President Walter Reuther to open Metropolitan Hospital in Detroit with a group medical practice of physicians who worked on salary. Facing discrimination from other area hospitals, minority medical staff were welcomed at Metropolitan Hospital to reflect the community served. |
1960 | UAW sponsored the Community Health Association (now HAP) – a prepayment (monthly premium) medical plan to give Metropolitan Hospital patients and autoworkers access to health insurance through comprehensive HMO coverage that emphasized preventive care. |
1960 | Dr. Frederick Mott named Executive Director, CHA. |
1961 | Dr. James A. Halsted became head of the Department of Medicine at Metropolitan Hospital. His wife, Anna Roosevelt (FDR’s daughter), became the public relations director of Metropolitan Hospital and the Community Health Association health plan. The couple owned three acres of property in the Birmingham-Bloomfield area on Halsted Road, which was named after Dr. Halsted. |
1967 | Enrollment in CHA reached 77,000 after initial 1961 enrollment of 4,000. |
1972 | Blue Cross Blue Shield acquired Community Health Association, renamed it Metro Health Plan, Inc., or MHP, and contracted with Henry Ford Hospital. |
1973 | Jim Walworth named President & CEO of MHP. |
1978 | Ford Motor Company commissioned Kaiser Permanente Advisory Services to study the feasibility of a separate health plan formed by an alliance between auto manufacturers, the UAW and MHP. |
1979 | As a result of the Kaiser study, MHP separated from BCBS. MHP, Henry Ford Hospital, organized labor and Detroit automakers announced a new alliance: Health Alliance Plan, or HAP. |
1982 | HAP membership reached 100,000. |
1984 | Metro Hospital & Health Centers becomes Metro Medical Group, a HAP division; William Alvin is MHHC’s Administrative Director; Jim Walworth is president of HAP. |
1986 | HAP became a subsidiary of Henry Ford Health System. |
1986 | HAP became the first health plan in southeast Michigan to offer a new HMO alternative to Medicare – HAP Senior Plus®. |
1986 | HAP became the seventh largest HMO in the U.S., with acquisitions of Independence Health Plan and Medical Value Plan. |
1991 | HAP became one of the first 21 health plans in the U.S. to help establish national quality standards and measure and publicly report quality of care via the National Committee for Quality Assurance HEDIS® Report Card project. |
1993 | HAP earned National Committee for Quality Assurance, or NCQA, Full Accreditation. |
1995 | HAP membership reached 500,000. |
1995 | HAP entered the world of computerized claims submissions with the launch of Electronic Data Interchange – also known as EDI. |
1996 | HAP launched Alliance Health & Life Insurance Company, PPO and POS. |
1998 | Cleve Killingsworth named President & CEO. |
2001 | HAP acquired SelectCare HMO and POS, added St. John, Oakwood and Beaumont to system. |
2004 | Francine Parker named President & CEO. |
2005 | HAP and Henry Ford Medical Group first in Michigan to launch ePrescribing with UAW and automakers. |
2007 | HAP and Weight Watchers® announced an unprecedented partnership to offer discounted services to HAP HMO members. |
2008 | HAP expanded from 9 to 23 counties; regional office in Flint opened. |
2008 | Members rated HAP “Highest in Member Satisfaction among Commercial Health Plans in Michigan,” according to the J.D. Power and Associates U.S. Member Health Insurance Plan Study. HAP went on to win this award for eight consecutive years. |
2009 | William Alvin named President & CEO. |
2009 | HAP launched Small Business Solutions for companies with two to 50 employees in 23 counties. |
2011 | HAP launched educational website to help people cut through the clutter of the health care reform law. |
2014 | James Connelly named President & CEO. |
2014 | Midwest Health Plan, acquired by HAP in 2011, changed name to HAP Midwest Health Plan. |
2016 | HAP and HealthPlus of Michigan merged operations, creating one of the largest health insurers in Michigan. |
2016 | Terri Kline named President & CEO. |
Union meetings are held on the xxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx xxx.
Announcements- xxxxxxxxx xxxxxx xxxxxx xx x xxxxxx. xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxx