Central California Alliance for Health | Living Healthy | September 2021

What you need to know about other health coverage You may have other health coverage (OHC) if: ■ You have health insurance through your job, spouse or partner, Covered California, or if you bought insurance on your own. ■ You became eligible because of a new life event — getting married, for example. Your OHC may have ended if: ■ Your health coverage switched from Covered California to Medi-Cal. ■ Your job ended or you were laid off. ■ You canceled your insurance or stopped paying your premiums. How do I update my OHC information? If you have Medi-Cal, call your county’s Medi-Cal office or go to the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) website. They will verify that your OHC has ended before they update your case. To update your information by phone: ■ Merced County, 209-385-3000 ■ Monterey County, 877-410-8823 ■ Santa Cruz County, 888-421-8080 To update your information on the California DHCS website: www.dhcs .ca.gov/services/Pages/TPLRD_OCU_ cont.aspx . You should also call our Member Services team at 800-700-3874 to update your information. Why is it important that I update my OHC? ■ To avoid problems with being seen at your doctor’s office or getting prescriptions at the pharmacy. ■ So you will not get a bill from your doctor’s office. Last year, the safety measures we took to fight COVID-19 may also have contributed to a very mild flu season. That was a welcome dose of good news. But now that masks are coming off and many people are meeting up again, it’s vital for you and your family to get your flu shots this year. The flu and you The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends flu shots for almost everyone 6 months and older, especially those at high risk of getting very sick, including: ■ People 65 and older. ■ People with certain chronic conditions, such as asthma, diabetes or heart disease. ■ Pregnant women. ■ Young children, especially those under 2 years. ■ People from racial and ethnic minority groups. ■ People with disabilities, especially those that affect muscle or lung function or that make it difficult to cough or swallow. Most people should get their flu shot in September or October, CDC says. Children 6 months to 8 years old who have not had a flu shot before need two doses given at least four weeks apart. They should get an early start so they can get the second dose by the end of October. Get your COVID-19 shots too If you’ve yet to get a COVID-19 vaccine, plan to get one too. The vaccines are safe and very good at protecting people from COVID-19. Plus, once you’re fully vaccinated, you can start doing more, like getting together with friends and dropping your mask at times. CDC recommends that most people 12 and older be vaccinated against COVID-19. And it’s now OK to get other shots at the same time. So ask your provider about getting up-to-date on all the shots your family needs. Make a plan to prevent flu and COVID-19 3 Living Healthy