Do you have 2+ chronic conditions at age 65 or older? Here’s why you may need personalized care.

Chronic conditions are diseases that last longer than a year, requiring ongoing medical attention. Multiple chronic conditions are defined as 2 or more chronic conditions. About 90% of Americans 65 or older have 1 or more chronic conditions.¹

The most common combination of chronic conditions is hypertension (high blood pressure) and hyperlipidemia (high cholesterol) while the most expensive combination to treat is diabetes-arthritis-asthma/chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).²

What are the risks of having multiple chronic conditions at age 65 or older?

If you have 2 or more chronic conditions, you increase your risk for poor health, disability and poor quality of life.3 Health declines may occur due to a stroke or organs like the heart, lungs or kidneys failing.

Having multiple chronic conditions can make it challenging to treat illnesses individually. Here are some examples.

• The diagnosis and treatment of a second or third condition could be delayed if the focus is mostly on the first condition.4
• Multiple medications could cause adverse reactions that might make you feel worse or risk your safety due to falls or confusion.5
• Managing multiple diseases at once can take a toll on you mentally, leaving you and caregivers feeling stressed, drained or overwhelmed.6

One illness may also make it hard to address the other. For example, if you have obesity and depression, you may not have the energy to be active. If you have diabetes and arthritis in your hands, you may not be able to prepare healthy foods that require chopping or cutting.

How can a Humana Medicare Advantage plan help you manage multiple chronic conditions?

“Some plans are designed for people with certain chronic conditions,” said Devra Singer, a licensed Humana Medicare sales agent in Florida. “These plans tailor the coverage for people with chronic conditions and have benefits to support them.”

These types of plans are called Chronic Condition Special Needs Plans (C-SNPs). Common qualifying conditions include:

• Chronic kidney disease (CKD), including end-stage kidney disease (ESKD), also referred to as end-stage renal disease (ESRD)
• Diabetes
• Cardiovascular disease
• Chronic heart failure
• Chronic lung disease

What are the costs for Humana Medicare Advantage C-SNPs?

Humana’s C-SNPs help Medicare beneficiaries dealing with these conditions to manage their health and treatment plans affordably.

Humana is a Special Needs HMO SNP, PPO SNP Plan with a Medicare contract. Enrollment in this Humana plan depends on contract renewal.

What support does a Humana C-SNP give you?

One of the key benefits of a Humana C-SNP is the ability to access case/care management.* The goal of this support is to get everyone—you, your providers and Humana—on the same page with improved communication and collaboration.

Ideally, this helps reduce your healthcare costs by eliminating duplicative or unnecessary services and by reducing your chances of going to the emergency room or being hospitalized through personalized, proactive care.

How does Humana’s case/care management work?

Humana’s teams of healthcare professionals come from different parts of the healthcare system. Your team could include:

• A personal care manager helps coordinate with everyone. They may schedule appointments on your behalf and communicate with your primary doctor.
• Registered nurses support you with any medical questions and educate you on conditions to improve your health literacy. If you need at-home care or durable medical equipment, they can help you get them.
• Social workers connect you to local services, like transportation, if you need it.
• Pharmacists can provide medication reviews to help avoid bad interactions.
• Behavioral health specialists help you manage the emotional side of living chronic conditions.
• Care coaches evaluate your needs and help you achieve your health goals.
• Dieticians help you create eating plans tailored to your lifestyle and tastes that support your health.

What other benefits does a Humana C-SNP offer?

Members get rewarded for taking certain healthy actions, such as preventive screenings, and can redeem rewards in the Go365 Mall for major retailers via Humana’s Go365 program. †

Humana gives you access to providers who care

Having a provider who is a partner in your health is essential if you have multiple chronic conditions. They may need to spend more time with you to understand your health needs, develop a personalized care plan and help you navigate everything. Here’s a deeper dive.

Why you need providers who take time to listen if you have multiple chronic conditions

Having regular face time with your provider means they can devote time to listening to you. And you won’t feel rushed through appointments. You can take your time sharing updates on your health and well-being. That also helps your provider get to know you better as a person and not just a patient.

“Having a relationship with your provider is the number-one thing,” said Dr. Aaron Sheets of Family Doctors of Pasadena. ‡ “You have someone who knows you, who can help you through decision-making process. We’re going to make better decisions together,” he said. When your providers know more about you, they can better tailor your treatment plan to your lifestyle and needs.

For example, if you struggle to remember when to take which medications, they can work with you to come up with a system that works for you, whether it’s adding reminders on your phone, using a voice assistant for reminders or getting an automated prescription dispenser.

Having more time with your provider could also give them the opportunity to spot new issues when they first arise. As Dr. Sheets said, “If you sit in front of a doctor who cares about you, they’re going to see stuff. It’s the art of medicine.” That might mean noting your gait or balance seems off and doing a quick test. If you seem disoriented or lose your train of thought, they might perform a cognitive exam right there.

Why you need providers who work in teams if you have multiple chronic conditions

Healthcare is a team sport. You can think of your primary care doctor like the quarterback, directing the plays to other members of the care team. “Because primary care physicians are doing all the referrals, they know what the cardiologist is doing and what the gastroenterologist is doing. They make sure communication happens,” said Dr. Sheets.

Managing a single chronic condition, let alone multiple, can be challenging. Having several people you can rely on can reduce your stress and overwhelm. As the saying goes, “many hands make light work.”

A team won’t just lighten the load of multiple chronic conditions; it could even help stop or reverse the effects of them. “If you have a team of people who all put you as the patient as the center of all decisions, you tend to have better health outcomes,” said Dr. Sheets. That’s why quality care is so important for those with multiple chronic conditions.

Dr. Sheets believes being the quarterback helps primary care physicians deliver the most personalized care plans for his patients. “How do you put together things from different viewpoints? It requires a lot of synthesis,” he said. “You need to know what people want and what they’re afraid of to help them with a medical solution that makes sense for them.”

Why you need proactive and flexible care if you have multiple chronic conditions

When your primary care provider is the center of your care, you have a go-to person you can rely on for questions and concerns rather than a more costly visit to urgent care or the emergency room. “You can call and talk to your physician about your COPD and come in if needed. They can adjust your medicine and then you don’t end up in the hospital,” said Dr. Sheets.

But if you do find yourself in the hospital, your primary care provider can help you over the phone to transition home and start your recovery. “Your primary care physician is there to organize the medicines and make sure things land in the right space all the time,” said Dr. Sheets.

If other aspects of life become more challenging, your provider may be able to help. “Later in life, the core things people need to be well at home are transportation, food, cleaning and medicine.” Your provider may be able to help you address these needs by connecting you with local services.

This type of whole-person support is about providing quality, affordable care. As Dr. Sheets explained, “Instead of getting paid when you’re sick, we get paid when you’re well.” That’s why the care team is so focused on helping you in all parts of life. Nipping issues in the bud early on can prevent them from ballooning into big, costly problems later.

A licensed Humana sales agent can help you find a plan and provider

“Working with an agent and not doing it on your own is extremely beneficial, so you don’t miss out on anything,” said Devra. After all, Medicare has a steep learning curve. Even if you’re internet savvy, it’s a good idea to get an agent’s opinion on the available plans in your area and determining which may be right for you.

Other great things about working with an agent? First, there’s no additional cost to you for working with an agent, and you are not obligated to enroll in a plan with them. Second, an agent can also help you find in-network providers who know what’s going on in your chart and in your life and who are close to home.

Humana has agents standing by to help. Call an agent now or fill out this form to schedule a meeting.