[Physicians Health Plan mailer]

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VOL. 1, NO. 3
PHYSICIANS HEALTH PLAN OF NORTH CAROLINA
SUMMER 1986
What It Means To Be PHP
When you join Physicians Health Plan, you join much more than
just another Health Maintenance Organization (HMO). You join a
team. A team that is dedicated to two things:
• to providing each member quality health care.
• to controlling the costs that make health care so expensive.
The team includes physicians, pharmacies, hospitals, a variety of
other health professionals, employers who have chosen to offer
PHP to their employees, and most importantly, the PHP team
includes you, the members. Currently, more than 16,000 members
enjoy PHP's comprehensive benefits making PHP one of the
fastest growing HMO's in the state.
The emphasis in PHP is different from traditional insurance
because with PHP coverage, you do not have to be sick or injured
to have your medical bills covered. PHP encourages each member
to receive check-ups and physicals so that any future health problems
can be caught in the early stages.
And yet, while the emphasis is on preventive care and routine
examinations, the emphasis must also be for each member to use
common sense. Use PHP. Do not abuse PHP. Before you go to the
doctor, ask yourself: Is this visit necessary and would I be going
if I had to pay the full cost?
While keeping down the costs of health care may not seem
important to an individual member, you need to think of what
16,000 members excessively using PHP will do. The bottom line
will be that premium costs will have to go up, costing not only
your employer more money, but you more money out of your
own pocket. PHP is for your use. not abuse.
The PHP team working to give you quality health
care and control the costs that make health care
so expensive.
DO YOU KNOW???
1. How to choose a doctor?
6. What is meant by copayment?
Z. Where to have prescriptions
filled?
3. When to go to the doctor?
7. What to do in an emergency?
8. How to add a baby or change
an address for your coverage?
4. Which services require you to
get advance approval or pre-
authorization from PHP before
9. What to do if you receive a
bill at home?
you receive the service?
8. Why you must always identify
yourself as a PHP member
before you receive a service?
10. What to do if you have
questions about your PHP
coverage, your benefits, or
any claims?
Test Your PHP IQ
When you become a member of PHP, you need
to stop. Stop and make sure you know how to use
your new health plan, which is very different from
traditional insurance coverage you may have had.
Knowing the basics of the PHP system will mean
you can take advantage of the comprehensive
benefits PHP offers and you can save yourself from
having to pay needless out of pocket expenses.
Read over the questions and find out what you
know. Answers can be found on page two and the
Member Services Department is always available
to answer any questions you might have.