CaliforniaCare Health Plans launches teen hotline for its Medi-Cal members.Camarillo, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 13, 1996-- CaliforniaCare Health Plans, an affiliate of Blue Cross of California and a licensee of the Blue Cross Association, has announced the availability of a confidential, teen hotline for its Medi-Cal members. "Teen Line Teen Line is a teen help hotline based in the Cedars Sinai hospital in Los Angeles, California. There is also a branch in Reseda and, most recently, one in Riverside. The line is open nightly from 6:00 P.M. to 10:00. " is a special toll-free number dedicated to provide information on teen health issues and services available in the community. Teen Line is operational in Alameda, Kern, Orange, Sacramento and San Francisco San Francisco (săn frănsĭs`kō), city (1990 pop. 723,959), coextensive with San Francisco co., W Calif., on the tip of a peninsula between the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay, which are connected by the strait known as the Golden counties, and will be rolled out in two other counties as the State's Medi-Cal managed care two-plan model is implemented. Those counties include Fresno and Santa Clara Santa Clara, city, Cuba Santa Clara (sän`tä klä`rä), city (1994 est. pop. 217,000), capital of Villa Clara prov., central Cuba. . "Adolescents are often uncomfortable asking medical questions and quite often do not access the medical system at all," said Dawn Wood, M.D., medical director, Medi-Cal Programs. "The Teen Line gives them an extra avenue to seek help for sensitive and important health information in a private environment." The Teen Line provides information on such topics as teen pregnancy, alcohol and drug abuse, AIDS, sexually transmitted diseases Sexually transmitted diseases Infections that are acquired and transmitted by sexual contact. Although virtually any infection may be transmitted during intimate contact, the term sexually transmitted disease is restricted to conditions that are largely , and community resources. Any Blue Cross Medi-Cal member between the ages of 10 and 18 can speak confidentially with a registered nurse, or listen to more than 430 recorded health messages, free of charge, 24 hours a day. In Sacramento County, there are more than 8,500 Medi-Cal members between the ages of 10 and 19 enrolled in Blue Cross; and in Orange County, more than 2,000. Enrollment has just begun in Alameda, Kern, and San Francisco counties. "With the beginning of the school year, this is an excellent time for teens to take advantage of access to accurate health information," said Wood. Teen Line is only one component of Blue Cross' Personal Health Advisor (PHA PHA abbr. phytohemagglutinin PHA phytohemagglutinin, a plant lectin. ) Program. PHA, available through Access Health, is a broad-based health information and education program, available by telephone 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Members can speak privately with a registered nurse or access an audio library that contains information on more than 430 topics. Blue Cross of California is the California operating subsidiary of WellPoint Health Networks Inc., one of the nation's largest publicly traded managed care companies serving the health care needs of more than 4 million medical members. WellPoint, which reported total revenues of $3.1 billion in 1995, offers a comprehensive array of quality health plans provided through health maintenance organizations, preferred provider organizations pre·ferred provider organization n. Abbr. PPO A medical insurance plan in which members receive more coverage if they choose health care providers approved by or affiliated with the plan. and specialty managed health care networks. Specialty products include pharmacy benefit management A Pharmacy Benefit Manager (PBM) is a third party administrator of prescription drug programs. They are primarily responsible for processing and paying prescription drug claims. , dental, vision, mental health, life and disability insurance, flexible spending accounts flexible spending account, n an employee reimbursement account primarily funded with employee-designated salary reductions. Funds are reimbursed to the employee for health care (medical and/or dental), dependent care, and/or legal expenses and are , COBRA administration and 24-hour integrated, network-based workers' compensation workers' compensation, payment by employers for some part of the cost of injuries, or in some cases of occupational diseases, received by employees in the course of their work. . CONTACT: Blue Cross of California Cam Freedlund, 818/703-2463 |
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